With the signing of Danny Swanson I wondered how many bird’s have played in Coventry, sorry for Coventry. I will be opening up an aviary so fans can marvel at their beautiful plumage and I also hope to tweet about them later on but which one had the biggest bill and which one played on the wing? I will not include players with birds as first names as in Jay Tabb or Leon Sh**hawk Clarke so here we go.
Tom Bird (1890-1897)
Before the 1890-1891 season had started Tom Bird was elected Captain of the First Team which carried far more responsibilities than it does today and the forward started well scoring on his debut in a 5-3 away defeat to Leicester Fosse a team considered far more senior than the Vocalists. By game five Bird had notched seven goals including two in a 13-0 rout of Atherstone Association who turned up with only seven players and had to borrow some Singers’ players to make up a team. Bird scored two goals in a game on three consecutive games before finally notching a hat trick in the 1stRound of the Birmingham Junior Cup against King’s Heath Albion in a 10-1 stroll. By the end of 1890 Bird had scored 17 goals. Bird got the match ball again as he scored his second hat trick in the Birmingham Junior Cup with two late goals to see off Cannock 6-2 at home. He followed that up with his third hat trick this time at home to Victoria Villa winning 9-0 at Stoke Road. Cup fever was rife in Coventry as Singers took on Packington at the Butts in the Semi Final of the Birmingham Junior Cup in front of 3,000 spectators and Bird scored number three a typical close range finish as Singers reached the Final with a 5-0 win. In the final 2,500 fans from Coventry swelled the crowd to 5,000 in Perry Bar as Singers beat Willenhall Pickwick 1-0 Bird set up the winner and the team had won their first trophy. Bird failed to score in the last six games but ended second highest scorer of the season with 22 goals two behind Will Dorrell. To continue with the bird theme some fans now started to refer to the team as “The Little Blackbirds” because of the strip and the fact that the players seemed shorter than most of the opposition. Bird continued to score in the 1891-92 season but was not a prolific he did score in both matches against fierce rivals Rudge who were known as “The Crow Laners”. Meanwhile progress was being made in three cup completions and reached the Semi Finals of the Birmingham Junior Cup they played Park Mills at Aston Lower Ground that Villa would used as a home ground for a short time, Singers won 5-0 to reach the final again with Bird scoring twice one a powerful shot coming off the underside of the bar. A week later the team reached another final defeating Lichfield Leomansley 8-5 at home with Bird scoring one of the 8. A week later and Singers played in the Birmingham Junior Cup Final at Perry Bar against Willenhall Pickwicks again but things went wrong early on as two Singers’ players had to leave the field injured reducing the team to nine men for most of the game, Bird dropped back to help out and the team hung on until the second half when a typical powerful shot by the captain gave Singers a lead and they ended up winning 2-0. Meanwhile Singers won the Walsall Junior Cup and were declared joint holders of the Wendesbury Charity Cup after earlier being unfairly disqualified from the competition. Bird ended up with three cups and 19 goals. 1892-1893 was far tougher as Singers and Bird struggled, the captain ended the season with 12 goals. 1893-1894 saw The Singers improve a touch on the previous season and by the New Year, Bird had scored 8 goals compared to 1 in the same period the previous season and ended up for the first time as top scorer with 14 goals. 94-95 saw Singers move to play in the Birmingham and District League allowing regular fixtures and a higher standard of Football. Bird made his “League” debut in the third game a 3-1 home defeat against Worcester Rovers. Bird scored as Singers won their first game in this league beating Small Heath Reserves 2-0. Despite now playing in a league there were always a chance of a friendly but there was nothing friendly with a local clash with Rudge as Singers travelled to The Red House ground on Stoney Stanton Road and it was a good game for Bird who had a good record against them and it got even better as he bagged a hat trick in a 7-3 win. Bird scored yet another goal against Rudge as the Singers lost at home to them at that time Singers were struggling in the league conceding a couple of 8’s and then conceded 5 goals three times in a row. Bird kept scoring regularly as Singers ended four from bottom with only seven wins and conceding 92 goals Bird was again top scorer with 11. 95-96 saw changes as Bird now became vice captain but he did take part in the clubs first ever F.A. Cup victory scoring one in a 6-1 rout of a team called Hereford, no relations to Hereford Untied. Bird again scored against Rudge in a friendly as he netted twice at home in a 4-2 win. For the third season
in a row Bird was top scorer this time with 12 goals as Singers ended again 4th from bottom of the Birmingham League with a far tighter defence but were the lowest scorers that season. Bird missed the first few months of the 96-97 season with an rare injury but when he returned he found football harder as he only managed three goals all season as yet again Singers ended 4 from bottom and the season saw Tom Bird retire from the game after scoring 98 goals in 198 games in all competitions he was the highest ever scorer before the league days a great servant to the club.
