The Coventry City Former Players Association is delighted to announce that Sky Blues star of the seventies Barry Powell will be the Association’s ‘special guest’ at the Club’s upcoming F.A.Cup game against Southern League Premier Division outfit Arlesey Town this coming Saturday (3rd November 2012).
Barry is a reasonably regular visitor to the Ricoh and will no doubt be interested to see the Sky Blues take on their Southern League opponents in Round 1 of the competition they won 25 years ago in 1986-87. This is the first time CCFC have appeared in the first round of this competition in nearly half a century (1963-64).
Born locally in Kenilworth, Barry will be remembered as a dynamic attacking midfielder who graced Highfield Road in the middle of the 70?s decade. Usually wearing number 10, Barry was signed for £75000 in September 1975 by manager Gordon Milne from midland rivals Wolves (with whom he had served since joining as an apprentice in 1972 after, ironically, a failed trial with the Sky Blues). Barry picked up 4 England Under 23 Caps on the way.
Barry left Molineux having made over well over 70 first team appearances and joined a City side now established in the top tier but typically finishing in the bottom half of the table. However the new Milne blend (including Barry and fellow CCFPA members Terry Yorath,Tommy Hutchison and formidable scoring duo Ian Wallace and Mick Ferguson) produced two of our best ever finishes in Division 1, 7th in 1977-78 and 10th the following season.
During his four and half season’s with the City Barry notched up a tidy 30 goals in his 180 appearances before moving to Derby County in October 1979. Barry spent summer loan periods in the USA with Portland Timbers whilst with both the Sky Blues and Derby and also played in the far east on leaving the Baseball Ground (with the Bulova and South China clubs in Hong Kong) as well as clocking up appearances in the UK for Burnley and Swansea City. He spent a swansong season back at Wolves where in 1988 he moved from playing into coaching. Barry was back at Highfield Road as Community Development Officer in 1990 and later tried his hand in non-league management/ coaching at the likes of Aberystwyth Town, Stafford Rangers and Hednesford Town as well as scouting and assessing.
Look out for him around the corporate lounges on match day, on the pitch at half-time and on the stage in Lady Gs Show Bar at the G-Casino after the game where he will receive a friendly quizzing from the Association’s Billy Bell.