Matchday Memories: On This Day 1998 – Paul Hall Scores Sky Blue Shrimpers Success!
Paul Hall in the Sky Blue
Taking a break from Premier League matters on this day (16th September 1998) the Sky Blues, managed by Gordon Strachan‘ had a second round League (Worthington) Cup tie to play. Entering the competition at this stage CCFC’s opponents were Southend United. The tie was over two legs with City drawn at home for this fist leg. In front of a crowd of modest 6,631 the Sky Blues struggled to win the game at Highfield Road by the only goal of the game scored in the 64th minute by Paul Hall (his only first team goal of this season). This result ended an eight hour Sky Blue goal drought! Six days later they went down to Essex and settled matters with a 4-0 demolition of the Shrimpers at Roots Hall thanks to goals from George Boateng (six minutes) plus Dion Dublin (27), Noel Whelan (45) and Trond-Egil Soltvedt (83) – all three now CCFPA members, the Norwegian only quite recently!
The Sky Blues departed the Worthington Cup in the next round, 2-0 losers at Luton Town! All the match details you could possibly want come from the excerpt below taken from the Coventry Telegraph’s glossy magazine review of the 1998-99 season.
Southend Utd (LC) (h) 1-0 16-09-1998 report (CT season review)
Of the sixteen Sky Blue players in the matchday squad and their ‘gaffer’ only three have not yet joined this Association, Gary Breen, George Boateng and Phillipe Clement. We would love to rectify that whenever they wish to join us!
CCFC 1998-99 (away strip)
In the Premier League City eventually earned themselves a fifteenth place finish six points above the relegated clubs Charlton Athletic, Blackburn Rovers in nineteenth spot and, bottom of the pile, Nottingham Forest. Manchester United pipped Arsenal to the title by a single point!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
