Jim's column 28.9.19

After failing to come from behind to win a home league game in more than three years Coventry City did it in successive home games against Blackpool and AFC Wimbledon. Both games saw late, late winners with Liam Walsh's winner in the latest game timed at 93 minutes. By my reckoning these two comeback wins were the first time the Sky Blues have done it in successive home games since 1989. On 27th March 1989 Danny Wallace gave Southampton an early lead at Highfield Road but Brian Borrows equalised before half-time before David Speedie grabbed a 71st minute winner with one of his trademark chips over Tim Flowers. Two weeks later Norwich were the visitors and Speedie was the star man again, making David Phillips' equaliser and scoring the winner. 'Speedo' also won a penalty which saw Canaries' 'keeper Bryan Gunn sent off for dissent, but Brian Kilcline missed the spot kick. The victory lifted the Sky Blues to sixth place in the old First Division but sadly there were only 12,000 to watch John Sillett's exciting team defeat a Norwich team still in contention for the league title.

Today's home game with Doncaster is probably City's toughest test to date and the nine-game unbeaten league run will come under severe pressure. It's currently the best run by a City team since the autumn of 2015 when Tony Mowbray's thrilling team went unbeaten for 11 games that saw them top League One for three weeks. We are still well short of City's best unbeaten start to a season however. That happened in 1937 in the old Division Two. Following promotion in 1936 manager Harry Storer had consolidated in the higher division and with some shrewd buys had built a strong side with its foundations in defence. He had introduced a new kit that summer and it took fifteen games for the 'Bantams' to lose in the new kit. They started the season with a goal-less draw at Tottenham followed by two 1-0 home victories over Manchester United and Burnley. A point in the return at Old Trafford and a 2-0 victory at Bury put City into second place but another 1-0 home win over Stockport saw City go top of the table.

The team's form was attracting the crowds and over 27,000 saw City draw 2-2 with Chesterfield and a week later Forest grabbed a point at Highfield Road. Any thought that bubble was about to be burst were dispelled with 2-1 victories at Newcastle and at home to Luton before a 3-3 draw at Swansea after leading 3-1 kept City on top. A 2-0 home win over Norwich saw Irish international winger Jackie Brown score his sixth goal of the season and a week later came City's greatest test, at Villa Park.

                                                         1937-38 squad 

Villa were favourites for promotion and were in third place two points behind City. Over 67,000 including an estimated 20,000 Coventry fans packed into the ground and saw a thrilling game. Billy Macdonald gave City a first half lead but Eric Houghton levelled after the break and a draw was a fair result and extended City's run to 13 games. The first two Saturdays of November saw City record 0-0 draws, at home to Bradford Park Avenue and at West Ham, the latter game attracting a crowd of over 40,000 to Upton Park, one of the largest crowds at the east end stadium.

Seven days after the draw at West Ham City's fifteen-game run came to an end at Highfield Road when Sheffield Wednesday staged a smash and grab act with a 1-0 win. City's good form continued however and the next three games were won with 11 goals scored and there was only one more defeat before the middle of January – at Bramall Lane in front of 49,000 on Christmas morning. City were never out of the top four all season but two defeats in their final three games cost them promotion to Division One with Villa and Manchester United going up and City missing out by one point. Coventry fans would have to wait another 29 years before reaching the top flight.

Jim's column 14.9.19

The Sky Blues pulled off a rare feat last Saturday in the home game with Blackpool - winning a game from 2-0 down. It was only the sixth time the club had achieved it in the last forty years as the first time in a league game for almost four years.

2019-20 Blackpool (h) 3-2

2016-17 Wycombe Wanderers (FL Trophy) (a) 4-2

2015-16 Peterborough (h) 3-2

2014-15 Peterborough (h) 3-2

1995-96 Tottenham (League Cup) (h) 3-2

1985-86 Southampton (h) 3-2

1980-81 West Ham (League Cup) (h) 3-2

1970-71 Derby (a) 4-3

1963-64 Peterborough (h) 3-2

The last time the Sky Blues won from 2-0 down in an away league game was in a famous win at Derby's Baseball Ground in 1970. That night City were not only 0-2 down but had seen their new £100,000 record signing Wilf Smith stretchered off in the first few minutes. Kevin Hector and Alan Hinton put the Rams 2-0 ahead in the first thirteen minutes but goals from Neil Martin & Dave Clements pulled  City level by half-time. Martin put City ahead early in the second half before John McGovern made it 3-3. Bill Glazier saved a Hinton penalty before Willie Carr popped up with the winner two minutes from time.

Last Saturday’s win was also the first time City have come from behind to win a home league game since April 2016 when City trailed Millwall 1-0 before second half goals from John Fleck and Marcus Tudgay gave City a 2-1 victory. There have been comebacks away, at Swindon and Lincoln in 2017-18 and at Charlton last term, and in Cup games v Morecambe and Wycombe, but it’s three and half years since the last home league comeback.

