First Ever Cov Match You Saw ? (15 Viewers)

[Skybluefaz]

This was mine, I still have fairly vivid memories of the day. I still remember trying to work out the words to the songs and wondering why we sang "Sky blimey".

 

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[oucho]

Should have answered this thread 2 days ago, as my first game as 18th September 2007, so 10 years ago Monday!!

Palace 1 - 1 Cov. Kevin Kyle for us. Was impressed by the noise made by the City fans on a weeknight in London but my mate reckoned it wasn't much of an atmosphere.

 

[King of the Lesbians]

.

Sat 15th Oct, 1988 when I was 8. Home against Millwall, 0-0 but I was hooked. Couldn't get the line ups on Soccerbase.

If anyone has a way of seeing who was playing that day, I'd be interested to know.

I use 11v11.com but not sure how accurate it is.
Line up was...
Steve Ogrizovic
Brian Borrows
Steve Sedgley
Brian Kilcline
Trevor Peake
Greg Downs
Micky Gynn
David Smith
Gary Bannister
Cyrille Regis
David Speedie

 

[ovduk78]

My son said to me : " why do I dislike Manchester United so much ? " It goes back to the 70's when we used to play them regularly. The West End got taken over by their fans, but in amongst them were so called Cov fans wearing red and white scarves. They got called traitors etc and were told to keep away in future, which they did of course. I remember one match when Highfield Road was more like being at Old Trafford, as their fans were everywhere. Really pissed me off !

My first Man Utd home game was the 1-1 in February 1976 and I went with my brother and his friend who were both Man Utd fans but one of us were wearing any scarves and we stood to the left side of the West End. There were Man Utd fans everywhere but I am sure the West End wasn't split like it was later on. My abiding memory is a Man Utd fan with scarves round his wrists being helped out of the West End with a very bloody face so at least 1 of us got 1 of the bastards!

 

[sky_blue_up_north]

Coventry City v Queens Park Rangers, 09 March 1963 V QPR 1963, we won 4-1

I sat in the main stand with my granddad, I thought it was great, its always stuck in my mind even though I was just a nipper. I know it was before the pitch was levelled and my granddad was raving about Billy Humphries

 

[HerneBayGaz]

First ever game Charlton away 1967. City won 2-1. Promotion year. Bobby Gould scored both of the goals. A school friends brother scored the Charlton goal Peter Reeves. Scoreline made even sweeter as my dad was a big Charlton fan. Happy Days

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

During the late 70s you had to collect vouchers from previous games to get in to the Man Utd game and there were plenty of extra "home" fans in the West End for these games and of course the Man Utd game. I worked with a Man Utd season ticket holder in the late 80's and they always seem to have ways of getting tickets for home areas and once in the ground the stewards did nothing about it. I am sure a law was brought in to stop ticket touts seliing tickets outside grounds but that never stopped them either

The season that they were about to win their first title under Ferguson, the game at Highfield Road must have been 80% United fans. I don't know what happened to the usual City fans or how the United fans got tickets all over the ground including the West End but they did. It is the only home game I have ever been to where the away contingent outnumbered the home.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

My son said to me : " why do I dislike Manchester United so much ? " It goes back to the 70's when we used to play them regularly. The West End got taken over by their fans, but in amongst them were so called Cov fans wearing red and white scarves. They got called traitors etc and were told to keep away in future, which they did of course. I remember one match when Highfield Road was more like being at Old Trafford, as their fans were everywhere. Really pissed me off !

Just seen your post. Must have been the same game.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

Should have answered this thread 2 days ago, as my first game as 18th September 2007, so 10 years ago Monday!!

Palace 1 - 1 Cov. Kevin Kyle for us. Was impressed by the noise made by the City fans on a weeknight in London but my mate reckoned it wasn't much of an atmosphere.

I read on another post of yours that you have no connection to Coventry. Being nosey but also genuinely interested why anyone would choose CCFC as their team, what made you plump for us?

