Matchday Memories: On This Pre Season Day 1999

The Sky Blues were facing their farewell season in the top division on this day (July 16, 1999), following more than three decades of

occupancy. To prepare for the forthcoming Premier League season, the Sky Blues embarked on a four-game preseason tour to

Germany under the direction of former player Gordon Strachan, who is currently a member of the CCFPA, for his third full season in

charge.

With millions of transactions, WGS had been active in the transfer market. Moustapha Hadji (£4m from Deportivo La La Coruña) and

Youssef Chippo (£1m from FC Porto), two Moroccan midfielders who are currently members of the Association, joined talented

Norwegian winger Runnar Normann, who cost £1m.

City were also to see the immense talents of George Boateng go to local rivals Aston Villa for £4.5m and CCFPA member Darren

Huckerby to Leeds United for £5.5m. This was also the season that the precocious young talent named Robbie Keane joined the

Sky Blues from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £6m!

We covered both games in full on their respective anniversaries. Four days prior, the Sky Blues had started their trip with a convincing

5-2 victory against F.V. Speyer. Two days ago, they played and defeated former Bundeslige team Karlsruher SC, winning by the odd

goal in three.

The Sky Blues easily defeated the Rhineland-Palatinate German team by five goals today, defeating their opponents, SC Idar-

Oberstein, from the third division of the national game! Two days later, they performed even better, defeating SC Weinsheim 8-1.

Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to provide any additional information regarding the game or the score for this specific

German tour match.

Returning to the UK for the final preseason games, Strachan’s team defeated Aberdeen by the game’s lone goal in Scotland after losing

3-1 to their relatively new landlords, Birmingham City. Before losing their final preseason game at Hereford United by a single goal,

the Sky Blues crushed midland rivals West Bromwich Albion on the final day of July in a testimonial match at Highfield Road for Sky

Blue legend Cyrille Regis, who joined the CCFPA long before his tragic death in 2018.

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