Lots of people have asked me when the Sky Blues last won their first four home league games and you have to go back 46 years to 1973. Then Gordon Milne’s team had an excellent start with five straight home victories over Tottenham, Liverpool, Southampton, Manchester City and Derby. Let’s hope the boys can keep the run going next Tuesday evening against AFC Wimbledon.

The Sky Blues fought out a poor 0-0 draw in their first outing in the Football League Trophy, sponsored this season by Leasing.com, against Walsall at St Andrews last week. Fielding a team mainly made up of youngsters, City got the extra point by virtue of winning a penalty shoot out.

It was the fourth penalty shoot-out win in a row for the club in what was the twelfth shoot-out and they have all been in the Football League Trophy (FLT). Prior to 2012 the Sky Blues had only ever taken part in three penalty shoot-outs since they were introduced into domestic games in 1976. In 1988 City lost at Reading in a Simod Cup semi-final, in 1998 they lost to Sheffield United in an FA Cup quarter final replay and in 2001 they won a League Cup tie at Peterborough. Since the last defeat, in October 2015 at Yeovil in the FLT, their record has been as follows:

2016-17 Swansea (a) won 4-2

2017-18 Walsall (a) won 4-3

2018-19 Forest Green (h) won 4-2

2019-20 Walsall (h) won 4-3

Their overall record in penalty shoot-outs is played twelve, won seven, lost five.

Jim's column 7-9-2019

Coventry City's promising start to the season has generated a few interesting stats not least equalling the best home start for almost fifty years. Three home league games (Four after yesterday) – three wins without a single goal conceded - Southend, Bristol Rovers and Gillingham all dispatched.

You have to go back to 1989-90 season when John Sillett's team won their first three games against Everton (2-0), Manchester City (2-1) and Luton (1-0) for the last occasion. Gordon Milne's 1979-80 team also won their first three home games and three wins is the best start since 1973-74 when the Sky Blues won their first five home games and didn't concede a goal in their first three.

The great home start of 1973 was as follows:

25/8/1973 Tottenham H. 1-0 (Coop)

28/8/1973 Liverpool 1-0 (Hutchison)

8/9/1973 Southampton 2-0 (Coop, Green)

11/9/1973 Manchester City 2-1 (Coop, Craven)

18/9/1973 Derby 1-0 (Stein)

On two occasions City have recorded better home starts than the 1973 one. In 1935-36 they won their first eight home games as they started their Division Three South promotion campaign (they went on to record 19 home wins out of 21). This was repeated in 1950-51 in a season that saw City lead Division Two at New Years Day but fade away and fail to win promotion.

Last week's draw at Oxford meant that City remained unbeaten in six league games with 12 points, the best start to a season since 1993 when, under Bobby Gould the Sky Blues were unbeaten in eight league games. That season the team gained 12 points from the first six games then drew the next two games. Sadly the good start fizzled out and the team failed to win another league game until early November.

That start in 1993, which also included a 3-3 away draw, was:

14/8/1993 Arsenal (a) 3-0

17/8/1993 Newcastle (h) 2-1

21/8/1993 West Ham (h) 1-1

24/8/1993 Oldham (a) 3-3

27/8/1993 Man City (a) 1-1

1/9/1993 Liverpool (h) 1-0

11/9/1993 Aston Villa (a) 0-0

18/9/1993 Chelsea (h) 1-1

The thrilling game at Portsmouth's Fratton Park ended in a 3-3 draw, the first time City have been involved in this scoreline since the draw at Bradford City in November 2013 when City conceded an injury time goal by Nakhi Wells. The last time City came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 was at Bristol City's Ashton Gate in an FA Cup tie in 2007. City trailed 3-1 after 21 minutes through Booker, Showumni & Jevons with Colin Cameron netting for the Sky Blues. Leon McKenzie pulled one back before half-time and Stern John earned the replay nine minutes from time. The replay at the Ricoh ended badly for City with the visitors winning 3-1 and manager Micky Adams losing his job after the game. After only two 3-3 draws in twelve years who would have guessed that we would have the same scoreline in the very next away game at Oxford.

The Fratton Park game saw City have two players (Dabo and Kastaneer) sent off for two yellow card offences and it reminded me of a home 3-3 draw with Wimbledon in 1995. That day the Dons led 3-1 with half an hour left with Ron Atkinson's City down to 10 men following Paul Williams' red card for hand ball in the first half. Dion Dublin pulled a goal back on 67 minutes before Richard Shaw got his marching orders in the 80th minute for a second yellow card. Seven minutes from time David Rennie scored for the nine men in a goalmouth melee to make it 3-3 and Peter Ndlovu missed an easy chance to make it 4-3 before the final whistle. That was only the second time that City had had two men sent off in a game (the other was back in 1920!) but since then there have now been four other instances:

1996-97 Aston Villa (a) Paul Williams and Gary Breen

2003-04 Preston (a) Patrick Suffo and Michael Doyle

2014-15 Doncaster (a) Adam Barton and James Maddison

2019-20 Portsmouth (a) Fankaty Dabo and Gervane Kastaneer

100th anniversary of Coventry City's first Football League game

Today is the 100th anniversary of Coventry City joining the Football League. On 30th August 1919 City played their opening match in Division Two against Tottenham Hotspur at Highfield Road. The Londoners, who would end up winning the Division Two title, inflicted a devastating 5-0 defeat on the Bantams (City's nickname in those days).

