Blast From The Past: On This Day 2017 – ‘Boys Of 87’ Celebrate 30th Anniv. F.A.Cup Win At Nailcote!

On This Day 13-05-2017 CCFPA Boys of 87

A Packed Nailcote Marquee Celebrates 30 Sky Blue years

George & Sills celebrate the Wembley Cup win

On this day six year ago (and six years after their last reunion at Nailcote Manor) the ‘Boys of 87’ gathered again at the same venue to celebrate and reminisce about their momentous F.A.Cup triumph over ‘Spurs at Wembley fully thirty years previously! Just click on the link or image above (courtesy of former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson) for a small flavour of what went on!

Members of George Curtis and John Sillett‘s famous 1986-87 cup squad met up again with partners, friends and well-wishers to celebrate their 30th Anniversary. Sadly in recent times we have lost both ‘Iron Man’ George and John (both themselves Sky Blues players of the sixties) as well as legendary international  striker (who played for several Midlands clubs) ‘Big Cyrille’!

Also, on this day six year’s ago George was unable to make it (along, for a variety of understandable reasons, the likes of Micky Gynn Lloyd McGrath, Brian Borrows and Brian Kilcline). Nevertheless Sills was there in good form and he ‘managed’ the rest of his squad (now all CCFPA members) once more with his usual mix of forthright leadership, enthusiasm and jocularity! Having a great time at Nailcote could also be found Keith Houchen, Greg Downs, Nick Pickering, Trevor Peake, Cyrille Regis, Steve Ogrizovic and Dave Bennett who were individually welcomed into the marquee at Nailcote for the evening event by an audience of around 150 and greeted at the top table by John Sillett.

John Sillett greets the Houch at Nailcote 2017

A spot of golf for some of the players had preceded the fantastic three course evening meal with plenty of additional entertainment laid on to supplement the memories and enhance each course of the Wembley themed meal. For example, part of the set of the wonderful singer Hercules was Wembley Anthem “Abide with Me”. The Association had booked a large table with most of the CCFPA committee and other CCFPA members including veteran former players (the late and deeply missed duo of) Ron Farmer and Ken Brown as well as Gordon Quinney.

Oggy & Greg Downs await the applause from the audience

Extensive video highlights (courtesy then CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson) of the semi-final at Hillsborough and the Sky Blues 3-2 extra time final victory over Tottenham Hotspur tingled the memory buds and got everyone on their toes. CCFPA’s Billy Bell did a large number of light hearted interviews with each of the Wembley heroes and also led the final rendition of the Sky Blues Song sung with passion by the assembled crowd which billowed the canvas roof of the packed marquee. Billy also compered a raffle and auction which raised vital funds for the Former Players Association who had sponsored the event. Thanks are due to both ‘Benno’ and Billy who bore much of the load of organising the event as well as all the staff of Nailcote who made the day such a success.

After the formal part of the evening was completed most of the participants stayed dancing into the wee small hours to a brilliant band, Jarzinho followed by the disco hosted by DJ Franco.  The last revellers left, by all accounts, after 4 a.m! This was a wonderful reunion enjoyed by all its participants! Members of the ‘Boys of 87’ squad are a tight knit group and continue to meet up fairly regularly anyway. Many were back again in Coventry in 2022 to celebrate the 35th Anniversary this year in several contexts.  

’87 F.A.Cup Heroes with the Trophy again

You can track down a gallery of photos from both 25th and 30th Anniversary reunions at Nailcote (as well as those from several events elsewhere this year) in various contemporary postings on this site (just use the search engine on the right)!

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1989 – See Sky Blues Come Close To Vanquishing Villa In Aston!

Sky Blue Manager- John Sillett

On this day (13th May) in 1989 the Sky Blues under former full back John Sillett (whom we sadly lost in November 2021) were nearing the end of their highly successful Division One season. Though they had lost their penultimate home game of the season at Highfield Road, 3-0 against Queen’s Park Rangers, their last away match (at Old Trafford) saw a great Sky Blue win against Manchester United thanks to a 72nd minute Gary Bannister goal. Today they were again away from home at the ‘old enemy’, relegation threatened Aston Villa with only Nottingham Forest left to play at Highfield Road in a couple of day’s time.

Sky Blue Gary Bannister

Once more Gary was the Sky Blue scorer, though this time getting CCFC’s equaliser through a smart header in the 67th minute after 29,906 fans at Villa Park saw the home side take the lead from David Platt with a superb volley after only eighteen minutes. 

Oggy in the Sky Blue red

Villa could have been safe both in the game and in staying in Division One by half-time, twice hitting the woodwork, but Sky Blues goalkeeper, the fairly recently retired CCFC Legend (and CCFPA member) Steve Ogrizovic, made some superb saves to keep them out.

