Jim's column 7.9.13

Coventry City's phenomenal August goalscoring feats slowed down somewhat at Shrewsbury last week although Callum Wilson's early goal threatened another goal glut. In the end City scored 16 goals in the month of August and thanks to Dave Mobley for making me aware of a Football League record the team came close to breaking.

Dave checked the league tables for all four divisions going back to the war and found that no team had scored more than 18 goals by 31 August (before the war the league season rarely started before the last Saturday in August). He pointed out that before the Shrewsbury game the Sky Blues had scored 15 so on Saturday afternoon needed three to equal the record and four to break it.

 The highest August scorers are:

18 goals                Liverpool 1969 , Crystal Palace 1960

16 goals                Arsenal 2004 , Ipswich Town 1999 , Manchester United 1999 , Chester City 1972,  Sheffield United 1969 , Q P R 1962 , Charlton 1968 , West Ham 1968.

As it turned out the one goal put them in joint second place in the all-time table.

What a extraordinary start to the season Callum Wilson is having. After starting just three league games before the start of the season he cannot stop scoring. His goal at Shrewsbury was his sixth in the first five league games a feat not achieved by a Coventry City player since 1954-55 when Eddie Brown netted six in the first five unbeaten City games. Only two other City players have matched that feat, the great Clarrie Bourton in 1935-36 and George Lowrie who netted seven goals in the first THREE games in 1947-48, all of which were scored in August.

No City players from the last thirty years have managed five or more goals in the first five games but others to have achieved it are:

1977-78 Ian Wallace

1965-66 George Hudson

1964-65 George Kirby

1963-64 George Hudson

1960-61 Ray Straw & Billy Myerscough

1932-33 Clarrie Bourton

Last week's obituary for Gerry Baker prompted some nice comments from various readers but two comments are worth reporting. Former City player Ian Goodwin, who was a youth team player when Gerry was at the club remembers him fondly: 'He was a wonderful man who always had time to offer help and advice to the younger players. He certainly helped me and will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.'

Bob Nelsen, an American City fan who lives in California, met Gerry a few years ago: 'I had the honour of meeting him one time at the Tile Hill Social Club, where he was introduced to me as a former American international.  I was quite surprised by his Scottish accent and we had a good laugh about that.  I thanked him for his service to both the USA and CCFC.  He was a modest and jolly gentleman.'

Two weeks ago I wrote about the League Cup tie with Leicester City in 1964-65 and Leicester's full-back Richie Norman scoring. I said that Norman had later managed Nuneaton Borough but Rod Grubb kindly pointed out that this was incorrect & that Norman had only ever been physiotherapist at Nuneaton.