Jim's column 9.4.22

Tomorrow the Sky Blues travel to West London to play Championship leaders Fulham at Craven Cottage. It's City's first league visit to the ground since this week in 1968 when the clubs fought out a tense Division One relegation battle that ended 1-1.

Bottom club Fulham, who were First Division escape artists in the 1960s, often coming from seemingly hopeless positions to achieve safety, were six points adrift of 21st place, although they did have games in hand with some of the clubs immediately above them. No team from Arsenal in 11th place downward were safe with three points covering seven clubs from Leicester in 15th to Wolves in 21st position. City, bottom at the end of January, had picked up eleven points from eight games (there were two points for a win in those days) and were 19th and breathing slightly easier than two months earlier.

As a schoolboy I travelled to Fulham on the Priory coach from Leamington and stood on the covered Hammersmith End with maybe a thousand other City fans. That day there was a crowd of 20,869 and I witnessed some of my first football hooliganism. The wind spoiled the game and although former England captain Johnny Haynes was outstanding for the home side they couldn't break down City's defence superbly marshalled by Maurice Setters. With four minutes remaining City substitute Brian Hill hit a superb shot into the Fulham goal at the Putney End. The goal sparked a charge from Fulham's hooligan element and with barely a policeman or steward in sight, a battering looked on the cards. As the fists started flying Steve Earle scored an equaliser at our end and the thugs gave up their attack and instead celebrated the goal.

        Fulham's Haynes and City's Ernie Machin tussle for the ball

The point was far more valuable for City than Fulham and three weeks later their demotion was confirmed. The battle for the other relegation place went to the final day with City and Sheffield United level on points but with the Sky Blues having a better goal average. The Blades possibly had the advantage however as they were at home, to Chelsea, whilst City were away, at Southampton. At half-time, with the Blades leading 1-0, City had slipped into the bottom two for the first time since mid-February. The Sky Blues defence managed to hold out against a strong Saints' attack and thankfully Chelsea scored twice in the second half to send Sheffield down.

Fulham and Coventry have managed to avoid each other in league meetings in the last 54 years. Fulham were relegated again the following season and didn't reach the top flight again until 2001 – the season that City were relegated from the Premier League, so the missed each other again. Fulham then had 13 seasons in EPL but after relegation to the Championship they missed the Sky Blues who were in League One by then.

The clubs were drawn together in the second round of the League Cup in 1982-83 when ties were played over two legs. City drew 2-2 at Craven Cottage in front of 6,237 thanks to two goals from new signing Jim Melrose and went through to the next round on away goals after a 0-0 draw at Highfield Road.

Craven Cottage has changed a bit since 1968 but the old Main Stand is still in use and the Cottage still sits in the corner. In 1968 the Riverside terracing was open to the elements and had the flags of all 22 First Division clubs fluttering in the breeze. A stand was built on that terracing many years ago, blocking the view to the river Thames. I've been back to Craven Cottage on numerous occasions since 1968 – I lived 100 yards from the ground in the 1970s and even saw Pele play there in a friendly for Santos – but am looking forward to seeing my team lock horns with the Cottagers.

This season Fulham are the strongest team in the Championship, helped enormously by obscene amounts of parachute money, and need very few points to confirm their promotion back to the Premier League for the third time in five seasons. They also have the best player and top scorer (and probably the highest paid player) in the Championship in Aleksander Mitrovic who currently has 38 league goals to his name. However City inflicted Fulham's heaviest defeat of the season in October winning 4-1 at the CBS Arena. Nevertheless a tough afternoon beckons for the Sky Blues.