Matchday Memories: On This Day 1976 – Milne’s Men Beat Bristol City In F.A.Cup At H.R.!

Posted by · Leave a Comment 

Gordon Milne-CCFC gaffer

On this day (3rd January) in 1976 the Sky Blues, managed by (now CCFPA member) Gordon Milne took a rest from Division One travails to face Bristol City in the Third Round of the F.A.Cup at Highfield Road in front of a crowd of 15,849.

Over the Christmas break Milne’s men had beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at Molineux on Boxing Day and drawn 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur at Highfield Road the following day.  So today, they were expecting to make Cup progress in their first appearance of the season in the ancient competition and had a bit of trouble in so doing against battling lower league side Bristol City.
Image
Image
ImageThe 2-1 scoreline was  was much closer than it needed to be as the Sky Blues were profligate wasting many chances. All the home team had to show from a dominant first half was a fourteenth minute goal from centre forward David Cross with a shot from the edge of the box after a surging run. The second half was a little more even and the Robins put us under more pressure.

David Cross in the Sky Blue

However their attempted comeback was ended after Bristol’s defender Geoff Merrick, under pressure from (now ‘Psycho’s fellow CCFPA member) Alan Green ended up heading past his own ‘keeper following a Les Cartwright cross fifteen minutes before the final whistle. Mike Brolly‘s sizzling shot three minutes later came just too late for the visitors as CCFC went through to the Fourth Round to face Newcastle United at Highfield Road.

The Sky Blues lined up as follows:-
Jim Blyth, Mick Coop, Jim Brogan, John Craven, Alan Dugdale,   Jimmy Holmes, Les Cartwright, Alan Green (sub. Graham Oakey), David Cross, Donal Murphy and Tommy Hutchison.
 
We are pleased to say that all of the Sky Blues (including their ‘gaffer’) later joined CCFPA – apart from two defenders who have sadly since passed away, the late Jim Brogan and John Craven!

Alan Dicks

Gary Collier in Sky Blue red in 1983

The Robins (managed by Alan Dicks) put out the following team:-

Ray Cashley, Gerry Sweeney, Bryan Drysdale, Gerry Gow, Gary Collier, Geoff Merrick, Trevor Tainton, Tom Ritchie, Trevor Mann, Keith Fear and Mike Brolly     Referee:- A.Robinson
 
Gary Collier despite signing for £325k only managed a couple of games with the Sky Blues in 1979-80. Their boss Alan Dicks, of course, was assistant to Sky Blues’ iconic ‘gaffer’ Jimmy Hill during the 1960s.
 
City found Newcastle United to be a hard nut to crack in the F.A.Cup Fourth Round having to come back to find a Donal Murphy equaliser after an Alan Gowling opener. In the St James’ Park replay the Magpies overwhelmed the Sky Blues by five clear goals to end our interest in the competition!
 
In Division One the Sky Blues finishing in a reasonable fourteenth position. Wolverhampton Wanderers along with 21st place Burnley and bottom of the pile Sheffield United duly went down to Division Two.

CCFC 1975-76

At the top it was Liverpool’s Championship pipping runners up Queen’s Park Rangers by a single point.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young and Dean Nelson for sourcing the images.
 
Share Post

Comments

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...


*
= 4 + 8