Tommy Hutchison book

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

What a great player he was, his stride seemed to just leave players in his wake.

Beat WBA first game of the season 2-1 and he was fantastic.

Part of a very good Cov side too.

Good? They fought relegation after relationship every bloody year.
And escaped the drop in 77 or 78 by cheating Sunderland who went down instead.

It was a Thursday night end of season and either Cov / Bristol City or Sunderland could go down and were all on the same points - only Cov and Bristol City played each other and Sundeland were at Goodison Park.

Jimmy Hill got Cov's game delayed saying crowds were still outside trying to get in so it kicked off 15 mins later than Sunderland.
When the game at Goodison was over, Hill instructed the scoreboard operator to flash up that Sunderland had lost 2-0.
Cov and Bristol City were at 2-2 so both safe and for the remaining 12 or so mins the game was a sham. Neither side going forward or backwards with no challenges or attempts to get the ball. A disgrace.
Just another reason to dislike that club.

 

[Dirty Harry]

Brilliant player for us, one of my favourite memories (maybe not for Tommy though) was Kevin Ratcliffe getting sent off for nutting him, Tommy fuckin rinsed him time and time again, in the end I think Ratcliffe just had enough of being toyed with as it got pretty embarrassing, but Hutch was a far far better, and more skilful player than I ever gave him credit for, in fact, that whole trio of Gerry, Bobby and Tommy were, great times for me.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Good? They fought relegation after relationship every bloody year.
And escaped the drop in 77 or 78 by cheating Sunderland who went down instead.

It was a Thursday night end of season and either Cov / Bristol City or Sunderland could go down and were all on the same points - only Cov and Bristol City played each other and Sundeland were at Goodison Park.

Jimmy Hill got Cov's game delayed saying crowds were still outside trying to get in so it kicked off 15 mins later than Sunderland.
When the game at Goodison was over, Hill instructed the scoreboard operator to flash up that Sunderland had lost 2-0.
Cov and Bristol City were at 2-2 so both safe and for the remaining 12 or so mins the game was a sham. Neither side going forward or backwards with no challenges or attempts to get the ball. A disgrace.
Just another reason to dislike that club.

Interesting.....Very Interesting!!.

 

[Shirley]

After all these years and from someone who was at both final games in ‘81, I’ve only just noticed there is no “n” in his surname. doh……

 

[manchester blue]

After all these years and from someone who was at both final games in ‘81, I’ve only just noticed there is no “n” in his surname. doh……

Yes there is. :)

It’s a commonly misspelt name with blues just like Richard Edghill.

I only did the first game and did not realise until I got home he had deflected the ball as I was stood behind a pillar. One of my all time faves was Tommy.

 

[Tbilisi]

Good? They fought relegation after relationship every bloody year.
And escaped the drop in 77 or 78 by cheating Sunderland who went down instead.

It was a Thursday night end of season and either Cov / Bristol City or Sunderland could go down and were all on the same points - only Cov and Bristol City played each other and Sundeland were at Goodison Park.

Jimmy Hill got Cov's game delayed saying crowds were still outside trying to get in so it kicked off 15 mins later than Sunderland.
When the game at Goodison was over, Hill instructed the scoreboard operator to flash up that Sunderland had lost 2-0.
Cov and Bristol City were at 2-2 so both safe and for the remaining 12 or so mins the game was a sham. Neither side going forward or backwards with no challenges or attempts to get the ball. A disgrace.
Just another reason to dislike that club.

I thought about you as I typed it. :)

 

[Mr Magic]

Good? They fought relegation after relationship every bloody year.
And escaped the drop in 77 or 78 by cheating Sunderland who went down instead.

It was a Thursday night end of season and either Cov / Bristol City or Sunderland could go down and were all on the same points - only Cov and Bristol City played each other and Sundeland were at Goodison Park.

