Matchday Memories: On This Day 1987 – See Sky Blues Semi Final Success Leave Leeds Lamenting!

George & Sills eventually celebrate the Wembley Cup win

On this day (12th April) in 1987 The Sky Blues, under former players and late lamented duo George Curtis and John Sillett successfully negotiated the last hurdle blocking them from going to see the Twin Towers of Wembley for the first ever time. Let us hope CCFC can repeat the achievement later this month (albeit under the Wembley Arch) in this sesaon’s F.A.Cup Semi-Final tussle with Manchester United!

Peakey & Schnozz share a moment!

Revisiting Hillsborough where they had beaten the Owls of Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 in the previous round they now met Second Division Leeds United in their FA Cup Semi Final tie. In a lunch-time kick-off the Sky Blues, in a pulsating tie where the advantage swung one way then the other, eventually beat the Yorkshire team by the odd goal in five. Former Sky Blue player and, later, manager (now a CCFPA member) Micky Adams was in the Yorkshire club’s side that day as was our future (1994-96) defender David Rennie!

Micky in the Sky Blue

Keith ‘Roy of the Rovers’ Houchen in the Sky Blue

Fully 27,000 City fans amongst the 57,372 crowd saw Leeds United take the lead from future Sky Blue David Rennie after only fourteen minutes as Billy Bremner’s boys dominated early proceedings and CCFC ‘keeper ‘Oggy’ kept us in the game with some important stops.

The half-time advantage went to United and the Sky Blues gradually turned the pressure around and the power shifted in the Sky Blues direction around the hour mark. First, substitute Micky Gynn grabbed an equaliser after 68 minutes and then Keith Houchen powered in a deflected drive after 77 minutes.

Benno in the Sky Blue

United’s own sub. Keith Edwards then equalised for Leeds with his first touch and sent the game into extra time.

Sky Blue hero (and now CCFPA committee member) Dave Bennett grabbed the clincher after nine minutes of the additional time to send the Sky Blues fans wild and the club to Wembley! What a match and what a day for the massive number of Sky Blues fans who packed the Leppings Lane end.

To relive nearly seven minutes of this wonderful tie just click on the link or image below (sourced by former Association committee member Dean Nelson)

https://t.co/vP2jmzJ98M?amp=1g

Sky Blues fans will not need reminding of the team that day:-

Steve Ogrizovic, Brian Borrows, Greg Downs, Lloyd McGrath, Brian Kilcline, Trevor Peake, Dave Bennett, David Philips, the late Cyrille Regis, Keith Houchen and Nick Pickering (sub. Micky Gynn)

Greg & Keith celebrate the win

We are proud that every single member of that team and their management later went on to sign up with CCFPA!

The defeated Leeds United side that day comprised:-

Mervyn Day, Neil Aspin, Micky Adams, John Stiles (sub. Peter Haddock), John Ashurst, Brendan Ormsby, Andy Ritchie, John Sheridan, John Pearson (sub. Keith Edwards), Ian Baird and David Rennie Referee:- Roger Milford

City finished a decent tenth in Division One in their F.A.Cup winning season.