Matchday Memories: On This Day 1968 – No Score Draw At Hammers Strengthens Sky Blues Survival
On this day (May 4th) in 1968 the Sky Blues were in their first season in the top flight and Noel Cantwell had succeeded the legendary Jimmy Hill as Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ the previous October. City had struggled to make the adjustment to Division One football and, with two games to go, were level with both Sheffield United and Stoke City on 32 points with only goal average potentially making the difference between survival and relegation.
Noel welcomed by JH & Highfield Rd crowd
Today the Sky Blues, following two draws and two defeats in their last four games, were in London desperate to get something out of their game with West Ham United with whom they had shared two goals at Highfield Road in December. Then Gerry Baker (who was an Association member before he passed away) gave the Sky Blues an eighth minute lead only for the Hammers’ Geoff Hurst to equalise on the half-hour.
The Hammers team today, as usual, also included two other World Cup stars Bobby Moore and Martin Peters. At Upton Park, in front of 30,181 fans, Cantwell’s Sky Blues produced a gutsy display in which, though they created more chances than the home team they nonetheless would have been fortunate to win.
Ernie Machin stand in captain ,with George Curtis still out injured with his broken leg.
In the end the two teams shared the honours with both defences preventing their opponents from netting, though ‘Our Ernie’ Machin did hit the bar near the end! City now had to wait for the season’s final game at Southampton the following week to know their fate.
The Sky Blues put out the following team:-
Bill Glazier, Dietmar Bruck, Chris Cattlin, Brian Hill*, Maurice Setters*, Dave Clements, Ernie Hannigan*, Ernie Machin*, Neil Martin, John Tudor and Willie Carr.
*Sadly four of this group of players have since gone to Sky Blue heaven! On the other hand we are pleased to say that all the members of this team later went on to join this Association and Dietmar is a long time CCFPA Committee Member.
Ron Greenwood‘s Hammers lined up:-
Bobby Ferguson, Billy Bonds, Bobby Howe, Martin Peters, Alan Stephenson, Bobby Moore, Harry Redknapp, Ron Boyce, Brian Dear, Geoff Hurst and John Sissons Referee:- W.Gow
CCFC 1967-68 at the start of the season with the D2 Championship trophy
The Sky Blues achieved another goal-less draw at the Dell, home of Southampton, in their last game in a nervous end to the season which was fully relieved when City hear Chelsea had won at Bramall Lane to put Sheffield United down a point behind twentieth placed City. Fulham also went down five points adrift of the Blades at the bottom.
The two Manchester clubs fought it out for top spot and United took the honours two points ahead of City. The Sky Blues were pleased to stay in the top flight (eventually for 34 unbroken seasons)!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
