Matchday Memories: On This Day 2001 – Joe Scores (Not For City) As OG Secures Sky Blue Draw At Hammers
Gordon the Gaffer
On this day (12th February) in 2001 in a season all Sky Blues fans will want to forget Gordon Strachan‘s Sky Blues were in the bottom three (19th), a position they would not improve on at the end of the season as they relinquished their top flight spot after 34 unbroken years!
John Hartson in his Sky Blue days
Strachan’s Sky Blues had already lost to today’s opponents West Ham United by three clear goals at Highfield Road towards the end of September last. In the midweek return under floodlights at Upton Park in London they did better, getting a point in a 1-1 draw, despite failing to find the net themselves! It was a tough game with referee Dermot Gallagher booking seven players, five from CCFC!
Today, at the Boleyn ground, the Sky Blues had the advantage of a new striker making his debut, Welsh international John Hartson! John (now a CCFPA member) had signed on a pay-as-you-play contract and he certainly put some zip into the City attack having a goal disallowed as well as having a strong case for a penalty against him turned down. He went on to nearly save the Sky Blues with six goals in his dozen cameo appearances!
However, the Sky Blues thwarted the Hammers by gaining a precious equaliser a minute from the final whistle when a free kick from (now CCFPA member) David Thompson spun of the shoulder of the home team’s Christian Dailly into his own net! Only the Sky Blues fans in the 22,586 crowd didn’t go home disappointed!
All the match details can be found in the graphic (courtesy 11v11 website) below:-
We are pleased to say that of the fourteen Sky Blues players on display only three (Gary, Craig and Jay) have not yet signed up to be members of CCFPA!
As mentioned earlier the Sky Blues lost their Premier League place which they are still striving to regain 24 years later. Down with them (just above them on the same points) went Manchester City -and look where they are now! Bottom club Bradford City eight points behind this pair naturally were demoted. West Ham led the group of four clubs above the relegated Sky Blue teams (all eight points better off) and finished 15th.
CCFC 2000-01
Manchester United took the Premier League title a full ten points above runners up Arsenal! Man. City supporters must have been miffed!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
