Matchday Memories: When The Queen Met Noel & Maurice In 1963

With the recent passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II memories have been stirred to when she was present on FA Cup final day. Back sixty years ago in 1963 her Majesty presented the trophy to future Coventry City manager  Noel Cantwell who at the time was captain of Manchester United. 

In the United side was future CCFPA member Maurice Setters. United lined up against Leicester City who also had Sky Blue connections with Ken Keyworth playing up front for the Foxes and would join Sky Blues the following season. Richie Norman wore the number three shirt for Leicester and later became Sky Blues coach under (now CCFPA member) Gordon Milne in the mid 1970s.

The game finished 3-1 to United with David Herd scoring two and Denis Law scoring the other United goal and Ken Keyworth scoring the Foxes goal.

Noel Cantwell and Maurice Setters on the train with the FA Cup

Queen Elizabeth II presents the FA Cup to Manchester United captain Noel Cantwell

Members News: Former Sky Blues Defender Is 35 Today. ‘Happy Birthday’ Aaron!!

Aaron in the Sky Blue

Born in Newport, Isle of Wight on 29th September 1989, our former Sky Blues defender is the youngest of the two former Sky Blues ‘Birthday Boys’ today. Aaron Martin is celebrating his 35th Birthday today and pulled on the Sky Blue shirt in two periods with the club  for a couple of months in 2013 (on loan) and also from September 2014 to June 2016, initially on loan.

Aaron became a professional from trainee in 2009 with Southampton who brought him in from local Conference side Eastleigh where he had started two years earlier (and where former Sky Blues Reda Johnson and CCFPA member Gary McSheffrey have also practised their trade).

Between 2009-14 Aaron played 29 games (two goals) for the south coast club but spent loan periods with Salisbury, Crystal Palace and, in 2013, the Sky Blues making a dozen league appearances for us in his first attachment with us.

Aaron Martin in Sky Blue action

Moving to Birmingham City from the Saints on a free in January 2014 he made a further eight appearances before moving (again on a free) to Yeovil Town at the end of that season. Another fourteen  appearances (three goals) for Yeovil followed before he came to the Ricoh at the end of September 2014 (initially on loan) and was then signed by CCFC on a free in January 2015.  Turning out for the Sky Blues a further sixty times he contributed two goals to the Sky Blue cause.

However, then Aaron moved on to Oxford United for the 2016-17 season and in two seasons there finished up with thirty appearances. Aaron, also joined the Association in 2016.

Aaron Martin (Eastleigh)

Signing on for Exeter City in July 2018 Aaron made 72 appearances for the Grecians (contributing six goals). In November 2020 Aaron moved north of the border to play for Scottish Premiership side Hamilton Academicals (where he appeared 26 times) but following their relegation at the end of the season moved back south to sign for League two outfit Port Vale in June 2021 where he netted three times in his 36 games for the Vale.

In the summer of 2022 he returned to where he started at Eastleigh and was made captain and. He left the club in April 2024 having made  44 appearances without netting. We are unsure whether he has hung up his boots prior to this season.

We wish our member ‘Many Happy Returns’ of the day and hope you have a great birthday today Aaron! We look forward to seeing you back in Cov at an Association event whenever commitments allow!

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

Members News: Bermudian International Ex Sky Blue is 56 Today. ‘Happy Birthday’ Kyle!!

Kyle Lightborne

In the first of two Sky Blue birthdays today we wish ‘Many Happy Returns’ to Kyle Lightbourne who is celebrating his 56th birthday!

Born in Hamilton the capital of Bermuda on 29th September 1968, Kyle first played for local side PHC Zebras from 1986. He was first capped for his country in 1989 representing them right through to 2004 including in their FIFA Word Cup Qualification games. He moved to England to join Scarborough in 1992 at the age of 23 pulling on their shirt 21 times and netting three times before moving to the Midlands joining Walsall in September 1993. With the Saddlers Kyle became a prolific marksman over four seasons finding the net 85 times in nearly 200 appearances between 1993-97.

Kyle Lightbourne in Sky Blue action

Sky Blues manager Gordon Strachan signed Kyle for half a million pounds in 1997 hoping he would make the grade in the top flight. However his chances at Highfield Road were limited given the quality of the existing strikers and so Kyle was only able to pull on the first team shirt ten times (three in the League Cup) but, sadly, without scoring. He did much better on a loan spell at Fulham scoring three goals in his five games. 

