Jim's column 15.12.2018

How many of the small crowd at Highfield Road on Saturday 14th November 1964 realised they were watching a future Italian international now described as 'one of Italy's finest goalscorers' and a legend at Lazio and New York Cosmos.

The game was a little-known friendly game that took place on a cold Saturday afternoon. City's first team had played at Bury the previous evening (losing 5-0) and the reserves had a free Saturday so Jimmy Hill arranged a game for the reserves against Swansea Town Reserves.

I don't know how many fans attended the game but they witnessed an impressive performance by City's stiffs who ran out 6-2 winners with goals from Pat Morrissey, Graham Newton (3), Dave Clements and Dennis Oakes. Several other players with first team experience played including Bob Wesson, Alan Turner and Hugh Barr. Many of those who played are at City's game with Luton Town today on the inaugural Jimmy Hill Day.

I recently came across the teamsheet for the game for the first time. It is interesting in that half a dozen of the Swansea players autographed the sheet including their right winger Giorgio Chinaglia, who scored one of the Swans consolation goals. The 17-year-old Italian had moved to Wales with his family in the early 1950s and he had made his Swansea first team debut the previous month. In 1966, frustrated at a lack of opportunities at Vetch Field (he started only four games) he moved back to Italy with his family and by 1969 was playing in Serie A for Lazio. In 1973-74 he was top scorer in Italy as Lazio won Serie A. Giorgio won 14 full caps for Italy and is recognised as one of the all-time top Italian strikers. In 1976 he joined New York Cosmos and over the next seven years he played over 400 games for them scoring more than a goal a game and was leading scorer in all seven seasons. Chinaglia died in 2012.