Members News: Our 60s Sky Blue Winger Is 87 Today. Have A ‘Very Happy Birthday’ Johnny!!

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John Key in the Sky Blue

CCFPA would like to wish ‘Many Happy returns of the Day’ for his 87th birthday to one of our veteran members, former Sky Blue winger, one of JH’s ‘boys’, John(ny) Key!

Born in Kensington & Chelsea in London on Bonfire Night 1937 ‘Johnny’ was a loyal club servant, only appearing for three clubs in his thirteen year career, which was curtailed by injury in 1969. Once retired, John became a cab driver in London from March 1972 for over twenty years. He will always have a place in Sky Blues history by scoring our first ever top flight Highfield Road goal (below) on August 26th 1967 in a 2-2 draw against Sheffield United in Division One (after an away defeat and draw in the first two games of the season). CCFPA committee member and club legend Dietmar Bruck got the other one!

Johnny’s 1st Division goal against Sheffield United

New signings John Key & Ian Gibson

John was educated at Latymer Upper Grammar School and was something of an athlete as a young man, being a winner of the Southern AAA Long Jump Championship. As a boy he played football for Chelsea but joined Fulham juniors and started his professional career at Craven Cottage in May 1956. Before Jimmy Hill (who had played with John at Fulham) signed him up for the Sky Blues in May 1966 on a free (a nw signing along with (the late) Ian Gibson – above left). John had appeared 181 times for the Lilywhites scoring 37 goals.

John’s presentation by CCFC MD Paul Fletcher at the Ricoh 2007

John provided some ready experience to balance the relative youth of CCFC’s Division Two promotion side. He made his debut on the right wing on 20th August 1966 in a 1-0 defeat of Hull City at Highfield Road and weighed in with six goals in his 24 Sky Blues appearances in 1966-67.

John was much less of a fixture the following season, particularly after Noel Cantwell took over from JH. In fact, the Highfield Road goal against the Blades was his only contribution in seven appearances. Then he moved back to London with Leyton Orient in March 1968 (where he went on to make only a further dozen appearances before injury forced his retirement).

Johnny with his CCFPA tie

John came back to the City in 2007 (above right) with many other members of the Sky Blues 1967 squad whose achievements were being celebrated at the Ricoh by CCFC and CCFPA. He was presented with his official CCFPA tie in 2012 when our former committee member, the late Bob Bromage, travelled to John’s home to do the honours. He proudly showed his tie and 1966-67 Division One championship medal won with CCFC off earlier this year (2024) when he sent us a picture of himself (left) still looking hale and hearty.

We hope you have a great day today, John!!

Sky Blue Fans TV: See Jim & Claudio’s Latest Sky Blue History Podcast On YouTube Now!

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Jim Brown

CCFPA’s (recently stepped down) Chairman Jim Brown, author of many books on CCFC and the club’s official historian, has for many years offered Sky Blue fans a roughly weekly blog about all things Sky Blue, often featured in the Coventry Telegraph as well as publicised on this site (earlier today). The blog can be found here.

Jim’s latest venture (this time online), in collaboration with log-time Sky Blue fan Claudio Cardellino, has kept up with the newer media communication technologies and the pair have been running a podcast launched earlier this year which can normally be found via Spotify (sound only) and YouTube (visual).

The link for the latest show on YouTube appears below.  Just click on the link or image below to listen:-

https://www.youtube.com/live/sqhxD43mV4E

The hour long episode is prompted by the tremendous winning comeback from 2-0 down achieved recently by the Sky Blues at the CBS Arena capped off by a winner against Luton Town netted by Haji Wright in added on time. These turnarounds don’t happen to CCFC too often and Jim and Claudio look back on some of these in this more than an hour long video. This includes 1970-71 v Derby County (a) 4-3 in Division One, 1980-81 v West Ham United (h) 3-2 in League Cup SF 1st leg, 1985-86 v Southampton (h) 3-2, 1995-96 v Tottenham Hotspur (h) 3-2 League Cup 3, 2014-15 v Peterborough United (h) 3-2 in League One and also the following season (2015-16) v the Posh (h) 3-2! Then we did the business again (by 4-2) in 2016-17 EFL Trophy game at Wycombe Wanderers and again twice at Birmingham City‘s St Andrews first ‘in exile’ in 2019-20 beating Blackpool 3-2 and then properly away to the Brummagems in 2021-22.

The discussions between Jim and Claudio (and fellow contributors) are always well worth a listen for fans of all the Sky Blue generations!!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1996 – See Strachan’s Sky Blues Earn An Everton Point

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Gordon Strachan -City’s ‘gaffer’

Big Ron

On this Monday evening (4th October) in 1996 SKY TV cameras were in place for an 8pm kick off, along with 31,477 fans, to watch the Sky Blues take on Everton at Goodison Park. This was the first game with Gordon Strachan fully in charge of team matters. Previously WGS had been a playing coach assisting Sky Blues Manager (and now fellow CCFPA member) Ron Atkinson.

‘Big Ron’ had ‘moved upstairs’ to the boardroom after the previous week’s 0-0 home draw with Sheffield Wednesday. Here was a chance for the former Scottish international to make his managerial mark. In large degree he succeeded overseeing a 1-1 away draw (and playing himself from the bench) in an exciting game in Liverpool.

Oggy in the Sky Blue red

Sky Blue Kevin Richardson

The home team had the best of matters in the earlier parts of the game as they paraded their £5.75m signing Nick Barmby in front of an expectant Goodison crowd. The Toffees, however, failed to turn their pressure into a goal until the last knockings of the first half.