 

[oucho]

I read on another post of yours that you have no connection to Coventry. Being nosey but also genuinely interested why anyone would choose CCFC as their team, what made you plump for us?

Good spot. Yes, it hadn't escaped the notice of my CCFC supporting mates that I'd essentially picked a team from all 92 and specifically chosen CCFC, the least successful (in terms of top 6 finishes achieved) in donkeys years - in fact that was the basis of a fair bit of piss-taking.

Basically I grew up in South Cheshire and in my late teens decided I wanted to do the 92, as you do.......anyway I did half of them whilst living up there and at uni in Manchester. Then I took a job in London, so moved down there intending to finish off the 92 - most of the remaining grounds were southern ones or grounds easily reached from London. I'd got a bit bored of going to games as a neutral on my own. It turned out that two lads at the company were both City fans (they hadn't known each other before they joined the firm). Anyway, as they were going to away games and knew I was "ground hopping", they invited me to Palace away with them, as that was a ground I hadn't done. Enjoyed myself so agreed to go along with them to other games such as Millwall, Charlton (the infamous 4-1), Derby, Norwich etc.

I'd always said that when I finished the 92 I would settle down with a club and follow them to continue my hobby of going to games, so as I finished it in 2010 I was already in the habit of going to CCFC games, not just with my two work mates (both of whom had left the company by that stage) but their friends too, with whom I had made friends with by this point....gradually I got involved in the London Supporters Club and became a fully fledged fan by osmosis! The rest is history....

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

Good spot. Yes, it hadn't escaped the notice of my CCFC supporting mates that I'd essentially picked a team from all 92 and specifically chosen CCFC, the least successful (in terms of top 6 finishes achieved) in donkeys years - in fact that was the basis of a fair bit of piss-taking.

Basically I grew up in South Cheshire and in my late teens decided I wanted to do the 92, as you do.......anyway I did half of them whilst living up there and at uni in Manchester. Then I took a job in London, so moved down there intending to finish off the 92 - most of the remaining grounds were southern ones or grounds easily reached from London. I'd got a bit bored of going to games as a neutral on my own. It turned out that two lads at the company were both City fans (they hadn't known each other before they joined the firm). Anyway, as they were going to away games and knew I was "ground hopping", they invited me to Palace away with them, as that was a ground I hadn't done. Enjoyed myself so agreed to go along with them to other games such as Millwall, Charlton (the infamous 4-1), Derby, Norwich etc.

I'd always said that when I finished the 92 I would settle down with a club and follow them to continue my hobby of going to games, so as I finished it in 2010 I was already in the habit of going to CCFC games, not just with my two work mates (both of whom had left the company by that stage) but their friends too, with whom I had made friends with by this point....gradually I got involved in the London Supporters Club and became a fully fledged fan by osmosis! The rest is history....

You certainly couldn't be accused of being a glory hunter!

 

[oscillatewildly]

Coventry 0-0 Rotherham. September 2004.

This is the stuff it's made of.

 

[Cov kid 55]

My son said to me : " why do I dislike Manchester United so much ? " It goes back to the 70's when we used to play them regularly. The West End got taken over by their fans, but in amongst them were so called Cov fans wearing red and white scarves. They got called traitors etc and were told to keep away in future, which they did of course. I remember one match when Highfield Road was more like being at Old Trafford, as their fans were everywhere. Really pissed me off !

I remember going to City v Man U, in January 1973. A 1-1 draw. I was living in Norfolk by then, and went with two diehard, Norfolk born and bred Man U fans (note the sarcasm here). When we got to the ground, it was just a sea of red and white, and I kept saying to my friends, don't you worry, the West End will be here soon. It never happened. To be fair, you couldn't blame the true Cov fans, they were just overwhelmed by the weight of numbers of glory hunting Coventry, Midland and South of England Man U fans. Oh, and of course, a few Mancunians. I, like BBR, therefore, have no time for Manchester United, or the vast majority of their 'fans'.