Nat Robinson (1896-1915)
Arthur Charles “Nat” Robinson was one of the first great keepers for the club but it might have been so different as he was signed from Coventry Stars who signed him from Allesley F.C. as a half back but when only six turned up for a Singers reserve fixture against Foleshill St Lawrence Nat went in goal and found it suited him as he kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win no doubt other players turned up. Nat got his chance on Christmas Day when the touring Clitheroe visited on a snowy day and Nat replaced the brilliant Teddy Kirk in goal and Singers won 5-1. His first Birmingham League fixture was a month later away to West Brom Reserves and Singers lost 4-1. He played three more times that season thanks to an injury to Teddy Kirk and kept his first clean sheet in a 1-0 home win against Redditch Town. With “Little Teddy” Kirk leaving Robinson was now the first choice keeper as the season opened with a practice match against the Second XI who had a new keeper in the side another great non-league keeper Harry Whitehouse. That season saw Robinson make the most appearances being ever present and keeping clean sheets against Dresden United, not a German side but one from the Potteries, Oldbury Town twice, Berwick Rangers twice, not the side that plays in Scotland but Worcester, Redditch Untied, Oldbury Town, away to Shrewsbury Town, Wolves Reserves and Halesowen. He conceded 62 goals in 30 league games but by all reports could have been a lot more. The 97-98 season Robinson only missed one game and keeping eight clean sheets conceding 56 goals. Now as Coventry City Robinson again only missed one game as City headed for 7th in the Birmingham League despite this he only managed one clean sheet all league season away to Hereford Town. By now his keeping the score down heroics had grabbed the attention of league clubs and maybe a fine display in a victory at Muntz Street against Small Heath Reserves persuaded the club that would become Birmingham City to buy him. In his first season Small Heath ended 3rdin Division Two then helping his team to win
promotion to the topflight only conceded 24 goals. Small Heath went straight back down gain before winning promotion the following season he then helped become a mid table in the top flight before they changed their name to Birmingham F.C. Later he dropped out of favour at the club and moved to Chelsea where he played only three times before dropping out of League Football. He was now thirty three and returned to Coventry to be the understudy to another great City’s first International Bob Evans. Nat’s chance came when Bob was away with Wales helping them to beat Ireland in Belfast 2-1 but it was not a fairytale return as City lost 3-0 at Portsmouth. Nat retired in 1911 and like many footballers became a publican he took over the running of the Red Horse not too far away from Highfield Road. Four years later the First World War raged but football despite criticism continued City by that time were in the Southern League Second Division and were playing in front of crowds to the similar size at Sixfields, with many young men away on duty manager Frank Scott Walford called Nat out of retirement in his late thirties to understudy Sid Blake. In January Sid picked up an injury and Nat stepped in to play Barry, the team and not someone called Barry and Nat kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win he followed that up with two more games conceding 11 goals, 9 against Stoke, he played twice more and his last game was at home to Llanelly in front of one and half thousand he kept his final clean sheet in a 1-0 win. Nat played 114 games over a nineteen year spell one of many great keepers we had as a non-league team.
Partridge (1899-1900)
His first name is not known I will call him Alan. Bought from Shrewsbury Town, Alan first played in a practise game keeping a clean sheet but the main significances about this game was it was the first very to be played at Highfield Road a month before Shrewsbury played there to officially open the ground. A Harris was the first choice keeper but was injured after his second game so Partridge stepped in for a home game against Dudley and he became the first City goalkeeper to concede a goal at Highfield Road as he let in 5 in all. The next game he improved only conceding 4 home goals against Kidderminster Harriers before letting in 6 at Small Heath Reserves so after being beaten 15 times in three games he was dropped and was never seen again a-ha.
