Matchday Memories: On This Day 1979 – CCFC’s Rookie ‘Keeper (Crisps To Clean Sheet) Steve Sees Canaries Crash!!
2
A disconsolate Jim Blyth leaves the pitch
On this day forty five years ago (1st September 1979) Sky Blues manager Gordon Milne, fresh from watching his team’s first half of a two leg first round League Cup tie at Ipswich Town (where they emerged victorious with a 1-0 victory), welcomed another East Anglian team to Highfield Road in the League. Norwich City were the visitors and there was drama even before kick off.
Steve Murcott
Sky Blues Scottish international goalie Jim Blyth managed to injure his back in the warm up and, called from the dressing room where allegedly he was eating a packet of crisps, it fell to youth team ‘keeper Steve Murcott to quickly and unexpectedly deputise. The young man, who had already played ninety minutes that morning for the youth team, did a brilliant job on what was to become not only his debut but also his only first team appearance for the Sky Blues, keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 Sky Blue win.
Bobby in the Sky Blue
Mick in the Sky Blue
There were 18,684 fans at Highfield Road to watch the contest. The first half displayed an anxious Sky Blue performance but no goals were conceded up to half-time. When the Sky Blues stepped up a gear in the second half, the win, thanks to two goals from (both now CCFPA members) full back Bobby McDonald (50 minutes) and centre forward Mick Ferguson (63 minutes) ended the Canaries’ 100% record so far.
Sky Blue Manager Gordon
Milne’s men lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-
Steve Murcott, Brian Roberts, Bobby McDonald, Andy Blair, the late Jim Holton, Gary Gillespie, Tommy Hutchison, Tom English (sub. Mark Hateley), Mick Ferguson, Barry Powell and Steve Hunt
Kevin Keelan, Kevin Bond, John McDowell (sub. John Ryan), Mick McGuire, Phil Hoadley, Roger Brown, Jimmy Neighbour, Kevin Reeves, Justin Fashanu, Graham Paddon and Martin Peters Referee: D.Reeves
CCFC 1979-80
The win against the Canaries was very encouraging but a week later Milne’s men came thoroughly unstuck at Anfield losing by four clear goals to Liverpool the eventual League Champions (by a couple of points from Manchester United). The Canaries got a bit of revenge at Carrow Road in January beating the Sky Blues by the only goal of the game scored by Keith Robson. In the League the Sky Blues finished in a reasonably secure fifteenth place in Division One whilst the Canaries finished twelfth.
Bristol City, Derby County and bottom club Bolton Wanderers took the drop.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