 

[Hobo]

The season that they were about to win their first title under Ferguson, the game at Highfield Road must have been 80% United fans. I don't know what happened to the usual City fans or how the United fans got tickets all over the ground including the West End but they did. It is the only home game I have ever been to where the away contingent outnumbered the home.

Newcastle United in FA Cup at Highfield Road. I think attendance was just over 30,000 an Newcastle brought 15,000

 

[SkyBlueSid]

The season that they were about to win their first title under Ferguson, the game at Highfield Road must have been 80% United fans. I don't know what happened to the usual City fans or how the United fans got tickets all over the ground including the West End but they did. It is the only home game I have ever been to where the away contingent outnumbered the home.

I can remember the early Div 1 days when you could just pay at the turnstiles and get into the terraces. Manchester United fans would get in without their colours, gather at the corner and when there were enough they would just charge in and take the whole end over. Awful games to attend, their fans were like wild animals.

I had a season ticket behind the goal in the West Stand and in those days we would arrive and find that there were actually hundreds of MU fans sat in there, even though it was a completely home stand. We challenged some people at the next game and ask why their seat had had a MU fan in it. The answer from them was always that they hated attending MU games as there was always trouble around the ground, but they knew they could sell their match ticket to local MU fans for well over the odds.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Good spot. Yes, it hadn't escaped the notice of my CCFC supporting mates that I'd essentially picked a team from all 92 and specifically chosen CCFC, the least successful (in terms of top 6 finishes achieved) in donkeys years - in fact that was the basis of a fair bit of piss-taking.

Basically I grew up in South Cheshire and in my late teens decided I wanted to do the 92, as you do.......anyway I did half of them whilst living up there and at uni in Manchester. Then I took a job in London, so moved down there intending to finish off the 92 - most of the remaining grounds were southern ones or grounds easily reached from London. I'd got a bit bored of going to games as a neutral on my own. It turned out that two lads at the company were both City fans (they hadn't known each other before they joined the firm). Anyway, as they were going to away games and knew I was "ground hopping", they invited me to Palace away with them, as that was a ground I hadn't done. Enjoyed myself so agreed to go along with them to other games such as Millwall, Charlton (the infamous 4-1), Derby, Norwich etc.

I'd always said that when I finished the 92 I would settle down with a club and follow them to continue my hobby of going to games, so as I finished it in 2010 I was already in the habit of going to CCFC games, not just with my two work mates (both of whom had left the company by that stage) but their friends too, with whom I had made friends with by this point....gradually I got involved in the London Supporters Club and became a fully fledged fan by osmosis! The rest is history....

Fair play but bloody hell, why did you have to work with a couple of City fans.

 

[oucho]

Fair play but bloody hell, why did you have to work with a couple of City fans.

Pure chance! Very random in that the company is in London and when I joined we only had a staff of 25. Not like the other 2 knew each other beforehand......

 

[The Reverend Skyblue]

Good spot. Yes, it hadn't escaped the notice of my CCFC supporting mates that I'd essentially picked a team from all 92 and specifically chosen CCFC, the least successful (in terms of top 6 finishes achieved) in donkeys years - in fact that was the basis of a fair bit of piss-taking.

Basically I grew up in South Cheshire and in my late teens decided I wanted to do the 92, as you do.......anyway I did half of them whilst living up there and at uni in Manchester. Then I took a job in London, so moved down there intending to finish off the 92 - most of the remaining grounds were southern ones or grounds easily reached from London. I'd got a bit bored of going to games as a neutral on my own. It turned out that two lads at the company were both City fans (they hadn't known each other before they joined the firm). Anyway, as they were going to away games and knew I was "ground hopping", they invited me to Palace away with them, as that was a ground I hadn't done. Enjoyed myself so agreed to go along with them to other games such as Millwall, Charlton (the infamous 4-1), Derby, Norwich etc.

