Sympathy please for Kirk & his family

All those at the Association would like to offer (I am sure  joined by all Sky Blue fans) sincere condolences to our Association President (and City former player) Kirk Stephens who has recently suffered the loss of his father.

Bill Stephens, who will be well known to many in the Coventry and Nuneaton area, passed away within the last few days and his funeral will be held at Nuneaton Crematorium at 3pm tomorrow (Thursday 21st October).

We send our deepest sympathy to Kirk and his family on their loss.  

Benno and Bobby at the Cardiff game. Good wishes to Brian

Dave in 1986

City F.A.Cup hero and Association member Dave Bennett was our special guest yesterday evening (19th October 2010) at our home game against one of Dave’s other clubs Cardiff City.  The Sky Blues facing a club managed by FP Dave Jones and featuring FPs Craig Bellamy and Jay Bothroyd unfortunately lost 1-2 with Jay getting the deciding goal against his old club. Craig who was booed by the City crowd throughout was substituted in the 2nd half! 

As usual we made sure there was ample opportunity for Sky Blue supporters to see and meet Dave in the corporate lounges before the start of the game, on the pitch at half-time and in the G-Casino at the Ricoh after the game.

Association member, Sky Blue scoring sensation and former Manager Bobby Gould, who had a successful Charity launch of his new book  last Thursday night (see separate news item) was also promoting his autobiography at the Ricoh prior to the Cardiff game and joined us the G-Casino after the game.

I hope you managed to bump into one or both of  these Sky Blue Stars of the past last Tuesday night!

Finally, all of us at the Association and numerous wellwishers in the Sky Blue family would like to send best wishes to Association member and former Bantam stalwart Brian Nicholas who has been quite ill recently and is currently back in hospital. All the best Brian, get well soon and hope to see you back at the Ricoh in the near future!  

Brian at the '59ers' Reunion

Calling all Sky Blue Euro players and fans!

Trakia and City players in Bulgaria Sept.1970

Plans are being finalised by the Association for a wonderful reunion on 23rd October 2010 of the Sky Blue players who got the Club into Europe for the one and (so far) only time in 1970 in the European Fairs Cup. The Sky Blues beat Bulgarian outfit Trakia Plovdiv 6-1 over the two legs and after a 1-6 mauling in Germany at the hands of Bayern Munich we beat them in the return 2-1 (but went out on aggregate).

So far at least a dozen players from 1970  have accepted our invitation to be our guests for lunch and attend the Barnsley home game at the Ricoh on the 23rd.  We hope to see Sky Blue stars Roy Barry, Jeff Blockley, Dietmar Bruck, Willie Carr, Chris Cattlin, Mick Coop, Ian Gibson, Bill Glazier, Ian Goodwin, Trevor Gould, Ernie Hannigan, Ernie Machin, Dennis Mortimer and Billy Rafferty and we still await definite acceptances from other key players of the squad like John O’Rourke.  The Sky Blue heroes will also be welcomed individually and presented to the half time crowd.  The players will be also available for fans to meet in the corporate lounges before the game and in the G-Casino after the game.  (The G-Casino will be entertaining the players to an after game meal). 

As an additional attraction CCFPA have managed to persuade one of City’s European Bulgarian opponents at the time Dinko ‘Chiko’ Dermenjiev (of Trakia Plovdiv) to fly over specially to join the reunion. It should be a great day.

We would particularly like to invite any of the City fans who journeyed to Germany and/or Bulgaria ( only a couple of hundred) to support the team to come and meet the guests in the Casino after the game and bring their mementoes and memories of the trip. Of course all past and present fans are welcome too.  Don’t miss it!

24 Carat Bobby Gould

On Thursday night (7th October 2010) nearly 100 guests attended Association Member and former Sky Blue player and manager Bobby Gould’s charity book* launch (arranged by ‘Under the Posts’ Marketing) at Coventry RFC’s Butts Stadium.

Guest of honour and Coventry Kid, Bobby surrounded by family friends and supporters spent an entertaining and sometimes emotional evening reliving his illustrious career with CCFC (and other clubs!)  Also present were several Committee Members and fellow former players and Association Members Dave Bennett, Andy Blair, Dietmar Bruck, David Busst, John Chambers, Ron Farmer and Lol Harvey. A video (courtesy Dean Nelson) of Bobby’s long and illustrious career commissioned by the Association was shown during the events of the evening. 

Bobby and the FP Panel

Those attending the launch were entertained to dinner, several hilarious contributions from compere Roger Dakin who kept the audience in stitches, a charity auction in aid of Bobby’s nominated charities (Acorns and the Alzheimer’s Society as well as the Association) and an entertaining  question and answer session hosted by Committee Member Billy Bell with Bobby, Ron, Dave and Dietmar.  Bobby reminisced about his time with the Sky Blues from chipper apprentice through ruthless striker and (after a succesful playing career with several other clubs) then an accomplished if controversial manager.    

Bobby ended the evening reaffirming the strength of his Sky Blue passion and identity and an emotional tribute to family friends and supporters. Bobby made himself available to offer personalised signatures on the books sold on the day and will also be signing copies before the Cardiff home game at the Ricoh on Tuesday night (19th October 2010).

*The book entitled ‘”24 Carat Gould”  by Bobby and collaborator Dave Instone published by Thomas Publications is now available at all good booksellers priced  £15.99.