Jim's column 3.2.24

The games are coming thick and fast for Coventry City right now and a draw in the FA Cup fourth round tie at Hillsborough means potentially seven games for the team during February. Hopefully the seventh and last game of February will be a fifth round tie with Maidstone United who await the winners of next Tuesday's replay with the Owls.

Arguably the Sky Blues shouldn't have needed a replay to beat Wednesday but failed to press home their domination at Hillsborough. The fans got their first glimpse of new Danish signing Victor Torp who scored a memorable goal on his Coventry debut. His goal is the first by a City debutant since Tyler Walker scored the winning goal after coming off the bench in a League Cup tie at MK Dons in August 2020. The last debutant to score in an FA Cup tie was Josh Pask in a 3-0 replay win over Bristol Rovers at St Andrew's in early 2020 and you have to go back to September 2018 for the last league scoring debutant – Conor Chaplin with a penalty in a 2-1 victory at Oxford. Here's hoping that Victor has a more successful career at Coventry than those three scoring debutants. 

Kyle McFadzean left the club this week with many eulogies for his part in the club's rise in recent years. He joined Coventry from Burton Albion in the summer of 2019 and helped the club to win promotion to the Championship in his first season. He had previously won promotions with Crawley Town and MK Dons. He made 171 appearances for the Sky Blues and scored eight goals including the winner on his CBS Arena debut against Nottingham Forest in 2021. Prior to his arrival I always felt City's defence had a soft heart and were often bullied by the more physical teams. Kyle solved that problem at a stroke, commanding his penalty area and probably the most dominating centre-back the club has had since Mo Konjic twenty years previously. Of course he had his moments – the disaster at Rotherham when he was red carded as City slumped to a 4-0 defeat comes to mind but he bounced back from that and was only on the losing side once more that season. Last season his presence was dreadfully missed when he was injured in December and January when City won only two games out of 11 and suffered embarrassing home defeats to Wrexham and Norwich. He returned in February helping steer the team to the play-offs and was only on the losing side once in 20 games. This season he had continued his good form and it was still hard to imagine a Coventry side without their captain and defensive rock but Mark Robins decided to change the defensive formation to four at the back and Kyle, who is 37 this month, was relegated to the bench. With the re-formed back four producing good results and Kyle's presence not missed he had become surplus to requirements. Kyle is a true legend of the club, a winner and a major force in the Coventry City's resurgence.

Jim's column 18.1.2020

Coventry City overcame Bristol Rovers comfortably in their FA Cup Third round replay at St Andrew’s on Tuesday evening. Their 3-0 victory was the clubs biggest FA Cup replay win since 2003 when Cardiff City were despatched by the same score at Highfield Road.

The victory sets up an enthralling Fourth round tie with the club’s landlords Birmingham City with the Sky Blues the ‘home’ side at St Andrew’s. It will be the fourth FA Cup meeting between the clubs and Blues have the edge having won two to City’s one. The first meeting was in the Third round at St Andrew’s in 1935 when Blues were a First Division club and Coventry were in Division Three South. Blues’ pedigree prevailed with a 5-1 victory thanks to a Fred Harris hat-trick and City’s consolation coming via a Les Jones penalty. A crowd of over 40,000 watched the tie.

The next meeting was at Highfield Road in 1981 in front of 29,000, when both sides were in Division One. In a close game Gerry Daly and Andy Blair gave the home side a 2-0 half-time lead before Frank Worthington, with a penalty, and Alan Ainscow levelled things. Daly won the tie from the penalty spot to send the Sky Blues to a Fifth round tie at Tottenham.

The most recent meeting was in 2011 in the Fourth round at St Andrew’s. Blues were in the Premier League with City in the Championship but the game didn’t excite the fans and only 16,000 were present. The Sky Blues took a 2-0 lead through Richard Wood and Marlon King before David Bentley pulled one back with a screamer from 25 yards. After half-time the home side’s quality began to tell and they sealed the tie with goals from Stuart Parnaby and Kevin Phillips. The Blues went on to reach the quarterfinals before losing to Bolton.

Josh Pask made an impressive senior debut for the club on Tuesday night and capped it with a stunning goal. Fellow historian Paul O’Connor pointed out that Pask is the first player to score for the club on his debut in an FA Cup game since City joined the league in 1919. That’s not strictly true - Coventry-born winger Dennis Simpson scored in the home FA Cup game with Aston Villa in January 1946 which City won 2-1. Whilst it was Simpson’s first ‘official’ competitive game for the club, he had played numerous times for the club in wartime games. Dennis went to play 69 games for City before joining Reading where he played almost 200 games.

The Sky Blues’ home form continues to be good with only one defeat in 18 games in all competitions. MK Dons however did become the first side not to lose at St Andrew’s after going behind. Ironically it was Coventry’s fastest goal of the season that put the ahead with Sam McCallum’s strike timed at 50 seconds.

