Blast from The Past: On This New Year’s Day 1984- Sky Blues Smash Stoke City
Don Mackay at CCFC
On this day (1st January) in 1984 the Sky Blues were under new management. ‘Cov Kid’ former player Bobby Gould had been sacked after a spineless Sky Blue Boxing Day defeat at Luton Town. His assistant Don Mackay took over the reigns and three days previously the Sky Blues lost again at home to West Ham by the odd goal in three. Fortunately in this Highfield Road game the City were up against a side with even more problems. Stoke had lost their previous 13 out of 15 games and hold the unenviable record of having the worst Division One record at this stage for many years!
Terry in the Sky Blue
Before a paltry Highfield Road crowd of a couple of hundred under 10,000 the Sky Blues win with relative ease by four clear goals. The Potters’ 17 year old goalkeeper Roberts, sadly, could be said to be at fault for City’s first three goals, all in the first half. The Sky Blues diminutive striker Terry Gibson scored the first of his brace on 12 minutes followed up by a strike from current CCFPA President Kirk Stephens on the half hour. Three minutes later the Sky Blues fans relaxed as Kenny Hibbitt scored City’s third.
Kenny in the Sky Blue
The Sky Blues final score after 53 minutes was claimed by Terry Gibson, his second, and gave the Sky Blues their biggest win for over a year. However, new gaffer Don Mackay. did not get carried away and said after the game that there was still an awful lot of hard work necessary in the second half of the season to keep City in the top flight!
City’s team that new Year’s Day comprised:-
Steve Ogrizovic, Kirk Stephens, Stuart Pearce, David Bowman, Brian Kilcline, Lloyd McGrath, Kenny Hibbitt (sub. Dave Bennett), Micky Gynn, Bob Latchford, Terry Gibson and Micky Adams
Kirk in the Sky Blue
All bar Bob (and the gaffer) later went on to join this Association. As well as Kirk, ‘Benno’ is a valued CCFPA committee member. Micky Adams later went on to manage the Sky Blues, Oggy is still a great club servant to this day and Stuart went on to play for and caretaker manage (2012) England.
It was ‘Psycho’ who scored the 66th minute penalty that enabled the Sky Blues to complete the double over Stoke with a 1-0 win in May 1985 one of the three straight wins thay needed at season’s end to stay up.
CCFC 1984-85
So, the Sky Blues did contrive to survive in 1984-85 in 18th spot just a point clear of the drop. As seemed inevitable Stoke were relegated in bottom spot on only 17 points with only three wins all season (and 31 defeats).
