Matchday Memories: On This Day 2011 – See Sky Blues Stall As Blackpool Blag Stalemate

CCFC gaffer- Andy Thorn,

Gary in the Sky Blue 2010

The 10th September saw City’s only win so far a 2-0 home victory over Derby County but this was followed by a 3-0 hammering at Ipswich Town and a 1-1 draw at the Ricoh against Reading.

Third from bottom Thorn’s men, looking hard at the Championship basement, were desperate for another win as they returned to the Ricoh this Tuesday evening (27th September 2011)  three days later to take on Blackpool. Sadly they could only manage another stalemate in front of a crowd of 12,822 as the Tangerines forced a 2-2 draw in the last minute in a match we really should have won!

Lukas celebrates his goal for Sky Blues

Things quickly looked ominous when the seasiders took a nineteenth minute lead through a stunning strike from Gary Taylor-Fletcher. The one goal advantage to the visitors lasted until well past half-time and was only broken with eleven minutes of the match left when (now CCFPA member) Gary Deegan, making his first appearance of the season off the subs. bench, found an equaliser from a Sammy Clingan corner (see below).  Then, even better, with seven minutes to go Lukas Jutkiewicz struck to put city in front for the first time and the points looked to be in the bag! Better still Blackpool’s ‘gaffer’ Ian Holloway got booked by the ref.

Sadly however Blackpool rallied and, two minutes into time added on, Keith Southern‘s header from a Stephen Crainey corner snatched the draw to the chagrin of the Sky Blues and their supporters! However, the draw kept us just out of the relegation zone, albeit on goal difference.

Deegs goes for goal

Lukas Jutkewicz in the Sky Blue

BBC Sport’s contemporary report can be found here.

Thorn’s men lined up as follows (subs in brackets & CCFPA members underlined)

Joe Murphy, Richard Keogh, Chris Hussey (sub. Cyrus Christie -67),  Martin Cranie, Colin Cameron, Sammy Clingan, David Bell (sub. Gary Deegan -64), Conor Thomas, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Gary McSheffrey and Roy O’Donovan (sub. Clive Platt -77)

Unused subs:- Cody McDonald and Chris Dunn (gk)

Conor in the Sky Blue 2015

Ian Holloway‘s Blackpool took the field with the following players:-

Matthew Gilks, Stephen Crainey, Keith Southern, Ian Evatt, Kevin Phillips, Gary Taylor-Fletcher (sub. Daniel Bogdanovic -70), Alex Baptiste, Barry Ferguson (c), Craig Cathcart, Craig Sutherland and Angel Martinez (sub. Neil Eardley -58)  Unused subs:- Matt Phillips, Mark Howard and Thomas Ince   Referee:- A.Woolmer

A the end of January the Tangerines made City’s plight worse by beating us at their place and to rub salt into the wounds it was another late late defeat. After taking a 54th minute lead from (now CCFPA member) Conor Thomas the Sky Blues threw the game away in the last few minutes. Kevin Phillips equalised with three minutes to go and that man Gary Taylor-Fletcher scored the winner four minutes into added on time!

CCFC 2011-12

As is well known 2011-12 developed as a dire season for the Sky Blues in which they only won nine Championship games, were knocked out of both major cups at the first attempt, and were relegated in penultimate spot on 40 points with Doncaster Rovers and Portsmouth (who had the handicap of being deducted 10 points)!  Blackpool finished fifth and missed out in the play-offs.

Reading (Champions) and runners up Southampton were promoted along with third placed West Ham United (but via the playoffs).

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 2000 – Strachan’s Sky Blues Score 4 To Leave Lilywhites L.C. Losers

Richard Shaw on the cover of the match-day PNE programme

On this day (27th September) in 2000 the Sky Blue team didn’t know it yet but this would be their last season in the top flight.  After a promising two Premier League wins in their first three games they had lost three out of four subsequently. Today’s Second Round second leg League Cup game at Highfield Road against Preston North End gave the team a chance to leave behind their Premiership worries temporarily. They had some confidence of progress as, despite having Paul Williams red carded, they had won the first leg at Deepdale by 3-1 with goals from City’s Peruvian striker Ysrael Zuniga ‘Cov Kid’ Marcus Hall and their Scottish player-manager Gordon Strachan (all three now CCFPA members).