In the last minute before the break City midfielder Kevin Richardson was unlucky to have been adjudged to have handled the ball in the box after our ‘keeper Steve Ogrizovic (now a CCFPA member) failed to hold on to a cross. Barmby had shot in the goal mouth melee following Oggy’s spill and it cannoned off Kevin’s thigh on to his hand. Everton’s Graham Stuart gleefully put the spotkick away to send the home team into the break on a high.

Thanks to Dean Nelson you can watch some (fuzzy) highlights of the game by clicking on the link or image below:-

https://youtu.be/w1tdTiaDQa8

Gary in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues gave as good as they got in the second half but it depended on another Scottish future Sky Blue player-manager Gary McAllister to find an equaliser in the 68th minute with a screamer of a strike (possibly assisted by a deflection off the Toffees’ Craig Short). Macca took a throw in on the left, moved in to take a pass from Noel Whelan (now a CCFPA member) and hit a stunning shot from near the edge of the area right past the diving Neville Southall into the Toffees’ net. To their credit the Sky Blues did not play for the draw and our nippy Zimbabwean sub. (and CCFPA’s 300th member) Peter Ndlovu might have put the visitors ahead four minutes from the end but shot over close in when it looked easier to score from Noel’s low cross. All square then and the Sky Blues left Merseyside with their fifth (out of six) successive Premier League draws in eighteenth spot.

Gordon’s pick of the Sky Blues comprised (CCFPA members underlined):-

Noel in the Sky Blue

Steve Ogrizovic, Brian Borrows (sub. Peter Ndlovu -60), Richard Shaw, Kevin Richardson, Liam Daish, Paul Williams, Paul Telfer, Gary McAllister, Dion Dublin, Noel Whelan (sub. Gordon Strachan -86) and John Salako.

Unused Subs: Eoin Jess, Lorcan Costello and John Filan (gk)

Joe Royle‘s Toffees team lined up as follows:-

Neville Southall, Earl Barrett, Andy Hinchcliffe, Craig Short, Dave Watson, David Unsworth (sub. Paul Michael Branch -73), Andrei Kanchelskis, Joe Parkinson (sub. Tony Grant -82), Nick Barmby, Graham Stuart and Keith Speed  Unused Subs:  Marc Hottiger, Anders Limpar and Paul Gerrard (gk)   Referee:- Graham Poll

The two sides fought out another draw, this time goalless in the Highfield Road return towards the end of February.

CCFC 1996-97

A fairly good string of results at the back end of December plus a spirited rally in the final six games of the 1996-97 season, culminating in that brilliant status-saving 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the season saved the Sky Blues’ bacon so they lived to fight another top level season! The Toffees ended up by far the inferior of the competing Merseyside sides in the Premier League, Everton finishing fifteenth whilst Liverpool were fourth.

Not so lucky were the relegated trio of Sunderland (a point adrift of both the Sky Blues and Southampton), Middlesbrough, having also had three points deducted, and bottom of the pile, Nottingham Forest. The glory this season went to Champions Manchester United well clear of runners-up Newcastle United.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
 

Corporate Member News: Welcome To Our Latest CM – Dhillons Brewery!

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Welcome to the latest prestigious local Sky Blue supporting company Dhillons Brewery who have chosen to join the Association as one of our (up to) twenty Corporate Members for this season. The full list can be found on our dedicated ‘Corporate Members’ page that can be found under the named tab above. This well known company is a big supporter of the Sky Blues and has joined us building on thee links made between new CCFPA chairman Billy Bell and CCFPA Treasurer Sarah Morris and the company’s Director of Operations Gordy Mazvihwa.

Dhillon’s Brewery, founded in Coventry less than ten years ago is an award-winning microbrewery with a rich and dynamic story whose  aim is to produce the ‘most exciting and beautifully crafted ales with a hint of madness, using a mix of traditional and modern brewing methods‘.

Gordy & CCFC Legend Willie Carr at LD23 appropriately holding the brewery’s specially produced ‘Donkey Kick’ ale

Coventrians already are aware that the company is deeply committed to the City and its local community (eg by sponsoring local sports clubs, championing university initiatives and promoting local sustainability). Sky Blue fans are well aware that Dhillon’s Brewery operates the official Coventry City FC Fans’ Village outside the CBS Arena and continues to show support for the football club in various ways.

In addition to the microbrewery the company runs two exciting City Centre initiatives, Dhillon’s Spire Bar and the Sky Blue Tavern, the official Sports Bar of Coventry City Football Club.

The Company’s HQ which is very close to the CBS Arena can be found at Unit 14a, Hales Industrial Estate, Rowleys Green Lane, Coventry CV6 6AT  Tel: 02476667413 and their other contact details are:

 
The Association and the Brewery look forward to future collaborations. For example committee member and Sky Blue legend Dave Bennett has already done a meet and greet earlier this season at Dhillon’s Fan Village prior to  the Spurs  League Cup game (right)!
 
Apart from the Sky Blues the Brewery has already forged other sporting relationships with Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey team, Coventry Women & Girls FC and SBG Coventry.

 

The Association has recently emailed all existing Corporate Members inviting them to renew their subscriptions for this season. We are always ready and willing to welcome new Corporate Members. Details of the benefits and (modest) costs of joining us can be found by clicking on the ‘Join Us’ tab (above right) together with the appropriate membership application form. You can also look at our dedicated Corporate Membership page by selecting the tab above.

If you have an enquiry about Corporate Membership please email Billy at bellwilliam315@gmail.com or CCFPA Committee member Mike Young on m.young9@ntlworld.com

Look out for the announcement of another (closely related) new Corporate Member signed up by CCFPA in the next day or two!