Matchday Memories: On This Day 1981 – KK’s Saints Suffer Sky Blue Stunner (Ta Steve & Thommo)

Dave Sexton- CCFC Manager

On City’s seventh fixture in the 1981-82 Division One season on this day (26th September) in 1981 new Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ Dave Sexton was hoping his team would find their third win in a patchy start to the season. Since beating Leeds United 4-0 at at their new all seater Highfield Road stadium in the middle of the month they had drawn 2-2 at Brighton and lost by the odd goal in three against Liverpool at Highfield Road in midweek.

Sexton’s boys, once more at home, were looking for a quick return to winning ways against Southampton, managed by Lawrie McMenemy, this afternoon and the Sky Blues fans among the 12,611 crowd were rewarded with a 4-2 victory over a team then in a similar place in the table.

Steve Hunt in the Sky Blue

Three players scored braces in this game, Kevin Keegan for the Saints and Steve Hunt and (his now fellow CCFPA member) Garry Thompson for the Sky Blues! There were a lot of attacking options for the Sky Blues in this game and they certainly exposed the Saints’ defensive frailties ruthlessly.

Garry in the Sky Blue 1981

It was the visitors who scored first, however, with Keegan slotting home past Sky Blues ‘keeper Jim Blyth (another Association member now) in the twentieth minute. It took less than ten minutes for the Sky Blues to get on terms with a Steve Hunt snap shot two minutes before the half hour. That was all the scoring in the first half as the two teams took their half time break one goal apiece.

Rudi Kaiser in the Sky Blue

Things took a while to take off in the second period but two goals from City’s powerful centre-forward Garry Thompson within the space of ten minutes (60 and 69 minutes), made respectively by Danny Thomas and Rudi Kaiser (all later CCFPA members), changed the complexion of the game.  Keegan then completed his double on 77 minutes with a ‘soft’ penalty kick harshly awarded for inadvertent hand ball against Steve to give the Saints a bit of a hope for a revival. However this was dashed five minutes from the final whistle by a fine individual finish from Steve Hunt after a great run through the Saints’ defence! So the game finished 4-2 to the Sky Blues.

Sexton’s Sky Blue XI was as follows (all bar Stevie Whitton later went on to join this Association):-

Jim Blyth, Danny Thomas, Brian Roberts, Steve Jacobs, Paul Dyson, Gary Gillespie, Rudi Kaiser, Gerry Daly, Garry Thompson, Steve Whitton and Steve Hunt

The Saints’ line up was as follows:-

Peter Wells, Ivan Golac, Nick Holmes, Graham Baker (sub. Dave Puckett), Dave Watson, Malolm Waldron, Kevin Keegan, Mike Channon, Steve Moran, David Armstrong and Alan Ball      Referee:- B.Newsome

The six goals between the two sides at Highfield Road today was bettered by the ten goals shared at the Dell the following May -but that’s a story for another day!

CCFC 1981-82

The Saints gained the bragging rights in terms of league position this season finishing seventh in Division One. The Sky Blues finished safe enough in fourteenth spot a full eight points above the drop zone which saw Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and, bottom of the pile, Middlesbrough relegated.

Liverpool took the Championship by four points over runners up Ipswich Town.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1970 – Machin Makes F.A. History In Sky Blues Tyneside Tie

Noel Cantwell- CCFC Manager

On this day (26th September) in 1970 the Sky Blues, managed by Noel Cantwell, were already nine matches into their Division One programme and had mixed results winning three and losing five of them. They had already embarked on their first ever European adventure beating Trakia Plovdiv 4-1 in Bulgaria in the 1st round 1st leg of the European Fairs Cup ten days ago and would successfully complete the round with the second leg in four days time. Also, four days ago they had seen off Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup 2-1 in the Second Round replay at Highfield Road. Today they were back concentrating on league matters and were visitors to St James’ Park, home of Newcastle United.

Brian Alderson in the Sky Blue

There was a crowd of 32,050 in Newcastle to see the game and TV cameras recorded every kick. Sadly for them all the result was a no score bore draw, City’s fourth successive goalless game (and therefore four games without a win). In fairness, however, the Sky Blues Brian Alderson did have a goal chalked off because (now CCFPA member) Willie Carr was adjudged offside which nearly enlivened a dull game.  Also Sky Blue goalie (now CCFPA member) Bill Glazier kept his team in it with great saves from the Magpies David Young and Tommy Gibb.

Ernie at Highfield Rd

Many fans would argue that overall the game was spoiled by over officious refereeing as Willie, Jeff Blockley and Ernie Machin (all three later CCFPA members) were all yellow carded. However, the second ‘yellow’ Mr Nicholson decided to give Ernie for a lunging tackle on Magpies’ bustling centre-forward Wyn Davies went on to make Football history. 

Ernie’s red carding on 77 minutes, resulting in the midfielder being ordered from the field and City having to face the last thirteen minutes with ten men, was subject to a subsequent official appeal. Ernie and CCFC challenged the sending off and used the TV footage as evidence. A biography of Ernie and a consideration of the case in the Independent newspaper can be found by following the link here.

His case against the F.A. subsequently went all the way to the High Court in 1972.

Ernie makes history at court

It was ruled that the FA had denied Ernie natural justice with the way the appeal process was delivered. Ernie became the first ever player to win such a case and changed the balance of power forever between the profession and the Football Association and prompted reform of the disciplinary system. This was an unlikely but important outcome of a pretty mundane game of football!

The Sky Blues team that day (all members of this team later became CCFPA members) was:-

Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Dave Clements, Ernie Machin*, Jeff Blockley, Geoff Strong*, Ernie Hunt*, Willie Carr (sub. Dietmar Bruck), Neil Martin, John O’Rourke* and Brian Alderson*.