The second leg proved something of a formality against their player-manager David Moyes‘ team who fielded in goal 16 year old Andy Lonergan, their youngest debutant since the seventies. The young shot-stopper was not to blame for the three goals scored in City’s blistering start during the first 25 minutes.  Eventually, City’s Australian striker John Aloisi bagged a hat-trick and John Eustace the Sky Blue’s fourth goal in an emphatic 4-1 win (both are now Association members) . This would be the only time this Sky Blue squad would score four this season!

John is congratulated on his goal

John in the Sky Blue

Hadji in Action

City’s Craig Bellamy made City’s first and third goals after six and 25 minutes, both taken well by Aloisi. Our Moroccan midfielder Moustapha Hadji made the second on seventeen minutes for (now fellow CCFPA member) John Eustace.  Though three goals to the good at half-time it only took a minute after the restart for the Lillywhites’ Mark Rankine to make the aggregate score 6-2, still a hopeless task for North End. City could even afford to lose their ‘keeper Magnus Hedman with a chest injury to be replaced by (now the Swede’s fellow CCFPA member) Chris Kirkland.

John Eustace in the Sky Blue

The tie’s outcome was put beyond absolute doubt after 55 minutes when North End’s Colin Murdock fouled Aloisi in the box and John calmly picked himself up to score from the spot to take the match ball with a deserved hat-trick! City’s win, 7-2 on aggregate delighted the 7,416 crowd, and qualified them for a third round date with Southampton (though Wee Gordon still wanted more from his team)!

Gordon Strachan -City’s ‘gaffer’

WGS chose the following Sky Blues team (CCFPA members underlined):-

Magnus Hedman (sub. Chris Kirkland -31), Marc Edworthy, Marcus Hall, John Eustace, Paul Williams (sub. Gary Breen -72), Richard Shaw, Paul Telfer, Youssef Chippo, John Aloisi (sub. Jay Bothroyd -73), Craig Bellamy and Moustapha Hadji.

David Moyes‘ North End team lined up:-

Andy Lonergan, (‘Cov Kid’) Graham Alexander, Rob Edwards, Sean Gregan, Michael Jackson, Colin Murdock (sub. Ryan Kidd -72), Lee Cartwright (sub. Brian Barry- Murphy -46), Mark Rankine, Steve Robinson, Steve Basham (sub. David Eyres -71) and Iain Anderson         Referee:- Chris Foy (St Helens)

CCFC 2000-01

Craig in action

The Sky Blues won their third round tie at Southampton thanks to an extra time goal from John Eustace after finishing goalless at full time.  However, the fourth Round at Portman Road Ipswich Town proved a trip too far as the Sky Blues went out by the odd goal in three despite a 53rd minute Craig Bellamy equaliser.

In the Premier League, as all Sky Blues fans dread to be reminded, CCFC eventually bowed to the inevitable after failing to win any of their last four games and being beaten 3-2 at Villa Park by old enemy Aston Villa (after being 2-0 up). They were relegated from the top flight after 34 unbroken years (yet to return) finishing in penultimate spot (nineteenth) on the same points (34) as their fellow Sky Blue City side from Manchester who also departed with bottom club Bradford City.

Manchester United took the title by ten points from the Arsenal.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1988 – Sillett’s Sky Blues Squash Cherries In Cup On South Coast

John Sillett CCFC gaffer

On this day (27th September) in 1988, thirty six years ago former Sky Blue full back John Sillett‘s Sky Blues made the trip down to the south coast for a Littlewoods Cup second round first leg tie at AFC Bournemouth. Sadly the game lost the deeply missed Sills two years ago.

Harry Redknapp‘s side had only lost one in six but were taken to the cleaners by a rampant Sky Blues side making the second leg a mere formality. The Sky Blues scored four without reply in front of 6,453 at Dean Court.

Greg Downs in the Sky Blue

The first came from Greg Downs on ten minutes, the second from Greg’s now fellow CCFPA member Micky Gynn twenty minutes later (both strikes from outside the box). The half-time score of 2-0 was doubled in the second period each following howlers from the Cherries’ defence. First Gary Bannister took advantage on 63 minutes and then Micky completed his double two minutes later.

Micky in the Sky Blue

The Cherries were truly polished off in this first game and, in the second leg CCFC’s 3-1 victory a fortnight later, goals from Steve Sedgley, David Speedie and Micky Gynn (all now Association members) racked up a 7-1 winning aggregate.

