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Matchday Memories: On This Day 2001 – See Sky Blues Stall After Jairo Jars The Tykes

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Sky Blue’s next gaffer Nilsson

By this day (25th September) in 2001 the Sky Blues immaculate Swedish international full back Roland Nilsson had taken over the managerial reins from (the Swede’s now fellow CCFPA member) Gordon Strachan and the Sky Blues were seemingly fighting their way out of a troubled start to the Division One season.

David in the Sky Blue

A new manager bounce produced a welcome rally with a League Cup win at Peterborough United (on penalties) and then a pair of league wins, namely, 1-0 at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United and in mid week an exciting 4-3 defeat of Manchester City at Highfield Road won at the death by a strike from (now CCFPA member) David Thompson. The Sky Blues then made it a win quartet at home to Portsmouth who were sent packing by two clear goals. Today’s challenge was an away game in Yorkshire at low lying Barnsley and, though City scored first, they were finally pegged back to a 1-1 draw and kept the unbeaten run going (as it would brilliantly for another seven league games until beaten at Millwall at the beginning of November.Image

Jairo in the Sky Blue

On this day the Sky Blues drew first blood at Oakwell when our Honduran import Jairo Martinez scored his debut goal for City nine minutes after the break guiding in an acrobatic header from close in (above) before running into the stands to celebrate with the visiting Sky Blue army. The Sky Blues always looked good for the win without ever really setting the game alight.

Sadly, the Tykes found an equaliser with eleven minutes to go as their manager Nigel Spackman made some inspired substitutions. Bruce Dyer was able to guide the ball home from close in when a cross eluded everyone else and Kevin Fallon wrong footed Magnus Hedman. The games were coming thick and fast at this point and City were beginning to look tired and jaded in their current tenth place in Division One.

The contemporary BBC Sport match report can be found by clicking here. Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch the goal highlights by clicking on the link or image below.

Youssef in Sky Blue action

David in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues stamped their authority on Barnsley in the Highfield Road return towards the end of February battering them by four clear goals scored by Youssef Chippo, a David Thompson brace and Lee Mills (all three now Assocation members).
 
Today the Sky Blues lined up as follows  (CCFPA members underlined) (4-4-2):-
Magnus Hedman, Roland Nilsson, Marc Edworthy, Lee Carsley, Gary Breen, Richard Shaw, David Thompson (sub. Laurent Delorge -71), Youssef Safri, Lee Hughes, Jay Bothroyd (sub. Jairo Martinez -46) and Youssef Chippo (sub. Keith O’Neill -78).
 
Nigel Spackman‘s Tykes turned out the following side (4-2-4):-
Andy Marriott, Carl Regan, Jon Parkin (sub. Kevin Donovan -62), Darren Barnard, Chris Morgan, Chris Barker, Mitch Ward (sub. Eric Tinkler -70), Dean Gorre, Bruce Dyer, Lee Jones (sub. Rory Fallon -61) and Alex Neil     Referee:- S.Baines (Chesterfield)
 
Andy Marriott signed for the Sky Blues briefly in 2004 as goalkeeping cover without getting a first team game.

Gary McAllister- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’

The Sky Blues recovery under Roland continued and they were to finish in eleventh spot.  Champions Manchester City and, ten points behind, runners up West Bromwich Albion were promoted to the top flight. At the other end of affairs bottom club Stockport County were relegated with Crewe Alexandra (21st), today’s opponents Barnsley (23rd).

Despite the decent performances under Roland he was replaced by player-manager Gary McAllister for the 2002-03 season.

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

September 25, 2024 · Tagged with

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Matchday Memories: On This Day 1999 – Watch Hadji Hit Harry’s Hammers (With Hedman’s Help)!

