Members News: Our ‘Saturday Special’ For Swans Game Is John Williams!
John in the Sky Blue
One of our favourite FPs (who happens to be one of the Club’s fastest ever players), John Williams is returning to see us very soon. Appropriately ‘The Flying Postman’ will be our ‘special guest’ once more at a Sky Blues fixture also involving one of his other previous clubs., Swansea City! The 56 year old TFP will be a welcome ‘Saturday special’ as Mark Robins men take on the Swans in a Championship fixture.
In past seasons John has been a pretty frequent visitor to the Ricoh/CBS, regularly playing his part each season as one of our ‘special guests’ on match days and attending reunion events like our grand annual reunions as he did at our last one Legends Days 2024 last May. He has also taken part in the Former Players’ Legends XI Charity games.
A Brummy John left his post office route for football with Cradley Town in 1990 and was quickly snapped up professionally the following year by our Welsh opponents next Saturday (then known as Swansea Town). He earned his nickname by winning the Rumbelows Sprint Challenge before the Football League Cup Final at Wembley in May 1992 claiming the £10,000 first prize. He beat, amongst others, Efan Ekoku and another former Sky Blue and fairly recent CCFPA recruit Leigh Jenkinson finishing in a time of 11.49 seconds. Leigh was also at LD22!
The Flying Postman with Billy Bell on stage
His form at the Welsh club (11 goals in 39 league appearances) persuaded Sky Blue manager (and now fellow CCFPA member) Bobby Gould (who was also at LD22) to add him to the roster of his new signings and John promptly scored the first goal of the 1992-93 Premier League campaign after nine minutes against Middlesbrough in a 2-1 win!
A crowd favourite, though not quite as prolific as hoped, John was sent out on loan for periods at Notts. County, Stoke City and Swansea City before leaving Coventry for Wycombe Wanderers in September 1995 having scored eleven goals in 86 appearances in all competitions.
John Williams (‘The Flying Postman’ at LD24
After Wycombe John became something of a rolling stone appearing for the likes of Hereford United (1996-97); Walsall and Exeter City (1997-98); Cardiff City (1998-99); York City (1999-00); Darlington (2000-01); Swansea City (again) (2001); Kidderminster Harriers (2003); Bath City (2004); Redditch United (2005); Evesham United; Weston-Super-Mare; Stourbridge; Willenhall Town (2007) and Boldmere St Michaels (2008).
After trials at Aris Salonika in Greece and Austria Vienna John finally hung up his boots at age 40 in 2009 with 83 goals from his 502 appearances overall! Subsequently he has been (amongst other things) a football agent, a youth and community worker in his home city and has run his own promotions company, ‘Flying Postman Productions’ company which arranges Sportsman’s Dinners and the like in the region and the UK.
Sky Blue Brian Roberts (1979)
No doubt the popular ‘genial giant’ will get an exceedingly warm welcome as he tours the supporters lounges pre-match next Saturday with fellow ex Sky Blue CCFPA member, current long-time club host, Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts.
If he also gets to do a half-time pitch side interview both sets of fans are sure to give him a hearty round of applause. Post match new Association chairman Billy Bell will almost certainly take TFP down to Lady Gs in the Arena’s G-Casino for some more fun and games with (hopefully happy and victorious) City fans.
Oggy in the Press Box
If you really can’t get to the game you can always listen in to the wise words of another CCFPA member doing his regular stint with live BBC CWR commentary team, none other than CCFC’s legendary FA Cup winning ‘keeper from 1987, Steve Ogrizovic.
Other CCFC Former Players from our membership will also certainly be in attendance.
If you also pick up a copy of the club’s excellent match-day magazine PUSB you will find the regular contributions from former Association chairman Jim Brown and committee member Mike Young.
