Matchday Memories: On This Day 2003 – McAllister’s Men Mess Up The Mariners!

Gary in the Sky Blue

On This day (1st March) in 2003 Scottish international Gary McAllister was the Sky Blues player-manager as they proceeded through their 2002-03 Division One campaign. Earlier in the season the club had play-off pretensions but these had slipped in recent weeks. Before this game at Grimsby Town in front of only 5,736 fans (including 478 hardy members of the Sky Blue Army), City had gone eight games without a win (and indeed eight hours play over the last four outings without scoring).

Jay in Sky Blue action

However, McAllister’s men had beaten the Mariners already back in mid September at Highfield Road by the odd goal in five. Recent CCFPA recruit Lee Mills, the ‘Gaffer’ and Jay Bothroyd had netted for the home team in the previous fixture. Things were once more to look better against the Mariners (who by then were propping up the league) as the Sky Blues ended up two goals to the good and grabbed the ‘double’ from the team from Humberside/ N.E.Lincs. This time Gary had left himself out of the side to concentrate on off-field matters.

The Mariner’s central defender Simon Ford greatly helped matters when, after seventeen minutes, he headed into his own goal from a Richie Partridge cross. The game and the points were made safe for the Sky Blues in the second half when the hapless Mr. Ford brought down (another future CCFPA member) Julian Joachim in the box.

John Eustace in the Sky Blue

John Eustace (currently boss at Blackburn Rovers) took the penalty and scored after 63 minutes. The final score of 2-0 against the bottom club left us in thirteenth place.

McAllister’s men that day comprised the following players (CCFPA members underlined):-

Fabien Debec, Andrew Whing, Gary Caldwell, John Eustace, Mo Konjic, Calum Davenport, Richie Partridge, Youssef Chippo, Julian Joachim, Matt Jansen and Craig Pead (sub. Vincent Engonga -72)

Unused subs:- Gary McSheffrey, Barry Quinn, Dean Holdsworth and Gary Montgomery (gk)

Steve in the Sky Blue

The men of the Mariners, managed by Paul Groves, lined up as follows:-

Danny Coyne, John McDermott, Tony Gallimore, Stacy Coldicott (sub. Paul Groves -83), Simon Ford, Georges Santos, Stuart Campbell, John Oster, Michael Boulding (sub. Steve Livingstone -79), Alan Pouton (sub. Darren Mansaram -64) and Richard Hughes    Unused subs:- Steve Chettle & Shaun Alloway                    Referee:– Keith Hill

Former Sky Blue (and CCFPA member) ‘Livvo’ (above) got to play a brief cameo in the second half of the game!

CCFC 2002-03

This win proved to be their last league victory of the season as City’s decline resumed. They gained only four draws in their last dozen games! Accordingly, they had to be content with a twentieth place finish at the end of the season two points and two places above the drop. Grimsby Town also failed to improve and went down bottom of the pile eleven points shy of safety (with Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton & Hove Albion).

Portsmouth took the title and went up with runners up Leicester City and fifth placed Wolverhampton Wanderers after their success in the play-offs.

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