Kyle in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues allowed Kyle to move to Stoke City in February 1998 but initially ill health and poor form hampered his progress in a team relegated from Division One at the end of the 1997/98 season. Things got better in subsequent seasons with the Potteries club and Kyle finished with a haul of 25 goals in 130 first team appearances over four seasons with the Potters.  He was also in Stoke City’s winning side (beating Bristol City 2-1) in the 2000 Football League Trophy Wembley Final! 

After unproductive brief loan spells with both Swindon Town and Cardiff City in season 2000/01 Kyle was eventually released by the Potters. Following a brief attachment with Swedish club IFK Norkopping he spent 2001-03 playing with Third Division Macclesfield Town (17 goals in 80 appearances) and spent a short time out on loan with Hull City (four appearances).

Kyle at the CBS

Returning to Bermuda, in 2007 Kyle teamed up with (now fellow CCFPA member) Shaun Goater as a player and part of the management team of USL side Bermuda Hogges making a dozen appearances before officially retiring from playing football in 2009.

Kyle then moved over to club management at Bermuda Hogges and his first club PHC Zebras between 2007-11 and local side Robin Hood in 2012. Until recently (from September 2017- May 2023) Kyle was manager of the Bermuda national squad, the team for whom he had himself scored sixteen times in forty international games for his country between 1989-2004. He has also represented his country at cricket in the late 1980s and early 90s! Kyle has attended Sky Blues games in recent seasons at the CBS Arena.

CCFPA’s Billy Bell chats with Kyle at GD22

We are delighted that Kyle has become something of a regular at the Association’s annual sporting reunion attending our June Golf Day in 2022, 2023 and 2024!
In the meantime  we wish Kyle a very ‘Happy Birthday’ for today!

Kyle Lightbourne (right) & his fellow team members at Satori Consultancy

Matchday Memories: On This Day 2010 – A Sky Blue Icelander & ‘Cov Kid’ Disappoint Donny

Aidy Boothroyd- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’

On this day (28th September) in 2010 the Sky Blues, managed by Aidy Boothroyd (until sacked and ‘assistant gaffer’ Andy Thorn took over in mid March) were nine games into their Championship season.  They grabbed their fourth win to date (all but one at the Ricoh) and all the points four minutes from time against Doncaster Rovers (managed by Sean O’Driscoll) at the Ricoh leaving them in eleventh spot. 

Star of the show was the Sky Blues young Icelandic international Aron Gunnarsson who scored one and made one for CCFC. He struck early in the second minute and after Billy Sharp had equalised for Donny just before the half-time whistle, Aron turned provider on 86 minutes srossing for ‘Cov.Kid’ Sky Blue striker Gary McSheffrey to head home the winner. Both players are now Association members! Their were 523 Donny fans in the 12,292 crowd.

Aron in the Sky Blue

Gary in the Sky Blue

Of the thirteen Sky Blues players that appeared on the pitch that day Keiren Westwood, Richard Keogh, Ben Turner, Richard Wood, Lee Carsley, Marlon King, Clive Platt and the two goalscorers all later joined CCFPA as well as Michael Doyle, Nathan Cameron and Carl Baker who remained on the City bench.

CCFC gaffer- Andy Thorn,

Having been briefly top of the table after their third game at the end of August and sixth by mid November the performances of the team that Aidy built gradually but substantially deteriorated from December onwards. From the New Year a league run of only one win in twelve did for Aidy and, as imtimated above, he was replaced by Chief Scout Andy Thorn in mid March as (initially) caretaker ‘gaffer’ to the end of the season. One of these games in the desperately poor rum was the return with Donny at the Keepmoat a week before Aidy’s departure, a dispiriting 1-1 away draw where a 23rd minute Sky Blue opener from (now CCFPA member) Freddy Eastwood was pegged back just a minute from the final whistle by James Hayter.

CCFC 2010-11

The team under Thorn ultimately ended up their 2010-11 season safe in a lowly eighteenth spot. Nevertheless, City were a full thirteen points clear of the relegated trio, Preston North End, Sheffield United and (bottom) Scunthorpe United. Donny managed 21st place just above the trap door albeit six points clear of the fall guys.

Queen’s Park Rangers (Champions) and Norwich City got the automatic promotion spots and were Premier League bound along with play-off victors, third placed Swansea City.

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