Robinson (1899-1900)
The last game of the 1898-99 the first season as Coventry City we face a trip to Hereford Thistle in a “dead rubber” game and manager Cashmore gave debuts to seven players including a goalkeeper called Allsop but playing centre forward that day was a player called Robinson his first name is not recorded so I will call him Tony, Baldric scored on his debut in a 3-1 defeat. The following season was an embarrassment as City ended bottom of the Birmingham League and with five games to go the manager gave Baldric another game this time at centre half he played twice and even scored against Bristol Rovers. Three years on he played again or maybe it was a different Robinson but whoever he was played again up front three times and scored another goal in a home win against Worcester City with no more cunning plans Robinson became something only a geophysics could find.
Ravenscroft (1907)
The 1907-08 season saw City having their best ever league campaign up until then. Harry Whitehouse was the first choice keeper but in late January he picked up a injury and had to quit the game 2nd choice was a player called Ravenscroft his first name is not known so I will call him Raphael after the guy that played sax on Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street. Raphael made his debut away to Wrexham in a 2-1 win he followed that up with a clean sheet at home as City hammered Stourbridge 9-0 before conceding four at Shrewsbury either he played badly at Shrewsbury or City brought in Joe Moult from Villa but Raphael never played again.
Frank Crowe (1919)
Birmingham born Frank R Crowe could play Left Half, Right Half or Inside Left. He played for junior side Apollo Works and impressed Birmingham boss Bob McRoberts so much he signed for the 2nd Division team but unfortunately for the 17-year-old player an Arch Duke was shot dead in Sarajevo and his early career was cut short because of a slight World War. By the time football restarted he was well down the pecking order at Birmingham and was signed by City’s manager Bill Clayton to shore up a defence that had conceded 23 goals in its first six games of league football. He was one of three players making his debut away to Leicester that day Charlie Copeland and Horace Wright and City got their best result in their league history to that date by only losing 1-0. Manager Bill Clayton soon left but Crowe kept his place as City lost narrowly at home to Leicester 2-1 and that was that he moved into the reserves as City tried any player that passed the manager’s door in the difficult first season. Crowe moved on to Merthyr Town the next season who were then a Division Three side he spent two seasons their ending 8th and 11th. He then moved to Chesterfield and then to Rochdale before a return to Merthyr Town were he didn’t play he dropped out of the league and ended up at almost unpronounceable Penrhiwceiber which is a small mining town in South Wales.
Benny Robinson (1919-1922)
Definitely not the previous Robinson otherwise he would be in his fifties. Benjamin was bought from a team called Swinburn by Harry Pollitt as City were bottom of Division Two without a goal in over ten games so maybe the fans were hoping for a forward instead but Benny helped his team to a third consecutive scoreless home draw against Clapton Orient. He was the 31st player that season and it was only game twenty two. Benny kept his place most of the season and only six players played more and he helped his team keep another six clean sheets as we survived on the last day, that and a massive bung to Bury to throw a couple of games. The following season City had a new manager and more resources and Benny was moved into the reserves to gain more experience he played five times that season as City conceded ten goals. He was still playing for the Stiffs in the 21-22 season and played in three games all of them lost 1-0 and he was moved on to Nuneaton Borough.
Foster Robinson (1923)
One Robinson leaves another one comes in they must have be working on a quota system. Foster was born in South Shields and played for a club called Simonside formed in 1890 and still in existence. Foster came to City as a 17 year old in 1921 but the outside left was considered too raw and was loaned out to Nuneaton Town to gain experience. After a year there he returned to Coventry and
was back up for Arthur Wood. Foster’s chance came when Wood played upfront allowing Foster’s debut at home to of all teams South Shields his home town club but it wasn’t a fairytale end as City lost 2-0. Foster then played the last six games of the 22-23 as Wood was covering up front. Foster must have played well because Bournemouth came in for him and with his chances limited at City he flew to the south coast. It was the Cherries debut season and Foster played in their first league game a 3-1 away defeat against Swindon, The Robbins. Also playing for Bournemouth that day was a Heron and a Wingham. He played 31 times that season as they ended one form bottom. He dropped out of league football but was back a year or so later playing for Luton Town once and scoring before leaving football forever.