The defeat was the first of many in that inauspicious season in which the team failed to win a game until Christmas Day – a run of 19 games without a victory, but avoided re-election on the final day of the season thanks to illegal payments to their opponents.

The circumstances of the club's election to the League were like a fairy story. Before the First World War started in 1914 there were only two divisions of the Football League and Coventry City were members of the Southern League which comprised of the best non-league sides in the south of England. Teams like West Ham, Southampton, Portsmouth and Watford graced the high-class league but City were down in Division Two playing against clubs such as Brentford and Swansea as well as several small Welsh clubs, effectively tier four of English football. Before football was called to a halt in 1915 the Bantams finished fifth out of 12 clubs.

After the end of the war the Football League decided to expand both divisions from 20 to 22 clubs and as a result there were four places in Division Two for new clubs. Amazingly City managed to be included in the vote for the four extra spots. The club had had a fairly successful transitional season in the Midland Section of the League including some impressive performances against First Division sides and with attendances averaging 10,000 the ambitious directors felt confident enough to put in their resignation from the Southern League and start a campaign to join the Football League.

The club's approach was nothing less than professional. Their case was persuasive: Coventry City had a ‘fine, well-equipped’ ground holding 24,000 spectators; attendances were good; the team was a ‘big-draw’ at away grounds; the financial position of the club was sound; the city had good railway facilities and the population had more than doubled in the last 20 years to 200,000. The directors led by Alf Collingbourne lobbied hard and their fate was decided at the League’s Special General Meeting in Manchester on 10 March 1919. The meeting was dominated by the vote to fill two extra places in the First Division, a ballot which controversially saw Second Division Arsenal receiving more votes than Tottenham, despite their North London rivals having been relegated from the top division in the 1914-15 season. Seven clubs faced City in the fight for four places in Division Two and Coventry topped the poll with 35 votes with West Ham (32), South Shields (28), Rotherham (28) also elected.

Many believed that entry to the League would be the start of a golden period in the club’s history when in fact it would be the start of a period later described as the ‘Stormy Period’ and one that would last twelve years until the arrival of Harry Storer as manager in 1931 effected an upturn in the club’s fortunes. Off the field a large amount of work was carried out on the ground in anticipation of larger crowds including extensive terracing in front of the newest stand (Built in 1910), extra banking on both ends of the ground and extra standing room provided in front of the old stand. Additional entrances were provided with several new turnstiles at the top of King Richard Street. The Dressing rooms have been much improved, particularly bathing facilities. Prices had increased with ground entrance now 1 shilling (5p) and entrance to the stands from 1/6d (7.5p) to 3 shillings (15p).

On the Saturday before the start of the season the club opened the Highfield Road stadium for fans to watch the public trial between the Stripes (the first team) and the Whites (the reserve team). The rare picture below was taken prior to the kick-off.

Tottenham had been relegated from Division One in 1915 and in many people’s eyes, cheated of a place in the enlarged post-war top division by Arsenal. City fielded many of the successful players from the previous season but included four new signings all with top-flight experience. The game kicked off at 3.30 and the Coventry Silver Band entertained the crowd before the game.

City were outclassed by the Londoners and the disappointed 16,500 crowd had little to cheer about as Bert Bliss (2), Jimmy Chipperfield (2) and Arthur Grimsdell inflicted what would remain City's record home league defeat until 1990. To rub salt in the wounds Spurs’ goalkeeper was former City custodian Bill Jacques.

Four days later City travelled to play Leeds City and lost 3-0, a result later amended after Leeds were expelled from the league for illegal payments, and became a 3-0 loss to Port Vale, who took over Leeds' results. A 4-1 defeat at White Hart Lane on the second Saturday meant three defeats in a row and that became nine successive defeats before the first point was gained with a goal-less draw at Fulham in October. The first win arrived on Christmas Day with a 3-2 victory over Stoke by which time only two members of the team from the opening game were playing and manager William Clayton who had resigned after only seven games replaced by Harry Pollitt. Pollitt was given several thousand pounds by the directors to strengthen the woeful team and by the season’s end the club had used a record 43 different players.

