Author Archives: garyjamesfootballarchive

MCFC Takeover Anniversary

Today (23 September) marks the anniversary of the takeover of Manchester City by Sheikh Mansour. It was on this date in 2008 that the legal transfer occurred. People often focus on transfer deadline day (1 September) when the news first broke but negotiations continued throughout the month until everything finally was signed on this date. For those interested, the image comes from Ian Herbert’s article on 23 September 2008 talking about the takeover. A couple of days before this I was invited in to talk to Khaldoon Al Mubarak about City’s history. I’ve since talked about this at supporters meetings and maybe one day I’ll post the story of it here.

If you’d like to find out more on the extraordinary 2008-09 season then why not subscribe and read this 11,300 word article on it (below) – not much happened that year did it? As always, this includes material from exclusive interviews I have performed with various figures associated with the club over the years. The article, like everything else on this site is under copyright and cannot be posted elsewhere without my express permission.

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40 Years Ago: David White’s Debut

Forty Years Ago Today (23 September 1986) David White made his debut for Manchester City. It had been a strange 24 hours after manager Billy McNeill had left the club for Aston Villa. White was the latest of City’s FA Youth Cup winning team to make a first team appearance and the Manchester Evening News report highlights him a little.

If you’re interested in knowing more, here’s a 2,500 word feature on the 1986-87 season for subscribers:

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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.

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Manchester Corinthians: Last Chance To Order

The revised and updated edition of Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History will be published at the end of November 2026. Anyone ordering before 10 October will be able to get their name printed in a special roll of honour at the back of the book, as well as receiving the book before it appears in any shop. So order below if you want to take up this offer.

As with the first edition this book will be non-profit. The book builds further on the original book, viewed as a landmark publication. Income from the book will continue to be used to promote these remarkable women; stage events for them and capture their stories for posterity. Over fifty Corinthians were interviewed for the first edition and others have been found and interviewed for this updated version. This includes additional Corinthians from the 1940s, adding to the three founding Corinthians interviewed for the first edition. Their voices are so important to the story of this remarkable club. 

I’m determined to ensure all Corinthians are remembered so please also get in touch if you’re a Corinthian who may have slipped through the net somehow.

Order before 10 October 2026 and you will get your name published within a special roll of honour within the book and it will be sent out to all subscribers on publication late in Novmeber 2026. This will be before it appears in any shop. Sadly, due to postage costs the book can only be posted to UK addresses. You do not need to have a PayPal account to order – use the ‘Pay with PayPal’ button below and it will give you the option to pay by credit/debit card without creating a PayPal account.

UK ONLY – one copy of Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History 2nd edition (paperback)

The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This is for one paperback book at £19.95 ()incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.

UK ONLY – one copy of Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History 2nd edition (paperback)

The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This is for one paperback book at £19.95 ()incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.

£19.95

Opportunities to buy multiple copies, sponsor the book or donate exist too. Please email Gary@GJFootballArchive.com for more information on those opportunities.

Note: the cover is currently being redesigned and is likely to be different to the ones shown here.

For more on the Corinthians see:

One Year On: The Manchester Corinthians Reunion

Bobby Johnstone – Better than Carter, Doherty, Finney, Steele or Matthews?

On this day (22 September) in 1959 Manchester City’s Cup final hero Bobby Johnstone returned to his former club Hibernian after 50 goals in 137 first team appearances for the Blues. Here are a few details on him and a quote saying he was better than Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney & others. Enjoy…

At the start of that season there had been indications that 29 year old Johnstone was nearing the end of his Maine Road career.  He had made only 18 League appearances and scored four goals during the 1958-9 season and, although he was vital in a number of games, City were beginning to look to a future without him.  Les McDowall had already started looking at a nineteen year old striker playing for Huddersfield.  He appeared to offer a great deal, the only problem was the price.  City would have to pay a considerable amount to sign the young, exciting forward.  His name?  Denis Law. It would take McDowall some time to sign the youngster, but as the close season began he considered City’s strengths and weaknesses. City was in a period of transition.  Old campaigners like Johnstone were on their way out.  Indeed he left for a fee of £7,000 on this day in 1959.

Later Roy Warhurst, the City half-back signed from Birmingham during the 1957 close season, described the Scotsman as the greatest player he ever saw: ‘Johnstone was the greatest footballer I ever played with or against. I was 29 when I came to City and I’d seen all Britain’s best. But there was nobody to compare with Bobby, when he felt like turning it on. Not even Carter, Doherty, Finney, Billy Steele or Matthews. They couldn’t touch him.

