Legends Day 2018 (incorporating a Cyrille Regis Tribute) is now only hours away and though the weather is dodgy the Sky Blues match against Lincoln City is confirmed as being on, there are at least 3000 Lincoln fans coming over to swell the Sky Blue faithful and we are still looking forward to over Fifty CCFC Stars of The Past attending!
The severe weather in certain parts of the UK has caused one or two names who were due to come tomorrow to withdraw including our designated extra ‘special guest’ Ian Wallace who is snowbound in his Scottish home. We are desperately sorry that ‘Wally’ cannot make it as he is a true Sky Blue legend who is a regular at CCFPA events! We are very grateful, therefore, that David Smith popular and exciting former Sky Blues and England U21 winger who played well over 150 times for the club between 1986-93 has agreed to take Ian’s place at short notice. He is currently Commercial Manager at Grimsby Town.
Gary in the Sky Blue
David will therefore be visiting the club’s Family Village in the Ericsson Room at the Ricoh before the game to meet supporters as well as touring the Arena’s supporters lounges. He will be watching the game from the Press Box as guest analyzer in the company of BBC CWR’s live matchday commentary team. This is in addition to joining with the rest of his ‘Fabulous Fifty’ colleagues at pre-match lunch with a now sold out E-ON lounge, participating in the half-time pitch parade to the centre circle where a ‘balloon release’ for Cyrille will take place. We hope he will also join the fun and games and (eventually) the traditional Legends day ‘sign off’ from the stage of the G-Casino’s ‘Lady Gs Show Bar’ with the mass Sky Blue Army rendition of the Sky Blue Song!!
Claus in the Sky Blue
It may be we will lose a few more long distance attendees due to the inclement weather before kick-off tomorrow but new names from the club’s former playing history are adding themselves to the list all the time as well. The latest ‘recruits’ are two time ‘Cov-Kid’ Sky Blue Gary McSheffrey, former CCFC committee member Claus Bech Jorgensen and another one of ‘Big Cyrille’s’ close colleagues from the 1986-87 F.A.Cup winning squad, Graham Rodger!! The most up-to-date list of the club’s ‘Heroes of Yesteryear’ we are looking forward to welcoming back to Coventry is as follows:-
Graham in 1987 Sky Blue
Micky Adams; ‘Dele Adebola; Carl Baker; Dave Bennett; Jim Blyth; Ken Brown; Dietmar Bruck; Dave Busst; Willie Carr; Chris Cattlin; Paul Culpin; Greg Downs; Michael Doyle*; Dean Emerson; Ron Farmer; Stuart Giddings; Ian Goodwin; Micky Gynn, Lol Harvey; Colin Holder; Jimmy Holmes; Peter Hormantschuk; Keith Houchen; George Hudson; Claus Jorgensen; Mick Kearns; Mo Konjic; Andy Marshall; Gary McSheffrey; Steve Morgan; Andy Morrell; Dennis Mortimer; Graham Newton; Brian Nicholas; Steve Ogrizovic*; Trevor Peake; Nick Pickering; Barry Powell; Barry Quinn; Craig Pead; Brian Roberts; Graham Rodger; Gordon Simms; David Smith; Kirk Stephens; Bill Tedds; Garry Thompson; John Tudor; Graham Walker; Bob Wesson; John Williams; Peter Wyer and Quintin Young *Michael & Oggy will likely be, of course, busy pitch-side!
We are sure tomorrow will be a memorable day however cold the weather and look to Mark Robins’ Boys to warm the cockles of our visiting greats and the whole Sky Blue Family with a positive performance and result tomorrow. We hope all readers will be there to share Legends Day 2018!!