Sky Blue Manager Gordon
ImageOn this day (15th December) in 1973, on their way to an impressive double over Manchester United, Gordon Milne‘s Sky Blues travelled to Old Trafford for a Division One Fixture. The two sides were in very different straits to life today with the Red Devils without a win in their last seven in nineteenth spot whilst CCFC were riding high in the Divisional top ten and unbeaten in three, winning at Highfield Road 3-1 against Sheffield United and 1-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers and forcing a 2-2 draw at Arsenal in between.
A 3-2 victory for the away side on this day was fully deserved.
Colin in the Sky Blue
United’s lowest gate of the season (28,589) watched the Sky Blues lead at both half and full-time. A minute before the break Sky Blues Scottish international Colin Stein headed in after a cross from winger Les Cartwright (both now CCFPA members) was deflected to him by United’s Martin Buchan. Two minutes after the break, however, the Red Devils equalised from, who else, their iconic inside forward George Best! This would prove to be Besty’s last for the club.
In a see-saw game it was City’s Brian Alderson that then put the away side in front again with a scorcher on 63 minutes only for the Red Devil’s Roger Morgan to equalise again three minutes later.
David Cross in the Sky Blue
The match winner proved to be the Sky Blues striker David ‘Psycho’ Cross who headed in past Alex Stepney in the United goal after 76 minutes. Try as they might the home team could not pierce the Sky Blues’ sturdy defence again!
Milne’s men that December day took to the field as follows:-
Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Jimmy Holmes, Mick McGuire, Chris Cattlin, Bobby Parker, Les Cartwright, the late Brian Alderson, Colin Stein, David Cross and Tommy Hutchison
We are delighted to say that, apart from Brian (who tragically passed away in the States in 1997 aged only 46), every member of the team above and their ‘gaffer’ later joined this Association.
Thanks to The Association’s former committee member, Dean Nelson you can watch extensive TV highlights by clicking on the image below:-
Brian Alderson in the Sky Blue
The Red Devils put out the following players:-
Alex Stepney, Martin Buchan, Alex Forsyth, Brian Greenhoff, Steve James (sub. Mick Martin), Clive Griffiths, Willie Morgan, Lou Macari, Sammy McIlroy, Tony Young and George Best Referee: G.Kew
Also part of the Manchester United playing squad this season was future Sky Blue Managing Director Paul Fletcher, future Sky Blue defender (another to die at a tragically early age) Jim Holton and, starting out with his career with the Mancunians, future Sky Blue star (and CCFPA member) Gerry Daly!
The Sky Blues completed the double over United with a 1-0 Highfield Road victory the following February when Brian scored again.
Strangely, the Sky Blues also faced United on this very date in 1979-80 (a 2-1 home defeat) and 1990-91 (a 2-2 draw at H.R.).
CCFC 1973-74
Manchester United suffered relegation in 1973-74 going down in penultimate (21st) place. The other victims were Southampton and Norwich City who were bottom. The Sky Blues were only a couple of points better off than the Saints in a tight finish at the end of the season (but finished four places above them in sixteenth).
Leeds United took the title five points clear of runners up Liverpool.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
Share Post