Matchday Memories: On This Day 2010- Committee Member Dietmar Scores Four (As Do Watford)

Dietmar

It’s nearly fifteen years ago but do you remember the Sky Blues fairly forgettable 2009-10 Championship season at the Ricoh? Do you remember the half-time entertainment on offer towards the end of the season? Well, here is a reminder of it from CCFPA committee member and Sky Blue legend Dietmar Bruck prompted by a family photo he turned up again and brought to our attention this time a few years back (see below).

Part of the half-time fare at the Ricoh that season was a regular shoot-in competition, sponsored by the Ricoh’s G-Casino, for fans to prove their shooting prowess with a prize for successful marksmen. Competitors were faced with taking four shots at an empty goal from progressively further distances, from the penalty spot, from the edge of the 18 yard box, from half-way between the kick-off spot in the centre circle and goal line and, finally, from the half way line on the centre circle. Four goals and you were a winner. On miss and you were out. A lot of fans of various ages tried it over the season and most, if not all, failed since it was much more difficult than it looked at first sight, even given the unguarded net.

Marcus Hall fronts the Watford Programme

On Saturday 2nd May 2010 City lined up against struggling Watford at the Ricoh in the last game of the Championship season and CCFC and the Casino thought it would make a good finale for the last attempt at the challenge to go to a Sky Blue ‘Star of the Past’ to see if an ex professional could do better than the fans. The reward for success would be a cheque for £1000 to go to Charity.

Whoever it would be, the Former Player would be on a hiding to nothing with a packed Ricoh stadium potentially watching an embarrassing failure. Step up to the plate our popular Association committee man Dietmar! The former Sky Blue defender, then aged 66, pulled on the supplied City strip to do the business.

To cut a long story short (after admittedly some earlier practice), Dietmar took his four kicks immaculately and, allowing for the natural spin of the ball, found the net confidently, as pressure built with each success, with his final attempt from the half way line sailing into the net to the acclaim of the 19,103 fans present in the Stadium. Dietmar is pictured pitchside below following this achievement  with grandchildren Olivia and Tyler happy (and relieved) to have survived the ordeal and ecstatic at winning the £1000 prize for charity. Tyler is now a professional with local side Solihull Moors FC! A great memory, for which thanks Diet!

Dietmar with Olivia and Tyler pitchside after his four goal triumph

Sad to say the Sky Blues did not manage to find either of the nets during the game though their opponents, the Hornets did get four shots through the sticks (two in each half) including, coincidentally, the first from the penalty spot after City’s Leon Barnett was penalised in the box. Danny Graham scored from the spot, the first of his brace, the others coming from Henri Lansbury and Marvin Sordell.

Marvin Sordell, Coventry City

Marvin would go on to score seven goals in 26 Sky Blue appearances in 2016-17! Malky Mackay‘s team would finish 16th after this 4-0 win at the Ricoh.

John in Sky Blue action

Watford were captained that day by CCFPA member John Eustace who started off his professional career at the City and scored ten goals in his 98 appearances for the Sky Blues  between 1998-2003. John, of course, became ‘gaffer’ at neighbours Birmingham City and roughly this time last year (29th April 2023) saw his side go down to a defeat at the CBS Arena by two clear goals. John is now boss at Blackburn Rovers and was sent to the stands by the ref this season almost a year later at Ewood Park for some shenanigans with Sky Blues’ Kasey Palmer!

For the record the two teams that met that day were:-

Sky Blues (CCFPA members underlined): –

Kieren Westwood, Stephen Wright (sub. Jordan Clarke -71), Martin Crainie, Leon Barnett, Richard Wood, Sammy Clingan (sub. Carl Baker -46), David Bell, Aron Gunnarsson, Michael McIndoe, Freddy Eastwood (sub. Shaun Jeffers -71) and Clinton Morrison   

Unused subs: Marcus Hall, Chris Hussey, Freddy Sears and Dimi Konstantopoulos (gk)

The Programme front (above) featured two time Sky Blue Marcus Hall, in his second spell at the club. He  had started with CCFC as a youngster in the early 1990s and between 1994-2002 and then 2005-10 clocked up four goals in 308 Sky Blue appearances. Inside pages offered  a tribute as Marcus had been released and this was the last time the name of the ‘Cov Kid’ (and now CCFPA member) appeared on the team sheet – sadly he remained on the bench today. He would later get a testimonial game at the Ricoh versus Everton.

Watford:-

Scott Loach, Adrian Mariappa, Henri Lansbury, Don Cowie, Danny Graham (sub. Gavin Massey -85), Lloyd Doyley, John Harley, Martin Tyler, John Eustace (c) (sub. Steve McGinn -89), Michael Bryan (sub. Marvin Sordell -61)  Unused subs: Liam Henderson, Dale Bennett, Eddie Oshodi and Richard Lee (gk)    Referee:- Mark Halsey

Chris Coleman- Sky Blue Gaffer

It would prove to be manager Chris Coleman‘s last in charge as the Sky Blues finished in nineteenth position -it would have been twentieth had 21st place Crystal Palace not had ten points deducted for going into administration! Palace stayed up just above the drop zone but Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle and bottom club Peterborough United were not so lucky! Chris paid the price for the Sky Blues’ dreadful end of season run with no win in the last eleven games (including six defeats).

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for researching the article and to Dietmar for the main photo!