*Sadly, Geoff, John and both Ernies, along with their manager Noel, have since passed away. Dietmar is a current Association committee member.

The Newcastle team (managed by Joe Harvey) lined up:-

Iam McFaul, David Craig, Frank Clark, Tommy Gibb, Olly Burton, Bobby Moncur, Brian Robson, Keith Dyson (sub. David Ford), Wyn Davies, Preben Arentoft and David Young    Referee:- Mr R.Nicholson

CCFC 1970-71 Sky Blues Into Europe

In Europe the Sky Blues beat Trakia in the second leg at home by two clear goals but went out on aggregate to the mighty Bayern Munich in Round Two, smashed 6-1 in Germany but beating them 2-1 in Coventry. Ernie Machin went on to play a total of 26 times for the Sky Blues this season and scored one goal. Cantwell’s CCFC played the league return with the Geordies on the last game of the season and brought the curtain down with a good 2-0 win over the North Easterners to finish comfortably mid table (tenth) in Division One.  The Geordies finished two places lower and a point worse off!

It was Arsenal that took the title this season from Leeds United a point adrift and, at the other end, Burnley and bottom club Blackpool took the drop.

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

Members News: ‘Happy 27th Birthday’ Today ‘Shippers’!

Jordan Shipley in the Sky Blue

Today is a day of birthday celebration for one of our more recent members, former Sky Blue and ‘One of Our Own’ to boot, Jordan Shipley! ‘Shippers’ who joined the Association when playing in our Golf Day 2022, was born locally in Leamington Spa on 26th September 1997 and therefore is celebrating his 27th birthday.

Jordan Shipley in Sky Blue action

After working his way through the Sky Blues’ youth system the midfielder broke through into the Sky Blues first team in 2016-17. The Academy product made his Sky Blue debut from the subs bench on 27th April 2017 in a 1-0 home win against Walsall and eventually became a crowd favourite who appreciated his forceful and energetic displays and some important goals. In August 2019 Shippers extended his contract with CCFC until 2021 and was about to extend for a further three years when, on 11th May 2022, Jordan joined League One side Shrewsbury Town for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year deal.

Jordan signs for CCFPA watched by CCFPA’s Rich.Morris

Over his six Sky Blue seasons Jordan knocked in twenty goals in his 163 games for City. He also picked up with the Sky Blues in those few years a Checkatrade Trophy winning medal in 2017, a League Two Playoff winners medal in 2018 (both won at Wembley where he got one of his goals) and a League One champions medal in 2020.

To date Shippers has netted fourteen times in his 89 games for the Shrews to date He has also a couple of Republic of Ireland U21 Caps gained in 2019. Not a bad haul for a 26 year old!

Married this year, we hope you have a wonderful day today Shippers and we look forward to welcoming you back to the CBS Arena for a Sky Blue game and/or CCFPA event (including this summer’s Golf Day at SDPGC)!

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

Members News: Former Sky Blues England Int’l Back Is 66 Today. ‘Happy Birthday’ Kenny!

Kenny Sansom in the Sky Blue

We are delighted to wish recent CCFPA recruit Kenny Sansom a very ‘Happy Birthday’ today! Very much a Londoner, Kenny was born in Camberwell on 26th September 1958 and is therefore celebrating his 66th birthday today!

From humble origins Kenny certainly found fame through football. He was discovered playing for juior team Spring Park Wolves and, already an England schoolboy, was scouted by many London professional clubs before finally joining Crystal Palace. A left back throughout his career Kenny played six seasons and nearly 200 games for the Eagles from 1974-80 (scoring four times) as they rose from being a Third to First Division outfit. In 1980 he moved across London to Arsenal for a big fee and spent the rest of his career playing top flight football.

Kenny Sansom (England)

Kenny played just short of 400 times (six goals) for the Gunners over eight seasons and further developed his England international career, which had begun at the Palace, eventually totting up a massive 86 appearances (netting once) for his country between 1979-88. His time at Highbury eventually soured under ‘gaffer’ George Graham so Kenny tried a season with Newcastle United (24 appearances) where he was unable to help them escape relegation to Division Two. He then returned to his home city for a couple of seasons with Q.P.R. where he played 82 times scoring twice between 1989-91.

Terry Butcher brought Kenny to Highfield Road for £100k in March 1990 to add experience to the Sky Blues’ defence and the full back continued as largely first choice under successive Sky Blues’ ‘gaffers’ Terry Butcher, Don Howe and Bobby Gould for almost three years in the early nineties clocking up 55 appearances before Bobby decided to let him go on a free transfer to Everton in February 1993 once Phil Babb had started to show his capabilities in the City defence. 

Kenny Sansom clears

He stayed only a month with the Toffees returning to the capital in March after seven appearances (and a goal) to play for Brentford. He only played eight times for the Bees in 1992-93 as his career wound down and his swansong was a single First Division appearance for Watford in 1994-95. In a long Football League career Kenny clocked up thirteen goals in 768 top flight games – a magnificent record! Before finally hanging up his boots Kenny played short spells with three non-league outfits, Croydon, Chertsey Town and Slough Town.

Marcus Hall & Kenny Sansom at LD22

In later life, sadly, Kenny has had to face a number of well publicised challenges in his personal life affecting his business life and health and has done intermittent media work as a pundit in recent seasons.

LD24: Kenny (centre) comes onto th pitch at h-t

We were very pleased to see Kenny back in Coventry again when he came to his first Legends Day in 2022 and followed up with appearances at both LD23 and LD24. Each time he enjoyed meeting up with the other Former Players attending the reunion.

Have a great birthday today Kenny! We look forward to entertaining you again back at a Sky Blue game and/or CCFPA function in Coventry this season! 

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