On the other hand, Gary might also have won it for the Sky Blues later in the game as an increasingly desperate Villa started to wilt.

The 1-1 draw meant that the Villa were forced to wait ten days to see if West Ham United would be able to win their final couple of games to keep themselves up and put Villa down. Spoiler alert, the Hammers didn’t and the Villains stayed up!

Thanks to Dean Nelson you can watch the action by clicking on the image below:-

Sillett’s Sky Blues that day lined up as follows:-

Tony Dobson in the Sky Blue

Steve Ogrizovic, Brian Borrows, Tony Dobson, Dean Emerson, Brian Kilcline, Trevor Peake, David Phillips, David Speedie, the late Cyrille Regis, Gary Bannister and David Smith.

In fact, City’s goalscorer was the only member of that day’s team and manager not to later join Coventry City Former Players Association! Good to see ‘Smithy’ as our ‘special guest’ at a Sky Blues game at the CBS Arena just a few weeks ago in April 2023!

The haunted Villa team chosen by manager Graham Taylor that day comprised:-

Nigel Spink, Christopher Price, Stuart Gray, Allan Evans, Steve Sims, Martin Keown, Paul Birch, David Platt, Alan McInally (sub. Ian Olney), Gordon Cowans and Nigel Callaghan                  Referee:- R.Bridges

Sillett’s Sky Blues finished the season in a brilliant seventh place on 55 points. The Sky Blues also got bragging rights over their closest Midland rivals that season getting the draw at Villa Park to add to the 2-1 win over them at Highfield Road in late November.

CCFC 1988-89

In the event Villa stayed up in seventeenth a point above relegated Middlesbrough. West Ham United‘s comeback did not materialise and they were a point further behind in nineteenth. Newcastle United finished rock bottom and were also relegated seven points further back.

Arsenal pipped Liverpool to the Division One Championship title on goal difference that season!

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1987 – See Young Sky Blues Carry Off F.A.Youth Cup!

Raising CCFC’s F.A.Youth Cup

On this day (13th May) in 1987 Sky Blues fans were ‘over the moon’ with the realisation that the young Sky Blues had pulled off the first half of what could (and would) be a wonderful trophy double. In three days time, on May 16th the senior Sky Blues were due at Wembley facing favourites Tottenham Hotspur in the Final of the season’s F.A.Cup. The senior players now had to live up to the achievement of the junior Sky Blues in winning the F.A.Youth Cup, on what was a lucky 13th May, for the first time in the club’s history. They had got to the sem-finals the previous season but were put out by Manchester United over two legs, drawing 1-1 in Manchester but losing 2-0 at home in Coventry.

The victorious young Sky Blues

In this season’s competition the youthful Sky Blues team had a long slog of a FAYC path to the final. Round Two was circumnavigated with a 3-0 home victory over West Bromwich Albion in the replay after an away goalless draw. In Round Three the pattern was repeated with a goalless draw at Southampton followed by a 3-2 home victory.

Howard Clarke in the Sky Blue

Steve in the Sky Blue

The result in Round Four was  even longer delayed with yet another goalless away draw, this time at Oldham Athletic followed by a 1-1 stalemate after extra time in Coventry. It took a 2-1 second replay win over the ‘Latics in Lancashire to proceed to a Fifth Round date at Watford which was won 2-0 at the first time of asking.

The Semi Final opponents for the Young Sky Blues was, like the previous season, from Manchester – but this time the blue half. It took another three games to see Manchester City dispatched. The Sky Blues did the hard work at Maine Road in the first leg winning by a single goal from (now CCFPA member) Howard Clark. However, the score was reversed in Coventry in the second leg and even extra time could not break the deadlock! CCFC made no mistake in the replay at Highfield Road whupping the Mancunians 3-0 with goals from Paul Shepstone and a brace from Steve Livingstone (now a CCFPA member). 

The FA. Youth Cup Final was also played over two legs and the young Sky Blues opponents were Charlton Athletic. The first leg was played at the Valley on April 28th and CCFC came away with a 1-1 draw, in front of only 833 fans, thanks to a goal from (now CCFPA member) Craig Middleton.  The second leg on this day at Highfield Road drew a fantastic crowd of 12,142 but they were kept waiting for a resolution of the contest as both half-time and full-time passed scoreless. The deadlock was finally broken by a powerful header from the Sky Blues Steve Livingstone from a cleverly worked Gary Marshall cross in extra time and the F.A.Youth Cup was claimed by Coventry City and acclaimed by the big Coventry crowd!

https://youtu.be/XgNxluQdAco

F.A.Youth Cup celebrations 1987

 

The Sky Blues team trained by CCFC legend and CCFPA member Mick Coop was (CCFPA members underlined):-

Mick in the Sky Blue

Paul Bastock, Lee Middleton, Anthony Smith, Tony Dobson, John Gowens (c), Mike Cook, Robert Smith, Howard Clark, Steve Livingstone, Paul Shepstone and Gary Marshall Unused subs: Robert Jones and Craig Middleton

Tony, Mike, both Middleton twins, Howard and Steve all went on to pull on the first team shirt. Goalkeeper Paul went on to achieve the all-time record for the most competitive club appearances in world football, having played 1,279 times in league and cup competitions, primarily across the English lower leagues. Until quite recently he appeared on the bench for last club Kings Lynn Town aged 50 after playing in four different decades.

