25th Anniversary: Senior and Junior F.A.Cup heroes reunite at the Ricoh this Saturday

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CCFPA in close collaboration with the ‘Sky Blue 87 Association’ (set up by the 1987 squad to co-ordinate this year’s celebration of the famous F.A.Cup victory) has previously publicised a number of events which are being promoted to enable these Sky Blues’ heroes to re-live their fantastic Wembley achievement 25 years ago. The full Calendar of events appears in an earlier news item and we report each event as it unfolds. This site also is also reproducing the series of interviews with many of the squad members undertaken by Steve Carpenter of the Coventry Observer.

We also earlier reported on this site that several members of the ‘Boys of 87’ were present along with most of the CCFPA committee at the VIP launch of the Herbert Museum’s audio-visual delight- their exhibition ‘From Highfield Road to Wembley Way‘ . The exhibition at the Museum (at Jordan Well, Coventry CV1 5QP) is free to enter and remains open until 1st July 2012.

Following a get-together and 25th Anniversary dinner in the marquee at Nailcote Hall Berkswell this Friday (20th) (with celebrity m/c Willie Thorne) at least eight of the victorious 1987 F.A. Cup squad will be guests of the Association for lunch at the Ricoh before watching the Sky Blues last home game of the season against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday 21st April 2012.

The senior members of the ‘Boys of 87’ will also be reunited with almost the complete squad of junior Sky Blues from the same season who enabled CCFC to complete a historic F.A.Cup double in 1987 by taking home the F.A.Youth Cup, beating Charlton Athletic in a two-legged final. To commemorate that achievement CCFPA have organised a reunion of the Youth squad of ‘87 at Saturday’s final home game against Doncaster Rovers.

The majority of the youth squad are expected to be present including final goalscorer Steve Livingstone, Tony Dobson, the Middleton twins (Craig and Lee) and Howard Clark – all of whom progressed to the first team (and have subsequently joined CCFPA).

In addition we hope to have the coach of the team, Association member Mick Coop – a true Sky Blue legend – and the director in charge of the boys, John Reason, attending the lunch and making an appearance on the pitch at half-time. The boys, who are now in their early 40s, are all excited by the reunion and many will be coming to a City game for the first time in years.

The Association will make every effort to give fans a chance to meet the 25th Anniversary heroes in the flesh and gain a lasting reminder of that wonderful year a quarter of a century ago. The lads will be welcomed onto the pitch at half-time

and as many as possible of the Sky Blue stars of 1987 will also be in the Lady G’s show bar in the G-Casino between 12-1 pm where a special video of all the goals scored in the cup run will be played and the players will also be introduced on stage by CCFPA’s Billy Bell. Tickets for this are priced at just £5 per person and are available on the day. No doubt there will also be opportunities to meet some of the players after the game in the corporate areas of the Arena and in the G-Casino.

In addition, we have arranged for a replica of the F.A.Cup to be present so why not take the opportunity to have yourselves photographed with the Cup as a memento of what we trust will be a memorable day!

April 19, 2012 · Tagged with

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F.A.Cup Memories: Steve Sedgley’s supporting role

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To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Coventry City’s famous FA Cup triumph over Tottenham Hotspur, CCFPA has teamed up with the Coventry Observer to re-capture the memories of players, managers and fans from the club’s greatest day on May 16, 1987. The latest interview undertaken by the Observer’s sports reporter Steve Carpenter is with Association member Steve Sedgley, who missed out on a starting spot in the final and was forced to watch all the action from the sideline.

“I was a young player at the time and I was desperate to play a part but it wasn’t to be for me that year,” Sedgley told the Observer. “I was itching to get on and get involved in the action. I was desperate to play in the final. It’s every players dream to play in an FA Cup final, especially back then, and walking out of the tunnel was an unbelievable experience. We were all very relaxed before the game, even in our hotels and although we got off to the worst possible start we were able to turn it around.

“I had played around 40 games in that FA Cup winning season so I was obviously disappointed not to have been selected to start in the final, but that’s how it it sometimes. We had a good team that year and that was especially good for me because I had a lot of good players around me. Cyrille Regis was a big star at the time and an England international, and then we had the like’s of Trevor Peake, Brian Kilcline and Dave Bennett too.” [NB Trevor, Cyrille, Brian and Dave are all CCFPA Members and Dave is on the Association’s committee]

But Sedgley didn’t have to wait too long though before he was back at Wembley – this time with Spurs. “I thought my chance of playing in a final had gone and that hurt but I was lucky enough to experience that feeling again four years later with Tottenham Hotspur,” said Sedgley, who went on to play for Ipswich and then Wolves where he finished his career in 2000. “There was only Gary Mabbutt and Paul Allen left who had played against Coventry in 1987. We’d beaten Arsenal in the semi-final which was a massive result for Spurs and it was a huge relief for me going back with Spurs in 1991.”

