At last we can announce the identity of the Coventry City Former Player's Association’s ‘special guest’ at next Saturday’s home game when the Sky Blues take on fellow League 1 strugglers, Gillingham.
Kirk in the Sky Blue
CCFPA President Kirk Stephens will be at the Ricoh performing all the usual duties of our special guest especially touring the supporters’ lounges prior to the game to meet the fans and then joining CCFPA vice chairman Billy Bell on the stage of Lady Gs in front of members of the Sky Blue Army to chew over the night’s performance post the final whistle.
Kirk always gets heavily involved in CCFPA ‘set piece events’ like Legends Days and Golf Days and has been prominent in our fund raising ‘Waiter’s Evenings’. He is also a big supporter of the activities in the club’s Family Zone where CCFPA Associate Member Pat Raybould and her team of volunteers entertain the junior Sky Blues before each Saturday home game. He will be there again visiting the JSBs with one of CCFCs current squad before the Gills game.
Kirk in jovial mood
Kirk will be hoping to see the Sky Blues clock up their first League One win since early November after a terrible run of setbacks including, as against Wimbledon away last Tuesday night, late goals against. A home win is desperately required and memories of that emotional Checkatrade win over Wycombe last time out should give the Sky Blues just a little confidence. Another raucous ‘Ricoh Roar’ this Saturday might make all the difference!
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.
Bobby at a recent Legends Day
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). 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.
If you can’t get to the game you can always listen to Kirk on the BBC CWR airwaves as he joins their live matchday commentary team to provide comment and analysis as the game unfolds. We trust he has a good night and sees the Sky Blues turn a corner and make the Kent team ‘sick to their Gills’!