Jimmy Hill - 50 Years on (1 Viewer)

TheSnoz

New Member
In all the depression about our club I'd completely forgotten it is 50 years ago today that Sir Jimmy Hill was appointed manager. So began 5 years of nothing but great progress. Happy days.
Jim Brown talks a little about it in his latest column.
 

Houchens Head

Fairly well known member from Malvern
Bloody hell! I remember Jimmy coming in as manager! 50 years ago? Blimey. Doesn't time fly! :)
 

sweeneytodd

New Member
This was the one of the best days in the history of CCFC, and i was lucky enough to be a supporter at that time.
You have to remember until Jimmy Hill Coventry City were a club with a long history of being around and doing not very
much to be honest.
Oh how we need a man with his vision and leadership right now, the man changed the next 40 years in our club.... thank you Jimmy.
Let us hope there is a savior around the corner soon to take our club back to stabilty and give us hope.
 

skybluehugh

New Member
And all the great work he did is being distroyed by our so called saviours. He must be gutted seeing this all happen to our club:mad::mad:
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
So why has no-one done it since? The handbook has been written by Hill, why did it stop with him?

Honestly don't understand why we don't do things in a similar vein when he's proven it's a successful model for turning a club around. Everyone just goes "Oh jimmy Hill was great" but no chairman or manager ever actually attempts to emulate him.
 

kg82

Well-Known Member
It might sound familiar now Kg82 but we have had some good and great years ....never forget.:claping hands:

Unfortunately, I don't remember the cup final, only really remember from the early 90's onwards - so I've had no great years! In fact, good years would be pushing it!! Most have been average, some have been awful! Over 20 years of supporting this team though and I haven't seen anything that would be construed as success at that particular time, although I now consider staying in the Prem that long a success - but that's hindsight. As said above, it would be lovely to find somebody as innovative and visionary as Jimmy again, boy do we need it.
 

SkyBlue_Bear83

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, I don't remember the cup final, only really remember from the early 90's onwards - so I've had no great years! In fact, good years would be pushing it!! Most have been average, some have been awful! Over 20 years of supporting this team though and I haven't seen anything that would be construed as success at that particular time, although I now consider staying in the Prem that long a success - but that's hindsight. As said above, it would be lovely to find somebody as innovative and visionary as Jimmy again, boy do we need it.
I envy you I have been following Coventry City since the 03-04 season. :facepalm:
 

TheSnoz

New Member
By now it is well documented that Jimmy would have stayed had he been given the ten year contract he wanted. Derrick Robbins offered him five. The biggest mistake in his life. A lot of people like me - my age group - know only too well we would have won the league, cups, Europe in the 70s under Hill. Nailed on. Noel Cantwell was a decent enough manager but not on the same pitch as JH. That story about him going into the chip shop in Gulson Road every week for plaice and chips and talking to people - getting them involved - it about sums him up. A man of the people, brilliant communicator. There must be loads of people around Coventry with similar stories.
On another thread, I think its Schhmmmee, lots of bright ideas. Brilliant stuff, straight out of the Hill manual.
I feel sorry for younger fans, never having had much to cheer.
But keep the faith, our day will come again. It doesn't look like it right now, but eventually.
I always remember one thing Hill said, 'You can beat a team. but you can't beat a team AND a city.' A bit Churchillian I know, but he was inspiring.
 

TheSnoz

New Member
Derby, that's true. Though reading the various histories it looks like Clough and Taylor only ever used City as a bargaining tool to get a better deal where they were. & had no real desire to come here. They certainly would have been a better choice than Cantwell. Though maybe City thought, Cantwell - ex player, first job. Bingo. Just like Hill?
 
By now it is well documented that Jimmy would have stayed had he been given the ten year contract he wanted. Derrick Robbins offered him five. The biggest mistake in his life. A lot of people like me - my age group - know only too well we would have won the league, cups, Europe in the 70s under Hill. Nailed on. Noel Cantwell was a decent enough manager but not on the same pitch as JH. That story about him going into the chip shop in Gulson Road every week for plaice and chips and talking to people - getting them involved - it about sums him up. A man of the people, brilliant communicator. There must be loads of people around Coventry with similar stories.
On another thread, I think its Schhmmmee, lots of bright ideas. Brilliant stuff, straight out of the Hill manual.
I feel sorry for younger fans, never having had much to cheer.
But keep the faith, our day will come again. It doesn't look like it right now, but eventually.
I always remember one thing Hill said, 'You can beat a team. but you can't beat a team AND a city.' A bit Churchillian I know, but he was inspiring.

It could have been another Dion that one where as we offer 10 and he still wouldn't sign. A ten year contract is bonkers and shows that somebody knows that. Did he not then enter into a lucrative TV contract?

Does anybody know where we can get stat for his managerial career at Coventry from, had a quick look but could not find games played, won, loss, drawn etc
 

sky_blue_up_north

Well-Known Member
If I had my way Jimmy would be made a knight. We've never had anything like the success him brought us in the '60 apart from on amazing Day in 1987. I was a fantastic time. Everyone was a Sky Blue fan... how times have changed and it looks like we are going back to were it all started.. Division 3
 

Stoppercurtis

New Member
Gosh was he only with us 5 years. I know the Wembley visit was the best but Jimmy made it all possible. He was a one off quite unique. We must not forget that alot of Jummy's success was down to our visionary chairman Derek Robbins.

