Matchday Memories: On This Day 1979 – Sky Blues Stalemate With Tractor Boys Pt.1
Gordon Milne-CCFC gaffer
On this day (4th September) in both 1979 and 1982 coincidentally the Sky Blues faced Ipswich Town as opponents and both games turned out to be stalemates! First we look at the seventies game which ended a tale of three Sky Blues shot-stoppers. Next post we will look at the game three years later.
Tommy in action
In 1979, in the days when the second round of the League Cup was fought out over two legs, (CCFPA member) Gordon Milne‘s Sky Blues earned a Third Round tie at West Bromwich Albion (which they subsequently lost by the odd goal in three) by forcing a goalless draw at Ipswich Town‘s Portman Road in front of 16,616. By virtue of their 1-0 Highfield Road win over the Tractor Boys a week earlier the Sky Blues went through (just) on aggregate. CCFPA member Tommy English got the eighteenth minute decider then. CCFPA member Jim Blyth was between the CCFC sticks.
In surely an unwanted club record the Sky Blues had used three different shotstoppers in three games within a week! Rookie keeper Steve Murcott had to go in goal in CCFC’s home league game three days earlier against Norwich City when Jim hurt his back in the warm-up (and kept a clean sheet in the 2-0 win).
Les Sealey in Sky Blue action
Jim Blyth
Steve Murcott
On this day, however, City’s alternate ‘keeper Les Sealey (sadly to pass away in 2001 aged only 43) was the Sky Blues’ custodian. The Sky Blues defence was dominant with ‘Big Jim’ Holton (who also died at a tragically early age) and Gary Gillespie keeping quiet the much vaunted Tractor Boy’s duo of Paul Mariner and Alan Brazil (later to become a Sky Blue player and CCFPA member). Future Sky Blue player-manager Terry Butcher was also in the Ipswich side as was his future assistant at Highfield Road, Mick Mills! Tommy missed the Sky Blues best chance to break the deadlock when he shot over from a Tommy Hutchison cross.
Sky Blue Barry
Ray in the Sky Blue
Apart from the ‘keepers the Sky Blues XI that second leg day was only slightly different from the first leg in that Barry Powell replaced (now Barry’s fellow CCFPA member) Ray Gooding at No.10:-
Les Sealey*, ‘Harry’ Roberts, Bobby McDonald, Andy Blair, Jim Holton*, Gary Gillespie, Tommy Hutchison, Tommy English, Mick Ferguson, Barry Powell and Steve Hunt.
CCFPA members are underlined. (*) Les and Jim, sadly are no longer with us.
The Tractor Boys faced us with the following XI
Paul Cooper, George Burley, Mick Mills, Frans Thijssen, Russell Osman, Terry Butcher, John Wark, Arnold Muhren, Paul Mariner, Alan Brazil (sub. Eric Gates) and Clive Woods Referee:- J.Sewell
CCFC 1979-80
The Sky Blues also played Ipswich Town twice in the League Division One this season. Apart from the 2-0 win at Highfield Rd (Steve Murcott’s debut) on 1st September already mentioned the Tractor Boys got full revenge the following April beating the Sky Blues 3-0 at Portman Road and both future Sky Blues Terry Butcher and Alan Brazil scored against us (as well as Paul Mariner)! The East Anglian side had a great season finishing third in the league whilst the Sky Blues were fifteenth!
Liverpool took the title by a couple of points from Manchester United that season whilst Bristol City (20th), Derby County (21st) and bottom club Bolton Wanderers were relegated to Division Two.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
