Blast from the Past: Spot the Former Players

Jim Brown, Association Chairman and CCFC Official Historian has uncovered the ‘team photo’ pictured above of a group of Former Players on the Highfield Road pitch some time in the late 1980s or early 1990s. This was, of course, well before the Coventry City Former Players Association was formed and shows a number of City players from across the seasons (1931-87) including a number, sadly, who are no longer with us.

We have put our heads together and reckon that gracing the Highfield Road turf that day was:-

Standing (back row) : Dave Bennett (1983-89); Jim Blyth (1972-82); George Mason (1931-52); Reg Matthews (1950-57); Billy Frith (player 1932-45; manager 1947-48 & 1957-61); Dietmar Bruck (1960-71); Jeff Blockley (1968-73); Chris Cattlin (1967-76); Lol Harvey (1951-61); Brian Lewis (1966-68); Maurice Setters (1967-70); George Curtis (1955-70 player; 1986-87 manager); Jim Holton (1976-81); Neil Martin (1967-71); Brian Nicholas (1957-62) and John Tudor (1964-69).

Kneeling (front): Willie Carr (1967-75); Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts (1975-84) and Ian Gibson (1966-70)

On the far left of the picture in the fetching yellow jacket is, of course, a current member of CCFPA’s Committee (like the jacket Dave!). This is also a rare picture containing four of the club’s most uncompromising central defenders of different playing eras – George Mason the Bantam’s towering strong man and eventual captain for twenty years from the early 1930s, George Curtis the Sky Blues ‘rock’ and captain during the Club’s 1960s rise to the top; Maurice Setters who held the centre in the late 1960s when the ‘Iron man’ was removed from the team through injury;  and indomitable ‘Big Jim’ Holton who stood up to Division 1 centre forwards for the Sky Blues from1976-81. 

Five of the FPs are no longer with us. Billy Frith who also represents the Club’s managerial as well as playing experience (along with George Curtis) passed in 1996 and Brian Lewis died at a relatively early age in 1998. Reg Matthews was taken from football in 2001. However, both George Mason and ‘Big Jim’ (at the early age of 42) died in 1993. Therefore the photo must have been taken before that year.     

If there is anyone out there who can clarify exactly when the picture was taken (and for what occasion) we would love to hear. George’s sons and Billy’s sons and daughter have visited the Ricoh as guests of the Association and are now Honorary members and all the other FPs named in the photo are currently Association members except Maurice Setters whom we are still trying to sign up!

F.A.Cup Heroes pictured down Hawkesmill way

A good size audience including a couple of CCFPA committee members, Bob Eales and Frank Pritchard were at F.A.Cup hero Lloyd McGrath‘s Hawkesmill Sports Club in Allesley last Friday night ( 20th May 2011) to see two other Sky Blues’ Legends from the club’s triumphant 1987 F.A.Cup win, Steve Ogrizovic and Trevor Peake, reminisce with Lloyd about their football careers as both players and coaches.

Lloyd, Peakey & Oggy at Hawkesmill

In an enthralling Question and Answer session ‘Oggy’ and ‘Peaky’ shared memories of Coventry City’s road to Wembley in 1986-87 season and their 3-2 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in what not just Sky Blues fans remember as one of the best Cup Finals ever. They also touched on their careers with the  ‘other’ clubs that featured in their football journey from youth football to Premier League stars and then referred to their subsequent careers after hanging up their boots – ‘Oggy’, of course, still playing an enormaous part in the development and search for success at CCFC.

Bob Eales also took the opportunity to present Lloyd with his Association tie (pictured below)

Frank Upton (1934-2011) R.I.P.

Though not an Association member we are sorry to hear that a former Assistant Manager of the Sky Blues  Frank Upton passed away last Monday at his Findern home aged 76.

