Matchday Memories: On This Day 2001 – See Sky Blues See Off Sheff. Utd. As Delorge Delivers
Sky Blue’s next gaffer Nilsson
Four days after the New York twin towers disaster, on this day (15th September) in 2001 the 16,168 crowd at Bramall Lane, gathered to see Sheffield United take on the Sky Blues, stood in silence in memory of those who lost their lives. The City were under new management as (now CCFPA member) Gordon Strachan had lost his job after three defeats in the first five games of the new season post relegation culminating in a 1-0 home defeat by top three side Grimsby Town cementing the view that the club was in danger of further decline. Gordon’s managerial record with the Sky Blues ended with 214 games in charge, winning 70, drawing 54 and losing 90 with a win ratio of 32.71%.
Laurent Delorge in the Sky Blue
The Sky Blue Army were looking for a new ‘gaffer’ bounce from the team chosen by new man at the top, the current immaculate Sky Blue Swedish international full back Roland Nilsson (a fairly recent CCFPA recruit) who stepped up to the plate. He was aware that the Blades were also struggling and had yet to win and Roland made five changes to the team that faced the Mariners, mostly to the men playing in front of him.
This seemed to work, as did his substitutions as the Sky Blues beat the Blades by a single goal scored by one of them, Belgian winger (another CCFPA now) Laurent Delorge in the 72nd minute, tidying up from some penalty box mayhem only seconds after coming on (a Sky Blue record). Roland also had to substitute himself early on going off injured and pleasingly saw his team match the physicality and bite of Neil Warnock‘s men.
Youssef Safri in the Sky Blue
The Blades stayed winless and this Sky Blues success proved to be the start of an unbeaten run of eleven league games (eight wins) which only came unstuck with a 3-2 defeat at Millwall in early November.
One of these later successes was at Highfield Road at the end of October when the Sky Blues completed the double over the Blades beating them 2-0 with goals from (another recent Association recruit) Youssef Safri and Lee Hughes!
Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch Laurent’s goal on this day by clicking on the link or image below:-
City’s team that day (CCFPA members underlined) was:-
Magnus Hedman, Roland Nilsson (sub. Richard Shaw -30), Marcus Hall, Lee Carsley, Gary Breen, Mo Konjic, David Thompson, Youssef Safri, Lee Hughes, Julian Joachim (sub. Laurent Delorge -71) and Ivan Guerrero (sub. Jay Bothroyd -60)
Sky Blue Rob
Pat Suffo in the Sky Blue
Neil Warnock‘s Blades team comprised:-
Simon Tracey, Robert Page, Shane Nicholson, Michael Brown (sub. Patrick Suffo -84), Shaun Murphy, Keith Curle (c), Paul Devlin, Bobby Ford, Carl Asaba, Laurent D’Jaffo (sub. Paul Peschisolido -73) and Peter Ndlovu (sub. Georges Santos -74) Referee:- Mike Pike
Peter Ndlovu in the Sky Blue
There were plenty of Sky Blue connections in this Blades’ team. Their forward Pat Suffo was at Highfield Road from 2003-05 and their defender, recent ‘gaffer’ of the Welsh national team, Rob Page (who was then on loan at Bramall Lane) became a Sky Blue player 2005-08 and both players later joined this Association.
Gary in the Sky Blue
The Sky Blues former Zimbabwean ‘Bulawayo Bullet’ from 1991-97, the mercurial Peter Ndlovu had just moved to the Blades after a period playing for Birmingham after leaving CCFC. ‘Nuddy’, of course, became CCFPA’s 300th member more than a couple of years ago.
The Sky Blues recovery under Roland continued and they were to finish in eleventh spot whilst Sheffield United were a couple of places (and six points) beneath them in Division One. Sadly Roland departed at the end of this season to be replaced for 2002-03 by another player-manager Gary McAllister.
In a tight relegation fight it was Crewe Alexandra, Barnsley and (a long way adrift) Stockport County that took the drop.
At the other end the automatically promoted teams were Manchester City (Champs) and West Bromwich Albion. City’s fairly recent landlords, Birmingham City in (in fifth spot) joined the duo as a result of winning the playoffs.