Despite being five points adrift of safety at Christmas Pollitt turned things around thanks to good home form (only one defeat after Christmas) and the goals from Dick Parker, a January signing from Sunderland. With two games remaining City were one place off the bottom, a point behind Lincoln but with a game in hand. With the bottom two facing re-election, it was widely felt that City would be voted out and with the Football League and the Southern League still at loggerheads it was possible that City might even find themselves with nowhere to go.

The final games were home and away to Bury, then lying fifth in the table. City drew 2-2 at Gigg Lane and needed to win the final game to avoid the dreaded vote. In front of a record crowd of 23,506 a nervous City struggled to make headway against a strong Lancashire side and trailed 0-1 at half-time. Two second half goals from Alec Mercer saved City’s skins and sent the crowd into wild celebrations. Rumours of skulduggery abounded for three years and finally in 1923 the FA conducted an inquiry at which it was concluded that City and Bury had colluded to allow City to win and six players and five directors and officials were suspended for life. Directors David Cooke and Jack Marshall, manager Harry Pollitt and captain George Chaplin were City’s culprits. Both clubs were fined £100. Ironically City would have been safe even in defeat as Lincoln lost at Huddersfield making the score from Highfield Road immaterial. Almost twenty years later the story behind the scandal emerged in a newspaper interview with Chaplin. He had taken £200 to Bury before the first game and felt confident that it would ensure City gained at least three points from the two games. At half time at Highfield Road one of the Bury players came into the home dressing room and told him that City were so poor that Bury could not lose. Later that night Chaplin handed over the final instalment of the bribe in the cloakroom of the Kings Head.

Despite many poor home performances and the sad plight of the team, attendances were at a record high and averaged 16,899, the fourth highest in the division, with several crowds of over 20,000. Contemporary photographs of games generally show a healthy, full crowd in the stadium.

Stats review of 2018-19

After promotion from League Two in 2017-18 this was a season of consolidation for the Sky Blues and everyone can feel satisfied with an eighth place finish. With a little more consistency, especially at home, it could have been better however. In true Sky Blue fashion the team saved their best performances for the big teams, taking four points off Barnsley (and ending their unbeaten start), Peterborough and Sunderland, and six off Charlton. The outstanding away performances at Luton and Portsmouth were worthy of a higher placed team. On the flip side, relegated Scunthorpe did the double over City who also failed to beat AFC Wimbledon and Bristol Rovers home or away as well as losing the away games at three of the four relegated clubs. Whilst a number of the poorer sides raised their games at the Ricoh, City were often guilty of failing to break down stubborn defences.

Many of the promotion side adapted to the higher division but several slipped out of contention through the season, most notably Michael Doyle who left for Notts County in January. The newcomers, a combination of young loan signings and permanent purchases generally performed well. Loanees Thomas, Sterling and Enobakhere were outstanding and the recruitment department requires praise for these. Of the permanent buys, one, Ogogo, failed to impress whilst Junior Brown could not hold his place against young challengers, especially Mason. Of the new forwards Hiwula got amongst the goals but the jury is still out on Bakayoko and Chaplin who were both inconsistent.

More youngsters forced their way into the manager's thoughts without any one cementing a place like Bayliss and Shipley had done in the previous campaign. The signs are that young players like Sam McCallum, Morgan Williams, Jordon Thompson, Zain Westbrooke and others from the successful under 23 squad will be knocking on the first team door next season. There was great progress from Dom Hyam and Liam Kelly this season. Hyam deservedly swept the majority of the Player of the Year awards and Kelly, who came tentatively back from injury, blossomed in the New Year after being given the captaincy and ended the season impressively.

Finally, we shouldn't forget long term injury victims Jodi Jones and Max Biamou. To use a well-trodden cliché, having them back will be like signing two new players. Both have a lot to prove at League One level.

Games: Coventry City played 51 competitive games, 46 league, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup and 3 Football League Trophy (Checkatrade Trophy).

Points: The Sky Blues gathered 65 league points during the season – ten points less than 2017-18 but still the third best haul in the last 17 years.

Home Form: 9 wins, 7 draws, 7 losses. After last season's 13 home wins this was a disappointing home campaign with only 34 points gained. The form against lower placed clubs was poor with Scunthorpe, Rochdale, Oxford, Blackpool and Burton all winning at the Ricoh in addition to the high-flying Portsmouth and Luton. Only one team – Blackpool – won by more than one goal, the Seasiders winning 2-0.

Away Form: 9 wins, 5 draws, 10 losses. Another great season on the road and the third highest total of away wins in the club's history. Three bogeys ended – the first ever win at Rochdale, first victory at Bradford since 1959 and a first win at Sunderland since 1977. The team went six games unbeaten between the Plymouth loss in January until the defeat at Portsmouth at Easter, four wins and two draws.

Wins: In total therefore, 18 league victories were recorded – the third highest in the last 17 seasons.

Biggest win: The biggest league win of the season was the 3-0 home win over Walsall in February.

