We are delighted to announce that our ‘special guest’ for the Sky Blues first home game of this 2024-25 Championship season against Oxford United will be Andy Whing. He secured a place in club history by scoring the Sky Blues’ last ever league goal at our old Highfield Road ground in a 6-2 victory over local rivals Derby County in 2005 (see his trademark celebration below left). Andy has been our ‘special’ on previous occasions as well as watching Sky Blues home games from time to time. He has supported both our Legends Days and Golf Days as well as playing for the Sky Blues Legends XI for charity in the past
Well known both to CCFC and our opponents this Friday night Andy progressed through CCFC ranks from a schoolboy (1997) to a first team debut at right back in 2003 and he made 119 first team Sky Blue appearances (netting twice) before being released to move on to Brighton and Hove Albion (after an initial loan) in 2007.
Subsequently Andy played for Chesterfield (on loan), Leyton Orient and became a regular at his last professional club, our opponents next Friday, Oxford United joining them in May 2011 and winning their ‘player of the year’ the following year. After a hip injury ended up restricting his Bulls’ career to just over 100 games, he went on to coach the U’s Under 18s.
He subsequently coached Kidderminster Harriers U23s from 2017, assisting manager and now fellow CCFPA member, John Eustace. He then coached CCFC’s U18s from February 2018 (assisting Andy Crabtree) and Hereford FC U23s from September 2019, joining former Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ Russell Slade under whom Andy played previously.
From May 2020 Andy got his first crack at occupying a first team gaffer’s chair when appointed as as manager of Southern League Premier Division Central club Banbury United assisted latterly by former Sky Blue (and CCFPA member) Craig Pead, helping them win promotion to the National League for the first time ever. For this season Andrew and Craig are currently in charge at Solihull Moors FC.
Look out for Andy ‘around the lounges’ pre-match doing Q&As with club host, former Sky Blue defender (and CCFPA member) Brian’ Harry’ Roberts. Post-match he will be down on stage in Lady Gs with CCFPA’s new Chairman Billy Bell for some ‘fun and games’ with fans! We hope Andy’s visit coincides with the Sky Blues getting their first League points of the current campaign under their belts!