Matchday Memories: On This Day 1998 – See Strachan’s Sky Blues Sort Derby (Darren Delivers)!

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ImageOn this day (March 28th) in 1998 Sky Blue manager Gordon Strachan picked a team for a Premier League fixture against East Midland rivals Derby County. They had lost 3-1 to the Rams at the Baseball ground back in November so revenge would be sweet. The game, played at Highfield Road, attracted a crowd of 18,700  and they saw the away side lucky to escape with only a 1-0 defeat as City deserved a bigger win.

The Rams were managed by Jim Smith later (2002) to become assistant ‘gaffer’ at Highfield Road to CCFC’s Roland Nilsson who was playing for the Sky Blues today. Derby County also had another future Sky Blue player (and caretaker manager) in their ranks today, Lee Carsley (who later also became a CCFPA member).

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Hucks bursts his way through the Rams’ defence

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Match action

Darren in 1997-98

Unpredictable, but sometimes unplayable Sky Blues striker Darren Huckerby, proved the difference between the two sides scoring the only goal of the game a minute before half-time and generally led the Rams a merry dance. He obviously knew how to score against the Rams as he had also been the Sky Blue scorer at their brand new Pride Park stadium.

The Sky Blues did well to bounce back from their disappointing defeat (but only on penalties) in an exciting F.A.Cup Quarter Final replay against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane eleven days previously. Hucks had just penned a new four year Sky Blue deal.

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can see the goal highlights from the game by clicking on the image below:-

Gordon the Gaffer

Strachan’s Sky Blues lined up as follows (current CCFPA members underlined):-

Steve Ogrizovic, Roland Nilsson, David Burrows, George Boateng, Gary Breen, Richard Shaw, Paul Telfer, Trond-Egil Soltvedt, Dion Dublin, Darren Huckerby and Noel Whelan

Unused subs:- Paul Williams, Viorel Moldovan, Gavin Strachan, Sam Shilton and Magnus Hedman (gk)

Roland, of course, later went on to manage the Sky Blues (and has quite recently become a CCFPA recruit attending Legends Day 2022 as our ‘special guest’ in recent times..

Hucks & Noel together at half time

Tough they couldn’t make it last year it was good to see ‘Hucks’ and ‘Snowy’ Whelan back together again in Coventry for our Legends Day 2019 reunion the previous time we were able to hold the reunion (left).

Jim Smith‘s Derby’s team line up:-

Russell Hoult, Rory Delap, Chris Powell, Christian Dailly, Jacob Laursen, Igor Stimac, Lee Carsley (sub. Gary Rowett -73), Lars Bohinen, Paulo Wanchope, Francesco Baiano (sub. Mauricio Solis -88) and Darren Powell (sub. Deon Burton -55)  Unused subs:- Jonathan Hunt and Richard Knight    Referee:- Keith Burge (Mid Glamorgan)

CCFC 1997-98

Both Derby County and the Sky Blues finished the 1997-98 Premier League season in comfortable mid table, the Rams squeezing into the top ten in ninth and the Sky Blues two spots and two points behind them in eleventh.

Arsenal took the title by a point from Manchester United whilst Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and bottom club Crystal Palace dropped into the First Division.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1978 – Wolves Wilt To Wonderful Sky Blues Win!

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Tommy in the Sky Blue

On this day (28th March) in 1978 long term Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ Gordon Milne, now the Association’s oldest member from management, watched alond with 25,673 fans, his team steamroller their Midland rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers with Tommy Hutchison dazzling in a sizzling display of general attacking prowess. The 4-0 win came off the back of a 2-1 success at Norwich City.

Garry Thompson in the Sky Blue

Hutch helped himself to a brace each side of half-time and younger forwards Garry Thompson (before he limped off) and Ian Wallace get the other goals. Wolves would have hated the sight of the Sky Blues this season as they now had completed ‘the double’ over the side in the Old Gold having won 3-1 at Molineux at the end of the previous October thanks to a Mick Ferguson hat-trick!

Ian in Sky Blue action

Garry grabbed his debut goal for the club after 37 minutes to give the Sky Blues a lead and Hutch’s first which followed a minute before the break gave the Sky Blues a comfortable 2-0 half-time cushion. The scoring continued in the second 45 with Tommy’s second after 67 minutes.

Then the ‘Man of the Match’ created one of the goals of this season with a trademark mazy dribble from the City’s left winger beating five Wolves men before finding Ian Wallace with a pinpoint cross to deliver the coup-de-grace! Former Sky Blue (and CCFPA member) Willie Carr was in the Wolves team that day suffering the humiliation.

Gordon Milne-CCFC gaffer

Milne’s men that day (CCFPA members underlined) were:-

Jim Blyth, Brian Roberts, Bobby McDonald, Terry Yorath, the late Jim Holton, Keith Osgood, John Beck, Ian Wallace, Garry Thompson (sub. Donal Murphy), Barry Powell and Tom Hutchison

Cyril ‘Sammy’ Chung‘s defeated Wolves team was:-

Paul Bradshaw, Geoff Palmer, Derek Parkin, Maurice Daly, Bob Hazell, John McAlle, Martin Patching, Willie Carr, Mel Eves, Colin Brazier and Steve Daley     Referee:- Derek Nippard

As well as Willie, former Sky Blue striker (and fellow CCFPA member) Billy Rafferty was on the Wolves books at this time.

CCFC 1977-78

The Sky Blues had a great season in 1977-78 finishing in seventh spot in Division One whilst Wolverhampton Wanderers languished well down in fifteenth place.

