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'Every day the cup final is on my mind' es

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date10 April 2024
Publication titleCoventry Telegraph
So said Coventry City's legendary boss John Sillett speaking 30 years after the club's finest hour on the hallowed Wembley turf

The much-loved, much-missed mastermind of that triumph, who sadly passed away in November 2021 at the age of 85, never tired of talking about the day his beloved Sky

Blues took on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur in 1987 and won the FA Cup for the first and, so far, only time in their history.

"Something will crop up somewhere, a picture, a phone call or somebody will come and see us and it will get mentioned," Sillett said.

"Otherwise you often think about how they are all doing. People like Brian Kilcline; you wonder what he is doing because he's a bit of a mystery man.

"Every day the Cup Final is on my mind and thank God."

Speaking during the 30th anniversary week of celebrations for that historic day, he added: "It's been a bit hectic but thoroughly enjoyable to see all the players back together again.

"Although we do meet every year, it was wonderful to see Keith Houchen and Nick Pickering travelling all the way from up North. Great celebrations."

Asked if he has an abiding memory from the match, Sillett said: "The moment of pride for me was walking out with the team through the tunnel and out on to the pitch and seeing relations all there and waving at them."

City, of course, found themselves a goal down inside two minutes - a situation that certainly didn't go according to the script.

"We had trained for two weeks on not trying to give away an early goal," he said.

"Tottenham had a different system to what anybody else had in the First Division. They played five across the middle and the boys were worried about how to handle it.

"So we sorted all that out and I said to George [Curtis] 'well, we won't give away an early goal after working on it all this week,' but, sure enough, that happened. We just looked at each other and thought 'here we go!'

"I thought all along we were going to win it. I...

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