First Ever Cov Match You Saw ? (22 Viewers)

[capel & collindridge]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. It's prompted some online searches to fill in the sketchy memories of my first Coventry match. All I could remember for certain was that it was against Leyton Orient in the Third Division South when I was about seven. I thought I remembered clearly that Peter Taylor was our keeper (long before he teamed up with Cloughie) and Frank Austin and Roy Kirk were our full backs. Perhaps I'd tried to remember the names of all the team but got bored somewhere along the line (up). I knew Eddy Brown was our chief goal scorer. I always thought it must have been the 1953-4 season. After a few searches I found the 11 v 11 site and confirmed my first match must have been the game on August 22nd 1953. I think my Dad took me to most games that season - I can definitely remember quite a few of them. The team against Orient, as listed on 11 v 11, was:
Goalkeeper Reg Matthews
Defender Roy Kirk
Full back Lol Harvey
Full back Dick Mason
Centre half Martin McDonnell
Wing half Noel Simpson
Outside Left Jimmy Hill
Centre forward Eddy Brown
Winger Gordon Nutt
Inside forward Bill Bradbury
Inside Forward/Wing half Don Dorman

So I guess I was wrong about Peter Taylor playing in that match. But he was our usual goalie. Reg Matthews was only just emerging. We won 4-0. We usually won our home games to cries of "Come on the old five!" I remember Eddy Brown got a couple and apparently Don Dorman and Jimmy Hill scored the others. Of course that Jimmy Hill wasn't the Jimmy Hill who made us what we are. He wasn't even the most memorable Hill of that era. Peter Hill and Brian Hill were the players most people remember. But I didn't realise that Lol Harvey was playing that day. Later on Lol Harvey seemed to become a bit of a favourite with the crowd, but I always thought he was dreadful. Perhaps he had a bad game that day and the impression stuck. Gordon Nutt was our most exciting forward. At least that was what I thought as a seven year old. A couple of years later it was Ray Sambrook who really was magic. But among all the blurred memories of that 53-4 season, I still remember clearly the excitement of the news of a double signing the following summer bringing a new left wing partnership of Tommy Capel and Colin Collindridge. Hence my name on SBT.

 

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[bringbackrattles]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. It's prompted some online searches to fill in the sketchy memories of my first Coventry match. All I could remember for certain was that it was against Leyton Orient in the Third Division South when I was about seven. I thought I remembered clearly that Peter Taylor was our keeper (long before he teamed up with Cloughie) and Frank Austin and Roy Kirk were our full backs. Perhaps I'd tried to remember the names of all the team but got bored somewhere along the line (up). I knew Eddy Brown was our chief goal scorer. I always thought it must have been the 1953-4 season. After a few searches I found the 11 v 11 site and confirmed my first match must have been the game on August 22nd 1953. I think my Dad took me to most games that season - I can definitely remember quite a few of them. The team against Orient, as listed on 11 v 11, was:
Goalkeeper Reg Matthews
Defender Roy Kirk
Full back Lol Harvey
Full back Dick Mason
Centre half Martin McDonnell
Wing half Noel Simpson
Outside Left Jimmy Hill
Centre forward Eddy Brown
Winger Gordon Nutt
Inside forward Bill Bradbury
Inside Forward/Wing half Don Dorman

So I guess I was wrong about Peter Taylor playing in that match. But he was our usual goalie. Reg Matthews was only just emerging. We won 4-0. We usually won our home games to cries of "Come on the old five!" I remember Eddy Brown got a couple and apparently Don Dorman and Jimmy Hill scored the others. Of course that Jimmy Hill wasn't the Jimmy Hill who made us what we are. He wasn't even the most memorable Hill of that era. Peter Hill and Brian Hill were the players most people remember. But I didn't realise that Lol Harvey was playing that day. Later on Lol Harvey seemed to become a bit of a favourite with the crowd, but I always thought he was dreadful. Perhaps he had a bad game that day and the impression stuck. Gordon Nutt was our most exciting forward. At least that was what I thought as a seven year old. A couple of years later it was Ray Sambrook who really was magic. But among all the blurred memories of that 53-4 season, I still remember clearly the excitement of the news of a double signing the following summer bringing a new left wing partnership of Tommy Capel and Colin Collindridge. Hence my name on SBT.

Never knew we had a Jimmy Hill playing for us. Great memory from you though.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

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 was listening to 606 on the way back from Cambridge last week. They had a Liverpool "fan" on to rant about Klopp and how it was time for him to go. This guy had the thickest(as in broadest) Cockney accent possible. I would wonder how many games he actually gets to or does his fanship simply run to watching "his" team on Sky. He had very little coherent to say and gradually got louder and louder as the call went on. After about 2 minutes he ran out of steam when Savage and his co presenter thanked him for his passionate call.
His "hilarious" call was mentioned by a Five Live sports presenter again on Monday or Tuesday. Blustery rants at full volume concerning teams you have attached yourself too because they are successful is what being a passionate fan is all about.
My mood on Saturday wasnt helped having seen us lose a game we should have won, getting soaked with no coat getting back to the car and then being stuck in non- moving Cambridge traffic for nearly an hour. However, even in a good mood I don't think I would have found his call funny or passionate. I really wonder if some of these people even move themselves from successful club to successful club as their original team fades a bit.

