The Coventry City Former Players Association is delighted to announce that our ‘special guest’ at the Sky Blues next home game against Shrewsbury at the Ricoh tomorrow will be popular former strike Dele Adebola!
Dele will be hoping to see the Sky Blues bounce back from their 2-1 set-back at Bury last Saturday where the Lancashire oufit, containing six former Sky Blues, survived a second half mauling from Mogga’s men to get a hard earned victory which put them level on points with CCFC in the League One top six on the day. And wouldn’t you just know it, but with those odds it was bound to be one of the ex Sky Blues, Leon Clarke, who scored a brace for his current employers to ‘bury’ City!
Nigerian born but Liverpool bred, young Dele cut his footballing teeth with Crewe Alexandra from 1993. Hitting 46 goals in 152 first team appearances prompted a 1998 chance with Birmingham City for £1m. A similar hit rate at St Andrews led to a move to Crystal Palace for season 2002-03. Garry McAllister then brought the big man to Highfield Road in 2003 though he really came good under gaffer (and CCFPA member) Micky Adams.
Dele is signed up by CCFPA’s Frank Pritchard in Feb.2014
Unforgettably, Dele scored a brace in the Sky Blues first ever game (and win) against Q.P.R. at the Ricoh in 2005-06 (CCFPA committee man Claus Bech Jorgensen got the opener)! This was on top of also scoring in the 6-2 demolition Derby game in the farewell match at Highfield Road at the end of the previous season. A unique achievement! By the time this popular front man moved on to Bristol City in January 2008 he had clocked up 36 goals in his 182 first team appearances.
A genial giant of a striker, Dele became a bit of a wandering star, first loaned to Burnley and Bradford City whilst at CCFC and then having spells with Forest, Hull, Notts County, Rochdale and Wrexham after leaving Ashton Gate in 2009. He ended his career (in 2013) with non-league Rushall Olympic in his late 30s. A career total of over 750 first class appearances is something to be proud of and Dele still makes charity appearances for our Legends XI!
Look out for Dele meeting the fans ‘around the lounges’ before the game and down in Lady G’s in the Ricoh’s G-Casino after the game with CCFPA’s Billy Bell. If you can’t make the game Dele will be BBC CWR’s guest as matchday analyser for their commentary team. He is bound to have some interesting observations across the day. Welcome Dele!