Oggie’s 30th Anniversary Marked by Telegraph Lifetime Achievement Award Nomination
Steve in 1987
Coventry City Legend (and CCFPA member) Steve Ogrizovic is reported to have been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Coventry Telegraph Sports Awards. ‘Oggie’ has a strong case to be in contention for the award due to his long association with the Sky Blues since 1984 and the loyalty to the Club he has shown over three decades in a variety of roles. Since arriving from Shrewsbury Town in June 1984 at, as it turned out, a bargain £72500 ‘Oggie’ has served CCFC as player, Director of Youth Football, Reserve manager, goalkeeping coach and emergency caretaker manager in his three decades with the club.
A former police constable with Nottinghamshire Constabulary (he is a Mansfield native), Steve made his first professional saves with Spireites at Chesterfield in 1977 and very soon his potential for development was recognised by Liverpool. Though mainly a reserve at Anfield he made a handful of first team appearances (and picked up European Cup winners medal) before moving to Gay Meadow in 1982. There he made nearly a century of appearances for Shrewsbury, the pride of Salop until the giant goalkeeper was brought to Highfield Road in close season 1984. A talented sportsman he also played county cricket for Shropshire.
Oggie has seen it all with the Sky Blues, including too many relegation skirmishes to be comfortable and the quality of his shotstopping in many cases was the difference between safety and the drop for his team. One obvious highlight of his Sky Blue playing career was, of course, the 1986-87 F.A. Cup winning triumph in which he played a significant part. He also played again at Wembley in the subsequent Charity Shield defeat to Everton and there represented (as a sub) the Football League against a star studded ‘Rest of the World’ outfit in 1987. In all Oggie made just over 600 first class (and top division) appearances for CCFC from 1984 to his playing retirement in August 2000 (including a run of 245 consecutive games). He played in the Premier League at the age 40. He even scored with a prodigious (wind assisted) punt at Hillsborough in October 1986!
Since hanging up his playing boots he has been a fixture under several management regimes at Highfield Road, the Ricoh, Sixfields and back at the Ricoh in a variety of roles and has played a major part in ensuring a conveyer belt of effective No.1s have been turned out by the Club. Whilst manager of Coventry City Reserves his charges won the Birmingham Senior Cup in 2007.
Steve has always been a good friend of the Association and has supported many of the Charity events we have put on over the years and , of course, our Legends and Golf Days (he is pictured above at Golf Day 2014). He is also pictured below receiving his Association tie a few years ago (presented by CCFPA’s Bob Eales). Oggie truly has Sky Blue blood flowing through his veins and the Association understands that CCFC are planning a suitable celebration of Steve Ogrizovic’s thirty years with the Sky Blues in due course. We await the announcement of what form the commemoration will be and add our congratulations to those of all members of the Sky Blue family for his current Award nomination and the 30 wonderful years he has given to both Club and City!