Gary in action

The two teams that lined up on this day were:-

Sky Blues (CCFPA members underlined):

Steve Ogrizovic, Brian Borrows, Greg Downs, Steve Sedgley, Brian Kilcline, Trevor Peake, Micky Gynn, David Speedie, (the late) Cyrille Regis, Gary Bannister and David Smith

Harry Redknapp‘s AFC Bournemouth were comprised :

Gerry Peyton, Mark Newson, Paul Morrell, Kevin Bond, John Williams, Mark Whitlock (sub. Carl Richards), Richard Cooke, Shaun Brookes (sub. Sean O’Driscoll), Trevor Aylott, Ian Bishop and Shaun Close                                    Referee: Kelvin Cooper

(NB. The Cherries John Williams is a different player to the popular former nineties Sky Blue forward (and now CCFPA member).

That was as good as it got in the Littlewoods Cup as in the third round the Sky Blues were dumped out 3-2 by Nottingham Forest at the City ground (CCFC scorers were Brian Kilcline and Gary Bannister).

CCFC 1988-89

Meanwhile, in the league the Sky Blues finished in a very respectable seventh position in Division One 1988-89. Arsenal just pipped runners up Liverpool (on the same points) for the title whilst, at the other end of the table, Middlesbrough, West Ham United and, a long way adrift, Newcastle United were the relegated trio.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1986 – New City Strip Sees Sky Blues Watford Win

George Curtis

John Sillett

On this day (27th September) in 1986 the Sky Blues had a wonderful Wembley Day in May to look forward to (but they didn’t know it yet)! The Sky Blues were managed by a former defence player managerial partnership with George Curtis and team coach John Sillett in charge then and, sadly, both now in ‘sky blue heaven’.

They had picked a team to take on Watford at Highfield Road in their eighth Division One game of the season. They had won three, drawn three and only lost one league match so far (their season’s opener by the only goal at West Ham United). Sky Blues confidence was begin to build again with these results though crowds were somewhat slow in trickling back.

Big Cyrille in charge

Benno Battles

Cyrille Regis puts Coton under pressure

Today, in front of an H.R. crowd of 11,074 they would win again, albeit by just the one goal scored in the 56th minute by Dave Bennett after some typical magical individualism.

Benno wheels away delighted after his goal

‘Benno’ (now an Association committee member), of course, would go on to personal glory in May scoring on the hallowed turf to help the Sky Blues beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 after extra time.

Of note was that the Sky Blues took the field for the first time wearing shirts bearing the name of new shirt sponsors ‘Granada Social Clubs’.  The new strip might have brought another win but the Sky Blues’ dominance deserved a win by a bigger margin in an entertaining game!

The graphic below portrays the competing teams. The Hornets were managed by Graham Taylor and the referee was Mr Roger Milford. The only substitution was in the second half when Brian Talbot came on for Luther Blissett in the Watford side.

Sky Blue Kevin Richardson

We are delighted to report that all members of the Sky Blues management team and the eleven on the pitch later went on to join CCFPA. Watford‘s Kevin Richardson would later join the Sky Blues between 1995-97!

Keith ‘Roy of the Rovers’ Houchen in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues did the ‘double’ over the Hornets this season overcoming Watford by the odd goal in five at Vicarage Road at the end of April. City’s goalscorers then were Greg Downs, Keith Houchen and Lloyd McGrath (all later Wembley heroes)

The Sky Blues had good campaigns in both cups. After beating Oldham Athletic 2-1 at Highfield Road in the Third Round of the League Cup we only went out to Liverpool in the Fourth Round over two legs (a goalless draw at home and a 3-1 defeat at Anfield).

 

In the F.A.Cup, as all true Sky Blues fans have etched in their hearts, we went all the way to a Wembley victory over ‘Spurs!  Apart from the good Cup runs the Sky Blues finished in a commendable tenth place in Division One in 1986-87. The Hornets also did well finishing a place above the Sky Blues on equal points in ninth. 

CCFC 1986-87

Leicester City (20th), Manchester City (21st) and ‘the auld enemy’ Aston Villa, who were plumb bottom eight points from safety, were the relegated clubs. Everton won the title well clear (nine points) of their home city rivals Liverpool!

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