Matchday Memories: On This Day 1979 – Sky Blues Surrender Cup Stalemate To Baggies

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Andy Blair celebrates

On this day (9th January) in 1979, long time Sky Blues manager (since 1972-73) Gordon Milne picked a side to meet West Bromwich Albion in the Third Round of the F.A.Cup. The Baggies were then managed by future Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ Ron Atkinson! City’s rivals featured a trio of accomplished black players ‘Big Ron’s so-called ‘Three Degrees’, Brendan Batson, Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis.  ‘Big Cyrille’, of course was destined to become a distinguished Sky Blue player and (since his fairly recent passing) a greatly missed national footballing great. Not far short of 38,000 were packed into Highfield Road to see the contest between the West Midlands rivals. City had been smashed 7-1 at the Hawthorns in the league back the previous October, City’s worst league defeat since 1958!

This match, on a freezing night, became a nerve tingling cup tie played on a pitch which was like a skating rink. City did well to get a 2-2 draw as the Albion were currently riding high in the league and unbeaten in a club record seventeen games so far.

The match was full of entertainment as fortunes swung first one way and then the other with chances galore. In a curious Sky Blues footnote both Jim Hagan and Mick Coop inadvertently wore a shirt with No.2 on the back for the first half! (below)

Andy in the Sky Blue

Alan Green in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues struck first from Andy Blair after seventeen minutes but WBA retaliated only three minutes later when Laurie Cunningham netted.

It was honours even at half-time and the deadlock didn’t break until Albion’s Ally Brown struck on the hour.   The tie wasn’t saved for the Sky Blues until four minutes from time when our nippy striker Alan Green, who had come off the bench, grabbed the equaliser (and almost won it with another effort before the final whistle). Greeny lit up the Highfield Road scoreboard (see below)!

The replay at West Brom was fixed for the 15th January.

Sky Blue Manager Gordon

Milne’s men that day turned out as follows:-

Jim Blyth, Jim Hagan, Bobby McDonald, Andy Blair, the late Jim Holton, Mick Coop, Don Nardiello (sub. Alan Green), Ian Wallace, Garry Thompson, Barry Powell and Tommy Hutchison.

Big Ron

Those players, like their gaffer, who later went on to join CCFPA as did the Baggies’ ‘Big Cyrille’ are underlined.

Big Ron’s West Brom‘s team lined up as follows:-

Tony Godden, Brendan Batson, Derek Statham, Tony Brown, John Wile, Ally Robertson, Bryan Robson, Ally Brown, Cyrille Regis, John Trewick and Laurie Cunningham     Referee:- Clive Thomas

CCFC 1978-79

As it turned out the Albion easily won the replay sweeping the Sky Blues aside by four clear goals. They also beat us 3-1 in the league fixture at Highfield Road the following March. It was no surprise the Baggies finished the season third in Division One, even though the Sky Blues finished a creditable tenth. Above West Bromwich Albion were Division One runners up Nottingham Forest and, eight points clear, title holders Liverpool.  The relegation stakes were ‘won’ by twentieth placed Queen’s Park Rangers, the Sky Blues recent landlords Birmingham City (21st) and,  plumb bottom, Chelsea.

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

 

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