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Gordon the Gaffer

On this day (25th September) 25 years ago today in 1999 the Sky Blues ‘gaffer’ Gordon Strachan was not enjoying a very easy beginning to the 1999-2000 season having only won only once in this Premier League season so far in the first eight games, a 2-0 win at home to Derby County with two debut goals from £6m signing Robbie Keane. The five defeats were (in order) to Southampton (h) on the opening day, Leicester City (a), Manchester United (h), Leeds United (h) and Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. WGS and the Sky Blues fans among the 19,985 Highfield Road crowd today were certainly looking for better things! 

Hadji in Action

The Sky Blues had given a debut to an experienced new signing from Nottingham Forest, (now CCFPA member) Carlton Palmer. The play was pretty scrappy, particularly in the second half, and City often rode their luck with our Swedish shot-stopper Magnus Hedman (also now a CCFPA member) very much back to his best. Magnus foiled the Hammers’ Paulo Wanchope a number of times and their star striker also missed some good chances too.

In the end, despite the Hammers having lots of possession, the Sky Blues scored the only goal of the game in the 36th minute as one half of our Moroccan pair (with Youssef Chippo), Mustapha Hadji, headed home from a Gary McAllister free kick. City had to hang on for their 1-0 win though it helped that the Hammers’ John Moncur was sent off twenty minutes before the end after attracting two yellow cards. Both Moroccans (pictured below congratulating each other) are now Association members.

Image

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can relive Mustapha’s goal by clicking on the link or image below:-
https://youtu.be/_f_-l4WQmm0

Magnus in the Sky Blue yellow

Strachan’s Sky Blues lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-

Marcus Hedman, Marc Edworthy, Marcus Hall, Carlton Palmer, Mo Konjic, Richard Shaw, Paul Telfer, Gary McAllister (sub. Gary McSheffrey -84),  Mustapha Hadji, Robbie Keane and Youssef Chippo (sub. Paul Williams -61)

Harry Redknapp‘s Hammers line-up was:-

Shaka Hislop, Trevor Sinclair, Marc Keller (sub. Adam Newton -77), Steve Lomas, Ogor Stimac, Steve Potts, Marc-Vivien Foe, Frank Lampard, Paulo Wanchope, Paolo Di Canio and John Moncur (s.o.-70)        Referee: David Elleray

Former Sky Blues (the late) Les Sealey (gk) and CCFPA member Stuart Pearce were on the Hammers’ books at this time, as was future Sky Blue Joe Cole.      

CCFC 1999-2000

West Ham United got ample revenge in the return at the Boleyn in April whupping the Sky Blues 5-0!  Manchester United were the Premier League Champs that season with Arsenal runners up a long way (eighteen points) behind. The Hammers finished ninth.

Wimbledon were relegated at the end of the season in eighteenth spot along with Sheffield Wednesday and bottom club Watford. The Sky Blues finished eleven points clear of any similar trouble in fourteenth spot!

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

 

September 25, 2024 · Tagged with

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Matchday Memories: On This Day 1991 – Butchers’ Boys Dish The Dale In The LC!

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Terry Butcher welcomed by CCFC Chairman John Poynton

On this day (25th September) in 1991 the Sky Blues, with former England international defender Terry Butcher at the helm, were able to rest from their league travails on this day. Ten games into their Division One season they were not doing too badly in mid table with four wins and two draws to date. However the previous Saturday they had had a chastening time at Goodison thanks to a Peter Beardsley hat-trick as Everton beat them by three clear goals. Today however the task was to beat lower level opposition in the second round, first leg of the League (Rumbelows) Cup at Highfield Road.

Robert in the Sky Blue

Rochdale in the past had proved a bit of a banana skin ready for the Sky Blues to slip up but it was not to be this evening with a modest H.R. crowd of twenty under 6,000 seeing the Sky Blues triumph 4-0 (hopefully making the second leg away a formality)! City were two goals to the good at half-time thanks to a brace from fairly recent CCFPA recruit, centre forward, Robert Rosario. His first, after just a couple of minutes, was a header powered in from a cross by (later CCFPA’s 300th recruit) Peter Ndlovu. Robert’s second on 23 minutes came when he forced his way through into the box to chip the keeper.

