Members News: Two Former Players, Fanky & ‘Ponters’, On the Move!

Just in case you missed it we have received news that two Sky Blue favourites, both CCFPA members) of recent seasons have been furthering their careers with club moves now they have left the Ricoh/ CBS Arena!

Fanky in CCFC’s City of Culture 3rd strip

Fankaty Dabo was one of the casualties of the relegation of previous club Forest Green Rovers from the Football League last May. FRG finished bottom of League Two last season and were forced to shed players. Another ex Sky Blue (and Fanky’s fellow CCFPA member) defender Richard Keogh also left the club for the same reason. Fanky had left the Sky Blues on a free in summer 2023 and ended up playing 34 times (without netting) for FRG in 2023-24. The speedy and skilful wing back has found a new birth with Scottish Championship club Raith Rovers for the current season.

Fankaty Dabo (Raith Rovers)

Fanky has retained a soft spot for CCFC and was with us at Wembley for the Sky Blues unlucky defeat to Manchester United last season in the F.A.Cup sem-final. A product of the Chelsea Academy whilst with the Blues he also played on loan for both Swindon Town and Vitesse Arnhem in 2017 and 2018 picking up England junior caps at U16-20 levels before joining the Sky Blues in June 2019.

He won the Association’s ‘Player of the Season Award’ in his first season with CCFC. Fanky played 131 times for the Sky Blues without scoring before moving to FRG in September 2023.

Jordan Ponticelli in the Sky Blue

The second former Sky Blue on the move is our former young forward Jordan Ponticelli. ‘Ponters’, who  has recently signed for Halesowen Town, is a local lad born in Nuneaton and was a product of the famed Sky Blue Academy earning his professional first team debut in a 3–1 defeat by Blackburn Rovers in an EFL Cup tie in August 2017. He followed up with his League debut off the bench in the 85th minute of a 0–0 draw against Barnet on 7th October the same year.

Jordan Ponticelli (Halesowen)

By the time he left Coventry City for Wrexham in Jan 2020 (after a loan spell there) Jordan had clocked up six goals in his 32 Sky Blues appearances, not a bad strike rate considering only five of these were starts and the rest were off the bench! Whilst with City he also had loan spells with Macclesfield Town and Tranmere Rovers.

After being released by the North Welsh club in July 2022 Jordan linked up with National League North side Kings Lynn Town and since a couple of days ago (in late September 2024) ‘Ponters’ is now trying his luck with ‘The Yeltz’ at Halesowen.

We wish both of our members well in their future careers with their new clubs!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images