Don Mackay at CCFC
On this day (14th May) in 1985 Sky Blues ‘gaffer’ Don Mackay, in charge since ‘Cov Kid’ ex CCFC player Bobby Gould was sacked at the end of 1984, was desperate to see some points on the scoreboard at fellow strugglers Ipswich Town after a run of three defeats in May so far (2-4 at Tottenham Hotspur; 0-2 at home to Liverpool and 1-2 at Southampton).
City were still deep in trouble in the lower reaches of Division One with only four matches left to save themselves also probably needing to assume things would fall their way elsewhere.
Kenny in the Sky Blue
Benno in Sky Blue action
The Tractor Boys were not going to concede home advantage readily and it took a gutsy performance from the Sky Blues in lashing rain to keep the Ipswich Town forwards out. It also didn’t help that Sky Blue midfielder Kenny Hibbitt had to limp off injured after only half an hour’s play. City also had their chances and the Suffolk team’s goalie Paul Cooper saved well from both Dave Bennett (now a CCFPA committee member) and Stuart Pearce (now an Association member).
‘Killer’ in the Sky Blue
The 14,038 fans in Portman Road also saw a concerted second half push for the points from the Sky Blues almost succeed as our hulking centre-half and future F.A.Cup winning captain Brian Kilcline struck the Ipswich bar!
However, both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils from a goal-less draw. Both teams remained nervously looking over their shoulder as they went into their final trio of games. With both West Ham United and Norwich City winning City knew they required three straight wins to guarantee survival.
Mackay’s men that day were:-
Stuart Pearce & Ian Butterworth at CCFC
Steve Ogrizovic, Ian Butterworth, Stuart Pearce, Kenny Hibbitt (sub. Lloyd McGrath), Brian Kilcline, Trevor Peake, Dave Bennett, Micky Gynn, the late Cyrille Regis, Terry Gibson and Micky Adams
We are pleased to say that all members of this team as well as the manager later went on to join CCFPA. Future Sky Blue manager Terry Butcher was central to the Ipswich defence that day (see below).
Bobby Ferguson‘s Tractor Boys side was:-
Terry in the Sky Blue
Paul Cooper, George Burley, Frank Yallop, Romeo Zondervan, Ian Cranson, Terry Butcher, Tommy Parkin, Mark Brennan, Jason Dozzell, Kevin Wilson and Eric Gates Referee:- Martin Bodenham
As is well known now City managed to get their three straight wins including, on the last day of this season, a 4-1 victory over top-of-the-division Everton, to keep City up in eighteenth place with fifty points (alongside nineteenth placed Queens Park Rangers).
Ipswich Town were also safe in seventeenth on the same points as City and one place higher.
CCFC Full Squad 1984-85
Norwich City (on 49 points), Sunderland (forty points) and long way bottom Stoke City (just seventeen points) were relegated. Everton were champs in 1984-85 well clear (thirteen points) of their local rivals Liverpool in second place.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images & graphic.
