On this day (6th January) in 2001 the Sky Blues were in F.A. Cup action at Swindon Town’s compact County Ground. This was to prove the Sky Blues last season in the Premier League relegated to Division One after 34 unbroken years in the top flight under (now CCFPA member) Gordon Strachan. WGS’ side were struggling into the New Year in seventeenth place but had had a reasonably productive holiday period unbeaten in their last four league games culminating in a 1-1 Highfield Road draw against Manchester City on New Year’s Day.
Today, a crowd of 14,445 was packed into the County Ground to witness the visit of our Premiership side and they saw an easy Sky Blue victory in a dull game which the Sky Blues should have won by a bigger margin. Overall, many chances made by the visitors went begging but any hopes of a giant-killing are erased early on within four minutes when a poor backpass by Sol Davis let in the Sky Blues impish forward Craig Bellamy for a slick opening goal.
The Robins manager Andy King saw his side produce a poor performance with their putative Australian starlet Danny Invincible continually wrecking moves by straying offside. The game was put to bed after 64 minutes when (CCFPA member now) our Moroccan maestro Mustapha Hadji adding a second with a close range tap in. Roland’s men were never in danger and safely went into the hat for a Fourth Round tie at City’s fellow Premier League strugglers Manchester City.
