Blast From The Past: On This Historic Day 1919 – CCFC’s Football League Career Began v. ‘Spurs
1919-20 programme
On this day (30th August) in 1919 Coventry City came out of the post World War 1 world with a new challenge. Having competed (and finished 9th) in the transitional English League Midland Section in 1918-19 after the end of the war the previous March the club found itself elected, top of the poll, to the new national Second Division . The vote was: CCFC 35; West Ham 32; South Shields 28; Rotherham County 28 (also elected); Port Vale 27; Rochdale 7 and Southport 7
The club’s new adventure, under the guidance of manager William Clayton, did not begin well today and, in fact, went from bad to worse as the team lost its first nine matches straight off and only won their first game against Stoke on Xmas Day!!
William Clayton (Sec-Manager)
A late revival meant that the club did survive in 20th position at the end of the season (being re-elected back to the League unlike 21st placed Lincoln City). Our survival, as it later emerged, was only because of a spot of bribery that enabled a draw and win in our last two games of the season first away and then the return at home against Bury FC. City were on their third manager by then, Harry Pollitt replacing Harry Harborne! The Bury scandal erupted a few years later and some of the players, managers and directors to do with these games were suspended from the game as a result.
Bill Jacques
Just over a century ago on this day Coventry City’s brand new Division Two Team learnt a quick lesson about the standards in the higher division and were whipped 5-0 at Highfield Road in front of 16,500 by Tottenham Hotspur. To add insult to injury it was former City goalkeeper Bill Jacques who kept a clean sheet for the London side.
It didn’t look too bad at half-time with the Spurs only a goal to the good, scored by Bertie Bliss a minute before the interval. However, after the break ‘Spurs took control. Bliss got his second seven minutes in followed by a brace from left winger Jimmy Chipperfield (59 & 68 minutes) and Arthur Grimsdell capped things off with a 5th five minutes before the end.
This was a comprehensive defeat and salutary lesson for the Division Two ‘newbies’ who were represented by:-
Albert Lindon; Dick Roberts & George Chaplin; Jack Allan, Fred Hawley & Horace Clarke; Lance Sheldon, Alec Mercer, Chris Sambrooke, Tommy Lowes & Fred Gibson.
A CCFC Team Group from Jan.1920
Alec/Alick Mercer
City played their first D2 fixture at ‘Spurs just a week later and only managed a slightly better result going down 4-1! CCFC’s Alec Mercer got our first ever D2 goal in this game in the 35th minute with Cantrell, Grimsdell, Bliss and Chipperfield scoring for the North Londoners!
Tottenham’s team was unchanged for both games:-
Bill Jacques, Tommy Clay, John Pearson, Bertram Smith, William Minter, Arthur Grimsdell, Fanny Walden, Alexander Lindsay, James Cantrell, Bert Bliss and Jimmy Chipperfield
Referee: G.Pardoe (Kidderminster)
