Matchday Memories: On This Day 1999 – See Sky Blues Raid Rams & Sort Safety At Derby
Gordon Strachan -City’s ‘gaffer’
On this day (8th May) in 1999 the Sky Blues were playing their penultimate Premier League game of the season in the East Midlands by visiting Derby County. City’s ‘gaffer’ (now a CCFPA member) Gordon Strachan had presided over a pretty nondescript season with CCFC in the lower reaches of the league pretty much all season. As the season panned out City were winning as many games as they were losing but still not technically safe as they went into this game. There were 32,450 at Pride Park to watch the game with the Rams in the top ten. A no score bore draw ensued though the point achieved was enough for Sky Blue safety in the top flight for another season!
Darren in the Sky Blue
The Rams certainly missed chances and both Mikkel Beck and Paulo Wanchope went close in the first half. City were better in the second period and City’s second top scorer, Darren Huckerby, was continually caught off-side and his 100th of the season eventually got a divisional award! He did get a dozen goals this season and (now fellow CCFPA member) Noel Whelan pipped him as club ‘golden boot’ by netting one more. The Rams could have won it in the last seconds but Wanchope got the ball stuck between his legs! A draw was probably fair.
Noel in the Sky Blue
WGS‘s Sky Blues turned out as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-
Magnus Hedman, Marc Edworthy, Marcus Hall, Trond-Egil Soltvedt, Gary Breen, Richard Shaw, George Boateng, Gary McAllister, Noel Whelan, Darren Huckerby (sub. John Aloisi -87) and Paul Telfer
Unused Subs: Philippe Clement, Paul Williams, Roland Nilsson and Chris Kirkland (gk)
Jim Smith‘s Derby lads lined up:-
Mart Poom, Rory Delap (sub. Kevin Harper -78), Stefan Schnoor, Jacob Laursen, Horacio Carbonari, Spencer Prior, Darryl Powell, Stefano Eranio (sub. Adam Murray -46), Paulo Wanchope, Dean Sturridge and Mikkel Beck (sub. Francesco Baiano -58) Unused Subs: Richard Jackson and Russell Hoult (gk) Referee:- Paul Alcock (Kent)
A very brief highlight from a Derby County source (just click on the link or image below) shows a terrible Rams’ miss in a goalmouth melee!
The Rams ‘gaffer’ (the late) Jim Smith later became a shortlived assistant to the Sky Blues former full back (now Association member) Roland Nilsson when he became the club’s manager in 2001-02. Horacio Carbonari also played a handful of games for the Sky Blues on loan in 2002. CCFPA member Lee Carsley who became twice Sky Blue midfielder (2000-02) – as well as player and caretaker ‘gaffer’ (2010-13) had left the Rams for Blackburn Rovers in March.
The Sky Blues also drew their final match of the season (at Highfield Road) 2-2 against Leeds United who finished fourth. Chelsea were third but the title was really a two horse race with Manchester United becoming Champions by just a point from the Arsenal. Derby County ended up eighth.
CCFC 1998-99 (away strip)
At the other end of the table the Sky Blues finished comfortably clear of trouble in fifteenth three places and six points above relegated Charlton Athletic who went down with Blackburn Rovers and well bottom Nottingham Forest.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
