Jim's Column 17.10.2020

 Coventry City travel to West London today to play Brentford at their new stadium and renew old rivalries with the Bees. Although the clubs met regularly in the late 1950s and early 1960s and briefly in 2012-14 today's meeting is the first in tier 2 of the Football pyramid since 1952. Brentford were a First Division side in the late 1930s but were relegated from the top flight in the first post-war season and played City for five seasons in Division Two. The last meetings at that level were in 1951-52 and the home side prevailed in both games. The Bees, who fielded future City manager Jimmy Hill and future England boss Ron Greenwood, won 1-0 at Griffin Park thanks to an early Fred Monk goal. In the return near the end of March City lifted themselves out of the relegation places by winning 2-1, George Lowrie and Eddie Brown netting and Billy Dare scoring a consolation goal for Brentford in front of 27,577. It was a false dawn for the Bantams as City slipped back into the bottom two and were relegated with Brentford finishing ninth.

Bob Weeks asked for some help identifying some players in pre-war City autograph albums he had acquired. The players, none of whom had appeared for the first team were: A Halliwell, C McDonagh, J Haver, J Kyle and E Lammas. Fellow City historian Mike Young was able to help Bob with all of the players identified as follows:

Andrew Denis Halliwell (goalkeeper) was born in Warwick 11.7.1912.He signed for City as amateur in 1932 having previously played for Kenilworth St. Johns. He turned professional in September 1933 and was a regular reserve team player for the next two years. He made one senior appearance in the home friendly v FC Austria in December 1935. Later that month he was transferred to Leicester City and was at Filbert Street for at least two years without playing for the first team. He died 1981.

Charles (Charlie) McDonagh (half-back) was born in Mansfield 11.11.1913. He signed for City in 1931 as an amateur after playing for a local church team in Mansfield. He failed to make the first team and moved first to Southampton in 1933 and later to Bournemouth 1933 withput playing first team football. After a short spell at Kidderminster Harriers he was back at Coventry in April 1934 and was briefly a regular for reserves. In 1935 he moved to Cardiff City for whom he made two appearances. According to the 1939 census he was back in Mansfield working as a colliery fitter.

James (Jim) Haver (centre-half) was born 25.1.1920. When he signed for City in December 1937 it was reported that he 'hailed' from Barnby Dun, near Doncaster, but originally came from Lentz Colliery village, Durham. Between 1937 and 1939 he played for City's 'A' team. He was released by City in 1939 and described as 'unemployed professional footballer' in 1939 census. He died in 2002.

Joseph 'Joe' Kyle (inside-forward) was born in Scotland c.1919. He was signed from Scottish junior club Blantyre Victoria in the summer of 1937 and played for the club's 'A' team in 1937-38.

Eric Lammas (outside-right) was born in Bromsgrove in 1920. He was awarded a professional contract by City in December 1937 and played for City's 'A' team 1937-39.

Haver and Lammas are in the Coventry City squad picture taken before the kick-off of the 1938-39 season.

 There were 33 professionals in the club at the time and there were high hopes of winning promotion that season after the club had missed out by one point the previous season. After a slow start the team hit form over the winter months and were well placed in third place at the end of January but only two wins from the final five games saw them finish fourth for the second successive season and it would be another 28 years before City finally reached the top flight for the first time.