Matchday Memories: On This Day 1958 – Billy’s Bantams Beat The Grecians

Billy Frith- Manager 1959

On this day (13th September) in 1958 former CCFC player and now ‘gaffer’ for the second time Billy Frith was leading the club’s efforts to get out of a novel predicament. They had finished in the lower half of the regionalised Division Three South in 1957-58 condemning them to a place in the newly constituted ‘nationalised’ Division Four. ‘The Bantams’ as they were then nicknamed were faced with the task of getting out of the bottom tier at the first attempt and today was their seventh game in the campaign. They had started shakily with two defeats following an opening day Highfield Road scoreless draw against Darlington. Since then, however, things had begun to look more promising as successive single goal home wins against Oldham Athletic and Southport had been followed, last time out, by a 1-1 draw at Gateshead.

Jack Boxley

Peter Hill

Todays opponents standing in the way of CCFC continuing their unbeaten run was Exeter City.  This might be difficult as City’s opponents had only conceded four goals so far this season and were doing well themselves. The Grecians were unsuccessful in stopping the Bantams though as City ran out winners by two clear goals in front of a decent Highfield Road crowd of 14,537. The two ‘wide men’ Bantams that did the direct damage to the team from the south-west was right winger, long time club servant Peter Hill (later a CCFC trainer and kit man as well as becoming an Association member before his death) and left-winger Jack Boxley.

Jack scored the first five minutes before the break capitalising on a dropped ball by Exeter’s goalie George Hunter after Ray Straw had challenged him for a Roy Kirk free kick. Peter crowned a great display to score after seventy minutes after cutting in from the right wing.

Paddy Ryan

CCFC’s Ray Straw

The Bantams gave a prominent debut to Reg.’Paddy’ Ryan at No.10. The Dublin born new CCFC ‘skipper’ had worked in the Coventry car industry during World War II and had turned out for both Nuneaton Borough and CCFC in war time before joining West Bromwich Albion in September 1945. Ten years later he joined Derby County before coming back to Highfield Road this month for a last hurrah (retiring in 1961 with nine goals in 73 CCFC appearances). Paddy showed leadership born of his extensive experience in the game to pilot his new club to victory.

Brian in 1959

City’s team that day lined up:-

Jim Sanders; Roy Kirk & Lol Harvey; Brian Nicholas, George Curtis & Frank Austin; Peter Hill, Ray Straw, Jim Rogers, ‘Paddy’ Ryan  & Jack Boxley

With the most recent deaths of George Curtis and Brian Nicholas we are sad to report that all of this team has now passed away

Peter Hill, Lol Harvey and Vernon Griffiths from this era were also Association members before their respective deaths.

The Grecians’ team was as follows:-

Nelson Stiffle

George Hunter; Theo Foley & Les MacDonald; Arnold Mitchell (c), Ken Oliver & Keith Harvey; Nelson Stiffle, Graham Rees, Ted Calland, Johnny Nicholls & Gordon Dale   Referee:- P.J.Smyth (London)

The Grecians’ Indian born winger Nelson Stiffle would go on to join Coventry City for the 1960-61 season

By the time City played at Exeter City at the end of January they had well and truly found their shooting boots and were on an unbeaten eight match run including six victories. They had scored five against Chester and four against Hartlepool United (both at Highfield Road) and got another four at Darlington.

The Bantams’ George Stewart

They had also scored three against Torquay United and Shrewsbury Town and, last time out, thumped Watford 4-1 at Vicarage Road with both Ray Straw and George Stewart getting a brace.

‘Digger’ Daley

Sadly, the Grecians put an end to that glorious run reversing the Highfield Road result to get full revenge with a 2-1 win (Alan ‘Digger’ Daley got our goal)!

City’s fine form, particularly at home, eventually meant they finished runners up in Division Four but that was sufficient to see them promoted with Port Vale for an immediate bounce back to the third tier (just like they managed more recently (sixty years later) in 2017-18 in the only other time they reached to the fourth tier (i.e. League Two)! York City (third) and Shrewsbury Town (fourth) were also promoted whilst today’s opponents Exeter City were pipped, a point shy of the promoted quartet in fifth. 

CCFC 1958-59 D4 Runners Up

The four clubs at the bottom seeking re-election to the Football League were (in descending order) Oldham Athletic, Aldershot, Barrow and Southport.

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