Billy Bird (1926-1928)
Born in Broughton Ashley in darkest Leicestershire and played for Hinckley United were he helped them win the Birmingham Combination League before attracting the attention of several League Clubs including at that time 2nd Division Chelsea but maybe Bird thought he had a better chance of catching a worm at Coventry City who had just spent a season in the North section of the 3rd Division and had just transferred to the South. Bird became on of only one of twelve players called Bird that played League Football before the 2nd World War. Manager James Kerr brought Bird in as a centre half who could play centre forward. William made his debut in game 10 of that season in a 3-1 home win against Newport County he played at the back for the next three league games in that time City conceded 13 goals but Bird did score at home against the Seagulls. New defenders were brought in and Bird flapped down to the reserves. It was in February and an injury to Jimmy Heathcote that allowed Bird back in this time as a forward. He score in his first game up front in a 2-1 home win against Bournemouth he scored three more times before the end of the season and became City’s third highest league scorer of the season with five goals. Bird started the following season but back in defence but after a 9-1 mauling at Millwall he moved out to the wing, where else would a player called Bird play? He played ten games out wide scoring five goals including a double strike against The Canaries. But after the sacking of James Kerr Bird fell out of favour with the caretaker Manager Albert Saunders and Bird flew back to Hinckley United. He then moved to Atherstone and ended up at Nuneaton Town where he hhelped them win the Birmingham Combination.
Albert Robbins (1929)
Born in Penrhiwceiber the same village Frank Crowe ended up playing in Albert started off playing for Abertysswg a Welsh Mining village team situated near Merthyr Tydfil. The centre forward must have impressed as City manager Jim McIntyre brought him in as cover for the number 10 slot. Near the end of the season and with City sitting in mid table in Division Three South, Albert got his chance away to Gillingham in a 1-1 draw and at home to Plymouth in a 4-1 defeat but he didn’t perform well enough and the manager preferred Billy Lake to Robbins. Albert spent another season in the reserves before dropping out of the league and he headed back towards Wales and played for Hereford United to play in the Birmingham League staying there a year before moving to join Barry the Football team.
Barry Hawkings (53-56)
Barry joined City from Modern Machines a junior side that provided nine other players for City including Peter Hill and Reg Mathews. The Forward joined when he was only 18 but was too inexperienced to go into the first team he spent three years in the reserves but didn’t seem to be progressing so manager Harry Storer sent him on loan to Rugby Town. He returned back to the reserves and it took him most of next season before he made his breakthrough four years after joining City. His debut was away to Ipswich on Boxing Day as City lost 4-1. He kept his place in a 1-1 at home to Reading. Hawkins was dropped after as caretaker manager George Jones tried quite a few players in the centre forward role. He played twice more that season loosing both times once against The Swifts. Hawkins was now mainly a back up for Peter Hill at inside right and when Hill picked up an injury Hawkins was circling to take over. He played three times and still didn’t see a win playing again against Walsall nicknamed The Swifts. Finally success as Hawkins was given a start at home to Southend and put City into a lead with his first goal for the club after 68 minutes City were leading 3-1 but his luck was defiantly not in when the referee had to abandon the game because of heavy rain and his goal didn’t count. Hawkins then had a run of games after finally saw his first win in his twelfth game a 3-2 home win against Newport County and Hawkins scored and the game wasn’t abandoned. He played the last seven games in his favoured centre forward role scoring four goals including two against the Canaries. With a good end to the season maybe Barry’s time had come as he started the 55-56 season as first choice centre forward. He was left out after game three and when he returned a few weeks later the great coach Jesse Carver tried in all the forward positions, inside left, inside right and centre forward. He scored five more goals in the next ten games including a hat trick at home Vs The Robins of Swindon Town but despite his healthy goal ratio Jesse Carver stuck the knife in when it was claimed he didn’t have enough penetration and bought in Ken McPherson. Barry moved back to the reserves and wasn’t in new manager George Raynor’s plans to he moved to Lincoln City which was a bit of a surprise since The Imps were playing in Division Two a division higher than City at the time. He spent the whole the following season at Sincil Bank scoring six goals in fifteen games before he flew off again this time towards Northampton Town were he spent two seasons scoring twenty five goals. He moved out of league football and joined Gravesend and Northfleet he then moved to Wisbech Town helping them to the 1st Round of the F.A. Cup before flying the coup again this time for Brierley Hill Alliance before ending up singing “we’re all going to Abergavenny” as in the Marty Wilde song, as Hawkins turned out for Abergavenny Thursdays before retiring to become a potter near Worcester.