 

[Ranjit Bhurpa]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. It's prompted some online searches to fill in the sketchy memories of my first Coventry match. All I could remember for certain was that it was against Leyton Orient in the Third Division South when I was about seven. I thought I remembered clearly that Peter Taylor was our keeper (long before he teamed up with Cloughie) and Frank Austin and Roy Kirk were our full backs. Perhaps I'd tried to remember the names of all the team but got bored somewhere along the line (up). I knew Eddy Brown was our chief goal scorer. I always thought it must have been the 1953-4 season. After a few searches I found the 11 v 11 site and confirmed my first match must have been the game on August 22nd 1953. I think my Dad took me to most games that season - I can definitely remember quite a few of them. The team against Orient, as listed on 11 v 11, was:
Goalkeeper Reg Matthews
Defender Roy Kirk
Full back Lol Harvey
Full back Dick Mason
Centre half Martin McDonnell
Wing half Noel Simpson
Outside Left Jimmy Hill
Centre forward Eddy Brown
Winger Gordon Nutt
Inside forward Bill Bradbury
Inside Forward/Wing half Don Dorman

So I guess I was wrong about Peter Taylor playing in that match. But he was our usual goalie. Reg Matthews was only just emerging. We won 4-0. We usually won our home games to cries of "Come on the old five!" I remember Eddy Brown got a couple and apparently Don Dorman and Jimmy Hill scored the others. Of course that Jimmy Hill wasn't the Jimmy Hill who made us what we are. He wasn't even the most memorable Hill of that era. Peter Hill and Brian Hill were the players most people remember. But I didn't realise that Lol Harvey was playing that day. Later on Lol Harvey seemed to become a bit of a favourite with the crowd, but I always thought he was dreadful. Perhaps he had a bad game that day and the impression stuck. Gordon Nutt was our most exciting forward. At least that was what I thought as a seven year old. A couple of years later it was Ray Sambrook who really was magic. But among all the blurred memories of that 53-4 season, I still remember clearly the excitement of the news of a double signing the following summer bringing a new left wing partnership of Tommy Capel and Colin Collindridge. Hence my name on SBT.

There was a 2-2 draw against Orient in Sept 1954 with Peter Taylor in goal and Tommy Capel on the scoresheet. Could it have been that game?

 

[capel & collindridge]

There was a 2-2 draw against Orient in Sept 1954 with Peter Taylor in goal and Tommy Capel on the scoresheet. Could it have been that game?

I think I saw both games but I've mixed them up in my memory. Blimey, it was only just over 60 years ago. City won every home game I watched in 53 up until Christmas including that first game when we won 4-0. But the following season I saw Tommy Capel score quite a few goals. I don't know why but I was really excited in the summer of 54 waiting to see Capel and Collindridge play. They were the first of several what seemed to be double signings. Jack Boxley and Jimmy Rogers arrived not long after from Bristol City and they were a great pair. Both were scoring wingers who sometimes were played at centre forward, usually when the real CF (Ken McPherson, Ray Straw etc) was injured. Then at the start of the golden age when the rise of the Sky Blues was unstoppable, Willie Humphries and Ronnie Rees always seemed like a double signing to me. I think there may have been other pairs too that I just can't recall.

 

[Cov kid 55]

I think I saw both games but I've mixed them up in my memory. Blimey, it was only just over 60 years ago. City won every home game I watched in 53 up until Christmas including that first game when we won 4-0. But the following season I saw Tommy Capel score quite a few goals. I don't know why but I was really excited in the summer of 54 waiting to see Capel and Collindridge play. They were the first of several what seemed to be double signings. Jack Boxley and Jimmy Rogers arrived not long after from Bristol City and they were a great pair. Both were scoring wingers who sometimes were played at centre forward, usually when the real CF (Ken McPherson, Ray Straw etc) was injured. Then at the start of the golden age when the rise of the Sky Blues was unstoppable, Willie Humphries and Ronnie Rees always seemed like a double signing to me. I think there may have been other pairs too that I just can't recall.

Great posts C&C! You were watching City 2 years before I was born, and fully 10 years before my first game against Sunderland in the 5th round of the FA Cup, 25 March 1963, when I also, was 7 years old. Respect to you! Are you still in Coventry, and do you still go to games?

 

[capel & collindridge]

Sadly no. My family moved to Cardiff in 1959 and games became increasingly spaced out. And now I'm in Cambridgeshire and getting to games shouldn't be difficult, I have carer responsibilities that rule it almost permanently.

 

[Cov kid 55]

Sadly no. My family moved to Cardiff in 1959 and games became increasingly spaced out. And now I'm in Cambridgeshire and getting to games shouldn't be difficult, I have carer responsibilities that rule it almost permanently.

A shame, but great that you still follow from afar. Similar to you, my family moved away, to South Norfolk in 1969, when I was 14. Started to play football, and watched City spasmodically in the 70's and early 80's. We're living up near Newcastle now, and get to maybe 8/10 games a season, always away from home. Looking forward to getting to some new grounds this season, went to Grimsby, and hoping to do Barnet, Accrington, and Luton in October. Best wishes to you, let's hope we're celebrating at the end of the season!