Matchday Memories: On This Day 1981 – Milne’s Men & Bond’s Boys Draw Battle Of Sky Blues

Gerry Daly fronts the programme

On this day (10th January) in 1981 Sky Blues manager Gordon Milne was in his last season with the club after a long stint. There were 18,257 fans at Highfield Road to see a patchy game between two teams known for their light blue kit, the Sky Blues and Manchester City.

The latter had beaten the Sky Blues by three clear goals back in November. This game was played in an icy wind and the Manchester club (the most improved side in Division One) did well to get a 1-1 draw against a determined Sky Blues.

Steve in the Sky Blue brown!

There were no goals at half-time but this was soon remedied six minutes into the second half with a 25 yard screamer from the Sky Blues’ Steve Hunt (not the first he had scored this season) past Joe Corrigan.  Our defender Danny Thomas also managed to snap the corner flag with a sliding tackle!

Manchester City, of course, had two popular ex Sky Blues in their ranks that day, Bobby McDonald and Tommy Hutchison (both now CCFPA members).  CCFPA committee member and Sky Blues 1987 F.A.Cup winner Dave Bennett was also in the Manchester City squad that season!

Sky Blue Manager Gordon

However, it was Tommy that took the corner which gave the Mancunian’s Steve MacKenzie the chance to grab the equaliser with a low shot on 68 minutes.   A goal apiece seemed a fair result as the teams trouped off at the end of the game.

The Sky Blues lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-

The late Les Sealey, Mick Coop, Brian Roberts, Andy Blair, Paul Dyson, Gary Gillespie, Danny Thomas, Gerry Daly, Garry Thompson, Mick Ferguson and Steve Hunt (sub. Peter Bodak -77)

Bobby in the Sky Blue

The Manchester City side, managed by John Bond) was:-

Joe Corrigan, Ray Ranson, Bobby McDonald, Nicky Reid, Paul Power, Tommy Caton, Phil Boyer, Gerry Gow, Steve Mackenzie, Tommy Hutchison and Kevin Reeves Unused sub: Gary Buckley     Referee: Brian Daniels

Apart from Bobby Mac and ‘Hutch’ the Manchester side also included future CCFC chaiman Ray Ranson!

By the end of the 1980-81 season the team from the blue half of Manchester finished mid-table (twelfth) whilst the Sky Blues, after a good finish to the campaign were safe in sixteenth three points clear of trouble. They also had a long and exciting League Cup campaign (of nine games) giving them a sniff of Wembley but sadly culminating in Semi Final defeat over two legs against West Ham United.

CCFC 1980-81

We hate to mention it but Aston Villa took the Division One Title this season four points clear of runners up Ipswich Town. At the bottom (in descending order) Norwich City, Leicester City and, bottom of the pile, Crystal Palace had to adjust to second tier football the following season!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the illustrations.