Matchday Memories: On This Day 1983 – Bobby’s Boys Finally Finish Off Foxes In M69 Derby

The Sky Blues Gouldfather ‘gaffer’

ex Sky Blue Manager Gordon

On this day (17th September) in 1983 ‘Cov Kid’, former Sky Blue striker turned CCFC Manager, Bobby Gould faced a team managed by a former Sky Blue gaffer (and now fellow CCFPA member) Gordon Milne!

The M69 derby was at Highfield Road in front of 12,771 fans and it was the younger man’s team who eventually prevailed.  There were other  CCFC connections in the game too as recently transferred former Sky Blue forward Tom English (now a CCFPA member) was in the Fox’s squad (though not in the team) and both David Rennie and Kevin MacDonald both of whom were later to become Sky Blues (and CCFPA members) were on the pitch in this game.

Newly promoted Leicester City had got off to the 1983-84 season with a terrible start having lost six games in a row and their prospects continued to darken when the Sky Blues’ west country centre forward, now an Association member, Nicky Platnauer blasted in the home team’s first on the stroke of half time.

Terry Gibson

When our diminutive striker (and now CCFPA member) Terry Gibson pounced on an error from David Rennie to make it 2-0 after 68 minutes that should have settled it but the Fox’s goal-scoring ace Gary Lineker snatched an 89th minute goal to give the home side jitters.

However the Sky Blues Serbian shot-stopper Raddy Avramovic, making his debut, saved City’s bacon (and an unlikely come back) with an injury time point-blank save.  The Sky Blues unbeaten home start was preserved (at least until their next fixture). The referee was Mr. Darryl Reeves.

Raddy in the Sky Blue green

As well as the two managers, of the 24 players entering the fray on 17th September 1970 the following thirteen later became CCFPA members:- Dave Bennett, Ian Butterworth, Gerry Daly, Terry Gibson, Peter Hormantschuk, Steve Jacobs, Kevin MacDonald, Trevor Peake, Nicky Platnauer, Brian Roberts, Keith Thompson and Graham Withey.

Along with Raddy, CCFPA Committee member Dave Bennett was also making his Sky Blue debut, coming on as a sub for Keith Thompson.

Towards the end of January the two sides fought out a 1-1 draw in the return at Filbert Street with a tenth minute Gerry Daly goal for the Sky Blues cancelled out by a 79th minute Gary Lineker equaliser.

CCFC 1983-84

In hindsight, the three points gained instead of one arguably ensured the Sky Blues survival at the end of the season! The Sky Blues finished in nineteenth spot only two points ahead of the drop. Leicester City managed to climb up to fifteenth (though with only a point more) in a tight division with only five points separating Ipswich Town in twelfth (53) and relegated Birmingham City (48)!  In a bad year for the Midlands, below Brum were Notts. County and, at the bottom, Wolverhampton Wanderers who were both also relegated.

Liverpool took the title by three points from Southampton.

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