On this day (16th April) in 1966 the Sky Blues were trying hard to make it out of Division Two to the ‘promised land’ of top tier football for the first time in their history under iconic manager Jimmy Hill.
With five games to go in a largely impressive season, and level with second place Huddersfield Town going into the game, the Sky Blues took on Birmingham City at Highfield Road. City were looking to complete a double over their local rivals whom they had beaten 1-0 at St Andrews the previous November with a 61st minute Ronnie Farmer penalty. The Brummagem’s had undergone a bit of a revival under famous ‘gaffer’ Stan Cullis since he took over in December and were expected to give City a tough game.
The Sky Blues were coming off an Easter midweek victory over Derby County at Highfield Road by the odd goal in five. This time, in another high scoring entertaining match, the sizeable home crowd of 27,063 watched a seven goal thriller between the two teams which eventually went in favour of the home team.
Four different Sky Blues names went onto the score sheet (all later CCFPA members), Ray Pointer, Ernie Machin, Ronnie Rees and influential captain George Curtis.
Ray grabbed the first goal after only six minutes, a slick finish, and Ernie doubled the lead six minutes before the break only for a Brum fightback to begin. First Alec Jackson‘s shot hit Allan Harris and bobbled over Bill Glazier two minutes before the half-time whistle to reduce City’s lead at the break to 2-1. Then, three minutes into the second period Geoff Vowden netted the visitors’ second.
It wasn’t until twenty minutes from the end that the Sky Blues were able to reassert some superiority when, first, Ronnie Rees popped up to score, set up by our never-say-die captain George Curtis, and ten minutes later the ‘Iron Man’ himself restored the two goal advantage. The last minute effort from the Blues’ Ron Fenton proved merely a consolation, therefore.
JH‘s team that day was:-
Bill Glazier, John Sillett*, Allan Harris*, Dietmar Bruck, George Curtis*, Mick Kearns, Ronnie Rees*, Bobby Gould, Ray Pointer*, Ernie Machin* and John Mitten.
Sadly six (*) of that team, most recently John, George and Ron, have since passed (along with JH) but we are delighted to say all members of the team and their ‘gaffer’ later joined this Association! Dietmar currently sits on the Association’s committee.
Birmingham‘s defeated side that day lined up:-
Jim Herriott, Cammie Fraser, Ray Martin, Ron Wylie*, Winston Foster, Malcolm Beard, Alec Jackson, Johnny Vincent, Ron Fenton, Geoff Vowden and Trevor Hockey Referee:- J.Carr
The late Ron Wylie after hanging up his boots with Brum in 1970 started his coaching career in the Midlands with, first the Villa and then the Sky Blues (where he also became assistant ‘gaffer’ for a time.
Unfortunately JH‘s Boys just missed out on promotion this season, finishing third a point behind promoted runners up Southampton but six behind champions Manchester City. However, they rectified the near miss the following season as every Sky Blue fan knows!
Birmingham finished comfortable in tenth. Middlesbrough and bottom club Leyton Orient went down to Division Two.
Thanks for CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.