On this day (30 April) in 2023 goals from Haaland (his 50th of the season – see image) and Alvarez gave City a 2-1 victory at Fulham. You can watch highlights here:
https://www.mancity.com/citytv/mens/fulham-city-extended-highlights-63818471
Monthly Archives: Apr 2025
The Corinthians at Liverpool
Today was a wonderful day when Liverpool FC welcomed myself & several Manchester Corinthians to their women’s training facility at Melwood. The women who played for the Corinthians during the 50s-80s met the current first team WSL squad of Liverpool; had a tour of the facilities; signed autographs (LFC wanted the Corinthians’ autographs and vice versa); and were given a wonderful lunch. I cannot stress highly enough how incredible the welcome was from LFC – all at LFC, not simply one or two people but everybody from security though to every area of the club.
The oldest Corinthian able to attend was 90 year old Centre-forward Mary Bee. Mary, along with Margaret Whitworth and Gill Holland who were also there today, participated in a major international tournament in Venezuela in 1960 which the Corinthians won. She also played in the 1957 European Cup victory over Germany in Berlin (the Corinthians played as an unofficial England team). Others present today included players who had defeated Juventus in a major final in France in 1970.
Thank you Liverpool! It really was appreciated. Some photographs from the visit appear at the end of this article.
If you’re wondering why the Corinthians are so important to football’s history watch this free 18 minute film (including interviews with some of those at LFC today) now. You won’t be disappointed:
You can discover more on the Corinthians’ history (the facts not the fiction!) in my new book. Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History. It is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and consists of 356 pages.
It is illustrated throughout and you can order it now for £25 (including UK postage and packaging). I’ll sign all copies ordered direct from me below.
If you live outside the UK then please contact for details of additional postage costs.
You do not need to have a PayPal account to order – use the ‘Pay with PayPal’ button above and it will give you the option to pay by credit/debit card without creating a PayPal account.
UK ONLY – Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History
The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This will be published in late December 2024. This is UK only at £25 (incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.
£25.00
Some photos from today’s visit:
The Corinthians v Nomads First Time?
On this day (29 April) in 1952 the earliest known use of the name Nomads for the Manchester Corinthians’ second team occurred. Years later founding manager Percy Ashley would say the Nomads was founded in 1957 (and many repeat this) but he had established a second team way back in 1949. They originally went under a different name (you can find out all about this in my new book) but occasionally he used the name Nomads during the early 1950s too! You can find out more on the clubs’ various second teams and names, plus the rest of the Corinthians’ history (the facts not the fiction!) in my new book. Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History. It is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and consists of 356 pages.
It is illustrated throughout and you can order it now for £25 (including UK postage and packaging). I’ll sign all copies ordered direct from me below.
If you live outside the UK then please contact for details of additional postage costs.
You do not need to have a PayPal account to order – use the ‘Pay with PayPal’ button above and it will give you the option to pay by credit/debit card without creating a PayPal account.
UK ONLY – Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History
The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This will be published in late December 2024. This is UK only at £25 (incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.
£25.00
The 1933 FA Cup Final
On this day (April 29) in 1933 Manchester City and Everton played in the FA Cup final. It was a difficult day for Manchester’s team, who were defeated 3-0 by a team that contained the legendary Dixie Dean and former City great Tommy Johnson. You can watch highlights here:
https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/39539/
These two teams became the first teams to wear numbered shirts in the FA Cup final. To mark this occasion here is an article on the history of numbered shirts…
This 1700 word article is available to subscribers to my website.
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The 1950s: Season Ends With A Victory
On this day (29 April) in 1959 Manchester City’s season ended with a 3-1 victory over Leicester City with goals from Joe Hayes, Billy McAdams (photographed) and Ray Sambrook. You can read more on this season for City below. It’s a 1,500 word article on the 1958-59 season which should put this game and result in to context. Enjoy!
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The 1940s: MCFC Backs Down
Here’s an interesting cutting from July 1948. Manchester City had upset a few fans by deciding that only some seats in the ground would be numbered. Why appears to be lost (though I’m still searching for a definitive story on this) but it appears that fans were concerned that only the more expensive seats would be numbered. This suggests that all other seating was going to be unreserved. Fans were not happy and, as this article shows, the club backed down under pressure from supporters. This was the main news on the day players returned for training it seems.
You can read about the following 1948-49 season below.. This article can be read by subscribing.
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Manchester City v Crystal Palace: A Record Breaking FAC Tie
With City and Palace now scheduled to meet in the FA Cup final it’s worth remembering that on 20 February 1926 City recorded an amazing victory over Palace in the competition. It was a fifth round FA Cup tie with Crystal Palace at Maine Road. The Blues, without a manager since November, were being managed by committee with director Albert Alexander senior making the final decisions. It’s an incredible thought that a director without ever being known as a player, could make these decisions but Alexander was a knowledgeable football man and had been with the club since formation in 1894.