After starting his career at Tottenham, it was Coventry who came in for the young defender, who could easily adapt to a midfield role too. And Sedgley revealed how much of a big impact CCFPA member John Sillett had on his career. “I started my career at Tottenham and loved my time there as an apprentice but Coventry came in and offered me a contract.

“I joined in 1985 which was also my first year as a pro and I remember Sillett had a lot of faith in me despite being only a young player at the time. He believed in me and gave me a chance in the first team squad. I had the usual ups and downs at Coventry but overall I look back on my time at the club and I feel very proud to have been a part of it.”

Steve has also interviewed other members of the Sky Blues’ victorious squad that day, all Association members, including Micky Gynn, Trevor Peake, Greg Downs; Dave Bennett, Keith Houchen; Lloyd McGrath; Nick Pickering and Steve Ogrizovic as well as Manager John Sillett (and a number of Spurs players on the day). These and more can be found under ‘F.A.Cup Memories’ at www.coventryobserver.co.uk where photos of these encounters can also be purchased.

*Supporters can get a chance to hear from several of the club’s FA Cup winners before this Saturday’s home clash with Doncaster Rovers. A host of former players will be in the G-Casino between 12-1pm where a special video of all the goals scored in the cup run will be played and the players will also be introduced on stage. Tickets are priced at just £5 per person and are available on the day.

April 19, 2012 · Tagged with

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Sumo and Hucks take to the Airwaves and Talk Sport

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CCFPA members and former Sky Blues scoring sensations Mick Quinn and Darren Huckerby have both been talking about their sporting life to Talk Sport recently. Both follow the fortunes of their old club closely. (Thanks to Associate Member Kev Monks for the links).

Mick Quinn was actually in Coventry this month (on April 5th 2012) to help the Coventry Charity Football Cup raise £5600 towards its annual donation to seventeen Coventry & Warwickshire based charities. He is pictured above left being presented with his Association tie by CCFPA’s Billy Bell.

Darren Huckerby, who visited the Ricoh for a book signing last November (above left) regularly tweets about the Club’s predicament and has just (following the Club’s desperate 0-1 defeat by Millwall last night (18th April 2012) which makes relegation from the Championship extremely likely) slated those that run CCFC for their lack of support given to Andy Thorn and his squad over the season.

Both speak of happier times at CCFC (along with their other clubs) on Talk Sport and Mick, in particular, refers to the thrilling time he experienced at Highfield Road.

To hear the interviews, please click on http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/sporting-life/120416/my-sporting-life-micky-quinn-169925 for Mick’s contribution and http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/sporting-life/120416/huckerby-coventry-holt-and-why-man-city-deserve-win-title-169926 to hear what Darren said.

April 18, 2012 · Tagged with

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Legends Day and Highfield Road Remembered

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From 1969-73 Roy Barry was an inspirational central defender and sometime Club Captain for the Sky Blues and won many plaudits at Highfield Road for his robust yet skilled role at the heart of the City defence over nearly a hundred appearances. Roy has also been a stalwart for CCFPA visiting us for a variety of Association functions, most recently Legends Day 2012, from his Scottish home. Roy has also assisted Dunfermline, the club from whom CCFC signed him, develop its own Association for ex players along the successful lines we have set at the Ricoh.

We have just received some photos taken during the weekend Legends Day weekend in Coventry when he (centre) and, good friend, CCFPA’s Billy Bell (right) reminded themselves of Roy’s playing days at the Club’s previous stadium (after paying homage -along with CCFPA committee man Bob Eales- to Jimmy Hill’s statue outside the Arena) .

Highfield Road, of course, has changed dramatically since Roy’s playing days there but nonetheless the H.R. name plate as well as, in the centre of the Wimpey housing estate, the patch of green roughly coinciding with the H.R. pitch with its commemorative sculptural centrepiece, quicky brought the memories flooding back!

Roy was one of the 50 former players the Association hosted at Legends Day 2012 and they received a rapturous welcome from fans both inside the Ricoh at half time and after the game when the Sky Blues heroes were welcomed one by one (led by the Association’s 200th member Terry Yorath) onto the stage of Lady G’s by Billy. A YouTube Video of the ‘fabulous 50’ former players on stage can be found at:-