Jimmy Hill got Cov's game delayed saying crowds were still outside trying to get in so it kicked off 15 mins later than Sunderland.
When the game at Goodison was over, Hill instructed the scoreboard operator to flash up that Sunderland had lost 2-0.
Cov and Bristol City were at 2-2 so both safe and for the remaining 12 or so mins the game was a sham. Neither side going forward or backwards with no challenges or attempts to get the ball. A disgrace.
Just another reason to dislike that club.

During Tommy's years at Coventry, the only serious relegation battle we were in was the one you mention. I would disagree with some of the things that you state as facts. Firstly the game was delayed by a few minutes but that was on the instructions of the referee given because of advice he had from the police. Sensible too when you think of what happened at Hilsborough a few years later. There were thousands of Bristol City fans at that game and at KO time many of them were outside still trying to get in.
You're right in saying that Hill had the Goodison result flashed onto the screen but the players by then knew the result and had downed tools already (See Terry Yorath"s book which details what happened).
It is amazing how a story can be distorted to suit people''s perceptions.
I was at that game and saw Hutch score twice to seemingly have us safe. Bristol City hit back almost straight away to reduce the deficit and then scored again with about ten minutes to go. I think one of their goals came from Gerry Gow. Coventry were on their knees at that stage. However the 'truce' that was called was as much to do with Bristol as it was with us and really nothing to do with Hill. It was poor from both teams but Bristol seem to have got off scot free. The game should have been competitive to the end, the fact that it wasn't was down to the 22 guys on the pitch.
Not that it excuses what went on, but the actual pass the ball sideways and back bit was only the last 5 minutes.
It has to be remembered that Sunderland had it in their own hands to stay up that night. A draw at Everton would have seen them safe. It was that performance and their results over the season that saw them down, not the last 5 minutes at Highfield Road.
We played Sunderland many times over the intervening years with never a mention of that game. It has only become a 'thing' fairly recently kept going by people who weren't born when the match took place, a chance for some faux anger it seems to me.
It would be interesting to know what the other reasons are that you dislike us?

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

During Tommy's years at Coventry, the only serious relegation battle we were in was the one you mention. I would disagree with some of the things that you state as facts. Firstly the game was delayed by a few minutes but that was on the instructions of the referee given because of advice he had from the police. Sensible too when you think of what happened at Hilsborough a few years later. There were thousands of Bristol City fans at that game and at KO time many of them were outside still trying to get in.
You're right in saying that Hill had the Goodison result flashed onto the screen but the players by then knew the result and had downed tools already (See Terry Yorath"s book which details what happened).
It is amazing how a story can be distorted to suit people''s perceptions.
I was at that game and saw Hutch score twice to seemingly have us safe. Bristol City hit back almost straight away to reduce the deficit and then scored again with about ten minutes to go. I think one of their goals came from Gerry Gow. Coventry were on their knees at that stage. However the 'truce' that was called was as much to do with Bristol as it was with us and really nothing to do with Hill. It was poor from both teams but Bristol seem to have got off scot free. The game should have been competitive to the end, the fact that it wasn't was down to the 22 guys on the pitch.
Not that it excuses what went on, but the actual pass the ball sideways and back bit was only the last 5 minutes.
It has to be remembered that Sunderland had it in their own hands to stay up that night. A draw at Everton would have seen them safe. It was that performance and their results over the season that saw them down, not the last 5 minutes at Highfield Road.
We played Sunderland many times over the intervening years with never a mention of that game. It has only become a 'thing' fairly recently kept going by people who weren't born when the match took place, a chance for some faux anger it seems to me.
It would be interesting to know what the other reasons are that you dislike us?

Many reasons.
Sadly my parents moved there when i was young so my schooling days were there.
Went to one game at Highfield Road I guess in 1974??? 2-2 aged 11 and some twat punched my friends brother (aged 15 and ironically a Cov fan) and stole my silk scarf off my wrist. It stems from there.....
You can add in the infamous time cov's fans jumped into a section of City's fans many were women and kids after Shaun Goater's late FA Cup winner at Maine Road.
I dislike cov more than the team from Stretford.

