Well, you just can’t keep a ‘Cov Kid’ away! Fresh from his double date in Coventry earlier this month both speaking at the emotional remembrance celebration at Coventry Cathedral on the 12th and participating in the successful Legends Day 2016 reunion the following day, former Sky Blue player and manager (and CCFPA member) Bobby Gould has agreed to return to the Ricoh this Saturday as the Coventry City Former Players Association ‘special guest’
Bobby’s walk on at Legends Day
Bobby will be ‘doing the honours’ in his home town at the Sky Blues upcoming home game against Fleetwood Town (on 27th February 2016) prior to doing an evening Q&A stint at Christ the King for CCFPA committee member and Sky Blue F.A.Cup hero Dave Bennett (in aid of Coventry Sphinx FC of which Dave is President). Bobby will be hoping that the Sky Blues can repeat the stunning performance he witnessed on Legends Day (a 6-0 demolition of Bury) against Saturday’s opponents. The ‘Cod Army’ are, of course, managed by Tony Mowbray’s predecessor as CCFC gaffer, Stephen Pressley (who also happens to be an Association member)!
Bobby in the 1960s
Sky Blues fans will need little reminding of Bobby’s claim to be a Sky Blue legend. Born and bred in the city, educated at Caludon Castle, he made his debut for CCFC in 1963 and scored 42 goals in 89 games for the team of his and ours late lamented Jimmy Hill and helped them lift the old second division title in 1966/7. His career progressed initially with Arsenal, Wolves and W.B.A. and in total he made 440 league appearances scoring 160 times for all his clubs hanging up his boots in 1980.
He has a comprehensive managerial career including twice with the Sky Blues (1983-84 & 1992-93) as well as the Welsh national side for a time. Perhaps the pinnacle of his managerial career was winning the F.A.Cup with his ‘Crazy Gang’ Wimbledon FC side (complete with Vinnie Jones and later Sky Blue Dennis Wise) the year after the Sky Blues own success . Bobby is now a regular media presenter and pundit and is now colloquially known as “The Gouldfather”.
Uniquely, Bobby is one of three Goulds who are CCFPA members joined by brother Trevor Gould (CCFC midfielder 1967-71) and son Jonathan Gould (CCFC goalkeeper 1992-96)
Look out for Bobby ‘around the lounges’ at the Ricoh before the game (and we also may be able to coax him to visit the Club’s youngest supporters, the JSBs, in the Family Zone before the game). Bobby will also be bestowing, as always, heartfelt words of wisdom to those Sky Blues listeners worldwide who can’t be at the Ricoh when he joins the BBC CWR live matchday commentary team in the press box as the match unfolds. Though he will have to get away sharpish for his Sphinx engagement we hope there will be time for Bobby to meet Sky Blue fans in Lady Gs after the game in the company of CCFPA vice chair Billy Bell.