‘My first game for City was a tour game in Holland. Bobby was brilliant. As the locals cheered him off the park I kept thinking “this is some great outfit I’ve joined.”  It was the greatest display I’ve seen from any player that night.’

It is widely known about Bobby’s goals in the 1955 & 1956 FA Cup finals but here’s a couple in a thrilling game v Newcastle in 1957. City lost 5-4 but it’s well worth watching for the drama of it all. Look out for the crowd scenes, especially the exaggerated acting by a lad after about 1min 25 seconds who spills his drink!

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/man-city-v-newcastle-aka-manchester-city-4-v-newca

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Manchester 1840-1919 (Part Seven)

Every Monday I’m posting a section from my book ‘The Emergence of Footballing Cultures: Manchester 1840-1919’. It tells the story of the origins of men’s football in Manchester and discusses the birth of both City and United plus the clubs that predated them such as Hulme Athenaeum, Manchester AFC, Birch etc. Today’s section is the sixth chapter of the book (a 10,000 word section). This focuses on the earliest Manchester entrants in the FA Cup, as well as Ardwick AFC and Newton Heath.

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Fred Williams

Here’s a cutting from the City match programme in October 1938 with a letter from the son of 1890s City star Fred Williams who was reporting his father’s death to the club. Williams made his debut on 28 November 1896 and went on to play 129 games for the club scoring 38 goals. He was only 63 when he died. You can read about his debut season below…

This is an article on Manchester City in 1896-97 and is available to subscribers:

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Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (cancel anytime) or sign up a year at a time for the discounted annual fee of £20. This gives access to everything on the site, including PDFs of 3 of my books and various other articles, interviews and audio material. Each subscriber has access to all content posted during their subscription period too. Why not sign up for a month and see what you think?

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More on the 1890s tomorrow. Why not subscribe and read this and all the other subscriber features?

Manchester City v Sunderland

It’s City v Sunderland today. the first meeting between these clubs was a 2-1 City win in December 1899. The legendary Billy Meredith scored one of City’s goals that day. There have been cup finals, charity shield games and key matches in the League. Many of these are featured on this site. Here’s a link to all the articles tagged Sunderland:

https://gjfootballarchive.com/tag/sunderland

Brightwell and Moulden Score in Front of 8,071

Today’s the anniversary of a memorable day at Chelsea when a crowd of 8,071 (imagine the seat counters if that occurred today) at Stamford Bridge watched Manchester City defeat Chelsea 3-1. Here’s some film of the day when City’s former FA Youth Cup winners Ian Brightwell (scored 2) and Paul Moulden scored:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X42HrZYvH74

You can read more on this season below if you subscribe. This article is a 4,100 word feature on the 1988-89 season. 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.

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Tomorrow’s feature is the last on the 1980s as we tell the story of the 1989-90 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

The 1980s: 1980-1981 Gow, Hutchison & McDonald

Steve Daley, MCFC Player of the Month

Over the years much has been said about Steve Daley and his time at Manchester City with many myths developing. While his price tag had a direct impact on his performances it is unfair to suggest that he achieved nothing (which is often said these days!) during his time at City. This image actually shows something positive and is a nice reminder that late in 1979 he was viewed so positively that he was acclaimed as City’s player of the month for November. Presumably his match winner v Bolton that month played its part.

Obviously, things like this are subjective but I do believe the wider narrative of him as a ‘failed’ player developed simply because the media focus on how expensive he was was overwhelming. As fans we were told that he HAD to deliver game after game because of his price (think about how that narrative is used today and consider what happens when a player doesn’t perform as the highest level expected of him; how many times are we told ‘Haaland hasn’t had a touch yet!’ because it’s a story that some want to tell?). Steve Daley was for many, many years City’s record transfer. It wasn’t Daley’s fault his transfer was so expensive but it was something that was always hurled at him if he had a poor game. I interviewed him a few years back and we discussed his transfer, City fans and the ridiculous spending City did. It was great to interview Steve and I enjoyed it immensely, helping fill in some gaps.

This interview is available to subscribers below.

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Kaziu Deyna v Manchester United

A few days ago I posted an image of Deyna on the cover of a City monthly magazine published during 1979-80 (see image below). Now here’s another photo from that magazine showing Kazimierz Deyna in action. This photo shows him during the Manchester derby of 10 November 1979 when City beat United 2-0 (goals from Tony Henry and Mike Robinson). United players Kevin Moran and Mickey Thomas are there too of course.

Back in 2003 I wrote this profile of former Manchester City player and Polish World Cup star Deyna. He was such an important and unusual signing at the time he joined City in November 1978 that I feel this article is still appropriate and of interest to subscribers to my blog today.

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