CCFPA says “Happy Birthday” to our member Jeff Blockley! Born in Leicester (September 12, 1949), Jeff celebrates his 74th birthday today.
Jeff was last officially with us at the Ricoh for the first game of the Sky Blue 2018-19 season, when he and his colleagues remembered his former team-mate, the late Ernie Hunt. He is pictured (below right) with Willie Carr at the event.
Ron (and Matt Farmer) and Jeff Blockley
He also returned to Coventry in August 2021 for the funeral of the late George Curtis, another great half of an earlier generation (left).
In Football Blaby Junior Jeff became a City Junior in 1965 and was apprenticed the following year. Willie Carr and Jeff Blockley
He turned professional in June 1967. He was the captain of the City youth team that lost the F.A. in 1967-68. 3:2 in two games to Burnley in the Youth Cup. Jeff’s strengths as a powerful centre-half were quickly recognized the following season when he made his debut for Southampton in a 1–0 defeat in January 1969 and made his debut for West Ham United in another defeat in March (2–5). His partnership with current CCFPA member Roy Barry was crucial on the way to the club’s one and only European adventure in 1970-71.
Jeff Sky Blue act
Over the next three seasons, regular Jeff won six of ten England U23 caps at CCFC and we barely got credit for Jeff’s only England cap (vs. Yugoslavia) when he was taken to Arsenal for a few days. before his election in October 1972 £200,000. By that time, Jeff had played 167 matches for Sky Blue and scored ten goals!
Spells at hometown club Leicester City (1975), Derby County (loan 1978) and Notts followed. County (1978) before relegation to Enderby Town (where he was player-manager in 1980) and Gloucester City (1981). The administration then had spells with Leicester United (1983), Shepshed Charterhouse (1984) and Hinckley Athletic (briefly 1989). Although Jeff had quite a long career in football, he probably showed his best form with the Sky Blues.
Jeff with Chris Stokes on a golf day
After retirement, Jeff became a salesman for an electrical transmission company before becoming president of his own engineering company, Transmech Sales and Services.
Jeff is an avid golfer and has attended several of our annual Golf Day meetings as well as CCFPA Legends Days.
We hope she is enjoying a wonderful birthday party today and look forward to seeing her at another CCFPA event (for a happier cause) before too long!
