Blast From The Past: On This Day 1979: ‘Ferguson 4 Ipswich 1’
Mick in the Sky Blue
On this first day of December nearly 40 years ago the headline above was what it said on the Highfield Road electronic scoreboard and big centre forward Mick Ferguson found the perfect riposte to the manager of City’s opponents Ipswich Town, Bobby Robson, who had suggested ‘Fergy’ wasn’t worth the £750k valuation the Sky Blues had placed upon him!
On the Monday after the game Coventry Evening telegraph reported that despite Fergie’s super show against his team he would only contemplate a player exchange to take Fergie to portman Road and he hadn’t got anyone suitable! City fans were obviously glad Mick stayed.
The CET Pink Edition that night
Mick had formed a prolific scoring relationship with the slight Scottish figure of Sky Blues inside forward (and now fellow CCFPA member) Ian Wallace and both gave the Tractor Boys a torrid time.
Mick’s first, after ten minutes, sent the Sky Blues in at half time with a 1-0 advantage. He had also damaged a knee which required strapping up at the interval so his second half performance was especially remarkable. Mick’s second came after 52 minutes and his hat-trick exactly on the hour.
Mick’s first
Ipswich found enough to win a consolation penalty after Paul Mariner was fouled in the box eight minutes later and John Wark strode up to despatch it past Les Sealey. However, the 16,411 Sky Blues fans only had to wait a couple of minutes before another Ferguson goal came along!
Deadly Duo: ‘Wally’ & ‘Fergy’
His four goal haul was City’s first since George Stewart got one for the Bantams in a 6-1 away win at Carlisle United in February 1959. Curiously City’s Jimmy Rogers also scored four earlier in the same season in September 1958 in a 7-1 demolition of Aldershot at Highfield Road!
CCFPA member Gordon Milne was still in charge after sharing the managerial hot-seat with Joe Mercer in 1972 and he chose the following team against the Tractor Boys (CCFPA members underlined):-
The late Les Sealey, Mick Coop, Bobby McDonald, Ray Gooding, the late Jim Holton, Gary Gillespie, Tommy Hutchison, Ian Wallace, Mick Ferguson, Andy Blair and Steve Hunt
Milne’s Men finished in 15th position in Division One at the end of 1979-80 whilst Ipswich finished third seven points behind Champs Liverpool.