Frank was born in Atherstone and in his playing days won a reputation as an uncompromising defender (‘Frank the Tank’ ). He had spells successively with Nuneaton Borough, Northampton Town (1953), Derby County twice (1954 & 1965) , Chelsea (1961), Notts County (1966), Worcester City (1967) and Workington (player-manager 1968) making 384 League appearances (24 goals) between 1953-68. He won Division 3 honours in 1956-57 during his first spell at the Baseball Ground under the tutelege of former City Manager Harry Storer.

Frank built up extensive coaching experience with Aston Villa, Chelsea, Wolves and Dundee as well as spells in Denmark and Kuwait before moving as coach to Bedworth United in 1984.

He then came to Coventry City in December 1984 when Don Mackay took over from Bobby Gould as Manager but left in April 1986 soon after the Curtis-Sillett partnership blossomed. Further coaching experience in the UK  (Aston Villa, Derby, Leicester, Burton Albion, Noerthwich Victoria and Cheltenham)  followed as well as as further afield in Iceland, Borneo and Malaysia. In 1991 he opened a sports injury clinic in Derby (whilst continuing with his coaching) and became involved with our sister Former Players Association at the Rams where he served on the committee.

He died in his sleep at his Derbyshire home following a short illness and we extend our sympathies to family, colleagues and friends as well as the Derby County Former Players Association.

F.A.Cup Legends Get Together This Friday! Come on down!!

Three Sky Blues Legends from the club’s triumphant 1987 F.A.Cup run (all longstanding CCFPA members) will be getting together at the end of this week to reminisce about their football careers as both players and coaches and you could be there to meet and listen to them!

All still locally based, Steve Ogrizovic and Trevor Peake will be taking part in a Question and Answer session at fellow Cup hero Lloyd McGrath‘s Hawkesmill Sports Club on Friday 20th May 2011.  Kick off is at 07.30pm. Tickets are £15 (and include a meal). They can be got from the club (Hawkes Mill Lane, Allesley CV59FN tel.02476-403700) or directly via Lloyd. Please contact him either on 07977426930 or lloydmcgrath@hotmail.com.  This is sure to be a fascinating evening for all lovers of football particularly of the Sky Blue variety. All are welcome!

‘Oggie’ and ‘Peaky’ will, naturally, be sharing memories of Coventry City’s road to Wembley in 1986-87 season and their 3-2 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in what not just Sky Blues fans remember as one of the best Cup Finals ever. They will also be talking about the ‘other’ clubs that have featured in their football journey from youth football to Premier League stars and then their subsequent careers after hanging up their boots.

‘Oggie’ started with a Mansfield youth club team in 1976, gained experience in the Notts Constabulary then settling for a professional footballing career with Chesterfield, Liverpool and Shrewsbury before landing at the Sky Blues in 1984. A true goalkeeping legend of the team with over 600 appearances for the team (and a scorer!) big Oggie has become a fixture with the club since retirement in a variety of coaching and management capacities.

‘Peakey’ played for King Edward VI School Nuneaton graduating to his local team Nuneaton Borough in 1978, before joining professional club Lincoln City the following year. The Sky Blues signed him in 1983 and he became an indispensible and cultured part of the defence in well over 300 appearances before moving to Luton Town from 1991-98.  Trevor has coaching experience with both Luton and the Sky Blues (and was even briefly our caretaker Manager with Oggie in 2002) and currently plies that trade with Leicester City.

Lloyd though Birmingham born, starred for Coventry Schools before being taken on by the Sky Blues as an apprentice, turning professional in 1982. He made over 250 appearances for the club as an uncompromising defender but will be forever remembered as the scorer of the Sky Blues’ winning Cup Final goal- played to perfection ‘off Gary Mabbutt’s knee’ over goalkeeper Ray Clemence’s despairing dive. After a spell in Hong Kong (1994) Lloyd’s playing career ended through injury at Portsmouth and since hanging up his boots he has been a local government officer, a ‘football in the community’ manager with the Sky Blues (1998) and since 2007 proprietor of the Hawkesmill Sports and Social Club at Allesley where the Q& A session will be held on Friday. Also watch out for surprise Sky Blues guests!