By half-time the score was 7-0 to the Blues, but Palace would not give up and quickly pulled back four goals. City were knocked out of their period of complacency and soon found their goalscoring touch again. By the end it was 11-4 and, according to a number of spectators present on the day, Manchester fans rushed on at the final whistle and carried off the Palace ‘keeper shoulder high. Apparently he had played extremely well and, somehow, managed to keep the score down, although one cannot help wondering if he’d have been given such a reception had the scores been reversed.
Frank Roberts was the City star for this particular game, scoring a remarkable five, while Tommy Browell also earned a few plaudits with his hat-trick. The other scorers were: Billy Austin, George Hicks and Tommy Johnson.
With no management and such a miserable time in the League, no one could believe how City had been able to deliver such strong cup performances. Here’s film of the game:
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/crystal-palace-overwhelmed
The 1940s: A Wartime Manchester Derby
This is the cover of the wartime Manchester derby match programme for today (27 April) in 1940. The game was actually a League War Cup tie second leg and ended in a 2-0 United victory at Maine Road. The first leg had ended 1-0 to City. Wartime crowds were restricted by the Government and accurate attendance figures are often difficult to find but I do know that this Maine Road game attracted a restricted crowd of 21,596. You can read more on this wartime season below. It’s a 1,400 word article on Manchester City’s 1939-40 season. The season started as any other but then world events intervened!
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The 1940s: Manchester City 2 Sheff Utd 1
A week after winning 3-2 at Football League North league leaders Sheffield United, Manchester’s Blues do it again on this day (27 April) in 1946. This time they beat the Blades 2-1 before 19,241 at Maine Road (although this report from the MEN suggested there were only about 15,000 there when the game started). The City scorers were Maurice Dunkley and George Smith. The image shows a Manchester Evening News report published that evening.
Although this game was played in peacetime the regional war leagues were still being played, with the Football League returning the following season.
There was FA Cup action though and you can read about that in the following feature on the 1945-46 season.
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The FA Cup Semi Final
Tomorrow brings the 2025 FA Cup semi final between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest at Wembley – I’m always pleased that my team has reached Wembley but I do wish FA Cup semi finals were played at neutral League grounds instead! For many fans the timing and cost of a Wembley semi final are simply too much. Sadly, I don’t think they’ll ever change that now. Reaching the semi does give opportunity to remember past Wembley trips. A few years back I made this special audio recording talking about the years building up to the 2011 FA Cup semi and the day itself from a Manchester City perspective. Many of you have listened to this already but if you haven’t then it tells the story of the 2011 FA Cup semi final and the years between 1976 and that moment in 2011 for City.
I included audio from interviews I did with a variety of people including Khaldoon, Peter Swales, Garry Cook, Brain Marwood and many others.
If you have heard it before then maybe you should listen again to remind yourself of how we all felt and why that game was so significant.
I included a few words from Roberto Mancini recorded in 2011 and at one point he talks about the view that was then being expressed that City were ‘trying’ to buy success (now they say City ‘have’ bought success!). His words are a reminder that City have been having that particular criticism thrown at them for well over a decade! Oh well, I wonder how long those criticisms were laid at other clubs who had seen major investment which propelled them forward?
Anyway, get yourself a brew and be prepared to be transported back in time. Here’s the recording:
If you enjoy the recording then please let me know, comment or subscribe to the site. If you don’t fancy doing that then there’s also the option to make a welcome donation to keep this site going (see below). I’ve produced videos/talks like this highlighting key points in Manchester City’s footballing history which subscribers can watch too.
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Here’s another feature about the significance of 2011:
https://gjfootballarchive.com/2023/01/15/city-are-back-first-published-in-2011/
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Match Stats for the 2011 FA Cup Semi-final
City 1-0 United (HT 0-0)
Yaya Toure 52
City: 25 Hart 04 Kompany (yellow card), 05 Zabaleta (yellow card), 13 Kolarov, 19 Lescott, 11 Johnson (Wright-Phillips 79), 18 Barry, 21 Silva (Vieira 86), 34 De Jong (yellow card), 42 Y Toure, 45 Balotelli (yellow card). Substitutes 12 Taylor, 38 Boyata, 07 Milner, 08 Wright-Phillips, 24 Vieira, 10 Dzeko, 27 Jo
United: 01 Van der Sar, 03 Evra, 05 Ferdinand, 15 Vidic, 22 O’Shea (Fabio Da Silva 84), 13 Park Ji-Sung, 16 Carrick, 17 Nani, 18 Scholes (red card), 25 Valencia (Hernandez 65), 09 Berbatov (Anderson 74). Substitutes 29 Kuszczak, 12 Smalling, 20 Fabio Da Silva, 08 Anderson, 28 Gibson, 07 Owen, 14 Hernandez
Referee: Dean
Attendance: 86,549
Gary James' Football Archive 