Jon Stead came close to
a record on Tuesday night. Geoff Moore alerted me to the fact that
the much-travelled Bradford striker was set to play for his sixth
different club at the Ricoh Arena. As it turned out he spent the
whole evening on the substitute's bench.
Stead, who has played
for 10 different clubs in his 12-year playing career, has appeared at
the stadium for Sunderland, Derby, Ipswich, Coventry and Bristol
City. He also sat on the bench for Sheffield United & played
against the Sky Blues for Bradford City at Sixfields last season. His
scoring record against City is very patchy – two goals in nine
appearances. He scored for Derby in a 2-1 win at the Ricoh in 2006 &
for Bristol City in 2011-12 at Ashton Gate in that miserable Easter
Monday game that City lost 1-4, a result that virtually ensured
relegation from the Championship. In that game he was also credited
with City's first-half goal.
Geoff tells me that
there are three other players who have played for five different
clubs at the stadium. Jack Cork played there for Scunthorpe,
Southampton, Coventry, Watford and Burnley, Leon Clarke (Wolves,
Sheffield Wednesday, QPR, Scunthorpe and Coventry) and Jordan Stewart
(Watford, Derby, Sheffield United, Notts County and Coventry).
I believe the record
for the most appearances with different clubs at Highfield Road was
held by Bobby Gould. The Coventry-born striker who appeared for eight
different clubs in a 16-year playing career appeared for six
different clubs at Highfield Road (Coventry, Arsenal, Wolves, West
Brom, Bristol City and West Ham). He played against City on six
occasions at the ground & scored twice (for Arsenal & West
Ham).
Keith Ballantyne
regularly asks me questions about Coventry City's history. Following
my summary of Tony Mowbray's career last week he emailed me the
following:
My mind may be
playing tricks on me again Jim - I was certain that Tony Mowbray
played for Ipswich at Portman Road against City in 2002. My other
recollections of that game, which I think we lost 2-1 with John
Eustace scoring a consolation, was Gary McSheffrey's pace constantly
undoing Ipswich down the left, albeit to no avail, Gary
McAllister being past his sell-by date and the appalling Jamie
McMaster sporting hair more or less the same colour as his yellow
shirt...
Keith's
mind is playing tricks on him. Tony's last game as a player was the
Championship play-off final at Wembley in May 2000. Ipswich, managed
by George Burley, finished third in the regular season to qualify for
the play-offs for the fourth successive year. After beating Bolton
over two legs they faced Barnsley at Wembley & won 4-2 with
captain Mowbray scoring the first goal. Ipswich returned to the
Premiership after five years away but lasted only two years &
since 2002 they have never been back in the top flight. In that game
at Portman Road, sub John Eustace equalised Darren Bent's early
strike but City were beaten by a late goal from their sub Pablo
Counago.
A couple of weeks ago I
wrote about Wal's catering at Highfield Road in the 1960s &
1970s. I received an email from Terry Kemble which throws more light
on the novel pitchside refreshments that started in the Jimmy Hill
era.
I was really pleased to read your recent
article in the Coventry Evening Telegraph as Wal was my Grandfather
and Reg Kemble my father (both have now sadly passed away).
I started to go with them to Highfield Road
from 1963.
The lads sold tea from a tank on their backs
and the pies were kept warm in a separate insulated box that was made
by my father.
I think you can just see one of the lads in the
main picture with your article, just to the right of George Best!
Wal ran the Oak pub in Gosford Street at this
time before later moving on to the Nugget in Coundon which later
changed its name to the ‘The Sky Blue’.
I believe CCFC took over part of the catering
when the main stand was rebuilt (in 1968) and the catering for the
rest of the ground a year or so later.
We returned to the ground in the 1975/76 season
and ran the catering for three quarters of the stadium up until the
early eighties when there was a change in the law re the consumption
and sale of alcohol within the stadium.
The catering company originally started as Sky
Blue Catering but later changed to Cater Sport Services.
They also ran the catering for the Sky Blue
Special train from 1964.
Terry Kemble
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