Sky Blue Kevin Gallacher

In a largely one sided game the Sky Blues third came with just over a quarter of an hour of the game to go from (now CCFPA member) Kevin Gallagher who swivelled to thump home.  ‘Gally’ had returned from an injury and not only made it 3-0 but hit the woodwork twice! The icing on the cake came in the last minute of the game from the unlikely source of City’s 1987 F.A.Cup hero, defender Lloyd McGrath, whose speculative chip managed to loop over the ‘Dale ‘keeper following a deflection! Though the so far unbeaten at home Rochdale did win the second leg by the only goal of the game at Spotland a fortnight later City went through by a 4-1 aggregate!

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch the match highlights by clicking on the link or image below:-

September 25, 2024 · Tagged with

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Matchday Memories: On This Day 1985 – Mackay’s Men Make Milk Cup Progress At Chester

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CCFC Manager Don Mackay

On this day (25th September) in 1985 the Sky Blues, under manager (and now CCFPA member) Don Mackay were looking to get their season up and running. In Division One games to date they had managed only one win and a couple of draws in their nine games so far. Therefore a second round first leg League (Milk) Cup tie against lower league Chester might restore winning ways! The City fans amongst the small 4,836 crowd in Chester certainly hoped so! They got their wish as the Sky Blues ran out winners by the odd goal in three over the Fourth Division side.

Sky Blue Terry Gibson

Lowly Chester with four straight wins behind them certainly matched all that City could muster, particularly in the goal-less first half. The deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute when two diminutive Sky Blues (both now Association members) combined to give the Sky Blues the lead, Terry Gibson heading in from a Micky Gynn cross!   Chester then put the frighteners on City four minutes later forcing Lloyd McGrath to bring down the home team’s Stuart Rimmer who picked himself up to score the equaliser with a twice taken penalty (below).Image

Dave Bowman in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues salvation came with a thirty yard bender and dipper from another CCFPA member now David Bowman which beat Chester’s ‘keeper John Butcher all ends up for winner sending the Sky Blues into the Highfield Road second leg with some confidence!

The two teams lined up as follows:-
Sky Blues. (We are delighted to say all of them later became CCFPA members)!
Steve Ogrizovic, Brian Borrows, Greg Downs, David Bowman, Brian Kilcline (sub. Kenny Hibbitt), Trevor Peake, Micky Adams, Lloyd McGrath, Dave Bennett, Terry Gibson and Micky Gynn
‘Benno’, of course is a long time esteemed CCFPA committee member!
 
Chester (managed by Harry McNally)
John Butcher, David Glenn, Martin Lane, Andy Holden, Wakeley Gage, Bobby Coy, John Kelly, Milton Graham, Stuart Rimmer, Peter Houghton and Gary Bennett   Referee:- T.Mills
 
Martin Lane went on to sign for the Sky Blues in January 1987 for £25k but played only three league games for us (plus some games on loan at Wrexham) in two years before returning to Chester in 1989.
 
In the second leg of the tie at Highfield Road on 9th October the Sky Blues had a field day beating Chester 7-2 (for a 9-3 aggregate win) and (the late) ‘Big Cyrille’ Regis equalled the then league Cup record by nabbing FIVE! City went out in the third round, however, losing 4-3 to West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns in a replay after a goalless draw at Highfield Road!Image
 
In the league the Sky Blues finished in eighteenth spot. Don Mackay had resigned on 12th April after a 5-0 thrashing at Liverpool‘s Anfield and was replaced by City’s late, great, former ‘iron man’ centre-half George Curtis for the last three games. Again, living on their nerves right to the end, two wins in their last three games secured survival. Their 43 points won compared to 41 for the relegated Ipswich Town, Birmingham City on 29 and West Bromwich Albion bottom on only 24 points.
 
Liverpool won the Division One Championship with 88 points with city rivals Everton in runners up place two points behind.
 
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.

 

September 25, 2024 · Tagged with

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