Jim's column 8.2.2020

Coventry City's FA Cup run came to a dramatic end on Tuesday evening with a penalty shoot-out going 4-1 in Birmingham's favour but the plaudits going to the Sky Blues for their performance. But for the late goals in the 92nd minute and 120th minutes we would be planning a trip to Leicester in round five. I suppose the positive way of looking at things is that the team can concentrate on the promotion race which couldn't be tighter. Today's home game with Bolton and Tuesday night's six-pointer with in-form Portsmouth are crucial and a bounce-back after Tuesday night is vital.

The game on Tuesday night was City's seventh in the competition and equalled the most FA Cup games in a season since 1962-63 when City reached the quarter finals as a Third Division side and played nine games. City's extra-time record in the competition isn't great – they haven't won after extra-time since the Wembley final in 1987. Since that memorable victory over Tottenham they have now lost four extra-time ties:

1994-95 v Norwich City (a) 1-3 (after 1-1 draw)

1997-98 v Sheffield United (a) 1-1 (after 1-1 draw) (City lost on penalties)

2009-10 V Portsmouth (h) 1-2 (after 1-1 draw)

2019-20 v Birmingham (a) 2-2 (after 0-0 draw) (City lost on penalties)

In total City have now gone to extra-time in 15 FA Cup ties, stretching back to 1908, and have won only three times, at Derby in 1974, the 1987 semi-final against Leeds and the final against Tottenham. In the days before penalty shoot-outs City survived extra-time and went on to play second replays on four occasions, progressing three times, the last time in 1984 v Wolves in the Third round.

The League Cup is a much younger competition and since its conception in 1960 City have played extra-time on nine occasions and have a better record. They have won after extra-time six times including once in a penalty shoot-out (at Peterborough in 2001).

I had an interesting enquiry from the Southampton historian this week concerning former City player George Lowrie. Born in Tonypandy, South Wales in 1919, George was on Second Division Swansea's books as a teenager and made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in 1937. First Division Preston spotted his potential and just over a year later he moved to Deepdale. He played five games for Preston before Harry Storer signed him for Coventry in June 1939, two months before war broke out in Europe. His City debut took place on the day before was broke out and he netted in a 4-2 Second Division win over Barnsley before the season was aborted.

During the war he guested for Bristol City, Nottingham Forest and Northampton as well as playing in a good number of unofficial games for City and his goalscoring exploits earned him four wartime Welsh caps. When official league football restarted in 1946, having effectively lost seven years of his career, he must have been like a coiled spring. He scored freely in an average City team with five hat-tricks including three in successive home games in a total of 29 in league and FA Cup in 36 games. He carried that form into 1947-48 and by early March 1948 had netted 18 goals in 22 games. Transfer rumours abounded as the deadline approached and his final City game was in a 1-0 home defeat to Southampton. That was on the Saturday and on the Wednesday he appeared for Wales against Northern Ireland at Wrexham. On the Thursday Newcastle's manager and director were in Coventry negotiating his move to the Second Division team. Newcastle were cash-rich from average crowds of almost 50,000 and under the regulations in those days couldn't offset ground improvements against a punitive tax rate but could spend their profits on players. As a result City held out for £20,000, the second highest British transfer fee at that time.

                                                 City's 1947-48 team with Lowrie seated at front

Having played his final City game against Southampton, Lowrie made his Newcastle debut at the Dell two days later, with Saints winning 4-2 (thus the interest from the Saints' historian). He scored only one goal in his first five games before suffering a serious knee injury. Newcastle won promotion and Lowrie returned to the team the following season but made only seven more appearances over eighteen months before joining Bristol City for £10,000. He partly rediscovered his goal touch in the Third Division before making a sentimental return to Highfield Road in 1952 to try and save City from relegation from Division Two. He managed three goals in 12 games but couldn't keep City up. After less than half a season in the lower division George, now 33, moved back to South Wales to play for non-league Lovells Athletic. His incredible goalscoring ratio, 59 goals in 85 games, is bettered by only one other City player, the legendary Clarrie Bourton.