A typical 1920-21 CCFC programme from March 1921
One of yesterday’s posts told you about a 1-0 CCFC win Division Two at Filbert Street nine games away from the finish of the 1920-21 campaign in only the club’s second campaign in the Football League. Previously a Southern League club, after being elected into Division Two after WW1 ended in 1919-20 they had finished in twentieth position, two point above the two teams who had to seek re-election, in their first campaign with the ‘Big Boys’. With home and away fixtures often paired this season, on this day (29th March) way back in 1921, over a century ago, Coventry City were facing the Foxes of Leicester City in the Highfield Road return.
CCFC Manager – Albert Evans
This season under new manager Albert Evans had also proved very much of a struggle with wins hard to come by and bottom spot a constant threat. Despite high unemployment in Coventry home gates had held up extremely well. Results had started to improve a little since mid March (and would continue to do so).
However the almost unchanged ‘Bantams’ finished today’s contest with an identical scoreline (1-0 in favour of CCFC) as they achieved the previous day! The Foxes got the same result having made three changes to their personnel. With the single goal Highfield Road win over Bury two days before their first battle with the Foxes the City had now gained a 1-0 win treble in the space of three Easter days!!
Yesterday’s contest at Filbert Street saw a seventeenth minute goal from CCFC’s centre-half Bert Millard decide the issue for City.
Alec/Alick Mercer
Today at Highfield Road it was a goal in the 68th minute from Alick Mercer (who had not played the previous day) that gave Coventry City their ‘double’ and completed a welcome four points in two days!
There was a decent crowd of 22,000 present to see the City’s performances continue ‘on the up’!
Albert Evans‘ ‘Bantams’ lined up as follows:-
Jerry Best; George Chaplin & Jimmy Lawrence, Reg.Dalton, Bert Millard & George Hadley; Jimmy Dougall, Billy Leitch, Sammy Stevens, William ‘Molly’ Morgan & Alick Mercer
Peter Hodge‘s Foxes XI lined up as follows:-
Herbert Brown; Billy Barrett & Adam Black; Bill Thompson, Jimmy Harrold & Bob Villiers; John Roxburgh, Tom Smith, Jack Paterson, Andy Roxburgh and Sandy Trotter Referee:- J.Pearson (Stourbridge)
Not just thanks to this ‘double’ over the Foxes but also three further wins and only one defeat in the last seven games saw Coventry City eventually finish five points and one place (21st) above the single relegated club Stockport County. Though finishing one place lower than the previous season a new Third Division of the League had been introduced in 1920-21 so Stockport were replaced by promoted Crystal Palace.
CCFC 1920-21 (September 1920)
The bottom teams in Division Two were closely bunched at the end with only one point separating City in 21st with 35 points and sixteenth placed Barnsley. The Foxes, firmly in mid table in twelfth were still only five points better off than City! Birmingham (champions) and Cardiff City (runners up) were promoted to the First Division.
Thanks to CCFPa’s Mike Young for sourcing the images
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