On this day (13 February) in 1982 Manchester City defeated Brighton 4-0 before 30,038 at Maine Road. The previous season’s FA Cup finalists had signed Trevor Francis at the start of the season and he scored, as did Asa Bobby McDonald, Kevin Reeves (there was also an own goal).
You can read more on Trevor Francis and the entire 1981-82 season elsewhere on this site. There are lots of articles, many free including an interview I did with Trevor a few years back. Follow the link for more:
If you enjoy all the free material on my website and would like to support my research and keep this website going (but don’t want to subscribe) then why not make a one-time donation (or buy me a coffee). All support for my research is valued and welcome. It allows me to keep some free material available for all. Thanks.
A final reminder that I’m doing a free talk on the Manchester Corinthians at Tameside Local Studies and Archive Centre, Cotton Street East, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7BY at 2pm today (12 February). Anyone can attend but, the Tameside archive centre encourage attendees to book in advance by either emailing archives@tameside.gov.uk or calling 0161 342 4242. If people decide to attend on the day, that is absolutely fine of course.
Here’s the blurb about the event:
The pioneering Manchester Corinthians women’s football team was established during 1948-49. They toured the globe promoting the sport, Manchester and female endeavour at a time when women’s football was banned by the Football Association. Many Corinthians were from Tameside and several still live in the borough today.
Experiencing tours to Portugal, Germany, South America, North Africa, Italy, France and Spain during the 1950s to 1970s, the Corinthians also played a significant role in overturning the FA ban, establishing the Women’s FA and creating regular competition domestically and internationally.
Gary James will be discussing their history, talking of the challenges they faced and the club’s achievements during a 40+ year existence. In 2019 Gary established a campaign to erect permanent tributes to the players and his authorised history of the club was published in January 2025. He has been attending and researching women’s football since the 1980s.
Gary has captured the stories of women who played for the Corinthians throughout its history, including three women in their 90s who were there at the start in 1948-49. A couple of the Corinthians are anticipated to be present at the talk.
Copies of Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History will be available on the day at a discounted price of £20 (RRP £25).
You can find out more on the Corinthians’ book here:
On this day (12 February) in 1966 Manchester City and Grimsby met in the FA Cup with City winning 2-0 before 37,918 at Maine Road. Mike Summerbee scored and the other was an own goal. Subscribers can read more on Manchester City during the 1965-66 season below. This was an important season in City’s development.
If you’d like to read this 4100 word article, plus all other articles on the site, then please subscribe (see below). As with most of the other features in this series it includes words from interviews I have performed with those who were there.
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Continuing the series of features on the 1960s, on this day (11 February) in 1961 Colin Barlow (photographed) scored twice as Manchester City defeated West Bromwich Albion 3-0 at Maine Road. The other scorer was Barrie Betts. Subscribers can find out more on Manchester City during the 1960-61 season by reading this 1200 word article, plus all other articles on the site (see below).
Subscribe to get access
Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (cancel anytime) or sign up for a year at the discounted price of £20 per year (works out £1.67 per month). Subscribers access the 1000+ articles posted so far and the others scheduled during the life of your subscription.
I think we all anticipated it’d be Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle after their victory. Here’s the draw in full:
Preston v Burnley Aston Villa v Cardiff City Doncaster or Crystal Palace v Millwall Manchester United v Fulham Newcastle United v Brighton Bournemouth v Wolves Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle Exeter or Nottingham Forest v Ipswich
Ties to be played between 28 Feb – 3 March.
City and Plymouth have met before in key cup games of course such as:
Doing anything next Wednesday (12 February)? I’ll be doing a free talk on the Manchester Corinthians at Tameside Local Studies and Archive Centre, Cotton Street East, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7BY at 2pm. Anyone can attend but, the Tameside archive centre encourage attendees to book in advance by either emailing archives@tameside.gov.uk or calling 0161 342 4242. If people decide to attend on the day, that is absolutely fine of course.
Here’s the blurb about the event:
The pioneering Manchester Corinthians women’s football team was established during 1948-49. They toured the globe promoting the sport, Manchester and female endeavour at a time when women’s football was banned by the Football Association. Many Corinthians were from Tameside and several still live in the borough today.
Experiencing tours to Portugal, Germany, South America, North Africa, Italy, France and Spain during the 1950s to 1970s, the Corinthians also played a significant role in overturning the FA ban, establishing the Women’s FA and creating regular competition domestically and internationally.
Gary James will be discussing their history, talking of the challenges they faced and the club’s achievements during a 40+ year existence. In 2019 Gary established a campaign to erect permanent tributes to the players and his authorised history of the club was published in January 2025. He has been attending and researching women’s football since the 1980s.
Gary has captured the stories of women who played for the Corinthians throughout its history, including three women in their 90s who were there at the start in 1948-49. A couple of the Corinthians are anticipated to be present at the talk.
