Second row (l-r); J Nelson (Trainer), Jack Bellas, Bill Brown, Harry Campling, Jerry Best, Joe Rowley, Norman Findlay, Michael McIlvanney
Third row (l-r); Jimmy Dougall, Jackie Randle, William Watson, Willie Paterson, James Walker, Fred Herbert, Tommy Breslin, Ball
Front row (l-r); Tommy Parkin, Bobby Jones, Bill McGregor
By Jim Brown
After six years of struggle in Division Two, Coventry City supporters anticipated that relegation to Division Three would result in a change of fortunes but they were to be disappointed. The team who reverted to a blue and white striped kit after three seasons in green and red halves, were placed in the Northern Section of the division – they were the most southerly side – and the only ‘local’ derby was Walsall with the next nearest team Crewe, a mere 75 miles away. With many long trips north to places like Ashington, Durham City and Hartlepools in the North East, and Barrow, Nelson and Wigan Borough in the North West, it was a financial disaster.
New manager Scotsman James Kerr took over and encountered a group of players upset at the sacking of Evans. Many of those he inherited were jettisoned and replaced by players mainly recruited from his homeland. Unfortunately many of those signed were of an inferior quality and the club’s form slumped. One of his first buys was centre-forward Bill Paterson from Cowdenbeath, and he was an exception, netting 25 goals, a club league record. He also became the first City player to score four goals in a league game in a 4-0 win over Doncaster. Of the old guard goalkeeper Jerry Best, defender Jackie Randle and forwards Dougall and Herbert remained as regulars but few others survived Kerr’s cull. Cute Herbert was becoming a legend in the City and netted 22 goals.
However any hopes the supporters had of a quick return to Division Two were shattered after a 1-5 defeat at Wigan in the first away game. Home form was excellent – they remained unbeaten at Highfield Road until the end of March – but the long away trips were depressing and eighteen out of 21 games were lost including a 1-8 defeat at Doncaster – the heaviest defeat since 1901. The nadir however came in the FA Cup when Midland Leaguers Worksop Town inflicted a 1-0 First Round defeat on the Bantams, a defeat even more embarrassing when it came to light that most of the Worksop team had spent the morning of the game working down the mine.
The changes had little effect and it was clear by Christmas that a swift bounce back to the higher league was not going to happen. The side finished in 16th place and by the season’s end gates were down to under 5,000 and the average attendance of 8,461, over 3,000 down from the previous season, was the club’s lowest since the entry into the league. Only 4,744 turned up to see the final home game, a 5-2 win over Hartlepools. The club’s financial situation was again in a dire state, 16 players were released and manager Kerr headed to Scotland for replacements.
