Matchday Memories: On This Day 1998 – See Strachan’s Sky Blues Sort Derby (Darren Delivers)!

On this day (March 28th) in 1998 Sky Blue manager Gordon Strachan picked a team for a Premier League fixture against East Midland rivals Derby County. They had lost 3-1 to the Rams at the Baseball ground back in November so revenge would be sweet. The game, played at Highfield Road, attracted a crowd of 18,700  and they saw the away side lucky to escape with only a 1-0 defeat as City deserved a bigger win.

The Rams were managed by Jim Smith later (2002) to become assistant ‘gaffer’ at Highfield Road to CCFC’s Roland Nilsson who was playing for the Sky Blues today. Derby County also had another future Sky Blue player (and caretaker manager) in their ranks today, Lee Carsley (who later also became a CCFPA member).

Hucks bursts his way through the Rams’ defence

Match action

Darren in 1997-98

Unpredictable, but sometimes unplayable Sky Blues striker Darren Huckerby, proved the difference between the two sides scoring the only goal of the game a minute before half-time and generally led the Rams a merry dance. He obviously knew how to score against the Rams as he had also been the Sky Blue scorer at their brand new Pride Park stadium.

The Sky Blues did well to bounce back from their disappointing defeat (but only on penalties) in an exciting F.A.Cup Quarter Final replay against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane eleven days previously. Hucks had just penned a new four year Sky Blue deal.

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can see the goal highlights from the game by clicking on the image below:-

Gordon the Gaffer

Strachan’s Sky Blues lined up as follows (current CCFPA members underlined):-

Steve Ogrizovic, Roland Nilsson, David Burrows, George Boateng, Gary Breen, Richard Shaw, Paul Telfer, Trond-Egil Soltvedt, Dion Dublin, Darren Huckerby and Noel Whelan

Unused subs:- Paul Williams, Viorel Moldovan, Gavin Strachan, Sam Shilton and Magnus Hedman (gk)

Roland, of course, later went on to manage the Sky Blues (and has quite recently become a CCFPA recruit attending Legends Day 2022 as our ‘special guest’ in recent times..

Hucks & Noel together at half time

Tough they couldn’t make it last year it was good to see ‘Hucks’ and ‘Snowy’ Whelan back together again in Coventry for our Legends Day 2019 reunion the previous time we were able to hold the reunion (left).

Jim Smith‘s Derby’s team line up:-

Russell Hoult, Rory Delap, Chris Powell, Christian Dailly, Jacob Laursen, Igor Stimac, Lee Carsley (sub. Gary Rowett -73), Lars Bohinen, Paulo Wanchope, Francesco Baiano (sub. Mauricio Solis -88) and Darren Powell (sub. Deon Burton -55)  Unused subs:- Jonathan Hunt and Richard Knight    Referee:- Keith Burge (Mid Glamorgan)

CCFC 1997-98

Both Derby County and the Sky Blues finished the 1997-98 Premier League season in comfortable mid table, the Rams squeezing into the top ten in ninth and the Sky Blues two spots and two points behind them in eleventh.

Arsenal took the title by a point from Manchester United whilst Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and bottom club Crystal Palace dropped into the First Division.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.