Jim's column 19.10.2019

I have belated congratulations this week for Kent-based Coventry City fan Colin Heys who two weeks ago celebrated 50 years of watching the Sky Blues. Colin, the founder of the London Supporters club in 1977, watched the team for the first time in October 1969 at Highbury where Ernie Hunt’s goal gave City their first ever win at the famous stadium.

                                                  Ernie Hunt scores the winner at Highbury in 1969                  

Since then Colin has watched the team play over 2000 games and reached the milestone of 2200 at Telford’s New Bucks Head ground in the friendly in July. Coincidentally Colin grew up half a mile away from that ground. Not that he normally watches friendlies - only two of the previous 2,199 were friendlies, the rest being competitive games. Earlier this year, at Accrington, he notched up the hundredth different away ground that he has seen the Sky Blues play on. Colin has barely missed a game, home or away, in the last 40 years and has had many tortuous midweek journeys to and from away games. Congratulations Colin!

Several readers spotted that Rotherham striker Michael Smith scored two penalties against the Sky Blues in the 4-0 defeat at the New York Stadium two weeks ago. This is is a very rare occurrence and the first time since Bradford City’s Tony McMahon netted two penalties in the 3-3 draw at Valley Parade in 2016.

Another two penalty man was Ade Akinfenwa who netted two for Gillingham in a 4-2 defeat at the Priestfield Stadium in 2014, a game that saw four penalties scored with Callum Wilson and Carl Baker scoring City’s spot-kicks.

There are a few other instances of opponents scoring two penalties in a game against the Sky Blues - Liverpool's Jan Molby managed three in the League Cup tie at Anfield in 1986 and other instances include Swindon's Jan Age Fjortoft (1994), West Ham's Ray Stevens (1984), Tottenham's Glen Hoddle (1980), Manchester City's Gary Owen (1978), West Ham's Geoff Hurst (1969) and Sunderland's Neil Martin (1967). I think Martin is the only opposing player to score two penalties at Highfield Road and also score two penalties in a game as City player, against Crystal Palace for the Sky Blues in 1969.

Jim's column 18.2.12

Andy Thorn’s Sky Blues came good on Tuesday night and deservedly won an entertaining encounter with Leeds United. For once the team lasted the distance and grabbed the winner from the penalty spot in added time. On four occasions this season (Palace (away), Burnley (home), Blackpool (away) and Ipswich (home)) City have lost the game in added time but on Tuesday the boot was firmly on the other foot. I had to look back a fair way to find the last time the Sky Blues managed this and it seems it was in November 2007 when Kevin Kyle needed a 92^nd winner in a 2-1 victory at Loftus Road. There have been a few instances of City scoring a late goal for a point, but only one this season, Richard Wood’s late goal at Elland Road earlier this season, and only one last season, Lukas Jutkiewicz’s injury-time penalty at Watford to make it 2-2. Prior to Kyle’s late winner in 2007 one has to go back to the Highfield Road days and a very late Johnnie Jackson winner against West Brom in 2003! So Gary’s winner on Tuesday night was the latest home winner for many years.

Lots of readers wanted to know when a City player last scored two penalties in a game. It wasn’t that long ago – last April to be precise when Marlon King scored two from the spot in the 3-0 win at Fratton Park, City’s last away win. Prior to that Elliott Ward, now playing in the Premier League with Norwich, scored two penalties in a 5-1 win at Colchester in 2008.

Sadly City’s away form continues to cause concern with the defeat at Reading the eighth consecutive defeat on the road. This run equals the worst run since the club were relegated from the Premier League in 2001. Between December 2007 and March 2008 City lost the first eight away games of the SISU era as follows:

Dec	22	2007	a	Blackpool	L	0-4
Dec	26	2007	h	Crystal P	L	0-2
Dec	29	2007	h	Ipswich T	W	2-1
Jan	1	2008	a	Bristol City	L	1-2
Jan	12	2008	a	Leicester C	L	0-2
Jan	19	2008	h	Burnley	L	1-2
Jan	29	2008	a	Hull C	L	0-1
Feb	2	2008	h	Barnsley	W	4-0
Feb	9	2008	a	Preston NE	L	0-1
Feb	12	2008	h	Cardiff C	D	0-0
Feb	23	2008	h	Leicester C	W	2-0
Feb	26	2008	a	Burnley	L	0-2
Mar	1	2008	a	Scunthorpe U	L	1-2
Mar	5	2008	h	QPR	D	0-0
Mar	8	2008	h	Norwich C	W	1-0
Mar	11	2008	a	Sheff. Utd.	L	1-2

With Chris Coleman having replaced Iain Dowie after a brief reign of Frankie Bunn and John Harbin, City were sliding towards relegation when the run came to an end with a 0-0 at Southampton.

Several readers have pointed out that City have not kept a clean sheet away from home this season, and wondered if this was a record. On four previous occasions City have gone a whole season without an away clean sheet. The last time was in the relegation season of 2000-01 when, despite winning four games on the road (Southampton, Manchester City, Everton and Leicester) they conceded in every away game and couldn’t even muster a 0-0 draw. The other three occasions are very strange as they coincide with high-scoring seasons.

In 1931-32 and 1932-33 City netted 108 and 106 goals respectively but their success was founded on virtually unbeatable home form (17 wins out of 21 in the former season and 16 in the latter). The away form was poor in both campaigns with one win and 69 goals conceded in the former and three wins and 53 goals conceded in the latter. The other instance was in 1977-78 – probably City’s best season of the 34 spent in the top flight. Like the early 1930s though, success was based on good home form with 13 wins out of 21 and 48 home goals but they still managed five away wins but couldn’t stop the opposition scoring. I haven’t researched the highest number of clean sheets away from home in a season but suspect it was probably 1969-70 when they did not concede in 10 away games on their way to a sixth place finish under Noel Cantwell.