blunted
Well-Known Member
Sunderland and Wolves. The only time I have been on the Highfield Rd pitch. My brother did play there.
For those that remember 1967 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter bigfatronssba
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blunted
Well-Known Member
That song and the speech. Really was from a different era. Felt modern at the time. Jolly good show old chap.
I was another 14 year old who ended up on the side of the pitch for the Wolves game. There may have been hope but not expectation (we were already both promoted) - the Sky Blue Song was still proud Posh or Cobblers (although Northampton had just had a year in Division One I think) not the "bigger" clubs. Wolves were seen as a big club (look at 1958-60) only in that division two years and even after our win they were likely to be champions. Imagine the delight of a late birthday present when the day after my birthday we beat Millwall AND became champions as they faltered. There was certainly not any sense of inevitability even from the turn of the year when we were up at the top. This was the culmination of my second full season (I had been at a few games in 64-65), pulled in by Jimmy Hill's Sky Blue revolution. Soon to be tempered by JH leaving ,and George Curtis breaking his leg heralding future struggles.
ProfessorbyGrace
Well-Known Member
T’was 13 years before I entered the world but if I did remember 1967, I’d say: ‘ooh, this were all fields in my day.’
The Great Eastern
Well-Known Member
Nope. Harold definitely touched down at HR in 1966. It was my 1st season of regularly supporting after having my interest in football massively raised by the world cup win that year.
I can recall Harold Wilson and City director, John Camkin, wearing identically coloured rain coats standing side by side in the main stand. Harold had a broad grin on his face as his Huddersfield team beat us.
Again from memory, Robins owned Banbury Buildings which made pre cast concrete garages amongst other things I guess. It was located on the Oxford to Banbury Road not far from the Sky Blues training ground. There is some business still on the site but not sure what it is. Incidentally, when Robins left the UK to live in South Africa the story was he ran off with his secretary.
Cov kid 55
Well-Known Member
Yes, I was at that game, it was the season before our promotion season, 65/66. I remember Harold being introduced, thought we lost 3-0? This season doesn’t feel like 66/67, think we had better creative players. Mind you, I was 11/12, City could do no wrong. That Wolves game, the time of my life (until I met you, darling…)
Otis
Well-Known Member
Yup. Had a rattle. Who knew that one day it would serve as the template for the vuvuzela.
bigfatronssba
Well-Known Member
Was any of you there for this?
First ever time we were on Match of the Day
Threw the game away with a defensive error. Could've been now the way the game went. We had just broke the club record for games unbeaten and there were boos at full time!
First ever time we were on Match of the Day
Threw the game away with a defensive error. Could've been now the way the game went. We had just broke the club record for games unbeaten and there were boos at full time!
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CovValleyBoy
Well-Known Member
I was only 5 but I knew what was going on.
Obsessed with football & Sky Blues.
Kit for Christmas, those wool block pattern socks at the trim. It was the most beautiful sky blue colour. We have never matched that 1967-70 kit.
Never.
Old man kept telling me the wall around the pitch was too high...I had biblical visions of that wall.
Anyway he relented and we stood on the kop as we beat Millwall 3-1 May 13th 1967. I saw the "Bearded Wonder" lift the 2nd Div Title in the main stand & to this day regret massively that my old man didn't take me to the Wolves match a couple of weeks earlier. RIP Dad.
Obsessed with football & Sky Blues.
Kit for Christmas, those wool block pattern socks at the trim. It was the most beautiful sky blue colour. We have never matched that 1967-70 kit.
Never.
Old man kept telling me the wall around the pitch was too high...I had biblical visions of that wall.
Anyway he relented and we stood on the kop as we beat Millwall 3-1 May 13th 1967. I saw the "Bearded Wonder" lift the 2nd Div Title in the main stand & to this day regret massively that my old man didn't take me to the Wolves match a couple of weeks earlier. RIP Dad.
Bad Boy
Well-Known Member
I expect I was but I don't remember the match!
Torquay Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I was 8 so wouldn't of been allowed to stay up that late to watch it.
I remember Derek Robins lived in Broad Lane and so did Bill Glazier a few years later.
How the football world has changed .
I remember Derek Robins lived in Broad Lane and so did Bill Glazier a few years later.
How the football world has changed .
Ccfcfollower
Well-Known Member
When you look at those videos and recognise some of the names isn’t its great to see some still around for legends day. Probably paid £10 a game
Skyblue Bangkok
Well-Known Member
Bit of a soft goal let in by Glazier.
COVKIDSNEVERQUIT
Well-Known Member
I was at that game age 15, Ronnie Rees what a player
I'd forgotten Francis Lee was in the Bolton team before he made a name for himself, good player, hard as nails and a bit of a nutter, loved a good punch up.
Stafford_SkBlue
Well-Known Member
I remember the goal, but thought Rees went down the wing and Gould was unmarked but outside the box when he chested down and slammed it in.
BackRoomRummermill
Well-Known Member
was still in my dads bag
It.kind of does it's amplified by SM though, the bedwetters v the it's simples lots of Hyperbole either way.
You mean like the outcome?
Kneeza
Well-Known Member
Yes, I was there too with my dad and Granddad. 1964 sounds right.
