Terry Yorath
In the mid 1970s there were few harder midfield players than Terry Yorath. A product of the Leeds United youth set-up, Terry was the understudy to Billy Bremner and was well tutored in the hard Leeds school. Like many of Don Revie’s side Yorath was hated by opposition fans but following his arrival at Coventry he became a fan’s favourite for his never-say-die attitude and inspirational leadership. Gordon Milne signed the Welsh national captain in August 1976, for £135,000, one of three masterful signings in a weekend (Ian Wallace and Bobby McDonald were the others), following a poor start to the new season.
Immediately made captain, Terry was soon fighting for the Sky Blue cause and although his first season ended with a nail-biting relegation battle, the building blocks of an outstanding team were in place. In 1977-78 Milne switched to a 4-2-4 formation with Terry and Barry Powell in the midfield of an exciting team that scored 75 goals and missed European qualification by a whisker. Whilst not blessed with top-class skills Terry knew how to win the ball and deliver short passes to the play-makers Powell, Tommy Hutchison and Ray Graydon – the result was a thrilling campaign.
At the start of the 1979-80 campaign Terry was sold to Tottenham for £275,000 where he had two average seasons as the hardman protecting Hoddle and Ardiles. There followed two seasons in the NASL with Vancouver Whitecaps before a return to England with Bradford City where he subsequently became assistant manager to his former Leeds team-mate Trevor Cherry. His managerial career has not been a glittering one and has seen him manage Swansea, Bradford City, Wales, Sheffield Wednesday and the Lebanon national team. Terry has had a lot of personal issues to deal with including the death of his sixteen-year old son from  hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Terry won 59 full caps for Wales, 20 of them whilst he was at Coventry.
Free kick goals (1)
1977-78
19 November 1977 v Queens Park Rangers H, Division One
