Matchday Memories: On This Day 1981 – Sky Blues Saints Success Secures Safety (Sort Of)!
Garry Thompson in the Sky Blue
This day’s opponents at Highfield Road were Southampton who had beaten us 1-0 at the Dell the previous December. City’s mid-week win at Middlesbrough had given the Sky Blues some heart and the 1-0 scoreline in Teeesside was repeated today to further ease the desperation and tension of the last few weeks.
After the game preparing for the shape of things to come at Highfield Rd
Ray in the Sky Blue
Tom in the Sky Blue
This was also the last day of terracing at Highfield Road as former gaffer, by now MD, Jimmy Hill had planned to make the stadium the first all seater in England (which would take effect next season). A good crowd of 18,242 turned up to this last home match of the season despite the rain and cold. The vital goal for the Sky Blues came in the ninth minute of the second half from young striker Garry Thompson who converted a chance after good work from both (both now fellow CCFPA members) Ray Gooding and Tom English.
Nevertheless, despite the 1-0 win (and five points out of six achieved by the Sky Blues) City were not yet totally safe and any one of seven clubs could still suffer the drop with already condemned Crystal Palace and Leicester City.
It required a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on the last day of the season a week later (Garry scored again) and a Norwich City defeat at Leicester City to save City and condemn the Canaries.
Sky Blue Manager Gordon
Les Sealey in Sky Blue action
Milne’s Men that day lined up:-
The late Les Sealey, Mick Coop, Brian Roberts, Andy Blair, Paul Dyson, Gary Gillespie, Ray Gooding, Gerry Daly, Garry Thompson, Tom English and Steve Hunt.
We are pleased to say that, apart from Les (who was taken from us at a tragically early age) all of the members of this team as well as the gaffer later joined this Association.
Lawrie McMenemy‘s Saints’ side was:-
Peter Wells, Ivan Golac, Nick Holmes, Michael McCartney (sub. David Puckett), Colin Waldron, Chris Nicholl, Steve Williams, Mike Channon, Graham Baker, Steve Moran and Alan Ball Referee:- M.Heath
This season was remarkable in that the team almost made Wembley several years before their F.A.Cup triumph in 1987. We reached the semis of the League Cup in 1980-81 taking out Manchester United, Brighton, Cambridge United and Watford on the way. However, we fell to West Ham United over two legs in the Semi Final on a 3-4 aggregate, in dramatic fashion.
CCFC 1980-81
By the end of the season, in the league, a sixteenth place finish awaited the Sky Blues after the multiple permutations of that last day. We ended up three points and four positions above Norwich City relegated in twentieth place with Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton beneath us also safe.
Local Rivals, Aston Villa were Division One Champs this season (with Ipswich Town runners up four points behind).
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
