The Coventry City Former Players Association are delighted to announce that CCFPA member, one time committee man and heroic former Sky Blue defender David Busst will be the Association’s ‘special guest’ for tonight’s home second home game of the season against Crewe Alexandra at the Ricoh (18th August 2015 k.o.7.45 pm). Whatever the team manages to bring back from Millwall later today the Sky Blues will be hoping to build on their opening day three points taken from highly fancied Wigan Athletic and bounce back from the Capital Cup defeat on penalties to Rochdale last Tuesday night.
We are particularly pleased to welcome Dave to perform our ‘special guest’ duties as he has played a leading part in the Club’s enormously successful ‘Sky Blue in the Community’ (SBitC) operation for a number of years since retiring from the game with an infamous serious injury received in a game against Manchester United on the 8th April 1996. He later received a sell out testimonial at Highfield Road against Manchester United in May 1997 (which proved to be the last ever professional game for the Red Devil’s Eric Cantona).
A ‘Brummie’, Dave started his career at Birmingham non league sides Solihull Borough (1987), King’s Heath (1988) and Moor Green Rovers (1990). The Sky Blues’ Manager at the time (and fellow CCFPA member) Bobby Gould recognised Dave’s potential to step up to the top Football League division when he brought him to Highfield Road on a professional contract from Moor Green in August 1992. Norwich City were the opponents both times for his double debuts -in the F.A.Cup as a sub on the 13 January 1993 in a 1-0 defeat and in the Premiership at centre half three days later when the score was 1-1.
Dave in CCFPA Colours
‘Bussty’ went on to make fifty league appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring four goals plus ten cup appearances (one goal) before his horrific leg injury ended his career as a month or so later he was released from his contract and subsequently was able to gain managerial experience with Solihull Borough (2000-03) and Evesham United (2003-06).
From 1998 to date Dave has played an enormous part in energising the links between Club and the local community through sport, as can be traced through numerous news items on this site. Most recently CCFPA have supported a very successful SBitC initiative for fans over fifty years of age, with CCFPA members of all stripes participating in ‘Walking Football’ sessions at St.Finbarr’s Social Club every Thursday (and at the Bedworth Oval on Mondays). Dave has also been heavily involved in organising (with CCFPA members) regular Charity games involving various Sky Blue Legends XIs and is also an Association Golf Day regular.
No stranger to all things CCFC we trust Dave will enjoy his day at the Ricoh this time as our guest rather than with SBiTC. We expect him to tour the Ricoh lounges before the game in the company of matchday host and fellow CCFPA member Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts, provide words of analytical wisdom for the BBC CWR team during the game and entertain the Sky Blue fans in Lady Gs Lounge at the G-Casino (with CCFPA’s m/c Billy Bell) after the game.