Matchday Memories: On This Day 1958 – Easter Ray Of Sunshine As Sky Blues Sort Shrews In Salop!

On this day (7th April) way back in 1958 Easter saw clubs play a crush of games in a very short period. CCFC (aka the ‘Bantams’) had lost 0-1  at Exeter City in Division Three South two days earlier and, after today, would go on to play today’s opponents Shrewsbury Town in the return fixture at Highfield Road tomorrow before facing another game on the 12th at home to Swindon Town.

Billy Frith- Manager 1959

Generally, City had not proved to be good travellers and had only won twice on the road so far this season and had sustained some heavy defeats away from Highfield Road However, today’s match produced an encouraging away win, the first of a two-day double over the Shrews (see tomorrow for a report on the ‘second leg’).

Charlie Ashcroft 1957-58

Former CCFC wing half and now the Bantams’ manager Billy Frith (who was in his second spell for the club) watched his team fashion a 3-1 win at Gay Meadow. The star of the show as far as City was concerned was goalie Charlie Ashcroft who pulled off a string of fine saves, particularly in the first half. He was beaten only once by a scrambled effort from the Shrews’ Ray Russell just a minute before the break.

What a transformation in the second half! There were 8,685 in the pretty old ground to see the Bantams take the game!

The Bantams’ two goals came from top scorer, inside right Ray ‘Toffee’ Straw (on 56 and 81 minutes) and a confirmatory one five minutes before time from long time club servant, playing inside left Peter Hill.

Billy Frith‘s chosen team was as follows:-

Ray ‘Toffee’ Straw

Peter Hill

Charlie Ashcroft; Lol Harvey & Brian Shepherd; Brian Nicholas, George Curtis & Iain Jamieson; David F.Smith, Ray Straw, Jimmy Rogers, Peter Hill and Jack Boxley.

Sadly every member of this Bantams’ team has now passed away most recently Lol,  George and Brian. Brian and Lol were still  ‘Ricoh Regulars’ at Sky Blues home games until a couple or so seasons ago. We lost both George and playing partner John Sillett (who co-managed the club to F.A.Cup success in 1987) all too recently. They had both been Life Presidents of CCFC. Iain later became a club Director and Chairman and Peter became a CCFC coach (and later kit man). Lol, Brian Nick, George, Iain and Peter all joined this Association after they retired.

The Shrews team, managed by Arthur Rowley, was:-

Russell Crossley, Jimmy Bannister, Norman Hobson, Joe Wallace, Joe Maloney, George Walters, Derrick Price, Willie O’Donnell, Ken Smith, Ray Russell and Ken Tucker                 Referee: F.H.Gerrard (Preston)

The club finished nineteenth in Division Three South this season, well below half way. The Shrews were a point better off in seventeenth. Consequently under the de-regionalisation of the third tier at the end of the season, both dropped into the new Division Four for 1958-59 where they met up with teams from the bottom half of Division Three North.

CCFC 1957-58

Billy would go on to get the Bantams out of the Fourth Division in their first attempt as runners up in 1958-59! This season Brighton and Hove Albion were promoted as Champions. Of all those clubs demoted to the new Division Four the two bottom clubs, Millwall and Exeter City also had (it turned out successfully) to seek re-election to the Football League.

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