Jim's Column 29.10.23

Sir Bobby Charlton, the finest English footballer of the post-war era, sadly passed away last weekend and his death was honoured at many football grounds this week. His glittering career with Manchester United saw him play 810 games for his only club and win 106 caps for England. He also left his mark on Coventry City appearing on a number of occasions against the Sky Blues and showing his shooting prowess to its full.

Manchester United manager Matt Busby gave Bobby his first team debut as an 18-year-old in October 1956 and the Ashington-born prodigy didn't let Matt down. He scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over Charlton and by the end of that season he'd scored 12 goals in 17 games, won a league championship medal, an FA Cup runners up medal and scored against Real Madrid in a European Cup semi-final. The Busby Babes were the outstanding post-war English club and would surely have won a third successive league title in 1957-58 but for the tragic air crash at Munich in February 1958 and may have given Real Madrid a closer run in the European Cup. At the time of the crash Charlton was in top form and scored nine goals in the previous five games including two in Belgrade the previous day.

Charlton, still strapped in his seat, was thrown clear of the burning wreckage of the plane and dragged to safety by goalkeeper Harry Gregg. Eight of his team-mates (five of whom were current internationals) and 13 other passengers didn't survive. Bobby lost his best friends and his mentors on that snowy day in Munich but was back in action within three weeks and helping a makeshift United team reach the FA Cup final, swept on by a national wave of emotion.

I have three distinctive memories of Bobby Charlton playing against Coventry City. The first was in 1963 and United's post-Munich rebuilding was well under way when they came to Highfield Road for an FA Cup sixth round tie. In his first full season Jimmy Hill had become Cup giant-killers and seen off two Second Division sides Portsmouth and Sunderland, the latter five days before the United tie in a feverish atmosphere that saw City score two late goals in front of over 40,000 at Highfield Road. City were in the last eight of the competition for the first time since 1910.

As a schoolboy Bobby Charlton was one of my heroes in those less partisan days when you could admire players from clubs you didn't necessarily support and I can remember the excited anticipation of seeing Charlton at Highfield Road almost as much as hoping City would win.

Three days of almost continuous rain had left the pitch a sticky mess and I stood with my dad on the Kop, soaked to the skin. The rain was forgotten as the Sky Blues started superbly with Terry Bly netted from a Willie Humphries cross after five minutes and for the next fifteen minutes dominated their higher status rivals. Then Bobby, transformed into a left winger but with a roving brief, took over and United found their stature. Albert Quixall crossed, Denis Law flicked it on and Bobby's first-time shot beat Bob Wesson for the equaliser. Maurice Setters, later to play for City, drove United on and but for him and Charlton the Reds would not have won the tie. Four minutes into the second half Charlton burst through the Coventry defence at such speed that his marker, John Sillett, and company just stood and gaped while he let loose a right-foot rocket from 18 yards. United scored a third goal when the muddy surface contrived to give Quixall an easy goal but Jimmy Hill's team were not disgraced by the 3-1 scoreline. 

The second memory was Coventry's next encounter with Bobby in 1967-68, their first season in the top flight. I bunked off school to get to Old Trafford for the night match to see a masterclass 4-0 victory for the Reds. John Aston and George Best scored first half goals and after the break United put the Sky Blues on the rack with continuous, smooth-moving pressure with some thunderbot shooting. Aston headed a third goal before Charlton scored the best of the night. Derek Henderson in the Coventry Telegraph described it thus: 'a Charlton special, City back-pedalling and realising the damger too late as the England man hit a 30-yard shell-like effort which kept the applause going for over two minutes.'

                            Bobby Charlton and Willie Carr tussle for the ball in 1969

Charlton inspired United to European Cup glory that season with two goals in the final against Benfica but a few weeks earlier the great man could do little to stop the Sky Blues beating United 2-0 at Highfield Road to help their relegation battle no end.

The third and final memory is from his penultimate season at United in 1971-72. On Easter Saturday United, league leaders up to Christmas but in a slump that saw them finish eighth, took City apart in the first 45 minutes at Highfield Road. Best and Ian Storey-Moore, with his dashing white boots, scored early goals but Bobby's left foot goal from a free-kick on the edge of the area took the biscuit. 

He did make one last apperance at Coventry, a 1-1 draw the following season in Tommy Docherty's brawling thugs team in which Charlton looked decidedly uncomfortable.

Football has changed so much since Bobby's heyday and it is difficult to know where he stands in the pantheon of the game's great players. Whilst I didn't appreciate his great performances against my team I did recognise his unique talent and I can say that in an England shirt he gave me some of the most pleasurable moments of my football watching life. Since his retirement no English player has yet matched his achievements on the pitch. 

