Jim's column 17.11.2012

Keith Ballantyne emailed to ask me to list all the instances of City losing to lower league opposition in Cup matches since the 1961-62 defeat to Kings Lynn.

I will start this week by listing the FA Cup games, and cover the League Cup ties next week.

Since the 1-2 defeat at the hands of Southern League Kings Lynn in November 1961 City have lost to lower league (or non-league) clubs on 13 occasions:

1967-68 v Tranmere Rovers (a) 0-2 after 1-1 draw

1970-71 v Rochdale (a) 1-2

1971-72 v Hull City (h) 0-1

1979-80 v Blackburn Rovers (a) 0-1

1983-84 v Sheff. Wed (a) 2-3

1988-89 v Sutton United (a) 1-2

1989-90 v Northampton T.(a) 0-1

1991-92 v Cambridge U.(a) 0-1 after 1-1 draw

1997-98 v Sheff. United (a) 1-1 (lost on pens) after 1-1 draw

1999-00 v Charlton (h) 2-3

2002-03 v Rochdale (a) 0-2

2003-04 v Colchester (a) 1-3 after 1-1 draw

2006-07 v Bristol City (h) 0-2 after 3-3 draw

Rochdale feature twice on the list and also knocked the City out of the competition in 1920. Thankfully Morecambe won the replay on Tuesday night and will travel to Coventry for the first time in their history.

 Last Saturday’s attendance for the Scunthorpe home game (9,892) was the lowest Saturday home league gate since October 1993 when 9,837 watched City draw 1-1 with Southampton in what was Bobby Gould’s last home match as City’s manager. 

Last month I wrote an obituary to former City player Stan Smith and said I thought he had played for Bedworth after retiring from the professional game. Bedworth historian Alan Robinson kindly filled in some more detail on Stan’s career:

 Further to your article in the October 13th issue of the Telegraph, I can confirm that Stan Smith did play for Bedworth Town - in the 1955-56 season.

I am attaching a team picture taken before the first home match of that season (August 22nd, 1955, against Rugby Town) with Stan standing with his arms folded second right at the back.

Stan was tempted to the Oval by his former Coventry City team-mate Dick Mason who had taken over as the Greenbacks player-manager.

Apart from Stan and Dick, the Bedworth side that season included two other former Sky Blues - Norman Smith and trainer Bob Ward.

Manager Mason had also recruited goalkeeper Ron Floyd straight from Crewe Alexandra and centre-half Ron Dickinson from Shrewsbury Town.

                                         

                                        Bedworth Town 1955-56

The Bedworth team picture shows the following:

Back row (left to right): Geoff Palmer, Dick Mason (player-manager), Ron Floyd, Ron Dickinson, Gerry Belcher, Stan Smith, Bob Ward (trainer).

Front row: Roy Dayers, Peter Spacey, Eddie Fowkes, Norman Smith, Herbert Morrow.

The mascot is Peter Spacey, junior.)

Finally, I hear that former Sky Blue player Philippe Clement has been appointed as Caretaker-Manager at his former club FC Brugge. The Belgian midfielder, now aged 38, was signed from KRC Genk by Gordon Strachan in 1998 but made only 16 appearances (eight as substitute) for the Sky Blues before returning to Belgium the following summer to join Brugge. Over the next 10 years he made almost 300 appearances and won 38 caps for his country. Clement, who retired from playing in 2011, was handed the job following the departure of George Leekens last week. His first game in charge was a 2-2 draw with Newcastle in the Europa League. Last weekend however his team slumped to a 6-1 defeat at Anderlecht and are languishing in ninth place in the Jupiler League.