One of the most successful managers in the club's history and a club legend feature in our third installment of our Coventry City A-Z...
Across the season, we worked our way through the alphabet for this year's Coventry City matchday programme PUSB, finding a Sky Blue perspective of each letter in the alphabet.
It made for a popular feature so we thought we'd bring it to the web too! So without further ado, here is C, with one of the most successful managers in the club's history and a club legend featuring in our third installment of our Coventry City A-Z...
C is for…
Cantwell - Noel Cantwell
Somewhat over-shadowed by City’s legendary manager Jimmy Hill, Noel Cantwell was one of Coventry City's most successful managers.
Hill had led the Sky Blues to three promotions in six years, before leaving the club as City entered the top flight for the first time in the 1967-68 season.
Cantwell finished his successful playing career at Manchester United, where he won the 1963 FA Cup final as captain, in 1967 and took on his first managerial job at the Sky Blues.
In his first season, the Sky Blues narrowly survived relegation to the second division despite only winning nine games throughout the season, less than any other team that season.
In his second season, City once again survived in the first division by one point as Cantwell's Sky Blues collected 31 points throughout the campaign with rivals Leicester City relegated to the second tier.
It was in the 1969-70 season though when Cantwell's City began to achieve the success which had never been seen at this club before. The Sky Blues achieved a sixth place finish in the first division which is still the club's highest-ever finish in the Football League, two points behind Liverpool. City recorded impressive victories against Leeds United, Liverpool and Arsenal during an historic season.
Thanks to the top-six finish, City qualified for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and Cantwell led the Sky Blues into European competition for the first and only time. The Sky Blues beat Bulgarian side Trakia Plovdiv in the first-round before German giants Bayern Munich beat City 7-3 on aggregate in the second round, despite a 2-1 win against the German side at Highfield Road.
During the 1970-71 season, Cantwell led the Sky Blues to a 10th place finish with Ernie Hunt top-scorer for the club with ten goals.
The Irishman left City in March 1972 as City struggled in the 1971-72 season but the former City manager left a lasting legacy. The sixth place finish City achieved under Cantwell’s stewardship has still never been matched nor his leadership across the English Channel and into Europe.
Cantwell’s next stop was America to manage the New England Tea Men but within seven months, he returned to England to manage Peterborough United for five years. He returned to America in 1977 to manage the Jacksonville Tea Men before one final spell at the Posh, where he retired in 1982.
Willie Carr
Known for his striking red hair and his part in the infamous ‘Donkey Kick’ goal against Everton in 1970, flicking up a dead ball for Ernie Hunt to apply his iconic volley, Carr is a true Coventry City legend.
The Scotsman joined the Sky Blues as an apprentice and made his debut for City against Arsenal in 1967. Carr went on to make over 250 appearances for the club and is fondly remembered by City fans as a ‘proper old-fashioned winger’, who also scored 33 league goals for City.
After an incredible eight years with the Sky Blues, Carr moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1975 where he made over 230 appearances in a seven-year spell in the Black County.
He moved to Wycombe Wanderers before spells in non-league with Stourbridge, Worcester City and Willenhall Town. He retired in 1988.
Mick Coop
Another City legend, Coop made over 420 appearances for City during an incredible 15-year spell at the club.
The Grimsby-born defender joined the club in 1962 as an apprentice and made his debut for the Sky Blues four years later. He was part of the side which gained promotion to the English first division in the 1966-67 season and during his time at the club, he played in Europe and helped achieve a top-six finish in the 1969-70 season.
He had two loan spells during his time at City, at York City during the 1974-75 season and at American side Detroit Express in 1979.
He left the club in 1981 and had one season with Derby County before retiring in 1982.
Canada
Simeon Jackson became City’s first ever Canadian international when he joined the club in August.
The 27-year old has 44 caps for his national side and has scored six times, including a hat-trick against St. Lucia in 2011.