It's also sad to report the death, at the age of 65, of former City player Dave Ellis. At the age of 16 Dave was signed from Bedworth United in 1975 and played for City in the FA Youth Cup in 1975-76 alongside Garry Thompson and Paul Dyson and made six appearances for the reserve teaam. After leaving the club in 1977 he spent two years in Melbourne, Australia and played for Mooroolbark United FC. After returning to the UK he had spells with Northampton and Bristol City without making senior appearances. His son Ryan sent me this lovely picture of Dave (right) signing for the Sky Blues with the club's assistant manager Bob Dennison and his parents.

Jim's column 21.10.2023

A quiz question which might stump many Coventry City fans is 'Which Coventry City forward scored four goals in an England shirt at Highfield Road?' There have been only three City players over the last 50 years who have scored four in a City shirt let alone in an England shirt. Mick Ferguson scored all four goals in a 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town in December 1979 just days after Ipswich manager Bobby Robson had tried to buy the bearded centre-forward. 

Steve Livingstone managed four goals, completely out of the blue, in a 5-0 League Cup win over Sunderland in 1990 and Cyrille Regis went one better in 1985 and managed five goals in the same competition Cup against Chester in 1985 which City won 7-2. Before Ferguson you have to go back to Christmas Day 1959 when Ken Satchwell scored four in a 5-3 win over Wrexham.

Three months after Mick Ferguson's four against Ipswich 18-year-old Mark Hateley scored all four goals for England Youth against Denmark at Highfield Road in a European Youth qualifier. Ed Blackaby asked if I could provide more details of Hateley's feat that night. 

England manager John Cartwright named three Coventry City players in the team, Hateley, fellow striker Tom English and full-back David Barnes. Hateley had made just one start for the Sky Blues first team and two substitute appearances. English was ahead of Hateley in the club's pecking order having made 22 games and scoring 10 goals. Barnes would get his first-team debut a month later.

The England team lined up as follows: Kendall (Tottenham): Bennett (Bolton), Barnes (Coventry): Peake (Leicester), Mabbutt (Bristol Rovers), Pates (Chelsea): Gibson (Tottenham), Allen (West Ham capt), Hateley (Coventry), English (Coventry), Mackenzie (Manchester City). Horn (Crystal Palace) substituted for Kendall and Barham (Norwich) substituted for Gibson.

Several of that team had links with the Sky Blues: Paul Allen and Gary Mabbutt both played against City in the 1987 FA Cup final, whilst Terry Gibson joined the Sky Blues in 1983 and had three very successful seasons with the club.

I don't have the Danish line up but amongst the players in their squad were Jan Molby (later of Liverpool), a 15-year-old Michael Laudrup (later of Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid), John Sivebeak (later of Manchester United) and Kent Nielsen (later of Aston Villa).

Hateley was supported by his fellow Sky Blue striker English, who made the first and third goals with 'electrifying runs' beating two defenders before providing centres for Hateley to score. In between Mark smashed home a left-foot shot from a Gibson corner for his second goal. 

Neville Foulger in the Coventry Telegraph described the fourth goal thus: 'Hateley's fourth goal was the glittering highlight of the night....Steve Mackenzie outpaced Denmark's defence on their right flank and when his waist high cross came over Hateley lashed home a spectacular left foot volley'. After the game his father, Tony, a former City player, snaffled his son's shirt although I'm sure that Mark now has that back in his collection.

The victory ensured England qualified for the European under-18 Championship finals in East Germany in June of that year and John Cartwright's team went on to win the final 2-1 against Poland with Paul Allen and Terry Gibson scoring the goals. For Allen, the nephew of former Spurs striker Les Allen, 1980 was a special year. His season at Second Division West Ham, which saw him play over 40 games for the club, culminated in a place in the Hammers' Wembley team that lifted the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over Arsenal. 

Jim's column 14.10.23

Two weeks ago I wrote about Matty Godden's excellent scoring record with Coventry City as he edged towards 50 goals for the club. This week I'll move to the other end of the pitch and consider goalkeeper Ben Wilson's record after he made his 100^th appearance for the Sky Blues last weekend.

