Matchday Memories: On This Pre Season Day 2000 – Robbie Riles The Wolves At Molineux

The pre-season friendly programme

On this evening (26th July) in 2000 the Sky Blues under Gordon Strachan (now a CCFPA member) were in the early days of an encouraging pre-season as they prepared for another Premier League season (as it turned out, their last). Their warm ups began with a 3-0 victory at non-league Hitchin Town (City scorers were Laurent Delorge (58 mins), John Eustace (81) (both now CCFPA members) and Stephen McPhee (89). Then came an easy 4-0 defeat of another non-league outfit, Fairford Town thanks to goals from (another CCFPA member now) Cedric Roussel (41), a brace from J.E. (43&55) and a last minute effort from Jay Bothroyd.

Their third game was bound to be much tougher as they traveled to Molineux to meet Division One Wolverhampton Wanderers but they came away with a 1-0 win.

The fairly low key game, in front of a modest crowd of 4,800, was decided by a Sky Blue goal from, who else, Irish prodigy Robbie Keane who City had signed from the hosts almost a year previously for £6m, a record transfer fee for a teenager!  The Republic of Ireland international needed only three minutes after coming on as a substitute to break the deadlock after spending almost an hour on the bench (due to infected blisters on his feet)!

In the 56th minute, he cut in from the left wing following a short pass by (now CCFPA member) Marcus Hall, beat two defenders and fired home low inside the far post. The goal was followed by his trademark somersault. Wolves might have had a penalty just before half-time when Marcus tangled with Michael Branch in the box.

Gordon Strachan signs Robbie Keane in 1999

For the last half hour of the game City’s defence coped comfortably with Wolves’ attempts to come up with an equaliser. The nearest they came was when their trialist striker Koffi Faiwoo chipped just over following a through-ball from fellow substitute Carl Robinson.

In truth, the Sky Blues should have won more emphatically as they created the better chances. New City signing Jay Bothroyd shot wide with only Michael Oakes to beat and our Belgian striker (and CCFPA member) Cedric Roussel brought out another great save from the Wolves’ keeper and then blazed wide from a lay-off by Moroccan Moustapha Hadji and also contrived to miss a sitter from less than ten yards. Overall, Cedric must have impressed the Wolves’ management as he was soon Molineux bound.

The Sky Blues lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-

Chris Kirkland, Marc Edworthy, Marcus Hall, Barry Quinn, Paul Williams, Richard Shaw, Youssef Chippo (Moustapha Hadji -54), Paul Telfer, Cedric Roussel, Jay Bothroyd (Robbie Keane -54) and John Eustace (Gavin Strachan -77)  Unused subs:–  Runar Normann, Gary Breen and Gary Montgomery (gk)

The Referee was Andy Hall.

City only won one of the remaining pre-season games (1-0 at Sparta Rotterdam) including losing their only home game at Highfield Road 1-3 against top Dutch club Ajax of Amsterdam.

CCFC 2000-01

The actual Premier League season started promisingly after a Highfield Road defeat to Middlesbrough by 3-1 on the opening day. Back to back wins at both Southampton and Manchester City (their first league wins away in 16 months) certainly boosted confidence. However all Sky Blue fans know that, despite numerous flirtations with relegation and last day heroics, the wheels finally came off the ‘Sky Blue Express’ in their millennium season. After 34 years at the top (and 43 years since their last experience of this calamity) they were relegated in penultimate spot (19th) along with Bradford City and the ‘other’ Sky Blues Manchester City. Division One would be their home for next season and the desperately optimistic slogans at the time of ‘We’ll Be Back’ have yet to be realised but with City’s second season in the Championship since promotion from League One we are again within touching distance!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the photos