Don Mackay at CCFC
On this last day (26th March) of the 1984-85 season, against all odds, with Don Mackay in charge since September, the Sky Blues pulled off the final leg of an unlikely May win treble to maintain their place in the top flight. They had had to win their last three games to ensure Division One survival and had successfully negotiated the first two hurdles. On the 17th May they won 1-0 at already doomed Stoke City with a 66th minute Stuart Pearce penalty, then on the 23rd, with only six minutes to go at home to Luton Town, Brian Kilcline struck the only goal of the game to get all three vital points. The third game on the 26th May looked a big ask as City’s opponents were the crowned Division One Champions, Everton! They had beaten us by the odd goal in three at Goodison early in the season (8th September).
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Psycho bears down on an Everton forward as Killer looks on
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Micky Adams tries a touch of ballet
Micky in the Sky Blue
Cyrille in the Sky Blue
On this day, 21,596 nervous fans (the best home gate of the season) were packed into Highfield Road knowing only a win would do to guarantee safety. A fourth minute strike from the late Cyrille Regis did little to settle the nerves though fans began to believe the ‘Great Escape’ was on when future Sky Blue manager Micky Adams put CCFC two up after seventeen minutes.
Though the Toffees were without four of their victorious Cup-Winners Cup side they pulled one back through Paul Wilkinson five minutes before the break. A minute after the second half began ‘Big Cyrille’ grabbed his second to put Sky Blue light between us and both Everton and the relegation trap-door. A killer goal from Terry Gibson on 78 minutes wrapped the game up and led to wild celebrations as it sank in with the Highfield Road faithful that their team had saved their skin by blowing away the Champs!
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Terry fires in the decisive last goal
They had won three in a row for the first time in three seasons to get the result they desperately needed.
Thanks to our former committee member Dean Nelson for the match highlights which you can see by clicking the image below:-
Don Mackay‘s Sky Blue saviours that day ALL later became CCFPA members and were:-
Steve Ogrizovic, Ian Butterworth, Stuart Pearce, Kenny Hibbitt, Brian Kilcline, Trevor Peake, Dave Bennett, Lloyd McGrath, the late Cyrille Regis, Terry Gibson and Micky Adams
Good to see ‘Oggy’, Ian, Trevor and Benno’ at Legends Day 2025 not many days ago!
The top of the table Everton side, managed by Howard Kendall, took to the field with the following players:-
Neville Southall, Alan Harper, Pat van den Hauwe, Kevin Ratcliffe (c), Darren Hughes, Kevin Richardson, Trevor Steven, Paul Wilkinson, Graeme Sharp, Paul Bracewell and Kevin Sheedy Referee:- R.Lewis
The Toffees’ Kevin Richardson went on to play for the Sky Blues in 1995-97 and on Everton’s books this season (though not in this team) was future Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ (and Association member) Peter Reid.
CCFC 1984-85
The Sky Blues finished eighteenth equal on fifty points with Queens Park Rangers and it was Norwich City who became the fall guys on 49 points joining the already relegated Sunderland and Stoke City.
Everton were especially pleased to have come out on top as their runners up were bitter local rivals Liverpool a full thirteen points behind!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
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