To all my family, friends and everyone who reads my work have a good New Year. I hope 2024 brings you everything you want from life. Best wishes to all.
Category Archives: Gary James
Starting Tomorrow: The 1970s
A new series of articles starts tomorrow on Manchester City in the 1970s. There will be a seasonal journey through a truly important decade when Manchester City won three major trophies and challenged for the League. People often claim City has ‘no history’ which is nonsense of course, but this series of features will show how great the club’s history is. For the entire month of January there will be features to make every Blue proud.
Of course, this important decade in the history of Manchester City Football Club does see some lows too, but that’s football. It’s well worth remembering for any Blue who feels bombarded by negativity of the past that in the 1970s City won more major trophies than United; that in the 1970s City won their first major European trophy – years before many other ‘European giants’ won their first including Liverpool and Juventus (even Barcelona didn’t win a UEFA competition until AFTER City! Re-live the highs and lows of that decade.
If you’d like to read this series then please subscribe. Details below:
Finishing Today: The 1980s
My series of articles covering the 1980s ends today. I’ve been posting them daily for several weeks now and they’ve ranged from simple ‘on this day’ style flashbacks to 10,000+ word indepth articles on particular seasons. Thanks for reading them and participating in this website. The 1980s was a truly important decade in the history of Manchester City Football Club and you can re-live the highs and lows of that decade for ever now. These articles will be available for as long as this website survives.
The site survives because of the support of subscribers and people who donate. You can find out about the benefits of doing that here:
Thanks again for your support and watch out for the next great series of articles as January becomes ‘1970s month’ on the website.
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.
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DonateThree Years Old – Thanks!
Well, it’s survived! This website is now three years old and I’d like to thank all those who have subscribed or donated to keep it going. Like many people I’m self-employed and all my research is funded by myself, or via people buying my books or subscribing/donating to this site. I do occasionally do paid projects with various organisations, but this website has been the main source of my writing for the last three years. It survives because it’s supported by subscribers and I am eternally grateful for their support.
When I set out to create this site in December 2020 I wanted to ensure there’d be good content that was free, alongside PDFs of some of my books, audio interviews, lengthy articles and other features that were available to subscribers. It has become a repository for some of my work and my intention remains to make this a comprehensive record and archive.
For over 500 consecutive days there has been at least one article/feature a day posted, while in total there are over 1300 posts ranging from simple on this day style features to indepth 10,000 word articles and audio interviews of one hour or more. There are video talks on various MCFC related topics too. Over the coming year this will be added to significantly as I intend to publish more indepth articles, starting on New Year’s Day. In fact the month of January will be dedicated to the 1970s as I publish at least one feature each day throughout the month on something from that decade. Like the 1980s features I’ve posted recently there will be indepth articles on each 1970s season plus other features.
If you’d like to read these articles and everything else on the site then why not subscribe? It costs £3 a month (cancel anytime) or there’s a discounted £20 a year offer too. It’s less than the cost of a history book but there’s so much here. You could always sign up for a month and see what you think. You can find out how here:
If you are unable to sign up but would still like to say ‘thanks for the free stuff on your site’ then a small donation to help pay tram fare to Central Library or other locations to do my research would be appreciated too:
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.
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DonateThanks for taking the time and trouble to read this and I really do appreciate your time and support. Ta!
MCFC V Fluminense Tonight
At 6pm today Manchester City will take on Brazilian side Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup final. The connections between MCFC & Fluminense go back over a century. Did you know that City played a part in the early development of this mighty Brazilian club? One of City’s earliest goalkeepers, Charlie Williams, became regarded as Fluminense’s first true manager/coach. That’s a big deal and well worth remembering.
A while ago Morten Olesen, a longstanding Danish Blue, wrote a lenghy guest blog on Williams and it’s still available free of charge here:
It’s well worth reading. At one point Olesen comments: ‘In 1911, almost 10 years after its founding, Fluminense was looking for their first coach. The choice had fallen on the now almost 40-year-old Charlie Williams, who was persuaded to take the job for a salary of £ 18 a month (well over £ 2000 in 2021 money) two return trips to England, as well as free board and lodging.’
If you use any of this material please ensure you credit Morten for his research.
Have a read of the article and then search the site for anything else you’re interested in. In fact why not subscribe? For details see:
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.
Choose an amount
£2.50
£5.00
£7.50
Or enter a custom amount
£
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateMCFC V Fluminense on Friday
At 6pm on Friday Manchester City will take on Brazilian side Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup final. Fluminense are a team that we never dreamed City would meet in a truly competitive game and it’s caused some to ask whether there’s any connection between the clubs. Well, yes, there is and it’s a major one. One of City’s earliest goalkeepers, Charlie Williams, became regarded as Fluminense’s first true manager/coach. That’s a big deal and well worth remembering.
