Goal Crazy

On this day (7 May) in 1927 Manchester City went goal crazy and defeated Bradford City 8-0 in their bid for promotion from Division Two.  In the end the Blues missed promotion by the narrowest goal average margin ever.  City’s stood at 1.7705 while promoted Portsmouth’s was 1.7755.  Portsmouth had achieved the better goal average after a 5-1 defeat of Preston, in a game that kicked off fifteen minutes after City’s.  At both Maine Road and Fratton Park the fans celebrated with City not realising their failure until the directors were informed via ticker-tape of events on the south coast.  Portsmouth’s four goal hero, Willie Haines, left the Fratton Park pitch to celebratory chants of “Farmer’s Boy”.

Amazingly, Bradford’s ‘keeper Leonard Boot – playing the last of only 7 appearances for the club – was acclaimed man of the match after pulling off a string of fine saves.  The 8-0 defeat didn’t do Bradford much good as it relegated them to Division Three (North) for the first time.