Matchday Memories: On This Day 2010 – Sky Blue Big Ben & Clive Break Bristol Away Jinx
Aidy Boothroyd- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’
On this day (18th September) in 2010 the Sky Blues, under manager Aidy Boothroyd, earned their first league victory at Bristol City‘s Ashton Gate in fully 47 attempts. Their 2-1 Championship win in front of a crowd of 13,428 (including 840 members of the Sky Blue Army) was hard won and ensured the struggling Robins’ wretched home form continued – they had now managed only one point in their first four home games so far!
Clive Plattt in the Sky Blue
The Sky Blues took the lead after 22 minutes when our lanky centre forward (fairly recent CCFPA recruit) Clive Platt, beating the offside trap, latched onto an inch perfect Sammy Clingan pass over the top to coolly fire low past the Robins’ former England international ‘keeper David James. This confirmed their first half dominance by taking advantage of the first clear chance of the game.
Ben Turner
However, Ben had the last laugh, picking himself up after treatment and, three minutes later, going down the other end to be in the right place to nod the Sky Blues winner, converting another Sammy Clingan cross.
Though the home team improved considerably after the break the Sky Blues defended their 2-1 half-time lead with aplomb. The Robins had some chances and Bristol fans probably thought Marvin Elliott was unlucky not to score again once having a great shot matched by an equally good Kieren Westwood save and later hitting the bar after the ball bounce up from the turf from his header. The Sky Blues soaked up all the pressure applied by the Robins to gain their first win against them since 1979!
Keiren with CCFC
The Sky Blues lined up (CCFPA members underlined):-
The Robins’ captain Louis Carey had taken a break from being a Bristol City player to become a Sky Blue in 2004-05 and is currently (since 2023) ‘gaffer’ at Forest Green Rovers. Jon Stead had been a Sky Blue loan player from Ipswich Town in 2009-10 before going on to join the Robins.
CCFC gaffer- Andy Thorn,
Having been briefly top of the table after their third game at the end of August and sixth by mid November the performances of the team that Aidy built gradually but substantially deteriorated from December onwards. From the New Year a league run of only one win in twelve did for Aidy and he was replaced by Chief Scout Andy Thorn in March as (initially) caretaker ‘gaffer’ to the end of the season.
One of the Sky Blues desperate defeats was by the Robins at Highfield Road in early March before Aidy was sacked. Bristol City stunned the Sky Blue Army by tanning us 4-1 with a goal from Lukas Jutciewicz providing the only consolation!
CCFC 2010-11
The team ultimately ended up their 2010-11 season safe in a lowly eighteenth spot. Nevertheless, City were a full thirteen points clear of the relegated trio, Preston North End, Sheffield United and (bottom) Scunthorpe United. The Robins finished in fifteenth spot five points better off than the Sky Blues.
Queen’s Park Rangers (Champions) and Norwich City got the automatic promotion spots and were Premier League bound along with play-off victors, third placed Swansea City.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
