Matchday Memories: On This Day 1980 – Woeful Wolves Host Sky Blues As Bodak Blooms!

Peter in the Sky Blue

On this day (13th September) in 1980 Sky Blues’ manager Gordon Milne (now a CCFC member) took his team not far across the West Midlands to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in City’s sixth Division One game of the season. Coming off the back of a 3-1 home success the previous Saturday against Crystal Palace ‘the gaffer’ was hoping to see the Sky Blues get only their third win of the 1980-81 season, and that’s exactly what he got!

The hosts paraded their brand new stand (which later nearly bankrupted the club) but it was half empty as only 18,115 turned up to watch the game. Former Sky Blue favourite (and CCFPA member) Willie Carr was in the Wolves side that day.

Mark Hateley shadowed by Wolves Emlyn Hughes

Confident young Sky Blue forward (now a CCFPA member) Peter Bodak got the sole goal of the game in only the third minute after Steve Hunt had unleashed a terrific forty yard pass to Mark Hateley (both fairly recent Association recruits) who laid it on to Bodak to finish coolly.

Wolves’ veteran defence was evidently creaking and they had gone out to lowly Cambridge United in the League Cup the previous mis week. In fact the Sky Blues should have won more easily.

Steve Jacobs in his Sky Blue days

Young Steve Jacobs (also now a CCFPA member) made his City debut and had a fine game! Steve became the sixteenth player under 21 to appear in the Sky Blues ranks that season.

Sky Blue Manager Gordon

Milne’s Men, who achieved that 1-0 win over their local rivals that day, lined up:-

Jim Blyth, Mick Coop, Brian Roberts, Andy Blair, Paul Dyson, Steve Jacobs, Peter Bodak, Gerry Daly, Mark Hateley, Tom English and Steve Hunt

We are very pleased to say that every single one later signed up for this Association!

The Wolves XI was as follows:-

Willie in the Sky Blue

Paul Bradshaw, Geoff Palmer, Derek Parkin, Peter Daniel (sub. Rafael Villazan), Emlyn Hughes, George Berry, Wayne Clarke, Willie Carr, Andy Gray, John Richards and Mel Eves                 Referee: N.Glover

At Highfield Road in February the two sides fought out a 2-2 draw in the return with the Sky Blues having surrendered a two goal first half lead with goals from Steve Hunt and Mark Hateley.

The Sky Blues got to the Semi Finals of the League Cup that season and finished sixteenth in the League on 36 points.

CCFC 1980-81

Wolverhampton Wanderers finished a couple of places and a point beneath them but only two points above the relegated trio, Norwich City, Leicester City and bottom of the pile Crystal Palace (with only nineteen points). Perhaps we shouldn’t mention it but Aston Villa took the title this season four points clear of Ipswich Town!

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.