Wilson, currently in his fifth season with the club, is only the fourth Coventry goalkeeper to reach 100 appearances since the club left the Premier League in 2001. The others are Lee Burge (160), Joe Murphy (156) and Keiren Westwood (138). He's also only the 13^th City keeper to reach a century but he's a long way off reaching Steve Ogrizovic's club record 601 appearances. Before joining the club from Bradford City in July 2019 Ben had made only 35 senior appearances in nine seasons for ten different league clubs and his first season at Coventry saw him play one FA cup tie, two League Cup games and four EFL Trophy games. His first league appearance was as a last minute substitute for Marko Marosi against Cardiff City in November 2020. He kept his place for the remaining 26 games of the season, keeping 10 clean sheets. The arrival of Simon Moore in the summer of 2021 relegated Ben to the bench again and restricted him to five league starts plus two cup games. Moore's poor form at the start of last season gave Ben his chance and he made 46 appearances including the three play-off games, keeping a record 22 clean sheets. Some fans believed Ben was at risk again this summer after the arrival of Brad Collins from Barnsley but Mark Robins has kept faith with Wilson and he has another three clean sheets in the opening 11 games.

Tom Woods asked me to compare Ben's excellent clean sheet record with other goalkeeper's record, especially Oggy's. Comparing goalkeeper's records has to exclude those who made only a handful of games. For instance David Stockdale in 2017-18 played two games on loan and didn't concede a goal and in 1988 Keith Waugh played one game when Oggy was injured and didn't concede. Therefore to have a sensible comparison I have only included 'keepers who have played 20 or more games.

Ben's currently has 40 clean sheets out of 100 games, an impressive 40% and easily the best ratio of all City goalkeepers who have made more than 20 appearances. Oggy's record is less impressive but it should be borne in mind that all his games were in the top flight and for a good number of seasons he was playing in a struggling side. 

Here are the top ten:

                          Games         Clean sheets Ratio of clean sheets

1. Ben Wilson 100 40 40%

2. Ryan Allsop 26 9 34.6%

3. Reice Charles-Cook 59 20 33.9%

4. Bill Morgan 160 54 33.7%

5. Marko Marosi 61 20 32.8%

6. Horace Pearson 124 40 32.2%

7. Bill Morgan 160 54 31.2%

8. Steve Ogrizovic 601 175 29.1%

9. Morten Hyldegaard 31 9 29%

10. Andy Marshall 66 19 28.8%

Last week I wrote about the 104-year record that Coventry City could lose last Saturday when Cheltenham Town went into their home game with Derby County seeking their first goal after eleven league games without one. Then in the 39^thminute Rob Street netted to end the Robins' long drought. The Rams later equalised and the game ended 1-1 but Cheltenham were left with a share in the record of 11 games without a league goal with City and Hartlepool, the latter failing to score in eleven Division 3 games in 1992-93 season.

I was able to check the number of minutes each of the three clubs went without scoring a goal. In 1919 City went 1052 minutes, Hartlepool's drought in 1993 lasted 1072 minutes and Cheltenham's record which included the last two minutes of their final game last season, was 1031 minutes. So Hartlepool hold that particular record. Interestingly in the middle of Hartlepool's dreadful run they defeated Premier League Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Third round and lost only 1-0 at another Premier League Sheffield United in round four. Future City player Dean Emerson was in the 'Pools team during their horrific run and Richard Shaw and Chris Coleman were in the defeated Palace team.

For over 100 years Coventry City have held an unenviable Football League record and this weekend that record may be finally broken. In 1919 the club went 11 league games without scoring a single goal. In 1993 Hartlepool United equalled that record and this week poor old Cheltenham Town made it 11 games without a goal. Today League One Cheltenham face Derby County at home and failure to score will remove City from the record books. The Robins have won just one point and are already seven points from the safety zone with a -19 goal difference. 

 In 1919 City were playing their first ever season in the Football League having been elected to join in the first season after World War 1. They were grossly unprepared for life in the Second Division, evidenced by an opening day 5-0 home loss to Tottenham, and lost their first nine games , scoring four goals and conceding 27. In game eight on October 4th they lost 2-1 at home to Leicester and Tommy Lowes' goal for the Bantams would be their last goal until Christmas Day. In the next eleven games the team did manage to get some points on the board with goalless draws with Fulham, Bristol City, Blackpool, West Ham and Clapton Orient. The 0-0 draw with Clapton on the Saturday before Christmas left City at the foot of the table on five points, five points behind 21st placed Lincoln City. The run of 11 games without scoring ended in surprising circumstances on Christmas Day with top-half side Stoke beaten 3-2. Billy Walker, with a penalty, finally broke the goal drought before Alf Sheldon and Peter Quinn made it 3-0. Stoke rallied with two late goals but City deserved their first ever League victory. Stoke had their revenge twenty four hours later winning the return 6-1 at the Victoria Ground. An interesting footnote is that there was a full league programme on three consecutive days that Christmas!