Jim's column 16.8.14

What a Coventry City debut at Bradford for new captain Reda Johnson. The French-born son of an American Beninese father & an Algerian mother not only became the first Coventry City central defender to score on his debut but then added a second goal to become only the seventh City player to score more than one goal on his first Football League appearance.

Reda was the 89^th City player to score on his competitive debut since City joined the League in 1919, and follows the following to score more than one: 

 

1928 Tommy Bowen v Norwich (h) 2

1954. Jack Lee v Crystal Palace (h) 2

1963.  George Hudson v Halifax (h) 3

1992.  Mick Quinn v Man City. (h)  2

1999.  Robbie Keane v Derby County (h)  2

2013.  Chris Maguire v MK Dons (a) 2

Sadly his goals were unable to help City avoid defeat at Valley Parade & it is now 55 years & 13 visits without a win there. The Sky Blues equalled another record last Saturday by taking the field with seven debutants and then using Shaun Miller to make it eight new men in total. That equalled the club's post-war record set in 2003 when Gary McAllister used seven debutant starters plus one new sub in a League Cup tie against Peterborough at Highfield Road. For the record those debutants eleven years ago were: Scott Shearer, Stephen Warnock, Patrick Suffo, Michael Doyle, Dele Adebola, Graham Barrett, Claus Jorgensen with Andy Morrell a substitute. City won 2-0 with goals from Adebola & Barrett.

On Wednesday evening the Sky Blues were dumped out of the League Cup by Cardiff City to extend City's poor recent record in the competition. Only once in the last six seasons have they progressed past the First Round. Cardiff joined Hartlepool, Morecambe, Bury & Leyton Orient as first round victors over City. The one exceptional season in the last six was two seasons ago when Andy Thorn managed the side to a victory at Dagenham & Redbridge before handing over to caretaker Richard Shaw who inspired an exciting win over Birmingham City -one of only three League Cup victories at the Ricoh. By the time the third round tie at Arsenal was played, Mark Robins was in charge & he oversaw a brave but heavy defeat at the Emirates. City's record in the League Cup might seem poor but I read this week that Ipswich have lost to lower league opposition in nine of the last 12 seasons.

As expected the attendance for the Cardiff game was the smallest for a League Cup tie involving the Sky Blues since the competition was inaugurated in 1960. The previous low was 1,904 at Dagenham two years ago & the previous home low was 5,519 for a second round game in October 1985 when Chester were the visitors to Highfield Road & were comprehensively defeated with Cyrille Regis grabbing five goals in a 7-2 victory.

Steve Menary wanted to know about City's pre-season friendlies in 1992-93 season. Under new manager Bobby Gould, the team played the following games:

20 July 1992 Morton (a) 2-2 Scorers; Bowen & Ndlovu.

22 July 1992 Clydebank (a) 1-0 Flynn

25 July 1992 Airdrie (a) 1-1 Sansom

8 August 1992 Brescia (at St Andrews) 1-0 D Smith (International tournament)

9 August 1992 Birmingham (at St Andrews 0-1 (International tournament)

Jim's column 7.12.13

What a comeback at Stadium MK last Saturday. For the first time in a league game this season the Sky Blues came from behind to win a game. After trailing to a 45th minute penalty the team came out for the second half with a higher tempo & kicking towards the enormous Sky Blue Army, they gave the home side a battering they will remember for a long time. Debutant Chris Dagnall's equaliser was a touch fortuitous and it looked as though they would have to settle for a point until, with the clock ticking into the final minutes, substitute Chris Maguire made it the debut to top all debuts by scoring two phenomenal free kicks from 25 yards. Both goals were out of the the highest quality& sent the City following into ecstasy.

Few players have scored two or more goals on their debut for City, let alone a debutant coming off the bench for 25 minutes. Maguire, who has started just one match for Sheffield Wednesday this season, is the first player to score two goals on his debut since Robbie Keane scored a double against Derby County in  August 1999 following his £6 m move from Wolves. Maguire is only the sixth man In the club's history to have scored more than one goal in their first game in a City shirt and the first to score them in an away game. At the time Mick Quinn scored his double he was, like Maguire, on loan - he signed on permanent terms a few weeks later. The full list is:

1928 Tommy Bowen v Norwich (h) 2

1954. Jack Lee v Crystal Palace (h) 2

1963.  George Hudson v Halifax (h) 3

1992.  Mick Quinn v Man City. (h)  2

1999.  Robbie Keane v Derby County (h)  2

2013.  Chris Maguire v MK Dons (a) 2

Chris's feat also made him only the fourth City player to score twice after coming on as a substitute, and the first in a league game since 1967. The full list is:

