Sky Blues Beachcombers tracked down to Worthing

Regular readers will have noticed an invitation to solve the ‘who’, ‘when’, ‘where’ and ‘why’ mystery of a somewhat bizarre pair of ‘front & back’ photos of a Sky Blue squad sporting Victorian ar Edwardian beachwear sometime in the nineteen sixties. The photos were sent in by CCFPA Associate Member Dean Nelson who had copied them from the programme of the ‘Sky Blue Soccer Ball’ of 1969.

Thanks to Dean and CCFPA member (and Sky Blue star of the sixties and seventies) Chris Cattlin we have identified all the players (a complete team of eleven plus sub)  comprising goalkeeper Bill Glazier (back row, far right); full backs Chris (front row, far right) and Mick Coop (middle row, far right); half back line George Curtis, Jeff Blockley and Dietmar Bruck (all midde row); midfielders (front row left) Ernie Machin and Graham Paddon (front row left – sadly both dearly departed) and forward/strikers Willie Carr and Ernie Hunt (front row centre) and Neil Martin (back row centre).  Ian Gibson seems to be dressed differently (and even more strangely) on the left of the back row so must be counted as sub!

As far as the ‘where’ and ‘why’, CCFPA committee member Dietmar Bruck is confident the photographs were taken on a real beach front at Worthing where Jimmy Hill was wont to take the Sky Blues for a tone up before important league or cup games or pre-season. The sea and pebbles on the beach are real though there is a large artificial backdrop of a a bathing scene at Worthing of the past. He remembers the fun that was usually had by the players on these jaunts which were often enlivened by such JH team building ‘gimmicks’ as portrayed here.  However Dietmar clearly remembers this was a winterish  occasion so the sea was freezing and the hired costumes gave little protection from the biting wind.

As to the ‘when’ Dietmar thought it was probably some time in 1967 (and Dean tells us they were definitely there in February 1967) though Neil Martin did not debut for the Highfield Road club until February 10th 1968 and Chris Cattlin and Ernie Hunt until March 1968 (when Jeff Blockley and Graham Paddon had not yet broken into the first team). The precise date, therefore, remains a bit of a mystery.

If any of our former players or any other readers have any other information please let us know!

CCFPA’s Kev Gets a Result at the Palace

Long standing CCFPA Associate Member Kev Monks became one of a very select few of footballing ‘GrassRoots Heroes’ when he was presented with a Football Association commemorative medal by the F.A. President HRH the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace yesterday (7th October 2013).  The FA150 Awards and the presentations in London are part of the 150th Anniversary celebrations of the founding of the F.A. 

Kev, who is well known in the Midlands for his work in fostering football at the grass roots in the local area being closely associated not just with the Association but the Coventry City Diamond Club, Coventry City Academy, Coventry Sphinx,the Coventry Charity Cup and Coventry City Ladies (amongst others).  Kev also helps the Sky Blue family stay in touch through taking a key part in the CovSupport News Service reporting on all things Sky Blue, taking a particular interest in the footballing development of the Club’s youth teams.

A past national ‘Fan of the Year’ (left), Kev rarely misses a Sky Blues fixture and is a deserved recipient of the award and has always been a good friend of the Association. Uniquely, along with the other Coventry based winner, Derrick May (Sec.of the Coventry Minor League and member of the Birmingham County FA Disciplinary Panel) Kev watched a special game on the Palace lawns between two of the country’s oldest clubs.   Polytechnic FC beat the Civil Service 2-1 in an enthralling Southern Amateur Football League Senior Division One game.

CCFPA Committee Members Shake for Charity

At  the Association’s monthly committee last Thursday a welcome additional duty was performed by two of the committee members present. One of the Charities which benefitted to the tune of £1000 from the more than £21000 donated by fans and sponsors at the August Charity fixture at the Ricoh between the CCFPA’s Sky Blues Legends and a Midland All Stars XI was Diabetes UK.   Diabetes UK is one of the key partner charities of Tescos who were one of the sponsors the Charity game which marked the 130th playing Anniversary of Coventry City Football Club (and its predecessor Singer FC). The match was won by the Sky Blues Legends 8-3. 

Last month (at the special presentation evening in the Legends Lounge at the Ricoh – pictured right) the cheque to Diabetes UK was presented to Felicity Schofield, Tesco Partnership Midlands Account Manager,  by Sky Blue stalwart of the 1960s Dietmar Bruck who also happens to be one of CCFPA’s Players Liaison Officers and committee members. Dietmar is also a Community Ambassador for Tesco.

Last Thursday Dietmar returned the compliment by bringing along a thankyou letter to CCFPA from Diabetes UK signed by Felicity and presenting to Association Chairman Jim Brown a Certificate of Gratitude (reproduced above left) to CCFPA from Diabetes UK.  Jim is pictured below accepting the certificate from Dietmar with thanks.  Felicity’s letter said:-

“Dear CCFPA, Thank you for supporting Diabetes UK and raising £1000 which will go towards working to improve the lives of people with diabetes.

As you may be aware, we receive no governemt funding and rely entirely on donations and subscriptions. We provide much-needed information services such as the Diabetes UK Careline, our national helpline for people with diabetes and their families. We raise awareness for this serious condition and campaigning for better care for people with diabetes. Perhaps most important of all we fund research into the causes and to improve the treatment of diabetes –  research that is gradually bringing us closer to finding a cure……… Once again, many thanks for your generous donation and support”.  

Jim (left) and Dietmar (right)

Colin (CCFC’s & CCFPA’s Oldest Player) Still Going Strong

All CCFC supporters and Association members will be pleased to hear that our oldest surviving  former player (and therefore CCFPA’s oldest member) Colin Collindridge is still going strong in his nineties. CCFPA Membership Secretary Mike Young spoke to both Colin and his wife Glenys a couple of days ago at their home near Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Proud Yorkshireman Colin, who played for the Bantams in the mid fifties, is approaching his 93rd birthday in November and, though a bit frail physically with failing sight, he nevertheless retains a strong feisty personality and sharply remembers his playing days. He formed a formidable left wing partnership with Tommy Capel both with City and Nottingham Forest from whom both were signed in June 1954. Colin’s less than hirsute pate scurrying down the wing beating full backs with speed and guile became a regular sight on Division 3 South grounds after his City debut in August 1954 and he contributed six goals in his 35 appearances for the Bantams before moving on to Bath City in summer 1956 and later managing Notts side Arnold St Mary’s to some success.  

From a coal mining background, Colin had started his professional career with Rotherham United in 1937 but became a Sheffield United legend playing over 230 first team games (including wartime fixtures) and scoring 95 goals for the Blades between 1939-50. Wartime spells with the likes of Chesterfield, Notts County, Lincoln City and Oldham Athletic also kept him busy! 

Mike, who presented Colin with his official Association tie a couple of years back (below), had contacted Colin to put him in touch with an author and journalist Jon Henderson who is preparing a book on the views and experiences of veteran footballers who played in the days of fixed wages and well before the abolition of the maximum wage in 1961. Colin, as always, has a fund of memories and we are sure will provide Jon with plenty of interesting memories!

Mike presenting Colin (left) with his CCFPA tie

We haven’t got a video clip of Colin playing for the ‘Bantams’ (as CCFC was known before Jimmy Hill renamed them the ‘Sky Blues’) but CCFPA Associate Member Dean Nelson has kindly sent us a clip of Colin playing for the Blades in an F.A.Cup tie in 1947. It can be found at http://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-sixth-round/query/Collindridge. Blink and you will miss him but its a fascinating view of the standard of football over 60 years ago -Enjoy!