Matchday Memories: On This Day 1968 – Sky Blues Gibbo & Ernie Earn WBA Hawthorns Win

Noel welcomed by JH & Highfield Rd crowd

On this day (3rd February) in 1968 the Sky Blues were well into the second hlf of their first season ever in the top flight. Sky Blue legend Jimmy Hill had passes the managerial baton onto former Manchester United stalwart Noel Cantwell early in the season after leaving the club for a TV sport career. The Sky Blues were not finding their inaugural Division One season easy and were yet to win away from Highfield Road. However, they had some hopes of doing well today at the Hawthorns since they had beaten today’s opponents West Bromwich Albion in their first top flight meeting in Coventry by 4-2 towards the end of September 1967. The City scorers then were Brian Lewis, a Ronnie Rees brace and Ernie Machin.

Ernie Hannigan in Sky Blue action

The ‘double’ was well and truly delivered thanks to the only goal of the game scored in the second half by City’s Scottish winger Ernie Hannigan.The Sky Blues achieved this win without the scoring prowess of young ‘Cov Kid’ striker, now CCFPA member, Bobby Gould (later to become Sky Blue ‘gaffer’) who had been recently transferred to Arsenal for £90k. Our fiery ‘will of the whisp’ play maker Ian Gibson had an inspired game and it was his pin point pass that split the Baggies’ defence in the 58th minute to set up Ernie’s goal.

In the Sky Blues’ rearguard, goalie Bill Glazier was in brilliant form and the defence, with emergency striker turned stopper John Tudor marshalling his colleagues exceptionally well, ensured West Brom‘s potent forward line was kept out. This win on foreign soil gave the Sky Blues renewed hope and they went on to win their next two games (both at home) against Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday.  They wouldn’t get another away win, however, during this season!

Sky Blue Bill Glazier

John in the sixties

Cantwell’s CCFC lined up on this day as follows:-

Bill Glazier, Dietmar Bruck, Dave Clements, Ernie Machin*, John Tudor, Brian Hill*, Ernie Hannigan*, Willie Carr, Gerry Baker*, Ian Gibson* and Ronnie Rees

All of this team, we are proud to say, later went on to join this Association. However, sadly, five of the team (asterisked) have since passed away. Dietmar is now a committee member of CCFPA! Ronnie would soon go on to join the Baggies.

Alan Ashman‘s Baggies team fielded the following players:-

Dick Sheppard, Eddie Colquhoun, Graham Williams, Tony Brown, John Talbut, Doug Fraser, Graham Lovett (sub. Kenny Stephens), John Kaye, Jeff Astle, Bobby Hope and Clive Clark

CCFC 1967-68 at the start of the season with the D2 Championship trophy

As all fervent Sky Blues fans will be aware a brace of 0-0 draws at season’s end was enough to see the Sky Blues safe in their first top flight season in 20th place, albeit only a point and a place clear of relegation (suffered by both Sheffield United and bottom club Fulham). West Brom had a pretty good Division One season finishing 8th despite losing both games against the Sky Blues. The two Manchester clubs finished at the top of Division One in 1967-68 with Manchester City taking the title from United by two points.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young and Dean Nelson for sourcing the photos