On this day (17th April) in 1976 the Sky Blues took on Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Division One game in their last home game of the season at Highfield Road in front of nearly 19,000. The Sky Blues were on a ‘double’ against local rivals having beaten them 1-0 at Molineux on Boxing Day thanks to a 25th minute goal from John Craven.
Today, City’s diminutive striker Alan Green had a field day capitalising on a dreadful defensive performance from the Wolves. ‘Greeny’ won the match-ball with a hat-trick on 20, 53 and 86 minutes with the Wolves consolation goal coming from Norman Bell after 26 minutes.
Both sides had been in dire form and this was only the second game all season City had managed more than two goals. Struggling Wolves were sent down to Division Two on the strength of this defeat with their gaffer Bill McGarry about to get the sack.
Wolves captain for the day was former Sky Blue favourite Willie Carr who had moved to Molineux in March 1975.
Willie perhaps came to regret his transfer on this day as the Sky Blues went on to finish a relatively comfortable fourteenth, ten points clear of twentieth placed Wolves. Interestingly (both players also now Association members) future Sky Blue midfielder Kenny Hibbitt and Bobby Gould, in between being an ex Sky Blue striker and future Sky Blue ‘gaffer’, were also in that Wolves side (Gould as a sub). All three named players later joined this Association!
In fact, we are pleased to say that, apart from the late John Craven, every single member of that day’s Sky Blues’ team, as well as the Sky Blues ‘gaffer’ Gordon Milne, later became a CCFPA member.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images & graphic.