I'd always said that when I finished the 92 I would settle down with a club and follow them to continue my hobby of going to games, so as I finished it in 2010 I was already in the habit of going to CCFC games, not just with my two work mates (both of whom had left the company by that stage) but their friends too, with whom I had made friends with by this point....gradually I got involved in the London Supporters Club and became a fully fledged fan by osmosis! The rest is history....

What a serious piece of bad luck that is Oucho
A very sad tale

 

[The Reverend Skyblue]

As I'm an old fucker , with I'm sure the early signs of serious memory loss I cant remember my first game my dad took me too, I know it was in 1969.
My dad and a couple of his mates from the village we lived in were supporting Northampton, and saw there rise up from the 4th to the 1st division, but it started to go pear shaped and they didn't enjoy it anymore, so his two mates dropped out leaving him to go alone to games which he hated.
As his only son,me, was now six and able to speak and shout, he thought of a new start and as we lived near Banbury and Cov just up the road he took me to a game and the rest is bloody history.
My old man was as mad as a bag of spanners when watching Cov, he changed character when he entered the ground, so going with him was a experience to say the least. he singlehandingly started on and attacked four Leeds fans in the main stand when I was 9 sat there with my friend also 9, he got chucked out and we had to leave as we got really upset and started to cry.
You just didn't know what he was going to do next . Away from footie he was the nicest kindest person you could meet, but following Cov with him was eventful

 

[bringbackrattles]

As I'm an old fucker , with I'm sure the early signs of serious memory loss I cant remember my first game my dad took me too, I know it was in 1969.
My dad and a couple of his mates from the village we lived in were supporting Northampton, and saw there rise up from the 4th to the 1st division, but it started to go pear shaped and they didn't enjoy it anymore, so his two mates dropped out leaving him to go alone to games which he hated.
As his only son,me, was now six and able to speak and shout, he thought of a new start and as we lived near Banbury and Cov just up the road he took me to a game and the rest is bloody history.
My old man was as mad as a bag of spanners when watching Cov, he changed character when he entered the ground, so going with him was a experience to say the least. he singlehandingly started on and attacked four Leeds fans in the main stand when I was 9 sat there with my friend also 9, he got chucked out and we had to leave as we got really upset and started to cry.
You just didn't know what he was going to do next . Away from footie he was the nicest kindest person you could meet, but following Cov with him was eventful

Your dad sounds just like my late father at games. He was the strong silent type away from Highfield Road, but once the games started he changed and shouted at refs and if anybody disagreed he'd square up and want to fight. But once outside he'd calm down and when we got home he'd be all sweetness and light to my mum ! When he got older I'd go round for him and ask if he wanted to come to the match ? But as his ticker wasn't so strong anymore he would decline, as he knew if he got uptight it may cause him to keel over. Shows what football can do to you,good job he ain't alive to witness how far we've dropped down, he'd be chinning somebody !

 

[Cov kid 55]

Newcastle United in FA Cup at Highfield Road. I think attendance was just over 30,000 an Newcastle brought 15,000

This was a great game, and as you say, the ground was full of geordies, but a great atmosphere. It was January 1967, third round, we lost 4-3. After the game I went to a sweet shop near the ground (back of what became the Sky Blue stand?) and a guy in a Newcastle scarf told me not to worry, because we'd be in Division 1 next season - he was right! Funny the small things you remember.

 

[bringbackrattles]

This was a great game, and as you say, the ground was full of geordies, but a great atmosphere. It was January 1967, third round, we lost 4-3. After the game I went to a sweet shop near the ground (back of what became the Sky Blue stand?) and a guy in a Newcastle scarf told me not to worry, because we'd be in Division 1 next season - he was right! Funny the small things you remember.

When we used to play Newcastle you knew they'd have a big following.
I used to drink in the Walsgrave club and on the Friday before the Saturday fixture they'd be loads in there. They'd come down to stay with relations as loads of Geordie's lived and worked in Cov. As I wrote before I loathe Man Utd, but didn't mind Newcastle so much as at least they came from that city !