Andrew Ducros (96-97)
Pronounced Du-Crow this Evesham born winger, was a bright prospect in the late 90’s and he made his breakthrough one month before his 19thbirthday as he came on as sub in the opening fixture a 3-0 hammering from Forest who would end up being relegated he started the next game away to West Ham and set up new signing Gary McAllister with a goal. He came on as sub in the next four games before losing his place to more expensive singings. He dropped back to the reserves were he sometimes partner the bird like sounding Craig Faulconbridge. The following season he started against The Eagles at home in a 1-1 draw he made three more appearances from the bench that season as he found it hard to compete against the multi million players City had on their books and was transferred to Nuneaton Borough. He scored nine goals in thirty five games in the Nation Wide Conference before attracting the attention of
Kidderminster Harriers where he played in their very first league game a 2-0 home win against Torquay, The Gulls, Ducros didn’t play ninety minutes as he was subbed and replaced by Tony Bird. Andy spent three seasons at the club before dropping out of the team. He spent ten games on loan but at Borough before moving to Burton Albion where he spent four years clocking up over a hundred games he was last seen at Redditch United
Ritchie Partridge (2002-2003)
A rare bird indeed a loan player that looked good. The winger came on loan from Liverpool in 2002 and made his debut in a home defeat against Millwall. He played the next sixteen league games scoring four goals helping City to 6th place by Boxing Day. Partridge was very skilful and scored some brilliant goals but after Boxing Day things started to fade for him and City in the next twelve games City only won once and Partridge failed to score and looked a shadow of his former self. He returned to Liverpool. He had previously been on loan at Bristol Rovers. Liverpool sold him to the Owls three seasons later then he moved on to Rotherham were he was relegated their new manager Mark Robbins thought the nest was too big for two birds and sold him to Chester City where in his second season he was relegated again to the non-league. He move to M.K. Dons playing four times before leaving the nest again this time to Stockport County who were already bottom when he joined halfway through the season and things didn’t change as he suffered his third relegation. His final move was to The New Saints and team that plays in Oswestry
Colin Hawkins (2007)
Colin Joseph Hawkins came to Coventry from Ireland as a promising defender in our youth team set up he stayed two years before being axed. He moved back to Ireland to play for St Patricks Athletic were he won the Irish League before moving back to England to play for Doncaster Rovers who were then a non-league club stayed their for a season and moved back to Ireland to play for Bohemians then end of that season he along with Glen Crowe were transferred to Shelbourne were Colin won his 4thleague title. In the 2006-2007 season City’s caretaker manager Adrian Heath signed Hawkins to help out a defence that had only kept three clean sheets in the last 13 l
league games. Colin made his debut in a defence that also contained Andrew Whing and City won 1-0 with Hawkins receiving man of the match nominees and he looked very solid. He played well in his first three games and made 13 appearances that season but had problems with an Achilles injury. He played once more next season against the Magpies of Notts County. He played on loan with Chesterfield before moving to Brighton to play for the Seagulls again Andy Whing was in defence. With only 18 games in two seasons he returned to Ireland to play for Sporting Fingal who are nicked named The Ravens before moving to Dundalk and ending up at Shamrock Rovers as a player coach.
Anton Robinson (2014)
What do you mean Anton who? Anton Dale Robinson started of at Millwall but failed to break into the first team then he went wandering in non-league he flew into and played for Eastleigh, Margate, Eastbourne Borough, Fisher (Athletic not Tim), Weymouth, Bournemouth and then Huddersfield he also was out on loan at Gillingham. Late in the season and City needed a defensive midfielder to try to stop conceding goals so Mark Robbins of Huddersfield realised there’s only room enough for one bird at a single club loan out the player to his old club. He made his debut at “home” against Stevenage in a narrow win and he was booked in his second game which was a highlight of his six games at the club he was also described as anonymous.
So Swanson dose not have much to live up to live up to as most birds have failed at City we have to go back to the non-league days to fnd anyone with constancy so maybe Swanson will be the best bird in our league days then again that is no saying much