Matchday Memories: On This Day 1978 – Sky Blue Scots Secure Season’s End Stalemate At Robins
Deadly Duo: ‘Wally’ & ‘Fergy’
Over 45 years ago today (29th April) in 1978 the Sky Blues finished their 1977-78 Division One season with an away game with Bristol City. Though the Sky Blues created chances the match at Ashton Gate, in front of 21,045 fans, was a somewhat tepid affair ending in a 1-1 draw with both goals coming within a minute on the hour mark. The score reproduced the December result between the two sides at Highfield Road when Mick Ferguson scored a first half goal for the City, later nullified. The Robins were managed by Alan Dicks (now a CCFPA member) the former Sky Blue assistant manager to Jimmy Hill.
Sky Blue Jimmy Blyth
Today, the Robins’ Joe Royle scrambled the first on the hour but the Sky Blues mercurial inside forward Ian Wallace almost immediately cancelled it out by scoring his 23rd goal of the season. CCFC could have scored more but the Gas’ shotstopper John Shaw proved equal to the Sky Blues other efforts.
The Sky Blues goalie Jim Blyth subsequently found out he had been selected for the Scottish World Cup squad – a real feather in his cap!
Gordon the ‘gaffer’ in City’s infamous brown strip
Gordon Milne‘s team that day (CCFPA members underlined) was:-
Alan Dicks
Alan Dicks‘ Bristol side lined up with the following players:-
Alan Dicks at LD22 (AS)
Good to see the manager of the Gas along with the Sky Blues’ Brian and Alan at LD22 at the CBS. Jim, ‘Harry’, ‘Wally’ and Tommy were among our nearly forty FP guests at last years Legends Day 2023.
Gordon Milne‘s Sky Blues ended the season in seventh on 48 points with a creditable haul of 75 league goals, but results elsewhere conspired to prevent CCFC claiming another season in Europe.
If Arsenal had won the F.A.Cup and Liverpool the European Cup, City would have made Europe!
Bristol City finished in seventeeth place in Division One in 1977-78. Nottingham Forest were top flight Champions well clear of second place Liverpool.
Blighted trio West Ham United, Newcastle United and Leicester City suffered the drop that season.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
