Matchday Memories: On This Pre Season Day 1994 – Tivvy Tumble To Sky Blues In West Country

The match-day programme

On this evening (27th July) in 1994 the Sky Blues were about to kick off their pre season preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign under Phil Neal (who would not last out the season). City were down in the West Country playing three pre-season warm ups.

This afternoon’s opponents were Tiverton Town who were reigning champions of the Western Football League Premier Division and would go on to repeat the trick at the end of this season. Exeter City were next up in two days time followed, on the last day of this month, by a fixture at Plymouth Argyle. City would be undefeated in all three games.

Phil would have been pleased with the start as the Sky Blues beat Tivvy at Ladysmead by 3-1 and that’s all the certain detail we have to hand at the moment! If anyone has any further information on the teams and/or scorers please get in touch.

The Match Programme outlines the respective squads for the game as follows:-

Phil Neal, Coventry City Manager

Phil Neal‘s Sky Blues (CCFPA players underlined) in alphabetical order:-

Steve Ogrizovic (gk), Jonathan Gould (gk), Phil Babb, Willie Boland, Brian Borrows, David Busst, Julian Darby, Sean Flynn, John Gayle, Mick Harford, Lee Hurst, Peter Ndlovu, David Rennie, Stewart Robson, Tony Sheridan, Jason Smith and Roy Wegerle

Jason was a young Sky Blue player who used to play for Tiverton.

Tiverton’s squad was:-

Ian Nott, Paul Edwards, Neil Saunders, Mark Saunders, Martin Tredegeon, Hedley Steele, Martyn Grimshaw, Kevin Smith, Phil Everett, Steve Daly, Steve Hynds, Gary Carpenter, Matthew Scott, Kevin Cole and James Wheatcroft.

The designated Referee was Steve Dunn (Bristol)

Oggy in the Sky Blue red

After a goalless draw at Exeter City the Sky Blues beat Argyle 2-0 at Home Park before returning closer to home on August 6th to take on more substantial opposition in Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Sadly the Sky Blues succumbed by the odd goal in three to the Wolves and that was also the score in City’s final pre-season game, the only one at Highfield Road. Worse, it was local rivals Aston Villa who defeated the Sky Blues in a testimonial game for the Sky Blues’ legendary goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic (now a CCFPA member).

Ron salutes the Sky Blue faithful

As the City sank towards the bottom of the Premier League as the season progressed CCFC’s board reacted and in mid February 1995 (now CCFPA member) Ron Atkinson was installed as Sky Blue supremo. Big Ron did enough to ensure the club’s survival in the top tier  in sixteenth five points and three places above the drop.

CCFC 1994-95

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

Members News: Sky Blues Sixties FB & ‘Bedduth’ Boy Bill Hits 81 Today. Congrats!!!

CCFC’s Bill Tedds in the early 1960s

The Association wishes its long time member and veteran Sky Blue Bill Tedds a ‘Very Happy Birthday’ today.

A local lad, Bedworth born, on 27th July 1943, Bill is therefore celebrating a big one, his 81st Birthday today! He certainly doesn’t look his age. Though time is taking its usual toll on his health we are sure Bill will be having the best time as is possible with family and friends!

Bill, with his son has been very much a CBS Arena regular at Sky Blues home games over many years and until COVID met up frequently and regularly with pals and fellow former CCFC veterans like Graham Walker and Ian Goodwin (and the late Ken Brown, Bob Wesson and Ronnie Farmer), to chew over the old days pre and post the Jimmy Hill era. Now he is also a season ticket holder in the main stand.

Bill (back right) at a past lunch date with regulars Ian Goodwin, Ron Farmer, Ken Brown, Graham Walker, Gordon Quinney and Bob Wesson

Though he came up through the CCFC youth system, signing professional for manager Billy Frith in September 1960, full back Bill was mainly a reserve team player under Frith’s successor JH and only got nine first team outings between 1961-65 making his debut in a Division Three game at Shrewsbury Town in September 1961 that finished 1-1. 

Bill (left) & son Alan amongst the CCFPA crowd celebrating the Sky Blues Wembley playoff win in 2018

He successively understudied the likes of Frank Kletzenbauer, John Burckitt and, of course, fellow CCFPA members John Sillett and Mick Kearns. Lack of opportunity saw Bill move to Cambridge United in close season 1965 and then he returned back to the locality to turn out for Lockheed Leamington in July 1967.

Bill Tedds at LD23 (MY)

Just as before he joined the club Bill started and finished his working life at Jaguar, Coventry. He worked in the trim shop at Browns Lane when he left school before joining City at Highfield Road. When his football career ended a decade later he returned to the company’s base in Radford where he stayed for the next 28 years (something of a family tradition).

Bill is Sky Blue through and through and always supports CCFPA events and reunions and greatly enjoyed the club’s successive winning visits to Wembley in recent seasons.

Have a great day today Bill and see you soon at a CCFPA event in the Sky Blues upcoming Championship season at the  Coventry Building Society Arena!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images

Matchday Memories: On This Pre Season Day 2013 – Sky Blues Stop Stags At The Death!

‘Elvis’ signs for a JSB

On this Friday (26th July) in 2013 the Sky Blues were playing their penultimate pre-season fixture preparatory to a League One campaign which would be fought under the double handicap of a ten point deduction and playing all their ‘home’ games in exile at Northampton Town‘s ground. Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ (and now CCFPA member) Steven Pressley, after a 4-1 win at near neighbours Nuneaton in their pre-season opener, watched his side get patchy results in a three game tour of Germany. Back home the unpredictable performances continued with a 2-0 win at Cheltenham Town and a reverse by the same score at Fleetwood Town. Today there was a chance to get back on track in the East Midlands.

