Mark in the Sky Blue
On this day (2oth March) in 1982 the Sky Blues took all three points off the Gunners of Arsenal at Highfield Road. Revenge was sweet as we had lost by the only goal at Highbury at the end of the previous October. City had dispensed with their gung-ho attacking style in this game for a more defensive orientation, soaking up the pressure from the sixth placed Londoners and then hitting them on the break.
Mark Hateley on the rampage
The match was settled by a couple of Sky Blue young guns (both now CCFPA members), Mark Hateley heading a goal on the hour from a Tom English cross.
This was enough to see off the Gunners in front of 11,993 spectators (though Tony’s son could have had a hat-trick). City’s winger Steve Whitton was denied a penalty and defender Ian Butterworth (now also a CCFPA member) in the attack also missed a sitter so the Sky Blues well deserved their win!
Therefore, nearly 12,000 fans in Coventry went home happy. The win kick started a run that would see them lose just two of last dozen games.
Dave Sexton, CCFC’s gaffer
For the record, Dave Sexton‘s Sky Blues that day (CCFPA members underlined) were:-
The late Les Sealey, Danny Thomas, Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts, Steve Jacobs, Paul Dyson, Gary Gillespie, Steve Whitton, Gerry Francis, Mark Hateley, Tom English and Ian Butterworth
As noted in the graphic below the Gunners featured two players both later to become Sky Blues, England International Kenny Sansom (1991-93) and Stewart Robson (1991-95) both fairly recent CCFPA recruits – and Chris Whyte also had a loan spell here in 1995-96!
The Sky Blues ended the season in fourteenth spot in Division One with the Gunners in fifth. Liverpool took the title by five points from runners up Ipswich Town.
Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and (bottom club) Middlesbrough were all relegated.