Jim's column 26.9.2020

 Coventry City’s 3-2 victory over QPR in their opening home league match last weekend saw Matty Godden score for the sixth consecutive league game, the first City player to achieve the feat since Mick Quinn in 1992.

Godden’s run started back in February with the second goal in the 2-1 win at Rochdale, continued with the equaliser in the 1-1 home draw with Rotherham and the only goal that defeated Sunderland at St Andrews and sent City top. As the lockdown loomed Matty scored the winner at Ipswich to make it four in a row.

His two goals this season sees him move level with Quinn who had the most incredible start to his Sky Blue career scoring 10 goals in his first six league games.

Quinn’s goal record after joining on loan from Newcastle was:-

Nov 21 Man City (h) lost 2-3 (2 goals)
Nov 28 Sheffield U (a) drew 1-1 (1 goal)
Dec 5 Ipswich (h) drew 2-2 (2 goals)
Dec 12 Southampton (a) drew 2-2 (2 goals)
Dec 19 Liverpool (h) won 5-1 (2 goals)
Dec 26 Aston Villa (h) won 3-0 (2 goals)

Mick failed to net in the next game, a 5-0 defeat at Old Trafford and only scored a further six goals in 20 league games that season.

Matty has a little way to go to set a club record for consecutive scoring league games, 10 set in 1931-32 by the great Clarrie Bourton. Bourton scored in nine in a row the following season and the only other players to score more than Matty are Ray Straw (1958-59) and Terry Bly (1962-63). These records refer only to league games and I should add that Terry Gibson scored in seven consecutive league and cup games in 1985-86 (which included a goal in the now defunct Full Members Cup.

The win over QPR extended City’s unbeaten home record in all competitions to 15 games. Since Tranmere somewhat fortuitously lowered City’s colours in the league game last October, City have failed to lose in 11 league games and four FA Cup ties (I’m following the usual treatment of penalty shoot outs by statisticians and counting it as a drawn game). This is the club’s best run since 1978-79 when Gordon Milne’s exciting team went 15 unbeaten between March 1978 and February 1979. The club record is 19, set in 1925-26 when the club was in Division Three North. The best runs are as follows:-

19- 1925-26 (Div 3N)
17- December 1965-October 1966 (Div 2)
17- 1958-59 (Div 4)
17- 1952-53 (Div 3S)
16- 1962-63 (Div 3)
16- March- December 1950 (Div 2)
15- March 1978-February 1979 (Div 1)
15- 1955-56 (Div 3S)

Colin Heys and Marshall Stewart both had questions over attendances at City games. Colin wanted me to confirm the attendances at City’s Wembley games. These are :

1987 FA Cup final v Tottenham (98,000)
1987 Charity Shield v Everton (88,000)
2017 EFL Trophy final v Oxford (74,434)
2018 League 2 play-off final v Exeter (50,196

Marshall’s question was that given the team are now playing in front of empty stadiums, what are the biggest crowds City have played in from of. Obviously the three Wembley games come out on top but the full top ten are as follows:

1. 98,000 1987 FA Cup final v Tottenham
2. 88,000 1987 Charity Shield v Everton
3. 74,434 2017 EFL Trophy final v Oxford
4. 74,055 2007-08 League Cup v Man United (a)
5. 67,637 2000-01 League v Man United (a)
6. 67,271 1937-38 League v Aston Villa (a)
7. 61,380 1999-2000 League v Man United (a)
8. 60,350 1965-66 FA Cup v Everton (a)
9. 59,451 2013-14 FA Cup v Arsenal (a)
10. 58,351 2012-13 League Cup v Arsenal (a)

The attendances are all the official ones but a few are dubious as in recent years clubs have included season ticket holders whether attending the game or not. The two Arsenal cup games and the Man United League Cup game are examples of this and the official figures are somewhat exaggerated.