Bakes in the Sky Blue

In this game against the Stags of Mansfield Town the Sky Blues had to battle back twice to take a last minute victory thanks to a penalty (his second of the game) in the third minute of added on time from CCFC captain (now a CCFPA member) Carl Baker. There were 1,072 fans in the One Call Stadium including 121 members of the Sky Blue Army who went home pleased with the last gasp win!

The Stags were clearly trying hard as they led once in each half through their trialist Calvin Andrew in the 22nd minute and then winger Sam Clucas three minutes into the second half. However, ‘Bakes’ replied with a penalty at the end of each half, both won by (‘Cov.Kid’, now CCFPA member and England International) Callum Wilson. Carl’s first equaliser came six minutes from half time. The Sky Blues’ second equaliser came courtesy of an own goal from the Stags’ Richard Beevers.

Callum In the Sky Blue

The club’s match report can be found by clicking on the link here.

Elvis’ Sky Blues played 4-4-2 in this game. These are the players (CCFPA members underlined):-

Lee Burge, Cyrus Christie, Jack Finch, Daniel Orozco (Tariq Azille-Moore -46), Ryan Haynes, Carl Baker, Billy Daniels, Adam Barton, Fabio Martins (Louis Garner -64); Callum Wilson and Mathieu Manset (Ben Maund -84). Unused sub: Alex Gott (gk).

 

Orozco, Azille-Moore, Martins and Manset were triallists. Matthieu made it and later joined CCFPA!

Paul Cox‘s Stags team was:-

Alan Marriott, Lee Beevers, Jack Dempster, John McCombe (Ritchie Sutton -76), James Jennings, Colin Daniel (Lindon Meikle -69), Adam Murray (Lee Stevenson -69), Jamie McGuire, Sam Clucas, Ross Dyer (John McGrath -76) and Calvin Andrew (Antony Howell -69). Unused subs: Jake Speight, Ryan Tafazolli, Paul Black, Eddie Gnorea and Chris Clements.   Referee: Gary Sutton (Lincolnshire FA)

CCFC 2013-14

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

Matchday Memories: On This Pre-Season Day 2008 – Cambridge Crumble To CC’s CCFC!

CCFC Manager- Chris Coleman (with Ray Ranson)

For the second part of the Oxbridge coincidence mentioned earlier, just as City played Oxford United on this day (26th July) in 2003 in a pre-season friendly, on this very day five years later in 2008, Sky Blue manager Chris Coleman (who had been appointed the previous February) took his team to meet a home team at the other English town that competes with Oxford in the annual boat race and has a venerable university tradition, Cambridge!

Chris was looking forward to his first full season in charge as City warmed up for their 2008-09 Championship campaign. The pre-season had kicked off well enough in Austria with a 2-1 win behind closed doors in a thirty minute each way work-out against local side RFE Vocklabruck. Then in a similar format game back in the UK City managed a 1-1 draw against non-league side Solihull Moors with the Sky Blues goal scored by Manuel Curto, a Portuguese trialist from Benfica! Two defeats followed in Switzerland against Romanian side FC Brasov (1-3) and local side Stade Nyonnais by the only goal of the game.

Keiren with CCFC

Back in the UK again two days previously a mix of first team and reserve players got back into winning ways tanning our non league neighbours Nuneaton by five clear goals. On this day the Sky Blues travelled to eastern England and came back with a 3-1 win over Cambridge United! There were 416 representatives of the Sky Blue Army among the 1,751 crowd at their ‘Trade Recruitment’ Stadium. Both teams began in a 4-4-2 formation (see below). However, City suffered a blow before the starting whistle when our goalkeeper (now CCFPA member) Keiren Westwood pulled a muscle during the warm-up and rookie goalie Danny Ireland had to come off the bench to start the game!

Danny in the Sky Blue

City’s goals came from defender Danny Fox (after 26 minutes) and a brace, one in each half, from Sky Blue striker (and now CCFPA member) Freddy Eastwood. Freddy’s first strike came after only twelve minutes of the first period and his second after 56 minutes. City went in at half-time two goals to the good. United’s consolation twelve minutes from time came from the penalty spot, Ben Farrell converting after City defender (and now CCFPA member) Steven Wright conceded.

A contemporary match report of the game from the Coventry Telegraph can be accessed here.

Freddy in Sky Blue action

Chris Coleman‘s CCFC that day (CCFPA members underlined) comprised:-

Danny Ireland, Stephen Wright, Danny Fox, Scott Dann, Elliott Ward, Julian Gray, Aron Gunnarsson (Kevin Thornton -85), Leon Best (Robbie Simpson -68), Freddy Eastwood (Leon McKenzie -73) and Jay Tabb       

Unused subs:– Ben Turner, Marcus Hall (and Keiren Westwood (gk))

Gary Brabin‘s Cambridge United team lined up:-

Danny Potter; Dan Gleeson, Joshua Coulson, Wayne Hatswell (Craig Bussens -81), Anthony Tonkin; Andrew Parkinson (Felino Jardim -73), Eddie Hutchinson (Ben Farrell -76), Mark Convery (Darren Quinton -76), Courtney Pitt (Gavin Hoyte -81); Domaine Rousse (Robbie Willmott -54) and Mark Beesley.    Unused Subs: Jordan Collins, Pat Bexfield, Tom Youngs and Sam Beagle (gk).

CCFC 2008-09

The season ended with a whimper rather than a bang with the Sky Blues safe enough in seventeenth spot in the league. One bright spot for the season, however, that CCFC made the quarter final of the F.A.Cup being knocked out by Chelsea at the Ricoh in March in front of a (then) record crowd for the newish stadium of 31,407.

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