A while ago Morten Olesen, a longstanding Danish Blue, wrote a lenghy guest blog on Williams and it’s still available free of charge here:
It’s well worth reading. At one point Olesen comments: ‘In 1911, almost 10 years after its founding, Fluminense was looking for their first coach. The choice had fallen on the now almost 40-year-old Charlie Williams, who was persuaded to take the job for a salary of £ 18 a month (well over £ 2000 in 2021 money) two return trips to England, as well as free board and lodging.’
It’s interesting that over the last 24 hours or so there’s been an awful lot of traffic to Olesen’s guest blog, so it does show that people are desperate to find out about MCFC and Fluminense connections. If you use any of this material please ensure you credit Morten for his research.
Have a read of the article and then search the site for anything else you’re interested in. In fact why not subscribe? For details see:
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.
Choose an amount
£2.50
£5.00
£7.50
Or enter a custom amount
£
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateManchester Corinthians Book Latest
The research and writing for the authorised history of the Manchester Corinthians is continuing. I’ve spent much of the last few months traveling the country continuing to interview former players and visiting archives. The book will be out next year and we’ll be announcing some further news on it soon, including the opportunity for people to subscribe to the book.
As well as the interviews and archive trips there’s been a concerted effort to compile as comprehensive list as possible on women who played for the club. There’s still some way to go but so far I’ve managed to compile a list of over 260 women who played for the club. Objects and trophies have also been rediscovered. This is the type of detailed research I enjoy. It’s time consuming, difficult and often frustrating but occasionally you find a little gem that adds significantly to our knowledge. There have been a few of those and hopefully more to come.
Obviously, I’m still keen to hear from any former player who can add their voices to the history of the club. Please email Gary@GJFootballArchive.com with your name, rough dates you played and contact details.
The cover of the book will be worked on by the designer over the coming months but following feedback from former players the maroon has been replaced with a darker blue, more reminiscent of the colour most frequently worn by the Corinthians (based on the reports, programmes and other material found so far and the majority of comments from players). This may still change of course (‘The Authorised History’ will probably change colour too). The back will contain later images and wording.
If anyone is wondering about the size and scale of the book, it will be similar in style to the Manchester City Women book I produced a few years back.
George Graham Interview – March 1993
Happy 79th birthday to former Arsenal manager George Graham. George was brought to England by Joe Mercer to play for Aston Villa and on 30 March 1993 I travelled to Arsenal’s old stadium, Highbury, to interview George. I wanted to capture his views on his former boss – and Arsenal legend – Joe Mercer.
As I mentioned earlier, Joe was the Aston Villa manager who brought George to England many, many years before George had found fame as a footballer and Joe had taken Manchester City to their first European honour. Joe did win the League Cup as Aston Villa boss, but these were not great days for the former Everton and Arsenal playing legend, but he did always feel responsible for bringing George to England (and loved the success he brought Arsenal).
My interview with George had been arranged for Tuesday 30 March 1993 some time in advance but then Arsenal’s FA Cup semi-final with Tottenham was scheduled for the following Sunday at Wembley (a highly unusual occurrence at the time!). I expected to get a call cancelling the interview but instead George decided to go ahead with it.
On the day I parked up outside Highbury quite early but as I pulled up I saw George leave the stadium and jump into a car. I was early, so wasn’t too worried. Then I remembered the FA Cup semi-final and assumed that George would be busy with plans. I expected to be told when I entered the marble hall at Highbury that the meeting would be off.
When I spoke with the reception staff they told me to take a seat. They said that George had been called away and so could be a few minutes late (which he was). I was relieved because I’d been convinced he would cancel (it’s happened often with other busy managers).
I sat in reception thinking about the chat and then, a few minutes after we were due to meet, George walked in. He spoke with the receptionist and then came towards me, hand out, saying ‘I’m George Graham’ (I remember thinking ‘I know’ but I did love the fact that he introduced himself). He took me up to his impressive office at Highbury – no other offices at any ground I had been to at that time could match the quality and status of that room.
We then did the interview. It’s not my best – I think I was overawed by the situation – but I was appreciative of George’s time. During the interview Stewart Houston, his assistant, popped in to check something with George (I turned off my recorder) and George ushered him away, telling him that he was busy. Again, I loved this – other managers have sometimes disappeared and not come back but for George he’d set this time aside to see me and chat about Joe Mercer and that’s what he was doing.
Arsenal beat Spurs that weekend so, I suppose, George knew what he was doing but I do remember watching that game on TV thinking that if Arsenal lose I’d never be able to tell anyone that George had spent time being pestered about Joe Mercer when he should’ve been preparing for Tottenham!
If you subscribe to this site you can hear the interview below. I have been researching and writing for a long time and my Joe Mercer book was my third (first published in 1993). I am not employed by anyone and I do not have sponsorship either and so I’ve set up this website to help share my 35 years plus writing and research. The intention is to develop the archive and to provide access to as much of my material as possible over the coming weeks, months & years. Annual subscribers can already access over 1250 articles/posts including the entire Manchester A Football History book, my first book on MCFC (published in 1989) and Farewell To Maine Road, plus audio interviews with Malcolm Allison and John Bond.
