Tuesday, November 3, 1970, was a Tuesday night that marked the culmination of the Sky Blues’ (so far) one and only taste of top flight European football. They defeated Bayern Munchen, a top West German team loaded with international players, at Highfield Road in the UEFA/European Fairs Cup, even though they lost the match 7-3 on aggregate.
In the previous round, Noel Cantwell’s Sky Blues defeated Trakia Plovdiv, the top Bulgarian team, winning both legs (4-1 away and 2-0 at home). The Sky Blues lost 6-1 to Bayern on the previous October 20th in a disastrous night in Germany without their starting goalie Bill Glazier, who is now a member of the CCFPA, despite taking the lead in the tenth minute thanks to the late “Ernie” Hunt. Edgar Schneider (2), Gerd Muller (2), Georg Schwarzenbeck (2), and Franz Roth scored goals for the Munich team.
Though they were most likely chasing a lost cause, CCFC had a chance to regain some pride at Highfield Road with this game. Uli Hoeness took Schneider’s place on the return, while Peter Pumm replaced Roth for Bayern. Hoeness was in his first season with Bayern, having only turned eighteen at the time. In addition, City made some defensive adjustments (Bill replaced rookie Eric McManus in goal).
In terms of the game, Sepp Maier made outstanding saves from City’s Dave Clements and Willie Carr, who are both now members of the CCFPA. Then, on the 35th minute, Jeff Blockley nodded down Dave’s cross for Sky Blues center-forward Neil Martin, who is also a member of the CCFPA, to score City’s first goal and give us a 1-0 lead at the half.
Uli Hoeness scored a goal for Bayern shortly after the hour mark to spark a comeback in the second half. Nine minutes early, the Sky Blues finally won it all as the Germans gave in to the same kind of play that led to City’s opening goal. This time, John O’Rourke, a player who later joined the Association, got on the end of it and delighted the 26,033 fans on Highfield Road with the performance and outcome, if not the overall result!
The two sides who played the Sky Blues, so far, last match in European competition were:-
CCFC:
Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Wilf Smith, Dennis Mortimer, Jeff Blockley, the late Brian Hill, the late ‘Ernie’ Hunt (sub. Brian Joicey -61), Willie Carr, Neil Martin, the late John O’Rourke and Dave Clements
We’re pleased to say all members of this team later went on to join CCFPA!
Bayern Munchen (managed by Uddo Lattek)
Sepp Maier, Johnny Hansen, Herward Koppenhofer, Franz Beckenbauer, Georg Schwartzenbeck, Peter Pumm, Rainer Zobel, Karl-Heinz Mrosko, Uli Hoeness, Gerd Muller and Dieter Brenniger
All were full international players for Germany except Koppenhofer (German U23), Hansen (Denmark international) and Pumm (Austria international).
Bayern went on to meet Sparta Rotterdam in Round 3 and then reached the quarter finals of the competition before going out to Liverpool who themselves lost to eventual winners Leeds United in the semi-final. In the final Leeds beat Juventus over two legs and on the away goals rule.
Bayern finished that season runners up in the Bundesliga. Cantwell’s Sky Blues ended up in a very creditable tenth spot in Division One!
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