And here is a Sunderland fans view of the game..... a lot nearer to my version than yours :)

JIMMY HILL & SUNDERLAND: What happened to make our fans hate him, and should we still be angry?

This Saturday we visit the Ricoh Arena to take on Coventry City. For many, this will be just another fixture in our attempt to regain Championship football. But, for others, there is a darker side that heavily involves Coventry in the turbulent history of Sunderland AFC.

rokerreport.sbnation.com

 

[Mr Magic]

Many reasons.
Sadly my parents moved there when i was young so my schooling days were there.
Went to one game at Highfield Riad I guess in 1974??? 2-2 aged 11 and some twat punched my friends brother (aged 15 and ironically a Cov fan) and stole my silk scarf off my wrist. It stems from there.....
You can add in the infamous time cov's fans jumped into a section of City's fans many were women and kids after Shaun Goater's late FA Cup winner at Maine Road.
I dislike cov more than the team from Stretford.

And here is a Sunderland fans view of the game..... a lot nearer to my version than yours :)

JIMMY HILL & SUNDERLAND: What happened to make our fans hate him, and should we still be angry?

This Saturday we visit the Ricoh Arena to take on Coventry City. For many, this will be just another fixture in our attempt to regain Championship football. But, for others, there is a darker side that heavily involves Coventry in the turbulent history of Sunderland AFC.

rokerreport.sbnation.com

It reads like the guy who has put that together is relying on a report from the Daily Mirror about Hill having the score flashed on the screen (no disputing that, it’s true) and then hear say from Sunderland supporters over the years. I was there, I know what went on. Do you really think that an official from a club can go to the referee and say ‘We want the KO delayed by 15 minutes’. I think the referee would want to know the reason why and also want evidence. As I say, the police and the referee decided to delay the start. Hill would have had no influence over that. secondly, if Hill had not flashed the Goodison score up on the board, it would have made no difference, the players had already downed tools (wrongly in my opinion). The report states that the last 15 minutes of the game were a sham, but also says that Bristol got their equaliser 12 minutes from the end. It correctly states that Bristol went on to dominate the next few minutes, the period of non competition was only for the last 5 minutes. As far as I am aware, Coventry appealed against the findings of the FA, were exonerated as having no case to answer. Certainly no punishment was applied.
I am sorry about your experiences at the hands of Coventry fans. There are a fair share of idiots and anti-social knob heads who attach themselves to our club. Unfortunately every club has them. My son‘s and myself suffered verbal abuse and threats a few years ago away at Port Vale. I was threatened by a Spurs fan when watching Coventry at White Hart Lane. It’s a shame that football crowds can’t keep the edge that makes match day at the football special, without the need for violence.
All is not lost however as most people who go to games are decent. The fact that I can come on to your forum and be treated with respect by everyone, including yourself, even though we disagree, says a lot.

 

[petrusha]

... I dislike cov more than the team from Stretford ...

For what it's worth, @Mr Magic, I can confidently assure you that, whatever else any of the rest of us might think of your club, MES is the only poster on here who'd say anything even vaguely resembling the above. :)

I did harbour a slight resentment in the 80s and 90s that you had a knack of emerging unscathed from your survival scraps whereas we didn't, but that's long in the past now.

As for Tommy Hutch, I loved him in the brief period he was at Maine Road. Wish we'd had him longer. That 1980/1 season was a fantastic campaign for us, one of the most enjoyable I ever remember, and he was a big part of it.

In the late 90s, when the internet was getting going, we had gatherings of fans from worldwide centred on one game each season (known as the Tribal Gathering). The first was in November '97, and Tommy, along with Bobby Mac and Gerry Gow, were guests for the Friday night piss-up at the Prestwich and Whitefield Supporters' Club.

A great night, though few who were there probably recall much about it. I do remember someone asking Tommy what mixer he'd advise for their whisky. He paused, then pronounced his opinion.

"The only thing you put in whisky," he sagely advised, "is more fuckin' whisky!" Top man!