Members News: Reminder- Eric Black Is Tonight’s Cup ‘Special’ For CCFC’s Maidstone Challenge!
Eric Black – CCFC Manager
Just to remind you that our member, the Sky Blues’ former Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ Eric Black is paying us a visit this evening taking on the role of our Monday night Cup ‘special’ at the CBS Arena.
Still living locally it will be good to see Eric back in Sky Blue land as he was last June playing in the Association’s Golf Day 2023. He, like all Sky Blue fans, will be looking to Mark Robins’ men to put firmly behind them that uncharacteristic 3-0 home Championship defeat to Preston North End last Friday night at the CBS! Tonight we have the chance to make progress to the F.A.Cup.’s last eight against Maidstone United under floodlights and in front of live ITV4 cameras. As a fellow manager Eric will know that Mark will be fully aware of the dangers of complacency against our non-league opponents, a potential ‘banana skin’ in the past for not just the Sky Blues!
Eric Black in his Aberdeen playing days
Eric was capped twice for Scotland and played a significant part in Aberdeen’s glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson netting 70 times in 180 league outings between 1981-86. Sadly, his playing career was ended early in 1991 at French club Metz following a severe back injury. Since hanging up his boots Eric built a strong reputation first as Celtic’s coach in the late 1990s and then Motherwell’s manager (2001).
Eric as Assistan ‘Gaffer’ at Highfield Rd
Eric’s decent spell with the Sky Blues began as player-manager Gary McAllister’s assistant in 2003-04. Following Macca’s resignation, from January 2004, in full charge at Highfield Road, Eric lost ten but won a dozen of his 26 games with his side playing enterprising football. However, despite a 5-2 win at Gillingham, he was replaced for the last game of the season by the less successful Peter Reid (also as it happens a CCFPA member).
Always viewed as a ‘safe pair of hands’, from 2007-16 Eric was successively promoted from assistant ‘gaffer’/coach to usually caretaker manager at Birmingham City, Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United and Aston Villa! He left the footballing frontline in December 2017 after time as assistant manager at Southampton.
Oggy in the Press Box
Look out tonight for Eric ‘around the lounges’ in the CBS Arena pre-match with club host ‘Harry’ Roberts and post-match on stage in Lady G’s with CCFPA’s Billy Bell.
CCFPA member and club legend Steve Ogrizovic will be part of the BBC CWR team doing a live commentary on the game and both CCFPA chairman Jim Brown and committee member Mike Young will make their usual contributions to the club’s excellent match-day programme, PUSB.
We trust you will enjoy your visit with us tonight, Eric and the Sky Blues will come up trumps!
