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

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).

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!

 

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.

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1984 – Saddlers Sorted By Sky Blues (& Singleton) In L.C.

On this day (25th September) in 1984 the Sky Blues under the management of former Sky Blue centre-forward (and now CCFPA member) Bobby Gould were visiting Fellows Park to take on Midlands rivals Walsall in the Second Round first leg of the League (Milk) Cup. As should have been expected, in taking on a lower level club, the Sky Blues went into the game against the previous season’s semi-finalists in confident mood.

Martin in the Sky Blue

A crowd of 8,399 turned up to watch the tie with a fair number of Sky Blue fans cheering them on. The Saddler’s player-manager Alan Buckley was on their bench. The result, 2-1 to the Sky Blues, was the result of a battling performance from an injury hit side. Rookie centre-forward Martin Singleton headed home just after the half hour to give the Sky Blues a half-time lead. Walsall’s Craig Shakespeare equalised, however, after 63 minutes.

Terry in the Sky Blue

Diminutive Sky Blue striker, CCFPA member and recent ‘special guest’ at the CBS Arena this season, Terry Gibson grabbed the lead only seven minutes later with another header and should have confirmed the victory ten minutes later when he missed a sitter in front of an open goal!

His old City strike partner Dave Bamber who was leading the Walsall attack was granted no headway by the Sky Blues giant centre-half (now fellow CCFPA member) Brian Kilcline.

The Sky Blues Gouldfather ‘gaffer’

Bobby Gould‘s  team for the 1st leg that day (CCFPA members underlined) was:-

Steve Ogrizovic, Andy Spring, Micky Adams, Ian Butterworth, Brian Kilcline, Trevor Peake, Dave Bennett (sub. Keith Thompson), Micky Gynn, Martin Singleton, Terry Gibson and Nicky Platnauer.

Walsall lined up as follows:-

Steve Cherry, Brian Caswell, Kenny Mower, Craig Shakespeare, Colin Brazier, Peter Hart, Ian Handysides, Dave Bamber, Richard O’Kelly, David Preece (sub. Alan Buckley) and Gary Childs        Referee:- T.Fitzharris

All looked set for a second leg formality at Highfield Road on the 9th October 1984 but in a really disastrous performance City got hammered 3-0  by the Saddlers and Bobby locked the players in the dressing room for forty minutes after the embarrassing defeat!

CCFC Full Squad 1984-85

Bobby’s assistant (and now fellow CCFPA member) Don Mackay took over from ‘the Gouldfather’ in December and the pre-season relegation favourites got the last laugh surviving in eighteenth spot in Division One (like nineteenth placed Queen’s Park Rangers, beneath them on equal points) a point above the drop. That fate was suffered by Norwich City, Sunderland and, catastrophically last with only three wins and seventeen points, Stoke. 

The two Liverpudlian clubs were top two at the other end of the table but with Everton top dogs a full thirteen points clear of their city rivals.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1982 – A Magic Melrose Treble & Two ‘Thommos’ Trouble the Toffees!

Dave Sexton, CCFC’s gaffer

Les Sealey fronts the programme

On this day (25th September) in 1982 the Sky Blues were facing their seventh Division One fixture of the season under Dave Sexton. Though his team had achieved two narrow 1-0 home victories since the season began (against Southampton on the opening day and Sunderland) CCFC’s away performances had been poor, losing at Swansea, Ipswich Town and Birmingham. The 2-0 defeat to the Arsenal last time they had a game at Highfield Road confirmed there was a Sky Blues goal drought (only four goals in their first six league games). Thankfully this was about to change today and Everton were the victims in front of a Highfield Road crowd of only 9,297!

Jim in the Sky Blue 1982

Steve in the Sky Blue brown!

One change factor was that our new Scottish forward signing from Leicester City, Jim Melrose was making his home debut. Jim had arrived at Highfield Road as a result of a swap deal with the Foxes that took young Tommy English (now Jim’s fellow CCFPA member) to Filbert Street. Jim immediately endeared himself to Sky Blues home fans by knocking in a home debut hat-trick (21, 53 and 67 minutes)! City were dominant both in the air (thanks to our forceful centre-forward Garry Thompson) and on the deck (thanks to the trickery of Steve Hunt, just returned from the USA). Both now are also Association members.

