Matchday Memories: On This Day 1987 – See Sky Blues Beat Bolton Wanderers On Way To Wembley Win
John & George at Wembley
On this day (10th January) 1987 the Sky Blues began their memorable FA Cup winning run all the way to the final with a 3-0 win at Highfield Road on a freezing pitch against Bolton Wanderers.
Greg Downs in the Sky Blue
Five Cup games later George Curtis and John Sillett‘s boys were carrying the F.A.Cup aloft and sparking a never to be forgotten Sky Blue celebration when they brought the Cup home to Coventry.
Later to become Association members Greg Downs (fifteen minutes), the late Cyrille Regis (eighteen minutes) and CCFPA committee member Dave Bennett (45 mins.) were the scorers in front of a modest crowd of 12,051. Greg’s goal was his first for CCFC and came from a back heeled free kick taken by Brian Borrows who was unlucky to miss out on the Wembley appearance in May due to injury.
Benno in the Sky Blue
Cyrille in the Sky Blue
The Sky Blues diminutive midfielder Micky Gynn (with his low centre of gravity) ran the show, skating over the frozen surface in what became a comfortable win.
Future Sky Blue (and CCFPA member) Julian Darby was in the Trotters’ team that day. Former Sky Blue gaffer (1993-95) Phil Neal was Bolton‘s player-manager at that time but had dropped himself for the game! As it happened, Neal blamed all three of the Sky Blues goals on the Bolton ‘keeper Mike Salmon.
Match highlights (courtesy of former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson) can be seen by clicking on the image below:-
Phil Neal with CCFC
All of these men (including the management), we are pleased to say, later went on to join CCFPA and have since joined in a number of memorable reunions. Sadly both CCFC gaffers as well as Big Cyrille are now watching football from above.
CCFC 1986-87
