Jim's column 3.11.2018

City's fifth league win in a row against Doncaster last weekend makes it the best run since Gordon Strachan's outstanding team won the same number of league games in a seven win run in all competitions in January/February 1998. Following a 2-2 home draw with Arsenal on 17th January 1998, City set off on a run of victories as follows:

24 January Home Derby (FAC) 2-0 (Dublin 2)

31 January Away Bolton 5-1 (Whelan, Huckerby 2, Dublin 2)

7 February Home Sheff. Wed. 1-0 (Dublin (pen))

14 February Away Aston Villa (FAC) 1-0 (Moldovan)

18 February Away Southampton 2-1 (Whelan, Huckerby)

21 February Home Barnsley 1-0 (Dublin (pen))

28 February Away Crystal Palace 3-0 (Telfer, Moldovan, Dublin)

The incredible run of victories came to an end on 7th March when Sheffield United held the Sky Blues to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup sixth round.

I hope I don't put the jinx on things but one more victory today against Accrington would equal the best league runs in the club's history. On three occasions City have won six on the bounce 1908, 1954 and 1964. The last occurrence, in the Jimmy Hill era, saw City clinch promotion on the final day of the 1963-64 season with a 1-0 home win over Colchester, and then open the 1964-65 campaign with five straight wins. Similarly in 1954 City won the last three Division Three South games of 1953-54 and proceeded to start the 1954-55 season with three victories. The 1908 run is the only time the club has recorded six league wins on the bounce in the SAME season. The 1907-08 season was the most successful in the club's 25-year history to that date. They reached the FA Cup 1st round (the equivalent of the third round now) for the first time and finished fourth in the Birmingham & District League (their highest ever final position). After losing at Wolves to their reserve side, City beat Worcester City home (4-2), Walsall home (3-0), Brierley Hill away (3-1), Brierly Hill home (6-0) and Stoke Reserves home (5-0). The run came to an end with a 4-0 defeat at Burton United. By coincidence City's next league game is away to Burton Albion!

Before Burton however the Sky Blues are in Cup action twice in four days with trips to Walsall in the FA Cup and Cheltenham in the Checkatrade (EFL) Trophy. City have met the Saddlers twice before in the FA Cup and won both. In 1924-25 City travelled to the Black Country for the equivalent of a First Round tie and won 2-1 at Walsall's Hillary Street ground with goals from Fred Morris and Fred Herbert. City were struggling near the foot of the Second Division and the victory over their Division Three North opponents was a boost and they went on to reach the Third Round by defeating Nelson, from the same division, in round two. In the Third round First Division Notts County were too strong, winning 2-0 at Highfield Road in front of almost 22,000.

The other FA Cup meeting with Walsall was in 1947-48 in the Third Round. The Saddlers, by now in Division Three South, had eliminated non-league Vauxhall Motors and Norwich City to get to the Third Round and a massive 34,278 crowd including many thousands from Walsall, City's biggest crowd since the war, watched City win 2-1 with two goals from Les 'Plum' Warner, Doug Lishman replying for Walsall. In the fourth round City went out to Luton, losing 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.