1967. Bobby Gould v Nottm Forest (a)  3-3

2002. Jay Bothroyd v Rushden & D LC (h) 8-0

2004. Patrick Suffo v Torquay FAC (h) 4-1

2013. Chris Maguire v MK Dons (a) 3-1

Today City travel to the North East to face Hartlepool in the FA Cup. It is the first time the clubs have met in the competition since 1934-35 when City won 4-0 in Round 2 with goals from Clarrie Bourton (2)' Les Jones & Bob Birtley. A crowd of 13,054, a record for the Victoria Ground at the time, watched the one-sided tie.  The victory earned City a Third round tie at St Andrews but the Cup run ended there with a 5-1 defeat. 

Many readers will be aware that my son Alastair went missing in Nottingham this week. He has been found safe and well and I would like to thank everyone for their words of comfort & their help in getting the message of his disappearance through the social networks.

Jim's column 3.12.11

                         CCFC photographed in Denmark on tour in 1946. Setchell is far right in the front row.

City’s trip to the South Coast and the first visit to the new Amex Stadium ended in defeat and disappointment for the 1900 City fans (the biggest away league following for almost two years) who made the long trip. One bright spot was the debut of Gary Gardner who scored after just eight minutes of his debut in a City shirt. According to my records he is only the fourth loanee to score on his first outing for the club. The three others are Lee Mills (2001-02 v Crystal Palace – almost ten years ago to the day), Johnnie Jackson (2002-03 v West Brom) and Micky Quinn (1992-93 v Manchester City). Quinn scored twice on his debut in a 2-3 loss and like Mills had his loan turned into a permanent transfer within weeks. Gardner’s goal however will go down as the fastest by a City loanee. Gary was also the first City debutant scorer for over four years – the last being Julian Gray on the opening day at Barnsley in 2007.

Cov kids Billy Gray and Alf Setchell were both on Coventry City’s books in the period immediately after the Second World War. This week I had news of both of them but very sad news in the case of Alf. Two weeks ago he was badly burned in a fire at his home in Holbrooks Lane and has subsequently died of his injuries.

Recent knowledge of Alf is vague but I do know that he was secretary for a local football team and must have been in his mid-80s – having appeared for City during the World War Two.

He was one of numerous good local players who filled in during the war for City when many of the first team squad were on active service in the hostilities. He made 12 appearances on the left wing in the 1942-43 season playing alongside several City legends including George Mason, Alf Wood, Billy Frith and George Lowrie. City had a strong team - only three of his twelve games were lost - and Setchell managed one goal in a 2-0 win at Filbert Street. Another three appearances were made in 1943-44, with one goal in a 4-1 win at Notts County. He then disappeared off the scene for almost two years before popping up in April 1946 and making three further appearances near the end of the transitional regional league season.

In May 1946 City travelled to Denmark for some friendly matches and Alf was in the 17-man squad who travelled across a war-ravaged Europe and scored a goal against crack Danish side Aarhus. (see picture).  He must have been confident of being in the first team squad when the first post-war season kicked off in August 1946 but he never played for the first team again. I believe he may have played for Lockheed Leamington at some stage after the war but I do know he lived in Coventry for the rest of his life.

Alan Clowes gave me the latest news on Billy Gray. Billy, who celebrates his 80^th birthday today, moved to Northumberland with his wife, Dot, a few years ago, to be closer to his family, but misses Coventry. He was a couple of years younger than Setchell and was one of an amazing crop of talented youngsters who played for Modern Machines FC which was in effect City’s youth team in the late 1940s. The team were virtually unbeatable in the Coventry leagues and saved the club thousands of pounds in the transfer market and Billy was a contemporary of players like Lol Harvey, Reg Matthews, Peter Hill, Frank Austin and Gordon Nutt. Billy played at wing-half where there was stiff competition for a first team place with Don Dorman, Harry Barratt, Harvey and others vying for a place. Billy got his chance in October 1951 playing at right half in a 1-1 home draw with Birmingham City. City’s form that autumn was not dissimilar to this season and the result, City’s fourth home game without a win, left them 21^st in the Second Division table. At the end of the season City were relegated.

Billy did enough to keep his place for a visit to Leicester the following week but the 1-3 defeat at Filbert Street marked the end of Gray’s first team career. He appeared many times for the reserves in a six-year career at the club but in 1954 he transferred to Kettering Town before reverting to local football with Morris Motors a year later.

Hopefully I can persuade Billy to sign up to the Former Players Association and get him to the Ricoh for a game soon.

Former City player Paul Furlong was spotted playing for St Albans City at Leamington’s New Windmill last weekend. The Londoner who played for City under Terry Butcher and Don Howe in the 1991-92 season, is now 43-years old.