The Sky Blues have their
first FA Cup replay on Tuesday night when they entertain Bristol
Rovers for a place in the Fourth round and a home tie with Birmingham
City. The intriguing prospect of a game against our landlords makes
the replay even more interesting.
Last week's draw at
Bristol stopped City winning their third successive away FA Cup tie
of the season, something they have not done since 1987 when, of
course, they went on to lift the trophy. In fact it would have been
only the third time ever – the other occasion being in 1909-10 when
City, as a non-league club, won away at Kettering, First Division
Preston and Portsmouth, on their way to a quarter final tie with
Everton.
I've been looking at
City's record in home FA Cup replays and it is very interesting.
Since World War Two City have had 14 home replays in the competition
and have lost only three. Two of those defeats have been at the Ricoh
(v Bristol City in 2007 and v Portsmouth in 2010), the other way back
in 1955 against First Division Huddersfield and two of the three
defeats came after extra time. Therefore in fourteen home replays the
team has lost only once inside ninety minutes. Highfield Road was
undoubtedly a fortress when it came to Cup replays but only two of
the four staged at the Ricoh have been won. The full list is as
follows:
1951-52 v Leicester City
won 4-1
1954-55 v
Huddersfield lost 2-3 (after extra time)
1962-63 v Millwall won
2-1
1962-63 v Portsmouth drew
2-2 (won 2nd replay)
1965-66 v Crewe won 4-1
1973-74 v Sheffield
Wed. won 3-1
1980-81 v Leeds
United won 1-0
1983-84 v Wolves won 3-0
(2nd replay)
2002-03 v Cardiff won
3-0
2006-07 v Bristol
City lost 0-2
2008-09 v Blackburn won
1-0
2009-10 v Portsmouth lost
1-2 (after extra time)
2013-14 v Hartlepool won
2-1
2016-17 v Morecambe won
2-1
It's sad to report the
death of former City youth player John Matthews at the age of 73.
Coventry-born John was the son of ex-City player Horace Matthews and
joined City after being spotted playing for GEC. John was a winger
and played in the same youth team as Mick Coop and Pat Morrissey but
his first team chances were non-existent due to the form of Ronnie
Rees and John Mitten. In 1966 Jimmy Hill was approached by Mick
Lynch, the manager of Waterford, seeking a young player on loan. JH
agreed for young John, who would have probably been released that
summer, to go over for six weeks to gain some experience and in his
first seven games he helped them clinch their first ever League of
Ireland championship. John signed permanently for the club soon
afterwards and the club won five more titles over the next six
seasons and played in the European Cup against such sides as
Manchester United and Celtic. He also played for Cork United,
Newcastlewest and Longford Town during a 22-year career. His
156 goals make him the ninth highest goal scorer in the history of
the League of Ireland.
After retiring Johnny, as he
became known in Ireland, managed Limerick & Waterford United as
well as becoming a referee & TV pundit. Thanks to City fan Jim
Douglas for the sad news. John can be found on the unique photograph
taken of the whole club staff taken in 1966. He is on the far right
in the group under number 11 with Dave Clements.
Another
who passed away over the Christmas period was Gordon Dougall. Gordon
was
one of six sons of 1920’s Coventry City star Jimmy Dougall and
played for several local clubs including Rugby Town and Lockheed
Leamington in the fifties. One of his brothers was Tommy who played
four games for City during the Second World War.
Posts
