Matchday Memories: On This Day 1986 – George’s Men Get (& Win) Gibraltar Game

In charge, MD -George Curtis

On this day (May 19th) back in 1986, after surviving another nailbiting and relegation haunted end to the season, the Sky Blues visited Gibraltar with the pressure off. Close season tours were the order of the day in the eighties for CCFC. In 1981 they toured South East Asia in May playing and remaining unbeaten against Thai, Malaysian, South Korean and Indonesian teams in successively Thailand, Malaya, Hong Kong and Indonesia. In 1983 they toured Zimbabwe in Africa playing seven games there (including a draw with top Portuguese outfit Benfica). In 1984 it was Scandinavia’s turn with five games four against opposition from teams from Sweden and one against a Finland XI.

‘Cully’ in the Sky Blue

Alan Brazil in the Sky Blue

This year, our former ‘iron man’ centre-half George Curtis and former full back John Sillett had taken charge at the club as respectively MD and chief coach. This was after the departure of (now fellow CCFPA member) Don Mackay as Sky Blue ‘Gaffer’ only the previous  month. The duo (both now sadly passed away in recent months) took a side to play a match in the small island of Gibraltar.

On this day a Sky Blues team took on a Gibraltar Select XI and beat them 3-1.

All that we can find recorded about the game is the score and that the Sky Blues scorers were (both now CCFPA members) Paul Culpin (with a brace) and Alan Brazil.

If any reader has further details about this game including the teams please let us know.

Of course, the following season would become one of the best ever in the club’s history as the Sky Blues brought the F.A.Cup back from Wembley to Coventry!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.