Blast From The Past: On This Day 1980 – Oggy’s 0-0 Outing At H.R. (But Not For The Sky Blues)!

Oggy in Liverpool Red

Sky Blues fans are so used to having about the place our member, Steve Ogrizovic, Sky Blues former goalkeeper, coach, caretaker manager and, until his retirement after 35 years with CCFC at the end of the season before last, goalkeeping coach. The all round Club Legend seems ALWAYS to have been at and with CCFC. However, the graphic below, courtesy of CCFPA’s Dean Nelson, reminds us that Oggy had a footballing life before Coventry City.

Steve in 1987

On this day (19th August) in 1980 in a Division One fixture Steve played at Highfield Road in a Liverpool shirt in front of 22,852 fans and, of course, Oggy kept a clean sheet for the star studded Reds, the previous season’s Champions, against the Sky Blues! CCFC’s Scottish international goalie (and now Oggy’s fellow CCFPA member) Jim Blyth more than matched Steve in a rather boring 0-0 draw!

Mansfield born and a Notts copper for a time alongside UK ice skating champ Christopher Dean (see photo below) the 6’5″ Steve had started out his career in the footballing profession at Chesterfield in 1977-78 and, seeing his potential, the Reds snapped him up in 1977 for £70k after only eighteen starts for the ‘Spireites’.

PCsChristopher Dean & Oggy

Oggy in Sky Blue action

In fact, this game was Oggy’s last appearance for the Liverpool side as he was transferred to Shrewsbury Town in August 1982 having made only five appearances in total for their first team.

Oggy wins the F.A.Cup 1987

After 96 appearances for the team from Salop the Sky Blues brought Oggy to Highfield Road in June 1983 for £72k.

As is well known, Steve went on to play a record 601 games for CCFC in sixteen seasons before going on to undertake nearly all the back room pitch-side roles at both Highfield Road and the Ricoh since the turn of the millennium! Some say the best goalie never to have been selected for his country he will also be forever be remembered by Sky Blues fans as a member of our 1987 F.A.Cup winning team at Wembley (above right).

CCFPA member Gordon Milne‘s team finished in safety in 1980-81 in 16th spot three point clear of the relegation places whilst Liverpool finished 5th. Apart from the left wing pair of Steve Hunt and Belgian Roger Van Gool the whole of this Sky Blues side later joined CCFPA. Whisper it, but Division One champions in this 1980-81 season were ‘the old enemy’ Aston Villa, four points clear of Ipswich Town. The relegated trio were Norwich City, Leicester and, a long way bottom with only 19 points to show for the season, Crystal Palace!