Richard Keogh scoops CCFPA’s ‘Player of the Season’ Award

Richard Keogh is (in association with G-Casino) Coventry City Former Players Association’s ‘Player of the Season’  for 2011-12.

The Award was presented (pictured above) to Richard by Association Member and superlative Sky Blue centre forward of the 1980s Cyrille Regis.  The presentation took place on the stage of Lady G’s Showbar in the G-Casino at the Ricoh after the Club’s last home game of the season against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday last, 21st April 2012.  Richard was a clear favourite for the award which recognised his consistent and wholehearted displays for the Sky Blues throughout the season.  Richard showed versatility and strength in several roles at the heart of the team’s defence. Keogh’s passion, fitness and commitment was second to none in the team where (as vice captain or acting captain) he showed substantial leadership qualities throughout the team’s challenging year especially given its over-reliance on young and inexperienced team mates.  Richard follows last year’s winner, another central defender, Ben Turner (now doing well with Cardiff City).

The occasion was particularly poignant for the Club – the 0-2 home defeat to the Championship’s already relegated bottom (club consigning CCFC to the same fate)- but even more so for Richard. Prior to Saturday’s game he had been ever present for the Club (every minute of every game) so his unfortunate and somewaht harsh red card ten minutes before the end spoilt a very fine record. Despite this terrible end to the Ricoh season Richard’s qualities and popularity remained fully recognised by the cheers he received in Lady G’s as well as the end-of-game applause on the pitch and in the 1883 Restaurant in the panoramic E.ON Lounge where the Club’s Annual Awards ceremony was held after the match finished.

CCFPA were merely the last to recognise Richard’s stand-out contribution to the season as he scooped the vast majority of the other ‘Player of the Year’ awards on offer – those awarded on behalf of the London Supporters Club (as well as those of the Irish, South Wales and City fans), the Premier Club and most impressively his fellow Players!  These were presented to Richard and other winners in front of a packed and enthusiastic audience (and a naturally subdued and despondent team and management staff). Richard is pictured above left with two of his other awards gained on the night.

Liam Daish finally tied to the Association

Although he has been a member of CCFPA (in fact the 160th) since April 2010 we had not managed to catch up with Liam Daish to present him with his Association tie until last Saturday. CCFPA official photographer Tony Thomas who has provided many a fine portrait of our former players and their doings in the past finally ‘nailed the shot’ at a game at Southport FC on 21st April 2012.  Tony (right)  is pictured above doing the honours by presenting our tie on behalf of CCFPA to a chuffed Liam (left).

An uncompromising centre back Irish International Liam was a million pound signing from Birmingham City for the Sky Blues in February 1996 and played 34 League and Cup games for City (scoring 3 goals) before being forced into retirement with a knee injury in the summer of 1999.

Liam was up in Southport managing his team Ebbsfleet United in an away Blue Square Bet Premier League fixture with the home team.  Tony* who is based in Southport follows both clubs and in fact is a shareholder (i.e. part owner) of Ebbsfleet who are almost uniquely democratic in their ownership and management arrangements. For the record Ebbsfleet were down 1-2 at half-time, went further down 1-3 yet managed to level the game with two goals in the 89^th and 90^th minutes to take away a 3-3 draw, and could have even won it.  

Therefore Liam went home happy on two counts – his team’s comeback ‘tied’ result and becoming tied to CCFPA!  Incidentally, Liam who is now the longest serving manager in the Fleet’s history having managed them through their rebranding in 2007, has been nominated (along with another Association member Andy Morrell now manager of Wrexham) and 4 others as the Division’s ‘Manager of the Year’

*Tony Thomas Photography 20, Talbot St., Southport PR8 IHP Tel.07841538676 tonythomas@btinternet.com

David Smith watches the Sky Blues Relegated

David is well remembered as a mercurial and tricky winger, star of Sky Blues sides in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Starting as an YTS apprentice for the Sky Blues in 1984 David turned professional two years later and had a baptism of fire debuting as a sub in February 1988 against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Dave quickly made his mark in the first team and as well as making many a goal from accurate left wing crosses for the likes of Keith Houchen, Cyrille Regis and David Speedie (all fellow Association members) he also weighed in with a few goals of his own.

In a total of 182 first team appearances for the team he scored 19 times before leaving the Sky Blues to join local rivals Birmingham City (effectively in exchange for David Rennie) in March 1993. David also had spells at West Bromwich Albion, Grimsby Town and Swansea City before retiring at the end of the 2002-03 season. David has continued within the football game and is currently Commercial manager of Grimsby Town FC.

As our special guest David did a media stint with BBC CWR as well as performing corporate duties around the lounges at the Ricoh during the game. He was also welcomed onto the pitch at the end of the first half to warm applause when he did the Club’s half-time draw.  (Following this solo appearance members of the victorious 1987 F.A.Cup and F.A.Youth Cup winning squads came on to the Ricoh pitch to receive a half-time accolade from the 15000 crowd (to be reported separately).  Thanks David for your contibution on the day and sorry you were here to see what was the worst possible result for the club!   Encouragingly, even though the Sky Blues’ performance on the day was disappointing ,David felt we would be back up to the Championship pretty quickly. See you again next season (unfortunately) in Division One.

Jack Evans R.I.P. (11/03/1926- 15/04/2012)

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Association Member and former Coventry City footballer Jack Evans.

Born in Coventry in 1926, Jack who was 86 a few weeks ago was on City’s books for the decade between 1942-52 and was a regular in the reserve team for several seasons and made eight first team appearances between 1949-51. After leaving City in 1952 he had a long and successful career in local non-league football, playing at a high standard until the age of 36. He died suddenly after being taken ill on the golf course at Maxstoke Park last Sunday morning.

Just too young to be called up for World War Two Jack did his National Service in the army and was an accomplished glider pilot. Signed by City after he wrote in asking for a trial he played centre-forward and wing-half for Modern Machines (City’s Youth team) and in April 1949 after some good performances for the reserves he got his first team chance in a home game against Fulham when injury ruled out Ted Roberts and scored! However Roberts form meant his later 1st team appearances were few and far between and when Manager Harry Storer signed ace scorer Tommy Briggs late in 1950 Jack’s first team opportunities were over.

Jack was a part time professional whilst on City’s books, working at Daimler and became a trained carpenter (which was more financially rewarding than football). Later he worked at Rolls Royce at Anstey where he was also involved in union duties.  In May 1952 he was released by City, joining  Nuneaton Borough and later appeared for Bedworth, Rugby Town and Banbury Spencer (1954) playing at outside right. In 1957 he joined Lockheed Leamington and moving back to wing-half played his part in Lockheed’s golden era in the early 1960s winning championship medals in 1961-62 and 1962-63 and the Birmingham Senior Cup. Jack hung up his boots in 1963 at the age of 37 and was assistant manager at Leamington for a time.

Jack leads the Older FPs from the Ricoh pitch 2007

Jack was a keen golfer and played regularly until his death. In 2007,  he attended the inaugural Legends Day (pictured right) but it was clear then that he was disillusioned by the modern game and didn’t even watch football on the television.

The Association sends its deepest sympathies to Jack’s family.We will will pass on details of Jack’s funeral when they are announced.

A much fuller obituary and appreciation of Jack’s career appears on our ‘Gone But not Forgotten page’ under the ‘Players’ tab above.

An interview with Jack done in 2004 (made available by Associate Member Dean Nelson) can be found at: http://oldcoventryonfilm.vidmeup.com/view?q=4f96f5fe7aeb6.flv