Monthly Archives: Oct 2022

A City-Spurs Classic

Today (22 October) in 1994 Brian Horton’s Manchester City defeated Ossie Ardiles’ Spurs 5-2, with goals from Walsh (2), Quinn, Flitcroft, and Lomas.  This was a very memorable and popular match and when it was shown on Match of the Day that evening the BBC also chose to re-screen highlights from the December 1967 ‘Ballet on Ice’ meeting between the sides.  The game was later described by BBC commentator John Motson as one of his all-time top three classic Maine Road matches. Subscribers can read more on the 1994 classic below:

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Read more of this content when you subscribe today. You can subscribe at either £20 per year (above) or at £3 per month here (cancel any time). For those subscribing £3 per month you will be able to access all content from October 2022 onwards for as long as you are a subscriber. Those subscribing £20 a year have access to everything posted since December 2020.

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Fenerbahce Floodlights

On this day (21 October) in 1953 the second game played under floodlights at Maine Road occurred with Turkish side Fenerbahce (later famous for being Manchester City’s opponents in the Blues first European cup match) defeated 5-1 by City. You can read more about these first floodlights and the opening games here:

Floodlights

The photo is from the Hearts floodlit match.

Manchester City 8 Scunthorpe 1

I’ve recently been asked if I can help identify a Manchester City victory for a follower on twitter who asked about a Christmas victory over Scunthorpe. The game was actually an 8-1 Manchester City win. The following details the date, scorers and provides a report:

26/12/1963 City 8 Scunthorpe 1 in Division Two. City scorers: Gray (3), Murray (3) and Kevan (2). Attendance 26,365.

Click to access gray_leads_scunthorpe_a_merry_.pdf

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My website contains subscriber only posts that can be accessed by subscribing either on an annual basis or monthly. Annual subscribers pay £20 to view all content posted since December 2020 and all to be posted during their subscription period. For monthly details see below. I am not employed by anyone to research and all subscriptions help fund my ongoing research into football. Thanks

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My website contains subscriber only posts that can be accessed by subscribing either on an annual basis or monthly. Monthly subscribers pay £3 per month to view all content posted since 1st october 2022 and all to be posted during their subscription period. Cancel any time. For annual details see above. I am not employed by anyone to research and all subscriptions support my work help fund my ongoing research into football. Thanks

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Alternative Sites of Sports History – Free Download October 2022

Recently an academic article of mine offering advice and examples to those researching sports history or working within the industry was published. Normally, it is behind an academic paywall but you can download it for free during October here (it’s free, you may as well have a look):

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17460263.2022.2117731?src=

The article has received publicity in publications/websites of football clubs including Middlesbrough and Manchester City. Here’s what City have said:

https://www.mancity.com/news/club/sport-in-history-academic-journal-manchester-city-63800643

Nigel Clough’s Last

On this day (19 October) in 1996 goals from Paul Dickov and Nigel Clough helped Manchester City to a 2-1 win over Norwich City.  Clough’s was the last of 4 League goals he scored for the Blues. This image is of Dickov and Clough celebrating Clough’s goal.

Rare Film of Manchester Women’s Football

Will McTaggart, who hosted a number of football film shows with me in the years before Covid, has alerted me to a new clip that’s been found by the BBC of the Manchester Corinthians women’s team of the 1960s. The Corinthians played from 1949 until the late 1980s (see elsewhere on this site for their story) and this clip is from March 1965. You can watch it here:

I’ve been researching and writing about the Manchester Corinthians and women’s football for many years (in fact my first book published in 1989 included material on the first games of Manchester City’s women’s team and I attended their matches back then). I’m currently working with the Corinthians and others to erect permanent tributes to them at Fog Lane Park which can be seen in this film.

Another Attendance Record

On this day (18 October) in 2003 Manchester City scored 6 goals at their new home, the City of Manchester Stadium (now Etihad Stadium), for the first time. It was also the 6th consecutive record attendance for the new ground. There was also a sending off for Shaun Wright-Phillips. It was an odd day in some ways but you can read more below:

Although the game was 1-1 at half-time, City defeated Bolton 6-2 at the City of Manchester stadium.  The 6th was scored by Claudio Reyna in the 84th minute.The Bolton victory was notable from a stadium perspective as it also marked the sixth consecutive highest record breaking attendance for the venue.  Due to seating reconfigurations taking place throughout the early part of the season, a new record crowd for the stadium was set for the first five League games.  

The first competitive game (TNS, UEFA Cup) saw 34,103 – capacity had been restricted to about 35,000 due to safety legislation – followed by a record in every one of the following five League games staged – 46,287 (Portsmouth), 46,436 (Arsenal), 46,687 (Villa), 46,842 (Spurs) & 47,101 (Bolton).  Each of those matches was watched by a capacity attendance.  Over the following months further changes, such as reducing the size of the Directors’ Box, increased capacity further and the record crowd was broken again when Leeds United came on 22nd December (47,126) and then Liverpool (47,201) six days later.  Ultimately, the Chelsea game on 28th February became the season’s best with an attendance of 47,304.

Leeds City Auction

On this day (17 October) 1919 defender Thomas Lamph was bought in an auction of Leeds City players by Manchester City. Leeds City had collapsed due to financial issues. A little over 6 years after joining City Lamph died in Leeds at the age of 33.

“Stanley’s Match” – England 8 Scotland 0 16th October 1943

“When I heard the team I said two prayers.  One of thanks to the Scots for leaving me out, and one on behalf of Adam Little who had taken my place.  I knew then we’d do well to get away with less than five goals against.”  So said Bill Shankly referring to the selection of the England team to face Scotland at Maine Road in October 1943. You can read the story of this incredible game here:

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Read more of this content when you subscribe today. You can subscribe at either £20 per year (above) or at £3 per month here (cancel any time). For those subscribing £3 per month you will be able to access all content from October 2022 onwards for as long as you are a subscriber. Those subscribing £20 a year have access to everything posted since December 2020.

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