Biggest defeat: The 0-3 defeat at Fleetwood was the heaviest league defeat of the season. Arsenal's under 21 team won by the same score at the Ricoh in the EFL Trophy.

Goals for: The goals for total of 54 was 10 less than the previous season. The best run of consecutive scoring league goals was eight and came in City's excellent run in February and March. The team never went more than one league game without scoring in league games. A neutral goal difference was recorded for only the second time in the club's history (i.e. Goals scored equals goals conceded)

Goals against: City conceded 54 league goals, seven more than in 2017-18 but still the third lowest since the club left the Premiership in 2001. The team kept eleven clean sheets in the league. Lee Burge kept seven clean sheets, David Stockdale two and Liam O'Brien two.

Final position: The final position of 8th meant that for the first time City have finished in the top eight in successive seasons since the 1960s. Despite threatening to finish in the top six in the final weeks of the season City were never in the top six places at any time during the season.

Leading scorers: Jordy Hiwula was leading scorer with 13 goals, 12 in the league , and one in the EFL Trophy. After McNulty's goal glut last season it sounds a poor return but he would have led the scoring charts in all of the six seasons between 2006-12. Conor Chaplin with eight goals (all in the league) was runner up. Thirteen different City players were on the score-sheet during the season. Michael Doyle managed one goal (against Accrington) before leaving for Notts County and at the age of 37 years 119 days became the third oldest City scorer of all time behind Gary McAllister and Dennis Wise.

Doubles: City achieved four doubles- over Charlton, Southend, Bradford City and (for the second season running) Wycombe. Four teams beat City home and away: Scunthorpe, Portsmouth, Burton and Blackpool. City have lost their last six games against Scunthorpe – we're glad to see the back of them!

Appearances: For the eighth season running no outfield player was an ever present in the league – the last to do so was Richard Keogh in 2010-11. Loanee Luke Thomas started the most (41) and also came off the bench twice. He was followed by Lee Burge (40), Tom Bayliss (37+1 sub), Dujon Sterling (37+1), Dominic Hyam (37+1) and Jordan Willis (36+2). When all competitive games are included Thomas (42+2) pips Jordy Hiwula (39+4).

Players used: 32 players were used in league games (three more than 2017-18) and further seven appeared only in cup games (a club record, reflecting the trend to use weakened sides in the EFL Trophy and League Cup). Of the 39 players, 22 made their debuts during the season and four made only one appearance (in the EFL Trophy games). Five players only appeared as substitues, Charlie Wakefield, Jordan Ponticelli, Jack Burroughs, Billy Stedman and Dexter Walters. Five loan players were used. In addition to the 32 players used, three more, Corey Addai, Declan Drysdale and David Bremang, sat on the bench as substitutes but were not used. Addai has now sat on the bench 50 times without making a first team appearance, more than any other player. At Cheltenham Johnny Ngandu (aged 17 years 19 days) became the sixth youngest City player to start a competitive game.

In the 18 seasons since falling out of the top flight 333 players have made their City debut at an average of more than 18 per season. Compare that with 313 players making their City debut in the previous 41 years from 1960 to 2001 at an average of 7 per season.

In August Junior Brown became the 1000th player to have represented the club in competitive games since the club joined the league in 1919 and the last debutant, loannee goalkeeper, David Stockdale became the 1016th.

Home-grown players: Of the 39 players used 16 of them were home grown products of the Academy. It is now more than eight years that a City team did not include a home-grown player.

Records: Michael Doyle left the club in January and his 24 appearances took his total appearances for City to 373, seventh in the all-time appearances chart and one of only 10 players to play more than 350 games for the club. Jordan Willis with 208 games is now 44th on the club's list, one behind Dave Bennett. Doyle and Willis are the only two players to have reached 200 games outside the Premiership since we were relegated in 2001. Lee Burge is the only other player who has topped 100 appearances. He has now made 160 appearances and is 75th on the all-time chart, level with 1930s goalkeeper Bill Morgan and 1970s full-back Wilf Smith, and ninth in the goalkeeper's list having overtaken 'keepers such as Joe Murphy, Magnus Hedman, Kieran Westwood and Bob Wesson this season.

Substitutes: Amadou Bakayoko made the most substitute appearances (13 all in the league). Jordy Hiwula and Luke Thomas were the most substituted players (16 times each). Six goals were scored by substitutes: Bakayoko two at Charlton, Jones at Southend, Clarke-Harris at Wycombe, Shipley at Luton and Chaplin at Sunderland . Bakayoko is only the seventh City substitute to score two in a game.

Average attendance: Home 12,362 (2017-18 9,255), up 33% and the fifth highest in League One. Away 9,025 (2017-18 5,211), up 72%, the sixth highest in the division. If away fans are stripped out, City's average home following was 11,161 up 32% from 8,434.

