Matchday Memories: On This Day 1960 – Bantams Beat Hammers To Take The (Southern Professional) Cup!!

Ron Hewitt

On this day (27th April) in 1960 Coventry City got their hands on a decent bit of silverware. The Southern Professional Floodlit Cup was something of a precursor to the much more prestigious Football League Cup. The SPFC ran for five seasons before being phased out in favour of the League Cup the following season (1960-61). West Ham United, Portsmouth, Luton Town and Arsenal were previous winners so the Bantams became the last holders!

City did not enter the competition for its first three manifestations and in their first year of entry (1958-59), also their first in the newly formed Division Four, they suffered the chastening experience of a 6-1 defeat at Millwall‘s Den in November 1958.  Not only were the evening games ‘different’ from run-of-the-mill league games but CCFC was a fairly mundane side in these times and the Cup brought them up against some illustrious opponents from higher leagues.

Ken in 1959-60

CCFC’s Ray Straw in 1957-58

Now in the Third Division, having been promoted as runners up from Division Four at the club’s first attempt, Coventry City had a very different experience of the SPFC this season!

First Billy Frith‘s Coventry City (aka the ‘Bantams’) knocked out Southend United by four clear goals in a replay at Highfield Road (after a goal-less draw at Roots Hall) in Round Two. Next, in Round Three, City faced Fulham at Highfield Road and got a 1-1 draw.

The replay was at Brentford FC’s Griffin Park ground as, curiously for a floodlit competition, Fulham hadn’t yet got floodlights of sufficient quality! CCFC saw the Londoners off by a goal from Ken Satchwell (who later became a CCFPA member).

The City drew Southampton in the Semi Final and played them and beat them 2-1 at Highfield Road in March with a brace from Ray Straw. Today’s final, once more at the home of CCFC as the luck of the draw held out, was against another London outfit, West Ham United. CCFC managed to repeat the scoreline of the semis and sent the Hammers home trophy-less!

Frith’s men took the silverware with an impressive 2-1 victory in front of a bumper 16,921 fans at Highfield Road and the CCFC hero this time was our former Welsh international captain Ron Hewitt who delivered a brace! His first after half an hour was a coolly placed shot. His second, the winner, came only twelve minutes from time after he robbed a Hammers defender to slot in. The Hammers’ equaliser came from John Cartwright just before the interval.

CCFC 1959-60

The defeated West Ham side included some star names, not least future England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore and future Sky Blue manager Noel Cantwell, as well as Mike Grice who joined CCFC in 1961!! They lined up:-

Brian Rhodes, John Bond, Noel Cantwell, Andy Malcolm, Ken Brown, Bobby Moore, Mike Grice, John Cartwright, Dave Dunmore, Andie Smillie and Malcolm Musgrove

Billy Frith- Manager 1959

Billy’s ‘Bantams’ lined up as follows:-

Arthur Lightening, Don Bennett, Frank Kletzenbauer, Brian Nicholas, George Curtis, Frank Austin, Johnny Stephens, Ron Hewitt, Ray Straw, Peter Hill and Alan Daley.

Brian in 1959

Brian, George, Peter and Alan later went on to join the Association. Sadly these four have since passed away though more recently than all their colleagues, George and Brian during the  2021-22 Sky Blue season. Peter Hill became a long time club servant becoming a CCFC trainer (and later kit-man) when he hung his boots up.  George Curtis led the Sky Blues to F.A.Cup victory at Wembley in 1987 and later became a CCFC Life President.

Of the four Brian Nicholas was most often to be seen watching Sky Blue matches being a regular at home games until COVID and his subsequent illness limited his attendance.

In the league in 1959-60 CCFC had a good season finishing fourth in Division Three.

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