Matchday Memories: On This Day 1967 – Clarets Curb CCFC’s 1st Top Flight Taste At Turf Moor

Noel welcomed by JH & Highfield Rd crowd

On this Saturday (19th August) in 1967, for Jimmy Hill’s Sky Blues, the top flight ‘promised land’ had finally been reached. After taking over the manager’s chair of CCFC at the end of November 1961, with the club in the old Division Three, JH (with the support of Chairman Derrick Robbins) had taken the newly minted Sky Blues on an upward spiral with a whirlwind of inspiration and innovation up to Division One with two promotions in six short years.

Today CCFC saw its first experience of top flight football ever. The game against Burnley at Turf Moor saw Coventry City the first and only team to have played in all the possible seven divisions of the English leagues (Southern League D1 & D2; Divisions 2, 3 North, 3 South, 4 and now Division 1). With the fervent anticipation came the shock of our legendary manager announcing his resignation to take up the next stage of his career (in the media)! However, JH stayed on until Noel Cantwell took over on the 12th October and chose the team for this match.

There was a massive following from Coventry of 7,000 fans amongst the 21,483 Burnley crowd and there was some confidence in the team that they would do well in their Division One debut as they had last been defeated nine months and some 25 matches ago (for the recored 1-3 at Huddersfield Town on 19th November 1966) . However, the fairy tale start did not materialise as the Sky Blues, wearing a strange all white kit, succumbed to a Clarets’ goal in each half and lost 2-1. The Claret’s Frank Casper scored the first on 32 minutes for a debut goal to give them a 1-0 half-time lead. Then Willie Irvine grabbed a second two minutes after the hour mark taking advantage of City goalie Bill Glazier spilling a shot from Willie Morgan.

Sky Blue Bill Glazier

In fact the Clarets scored all three goals since the Sky Blues consolation goal (their first in the top flight) came from an own goal scored by Burnley’s Dave Millington just nine minute’s before the ref’s final whistle.

That historic Sky Blue team was as follows. We are delighted to say that, apart from Brian, all later became Association members alongside JH*:-

Bill Glazier, Mick Kearns, Dietmar Bruck, Ron Farmer*, George Curtis*, Dave Clements, John Key, Ernie Machin*, John Tudor, Brian Lewis and Ronnie Rees

Sadly, along with JH and Noel. Brian, Ernie and, most recently, George and Ron have since passed away. George went on to help take the Sky Blues to their first ever F.A.Cup Final victory in 1987 and Dietmar is a current CCFPA committee member.

George Leads The Sky Blues Out

Harry Potts‘ Burnley’s team was:-

Harry Thomson, John Angus, Les Latcham, Brian O’Neil, Dave Merrington, Sam Todd, Willie Morgan, Arthur Bellamy, Willie Irvine, Gordon Harris and Frank Casper    Referee:- K.Howley

CCFC 1967-68 at the start of the season with the D2 Championship trophy

Bobby G in the 1960s

George in the Sky Blue

Today’s result was a disappointing baptism in the top flight but worse was to come. In their next game, also away at Nottingham Forest ( a 3-3 draw), the Sky Blues iconic, inspirational captain and ‘iron man’ centre-half George Curtis had his leg broken after a clash with Forest’s Frank Wignall and was sidelined for the rest of the season. Their first home clash in the top division against Sheffield United was also a draw (1-1) and they did not rack up their first top flight win until early September when they beat Southampton 2-1 at Highfield Road.

Ron in the Sky Blue 1964

Ernie in the Sky Blue

In all honesty the season continued to be a bit of a struggle, though the Sky Blues did tan Burnley 5-1 in the return at Coventry in mid December with Bobby Gould getting a hat-trick and Ronnie Rees and Ernie Machin (all later CCFPA members) on the scoresheet.

In a nailbiting finish to the season two scoreless away draws against West Ham United and Southampton were enough to guarantee top flight football again for, by now, Cantwell’s charges as the Sky Blues finished in twentieth spot a point ahead of relegated Sheffield United and five better than bottom club Fulham.

Burnley finished fourteenth as the two Manchester clubs took the top two spots with Man. City Champions by two points from their local rivals, United.

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