It costs £20 a year (it works out £1.67 a month) or £3 if you’d like to sign up a month at a time to get full access for as long as you subscribe.
Anyway, here’s the George Graham interview:
Subscribe to Listen – Monthly Subscription
To listen please subscribe. Each Monthly subscriber gets access to everything posted since 1 October 2022 and everything posted during their subscription. It costs £3 per month (cancel anytime). There’s also a special annual subscription available (see below).
Subscribe to Listen – Annual Subscription
To listen please subscribe. Each annual subscriber gets full access to the 1000+ articles posted so far and the hundreds scheduled to be posted in the coming months. This includes PDFs of 3 of my books and interviews with Malcolm Allison and others. Annual subscription is available at the special price of £20 a year (about £1.67 a month).
An update hardback edition of my Joe Mercer biography can be bought here:
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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.
Choose an amount
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£7.50
Or enter a custom amount
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Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateBell, Lee & Summerbee Statue Light Show
Here’s my film of the Bell, Lee & Summerbee light show from before last night’s Manchester City v Leipzig at the Etihad. I normally sit behind the goal but I was in the Colin Bell Stand last night, so it’s a different angle to my normal view of these things.
The light show, like the statue itself, highlights the names of all the players who appeared in City’s 1967-68 season and the FA Cup, League Cup and ECWC triumphs 68-70. I love the fact that City’s statue and tribute remembers them all, even if it inevitably focuses on Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee.
After the light show the club played the Boys in Blue song and it was great to see that they had used the North West Film Archive’s footage of the recording of the song from March 1972 which featured the players. Sadly, I didn’t manage to record that but you do get the first few seconds at the end of my clip below. Anyway, enjoy the light show:
Bell, Lee Summerbee Statue
It was great to be at the Etihad today for the unveiling of the statue celebrating the achievements of England internationals Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee. The statue recognises the achievements of all those involved in winning the major trophies of 1968 to 1970, including City’s first European trophy of course and many of those former players were here for this wonderful day.
Members of the families of Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee, together with Mike of course, were present to see the statue this morning. After they’d had their personal time with the statue a celebratory brunch occurred. It included a speech from Ferran Soriano and interviews with the sculptor, club archivist Steph Alder, photographer Kevin Cummins, journalist Chris Bailey and myself. We were asked about the significance of the players and that era.
For me one of the most important aspects is that it recognises all the players who appeared in City’s title success of 1968 and in the trophy successes that followed (FA Cup, League Cup and ECWC). That’s significant and fits with comments that all three men have said over the decades that the successes under Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison were the work of an entire team. Bell, Lee & Summerbee always praised the others.
I love the statue as it shows the men in movement. Often football statues are standing poses or similar, with no suggestion of movement, but this is a wonderful piece of three men moving forward. It’s a great work.
The statue is located in front of the main entrance in a specially paved area which allows fans who want to take a photo to stand with the three men in motion with the Etihad in the background.
There was inevitably some emotion today as Colin and Francis are no longer with us but I do know that Colin was aware that a statue was on its way and Francis did approve the style and saw representations of it. All families seem happy with this work of art.
For those who want to know more on the statues, there will be a film which will be on City’s channel and on YouTube I’m told soon. In the meantime, go and have a look yourself.
Here’s something the club issues a few days ago on the sculptor:
This installation will be located on the west side of the perimeter and will be unveiled on Tuesday morning ahead of a UEFA Champions League meeting with RB Leipzig later that day, where fans will be invited to visit the permanent tribute to an extraordinary era in the Club’s history.
Speaking of his appointment to the project David Williams-Ellis said:
“It is a great honour to create a work of art for Manchester City Football Club celebrating the diverse, talented players, Bell, Lee and Summerbee.
“It’s been an extraordinary last two years, working on this project that celebrates these players from a great era in Manchester City’s football history.
“I hope that the work will give a sense of history and place to the legions of fans and visitors that come to the football ground from around the world and become an enduring part of Manchester’s cultural landscape.”
David Williams-Ellis – Artist Biography
David Williams-Ellis’ sculptures, worked in clay directly from life, are inspired by the romanticism of Rodin and Bourdelle and are noted for their sense of movement and vitality.
David was classically trained in Florence under drawing teacher, Nerina Simi. From there he went on to be an apprentice wood carver and then joined a community of marble carvers beneath the Carrara Mountains in Pietresanta.
David’s reputation was cemented after his time in Italy. Today, his work is in private and public collections across the globe and can be seen in flagship buildings including Scone Palace in Perthshire, Aberdeen’s Maritime Museum, the IFC Building in Shanghai and Oxford House, Swires, Hong Kong.
Amongst his most notable work includes the D-Day Memorial Sculpture, unveiled on 6th June 2019 above Gold Beach in Normandy to commemorate the 22443 service men and women who fell on D-Day and in the Normandy campaign under British command.
Here’s the D Day Memorial:
Gary James' Football Archive 