Walking on son-shine, thanks to a famous Wembley upset
THE other Friday provided a delightful trip back down memory lane. My son, a Coventry City supporter, sat down with me to watch the Friday game between Coventry and Queens Park Rangers, this being Coventry’s first game back in the Championship following their promotion last season.
The game had to be played at the Birmingham City ground as, for weird reasons, the Ricoh Stadium in Coventry is no longer available to Coventry City for their home games. That ground now belongs to Wasps rugby union club who, for some reason, will not allow the football club to use it.
The lad started supporting Coventry City way back in the late 70s, and has loyally supported them ever since. He did offer some support to Bristol Rovers when he attended university in that city, but he never ceased his support for Coventry. While at school he became a member of the Coventry City London supporters club and joined their members at all the Coventry matches in the capital, as well as many trips to Coventry with them for home matches.
This club had a weekly magazine that always included a report of the game the previous week. My son quickly became a regular reporter and his reports were good enough for me to think he might opt to take up sports journalism – but he had other ideas. My only trip to Highfield Road, then the home ground for Coventry City, the Sky Blues, was in 1985. This was when Watford were the visitors and I was persuaded by my son that we should take in the game together. We obtained stand seats and then made it a family outing. My daughter was happy to do a shopping tour of Coventry while Jo and I went to the match.
This was the game when the Watford goalkeeper scored a goal with a direct kick from hand. A rarity repeated by the Coventry goalkeeper that day, some years later. The game was exciting, played as it was on a windy day. Watford took the points with a 3:2 victory including the freak goal, when a draw seemed more likely.
1987 was to prove the year that every Coventry City supporter will always remember. That year my son attended every cup match, but not without some alarms. His ticket for the semi-final at Hillsborough somehow got lost in the post. I made numerous telephone calls to the club seeking to track down his ticket. Finally they agreed he could pick up a replacement at the ground in Sheffield.
The win that day meant a trip to Wembley for what has proved to be the first and only time. The opponents were Tottenham, very much the favourites. That was another 3-2 result, but deservedly in favour of Coventry City. After he returned from London, I met Jo at the cricket ground, where I was umpiring. I have never seen him so happy before – or since.
The smile on his face was broader than the Saturday in Bristol when his 10p bet on the fixed odds to decide the exact scores for three matches. He could only afford five bets at a cost of 50p but this one came up and paid £100! He has won many good bets since, but never at those odds.
There can be only one end to this column – what happened in the Coventry v Queens Park Rangers game the other Friday that we watched together. Given this was only the second game for Coventry in the Championship after many years languishing down the league pyramid.
They may not have their own ground at present but they do have a highly-rated manager, so it should not be a surprise for me to tell you that they won 3-2. Yet again it was a pleasure to see a very happy son!