Overseas Matchday Memories: On This Day 1983 – Bobbys Boys Are Dynamic In Harare
Sky Blue Steve
Bobby Gould- Sky Blue Manager
On this day (June 15th) in 1983 the Sky Blues tucked another substantial win in Zimbabwe under their belts in their first ever African close season tour. New ‘gaffer’ Bobby Gould, who had taken over from Dave Sexton at the end of last season was a former Sky Blue centre forward so should have appreciated the performance on tour of the 23 year old Sky Blues striker Steve Whitton.
Steve had already scored two successive hat-tricks in the first two games against the Zimbabwe National XI in the capital Harare in a 5-2 win on June 5th and five days later against their Under 20s in a 4-2 win in Gweru. Steve got another in the next (losing) game against Bulawayo Saints and missed out the day before today’s game in the 5-1 demolition of a President’s XI in Harare.
Today’s game was also in the Zimbabwean capital and local side and national league Champions Harare Dynamos gave Steve another chance which he took with aplomb, hitting another treble in another 5-1 win!
Steve in his Sky Blue days
Martin in the Sky Blue
The Sky Blues other ‘Old Five’ goals came from Martin Singleton and current CCFPA member Steve Jacobs.
Sadly (though some fans thought) after six years with the Sky Blues from a youth player Steve was transferred to West Ham United in July 1983 with a scoring record of 21 goals in 74 league appearances. He went on to play for Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town and Colchester United hanging up his boots in 1998.
Nuddy in the Sky Blue
The Sky Blues had another game in a couple of days time in Zimbabwe (see separate later post). Later, in August 1983, the Sky Blues returned the compliment and hosted the African team to a friendly back at Highfield Road in Coventry.
We also mustn’t forget that in 1991 the Sky Blues went back to the country to sign a young player who became a Sky Blue and Zimbabwean international legend, Peter Ndlovu.
Born in 1973 we wonder if the ‘Bulawayo Bullet’ saw any of the Sky Blues games on this tour in his country as a 10 year old? Certainly the Sky Blues are to this day still held in the highest esteem as a great European friend of the nation’s footballing development so soon after their independence from the UK.
