Jim's column 2.3.2019

Following Jordan Willis' milestone of reaching 200 games for the Sky Blues at Luton on Sunday (and what a performance he gave) we have another milestone looming. Goalkeeper Lee Burge, castigated and praised for his performance at Kenilworth Road will all being well make his 150th appearance for the club. Like Willis, a product of the club's successful Academy, Hereford-born Lee made his first team bow in a League Cup tie against Cardiff City – the penultimate game at Sixfields. Two other home-grown players also made their debut that night, Jack Finch and James Maddison in a 2-1 defeat. Prior to that he had sat on the sub's bench almost 60 times and was soon back there with Ryan Allsop keeping him out of the team. Lee made his league debut in a 3-2 home win over Peterborough a couple of months later and within months was the first choice.

Lee becomes the eighty eighth Coventry City player to join the 150 club and the thirteenth goalkeeper and what an illustrious group of 'keepers he joins. At 150 he is just one game behind City's most capped player Swede Magnus Hedman and six behind his predecessor Joe Murphy and 60s giant Bob Wesson. The full list of City's top goalkeepers is:

601 games Steve Ogrizovic 1984-2000

402 Bill Glazier 1964-74

246 Alf Wood 1938-58

236 Jerry Best 1920-25

180 Les Sealey 1977-83

174 Jim Blyth 1975-80

165 Arthur Lightening 1958-62

163 Tommy Allen 1928-32

160 Bill Morgan 1932-39

156 Bob Wesson 1958-66

156 Joe Murphy 2011-14

151 Magnus Hedman 1997-2002

These 13 goalkeepers (including Burge) have kept goal in over 66% of Coventry City games since the club joined the league in 1919 and that doesn't include three other centurions including Keiren Westwood and our first England international, Reg Matthews. What a reputation the club has for fine goalkeepers.

City's fine draw at Luton was covered by Sky TV and was the ninth game running that the club have remained unbeaten in live televised games stretching back over two years. In reverse order the unbeaten games are:

February 2019 Luton (a) 1-1

September 2018 Sunderland (h) 1-1

September 2018 Oxford (a) 2-1

May 2018 Exeter (n) 3-1 (Play-off final)

May 2018 Notts County (a) 4-1 (Play-off semi final)

May 2018 Notts County (h) 1-1 (Play-off semi final)

October 2017 Barnet (a) 0-0
April 2017 Oxford (n) 2-1 (Checkatrade final)
February 2017 Wycombe (h) 2-1 (Checkatrade semi final)

The club's last defeat on TV was the home game with Sheffield United in December 2016 when Billy Sharp's added-time goal made it 2-1.