On this Monday evening (10th September) way back in 1957 Coventry City were stumbling on six games into their current campaign in the regionalised Third Division South where they had languished since being relegated from Division Two in 1951-52.
Their ‘gaffer’ for this season was Harry Warren who had come to Highfield Road from a long and amicable period bossing Southend United and was required to get the club ‘back to basics’ with a simpler style of football after the experiment of playing continental style under Jesse Carver and George Raynor had foundered.
Things had started quite well with ‘the Bantams’ as Coventry City were known in their pre Sky Blue days being unbeaten in their first five league games including three wins. Then came a couple of away defeats with CCFC unable to find the net in either including, five days previously, a 3-0 defeat at Carrow Road at the hands of tonight’s Highfield Road opponents Norwich City. Last time out, on the previous Saturday, Northampton Town had put four past us without reply in a bad defeat for City. This defeat led to a number of team changes. Warren dropped Jim Regan and Dennis Uphill. Jim was replaced by (later CCFPA member) Roy Proverbs. Dennis was replaced by a young man making his debut, Frank Meadows – a summer signing from Rotherham United. The injured young full back George Curtis (a club legend and, sadly passed away in 2021) was replaced by experienced player Charlie Timmins.
Ray Sambrook in action
So, for this evening’s game at Highfield Road a pretty good groud of 18,354 had turned up to see if CCFC could get back on track and keep their 100% home record going. In a pulsating game they managed to pip the Canaries 3-2 to achieve these aims but only with a last minute goal from Ray Sambrook which brought the house down. The win looked unlikely after City went 2-0 down to the Canaries. First, after twelve minutes, Johnny Gavin despatched a penalty awarded for City defender Frank Austin punching a goal-bound shot from Peter Gordon over the bar. Worse, after half an hour Gavin headed in his and the Canaries’ second.
Though, perhaps more skilful than City that was the end of the East Anglian club’s dominance and non stop pressure from the reorganised Bantams threatened a comeback, though City’s future England international ‘keeper Reg Matthews had to make several fine saves throughout the game. City’s fight back began two minutes into the second half when City’s bustling centre-forward Ken McPherson was put right through on goal and was brought down in the box. Ken was an Association member prior to his death as was the man who stepped up to convert the resultant penalty, Charlie Timmins. After 75 minutes Ken scored a magnificent equaliser with a cross goal header from a Frank Austin lob.
The increasingly expectant Highfield Road crowd were tense until released by that last minute winner from Ray Sambrook. The team continued their exciting home form the following Saturday with a 5-1 demolition of Queen’s Park Rangers.CCFC Manager- Harry Warren 1957-58
Warren’s warriors that day lined up (CCFPA members underlined):-
Reg Matthews; Frank Austin & Charlie Timmins; Roy Proverbs, Roy Kirk & Noel Simpson; Ron Newman, Frank Meadows, Ken McPherson, Dennis Churms & Ray Sambrook
As far as we know none of these Bantams stalwarts is still alive, apart from Dennis Churms who turned ninety in May 2021 and at that point joined CCFPA, and only older CCFC fans (if at all) are likely to remember most of them.
The Norwich City side comprised:-
Ken Oxford; Roy McCrohan & Roy Lockwood; Matt McNeil, Reg Pointer & Graham Englefield; Ron Bacon, Peter Gordon, Ralph Hunt, Johnny Gavin & Ray Kitchener Referee:- H.J.Husband (London)
Despite continuing to have a decent home record CCFC finished in a fairly nondescript sixteenth position in D3S in 1956-57 whilst the Canaries finished plumb bottom of the league six points away from safety with only Swindon Town above them also required to seek re-election to the League (both were successful).
Norwich City‘s deadly East Anglian rivals Ipswich Town were promoted to Division Two as champions (but only on goal average from Torquay United).
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