Highest home attendance: The biggest official league crowd was 26,741 for the Gillingham Community game in February but the actual attendance was more like 18,000 with many free tickets not being used. The Gillingham game apart the top three attendances were – 16,407 v Sunderland, 14,044 v Oxford and 13,549 v Shrewsbury, with the latter having the highest number of home supporters (12,366) of any home game.

Lowest home attendance: The lowest league crowd of the season was 9,220 for the Fleetwood evening game in March -one of only three sub 10,000 league crowds. In the EFL Trophy there were two low attendances including 1,341 for the game with Forest Green – only three more than the record low for a home game in the competition.

Away followings: For league games City’s away following averaged 1,315 (2016/17 1,268), an increase of 3%. The best league following of the season was 2,683 at Sunderland, one of the longest away trips of the season. In the FA Cup City took almost 2,665 to Walsall. The smallest was 421 for the evening game at Fleetwood in November. Sunderland brought the most fans (4,897) to the Ricoh in September – the biggest away following since 2012. At the other extreme, Fleetwood brought only 62 fans to the league game whilst Arsenal (183) and Forest Green (85) bought miniscule followings in the EFL Trophy.

Highest away attendance: The biggest away league crowd was 36,134 at Sunderland , the largest league crowd to watch the Sky Blues since 2010 when over 39,000 watched them at St James' Park, Newcastle.

Lowest away attendance: The smallest away league crowd was 2,570 at Fleetwood. There were three further crowds under 4,000, at Blackpool, Rochdale and Accrington. The meaningless EFL trophy game at Cheltenham was watched by 1,296.

Won from behind: (1) In league games City only came from behind to win once, at Charlton. On six occasions the team came from behind to get a draw: Sunderland (h), Accrington (h), Peterborough (h), AFC Wimbledon (h) Luton (a) and Barnsley (a). At Barnsley they twice came from behind to draw, the first time a Coventry team have done this since 2013. Nine points were won from losing positions, three less than last season.

Lost from in front: (4) City lost four games after scoring first – Scunthorpe (h), Walsall (a), Plymouth (a) and Portsmouth (a). On four occasions City took the lead only to be pegged back for draws (twice against Gillingham). Fifteen points were lost from leading positions compared to 4 the previous campaign.

Best run: The Sky Blues best run was six unbeaten in October and November. Following defeat at Portsmouth they won five games and drew one. They also recorded five consecutive league victories – the first time a Coventry side has achieved that since 1998.

Worst run: The best run turned into the worst run with November and December seeing the Sky Blues go seven league games without a win. The run of five defeats and two draws was ended with a win over Charlton on Boxing Day. That was the worst run since 2016-17. When Cup games are included the run was nine games.

Hat-tricks: (0) No hat-tricks were recorded for the Sky Blues with Bakayoko (at Charlton) recording the only brace.

Opposing hat-tricks: (0) No opposing player scored a hat-trick but three scored braces: O'Connor (Bradford a), Leahy (Walsall a) and Ruben Lameiras (Plymouth a).

Former Players: This season two former players scored against City. Nathan Delfouneso for Blackpool (h) and Lameiras who was the first former player to score two against City since Leon Clarke for Bury in 2016 and only the sixth of all-time.

Own goals: For City: (1) John Mousinho of Oxford was credited with an own goal in the away league game.

Own goals: By City: (1) Tom Bayliss was credited with an own goal at Burton.

Penalties: For City: (6) Five scored, one missed. Bakayoko, Chaplin (2), Clarke-Harris and Enobakhere were successful but Chaplin missed at Fleetwood.

Penalties: Against City: (3) Three opposition players netted from the spot - Taylor (Charlton a), Leahy (Walsall a) and Eaves (Gillingham h). No penalties were missed by opponents.

Fastest Goal scored: Jonson Clarke-Harris scored in the second minute at Bradford in October.

Fastest Goal conceded: Jake Jervis of AFC Wimbledon scored after 80 seconds in the home game in January.

Red cards: Coventry: (1): Bright Enobakhere was the only Coventry player to receive a red card (for two yellows) in the home game with Burton.

Red cards: Opponents: (4) Jamie Ness (Plymouth h), Simon Cox (Southend a), George Miller (Bradford a) and Nat Knight-Percival (Bradford h). All were dismissed for two yellow cards.

FA Cup: After the FA Cup heroics of 2017-18 City fell at the first hurdle for the third time in five years, losing at Walsall.

Bookings: Luke Thomas won the award for most bookings, 8. In a very good season disciplinary-wise, no player was suspended for racking up bookings. Tom Davies was suspended at the start of the season for a red card offence in the play-offs and Enobakhere was suspended for his red card.

Television: There were four live televised games for the club, Oxford (a), Sunderland (h, Luton (a) and Portsmouth (a). The defeat against Pompey was City's first on live television since December 2016 – a run of nine games without defeat.

