Matchday Memories: On This Pre Season Day 2013 – See CCFC’s Clarke & Christie Crack Cheltenham!
The Cheltenham programme
A troubled Sky Blues club were preparing for the upcoming 2013-14 League One season with an extensive programme of pre-season friendlies. The club would be playing its ‘home’ games in exile at Northampton Town‘s Sixfield’s stadium. Earlier this same month they had beaten local neighbours Nuneaton Town easily by 4-1 at their place. Then, in a mini tour of Germany and Holland from the 16th-20th, they had mixed fortunes, easily dominating German side TSV Wachtendonk 6-0, losing by the odd goal to Dutch outfit Willem II behind closed doors and finally drawing 1-1 with Heracles Almelo, also from the Netherlands.
On this day (23rd July) in 2013 The Sky Blues were back in the UK facing the then non league Cheltenham Town at the Abbey Business Stadium.
Leon in the Sky Blue
Sky Blues ‘gaffer’, former CCFC player (and now CCFPA member) Steven Pressley sought to blend youth and experience in his side as he, necessarily, continued to work within the transfer embargo imposed on the club.
However, City eased past the Robins 2-0 in front of a decent crowd of 872 including just under 200 Sky Blue fans. The win was achieved through a goal in each half, both firm strikes on the run in the box.
Cyrus in the Sky Blue
The first came from City’s experienced and clever striker Leon Clarke with a looping shot from outside the box after 35 minutes and the second from attacking full back (now a CCFPA member) Cyrus Christie finishing matters off seventeen minutes from full time driving into the box with a firm strike and condemning the home side to their first reverse of the summer.
The Sky Blues fielded the following players (subs in brackets and CCFPA members underlined)
Steve Pressley at a previous CCFPA function
Lee Burge, Cyrus Christie (Ryan Quinn -76), Jack Finch, Jordan Clarke, Ryan Haynes, Carl Baker © (Eli Bako -76), Billy Daniels (Ivor Lawton -76), Adam Barton (Ben Maund -76), Leon Lebjoit, Callum Wilson and Leon Clarke (Luke Bromley -76). Unused Sub.: Alex Gott (gk).
CCFC’s report of the game can be found here and their video of the game can be seen by clicking the link or image below:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ8zopH5IPM&t=261s
After the game Steven Pressley and his side continued their pre-season preparations with a three match tour of Germany and Holland winning one, losing one and drawing one. There were three more pre-season games in the UK with the Sky Blues winning at Mansfield Town and losing at both Fleetwood Town and Oxford United.
CCFC 2013-14
If ‘exile’ from the Ricoh wasn’t enough, in August the club were ‘awarded’ a ten point deduction in their forthcoming League One campaign as a consequence of going into administration. Despite these handicaps the team produced some good performances and survived in eighteenth place at the end of the season.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