Things picked up slightly for Coventry after Christmas with a first away win coming at Grimsby on New Year's Day. The signing of Sunderland's reserve centre-forward Dick Parker in January helped results and Parker netted the winning goal against Wolves on his home debut. The club's home form improved dramatically and thanks to Parker scoring seven goals in seven games the last five home games were won. The team only escaped the bottom two after their penultimate game, a 2-2 draw at Bury, and a final day victory over the same team ensured a final placing of 20th with re-election avoided. It later emerged that dirty deeds were afoot at Highfield Road on the final day with Bury players being bribed to ensure Coventry won. Two years later Coventry's chairman David Cooke and captain George Chaplin were banned from football for life following an enquiry.

 Last Saturday the Sky Blues notched their first away win of the season, winning 3-1 at Loftus Road with an impressive second half performance. Poor old QPR, a year ago they were top of the Championship but since then they have won only one home game in 20 and there are few signs that things are going to improve soon. Before April's game City hadn't won at Loftus Road in five visits since 2007 and have now won twice in 2023, one more than QPR have managed themselves!

Jim's column 30.9.2023

This week I thought I would focus on the impressive goalscoring record of Matty Godden since he joined City in August 2019. Godden's goals were a major factor in Coventry City's promotion from League One in 2019-20 when he netted 14 goals in 22 league starts and 4 appearances from the bench. Since then, in the Championship, Godden had netted 26 league goals in 57 starts and 20 sub appearances before this season. After his brace at Cardiff last week he now has five goals in eight starts taking his total league goals to 45 from 87 starts and 24 sub appearances. What a shame that he has suffered injuries in the last three seasons – he has failed to start over half of City's games in the last three years. It's early days but if he can stay fit this season could be Matty's best for the Sky Blues

Season	Starts	Subs	Goals
2019-20	22	4	14
2020-21	18	5	6
2021-22	17	7	12
2022-23	22	8	8
2023-24	8	-	5
Totals	87	24	45

His total of 45 goals takes him to 18^th position in Coventry City's all-time goalscorers list, level with Ernie Hunt and just two behind the legendary Cyrille Regis. This season he has overtaken Terry Gibson, Ronnie Rees and Viktor Gyokeres. Amazingly only 15 players in the club's history have scored 50 or more league goals with just two, Clarrie Bourton (173) and Billy Lake (113), scoring more than 100. Matty is also closing in on some famous Sky Blue strikers including Mick Ferguson (55) and Ian Wallace (58).

Only one City player, Gary McSheffrey with 61, has scored more league goals this century than Godden. Godden's ratio of goals per game is as good as any Coventry striker – only two players with 45 goals or more has scored them in less than 100 games – Eddie Brown (50 goals in 89) and George Lowrie (56 in 85) – and as the table below shows, no one in the post 1967 era has a better goals per game ratio.

Coventry City leading goalscorers (post 1967)

1. Dion Dublin 61 (168 starts)

2. Gary McSheffrey 61 (230 starts)

3. Ian Wallace 58 (138 starts)

4. Mick Ferguson 55 (141 starts)

5. Cyrille Regis 47 (274 starts)

6. Ernie Hunt 45 (166 starts)

7. Matty Godden 45 (87 starts)

8. Terry Gibson 43 (112 starts)

Of course Matty is a penalty taker and 10 of his 45 goals have come from the penalty spot but Dublin (6 penalties) and McSheffrey (15 penalties) also had their totals boosted by spot kicks. His penalty miss against Watford was his first failure since he joined City.

There is an excellent addition to the library of Coventry City books this autumn. In 'When The Sky Was Blue' City fan Rich Chamberlain has written the inside story of the club's nine years in the Premier League from its inception in 1992 through to their relegation in 2001. Rich has interviewed many of the characters at the club in that era and produced a fascinating story. The period had many ups and downs with three last day escapes from relegation including the dramatic finale at White Hart Lane in 1997. The following season saw a major turnaround with the club reaching the last eight of the FA Cup (they should have reached the final!) and punching above their weight with victories against many of the top clubs. Strachan virtually rebuilt the side following the departure of Dublin and Huckerby and we had the thrilling 1999-2000 season with the Moroccans, Keane and McAllister. Things went wrong the following season and relegation from the Premier League, in the days before parachute payments, left the club severely stretched financially. The big spending of the Richardson/Robinson era came home to roost and the club's finances are only now, 22 years later, getting back to some normality. A salutory tale for those Coventry fans who want their owners to spend big in the search for success. Many of the big characters of those years have been interviewed including Dion Dublin, John Salako, David Burrows, Robert Rosario, Darren Huckerby and the late Cedric Roussel. 

It's published by Pitch Publishing and an excellent read.