Bring Your Boots - You're Playing!

By CCFC Sid
May 31 2005

For the second year in succession, Coventry City gave their supporters (And anybody else willing to stump up a huge wad of cash!) the chance to play on the hallowed turf that is Highfield Road before the place is bulldozed.

Every conceivable shape, size, and age, took up the opportunity - though with Mickey Adams seemingly not in attendance, the chance to become part of next years squad was denied them all! And while the crowd was obviously much smaller than for a Coventry City first team match, the atmosphere was no worse than the final weeks under Peter Reid's leadership!

The saying "you have to be quite special if you're going to wear brightly coloured boots" was ignored by many over the few matches I watched, though one or two players proved an exception to the rule, giving displays worthy of highlighting their feet! I'm sure it looked impressive in the photographs anyway....

I took the opportunity to watch three of the final matches to be played at Highfield Road: a combined `SBA & London Supporters' versus `The Fat C Selection' (On the Saturday, at 1pm), CovCityFC versus Serck Controls at 1pm on Sunday, and the unbeaten LAST FC versus Steve-O FC at 7pm on the Sunday.

CovCityFC were dealt an early blow when their influential midfielder `Magsy' (Real name unknown!), who was unable to play due to not knowing if he was available (It makes sense to him!), was also unable to take his place on the sidelines as manager too.

Predictions of a hammering for CovCityFC (As Serck looked far more conditioned for a football match!) were way wide of the mark, as they lost by a respectable 4 goals to 2 - and with better finishing, and more luck, it could have been closer (Not a dig, before anybody gets their arse in their hand - despite the size of the goals, it isn't as easy as it looks).

A rout looked as if it could be on the cards early on, with Serck hitting the post, and wasting a free-kick inside the "D" of the penalty area, by somehow managing to hit the Family Stand! "Bring Your Boot, You're Playing At The Butts" would have seemed slightly more apt....

The Serck keeper denied Rory `Ruud' McGovern twice around the 10 minute mark, while Adam `SkyBlue Ads' Sloman made a Gary Bailey-esque save minutes later - a slightly tricky, but still "for the cameras" save!! SkyBlueAds hade come out of retirement for this match, or, to be precise, the .... retirement home! (Sore point at the moment I know, but the pre-match resumes were written some weeks ago!), as he spends his days cleaning up other peoples mess, so had hoped not to be doing so on the day of the match too!!

A dangerous `Dangerous Dave' cross caused panic in the Serck defence, but managed to elude everybody, and soon after the chance for CovCityFC to go one-nil up was again wasted (For want of a less harsh word - all suggestions welcome) as `Ruud' - known as `50p Head' to his friends - became `50p Feet' too!!, with his effort going just wide of the Serck keeper's far post.

Chris `Chris Of Cov' Dineen (Who had taken six months away from work to prepare himself for this match, and was probably the sides secret weapon .... despite trying to break his bones during every practice match in a bid to miss this one!!) opened the scoring (Having hit the post seconds before), much to the delight of his family in the stand! During the move, `Ruud' picked up the first of his more serious injuries with an attempted bicycle kick!

Serck missed a chance to equalise soon after as Jason `Sponge Bob Square Pants' (Who isn't blessed with pace, so was expected to have his arm raised more often than Hitler at a Nazi Party rally trying to play the offside trap!) was caught out, but the ball was lobbed over SkyBlueAds and the CovCityFC bar.

Serck came back into the match, and missed a few good chances to equalise, with their No. 12 shooting wide when it seemed easier to score, and SkyBlueAds making a decent save on 25 minutes.

Serck then brought on five substitutes(!), and scored twice before half-time (Through Grant and Pike) to go in at the interval 2-1 ahead - the jury of five decided this was about fair!

Minutes into the second half the Serck No. 10 missed a chance of glory, managing, from four yards out, to hit the ball 10 yards over the bar!

CovCityFC won a free-kick after what looked a spectacular dive (I'm sure TV replays would show a foul was committed!), and `Chris Of Cov's' set piece delivery was just missed at the far post by Rory McGovern (Who was probably injured flying in the direction of the ball!).

A `You've Been Framed' sure-fire £250 will be earned by whoever was videoing this match, as Serck's No. 18 somehow hit the post from a yard out, with the entire goal gaping! He should take heart in the fact plenty a well paid Coventry City professional has done the same on plenty of occasions!

The Serck keeper then picked up a momento that should help him remember the game for a good while - possibly a broken nose! A lengthy stoppage ensued, which included blood being washed from the pitch, before a replacement keeper came on.

A Doyle double (Not words often used at Highfield Road!) wrapped up a victory for Serck, though goal four hit the post and seemed to take an age before finally crossing the line! Those in charge were probably praying that Doyle didn't manage his hat-trick and try to take the match-ball home, as only one was supplied and could have led to the cancellation of the rest of the matches to be played!

Mark Harris's free kick was cleared from the line late on, while SkyBlueAds made another decent save in the dying seconds to deny Serck a fifth goal.

The excuse that "[Serck] had rolling substitutes" was made, but the XI that started for CovCityFC chose to pay £146 instead of £100, opting to play for the entire match rather than being replaced!

At least one replacement would have aided theCovCityFC cause, with Rory `Ruud' McGovern spending so much of the match injured that he made Darren Anderton's time on the treatment table over the last few years seem short by comparison!

As for the match later on, the team that had been beaten so heavily during last years "Bring Your Boots" match (Steve-O FC, beaten 7-2) had requested a re-match with LAST (So I was told), so they knew exactly what they were up against - and they had quite clearly improved.

LAST's keeper made some cracking saves to deny Steve-O FC, with a Dan Viggers hat-trick being the difference between the sides (Though he could have had five!) - so quite why the referee had to interfere and award a dubious penalty (Awarded some 10 seconds after a chat with a Steve-O player just about to take a free kick), I'm unsure. It made some of the decisions that went again Coventry City last season seem quite reasonable....

Said penalty was scored, and seconds later Steve-O FC made it 3-2! A Liverpool style comeback could have been on the cards, before the LAST manager told the referee to blow for full time - which he did!

While sort of understanding the referee's reasons for doing this, wanting Steve-O FC to take something from the match, he should also have taken into account that the LAST keeper might like to have kept a clean sheet (Which speaking to him afterwards, he confirmed he rather obviously did want to) - especially having allegedly been hit by a car only five days earlier!!!

The Sunday 7pm game was easily the best quality football of the three games watched, and who knows? If the Arena isn't ready on time, people might be given "one last chance" again next season....