Mick Coop fronts the programme
On this day (28th August) in 1976 in their third match of the new season Gordon Milne‘s Sky Blues came good after defeats in their opening two Division One games at Middlesbrough (0-1) a week previously and midweek at home to Manchester United (0-2).
They got their first points and first goals of the season against Leeds United in front of 18,205 at a wet Highfield Road. Before the game the Sky Blues paraded (below) their three new signings, all now CCFPA members, Terry Yorath (£135k from today’s opponents), Ian Wallace (375k) and Bobby McDonald (340k) who then watched before the game from the stands.
ImageThough CCFC’s experienced centre half Larry Lloyd was axed for this game, having been sent off against the Mancunians, the Sky Blues were eventually stimulated to hammer one of their bogey sides 4-2. United scored first with a Frankie Gray strike after 21 minutes so things might have been different.
John Beck in the Sky Blue
Mick in the Sky Blue
However, the home side’s forward John Beck equalised with a screamer after 34 minutes to send the sides in for the break at 1-1.
The second half was nearly all the Sky Blues. First (both now CCFPA members) Mick Ferguson headed in a delicate Barry Powell free kick on 53 minutes and then a two goal burst in a minute from CCFPA members Donal Murphy (76) and Les Cartwright (77) put daylight between the teams.
Leeds’ Tony Currie grabbed a consolation with five minutes to go but City effectively sailed home with little trouble.
Donal Murphy
Les when a CCFC apprentice
The final score was 4-2 to the home side which comprised (CCFPA members underlined):-
Jim Blyth, Mick Coop, Jim Holmes, the late John Craven, Donal Murphy, Alan Dugdale, Les Cartwright, Barry Powell, Mick Ferguson, John Beck and Graham Oakey.
Jimmy Armfield‘s United’s team lined up:-
David Harvey, Paul Reaney, Frankie Gray, Billy Bremner, Paul Madeley, Norman Hunter, Trevor Cherry, Alan Clarke, Joe Jordan, Tony Currie and Eddy Gray. Referee:- C.White
CCFC 1976-77 Season. Gordon Milne (Team Manager) & Ron Wylie (assistant Manager),
Though the Sky Blues also beat Leeds United 2-1 at Elland Road in early February for the ‘double’ (with an early goal from Alan Green and a late winner from Donal Murphy) they found the rest of the season a bit of a struggle and finished in nineteenth spot a point and a place above the drop zone whereas Leeds United finished a comfortable tenth.
The relegated trio was Sunderland, Stoke City and (at the bottom) Tottenham Hotspur. It was Liverpool‘s title a point ahead of Manchester United.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
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