Copies of Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History will be available on the day at a discounted price of £20 (RRP £25).
You can find out more on the Corinthians’ book here:
It wasn’t worn that often and was captured in photos/film even less, but here’s Manchester City winning away at Tottenham on this day (10 February) in 1973, wearing a classic kit. It was royal blue with red & white diagonal stripe. The game ended in a 3-2 City win at Spurs with goals from Rodney Marsh and Francis Lee (2). You can watch it here:
If you want to know more on this season or this incredible decade for Manchester City Football Club then why not subscribe and read the following article and all others on the 1970s? You could even subscribe for a month and see what you think. The following 1,700 word article is on the 1972-73 season and is available to subscribers below. Enjoy!
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Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (above) or £20 a year (here) to access everything posted since the site was created in December 2020. This special rate works out about £1.67 a week and gives access to everything posted, including PDFs of 3 of my books.
If you enjoy all the free material on my website and would like to support my research and keep this website going (but don’t want to subscribe) then why not make a one-time donation (or buy me a coffee). All support for my research is valued and welcome. It allows me to keep some free material available for all. Thanks.
Also, doing anything on Wednesday afternoon at 2pm? Why not come to Ashton-under-Lyne and see the talk I’m doing on the history of the club? These are the details:
Tameside History Club Events 2025
Please note that the following talk will take place at Tameside Local Studies & Archive Centre, Cotton St East, Ashton OL6 7BY. To book your free place email archives@tameside.gov.uk or call 0161 342 4242 during our opening hours- Tues, Weds & Thurs 10-5pm & Sat 10-1pm
Wednesday 12th February, 2pm
Manchester Corinthians: A Revolutionary Team Discover the incredible story of the Manchester Corinthians, a pioneering women’s football team, as told through the voices of the players themselves. Dr. Gary James will bring their legacy to life, sharing firsthand accounts of the challenges, triumphs, and impact of this iconic team. Don’t miss this fascinating insight into a trailblazing chapter of football history!
I’ll have copies of the book available on the day. More on the book here:
Continuing the series of features on the 1960s, here’s a story involving Colin Bell and Harry Dowd it’s always worth telling… On this day (8th February) in 1964 Manchester City and Bury drew 1-1. It hardly sounds a remarkable game but it was for two reasons – this was Colin Bell’s Bury debut (and he scored!) AND City’s goalkeeper Harry Dowd scored the Blues equaliser.
This was City’s first point of 1964. The Blues were losing 1-0 to a debut goal from Bury youngster and future Blue Colin Bell at Maine Road when Dowd suffered a broken finger in the 54th minute. He was unable to continue in nets but stayed on the field and reverted to centre-forward – a role he’d often played as a youngster.
Scottish forward Matt Gray replaced Dowd in nets and the game continued with the regular ‘keeper keen to impress in attack: “I was restless enough to give it all I’d got. I felt just like a colt on its feet for the first time, pushing and shoving my way through and going for the every ball – many of which I hadn’t a hope of getting. But the moment of glory wasn’t far away, and it seemed the fans were loving every minute of the action.”
“I got the chance to slip the ball to Derek Kevan, his shot hit the bar, and as it bounced down I went lunging in to turn home the equaliser. The newspapers said some very kind things the next day.”
With Dowd’s efforts up front and a fine performance in goal from Gray the Blues secured the point. Gray had managed to keep a clean sheet, although Dowd’s amazing exploits prevented him from receiving the kind of credit that other emergency City ‘keepers Doyle, McDonald, Gleghorn, Quinn and Walker would over the decades that followed.
This game was probably Dowd’s highlight of the season as later on, he found himself dropped with Bert Trautmann returning to the side for three games before even he gave way to Alan Ogley for the final five matches of the season.. At one point Dowd asked for a transfer, but he remained at Maine Road, playing a significant part in the successes that followed under manager Joe Mercer.
If you’re a subscriber you can read the following article on Manchester City during the 1963-64 season. If you’d like to read this 1700 word article, plus all other articles on the site, then please subscribe (see below). As with most of the other features in this series it includes words from interviews I have performed with those who were there.
Subscribe to get access
Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (cancel anytime) or sign up for a year at the discounted price of £20 per year (works out £1.67 per month). Subscribers access the 1000+ articles posted so far and the others scheduled during the life of your subscription.
Today marks the latest game between City and Orient. They first met in 1909 when Orient won 3-2 on 18 September. The first FA Cup tie between the clubs came on 10 January 1920 when City defeated Orient 4-1 with goals from Ernie Goodwin (2), Horace Barnes and Billy ‘Spud’ Murphy (see report). The most recent match between the teams came on 7 May 1966 when a Second Division game ended 2-2 (City scorers were Colin Bell and an own goal from Sorrell).
City had guaranteed promotion three days earlier at Rotherham.
Gary James' Football Archive 