The Coventry City Former Players Association are pleased to announce that our ‘special guest’ at the Ricoh for the Sky Blues upcoming League One with Fleetwood Town next Tuesday night (12th March 2019 ko 7.45pm) will be our esteemed Association President Kirk Stephens.
A ‘Coventry Kid’ born on 27th February 1955 Kirk has been ‘El Presidente’ of the Association since its formation in 2006 and is proud that CCFPA has gone from strength to strength in its history of more than a decade.
Kirk always gets heavily involved in CCFPA ‘set piece events’ like Legends Days and Golf Days and will be in the thick of things in our upcoming Legends Day 2019 on March 23rd when well over 40 former Sky Blues are due to join us! He is also a big supporter of the activities in the club’s Family Zone (though that will not be running tonight) and regularly does a ‘special guest’ stint at Sky Blues Ricoh home games.
Kirk in jovial mood
For the record Kirk was actually turned down by CCFC as a youngster because he was thought not yet ready for top level football and so started his playing career with Nuneaton Borough under manager David Pleat. He then moved with Pleat when he took over the reins at Luton Town in 1978. At Kenilworth Road he accumulated nearly 250 appearances (and a couple of goals) with the Hatters and became a firm favourite as an attacking full back.
In 1984 he was overjoyed to be brought back to his home-town by another former Caludon Castle schoolboy, ‘Cov kid’ (and fellow CCFPA member) Bobby Gould (with Ashley Grimes going in the opposite direction) At Highfield Road he made his first division debut against the Villa in August 1984. However, his top level career was unfortunately curtailed by a severe knee injury in May 1986 after only 37 Sky Blues appearances (and a brace of goals).
“Was this really me”?
Between 1987-89 Kirk did play at non league level with the likes of Barnet, Stockingford and Nuneaton Borough where he eventually became player-manager before hanging up his boots (and later he became a director there). Kirk still has business interests in the locality and has also done some coaching with City Academy junior teams in the past.
Look out for Kirk before the game touring the supporters lounges for Q&As with our member, former Sky Blue defender and now club host Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts. After the game you can join Kirk and fellow CCFPA committee member in Lady Gs in the Ricoh’s G-Casino where they will attempt to entertain, enthrall and interest the audience as they unpick the game from the stage down there!
If you really can’t get to the game just tune into BBC CWR’s live matchday commentary and Kirk can be heard applying his experience to their analysis of the game as it unfolds.