Jim's column 7.12.2019

Footballers' biographies generally leave me cold generally being ghost-written, formulaic and revealing little about the subject. One biography that bucks that trend this year however is Six Foot Two, Eyes of Blue, the story of the late Jim Holton, the former Manchester United, Coventry City and Scotland defender. Sadly, Jim died of a heart attack in 1993 at the tragically early age of 42, but author Colin Leslie has researched Big Jim's life with the zeal of a forensic scientist to produce an excellent book.

Released as a teenager by West Brom, Jim joined Shrewsbury Town and within two years had earned a big money move to Manchester United, managed at the time by the legendary Tommy Docherty. Within months he was a fixture at centre-half in the Scottish team, starring in his country's 1974 World Cup final campaign and earning a reputation as one of the hardest defenders in the country.

Disaster however was looming for Jim and two broken legs ended his Old Trafford career. By 1977 he was at Highfield Road, via Sunderland, and Gordon Milne got a bargain when he paid £40,000 for the popular hard man. Many thought his best days were over but Jim became one of the key players of the 1977-78 team, arguably one of the best City sides of the last fifty years. He went on to play 100 games for the Sky Blues (more than any other club), assisting in the development of young defenders such as Gary Gillespie and Paul Dyson. After hanging up his boots he stayed in Coventry and went into the licensed trade, running the Town Wall Tavern and later the Rising Sun and the Stag.

Colin has tracked down many of Jim's former team-mates from all his clubs and his international days including Tommy Hutchison, Ian Wallace and Andy Blair, to produce an excellent story of Jim's life.

For younger readers the title of the book comes from a famous terrace chant of the 1970s originating from United's Stretford End and picked up by City's West End. Ironically his eyes were brown!

Six foot two, eyes of blue. Big Jim Holton's after you.

Congratulations this week to Sky Blues' fan Margaret Allen who celebrates her 90th birthday on Monday. She is still a regular at home games after over 50 years following the club from her Coventry home. As a young woman her passion was speedway and she was often found at Brandon watching the Bees but only came to football when Jimmy Hill was the manager and her young sons, David and Colin, like most Cov kids of that era, followed the bearded wonder like a modern day Pied Piper.

Margaret, who travels to home games at St Andrews, has had many favourite City players over the years including Ian Gibson, Danny Thomas, Richard Shaw, Big Mo and Greg Downs, whilst these days loves Callum O'Hare, Amadou Bakayoko and Jodi Jones. She meets up with David and his wife Ann at home games and provides much-welcomed hot coffee at half-time to the Woodfield family.

She was at Wembley in 1987 but her favourite games were the semi-final against Leeds at Hillsborough that year and ta famous 4-0 victory over Liverpool in 1983. She remembers queuing all night outside Highfield Road to buy tickets for the League Cup semi-final second leg against West Ham in 1981 and the despair when City's young stars' Wembley hopes were dashed by Paul Goddard's late, controversial goal at Upton Park.

Margaret was back at Wembley to see the Checkatrade Trophy lifted in 2017 and the following year for the Play-off final victory over Exeter City. She is still hoping to see her beloved Sky Blues back in the Premiership in her lifetime. Happy 90th Birthday Margaret.