George & Sills celebrate the Wembley Cup win
On this last day (31st) of January in 1987 the Sky Blues faced the star-studded Red Devils of Manchester United at Old Trafford, at the Round Four stage of their fantastic F.A.Cup run of 1986-87 culminating in that wonderful Wembley May day and the Cup coming to Coventry for the first time in club’s history. Former CCFC titan of a player George Curtis was in charge along with management partner John Sillett (both, before their all too recent passing, our CCFPA members). A single goal did it from the Sky Blues own ‘Roy of the Rovers’ (now CCFPA member) Keith Houchen.
On a pitch that was half frozen due to severe weather conditions overnight the Sky Blues battled against Alex Ferguson‘s United with ‘the Houch’ scoring the only goal of the game on the twenty minute mark after good work from now fellow Association members ‘Greggy’ Downs and (the late) ‘Big’ Cyrille Regis down the left.
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Houch’s goal
It was and end-to-end game where United fan (and now Association member) Dean Emerson ran the CCFC midfield with some great tackling and passing on the icy pitch. City were roared on by thousands of members of the Sky Blue Army that had made the trip up north to join the 49,082 Old Trafford crowd.
Former City player (and now CCFPA member) Terry Gibson who was in the United forward line had a goal disallowed in the first half but the Sky Blues held on for a famous victory! Future Sky Blue player and gaffer Gordon Strachan was also playing for the Red Devils that day. WGS also is now a CCFPA member.
Highlights, courtesy of former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson can be viewed by clicking on the link or image below:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yms2NZbxRNo
The victorious Sky Blues side that day (all Association members now) comprised:-
Steve Ogrizovic, Brian Borrows, Greg Downs, Dean Emerson, Brian Kilcline, Trevor Peake, Lloyd McGrath, David Phillips, Cyrille Regis, Keith Houchen and Nick Pickering.
CCFPA members have been privileged to share in some of the many mirthful reunions put together by the ‘Boys of 87’ since.
Sir Alex Ferguson‘s Red Devils took the field with the following players:-
Chris Turner, Johnny Sivebaek, Mike Duxbury, Norman Whiteside, Billy Garton, Steve Moran, Clayton Blackmore (sub. Paul McGrath -78), Gordon Strachan, Frank Stapleton (sub. Peter Davenport -78), Terry Gibson and Jesper Olsen Referee:-R.Lewis
The views of the rival ‘gaffers’ were as follows:-
John Sillett
“I don’t think it was our best performance of the season by any means – but it’s our best result. It will have the whole city buzzing and we are all excited about it. You just sense that we are really starting to get the ball rolling.”
Sir Alex Ferguson:
“I blame the conditions for our defeat. United are a great club with all the trappings. Yet, we now have an undersoil heating system which doesn’t work. That’s very hard to take. We needed a good result to keep the season alive.”
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Sky Blues celebrate after a famous victory
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Roy of the Rovers
No true Sky Blue fan will forget how, successively Stoke City, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United were dispatched on the City’s way to beating Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley 3-2 (after extra time) in a pulsating Final!
In the League, both Division One games between these two teams finished 1-1, honours even. On the 1st day of November at Old Trafford a David Phillips equaliser was enough to take the point. On City’s penultimate game of the season at Highfield Road it was Micky Gynn who got the equaliser. Both. David and Micky are now Association members.
CCFC 1986-87
The two teams were also close in their final positions. CCFC squeezed into the divisional top ten with United on eleventh. Everton got bragging rights over Liverpool at the top, champions by nine points whilst Leicester City, Manchester City and bottom club Aston Villa were required to play in the Second Division the following season!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
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