Coventry City's impressive six wins home start to the season prompted regular reader Rod Ison to contact me to check when City's record home start of eight consecutive starts was set. He thinks it might have been 1950-51 - that was the season that, as an 11-year-old, he became a City supporter. He wrote: 'From memory, the season kicked off with a 2-0 away victory at Notts County. I recall a home win over Bury and a ‘never to be forgotten’ 6-1 victory against Blackburn Rovers at Highfield Road.'
He asked if I could list the home record in that run with the goalscorers. Rod continues: 'My Dad, whilst drinking in the Elastic Inn persuaded Ken Chisholm and Les (Plum) Warner to visit our house, and I was somewhat tongue-tied in their presence!
The run of wins in 1950 was as follows:
August 21 Leeds United 1-0 (Roberts) (30,213)
August 26 Preston 1-0 (Roberts) (24,676)
September 9 QPR 3-0 (Chisholm 2, Lockhart) (22,298)
September 11 Birmingham 3-1 (Roberts 2, Chisholm) (30,448)
September 23 Leicester 2-1 (Chisholm 2) (33,324)
October 14 Blackburn 6-1 (Allen 2, Roberts, Chisholm, Lockhart 2) (34,918)
October 28 Doncaster 3-1 (Roberts, Chisholm, Own goal) (32,757)
November 11 Swansea 3-1 (Roberts, Chisholm 2) (29,672)
The run of victories was finally ended on November 25th when Barnsley held the rampant Bantams to a 3-3 draw. Highfield Road was certainly a fortress in those days – the previous season had ended with four home wins and a draw and only three home games were lost in the calendar year of 1950.
Rod's hero, Ken Chisholm, was in deadly form and went on to score 24 goals that season before joining Cardiff City and later Sunderland.
There is a glut of books written by former Coventry City players this year and in the run up to Christmas they include biographies of Mark Hateley, Bryan King, Julian Joachim and Garry Thompson. One book with a different tale to tell however is from City fan James Adams. His book 'Attached to Coventry City, 1958-2020' tells the story of James' support of the club from the days of Billy Frith, as a teenager, to the present day. His support during the Jimmy Hill era was, like many teenage Coventrians, obsessional but immediately after promotion to the First Division in 1967 he turned his back on the Sky Blues. He went off to university and discovered a different faith, a religious one, as well as girls, and for the next twenty years or so he barely followed the club.
His passion was rekindled in a conversion-like experience and he has been re-attached to the club for the last 35 years. In a fascinating story James describes his rollercoaster journey and points to Attachment Theory and the feelings and bond that us fans develop for our club. This is a unique and interesting book and highly recommended for any Coventry City fan. It is out now and published by Pitch Publishing.
Next week the Sky Blues travel to Preston North End's Deepdale still seeking a first league win at the old ground. In 19 league visits since 1949 the Sky Blues have failed to win having drawn seven and lost 12 games. Neither of City's great managers, Harry Storer and Jimmy Hill, won there nor did a host of other 'gaffers'. Micky Adams failed to win in three visits, Chris Coleman lost two games and Mark Robins has drawn one and lost one. There was a League Cup win under Gordon Strachan in 2000 and way back in 1910 City, then a non-league side, pulled off a giant-killing act by knocking First Division Preston out of the FA Cup but it seems that the Lilywhites have been punishing us for that Cup shock ever since.
If you have a question about the history or statistics of Coventry City please drop me an email at clarriebourton@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter @clarriebourton
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