Unusual Events (2 Viewers)

[LastGarrison]

It was 2003 mate, so only just. It was one of the hottest days on record, I remember being in the garden that afternoon.

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We were on the train on the way down when we found out! Got to Watford had a beer and then the Old Bill starting coming round the boozers telling everyone they were shutting the pubs town and everyone had to leave Watford.

My brother was already on his way down in a car so we jumped straight in and headed to Bicester where a Cov lad (but Villa fan) ran a boozer. Ended up a good day on the piss.

Went down to the rearranged game which was midweek and it was the first time I really met JS who gave us a lift back to Cov as we didn’t have train tickets to get back.

Think I’ve been Watford 5 or 6 times and never seen us fucking win.

 

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[LastGarrison]

How about Banik Ostrava (Ostrava being a twinned city of Cov) in 1990 and a wonder goal by Tony Dobson?

Less than 3k of us there that day and literally only one person on the Kop (a lad called Jamie Cleland) as we were meant to meet him in there but my Old Man took us in the main stand instead.

Blast From The Past: On This Pre Season Day 1990 – Sky Blues Don’t Panic Against Banik! : Coventry City Former Players Association || CCFPA

www.ccfpa.co.uk

 

[JulianDarbyFTW]

Some team that was !!

Thanks for posting that - incredible stuff!

 

[Cov kid 55]

I went to that. 1-1 draw. Hibs had a very good side, Peter Cormsck, Pat Stanton, Peter Marinello, Joe Mc Bride

Yep, Peter Cormack ended up at Forest, Marinello was supposed to be the next George Best when he joined Arsenal, who paid, I think, £100,000 for him. It didn’t really work out for him there, seems to have been a wasted talent.

 

[Johhny Blue]

I was going to games by then, first game was Oct 72, but don't remember that.

Of course one of the most well known "weird games" was the Anglo Cup Winners match in 87 when we played St Mirren. Went to the home tie, which we won, but the away fixture was never played.

Maybe we could squeeze it in between Man Utd and Hull?

 

[The Great Eastern]

We were on the train on the way down when we found out! Got to Watford had a beer and then the Old Bill starting coming round the boozers telling everyone they were shutting the pubs town and everyone had to leave Watford.

My brother was already on his way down in a car so we jumped straight in and headed to Bicester where a Cov lad (but Villa fan) ran a boozer. Ended up a good day on the piss.

Went down to the rearranged game which was midweek and it was the first time I really met JS who gave us a lift back to Cov as we didn’t have train tickets to get back.

Think I’ve been Watford 5 or 6 times and never seen us fucking win.

I remember Smiler saying they were heading to that Watford game and diverted once they heard of the postponement. They headed to Northampton v Torquay along with a good few other City fans and went in the away fans section where they met up and talked to Helen Chamberlain. No idea of the match result...

 

[Sky Blue Wozza]

Their fans were absolutely brilliant. Loudest i've ever heard at Highfield Rd.

I remember they had a massive striker (Karsten Jancker) and he ko'd some poor woman in the East Stand doing shooting practice in the warmup....

From memory, I think it was organised as a consequence of drawing Liverpool in the 3rd round of the FA Cup and the hierarchy thinking we would be knocked out and have a spare few days! Think we played Derby in the 4th round a day or two earlier/ later than this friendly…

Turns out I saw Lothar Matthaus and Lizarazu play - no memory of that!

Jim Brown's Journal

A selection of writings and thoughts about Coventry City's glorious history

jimbrownsjournal.blogspot.com

 

[Travs]

I remember Smiler saying they were heading to that Watford game and diverted once they heard of the postponement. They headed to Northampton v Torquay along with a good few other City fans and went in the away fans section where they met up and talked to Helen Chamberlain. No idea of the match result...

I did similar a while back.... heading to a pre-season away to Bristol Rovers, but the M5 and A46 were a right state, and it became apparent i couldn't make the kickoff.

Diverted to Forest Green Rovers vs Wrexham.... where i watched Lee Hughes come on the pitch with about 10mins to go, then get sent off almost immediately for violent conduct

 

[Williescar]

Not so much unusual but more tragic, a bit before my time but in the days before mobile phones, social media and news being accessible at your finger tips - My dad was setting off to go to Watford on the opening day of the season and the game was called off as one of their players was killed in a car crash

I was on the official club coach.We had just got out the car park i Thackhall Street when news came that the game was off

 

[MikeyMoo]

Some team that was !!

I'm sure No15 went on to devastate the city of Neo-Tokyo...

 

[AJB1983]

There were one or two England Schoolboy internationals in the early/mid 90s

I was a ball boy for one of those - England v wales.
Was supposed to play on pitch before the game with my school team but it had been leathering it down so that got moved to another time.

 

[Travs]

I was a ball boy for one of those - England v wales.
Was supposed to play on pitch before the game with my school team but it had been leathering it down so that got moved to another time.

The Wales game is the one i most specifically remember!

Pretty sure i was sat in what was the Cov away end for that one (lower tier of Sky Blue Stand) towards the West End.... which was a bit of a novelty.

 

[tom88]

Late 90’s didn’t Pavarotti sing at half time?
I was only young and remember a fat opera guy singing a Pavarotti song….

could be wrong

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

I was a ball boy for one of those - England v wales.
Was supposed to play on pitch before the game with my school team but it had been leathering it down so that got moved to another time.

Didn't Bellendamy play for Wales?

 

[Martw]

As told by my elderly relatives. Forgotten the names, perhaps someone will remember. We played a "friendly" against an Argentinian club side. Probably 50s or early 60s. The city player my relative knew said in the first minute their centre half gave the city player a helping hand up then when the ref turned slapped our player really hard across the face. The ref awarded the City a disputed penalty later on. The other team surrounded the ref and one of them decked him. The ref, who was quite well known, took the teams off the pitch and abandoned the game.

The ref I think was a guy called Arthur Ellis - later of Its a Knockout fame

 

[nightowl1883]

I was going to games by then, first game was Oct 72, but don't remember that.

Of course one of the most well known "weird games" was the Anglo Cup Winners match in 87 when we played St Mirren. Went to the home tie, which we won, but the away fixture was never played.

It would be good to arrange the away tie as a friendly pre season, maybe we would get a record between longest break between a cup tie.

 

[Travs]

Late 90’s didn’t Pavarotti sing at half time?
I was only young and remember a fat opera guy singing a Pavarotti song….

could be wrong

Mid 90s.... i'm pretty sure it was an xmas match, perhaps even boxing day.

Also fairly sure it wasn't actually Pavarotti

 

[AJB1983]

Didn't Bellendamy play for Wales?

Not sure…. I have a recollection of Michael Owen playing for England but I may have made that up.
Struggling to find it on internet, although there is another game from same series on YouTube where Michael Branch is playing.

 

[AJB1983]

Maybe it was v Scotland? I dunno.
It was on sky sports. I was in front of the west terrace.

 

[ProfessorbyGrace]

Yeah pre season friendly, we got hammered 7 v 2

That was a mental second half, they just turned on the afterburners and scored 5 with ease. As far as my failing memory can recall, anyway.

 

[Terry_dactyl]

I dunno if it exactly fits in this thread but playing as the home team against Birmingham at St Andrews was kinda unusual.