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.