Matchday Memories: On This Day 1969 – Sky Blues Safe After Scoreless Reds Show

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On this day (22nd April) in 1969 the Sky Blues played their last match of the season in only their second campaign in the top flight. Noel Cantwell was still the manager, having taken over from the iconic Jimmy Hill in October 1967. City had only just survived their first Division One season in 20th spot having finished with a couple of goalless draws. This season at least a point was needed to confirm they would once more be playing top level football again and the tough challenge was to get them against mighty Liverpool currently in comfortable second place in the top tier. There was some hope as City had only lost 2-0 at Anfield at the end of November after giving them a good run for their money and hitting the woodwork twice. Facing the Merseysiders was (later CCFPA member) Tony Hateley who had been transferred from Liverpool the previous September.

Maurice in the Sky Blue

Today, with great relief, Cantwell’s CCFC managed to hold the Reds to (another) goalless end of season draw to ensure survival once more thanks to results going their way elsewhere! The game was very much a cliff-hanger with Liverpool needing all the points to stand any chance of catching Leeds United at the top. City’s fate would have to wait for relegation rivals Leicester City who had several games left to play and could condemn City to the drop.

A big 35,116 Highfield Road crowd watched the nailbiting and highly competitive battle. The struggle was summed up just before the hour when City’s warhorse No.5 Maurice Setters and Liverpool’s Alun Evans clashed after the forward reacted badly to a Setters crunching tackle and both were sent off the field of play!

CCFC’s Manager, Noel Cantwell

For the record the two teams were as follows:-

Cantwell’s Sky Blues:-

Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Chris Cattlin (sub. George Curtis* -43), Dietmar Bruck, Maurice Setters*, Jeff Blockley, Ernie Hannigan*, ‘Ernie’ Hunt*, Neil Martin, Tony Hateley* and Willie Carr

We are pleased to report that all the members of this team later went on to join CCFPA. Dietmar is a valued CCFPA committee member today. Substitute George (with fellow CCFPA member) John Sillett went on to lead the Sky Blues out to that F.A.Cup win at Wembley in 1987 against ‘Spurs . Sadly, George, both Ernies. Maurice and Tony are no longer with us having since passed away.

Tony Hateley in the Sky Blue

Mark in the Sky Blue

Tony’s son Mark Hateley also played for the Sky Blues as central striker between 1978-83 and has become a fairly recent Association recruit. Future Sky Blues Geoff Strong and Ian St John (both sadly now passed away) played in Bill Shankly’s Reds side that day which lined up:-

Tommy Lawrence, Chris Lawler, Geoff Strong*, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Emlyn Hughes, Ian Callaghan, Bobby Graham, Alun Evans, Ian St John* and Peter Thompson

Referee:- V.James (Yorks)

A contemporary report from the Guardian newspaper follows:-

Cov v Liverpool (The Guardian)

In the end the result was unsatisfactory for the visitors (who finished up second best in Division One six points behind Champions Leeds United) and inconclusive for the homesters who had to wait nervously for their M69 rivals to complete their season! In the end, although the Foxes earned five points from their next four games, they lost 3-2 at Manchester United‘s Old Trafford in their final game and finished just a point behind the Sky Blues going down with (by far) bottom club Queens Park Rangers.