Matchday Memories: On This Day 1934 – Bantams’ Best Ever Win: Bourton Bags 4/9 V. Bristol C.

On this day (28th April) way back in 1934 Coventry City under legendary manager Harry Storer were striving to get out of Division Two and scoring goals for fun, especially at Highfield Road.

In their last home game of the season they faced Bristol City knowing they had already scored seven at Highfield Road once and ‘the Old Five’ no less than five times this season. They would end up with 100 league goals in 1933-34, seventy at home, and their ‘goal machine’ of a centre-forward Clarrie Bourton would grab 25 of them in his thirty appearances. Even then, no one expected what would happen on this day, especially since the two sides had failed to score against each other at Ashton Gate in mid December!

Clarrie the CCFC goal machine

Clarrie Bourton

Bristol found themselves on the end of a nine goal whirlwind, a CCFC club record victory, with Clarrie getting four, Les Jones and Frank White a brace each and Jock Lauderdale the remaining goal. City never let up peppering Ken Scattergood in the Bristolians’ goal from start to finish. Despite picking the ball out of the net nine times their goalie saved his side from an even more startling drubbing.The only pity was that there was only a paltry 7,035 punters in Highfield Road, the season’s lowest, to watch the demolition.

Les Jones

Jock Lauderdale

Clarrie, who was born in Paulton Bristol and started his career at Ashton Gate in 1927 (and would finish it there a decade later), was at the centre of everything. Their centre-half Tom Parker gave Clarrie too much room to, typically, pick the ball up just inside their half and then spray it out to either wing for Frank White or Billy Lake to take it on before getting into the box alert to meet any resultant cross or centre.

Bob Hewison’s side only really tried to make a fight of it, by all accounts in the latter part of the first 45 minutes, otherwise it was one way traffic with the Bantams netting like clockwork.

The Bantams’ Frank White

Les Jones notched the first after only five minutes with a close range finish, followed up two minutes later by Jock Lauderdale dribbling through the away team’s defence. Then Clarrie Bourton crashed in his first after fifteen minutes. Frank White got his first on 43 minutes running through to slide the ball home. Clarrie’s second, a simple close range effort was netted on the stroke of half-time with City 5-0 up. 

Horace Pearson

The goal fest continued in the second period with another beauty from Les on fifty minutes and a quick fire brace from Clarrie on 72 and 87 minutes (to make his total four) sandwiching Frank’s second on 75 minutes. Bristol just could not score. Even when Vic Brown conceded a seventieth minute penalty the Bristol Babes’ Ernie Brinton couldn’t beat Horace Pearson who made a smart save. 

Billy Frith

City’s team that record breaking day was:-

Horace Pearson; Vic Brown & Charlie Bisby; Eric Perry, Tommy Davison (c) & Billy Frith; Frank White, ‘Jock’ Lauderdale, Clarrie Bourton, Les Jones & Billy Lake.

Billy Frith later became a Coventry City Manager for two spells (June 1947-November 1948 and Sept.1957-Dec.1961) 

The demoralised Bristol City team managed by Bob Hewison, comprised:-

Ken Scattergood; Bill Roberts & Jock Taylor; Cliff Morgan, Tom Parker, Ernie Brinton, Syd Homer, William Molloy, Joe Riley, Leo Loftus & Aubrey Scriven         Referee: F.W.Wort (Bostall Heath, London)

CCFC 1933-34

Paradoxically after such a scoring sensation the City’s last game of the season at Clapton Orient was an anti-climax with no goals scored whatsoever! The point gained ensured the Bantams finished runners up to Champions Norwich City in Division Three South (though seven points behind them). They were second on goal average just pipping both Reading and Queens Park Rangers who also had 54 points.

Bristol City were two places and five points clear of having to seek re-election in nineteenth place (though they were Welsh Cup winners that season). Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic and Cardiff City were the bottom duo but both got re-elected to the Football League.

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