Matchday Memories: On This Day 1974 – As Season Subsides, Sky Blues Safe Sharing Six With Arsenal!

Sky Blue Manager Gordon

On this day (April 27th) in 1974 the Sky Blues finished their season with a 3-3 draw at home to to Arsenal. They went into the game mindful that the last relegation spot from Division One was still up for grabs between several teams including CCFC so points from this game might be crucial.

Manager Gordon Milne would have taken a little comfort that the Gunners were not title challengers themselves and we knew that their defence could be vulnerable, as we had managed a 2-2 draw at Highbury the previous December with goals from Brian Alderson and David Cross when we, sadly, let a two goal lead slip! 

As both teams appeared to throw caution to the wind in this return, the same two Sky Blues repeated their scoring act either side of a goal from Colin Stein to give the Sky Blues a clear 3-0 lead. However, it eventually became another stalemate as the Gunners clawed back three second half goals so the game finished 3-3! We should have learnt our lesson from the first game!

Sky Blue action – Alan Green fires off a shot

Brian Alderson in the Sky Blue

Both Brian, after half an hour, and Colin (ten minutes later) took advantage of slack marking. David’s goal, made from a cross by Brian four minutes after the break seemed to give the City an unassailable lead.

Sky Blue Colin Stein

However, Pat Rice led the Gunners’ fightback volleying home an Alan Ball pass after 56 minutes, Ray Kennedy then got their second eight minutes later and John Radford finally equalised eight minutes from time as the Sky Blues crazily eased off.

The referee for the game was Mr A.Morrisey. The respective teams are detailed in the graphic below:-

‘Psycho’ in the Sky Blue

We are pleased to say that apart from the Brian Alderson and Peter Hindley (both since sadly passed away) all the rest of the Sky Blues team that day along with their manager later went on to join this Association.

CCFC 1973-74

There were 20,049 patrons attending Highfield Road for the club’s last match of the season and the Sky Blue Army were content that the point gained contributed to the two that separated them from relegated Southampton four places below in twentieth spot. 

Manchester United and Norwich City also suffered the same ignominy as the Saints whilst Arsenal finished tenth, twenty points behind Champions Leeds United.

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