I starting going up the city with my Dad when I was five so that 1954! It was all military music and honest to goodness football but not much else.

I know my wife does'n read this site so I can say with impunity that these five years were the best years of my life. God it was good to be young then.

Happy days


Stopper
 

sky_blue_up_north

Well-Known Member
By now it is well documented that Jimmy would have stayed had he been given the ten year contract he wanted. Derrick Robbins offered him five. The biggest mistake in his life. A lot of people like me - my age group - know only too well we would have won the league, cups, Europe in the 70s under Hill. Nailed on. Noel Cantwell was a decent enough manager but not on the same pitch as JH. That story about him going into the chip shop in Gulson Road every week for plaice and chips and talking to people - getting them involved - it about sums him up. A man of the people, brilliant communicator. There must be loads of people around Coventry with similar stories.
On another thread, I think its Schhmmmee, lots of bright ideas. Brilliant stuff, straight out of the Hill manual.
I feel sorry for younger fans, never having had much to cheer.
But keep the faith, our day will come again. It doesn't look like it right now, but eventually.
I always remember one thing Hill said, 'You can beat a team. but you can't beat a team AND a city.' A bit Churchillian I know, but he was inspiring.

I really hope your right about the second coming.. does not feel like it right now. Just watched the video on the CCFC web site, brought a tear to my eye. I hear the word legend banded about players today, but Jimmy is a living Coventry City legend, he started it all. I was just 8 year old when he joined, I alway thought it would be like that, winning leagues, having great players, the excitment of match day so sad we have fallen so far.
 

TheSnoz

New Member
Parsons Nose, Robbins must have been crazy not to give Hill his ten year deal. It has been downhill over since. 1970/71 into Europe and 1987 obviously. With an honourable mention for the 1981 League Cup Run.

1961/62 - W 10 D 4 L12 -
1963/63 - W 18 D 17 L11 -
1963/64 - W 22 D 15 L 9 -
1964/65 - W 17 D 9 L 16 -
1965/66 - W 20 D 13 L 9 -
1966/67 - W 23 D 13 L6 -

250 League games by my reckoning. Think I've got it right.

You work out the stats from that.
Stopper, SBUN, brilliant wasn't it. If Gary Hoffman does come in he has to get that spirit back.
 
Parsons Nose, Robbins must have been crazy not to give Hill his ten year deal. It has been downhill over since. 1970/71 into Europe and 1987 obviously. With an honourable mention for the 1981 League Cup Run.

1961/62 - W 10 D 4 L12 -
1963/63 - W 18 D 17 L11 -
1963/64 - W 22 D 15 L 9 -
1964/65 - W 17 D 9 L 16 -
1965/66 - W 20 D 13 L 9 -
1966/67 - W 23 D 13 L6 -

250 League games by my reckoning. Think I've got it right.

You work out the stats from that.
Stopper, SBUN, brilliant wasn't it. If Gary Hoffman does come in he has to get that spirit back.

Thanks for that. Not my era but obviously my club's history. I get it now.

Cough cough its hose....
 

procdoc

Well-Known Member
the trouble is thesnoz, football has changed dramtically since the jimmy hill days, and also since the sillett/curtis says. It's all about money now, no thought for fans or patience and time given to vision. Its never about building a club nowadays, just instant success and it's wrong. I'm desperate for some good times and a club that builds up involving the community and developing a spirit that the likes of SISU and Richardson can't break. Maybe it's too late now
 

ccfc2011

New Member
Sir Jimmy Hill legend.
 

TheSnoz

New Member
Sorry ParsonsHose, conditioning. Often ended up in the old Parsons Nose in town after a pub crawl many years ago. Will try & get it right next time.
Procdoc, see what you're saying - but football has always been a business. They charged to get in 50 years ago too, they even had a club shop to sell what was a lot of old tat mostly. Players angled for more money and moved for more money. Remember them putting up terrace prices to about 15 shillings (75p) about 1969. The fans were not amused.
But you're right, a club has to be a part of the community. I don't see anything like that with Sisu.
 

sky_blue_up_north

Well-Known Member
Parsons Nose, Robbins must have been crazy not to give Hill his ten year deal. It has been downhill over since. 1970/71 into Europe and 1987 obviously. With an honourable mention for the 1981 League Cup Run.

1961/62 - W 10 D 4 L12 -
1963/63 - W 18 D 17 L11 -
1963/64 - W 22 D 15 L 9 -
1964/65 - W 17 D 9 L 16 -
1965/66 - W 20 D 13 L 9 -
1966/67 - W 23 D 13 L6 -

250 League games by my reckoning. Think I've got it right.

You work out the stats from that.
Stopper, SBUN, brilliant wasn't it. If Gary Hoffman does come in he has to get that spirit back.

I was truely amazing, keeping hoping we can get someone like him to guides us up again. Derek Robbins also needs mention for bringing him in, although he screwed up with the long term contract. Goes to show board and manager need to be in sync, something we don't have today. Guess we never know what is round the corner
 

sweeneytodd

New Member
Just been reading back on a old thread and one thing springs to mind is when those great days of the rise of Coventry we had a Mr Robbins at the helm as chairman.............. great man for his club and the man who bought Jimmy Hill to Coventry.
Now we have another Mr Robbins so maybe the future is Skyblue :p
 

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