Matchday Memories: On This Pre Season Day 1999 – Dons Downed By Strachan’s Sky Blues In Scotland

Gordon Strachan -City’s ‘gaffer’

On this Tuesday evening (27th July) in 1999 preparing for what would be the Sky Blues penultimate season in the top flight, CCFC ‘gaffer’ (and now CCFPA member) Gordon Strachan was in his Scottish homeland more than half way through the club’s set of pre-season warm up games. After kicking off a productive four game German tour, all matches won with a combined goal tally of 20-4, CCFC had hit a road bump back in the UK with a 3-1 defeat at Birmingham City‘s St. Andrews (which became our ‘home’ in exile for the two seasons prior to returning to Cov for 2021-22).

Today’s game was against top flight Scottish outfit Aberdeen and the Sky Blues won by the only goal of the game.

Sky Blues Peter in the 1990s

The Sky Blues had a mixed record against the Dons at Pittodrie. On 12th August 1995, again in pre-season, they had beaten the Scots 5-1 to take the Caledonian Trophy. City’s goals then came from a Peter Ndlovu first half hat-trick (after 22, 37 and 44 minutes), Dion Dublin (58 mins.) and John Salako (73 mins.) – all three now CCFPA members (‘Nuddy’ our 300th!) .

The Don’s scorer was fairly recent CCFPA recruit Eoin Jess (49) who City signed for the 1996-97 season. Before then, however. the Dons hosted the Sky Blues on a Tuesday night at the end of October 1984 (30th) and a crowd of around 10,000 watched the Sky Blues lose 4-2 with our consolations coming from Bob Latchford (31 minutes) and (now CCFPA member) Terry Gibson (53 minutes).

Report from the Aberdeen Press & Journal

Noel in the Sky Blue

This day’s game was Aberdeen‘s last friendly before the Scottish Premier League started on the first day of August and some of their first team regulars were out recovering from injury. They were also disrupted by losing defender Ricky Gillies in the first minute carried off after a heavy collision with colleague Derek Young. In a tight game, especially in the second 45, and in front of 7,060 fans, the Sky Blues held their advantage throughout the ninety minutes as  Noel Whelan got the early Sky Blues goal that won the game.

‘Snowy’ capitalised on a rebound from a cross-cum-shot from (now fellow CCFPA member) Darren Huckerby after his surging run. Both sides had their chances. City’s £4m Moroccan World Cup star Mustapha Hadji had an impressive run when bought on for the second half. CCFC and Scotland captain Gary McAllister also got some stick from the Pittodrie crowd apparently.

The Sky Blues lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-

Eoin in Sky Blue action

Magnus Hedman, Marc Edworthy, David Burrows, Paul Williams (Richard Shaw -46), Gary Breen, Youssef Chippo, Darren Huckerby (John Aloisi -72), Noel Whelan, Paul Telfer (John Eustace -72), Gary McAllister (Gavin Strachan -84) and Steve Froggatt (Mustapha Hadji -46) 

Unused Substitutes: Trond-Egil Soltvedt and Raffaele Nuzzo (gk)

Ebbe Skovdahl‘s Aberdeen put out the following players:-

Ryan Esson, Gary Smith, Russell Anderson, Derek Whyte, Andy Dow, Ricky Gillies (Dennis Wyness -1) , Paul Bernard, Nigel Pepper, Derek Young (Jamie McAllister -72), Robbie Winters (Jim Hamilton -72) and Eoin Jess   Unused subs:- Darren Mackie and Jim Leighton (gk)       Referee:- Alan Freedland

They had re-signed (now CCFPA member) Eoin Jess from the Sky Blues in summer 1997.

CCFC 1999-2000

City’s final pair of pre-season games gave mixed messages, comprising a great 4-2 defeat of West Bromwich Albion at Highfield Road on the last day of the month but a single goal defeat at non-league Hereford United on 3rd August. A pretty mixed Premier League season also followed with the Sky Blues not tasting victory in the League again on their travels. Only the dozen Highfield Road victories ensured a fourteenth place finish a full eleven points above the relegated trio (AFC Wimbledon, Sheffield United and Watford).

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.