 

[ovduk78]

When we used to play Newcastle you knew they'd have a big following.
I used to drink in the Walsgrave club and on the Friday before the Saturday fixture they'd be loads in there. They'd come down to stay with relations as loads of Geordie's lived and worked in Cov. As I wrote before I loathe Man Utd, but didn't mind Newcastle so much as at least they came from that city !

I remember being in the West End when it was split between home & away in the late 70s when we played Newcastle and a meat pie came flying over from their side and hit someone near me with the words "you can have that shite back". My friends dad, a Geordie, bought season tickets in the main stand for him & his family in the 60s when they moved to Rugby. Me & my friend used to go to lots of games together in the late 80s and he would come to some home City games and I would go and watch Newcastle when we were away and they were playing relatively locally, I missed the 4-2 at Forest to watch a poor 1-1 draw at Watford amongst others, but I never really warmed to the Geordies. Watching a bigger team puts a different perspective on being a fan and there were a couple of dodgy atmospheres such as Forest away during the miner's strike and Leeds away when they were both going for promotion from Div 2

 

[Cov kid 55]

When we used to play Newcastle you knew they'd have a big following.
I used to drink in the Walsgrave club and on the Friday before the Saturday fixture they'd be loads in there. They'd come down to stay with relations as loads of Geordie's lived and worked in Cov. As I wrote before I loathe Man Utd, but didn't mind Newcastle so much as at least they came from that city !

My Grandad was a Geordie - actually no, a 'sand dancer' from South Shields -Sunderland fan. My Granny and then my Mum were from Gateshead ( the dirty back lane on the way into to Newcastle!). Grandad came down from the North East to work in the munition factories, as probably many others did, particularly given the unemployment up there (think Jarrow marches). They were blitzed out on November 14, 1940, (Middlemarch Road, Radford, I think), a few others on here will have similar tales to tell. Rented in Nuneaton for a few years and then moved into Lydgate Road, Radford at the end of the war, where the neighbours was, you guessed it, a Geordie!

Not been so keen on the Mags since I moved up here, find them arrogant, and believing they're better than they are. Also, watched City there in the 90's, when we got panned 4-0 in the Keegan era, Babb got injured and taken off, and Andy Cole took advantage. When I got back to my car it was gone - found 3 days later in the West End of Ncl, minus wheels, the total interior, BUT with one of my wife shoes still there!!

 

[ovduk78]

My Grandad was a Geordie - actually no, a 'sand dancer' from South Shields -Sunderland fan.

Not been so keen on the Mags since I moved up here, find them arrogant, and believing they're better than they are.

I worked with a Sand Dancer in Southend and he was a season ticket holder at Sunderland, he was a great lad and would go to all their games, home & away with another Sand Dancer who lived in Cambridge. I have a friend from Newton Aycliffe, another Sunderland fan, who was living in London and we all went to watch Sunderland play at Southend and even he struggled to understand the Sand Dancer's when they were speaking to each other.
I totally agree with the Geordies being arrogant, they think they have a God given right to be in the PL and I don't understand all the stick Ashley gets, well only when they are struggling!!, after he saved them and has invested millions of his own money in NUFC

 

[bringbackrattles]

Who do you reckon are the most arrogant fans ? For me its cockney or Londoners. When West Ham and Arsenal used to come to Highfield Road in the 70's they'd swagger about as if they owned the place. No wonder there were so many fights when they were here, bet there still the same ?

 

[Old Warwickshire lad]

Milwall 1962/3 won 2-1 Terry Blye got winne Tellstar playing on tanoy system, and mug of tea at half time was bigger than me lol

 

[tisza]

Last game of 1974/75 v M'boro. We lost 2-0.

mine too!!!! i was 6 years old.

