Matchday Memories: On This Day 1954 – The Bantams Bowl Over The Hoops At Highfield Rd.

Jack Fairbrother

On this Easter Monday (12th April) way back in 1954 Coventry City , in general, were finding life in the old Division Three South none too easy going under new young ‘gaffer’ Jack Fairbrother who had taken over after CCFC’s legendary manager Harry Storer had resigned the previous January.

Fairbrother had tragedy to deal with almost immediately, when six weeks into his new job, his wife died after an accident at home and he was left to bring up two small children alone. The Bantams were poddling along in the lower reaches of the Division but results had picked up a bit since the team that Jack was building found its feet.

The mini revival began here as tonight’s game at Highfield Road against Queens Park Rangers fell on the back of only one point and one goal achieved in the last four league matches. The gate, however, of only 4,785 was the lowest at home for at least 35 years! The Bantams were on a ‘double’ hving beaten the Hoops by three clear goals in Shepherds Bush at the end of January. City’s scorers then were Eddy Brown, Bill Bradbury and an own goal from Rangers’ John Poppitt.

Eddy Brown in Bantam’s kit

Jimmy Hill, CCFC winger

Today, however, the Bantams claimed a 3-1 win with a brace from centre-forward Eddy Brown (fourteen and 36 minutes) and a goal from City’s first Jimmy Hill (not to be confused with our illustrious sixties manager) after 55 minutes! Rangers’ consolation goal had to wait until the 72nd minute netted at close range by their No.9 Willie Clarke.

Eddy’s goals left him three short of a post-war century for his various clubs. His first was a header from a cross by Gordon Nutt after being put through beautifully by Don Dorman (pictured below).  His second was struck cleanly after some slick inter-passing through the Rangers’ defence with Jimmy Hill.

The Bantams lined up as follows:-

Peter Taylor; Eric Jones & Roy Kirk; Iain Jamieson, Martin McDonnell & Frank Austin; Gordon Nutt, Don Dorman, Eddy Brown, Peter Hill & Jimmy Hill.

Peter Taylor in his Coventry City days

Iain, Gordon, Eddy and Peter were all CCFPA members at the time of their passing. Goalie Peter became the other half of the successful Derby County and Nottingham Forest managerial duo with Brian Clough. Iain later became a Director and Chairman of CCFC.

Jack Taylor‘s Q.P.R. put out the following XI:-

Harry Brown; Geoff Taylor & Tony Ingham; Lewis Clayton, Mike Powell & Peter Angell; Albert Pounder, Bobby Cameron, Willie Clarke, George Petchey & Ernie Shepherd                       Referee:- G.W.Pullin (Bristol)

CCFC 1953-54

Though the City team went on to lose their next two matches, away at both Norwich City and Southampton, they finished strongly with a trio of successive home wins against the same two clubs and Bristol City. A fourteenth place finish was the reward. Queens Park Rangers were eighteenth at season’s end.

Ipswich Town were divisional champions and were promoted. Colchester United and bottom club Walsall, both way behind the pack, were forced to seek re-election to the League and were invited back to play again next season.

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