Matchday Memories: On This Pre Season Day 1992 – Sky Blue Sean Sees Off Scots For Bobby’s Boys!
Bobby Gould- Sky Blue Manager
On this day (July 22nd) in 1992 the Sky Blues new ‘gaffer’ former sixties CCFC striker (and now CCFPA member) Bobby Gould was preparing his team for the new season in the top flight now rebadged as the Premier League for the first time. This, of course, was Bobby’s ‘second coming’ as manager having also been in charge at Highfield Road from May 1983 to December 1984.
Clydebank FC’s badge
In 1991-92 under Terry Butcher and then Don Howe the Sky Blues’ Division One season subsided from a reasonably promising beginning to a struggle to stay away from the relegation spots. In the end despite an abject 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa‘s Villa Park on the last day, results elsewhere enabled City to stay up just above the trapdoor two points clear of the drop. The return of the ‘Cov.Kid’ ‘Gouldfather’ promised better things!
Peter Ndlovu
Bobby started out his pre-season with a trio of games in Scotland to enable ‘gaffer’ and players to get used to each other. This was also the first season when ‘keepers were forbidden to handle a kicked back-pass (a headed or chested return was still permissable however). Sadly, we have little information to hand as to details of the Scottish tour.
Two days previously the tour had begun with a 2-2 draw at (Greenock) Morton where City’s goals game from Stuart Bowen and a spectacular strike from City’s ‘Bulawayo Bullet’ Peter Ndlovu (now a CCFPA member). Stuart was an 18-year-old left back who Bobby had previously managed at the Hawthorns and had earned himself a three month contract at Highfield Road (which was not renewed).
Phil in the Sky Blue red!
Sean on a Sky Blue badge
Today’s match was at Clydebank where new signing Phil Babb made his Sky Blue debut. The game at Kilbowie was decided by a single goal from (now CCFPA member) Sean Flynn after only two minutes. Sean latched onto a through ball from Peter Ndlovu to finish from fifteen yards. The hosts’ were hampered when their record scorer Ken Eadie suffered a severe ankle injury during the game and was carried off to hospital. Apparently the Bankies’ goalkeeper Steven Woods had an inspired game keeping out further efforts from Sean and Sky Blue colleagues Robert Rosario and Craig Middleton to keep the scoreline respectable.
Three days later the Scottish tour culminated in another draw, this time a goal apiece at Airdrie with Sky Blues former England international (and fairly recent Association recruit) Kenny Sansom getting our goal. City’s captain Stewart Robson (yet another Association member), who had leave of absence to attend the birth of his baby daughter, made an appearance for this final game in Scotland.
Stewart in the Sky Blue
Stewart’s continuation as a Sky Blue player was apparently in doubt as the 200 mile round trip commute to his London home was taking its toll. His captain’s programme notes for the season’s opener at Highfield against Middlesbrough (which the Sky Blues won 2-1) alluded to the club’s arduous training ‘boot camp’ with the Army in Wiltshire which was concluded with a behind closed doors friendly at Swindon Town on July 28th which the superfit City won 1-0!
City’s last two pre-season games were more than a week later when the Sky Blues took part in an International tourney in Birmingham. On August 8th (now CCFPA member) David Smith ensured a 1-0 victory over Italian side Brescia but the following day City went down 1-0 to host club (our fairly recent landlords in exile) Birmingham City at St Andrews.
CCFC 1992-93
In a patchy season for the Sky Blues, with much trepidation from a lot of clubs embroiled like City in the lower reaches of the inaugural Premier League, the City eventually finished in an apparently comfortable fifteenth place though only three points above relegated Crystal Palace.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