 

[tisza]

Who do you reckon are the most arrogant fans ? For me its cockney or Londoners. When West Ham and Arsenal used to come to Highfield Road in the 70's they'd swagger about as if they owned the place. No wonder there were so many fights when they were here, bet there still the same ?

liverpool are up there.
Used to think they had a divine right to win everything. Seem to be the first team I remember having a load of supporters who had never been to a game or you'd go to Highfield road and see kids from school wearing Liverpool scarves at their only game of the season.
Much as younger fans seem to hate Utd because they won everything the same was with Liverpool in the 70s & 80s.
The odd 1-0 win amongst the multitude of thrashings were special moments. Thank you Mick Ferguson & Paul Dyson.

 

[Moff]

My Grandad was a Geordie - actually no, a 'sand dancer' from South Shields -Sunderland fan. My Granny and then my Mum were from Gateshead ( the dirty back lane on the way into to Newcastle!). Grandad came down from the North East to work in the munition factories, as probably many others did, particularly given the unemployment up there (think Jarrow marches). They were blitzed out on November 14, 1940, (Middlemarch Road, Radford, I think), a few others on here will have similar tales to tell. Rented in Nuneaton for a few years and then moved into Lydgate Road, Radford at the end of the war, where the neighbours was, you guessed it, a Geordie!

Not been so keen on the Mags since I moved up here, find them arrogant, and believing they're better than they are. Also, watched City there in the 90's, when we got panned 4-0 in the Keegan era, Babb got injured and taken off, and Andy Cole took advantage. When I got back to my car it was gone - found 3 days later in the West End of Ncl, minus wheels, the total interior, BUT with one of my wife shoes still there!!

Similar story with my family Cov Kid. Moved down en masse for the jobs in the war. All lived around Hen Lane, and the Dales roads in Holbrooks.
Lots of my distant family are Mags fans, and I have a very big soft spot for them, and a dislike of Sunderland, but I can understand why you feel different.

 

[Gazolba]

Sat 15th Oct, 1988 when I was 8. Home against Millwall, 0-0 but I was hooked. Couldn't get the line ups on Soccerbase.

If anyone has a way of seeing who was playing that day, I'd be interested to know.

Coventry City v Millwall, 15 October 1988

 

[skyblueexile]

09/ 1956. Won 5-1 at home v QPR

 

[Cov kid 55]

Who do you reckon are the most arrogant fans ? For me its cockney or Londoners. When West Ham and Arsenal used to come to Highfield Road in the 70's they'd swagger about as if they owned the place. No wonder there were so many fights when they were here, bet there still the same ?

Although I think Newcastle fans are arrogant, some of it is due to me being up here, and seeing/hearing them all the time. Liverpool fans have always cheesed me off, they think they have a divine right to win every game, they've gone a bit quieter recently, but a couple of years ago they were making 606 unbearable. Have to feel sorry for those poor Arsenal fans, failing to achieve Champions League for the first time in God knows how many years. But - Leeds fans, awful, arrogant, many of them downright unpleasant, over the years, they're the ones that have caused me the most grief.

 

[ovduk78]

Although I think Newcastle fans are arrogant, some of it is due to me being up here, and seeing/hearing them all the time. Liverpool fans have always cheesed me off, they think they have a divine right to win every game, they've gone a bit quieter recently, but a couple of years ago they were making 606 unbearable. Have to feel sorry for those poor Arsenal fans, failing to achieve Champions League for the first time in God knows how many years. But - Leeds fans, awful, arrogant, many of them downright unpleasant, over the years, they're the ones that have caused me the most grief.

I agree with Liverpool & Arsenal, both clubs in real crisis if you listen to any of the phone ins. I still think the Geordies are arrogant especially as they haven't won anything for years but the 2 most unpleasant sets of fans are Leeds & Chelsea and I have had the pleasure of sitting with them in their family stands, goodness knows what the neanderthals on the terraces were like

 

[Woz01]

My first was a League Cup game in I think 1988 v Bournemouth, I'm sure the result was 3-1 to City.