Neil Martin in Sky Blue action
On this April Fools Day well over fifty years ago (1st April 1969) Sky Blues ‘gaffer’ Noel Cantwell took his team into a local derby with Leicester City with the stakes very high. Both the Foxes and ourselves were struggling in the bottom three of Division One with the points at issue determining who would be in the drop zone at close of play. Fortunately that would be Leicester as a narrow Sky Blue 1-0 win, with a goal two minutes from time, in front of 41,846 packed into Highfield Road kept us in twentieth and condemned them to 21st spot. The two teams had drawn 1-1 at Filbert Street back in September thanks to a goal from CCFC’s ‘Ernie’ Hunt (a CCFPA member before his death in 2018).
Mick in the Sky Blue
The Sky Blues hero that day was our big No.9 Neil Martin whose volley, from (now fellow CCFPA member) Mick Coop, settled the four pointer and sent Sky Blues fans wild. The outcome could have been so different, however, as both Rodney Fern of the Foxes and the home team’s Willie Carr missed some good chances. Worse, the East Midlands rivals thought they had been awarded a 82nd minute penalty when their substitute Brian Greenhalgh fell over in the penalty box under pressure from our giant centre half and captain (the late, great) George Curtis. Fortunately, if a little strangely, the referee, Mr A. Dimond allowed himself to be overruled by the linesman who had flagged for a foul the other way!
CCFC’s Manager, Noel Cantwell
Both teams are depicted in the graphic below. In more detail Cantwell’s CCFC this day comprised:-
Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Chris Cattlin, Ernie Machin*, George Curtis*, Brian Hill*, Trevor Shepherd, ‘Ernie’ Hunt*, Neil Martin, Willie Carr and Dave Clements
All members of this team, we are delighted to say, later became members of this Association, though we have sadly lost four (*) of them in recent years, most recently the inspirational ‘Iron Man’.
The two points won today proved crucial in the final reckoning as, at the end of the 1968-69 season the two teams were separated only by a point and a place with the Foxes on the wrong side of the relegation line in 21st spot (going down with Queens Park Rangers) and the Sky Blues, finishing with three successive draws, fighting to live another season in the top flight!
Leeds United took the title by six points from Liverpool.
Thanks to CCFPA’s ***Mike Young (& Dean Nelson)***for sourcing the images and graphic.
Share Post