The City had roared into a 4-1 lead by the 67th minute, Steve notching our other goal on fifty minutes.  Future Sky Blue assistant manager (later caretaker) Adrian Heath got the Toffees’ first goal, an equaliser, on 26 minutes. Their second, the last goal of the game, with just over twenty minutes left came from Everton’s Andy King.

Keith in the Sky Blue

Garry in the Sky Blue

The Evertonians also included influential future Sky Blue midfielder Kevin Richardson in their eleven.

When substitute Keith Thompson replaced Steve near the end of the game he joined brother Garry in the Sky Blues forward line, the only time they played together in the Sky Blue first team and the first time brothers had played together for CCFC since the 1920s! Keith also later joined CCFPA.

Sexton’s Sky Blues that day comprised (CCFPA members underlined):-

The late Les Sealey, Danny Thomas, Brian Roberts, Steve Jacobs, Paul Dyson, Gary Gillespie, Steve Whitton, Gerry Francis, Jim Melrose, Garry Thompson and Steve Hunt (sub. Keith Thompson)

Howard Kendall‘s Toffeemen lined up as follows:-

Neville Southall, Kevin Richardson, Michael Walsh, Mark Higgins, Billy Wright, Steve McMahon, Trevor Ross (sub. Alan Irvine), Adrian Heath, Graeme Sharp, Andy King and Kevin Sheedy        Referee:- J.Key

CCFC 1982-83

The Toffees got a bit of revenge at Goodison the following May beating the Sky Blues by the only goal of the game scored on 76 minutes by Graeme Sharp.  However, City just about managed to avoid relegation at the end of the season finishing in nineteenth, one point and one place above the drop (taken by Manchester City, Swansea and bottom club Brighton).

Everton were very comfortable in seventh spot, though they won’t have been happy that the other team in their home city, Liverpool were crowned as clear cut Division One Champions in 1982-83 (a full eleven points clear of runners up Watford)!

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1976 – Milne’s Men Topped By Terry’s Terrific Strike!

Terry Yorath fronts the programme

On this day (25th September) in 1976 Sky Blue manager Gordon Milne (now an Association member) chose a team to take on local rivals Birmingham City in the club’s seventh Division One game of the new season. Results had not been too much to write home about with only two league wins and a draw to show so far and the Sky Blue hoping to pull up from their place below mid table. Already buoyed by the return after a pre-season injury of Tommy Hutchison, they gained the ultimate fillip from today’s game in front of 26,371 patrons at Highfield Road gaining a late winner over the Boys in Blue.

Mick in the Sky Blue

Alan Green in the Sky Blue

In truth the visitors, fresh from a win at Villa Park, gave the Sky Blues a tough game. Home nerves were settled with 23 minutes gone when Mick Ferguson got the better of Brum’s Joe Gallagher to set up a goal for our diminutive forward Alan Green (both City players are CCFPA members now).

Terry in the Sky Blue

Athough the Blues’ gritty defender Kenny Burns managed to pull things level less than ten minutes later the visitors were eventually beaten in the second period with just four minutes left with a ‘special’ from Sky Blues captain Terry Yorath (also a CCFPA member). The Welsh international produced a thirty yard stunner which brought the house down!

The two teams lined up as follows:-

Sky Blue Manager Gordon

Gordon Milne‘s Sky Blues (CCFPA members underlined):-

Jim Blyth, Mick Coop, Bobby McDonald, Terry Yorath, Jimmy Holmes, Alan Dugdale, John Beck, Alan Green (sub. Donal Murphy), Mick Ferguson, Barry Powell and Tommy Hutchison

 

Barry in the Sky Blue

Birmingham City (managed by Willie Bell)

David Latchford, Malcolm Page, Arthur Styles, Terry Hibbitt, Joe Gallagher, Tony Want, Jimmy Calderwood, Trevor Francis, Kenny Burns, Gary Jones and John Connolly       Referee:- D.Lloyd

 

The Brummagems got their revenge later in the season, in early March, by beating the Sky Blues 3-1 at City’s future home-in-exile St Andrews! Despite a Barry Powell 50th minute gem of an equaliser City eventually succumbed to an even poorer team!

 

In Division One, three draws in the last four games (including a controversial, delayed kick off, last day 2-2 home draw with fellow strugglers Bristol City) was just enough to give them survival in nineteenth place with Sunderland, Stoke City and bottom team Tottenham Hotspur taking the drop. Birmingham City were safe enough in thirteenth spot.

CCFC 1976-77

At the top it was Liverpool‘s title secured by a single point from Manchester City.

 

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