Matchday Memories: On This Pre Season Day 2002 -The Terrors Make A Highfield Road Point

On this day (27th July) in 2002 (k.o. 3 pm) the Sky Blues ‘gaffer’ was player-manager Gary McAllister. Pre-season (City were a Division One team at the time) was going quite well with one defeat in the three game opening German tour, a win and loss in a separate mini tournament in Nuremberg and an away victory at Scunny. This was the only pre-season fixture planned for Highfield Road as the Sky Blues invited Dundee United to travel down from Scotland to take us on. The club soon said goodbye to Swedish international goalie Magnus Hedman and Peruvian striker Ysrael Zuniga who did not feature in Gary Mac’s plans (both are now Association members).

John Eustace in the Sky Blue

Dundee‘s Manager Alex Smith described the contest, which ended up even-steven with a goal each, as:

“The game against Coventry was an excellent exercise for both teams. Certainly, from a Dundee United point-of-view it was a good, hard game – just the right build-up for the new season. Both teams played brilliant football and scored two exciting goals.”

The game delivered its two goals in two second half minutes in front of a modest crowd of 4,452. First, John Eustace (now a CCFPA member) fired home ten minutes after the break, then Jim McIntyre (as it happens the namesake of a former CCFC player (1905-06) and manager (1928-31)) grabbed the Terrors’ equaliser on 57 minutes to complete the scoring.

Gary in Sky Blue action

McAllister’s Men lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-

Morten Hyldgaard (Gary Montgomery -46), Richard Shaw, Dean Gordon, John Eustace, Mo Konjic, Calum Davenport, Laurent Delorge (Youssef Safri -77), Gary McAllister, Jay Bothroyd, Julian Joachim and Youssef Chippo (Gary McSheffrey -61) 

Unused subs:-  Craig Pead, Barry Quinn, Robert Betts and Brian Ford.

The ‘Terrors’ put out the following team:-

Paul Gallacher, Jamie McCunnie, Danny Griffin, Kevin McGowne, Jim Lauchlan, Craig Easton, Charlie Miller, Steven Thompson, Tassos Venitis, Jim McIntyre and Stuart Duff Unused subs:- Allen, Chapman and Ermes   Referee: Paul Danson

The remaining warm up games prior to the season’s kick-off proper resulted in an emphatic 4-1 win at Port Vale and another away victory, this time by 2-1 at Rushden and Diamonds.

CCFC 2002-03

City finished their 2002-03 Division One season safe, but only just so, finishing in twentieth place four points and a couple of places above the relegated clubs (Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton & Hove Albion and Grimsby Town).

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