The Coventry City Former Players Association welcome our member Craig Pead to the Ricoh as our ‘special guest’ this Saturday for the Sky Blues game against Port Vale. This is the first time Craig (who is the son of former CCFC kit man George Pead) has done the ‘special’s’ duties for us. He will be hoping like all Sky Blues fans that the CCFC will be able to put two successive home defeats behind them and return to the form of the start of the season and put the Valiants to the sword!
Craig began as a Sky Blues schoolboy in 1997 and, having turned professional, was a defeated F.A.Youth Cup finalist for the Club in 1998-99. He made his Division 1 midfield debut in a 1-0 defeat at Burnley and by the time he left for Walsall in 2005 (after a loan spell there and at Notts County) he had clocked up 45 first appearances for the Sky Blues (3 goals). He also represented England at U18 and U20 levels whilst with City.
Craig in Sky Blue action
After two seasons at Walsall Craig moved to Brentford (2007) and turned down a move to Port Vale (2008) and though trialling for Cheltenham Town and Redditch Town in the 2008-09 season remained with the Bees until a knee injury eventually forced his retirement in May 2009. Craig is currently Business Development Manager at BPMpro Sports sector as well as offering football coaching and personal training.
Look out for Craig before the game in the Family Zone with the JSB’s and their families. CCFPA AM Pat Raybould and her energetic band of helpers will be, as usual, putting on plenty of pre-match entertainment for the club’s youngest supporters. Craig and a current CCFC squad member will then gravitate to the Ricoh’s supporter’s lounges and be interviewed by CCFPA member and former Sky Blue defender Brian ‘Harry’ Roberts who is CCFC’s club host.
Craig Pead celebrating our Wembley Checkatrade win with CCFPA’s Sarah Morris
After the game Craig will no doubt enter the lions’ den of CCFPA’s Billy Bell’s on the stage of Lady Gs in the G-Casino under the Ricoh where Craig will undergo anothe Q&A and supporters will see if Craig can hold his own in the face of Billy’s quips!
If you can’t be there Craig will be riding the airwaves during the match providing commentary and analysis for the live match-day team of BBC CWR. Try not to miss encountering Craig, a true Sky Blue despite being Bromsgrove born, next Saturday. Welcome Craig, we hope you have a good day with CCFPA, CCFC and the Sky Blues!