Youngest team: At Cheltenham in the EFL Trophy the club put out their youngest ever team with an average age of 21 years & 33 days and after two of the three substitutions the average age fell below 21. In the league City regularly put out the youngest team in the division and in January against Wimbledon the starting XI had an average age of 22 years 158 days and was the youngest for a league game since November 1982 when the average age of Dave Sexton's starting XI at Liverpool was 22 years & 33 days. The youngest league starting XI was 21 years and 58 days at Manchester City in 1980.

Captains: City had six different captains during the season which I believe is a club record. Michael Doyle, Liam Kelly and David Meyler took the armband in league games with Meyler becoming the first loan player to captain the club. Tom Davies was skipper at Oxford in the League Cup tie. In addition Abu Ogogo and Morgan Williams captained the team in EFL games with Williams becoming the first player to captain the team before he had appeared in a league game as well as the youngest captain in the club's history.

Game of the season: The 5-4 win at Sunderland has to be the game of the season. It was the sixth time City have been on the winning side in a 5-4 game and the first away from home. The Sky Blues ended Sunderland's 23 game unbeaten run and inflicted the Black Cats first home defeat of the season. On top of that it was the first time that Sunderland had conceded five in a home game since 1981 when on Bryan Robson’s debut Manchester United had won 5-1 with a young Nick Pickering in the Black Cats team. It was also City's first win at Sunderland since January 1977.

The other record was that it was the first time in a Coventry game where there were nine different scorers, equalling a Football League record. It has been done on forty or so previous occasions but never in a Sky Blues game. Our record was eight which happened in 1950 in a 5-4 defeat at Southampton and in the 5-4 home win over Norwich in 1977. The last time five different City players scored in a game was quite recent - in 2016 in the 6-0 over Bury when Stokes, Cargill, Maddison, Fleck and Armstrong (2) were on target.

Hoodoos: In addition to the ending of the Sunderland hoodoo, the Sky Blues also recorded their first ever win at Rochdale – at the 10th attempt. Bradford's Valley Parade hasn't been a happy ground for City over the years and the 4-2 win in October was the first win there since 1959 whilst City won at Southend for first time since 2006.

With many thanks to Paul O'Connor and Geoff Moore.

Jim's column 27.4.2019

Colin Collindridge (15.11.1920- 14.4.2019)

Former Coventry City winger Colin Collindridge sadly passed away two weeks ago, aged 98. By the time he arrived at Coventry in 1954 he was somewhat of a veteran and played only 35 games for the Bantams. Sadly City's oldest former player and CCFPA's oldest member didn't quite manage the century.

Colin was born into a Barnsley mining family in 1920 and, as with a number of other players of the time, professional football provided a route out of the pits. After being spotted playing for local side Wombwell Athletic and signing briefly for Rotherham United in 1937 Colin made the significant step up to the big time with Sheffield United signing him in January 1939 months before the outbreak of World War Two. Colin couldn't break into the first team in that last season before the hostilities as the Blades won promotion to Division One, pipping Coventry to the post.

A pacey and direct forward (mainly at outside left but sometimes as centre forward) Colin became a Bramall Lane regular in the first two seasons of unofficial wartime football before joining the war effort in the RAF. He had the unenviable and dangerous job of loading ammunitions on Wellington bombers around the country and his forthright and uncompromising views to the top brass he claimed prevented his progression through the ranks! During the war as he moved around the country he was also able to appear as a guest for the likes of Chesterfield, Notts County, Lincoln City and Oldham Athletic. 

In 1945 the Blades took up where they had left off in 1939, winning the Football League North (in an intermediate season before league football recommenced in 1946). Colin, playing centre-forward, notched 12 goals in 19 league games and four FA Cup goals including a hat-trick against Stoke in front of a capacity 50,000 crowd at Bramall Lane.
Colin was a regular in the Blades side over the first four post-war seasons and top scorer in the first three, playing over 150 first team games and scoring 58 goals before being transferred to Nottingham Forest in August 1950. Colin was idolised at Bramall Lane (and that is probably where his footballing heart really lay).

When Colin joined Forest they were in the old Division Three South and in his first season his 16 goals and many assists helped them to promotion to Division Two and made him a favourite at the City Ground. In four seasons he made 156 first team appearances, scoring 47 goals and forged an effective left wing partnership with Tommy Capel as Forest came close to promotion to Division One. 

In June 1954 Coventry manager Jack Fairbrother signed the pair for Coventry City, allegedly for a £20,000 fee despite both being well into their thirties. The pair made their debut in a 1-0 home win over Bournemouth in front of 19,000. Things started well as 'the team that Jack built' won six of their first seven games with the left-wing pair in starring roles but then star centre-forward Eddie Brown was sold to Birmingham and the wheels fell off, Fairbrother resigned, Colin got injured and City slid down the table. He returned from his injury after Christmas and made 24 appearances scoring three goals in a Bantams side that finished ninth in Division Three South.

