Matchday Memories: On This Day 1967 – JH’s Sky Blues Claim Title & Entry To Top Flight!

Original 1966-67 CCFC Programme front

On this day (13th May) in 1967 the Sky Blues were facing their last game of the season and, just like in this 2020-21 season, faced the same team from London, Millwall, with the same result – the Lions were beaten both times! Fifty five years ago the win had even greater significance than last season’s 6-1 Championship victory marking their farewell to St Andrews as our temporary ‘home’ with a comfortable sixteenth place finish in the second tier. Then, iconic manager Jimmy Hill watched his team clinch the Division Two title to enter the ‘promised land’ of top level football for the first time in the Club’s history.

The Title of Divisional Champions came with the Sky Blues 3-1 victory  victory over Millwall in front of 32,659 ecstatic fans at Highfield Road having vanquished local rivals and championship pretenders Wolverhampton Wanderers in their previous home game in what had then been dubbed the ‘Midlands Match of the Century‘. with both clubs certain of promotion.

The win today was also ample revenge for the 1-0 defeat at the Den back in September.

This result was fully in line with expectations as the Sky Blues won seventeen of their 21 home matches that season with only one defeat (v. Crystal Palace back in November) and the three goals gave them an end-of season home total of 46 against only sixteen conceded!

JH‘s boys sent the fans wild with goals from (all later CCFPA members) Johnny Key, John Tudor and the late Ernie Machin.

The goals went in like this. First, winger Johnny confidently drilled the opener in the ninth minute, latching onto a peach of a pass from Ernie. Then No.9 John T. slammed his shot high into the net after the chance was provided for him by Brian Lewis within seven minutes of the interval to give the Sky Blues a two goal half-time cushion.

Though the Lions’ Billy Neil got one back after 49 minutes, City were not to be denied and Ernie completed the Sky Blues win ten minutes later after ‘the old one-two’ with our tricky inside man Ian ‘Gibbo’ Gibson.

John Key in the Sky Blue

John Tudor in the Sky Blue

Ernie in the Sky Blue

City knew they had clinched the title on the season’s last day when it was confirmed that close Midland rivals Wolves had crashed 4-1 at Crystal Palace! The central team page from the match programme below not only provided the key details but reminds us that, apart from Brian, every member of that team (and of course JH) went on the join Coventry City Former Players Association! We are proud that this is the case!

For the record the starting XIs were as per programme. However, the Sky Blues did not use their sub., Ron Farmer but Millwall (who finished eighth) brought on Dave Armstrong who was actually their sub (rather than Ron Howell as the programme stated) to replace Bobby Hunt. The referee was Keith Dagnall of Bolton. Just as the Sky Blues finished a point clear of second place Wolves they, in turn, were fully six points clear of third place Carlisle United.

Northampton Town and bottom club Bury took the drop!

CCFC 1966-67

The ‘so-called ‘Sky Blues Revolution‘ was completed. Jimmy, of course, left the club early in the club’s first season in the top flight to pursue a media career and passed the managerial baton to Noel Cantwell. JH undoubtedly built the firm foundations upon which the club managed 34 unbroken years in the country’s top division and forged the Sky Blue sensibilities that fans still strongly bond to today.