The Charlton Athletic team was:-

Nathan Amato, Paul Bacon, Scott Minto, Darren Pitcher, Geoff Thomas, Peter Evans, Paul Murray, Michael Bennett, Carl Leaburn, Ronnie Mauge and Steve Thurlow

 

A number of these young Addicks players went on to have decent senior careers in the game.

CCFC’s FAYC Winners 1987

 

As the video showed the Sky Blues senior Coach and Team Manager (and former Sky Blue player) the late John Sillett told the youngsters they were an inspiration for the senior squad who did their juniors, all Sky Blues fans and the City of Coventry proud a few days later by beating ‘Spurs 3-2 at Wembley after extra time! The Youth squad was there to watch the game in London in 1987 and several of them came back 25 years later to celebrate the Anniversary with the senior players in an event at the Ricoh organised by CCFC and CCFPA (see below).

Some of the Youth Cup winning team at the Ricoh in 2012

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

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1967 – JH’s Sky Blues Claim Title & Entry To Top Flight!

Original 1966-67 CCFC Programme front

On this day (13th May) in 1967 the Sky Blues were facing their last game of the season and faced London team Millwall. Coincidentally, there proved to be the same outcome against the same team, with a different significance and score over fifty years later in 2020-21. Three seasons ago the Lions were beaten 6-1 in a Championship victory which marked CCFC’s farewell to St Andrews as our temporary ‘home’ resulting in a comfortable sixteenth place finish in the second tier.

More importantly this day in 1967 our iconic manager Jimmy Hill watched his team clinch the Division Two title with a 3-1 win over Millwall to enter the ‘promised land’ of top level football for the first time in the Club’s history.

The Title of Divisional Champions came in front of 32,659 ecstatic fans at Highfield Road having vanquished local rivals and championship pretenders Wolverhampton Wanderers in their previous home game in what had then been dubbed the ‘Midlands Match of the Century‘. with both clubs certain of promotion.

The win today was also ample revenge for the 1-0 defeat at the Den back in September.

This result was fully in line with expectations as the Sky Blues won seventeen of their 21 home matches that season with only one defeat (v. Crystal Palace back in November) and the three goals gave them an end-of season home total of 46 against only sixteen conceded!

JH‘s boys sent the fans wild with goals from (all later CCFPA members) Johnny Key, John Tudor and the late Ernie Machin.

The goals went in like this. First, winger Johnny confidently drilled the opener in the ninth minute, latching onto a peach of a pass from Ernie. Then No.9 John T. slammed his shot high into the net after the chance was provided for him by Brian Lewis within seven minutes of the interval to give the Sky Blues a two goal half-time cushion.

Though the Lions’ Billy Neil got one back after 49 minutes, City were not to be denied and Ernie completed the Sky Blues win ten minutes later after ‘the old one-two’ with our tricky inside man Ian ‘Gibbo’ Gibson.

John Key in the Sky Blue

John Tudor in the Sky Blue

Ernie in the Sky Blue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City knew they had clinched the title on the season’s last day when it was confirmed that close Midland rivals Wolves had crashed 4-1 at Crystal Palace! The central team page from the match programme below not only provided the key details but reminds us that, apart from Brian, every member of that team (and of course JH) went on the join Coventry City Former Players Association! We are proud that this is the case!

For the record the starting XIs were as per programme. However, the Sky Blues did not use their sub., (the late) Ron Farmer but Millwall (who finished eighth) brought on Dave Armstrong who was actually their sub (rather than Ron Howell as the programme stated) to replace Bobby Hunt. The referee was Keith Dagnall of Bolton. Just as the Sky Blues finished a point clear of second place Wolves they, in turn, were fully six points clear of third place Carlisle United.

Northampton Town and bottom club Bury took the drop!

CCFC 1966-67

The ‘so-called ‘Sky Blues Revolution‘ was completed. Jimmy, of course, left the club early in the club’s first season in the top flight to pursue a media career and passed the managerial baton to Noel Cantwell.

JH undoubtedly built the firm foundations upon which the club managed 34 unbroken years in the country’s top division and forged the Sky Blue sensibilities that fans still strongly bond to today.