FORMER York City and Coventry favourite Keith Houchen is in no doubt as to which of his former teams will “fancy” Tuesday night’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash at Bootham Crescent the most.

Houchen, now 52, regularly watches the Minstermen in his matchday role with the Press Association and is also kept informed of Sky Blues matters from old Midlands friends.

As a consequence, he has been as saddened by the recent demise of Coventry as he has been delighted with the renaissance of York.

Houchen, of course, is a Coventry legend after his iconic diving header helped win the 1987 FA Cup final after a 3-2 extra-time victory over Tottenham.

But, 25 years on, following relegation from the Premier League in 2001 and more than a decade of stagnation in the Championship, the club are now third-bottom in the third tier of the English game and have won just one of their ten League One fixtures this term, leading to Andy Thorn’s replacement by Mark Robins as manager.

City, meanwhile, have made a satisfactory start to the season after ending eight years in the non-League wilderness following their historic double-winning Wembley campaign.

On the club’s different mental mindsets going into the game, Houchen said: “Coventry are struggling. They’ve got a new manager who will change things around a bit I imagine and, speaking to people through the grapevine there, they tell me they have got some good young players who just need some experience and confidence but I will be really interested to see how they do against York, especially if York play like they did during the first half-hour of their last match against Fleetwood.

“York have got a bit of momentum and I really enjoyed the way they played last season. They’ve made a big step up and will have to accept losing some matches this season because it’s a learning curve but I think York will fancy the match more than Coventry.

“All the FA Cup final players at Coventry were invited to the final game of last season for the 25th anniversary celebrations but the club got relegated and it just seems a soulless place and club now. They’ve got all the moving staircases and function rooms at the Ricoh Arena but nobody is in them.

“There’s no life there, whereas Highfield Road had a really warm feel to it and was a hive of activity. They were always an unfashionable club but always a top club as well.

“Now, they’re in no man’s land and I think they will have to reach rock bottom before things start getting better.”

Houchen added that he would not be surprised if the two teams are tackling each other in League competition next season, while expressing astonishment that 1960 was the last time the pair have met in any competition.

“That’s incredible,” he exclaimed. “But it shows the difference there has been between the two clubs over the years. The way things are shaping up, they are probably just a season away from playing each other in the League as well.”

Houchen’s allegainces will certainly be tested during the midweek second round tie with the former division four title-winning Minsterman admitting he always looks out for both clubs’ results first, even before those of boyhood heroes Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, where he started and finished his career and went on to become manager.

He also plied his trade with Leyton Orient, Scunthorpe, Hibernian and Port Vale.

“I was a Boro fan when I was a kid because I lived two streets away from Ayresome Park,” he explained. “But Coventry and York are my two favourite clubs now because, as a player, the dressing rooms, training and managers were the best I experienced and the supporters were the happiest.”

Understandably, Houchen’s Cup final appearance and goal will always be recognised as the pinnacle of his career.

But, coming in a close second in terms of footballing highlights, is the penalty he converted to dump out Arsenal in the famous 1985 FA Cup tie at Bootham Crescent.

He argues that without that moment the rest would not have followed, saying: “Without a shadow of doubt, that penalty against Arsenal was my second biggest moment in football because, up to that point, everything had always been a struggle with relegation battles.

“There had been no fun but at York, when I was 23 or 24, I was part of a promotion-winning team who went on good cup runs and it was amazing. That penalty was my first little bit of personal glory.

“People suddenly wanted to know who I was and what I was doing, and that goal set me on the road. I don’t think the other stuff would have happened if I hadn’t put that penalty in.”

While rating City’s chances of prevailing against the modern-day Coventry team, Houchen also reckons a meeting between the two great teams he graced in the mid-80s – one boasting the likes of Cyrille Regis and Brian Kilcline, the other John Byrne and John MacPhail – might have been closer than many would have expected.

He added: “We had a really good York City team back then and both sides had players who knew their jobs and kept going right to the end. Teams had to work hard to beat either side.

“The Coventry team had that little bit of extra quality playing at the highest level but then, at York, we had people like John Byrne who would go on to reach the top too. We were good in the cups as well so, maybe, it would have gone a bit like the ’87 Cup final – 2-2 after extra-time – and then Lloyd McGrath to decide it with an own goal. Ha, ha.”

 

Ingham keeps putting award rivals in shade

GOALKEEPER Michael Ingham has taken The Press Player of the Month honours for September.

Ingham finished one point clear of nearest rival Jason Walker to scoop the accolade.

The final points towards the contest were awarded at Aldershot, where man-of-the-match Matty Blair (three), our second-highest rated player Jason Walker (two) and Jamal Fyfield (one) were all recognised for their efforts.

Walker also shared the two bonus points on offer to the player who received the most man-of-the-match votes from visitors to our website with Dan Parslow.

In Tuesday’s 2-0 home defeat to Fleetwood, The Press points were awarded to star man Fyfield (three), Chris Doig (two) and Michael Coulson (one), while the internet bonus points went to Walker.

Three-goal striker Walker has now drawn level with Ingham at the top of The Press Player of the Year standings.

To be in with a chance of presenting the October Player of the Month with his prize – a framed photograph – on the pitch before a City home game, register your man-of-the-match votes from today’s Bootham Crescent clash against Rotherham and Tuesday night’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy meeting with Coventry.

The Press Player of the Year latest standings (not including Player of the Month bonus points): Ingham 9, Walker 9, Parslow 8, Coulson 7, C Smith 7, Chambers 6, J Smith 5, Blair 4, Fyfield 4, Oyebanjo 4, Doig 3, Blanchett 2, Taylor 2, Challinor 1, McLaughlin 1.

The Press Player of the Month final September standings: Ingham 12, Walker 11, Parslow 7, Coulson 5, Blair 4, Oyebanjo 4, Chambers 3, Carlisle 2, C Smith 2, J Smith 2, Taylor 2, Doig 1, Fyfield 1, McLaughlin 1.

The Press Player of the Month latest October standings: Fyfield 3, Doig 2, Walker 2, Coulson 1.

Goals: Coulson 5, Chambers 3, Walker 3, Blair 2, McLaughlin 2, Parslow 1, C Smith 1.

Assists: J Smith 5, Walker 4, Chambers 2, Coulson 2, Parslow 2, McLaughlin 1, C Smith 1.

Bad boys: Chambers, Fyfield, McLaughlin, C Smith all 2 yellow cards; Challinor, Coulson, Doig, Ingham, J Smith, Walker all 1 yellow.