Maybe they had just finished a motorcycle football game on it, or perhaps Jim had gone a few times round on his horse.Omg, the state of that pitch !!!
id have it over anything we have nowOMG the state of the ground!
But they could play and win on itOmg, the state of that pitch !!!
Brilliant that - well done! I recognised George Curtis, but no others. Was that Bobby Gould scoring the header, or was it too soon for him?Those were the days...
Top use of ‘Backroom enthusiast’
Brilliant that - well done! I recognised George Curtis, but no others. Was that Bobby Gould scoring the header, or was it too soon for him?
Looked like the shirt that was being ironed had a badge that had a Bantam on it. Were we Still called 'The Bantams' at that time?
I think it was made couple of weeks into 1962 (early January dates are on the letters brought into JH's office). Mike Dixon was the centre forward that JH wanted to be on the receiving end of the long ball out of defence from the right back. I've been looking online for information about him as I can only remember him as a name. The match against Southend was on 13th January, so the film crew would have been there for a few days that week. The incident with the clash of blue shirts must have been a game I can remember being at. I was indignant that it was Coventry who had to change. As if Southend didn't know what colour Coventry played in! [Edit: Both teams came out wearing Blue Stripes! I still remember my Young Adolescent Rant!]I think this footage was taken in ‘61. Gould wasn’t with the club until ‘63.
This film was organized by JH and shown in cinemas all around the country ...right at the start of the ‘revolution’. A little later came the sky blue shirts and the sky blue song.
Edit to add: Not many of that team survived because JH overhauled the squad over the next two seasons. Curtis was kept and amongst many other notables; Sillett was added from Chelsea for £2,500
Yes, I think you're right. And Mick Kearns (who I nominated unsuccessfully for BBC sports personality of the year one year - still sore he didn't get it!) is standing diametrically opposite them.Is that a young Dietmar Bruck next to Curtis? and maybe Brian Hill next to him
He was ask any number 9 (Bobby Gould idolised him) who came up against him.Wow...George Curtis looked like a right hard nut
I enjoyed reading this as the players in the clip were a mystery to me, apart from Nicolas and Curtis.I think it was made couple of weeks into 1962 (early January dates are on the letters brought into JH's office). Mike Dixon was the centre forward that JH wanted to be on the receiving end of the long ball out of defence from the right back. I've been looking online for information about him as I can only remember him as a name. The match against Southend was on 13th January, so the film crew would have been there for a few days that week. The incident with the clash of blue shirts must have been a game I can remember being at. I was indignant that it was Coventry who had to change. As if Southend didn't know what colour Coventry played in!
Anyway, Mike Dixon only played 21 games of senior football, 3 for Luton before moving to Highfield Road in May 1961, the same summer that Ray Straw left. In Dixon's 18 games for us, it seems he scored 12 goals, a great return of goals per game for someone I can never remembering anyone ever mentioning on our forum. Quite a few of us can remember Ray Straw's career at Coventry that produced 79 goals in 143 appearances. But we had a string of other decent centre forwards around that time including Ken Satchwell (scored 21 goals in 68 games for us, often playing on the wing with Ray Straw as CF) and Terry Bly - still 12th in the all time club records just behind Jimmy Greaves (10th) and Van Nistelrooy (11th) - who scored 25 goals for us in 32 appearances who was ruthlessly dumped (as I remember thinking) for some new centre forward (unknown to me at the time) called George Hudson (anyone know what happened to him?)
Anyway thanks for sharing that footage with us. On the pitch goals that day by Ron Hewitt, Mike Dixon and Stuart Imlach (a great favourite of mine!) and named parts in the tactical build up by wing half Brian Nicholas (whose contribution to team tactics was politely brushed aside by JH) and inside forward Bill Myerscough who was being told to come right back to pull their players away from the "drop zone" where Dixon was to collect the ball.
A great little film bringing back so many memories!
My mum’s fella used to play in goal for Brighton back in the early 60’s and he said he used to earn good money, but nothing like these days obviously. Said it was about twice what his mates who worked in factories got and he was well chuffed at the time.I enjoyed reading this as the players in the clip were a mystery to me, apart from Nicolas and Curtis.
You mention Stuart Imlach. This reminded me of a great little book written by his son, Gary. It's called: My Father, and Other Working Class Hero's. Gary mentions that in researching this book he contacted JH and asked him for his memories of his dad. JH responded, but only to tell him that he couldn't remember Stuart at all. Gary did seem a bit miffed at this but I did wonder if JH had at that time started to suffer from the effects of dementia.
The book details the life of a footballer, playing at a good level, (he was a Scottish International) but who in the 50s and early 60s, lived a life that was economically no better than most of the fans and was often treated shabbily by his clubs.
The photo below is from his time in Coventry. It looks a fairly modest house by today's footballer standards. Maybe someone on here recognises where it was.
It's a great read if you can get hold of a copy.
"looked"??!!Wow...George Curtis looked like a right hard nut
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