Jesse Carver took over as manager in the summer of 1955 and the 34-year-old Collindridge struggled to get a place playing 11 games, scoring three goals. His final game for the Bantams was a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace in March 1956 and in July of that year he joined Southern League Bath City. Later he gained management experience with Arnold St Mary’s in Nottingham from 1959 in a successful period for that club.

In retirement Colin lived with his wife in Newark near Nottingham and was visited by CCFPA committee member Mike Young who found him 'sprightly, engaging, sociable and forthright in his advancing years'. Often difficult to ‘get a word in edgeways’ when Colin reminisced about his long life and playing career before memory lapses took a hold he would hold forth on City personalities of his day such as Tommy Capel, Martin McDonnell, Iain Jamieson, Jack Fairbrother, Noel Simpson and Charlie Elliott. Sadly his physical limitations meant he was never able to attend a game at the Ricoh.

Colin Collindridge's debut for Coventry v Bournemouth 21-08-1954 (Colin is far right in front row)

In recent times Colin has been a well loved resident of a Nottinghamshire Care Home where his fragile health was nursed until his death and we include a photo off him earlier this year sent to us by his good friend and former neighbour John Marum who has kept CCFPA in touch with Colin’s progress recently. 

Colin will be deeply missed, a genuine one-off with an ebullient personality from a very different era in football’s history. RIP Colin!

Colin's funeral will take place on Friday 10th May, 2:20pm at Wilford Hill Crematorium, Loughborough Road, Nottingham, NG2 7FE. Many thanks to Mike Young for his assistance in this tribute.

Jim's column 20.4.2019

Saturday’s amazing 5-4 victory at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light was a gift for me in more ways than one. It generated a good number of statistical facts as well as giving me a very warm glow that will last for some weeks. I didn’t go to the North East but did watch the game on ifollow and could barely believe the drama being played out 200 miles away. In my opinion it was one of their finest away performances since they left the Premiership and I'm not going to apologise for concentrating on the game this week.
5-4 is a very rare scoreline and prior to Saturday City had only been on the winning side of this score on five occasions, all at home:
1962-63 v Halifax Town

(George Hudson’s hat-trick debut)

1964-65 v Newcastle United

(City hanging on after leading 5-1)

1977-78 v Norwich City

(Ian Wallace’s overhead kick, Graydon’s late winner before Jim Blyth saved a penalty which would have made it 5-5)

1990-91 v Nottingham Forest

(A League Cup thriller with City 4-0 ahead only to be pegged back to 4-4 before Livingstone’s winner)

2013-14 v Bristol City

(First game at Sixfields. City pegged back after leading 3-0 before Billy Daniels grabbed the winner)

The win was City's first ever 5-4 victory away from home. There have been only 74 occurrences of a 5-4 away win in League history, the last in 2017 when Fulham won 5-4 at Bramall Lane.

It was the first League defeat Sunderland had suffered since before Christmas and their first home defeat of the season. On top of that it was the first time that the club had conceded five in a home game since 1981 when on Bryan Robson’s debut Manchester United had won 5-1 with a young Nick Pickering in the Black Cats team.
The other record was that it was the first time in a Coventry City game where there were nine different scorers, equalling a Football League record. It has been done on forty or so previous occasions but never in a Sky Blues game. Our record was eight which happened in 1950 in a 5-4 defeat at Southampton and in the aforementioned Norwich game in 1977. That day City’s scorers were Barry Powell, Ian Wallace, Ray Golding, Bobby McDonald and Ray Graydon with John Ryan, Kevin Reeves (2) and Martin Peters for the Canaries. The last time five different City players scored in a game was quite recent - in 2016 in the 6-0 over Bury when Stokes, Cargill, Maddison, Fleck and Armstrong (2) were on target.
The crowd at the Stadium of Light was 36,134 and the second highest league crowd that the Sky Blues have played in front of since they were relegated from the Premier League in 2001, topped only by the 39,334 at St James’s Park, Newcastle in 2010 to see the Magpies win 4-1.
The victory was only City’s second at Sunderland in 19 visits, stretching back to an FA Cup tie in 1951. The only other win was in January 1977 when a Donal Murphy goal gave City the points on a treacherous icy pitch. City’s five goal haul was one more than the total they’d scored in those 18 previous encounters.
City have now won nine away games,equalling last season’s total and the the third highest in the club’s history. The record, set in Mark Robins’ previous spell as manager 2012-13, is 11, with the 1969-70 haul of ten under Noel Cantwell a close second. Mark Robins’ away record as City manager is phenomenal- he has 26 wins from 60 matches, 43% win ratio. This is easily the best of any City manager in history and Jimmy Hill’s away win ratio was a measly 27%.

I was sad to hear of the death of 1950s Coventry winger Colin Collindridge, who at 98 was the oldest living former City player. I will write more about him next week.