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Blast From The Past: This Day 2016 – Mowbray Moves On (1st Of This Campaign’s 4 Managers (2 Marks)!

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Manager Mowbray

On this last day of the second month of the 2016-17 season (30th September 2016) the Sky Blues saw their manager Tony Mowbray relieved of his Sky Blues managerial duties (leaving by mutual consent) following a 2-2 draw at home to AFC Wimbledon a couple of days earlier. Since kicking off their League One season with a 1-0 defeat at Swindon Town, City had hit rock bottom in the league when they could only manage a goalless draw at home to Oldham Athletic on 17th September, which was reinforced by a 2-1 defeat at Gillingham and then the Wimbledon stalemate.

CCFPAs (late) Ken Brown with former gaffer Tony Mowbray

Tony’s goose was cooked with the bottom place and first ten game league record of no wins, six draws and four defeats!  In a campaign that ended with four men trying out the CCFC hot seat it was no surprise that we were relegated in penultimate place at the end of the season to the bottom tier (for only the first time in 59 years and only the second time in our history).

For the record CCFC’s Technical Director Mark Venus took over team affairs in a caretaker capacity before Russell Slade‘s disastrous reign began on the 21st December 2016. Finally (in his first spell with the club) current ‘gaffer’ Mark Robins became Sky Blue supremo at the beginning of March 2017 for the last eleven league games. Mark couldn’t save the Sky Blues but was in charge for the main highlight of the club’s season winning the EFL (Checkatrade) Trophy at Wembley against Oxford United in April.

Tony had arrived at the Ricoh in March 2015 after leaving Middlesbrough in October 2013. By the time Tony resigned he had produced a Sky Blue career of 75 games in charge winning 26, drawing 24 , and losing 25, therefore contributing to the club a 34.76% win rate, by no means the worst of ‘gaffers’ in the Sky Blues’ playing history.

To most Sky Blues fans, will always be regarded as a ‘gaffer’ who worked hard within the constraints he faced and was an honourable member of the Sky Blue family.  On 22 February 2017, Tony was appointed head coach of Blackburn Rovers and got them promoted to the Championship in his first season. His team claimed four points from us in 2020-21! After six seasons with Rovers Tony moved on again and between August 2022 and Janury 2024 he became supremo at famous north eastern club Sunderland with whom CCFC have had a number of intriguing recent encounters! From January to May 2024 ‘Mogga’ took over a failing Birmingham City side from Wayne Rooney but couldn’t prevent the St Andrews based side, City’s erstwhile friendly landlords, from suffering relegation to League One where, this season, they are doing really well under new ‘gaffer’ Chris Davies being unbeaten at the top!

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

 

September 30, 2024 · Tagged with

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Matchday Memories: On This Day 2000 – See Sinking Sky Blues Share Spoils With Addicks At The Valley.

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Gordon the Gaffer

On this last day of September 2000 the Sky Blues, under ‘gaffer’ Gordon Strachan, returned from The Valley with a 2-2 draw with Charlton Athletic in the Premier League. Currently, like their opponents, in the top half of the division they, of course, were not yet to know it would be the club’s last season in the top flight for 34 unbroken years! There were 20,043 fans in the stadium.

John Aloisi

After their 3-0 defeat at home to West Ham United the previous Saturday a much improved Sky Blues went into half-time at the Valley a goal to the good thanks to our Aussie striker John Aloisi who netted after 41 minutes. Things were going well until, just before the hour mark, Charlton’s Andy Hunt follows up to score after Jensen hit Magnus Hedman‘s crossbar.

Craig Bellamy in the Sky Blue

On 70 minutees new Welsh ‘gaffer’ (in 2024) Craig Bellamy then restored CCFC’s advantage with a successful penalty after the Addick’s Richard Rufus handled in the box following a Paul Telfer corner. The win was not to be, however, after just two minutes from the final whistle the home team capitalised on a poor clearance from Richard Shaw and their Jonatan Johansson produced a spectacular scissor kick to equalise. City had to settle for a 2-2 draw which was exactly repeated in the return at Highfield Road the following February when the Sky Blues were already in the relegation zone.

The two teams were as follows:-
Sky Blues (CCFPA members underlined):
Magnus Hedman, Marc Edworthy, Paul Williams, Richard Shaw, Youssef Chippo, Paul Telfer, Carlton Palmer, John Eustace, John Aloisi (sub. Cedric Roussel -75), Craig Bellamy and Marcus Hall.
Unused Subs: Gary Breen, Barry Quinn, Stephen McPhee and Morten Hyldgaard (gk).
 
Charlton Athletic:

John Salako in the Sky Blue

Dean Kiely, Chris Powell, Steve Brown, Richard Rufus, Paul Konchesky (sub. Greg Shields -78), Jonatan Johansson, John Robinson (sub. John Salako -46), Claus Jensen, Mark Kinsella, Andy Hunt (sub. Kevin Lisbie -61) and Graham Stuart. Unused Subs: Andy Todd and Sasa Ilic (gk).   Referee: Rob Styles (Waterlooville)

The Addicks Republic of Ireland international ‘keeper Dean Keily stated his professional career at Highfield Road coming through the Sky Blues youth system but never made a first team appearance. CCFPA member John Salako had made over seventy Sky Blues appearances between 1992-98.
 
