Big Ron
On this day (14th May) in 1995 the Sky Blues season ended with a goalless draw at Highfield Road against Everton. The drama had all taken place five days earlier with the emotional 3-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur‘s White Hart Lane in front of 24,124 fans which not only provided ample revenge for a horrendous home defeat to the ‘Spurs on the last day of 1984 but also guaranteed the the Sky Blues safety in the Premier League.
With both sides now safe this game against Joe Royle‘s Toffees had very much an ‘end-of’-term’ feel about it, but Highfield Road was nevertheless packed with 21,787 relieved fans.
John in the Sky Blue green
Many chances were created by both teams. For example Anders Limpar thundered a shot against the bar of Sky Blues stand-in goalie John Filan. Also Everton‘s veteran goalie Neville Southall managed a wonder save from our Zimbabwean Sky Blue Peter Ndlovu. Nuddy’s season ended on a high note with a fascinating duel with the Toffee’s defender Earl Barrett.
Sky Blues Peter in the 1990s
A draw was a fair enough result as both teams looked forward to another top flight season. Today’s point was enough to reinforce safety in sixteenth position five points clear of the drop. Everton were tucked in one place above us on the same number of points. However, the Liverpudlian team’s season was not over as they went on six days later to face Manchester United in that year’s F.A.Cup final which they went on to win 1-0 with a Paul Rideout goal (giving then entry to the following season’s European Cup Winners Cup)!
Big Ron’s boys lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-
WGS in the Sky Blue
John Filan, Ally Pickering, David Burrows, Kevin Richardson, Brian Borrows, David Rennie, Gordon Strachan, **Julian Darby, Dion Dublin,**Peter Ndlovuand Leigh Jenkinson
Gordon (WGS) later became CCFC ‘gaffer’ in his own right.
The Toffees’ team turned out as follows:-
Neville Southall, Earl Barrett, Gary Ablett, Joe Parkinson, Matt Jackson, David Unsworth, Vinny Samways (sub. Duncan Ferguson), John Ebbrell, Graham Stuart, Daniel Amokachi and Anders Limpar Referee:- P.Jones
CCFC 1994-95 (early)
The Premier League season this year panned out with Champions Blackburn Rovers pipping fellow Lancashire outfit Manchester United to the title by a point.
The quartet of clubs relegated was (in descending order), Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Leicester City and (bottom) Ipswich Town. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth in East Anglia!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
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