Jim's column 11.2.12

                                        Coventry City v West Ham, 9.2.1952

This week marked the 60^th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne on the death of her father, King George VI. The king died on 6 February 1952 and three days later before the start of City’s home Second Division game against West Ham United there was a minute’s silence for the late king (see picture). On a very cold day City lost 1-2 and remained at the foot of the table. It was a season not dissimilar to this one with City in the relegation zone for most of the season and eventually relegated on the last day of the season.

Conor Thomas has had an amazing year by any standards. Just over a year ago, weeks after making his first team debut as a 17-year old, he was recognised as an outstanding talent by Liverpool and had an exciting spell at Anfield training with some of the Premier League's top players. This season he has been involved with the first team from the off and has been a virtual automatic choice in midfield all season.

At Blackpool last week he scored his first senior goal and although he was injured and missed last week's game against Ipswich there was reason for celebration in the Thomas household. Conor, aged 18 years and 94 days, became the fifth youngest Coventry City scorer of all time. Some outstanding Coventry City players failed to net their first goal before Conor including Garry Thompson, Peter Ndlovu and Bobby Gould, all of whom were in the first team at a tender age. The four younger scorers were as follows:

1.   Brian Hill.   v Gillingham. 1958. Aged 16 years 273 days

2.   Colin Holder v Shrewsbury 1961.  Aged 17 years 78 days

3.   Tommy English v Bristol City 1979. Aged 17 years 308 days

4.   Willie Carr v  Charlton 1968. Aged 18 years 21 days

Brian Hill scored his first goal on his debut and is still the youngest ever player to start a City game. He went on to have a long and successful career at the club, playing in five divisions of the Football League (Divisions 1,2,3,4 and Division 3 south) and played his final game for the Sky Blues in December 1970, 12 years after his debut.

Colin Holder had a very brief career for the club, making just nine appearances and scoring four goals. He was released soon after Jimmy Hill arrived at the club and moved into non-league circles. 

Tommy English burst on to the first team scene in 1979, as a replacement for the injured Ian Wallace and scored on his home debut. He scored 22 goals in 76 appearances before joining Leicester City in 1982. 

Willie Carr needs little introduction as he is a true legend of the club. He made his debut as a 17-year old substitute at Highbury in 1967 and notched his first goal in an FA Cup tie with Charlton a few months later.

Talking of record breakers I have to mention the old as well as the young and City’s new signing Herman Hreidarsson certainly fits into the latter category. His debut in the Middlesbrough home game last month made him the fifth oldest Coventry City debutant. He’s not quite as old as Dennis Wise was when he made his bow exactly six years previously in 2006 but if he could half the impact that Wise had then City may be able to avoid the drop. The ten oldest debutants are as follows:-

1	Dennis Wise	21 January 2006	Derby Co. (h)	39 years 37 days
2	Gordon Strachan	15 April 1995	Sheffield Wed (h)	38 years 64 days
3	Jim Sanders	23 August 1958	Darlington (h)	38 years 28 days
4	Steve Walsh	24 August 2002	Crystal Palace (h)	37 years 263 days
5	Hermann Hreidarsson	21 January 2012	Middlesbrough (h)	37 years 197 days
6	Vicente Engonga	15 February 2003	Rotherham (a)	37 years 179 days
7	Andy Goram	29 September 2001	Gillingham (a)	37 years 169 days
8	Arjen De Zeeuw	15 September 2007	Bristol City (h)	37 years 153 days
9	Danny Shone	5 January 1929	Brighton (h)	36 years 253 days
10	Danny Shea	25 August 1923	Barnsley (h)	35 years 292 days