The contemporary BBC Sport match report can be found here. Thanks to former Association committee member Dean Nelson you can watch match highlights (and a droll post match interview with WGS) by clicking on the link or image below:-

September 30, 2024 · Tagged with

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Matchday Memories: On This Day 1978 – Sky Blue Micks Make Merry For Milnes’ Men At ‘Spurs

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Gordon the ‘gaffer’ in City’s infamous brown strip

On this day (30th September) in 1978 the Sky Blues under manager Gordon Milne went into their eighth Divison One game of the new season beaten only once and came out at the end of the ninety minutes in the same condition! After wins at Middlesbrough in the season’s opener and later at Derby County and, after a home draw against Nottingham Forest in their first Highfield Road fixture, they had whacked Norwich City 4-1 and Chelsea 3-2 there!

Their first and only defeat so far came 1-0 at Liverpool‘s Anfield followed, last time out by a goalless draw at home to Leeds United. Today’s away game against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane saw another draw, this time by one each with two late-ish goals. Former City player (and CCFPA member) Jimmy Holmes was in the ‘Spurs side as the Sky Blues wore their (in)famous brown strip.

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Tommy Hutch in action

‘Spurs Ricky Villa was out injured, but his Argentinian partner in crime Ossie Ardiles was playing a talented home side greeted by a ticker-tape welcome! The game was largely stalemated with no goals at half time and defences on top for most of the second half. The ‘Spurs fans in the 35,806 crowd demanded change in the form of the introduction of Glenn Hoddle off the bench and it did not take long for their talisman to make a difference, scoring , after a mazy run, with ten minutes left. 

Mick in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues were not to be outdone, however, and our big centre-forward Mick Ferguson produced the perfect riposte just four minutes later with an emphatic header from a cross delivered by (now fellow CCFPA member) Mick Coop!   The 1-1 draw saw City drop one place to fourth.

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Ian Wallace leaps

Milne’s Men lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-

The late Les Sealey, Mick Coop,  Bobby McDonald, Terry Yorath, the late Jim Holton, Gary Gillespie, Steve Hunt, Ian Wallace, Mick Ferguson, Barry Powell (sub. John Beck) and Tommy Hutchison

Keith Burkinshaw‘s ‘Spurs lined up as follows:-

Barry Daines, Don McAllister, John Gorman, Jimmy Holmes, John Lacey, Steve Perryman, Gerry Armstrong (sub. Glen Hoddle), Ossie Ardiles, Colin Lee, John Pratt and Gordon Taylor      Referee:- H.Robinson

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‘Spurs had the better of the results over the Sky Blues this season beating us 3-1 back at Highfield Road in the return in February (Bobby McDonald got our initial equaliser).  However, the Sky Blues had the bragging rights by the end of the season finishing in the top half in tenth position whilst the Londoners were one place (and three points) behind.

CCFC 1978-79

For the record it was Liverpool‘s title this season finishing fully eight points ahead of runners up Nottingham Forest. The three relegated teams were Queens Park Rangers, City’s fairly recent landlords Birmingham City and bottom of the pile Chelsea.

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

September 30, 2024 · Tagged with

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Jim Brown’s Latest Sky Blue History Podcast Out Now – About The ‘Sky Blue’ Programme!

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Jim Brown

CCFPA’s (recently stepped down) Chairman Jim Brown, author of many books on CCFC and the club’s official historian, has for many years offered Sky Blue fans a roughly weekly blog about all things Sky Blue, often featured in the Coventry Telegraph as well as publicised on this site. The blog can be found here.

Jim’s most recent venture (this time online), in collaboration with log-time Sky Blue fan Claudio Cardellino, takes advantage of the newer media communication technologies and the pair have been running a podcast launched earlier this year which can be found via Spotify and various other social media outlets.

The first ‘Sky Blue’ (v Southampton 22nd August 1970

The latest blog takes a detailed look at the story of the club’s ground breaking, innovative and award winning match-day programme (or rather magazine) of the 1970-71 season. Jim and Claudio are joined by broadcaster/author Alan Dein, author and graphic designer Matt Caldwell and Mark Elvin, son of the award winning Designer and pioneering producer of the new concept publication John Elvin!

The link for the latest show (on Spotify) appears below.  Just click on the link or image below to listen:-

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DR99whRbjHMM1ont0yLsC?si=f8f9cd620b064b91

Coventry City’s Reg Matthews

Also below is a link for the previous episode in the month of September which discusses the career of CCFC’s famous Coventry born goalkeeper Reg Matthews who played for CCFC between 1950-1957 and became not just the first ever City player (outside wartime) to win a full England cap but also the first man to be capped by his country when currently playing for a Third tier club at Coventry. He was signed by Chelsea in November 1956 for a goalkeeping record fee of £22,500 (and later went on to play for Derby County and manage Rugby Town).

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0R4JdRkpu0VHUEOT1kUQkf?si=cd90e8455deb411c

 

The discussions between Jim and Claudio (and fellow contributors) are always well worth a listen for fans of all the Sky Blue generations!!

PS There is a video version of the series which can be found on YouTube. Here is the link:-

YouTube: 
 
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.

 

September 30, 2024 · Tagged with

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