Matchday Memories: On This Day 2014 – See Some/All Of Sky Blues’ Ricoh Return As Nouble Nobbles Gills!
‘Elvis’- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’
On this day (5th September) in 2014 Sky Blue gaffer and former player (and now CCFPA member) Steven Pressley brought the Sky Blues back to their home again after their painful exile at Northampton Town‘s Sixfields Stadium. They had started their season seven games previously with three home games (two in League One and a League Cup tie) at Sixfields. On this day 27,306 were packed the the renamed ‘City of Coventry’ Arena for their longed for ‘Ricoh Return’. This was their second best gate at the Arena since they first arrived in 2005. There were just under five hundred Gills fans visiting for the day! Sadly Sky Blues fans have also had to get used to ‘Coming Home’ to the Arena in more recent years!
The game, in front of SKY TV cameras (see below), kicked off fifteen minutes late and the condition of the pitch looked dodgy.
Frank Nouble in the Sky Blue
However, the players did not let the Sky Blue Army down as big centre forward (and recent CCFPA recruit) Frank Nouble scored CCFC’s only goal of the game after only ten minutes in a 1-0 win over Gillingham. The Gills’ captain was former Sky Blue (and now CCFPA member) Cody McDonald. Their team’s goalie was also former Sky Blue loanee Steven Bywater.
Also, courtesy of former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson, you can watch the highlights by clicking on the picture below. I shows not only the coolly taken goal from ‘Big Frank’ but also a spectacular but sadly failed long range lobbed goal effort from John Fleck:-
If the above is not enough, thanks again to Dean, you can watch the full two hours plus SKY broadcast of the match by clicking on the image below. It includes the whole game, some vignettes of the club’s recent turbulent times and some punditry, including by Sky Blue former defensive hero, CCFC’s current head of Community (and returned CCFPA committee member) Dave Busst!:-
The Sky Blues were represented that day by (CCFPA members underlined):-
Ryan Allsop, Jordan Willis, Ryan Haynes, Andy Webster, Reda Johnson (c), Conor Thomas (sub. Jack Finch -89), John Fleck, Marcus Tudgay (sub. Seb.Hines -59), Frank Nouble (sub. Josh McQuoid -59), Jordan Clarke and Jim O’Brien.
Unused subs:- Danny Pugh, Aaron Phillips, Mohamed Coulibaly and Lee Burge (gk)
The Gills team (managed by Peter Taylor) was:-
Stephen Bywater, Callum Davies (Josh Pritchard -75), Joe Martin, John Egan, Kourtney Hause, Aaron Morris, Brennan Dickinson (Luke Morris -75), Jake Hessenthaler, Bradley Dack, Cody McDonald (c) and Jermaine McGlashan (Antonio German -85) Unused subs:- Matt Fish, Amine Lingazi, Devante McKain and Glen Morris (gk) Referee:- Keith Stroud
Paul, ‘Harry’ & Frank in the Singers Lounge before the game
Frank is pictured (right) in the Ricoh supporters lounge with fellow CCFPA members and Sky Blues stars of the past Paul Williams and Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts. On 14th April, in the return, the Sky Blues fought out a 1-1 draw with the team from Kent.
The win on this day put them eighth in the league. ‘Elvis’ was to make way on the 22nd February 2015 for Tony Mowbray (appointed from 1st March 2015). Neil McFarlane and Dave Hockaday acted as caretakers in the gap. The Sky Blues final League One position was seventeenth with Gillingham in twelfth spot.
CCFC 2014-15
At the top Bristol City (Champs). runners up MK Dons and third placed (via the play offs) Preston North End got themselves promoted. At the bottom Notts County, Crawley Town, Leyton Orient and bottom club Yeovil Town fell through the trap door.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
