Matchday Memories: On This Day 1983 – Three Future Sky Blues Help England’s Hungary Win

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Phil Neal, Coventry City Manager

Thanks to CCFC author and fan Steve Phelps* for reminding us that on this day (12th October) in 1983 the England side preparing to face their Euro 84 qualifier against Hungary (which they won 3-0) fielded a trio of defenders who were all future members of Sky Blue management teams. The excerpt below (and England’s XI that day) features Terry Butcher and Mick Mills as well as Phil Neal.  The memory below is taken from his book ‘Coventry City On This Day’ (Pitch Publishing 2010) which points up lots of interesting Sky Blue related anniversaries*.

Following ‘Cov’ Kid former player (and now CCFPA member) Bobby Gould as CCFC ‘gaffer’ (in the second of his two spells) Phil Neal managed the Sky Blues for 67 games between 23/10/93 and 14/02/1995 and got a reasonable win ratio of 31.24%, winning 21 and drawing twenty of his games all in the top flight. Phil was succeeded by Big Ron’ Atkinson (now a CCFPA member).

Terry in the Sky Blue

Mick Mills at CCFC

Mick Mills was assistant manager to (initially) our new player-manager, and his former Ipswich Town colleague, Terry Butcher who picked up the Highfield Road managerial baton from another former Sky Blue player (the late) John Sillett in November 1990. By the time Terry was relieved of his duties in January 1992 he (with Mick’s help) had garnered a win ratio of exactly a third winning twenty out of Terry’s sixty games in charge (and another fourteen were drawn) in the top division. He was eventually replaced by Bobby Gould (see above)

As far as Euro 84 went before today’s game, England had already drawn 2-2 in Denmark, won 3-0 in Greece, and both hammered Luxembourg 9-0 and beaten Hungary 2-0 at Wembley. Crucially however, on 23rd September last they had lost 1-0 at home to Denmark who went on to take the qualifying place from this Group 3.

They didn’t know it for sure yet but today’s 3-0 win over the Magyars didn’t matter as the Danes garnered a point more from their games to go on to the Finals. For the record, England’s goals on this day came from Glen Hoddle (13 mins), Sammy Lee (19 minutes) and Paul Mariner (42 minutes).

Sky Blue Peter Shilton

Kenny Sansom clears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Sky Blues connections in the England squad for the qualifiers were  ‘keeper Peter Shilton who briefly came to Highfield Road to assist the the goalkeeping department in 1995-96 without getting a first team outing and full back Kenny Sansom who played 55 times for the Sky Blues between 1991-93 and, as a new CCFPA recruit, visited the CBS to watch the Sky Blues defeat Fulham this time last year as well as attending our Legends Day 2022 last March.

*Steve’s most recent work on the Sky Blues about the 1980-81 squad ’29 Minutes From Wembley’ was published by Pitch Publishing in 2017 and
all his CCFC books are available online and from all good bookshops.
 
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.

 

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