Gordon Strachan -City’s ‘gaffer’
The last Boxing day of the millennium on 26th December 1999 opened with the Sky Blues under Gordon Strachan doing OK in their Premier League campaign bobbling around mid table. However, they hadn’t scored in three and today’s opponents Arsenal were still title contenders.
Today’s game at Highfield Road saw Arsene Wenger bring his star studded side from north London to Coventry. The Gunners returned to the capital pointless after an exhilarating Sky Blue 3-2 win in front of 22,750 fans and the Sky TV cameras.
Gary in the Sky Blue
WGS signs Mustapha
City certainly turned on the style to wreck Arsene and Arsenal‘s Christmas joy. The Sky Blues exploited the Gunners’ midfield where there was a Patrick Vieira shaped gap (he was suspended) and there was only seven minutes elapsed before City’s captain Gary McAllister scored with the help of a deflection.
Four minutes before the break (now CCFPA member) our Moroccan star Moustapha Hadji produced a wonderful ‘bender’ from outside the box to double City’s advantage. City’s Swedish goalie Magnus Hedman (another Association member now) produced a couple of wonderful saves to keep the Gunners out.
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Tony Adams & Robbie Keane in a duel
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Mustapha leaves the Gunners’ defence bemused
Arsenal started a bit of a fight back through a Freddie Ljungberg scrambled goal seven minutes after the hour but the Sky Blues young star striker Robbie Keane broke the Gunners’ resistance with a delicate flick past both Tony Adams and goalie David Seaman just outside the six yard box to make it 3-1 to City. There was still time for Arsenal to make the last four minutes interesting when Davor Suker got the Gunners’ second but it was the Sky Blues’ day and they certainly celebrated with their fans!
Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch extensive highlights of the game by clicking on the image below:-
21 Aug 1999: Robbie Keane of Coventry City in action during the FA Carling Premiership match against Derby County played at Highfield Road in Coventry, England. The match finished in a 2-0 victory to Coventry City. Mandatory Credit: Mike Hewitt /Allsport
Robbie in Sky Blue action
WGS’s Sky Blues put out the following team (CCFPA members underlined):-
Magnus Hedman, Paul Telfer, Steven Froggatt, Carlton Palmer, Paul Williams, Gary Breen, Youssef Chippo(sub. Tomas Gustaffson -89), Gary McAllister, Cedric Roussel, Robbie Keane (sub. Noel Whelan -81) and Moustapha Hadji
Arsene Wenger‘s Gunners side lined up as follows:-
David Seaman, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Gilles Grimandi (sub. Davor Suker -60), Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Freddie Ljungberg, Emmanuel Petit, Nwankwo Kanu, Thierry Henry and Marc Overmars. Referee:- R.Harris
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An exuberant Sky Blue trio
Arsenal got a full measure of revenge in the return at Highbury at the end of March winning by three clear goals.
The Gunners’ title bid failed as they finished runners by a massive eighteen points to Manchester United who streaked away with the Premier League title. The Sky Blues campaign subsided slightly but they finished safe enough in fourteenth spot eleven points clear of trouble. Wimbledon, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford took the drop to the second tier into the new Century!
CCFC 1999-2000
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
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