Matchday Memories: On This Day (&17th May) 1970 -Sky Blues Faced Hertha Berlin In USA
CCFC’s Manager, Noel Cantwell
On this day (May 15th) in 1970 the Sky Blues, managed by Noel Cantwell, were well into their eight game close season tour of the United States of America. Their third season in the top flight had seen them finish in a heady sixth position qualifying for European competition for the first time ever. The club’s tour of the States was a reward for a successful season and the arranged games took in games in several parts of the country including St.Louis, Kansas, Atlanta, Washington and Rochester against USA clubs but today the Sky Blues played their first of two games against German club Hertha of Berlin.
Ernie Machin in the Sky Blue
After opening the tour on May 3rd with a 2-1 defeat at St. Louis Stars we have subsequently covered City’s 3-1 wins against both Kansas City Spurs, Dallas Tornadoes and the 2-1 victory over Atlanta Chiefs in the last few days ago on this site. Details of the remaining two games in the tour, both wins, will follow in subsequent posts.
Today’s opponents Hertha BSC came from West Berlin and they were also on tour in the States so the Sky Blues tool the opportunity of arranging a couple of games, this first one in Chicago and another one in a couple of days time in Detroit. Today’s game was won by a single goal in the 22nd minute from future CCFPA member (now sadly passed away) Ernie Machin in front of 3,508 spectators.
Sky Blue Bill Glazier
The German side got their revenge in the second game at the University Stadium in Detroit with a win by two clear goals! Hertha’s centre forward Franz Braun got the early first goal eight minutes in after a long pass from Lorenz Horr. The second came late in the game (75th minute) with a solo effort from Arno Steffenhagen (though the CET attributes it to Weber) beating three Sky Blue defenders to score past Bill Glazier. This match attracted a better gate of 7,690, the biggest crowd attracted there since 11,000 watched Bayern Munich take on Tottenham Hotspur several years earlier!
Diet in the Sky Blue
We have only sparse details about the game to hand but know the Sky Blues team and scorers. The Coventry Telegraph report of the second game defeat is shown at the top of this article. Noel Cantwell‘s Sky Blues lined up exactly the same for the two games as follows though (now CCFPA committee member) Dietmar Bruck was an eightieth minute substitute for Mick Coop who twisted his ankle:-
Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Chris Cattlin, Ernie Machin*, Jeff Blockley, ‘Ernie’ Hunt*, Brian Joicey, Willie Carr, Neil Martin, John O’Rourke* and Dave Clements.
Sadly (*) both Ernies as well as John have since passed away (along with their ‘gaffer’ Noel). We are delighted to say every single member of this team later joined CCFPA!
CCFC 1969-70