Kneeza
Well-Known Member
I remember the temporary scaffolding camera platform in the Main Stand, and the crowd singing "we're on the telly, we're on the telly, ee aye addio... etc"
Kneeza
Well-Known Member
Ronnie was great to see flying down the wing. My dad, cynically, always used to say he was a better player in the few weeks before the Wales team was selected though.I was at that game age 15, Ronnie Rees what a player
I'd forgotten Francis Lee was in the Bolton team before he made a name for himself, good player, hard as nails and a bit of a nutter, loved a good punch up.
There was another Welsh international winger at the time called Gil Reece, which somehow confused some people... Sheffield Weds or Utd I think.
trevorsathispeake
Member
trevorsathispeake
Member
Agree these old Match reports were far more detailed and knowledgeable
Cov kid 55
Well-Known Member
That Sunderland game was my first, 1964. Went with my Grandad who was from South Shields. What an atmosphere, the gate was recorded as something above 40,000, but fans broke a gate down so the actual attendance would have been nearer the record for the Wolves ‘67 game. At that Wolves game as an 11 year old, I went with a friend from school and his dad. We were stood against the front wall of the West End, and about ten minutes before kick off my friend’s dad got so concerned about the crush that he said he and his son were leaving, and would I come with them? Now I was a boy easily led, but on this occasion I said no I’m staying, and 5 minutes later I was sitting on the touchline with a few hundred other kids. One of the best decisions of my life because now I can say that I was there at the ‘Midlands match of the century’.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but local journalism was actually a thing then. Not just told to run an ad piece for the national owners but add in a couple of local references or just looking for clickbait listicles.
I was at that Bolton game, in the West End and "remember" the Ronnie Rees dribble and Gould's finish but I couldn't have told you about it before seeing it again. I certainly remember Bobby Gould standing with both arms in the air as his (trademark?) celebration. That was the thing, no action replays, no camera angles, just see it live and perhaps read about it later or in this rare case Match of the Day. That's why good match reports were a must and punditry didn't really exist.
It was good to see that team again in action as I knew them, except I didn't remember Barry Lowes at all. Not surprising I suppose on checking up he had just three appearances, Bolton was his only home appearance, his other two games were away which were not usually reachable for a 14 year old. However I was taken to the away match at Northampton (County Ground) with a friend and his father. I don't remember anything about the game but I see it was a nil-nil where Lowes made his debut but my programme collection is long gone and with it any reminders.
One thing I would say, certainly amongst the kids (pub banter was still a few years away for us), I don't think there was any feeling we would have to have wholesale changes to the team to compete in the First Division, no-one knew what lay ahead but just play at our best. Of course the young had the whole team as heroes back then although probably with a favourite ready for the usual question, different times have the celebrity cult and hyperbole. Coventry had never been so high in the leagues so there could be no entitlement, no sense of getting where you belong.
It was good to see that team again in action as I knew them, except I didn't remember Barry Lowes at all. Not surprising I suppose on checking up he had just three appearances, Bolton was his only home appearance, his other two games were away which were not usually reachable for a 14 year old. However I was taken to the away match at Northampton (County Ground) with a friend and his father. I don't remember anything about the game but I see it was a nil-nil where Lowes made his debut but my programme collection is long gone and with it any reminders.
One thing I would say, certainly amongst the kids (pub banter was still a few years away for us), I don't think there was any feeling we would have to have wholesale changes to the team to compete in the First Division, no-one knew what lay ahead but just play at our best. Of course the young had the whole team as heroes back then although probably with a favourite ready for the usual question, different times have the celebrity cult and hyperbole. Coventry had never been so high in the leagues so there could be no entitlement, no sense of getting where you belong.
bigfatronssba
Well-Known Member
Interesting what you say about the entitlement. Most of us remember the premier league so don’t consider us out of place there.
However in that crowd in 1967 it must’ve seem very strange seeing us so high.
Fans that were 60 would’ve remembered us playing in the Southern League.
Fans that were 80 would’ve remembered us as Singers, being a bunch of amateurs. Probably attending the inaugural game at Highfield Road.
Incredible to think of some of the changes the older fans at that time would’ve witnessed
Well, oddly perhaps, as a youngster at the time - not really. Just part of the sky blue revolution, a club seemingly going places with lots of modern innovations. I didn't really consider the history of the club and its position except being aware that the Boltons, Blackburns, Wolverhamptons etc did have lots of stronger history (even if I didn't know what exactly).
I don't decry the idea that 34 years at the top table brings, at the very least, a feeling of not being out of place but that was in the future in the season under discussion.
It's an interesting concept, looking at the current batch, I don't picture Brighton, Bournemouth or Brentford as what I consider real top tier clubs but that is probably coloured by which teams were regularly around in my formative years. Brighton had 4 years 79-83 whilst Brentford did have some success back in the 30s it appears but the other question is when/if you drop away, at what point does it become an historic oddity. The answer is probably, never to the club in question, but it means nothing to anyone else. Furthermore how long does one have to be there to become a recognised part of the scene and missed when not there?
The same remains true if you think of new fans who didn't witness premier league or even the decline and rise of more recent years compared to the longer suffering fanbase. I had only two and a bit years at that point so in modern terms that's perhaps Luton play-off, FA cup semi and last years play off season .