Blast From The Past: This Day 2016 – Mowbray Moves On (1st Of This Campaign’s 4 Managers (2 Marks)!

Manager Mowbray

On this last day of the second month of the 2016-17 season (30th September 2016) the Sky Blues saw their manager Tony Mowbray relieved of his Sky Blues managerial duties (leaving by mutual consent) following a 2-2 draw at home to AFC Wimbledon a couple of days earlier. Since kicking off their League One season with a 1-0 defeat at Swindon Town, City had hit rock bottom in the league when they could only manage a goalless draw at home to Oldham Athletic on 17th September, which was reinforced by a 2-1 defeat at Gillingham and then the Wimbledon stalemate.

CCFPAs (late) Ken Brown with former gaffer Tony Mowbray

Tony’s goose was cooked with the bottom place and first ten game league record of no wins, six draws and four defeats!  In a campaign that ended with four men trying out the CCFC hot seat it was no surprise that we were relegated in penultimate place at the end of the season to the bottom tier (for only the first time in 59 years and only the second time in our history).

For the record CCFC’s Technical Director Mark Venus took over team affairs in a caretaker capacity before Russell Slade‘s disastrous reign began on the 21st December 2016. Finally (in his first spell with the club) current ‘gaffer’ Mark Robins became Sky Blue supremo at the beginning of March 2017 for the last eleven league games. Mark couldn’t save the Sky Blues but was in charge for the main highlight of the club’s season winning the EFL (Checkatrade) Trophy at Wembley against Oxford United in April.

Tony had arrived at the Ricoh in March 2015 after leaving Middlesbrough in October 2013. By the time Tony resigned he had produced a Sky Blue career of 75 games in charge winning 26, drawing 24 , and losing 25, therefore contributing to the club a 34.76% win rate, by no means the worst of ‘gaffers’ in the Sky Blues’ playing history.

To most Sky Blues fans, will always be regarded as a ‘gaffer’ who worked hard within the constraints he faced and was an honourable member of the Sky Blue family.  On 22 February 2017, Tony was appointed head coach of Blackburn Rovers and got them promoted to the Championship in his first season. His team claimed four points from us in 2020-21! After six seasons with Rovers Tony moved on again and between August 2022 and Janury 2024 he became supremo at famous north eastern club Sunderland with whom CCFC have had a number of intriguing recent encounters! From January to May 2024 ‘Mogga’ took over a failing Birmingham City side from Wayne Rooney but couldn’t prevent the St Andrews based side, City’s erstwhile friendly landlords, from suffering relegation to League One where, this season, they are doing really well under new ‘gaffer’ Chris Davies being unbeaten at the top!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.