Micky’s the Mystery Man!

A few days ago we trailed the signing by the Association of a mystery man who was two-time Sky Blue. Today we can reveal that our latest recruit is in fact….Micky Adams, surely no stranger to Sky Blue fans!

CCFPA committee member Frank Pritchard, hot on the heels of signing recently transferred defender Richard Wood at the Valley at a game involving his new club Charlton Athletic, travelled to Northampton’s Sixfields Stadium to collar Micky (pictured above) who was attending the Sky Blues ‘home’ fixture there against Colchester United.  A Yorkshireman, Micky, of course, is currently manager of League One side Port Vale and was running the rule over the Sky Blues before facing us next Saturday at Vale Park. Micky had led the Valiants to automatic promotion from League Two in 2012-13.  He watched the Sky Blues continue their excellent start with a 2-0 victory over Colchester United (of which he was once Assistant Manager).

A talented and versatile player Micky featured at no.11 for the Sky Blues nearly as much as left back. He spent four seasons (1983-87) at Highfield Road with the Sky Blues after spells with Sheffield United (where he won four England Youth caps) and Gillingham (92 league outings). He clocked up another 108 appearances for the Sky Blues (scoring 10  times) before moving to Leeds United during the very season the Sky Blues won the F.A.Cup (and losing to them with the Elland Road outfit in a memorable F.A.Cup semi final at Hillsborough). Micky then had five years of top flight football with Southampton making nearly 150 league appearancesand later turned out for both Stoke City (on loan) and Fulham (as player-manager) finishing up in 1997 and 1998 with Swansea City and Brentford without adding to his career tally of 438 league appearances.

Micky further developed his managerial experience with Nottingham Forest (assistant/caretaker), Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City before becoming the Sky Blues new Manager in January 2005. His reign at the Ricoh lasted barely 24 months as he paid the price for not lifting CCFC out of the Championship and was appointed Manager at Brighton. Managerial stints at Port Vale and Sheffield United followed until reappointed at Vale Park for the successful 2012-13 season – a major achievement given the club started out in Administration.

Welcome to CCFPA Micky!

FP News: Lloyd’s New Role in Supporting Coventry Football

Association member and Sky Blue F.A.Cup winning hero Lloyd McGrath has underlined his support for junior football in Coventry by taking on a new position.

Lloyd, who has been proprietor of the Lloyd McGrath Sports Development Centre (and Hawkes Mill Social Club) in Hawkes Mill Lane Coventry for a number of years and also has been involved in supporting Hawkesmill FC has now added a new role to his portfolio. He has joined Coventry United (a local club playing in Division Two of the Midland Combination) which was recently created to offer fans disgruntled by the senior Coventry Club’s departure to Northampton for its home games an alternative, locally based, focus for their footballing passions.  Lloyd shares the view of many Sky Blues supporters and fellow Association members that the move is a “disgrace” adding, “It really surprised me and I feel so sorry for the fans as they are being the most hard done by. The City of Coventry should have a club playing in the city”!

Jason Kay, United’s chairman is quoted as saying in the Coventry Telegraph that  “I am extremely proud and excited to welcome Lloyd to Coventry United. His professional experience and connections will be absolutely vital to grow our first team and establish our new academy”.

Lloyd’s Centre will host United’s Academy and he will become their new Director of Academy Football. The Coventry United Academy will be holding trials next month and more information about this can be gleaned from www.coventryunited.co.uk.  CCFPA wishes Lloyd ‘Good Luck’ in his new venture!

Blast From the Past: Former Players Face Up to the Mystery

A few days ago we published a slightly bizarre rear view of a Coventry City 1960s away day on the beach somewhere, we presume, somewhere in the UK.  Today we can reveal the apparent mirror image of the photograph showing the players’ faces (the front and back views clearly do not match exactly). There seems to be a full team plus a sub and the goalkeeping kit of the player third from the left seems the most strange of all. The outfield players stripes are also strangely not consistent so its not QPR!  Fortunately both the photographs are in black and white so don’t show the embarrassed red faces of some of the players (and depending on the temperature at this time of year their possibly blue extremities)!

Both pictures were supplied by CCFPA Associate Member Dean Nelson and had been taken from a CCFC ‘Soccer Ball’ programme of the era and this. together with the possibility of now identifying each of the players clearly gives a fairly accurate date to the photo session in the late years of the decade. We are reliably informed that the photograph contains a number of our own Association members (even a CCFPA committee member)!

Have a go at spotting who is treading gingerly barefoot on that cobbled beach in those outlandish Edwardian costumes! The full details of what we have found out will be revealed on this site in a couple of days.

Fabulous Baker Boy: Message to Mourners from Gerry’s Family

Gerry:Legends Day 2013

CCFPA Vice Chairman Billy Bell has received the following message from the daughters of Association member, the late lamented Gerry Baker who entered the great football stadium in Sky Blue on the 24th August 2013 aged 75 and, though born in the USA, was buried five days later in his true Scottish homeland.

“Karen and Lorraine just wanted to send a personal thank you to each of you for all the very kind messages, cards and tributes paid to their dad. Its a great comfort to know how much respect everyone had for him. Gerry was writing a book over the last year and, sadly, although he managed to finish writing it he will not now see it in print”.

“The launch is on the 30th of September and he would have liked nothing better than to tell you all about it so they thought if you wanted to take a look you could check it out. Thanks again to each of you. They hope  to see you all soon and we can raise a glass to all our sadly missed departed friends and family xx”

Daughters Karen and Lorraine were both international athletes in their time, Lorraine representing Great Britain in both the 1984 and 1992 Olympics.

The book, subtitled ‘The Greatest Strikers Scotland Never Had’, covers the life and times of Gerry and his equally famous footballing brother Joe Baker (who sadly died in 2003). Whilst Liverpool born Hibs legend Joe became the first man to make an England debut having never played in the English Leagues, Gerry was the first top flight European footballer to turn out for the USA. He wore the Sky Blue from 1967-70.

If you want to find out more go to:-  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fabulous-Baker-Boys-Greatest-Strikers/dp/1780271743/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378417122&sr=1-1