The Coventry City Former Players Association was very sad to hear from his son that former CCFC half back and CCFPA member, Roy Proverbs had passed away last Wednesday 15 February 2017 aged 84. Roy joined the Association in 2013 and when our late committee member Bob Bromage visited Roy at his Willenhall home Roy told us he particularly remembered team mates (and CCFPA members) Mick Walters, George Curtis and the late Peter Hill from his time at the club.
Wednesbury born Roy began his career with home town club moving to Stourbridge and then Stratford Town before the ‘Bantams’ (as City were then known before JH’s Sky Blue era) signed him in April 1956. Next season, under then gaffer Harry Warren, Roy formed an early season half-back partnership with Roy Kirk and Noel Simpson before being replaced by Jim Regan and Iain Jamieson. He also played with our late member Steve ‘Kalamazoo’ Mokone. Roy played all his 1o first team Division Three South games (plus one F.A.Cup appearance) at No. 4 in the 1956-57 when the ‘Bantams’ finished an undistinguished 16th in the League and went out in the first round of the Cup to Swindon Town.
Roy moved on to Bournemouth in the close season of 1957 but failed to make a first team appearance at Dean Court. Ironically given the Sky Blues opponents today Roy made his biggest professional impact at next club Gillingham where he moved in February 1958. For the club from Kent Roy became a stalwart defender turning in 143 first team appearances (2 goals) plus 10 cup outings before moving to Canterbury City and then Tunbridge Wells United in 1962. Roy finished his career in East Anglia with King’s Lynn in 1964 (a few years after CCFC’s defeat to that club in the F.A.Cup played its own part in the ‘Sky Blue Revolution’)
CCFPA sends its full condolences to Roy’s family and friends on their loss and we will provide details of funeral arrangements when we get them. A full appreciation of Roy’s career by club historian (and CCFPA chair) Jim Brown will also appear on this site in due course