Matchday Memories: On This Day 1974 – Foxes Outfoxed At Filbert St. By Sky Blue Jimmy

On this day (28th September) in 1974 the Sky Blues under Manager (and now CCFPA member) Gordon Milne had been struggling but in midweek Milne’s men had got their first win under their belt in their ninth league game (previously four draws and defeats) beating Luton Town 2-1 in a Division One game at Highfield Road with first half goals from Colin Stein and David Cross (both now Association members).

Today they had travelled across to the East Midlands to see if they could also get their first away win of the season against Leicester City. The Sky Blues accordingly and encouragingly returned with the points to continue a six game unbeaten mini-revival!

The home team fielded their heroic England ‘keeper Peter Shilton (later to become attached to CCFC as goalkeeping cover/coach) for the first time this season but, amazingly, because he was on the transfer list elements of the Foxes support in the 21,354 Filbert Street crowd booed him!

The Sky Blues, today wearing their new away strip of red tops and blue shorts appeared in determined mood as they beat the Foxes by the only goal of the game. It came four minutes from time from Jimmy Holmes who powered in (with a slight deflection past Shilton) after Jimmy’s now fellow CCFPA member Dennis Mortimer touched a free kick to him.

The graphic below (thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson) supplies most of the match details. The referee was Harry New:-

All the Sky Blues team that day apart from Larry Lloyd and Brian Alderson and Peter Hindley (who have both since passed away) later went on to become CCFPA members. The return between the two clubs at Highfield Road in mid March produced a 2-2 draw with all the goals coming in the first 48 minutes of the game and the Sky Blues Alan Green getting the first of the game after nine minutes and Mick Ferguson the last (again, both later CCFPA members).

The Sky Blues went on to have a reasonable season finishing fourteenth in Division One whilst Leicester City were four places (and three points) below us two positions above the drop. The relegated trio were Luton Town in twentieth and beneath them were Chelsea (on the same points) and bottom club Carlisle United.

It was Derby County who took the title this season a couple of points clear of both second place Liverpool and Ipswich Town.