Gordon Milne-CCFC gaffer
On this day (27th August) in 1977 (now CCFPA member) Gordon Milne‘s Sky Blues journeyed to London to play their third game of the 1977-78 season. After beating Derby County 3-1 at home in the season’s opener they had lost 3-1 at Old Trafford against Manchester United in midweek. Now they journeyed down south to Stamford Bridge to meet a Chelsea team on a downward slide and came back with the points. City wore their all red ‘tramline’ away strip and 25,432 watched the game.
Deadly Duo: ‘Wally’ & ‘Fergy’
The Sky Blues 4-2-4 tactics were paying dividends and the deadly duo of Ian Wallace and Mick Ferguson (both current CCFPA members) was firing up.
Both were already sharing the four goals CCFC had scored so far and ‘Wally’ added to his total with a first half brace against the newly promoted Pensioners (24 and 40 minutes).
Ian in the Sky Blue
Even though future Sky Blue (1983-84) Tommy Langley got a consolation for the home team thirteen minutes before the end, the scoreline flattered them and the Sky Blues could have scored more in the 2-1 victory as centre half ‘Big’ Jim Holton excelled in the Sky Blues defence.
Our flame haired striker went on to notch 23 goals during the 1977-78 season and Mick helped himself to seventeen goals as the pair scored more than half the club’s league goals and just under half the team’s 75 goals in all competitions! In today’s game Ian’s first effort was a deflected shot from fellow CCFPA member Barry Powell‘s shot (after Fergy had muscled his way through) and his second was conjured up out of nothing as he swivelled to rifle home.
Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson extensive highlights of the game can be seen by clicking on the image below
Milne’s men that happy day at the Bridge lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-
Jim Blyth, Graham Oakey, Bobby McDonald, Terry Yorath, the late Jim Holton, Mick Coop, Ray Graydon, Ian Wallace, Mick Ferguson, Barry Powelland Tommy Hutchison.
Chelsea’s side was:-
John Phillips, Gary Locke, Johnny Sparrow, Gary Stanley, Steve Wicks, Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris, Ian Britton, Ray Wilkins, Steve Finnieston, Ray Lewington and Tommy Langley Referee:- Derek Nippard
CCFC 1977-78
Chelsea must have been sick of the sight of the Sky Blues this season as, in the Highfield Road return in mid January the Sky Blues hammered the Londoners 5-1 with a Ray Graydon brace, and one each from Ian Wallace, Bobby McDonald and a Mick Coop penalty. The Sky Blues had a great season finishing seventh in Division One and reaching the Fourth Round of the League Cup. The Blues held on to finish in sixteenth spot four points clear of the drop. That sad outcome was suffered by West Ham United, Newcastle United and, bottom of the pile, Leicester City.
Nottingham Forest took the Division One title seven points clear of Liverpool.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
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