Nottingham Forest took the title comfortably (seven points clear of Liverpool) and West Ham United, Newcastle United and bottom club Leicester City were the relegated trio.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1973 – Highfield Rd Hosts World Cup (With Clem & Eusebio)

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On this day (March 28th) in 1973 Highfield Road hosted a World Cup qualifier between two European International teams,  Northern Ireland and Portugal. There were 11,408 present at the original home of the Sky Blues. Former Sky Blue wide-man (and CCFPA member) Dave Clements was in the Northern Irish side.

Irish teenager Martin O’Neill scored his first international goal for the Irish team after eighteen minutes only for Eusebio to level for the Portuguese from the penalty spot six minutes from time. It proved to be the world superstar’s last international goal.  Irish international goalkeeping star Pat Jennings was on the front of CCFC’s colourful matchday magazine (left) that season.

Martin O’Neill scores

Eusebio at HR

O’Neill, of course later went on to captain his country and play for the likes of both Nottingham teams (Forest and County), Manchester City and Norwich City. He went into a largely successful management career (notably with Leicester City, Celtic, Norwich City, Aston Villa and Sunderland) and from 2013-18 was the gaffer of the ‘other’ team on the island of Ireland, the RoI. Most recently he was back in Nottingham managing the Forest until he departed in June 2019.

Eusebio had a glittering career largely in Europe and the States and ‘the Black Panther’ was feted as one of the best footballers of all time. He died aged 71 in 2014.

For the record the two teams were as follows:-

Northern Ireland (managed by Terry Neill):-

Pat Jennings, Liam O’Kane, Sammy Nelson, Terry Neill (c), Allan Hunter, Dave Clements, Bryan Hamilton, Roy Coyle, Sammy Morgan, Des Dickson and Martin O’Neill

Eusebio slots home past Jennings

Dave in the Sky Blue

Portugal (managed by Jose Augusto de Almeide):-

Jose Henrique, Artur Correia, Carlos Alhinho, Fernando Freitas, Adolfo Calisto, Pavao (sub. Dinis -67), Augusto Matine, Antonio Simoes, Nene, Abel and Eusebio (c).     Referee: Paul Schiller (Vienna)

Like England, neither team qualified for the 1974 World Cup Finals in West Germany. From this Group (Six) Bulgaria finished top of the table with Portugal runners up, Northern Ireland third and bottom Cyprus.

From 1965-76 Dave Clements amassed 48 caps (netting twice). At the age of 29, between March 1975 and May 1976, Clem also managed the international team for a total of eleven games.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1967 – See Sky Blues Conquer Cobblers Completely!

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Ernie Machin in the Sky Blue

On this day (28th March) in 1967 the Sky Blues march up the league pyramid under charismatic ‘gaffer’ Jimmy Hill was continuing unabated. Now a Division Two side Coventry eyes were set even higher. Unbeaten since the 19th November the Sky Blues were to keep the run going right to the end of this season, so no surprise Midland rivals Northampton Town succumbed 2-0 today in front of an excited and huge 38,566 Highfield Road crowd, the biggest in the league for eighteen years. The two sides had already met earlier in the month at their old County Ground and held each other to no score.

Bobby in the Sky Blue

Today, the old adversaries defended stubbornly but constant Sky Blue pressure saw the Cobblers collapse after the half time interval. In ten massive minutes, first Ian Gibson had an apparently goal-bound shot miraculously rebound off both posts only to finish in the arms of Northampton‘s ‘keeper Bryan Harvey. Then the Cobblers’ goalie had to tip a Bobby Gould rocket over the bar and finally the visitors’ Terry Branston managed to get away with headbutting City’s Brian Lewis who was obviously needling him!

Brian Lewis in the Sky Blue

At last the Sky Blues got the goal they deserved and it came from our tricky inside forward Ernie Machin two minutes after the hour! With the crowd roaring for more our Bobby dazzler No.9 got his deserved goal seven minutes before the final whistle to finish the Cobblers off. The Cobblers finished this game filling one of the two relegation spots, second from bottom and the Sky Blues were second from top.

Thanks to former Association committee member Dean Nelson you can watch some atmospheric silent footage of the game from the Midland News of the day, the excited crowd packed into Highfield Road and that amazing ‘double poster’ by clicking on the link or image below:-              

https://www.macearchive.org/films/midlands-news-29031967-football

Northampton (h) 1966-67

Jimmy Hill CCFC Manager 1961-67

JH’s men this day took the field as follows:-

Bill Glazier, Mick Kearns, Dietmar Bruck, Ron Farmer*, George Curtis*, Dave Clements, Brian Lewis*, Ernie Machin*, Bobby Gould, Ian Gibson* and Ronnie Rees*

Sadly six members of this team (*) have since passed away, Brian before he had a chance to join CCFPA. All the rest, we are pleased to say, later became Association members. All bar Ronnie Rees have attended CCFPA functions in recent years. Dietmar is a longstanding CCFPA committee member. Mick, Dietmar and Bobby were all at our  grand reunions Legends Day 2022 and 2023 and we hope will be here again at LD24!!

The defeated Cobblers that day (manged by Dave Bowen) lined up as follows:-

Bryan Harvey, Theo Foley, Clive Walker, John Mackin, Terry Branston, John Kurila, Harry Walden, Bobby Brown, Frank Large, Graham Moore and Barry Lines      Referee:- H.Davey

CCFC 1966-67

The Cobblers didn’t move much as the season finalised and ended up in 21st spot with only Bury beneath them and both were relegated. Coventry City, on the other hand, continued unbeaten and had a storming end of the season beating main rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in the ‘Midland Match of the Century’  in their penultimate home game and Millwall by the same score at Highfield Road in the very last match to take the Second Division title earning a trip to ‘the promised land’ of top tier football. City pipped Wolves by a point.

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