Special Feature
Shine fading from glory for Lloyd McGrath

Buy photos » Coventry City legend Lloyd McGrath in his FA Cup Final shirt and his players medal. Pictutre by Jon Mullis 01.012.002.cov.jm1 (www.buyphotos247.com)

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Coventry City's famous FA Cup triumph over Tottenham Hotspur, the Observer has teamed up with Coventry City's Former Players' Association (CCFPA) to re-capture the memories of players, managers and fans from the club's greatest day on May 16, 1987.

This week sports reporter Steve Carpenter speaks midfielder Lloyd McGrath who put in the cross for one of the most famous own goals in English football.

But although McGrath has some unforgettable memories from the match, he conceded winning the FA Cup felt like it was the start of Coventry's downfall.

THE mere mention of the name Gary Mabbutt is enough to make most Sky Blues' fans smile.

It was his famous own goal in extra time which handed underdogs Coventry victory in the cup final, but few fans will remember the decisive cross from McGrath which led to the gaffe.

The match was perfectly poised at 2-2 heading into extra time and both sides were refusing to focus on defensive duties, opting to attack in the same style for which the game will always be remembered.

"Our fitness levels were very good. You could see the Spurs players were slightly flagging and our fitness shone through at the end," McGrath told us.

"You would have thought that with the players they had they would have wiped the floor with us, and I'm sure they thought that as well, but we had been involved

in several high scoring matches with Spurs that season and managed to force extra time.

"I found myself on the right wing for some reason, I don't know what I was doing there but I just sprinted down the wing and managed to get a decent cross into the area.

"The ball hit Mabbutt and seemed to loop into the air and all I could do was stand there and watch. I was just waiting and waiting but it finally dropped into the net and the reaction from all the players and the crowd was just fantastic.

"When the final whistle blew I think I was talking to myself because I just couldn't believe it. It's every players dream to win the FA Cup and to actually be involved in such a classic match against a really good side was just amazing.

"I always liked playing Spurs because it was always a good open football match and they had a star studded line up at the time with the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and Glenn Hoddle.

"Most of the general public thought we were the underdogs that day but I think our fans thought we were going to win it because every time we had played them previously they had been very open games."

McGrath signed for the Sky Blues in 1982 and worked his way through the ranks before making his debut two years later.

He currently runs the Hawkesmill Sports and Social Club in Allesley and although he still has people stopping him in the street reminding him of the club's FA Cup success, he told of the disappointment he felt that the Sky Blues have not come close to any success since.

"The FA Cup final year was obviously a very special year for the club but before that we had been through years of struggle and we always seemed to find ourselves in a relegation scrap, but that changed in 1987.

"We went thought the streets of Coventry on the Sunday morning on the bus and that was amazing, and again the amount of people that came out was unbelievable.

"For months after the final the city was buzzing because of what we had achieved and it was a great feeling.

"You can't really forget it because people will always remind you which is a shame in one way because I would have hoped the club would have moved on from that.

"I personally feel when we won the cup in 1987 that was the start of the downfall for Coventry City Football Club.

"It's a crying shame that the club hasn't come closing to any sort of success in 25 years. We have done nothing in the league and nothing in the cup, which is

quite disappointing really.

"I think we got to the semi-finals in the League Cup one year, but apart from that we have done nothing.

"Perhaps Coventry as a whole got a bit too big for its boots. They spent a bit too much money on players, eventually moved away from Highfield Road to the Ricoh Arena when they couldn't really afford to and they've never had stability with managers.

"It's just gone downhill and to have such magnificent stadium and for the club to be where they are is a crying shame."