I’ve rediscovered 1 copy of Farewell To Maine Road and a few Manchester The City Years in my writing area that I can part with. To be fair to everyone who has previously purchased my books these are available for their original cover price plus postage (UK only). If you’d like to buy one please email me and I’ll sell them on a first come first served basis. The costs are:
Farewell To Maine Road £25 plus £3.99 (2nd class/standard parcel) = £28.99
Manchester The City Years £25 plus £3.99 (2nd class/standard parcel) = £28.99. New copies but there may be some slight damage to dustjacket.
I’ll be happy to write a personal dedication in each book too.
I’ll sell these on a first come first served basis so if you’d like to buy one then email me at Gary@GJFootballArchive.com and I’ll respond as soon as I can to say whether you’ve been successful. I’ll email details of how to pay and will get them posted as soon as I can after payment is made.
Manchester The City Years is the full history of Manchester City, published in 2012 (it’s an updated/redesigned version of Manchester The Greatest City). I will have some copies of Manchester The Greatest City available soon, once I’ve checked them out. It has been out of print since 2013.
Farewell To Maine Road is the official history of City’s old ground, published in 2003. It has been out of print since 2004.
I’m doing some clearing out of my collection and keep rediscovering some random Manchester football memorabilia. I’ll post some images of them on here from time to time. Today here’s an image of my medal, number and related material from the first City 10K run. It took place on 29 April 1984 (the next one was to be staged on 7 October 1984) and I decided to take part. I won’t tell everybody my time though!
Watch out for more odd items from my collection over the coming weeks.
This map shows the Maine Road area, where Manchester City’s former ground was, before any of the terraced housing was built. The dark blue shape I’ve placed on the map is approximately where the stadium was built. Maine Road was initially known as Dog Kennel Lane and was renamed in stages as terraced housing was built on it. The lane originally had a bend where the current Maine Road ends and the old lane veered off towards modern day Princess Parkway.
I explain a lot more about this in Farewell To Maine Road and in the Big Book of City. In the MCFC match programme a few years back I explained:
Maine Road itself was a relatively insignificant street in 1923, but in the previous century the road had the name ‘Dog Kennel Lane’ and it had for many decades been a fairly significant but meandering route south of the city. The street was renamed in stages when the area was developed during the late 1800s. For years the reason Maine Road was picked was not clear, but in 2009 I discovered the truth.
The Maine Road name came indirectly from the US State of Maine but this was a compromise. The following newspaper article explains: ‘Dog Kennel Lane took its name from the kennel where hounds were kept. It stood on the right-hand side at the bend about a thousand yards from Moss Lane, opposite to the road which tracked off to the left and led to Demesne Farm. The common name of this lane is so common and unattractive that when the Temperance Company bought the Trafford land they asked the local board to change the name to Demesne Road, and the subject was compromised by calling it Maine Road out of compliment to the Temperance principles of the petitioners.’
The idea of the Temperance movement was to discourage people from drinking alcohol. On 2 June 1851 the State of Maine passed the first recognised prohibition law, and two years later the United Kingdom Alliance was founded in Manchester, pledging to badger Parliament to outlaw liquor in England.
The ‘Temperance Company’ mentioned in the article was actually part of the movement and had bought some land at the top of Dog Kennel Lane – this area is close to the junction with Moss Lane East. They wanted to create a better standard of living and within that area they erected buildings in keeping with their approach to life, such as the Temperance Billiard Hall. However, the ‘Dog Kennel Lane’ name was clearly an issue and so the selection of the name ‘Maine Road’ was made. So the name Maine Road refers to the US State and the part that Maine played in the Temperance movement.
An early 20th century interpretation of an older map, showing modern streets (dotted) with the original roads.
If you’d like to read more on the history of Maine Road, take a look at Farewell To Maine Road, which can be downloaded from this page:
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.
It’s hard to believe but today marks two years since an amazing day when Manchester came together, along with a wonderful community of former footballers, to recognise the pioneering women’s team the Manchester Corinthians. It was an incredible day made possible with the support of so many individuals, groups and community leaders. So often we highlight issues, problems or moments where communities separate or fail but the long running campaign to bring recognition to the Corinthians has seen so many come together for something extremely positive.
Personally, I was touched by the support received for this campaign I’d established several years ago. The plaque unveiling was the biggest visible sign that it was succeeding with huge TV audiences tuning in. One news broadcast alone featuring the Corinthians’ plaque unveiling had 2.7 million live viewers. Add to that downloads and all the news features experienced on TV and radio that day and the number rockets significantly. There were also newspaper articles and more.
The aim, back in 2019 when I first raised the idea of erecting permanent tributes publicly in an article I wrote, had been to bring recognition and wider public awareness to the exploits of these remarkable footballers. The media coverage certainly did that and also other Corinthians came forward who had seen the coverage.
I’d particularly like to pay tribute to Jam Williams-Thomas from ITV Granada who promised me he’d ensure Granada Reports would have a camera crew there many, many months before the exact date had been finalised. That support was vital. In the end David Chisnall came from Granada Reports and did a wonderful feature on the plaque and recognising the Corinthians. Thanks to you, Jam and all at Granada Reports. It really helped (there are links to some of the TV coverage at the bottom of this article).
2019 was the year when the campaign received a lot of support. Back then I contacted many key Manchester and national institutions with the concept. Manchester City FC immediately supported the idea and that year several Corinthians, plus myself, were invited to City to attend a WSL game, where they met England international Karen Bardsley and England women manager Phil Neville. The Blues also included features in their match programme and on their website on the history of the Corinthians.
Margaret Whitworth, Karen Bardsley, Margaret Shepherd & Gary James. Several Corinthians were guests of Manchester City for a WSL game.
They’ve continued to support and promote the Corinthians’ story ever since. I don’t know how many millions read their website today but again, like the national news coverage, this level of readership is significant. I’m not daft enough to think everyone reading the stories or watching the news will want to know more about the Corinthians, but if just 1% do then that in itself is an incredible number of people who previously may not have known or understood how the Corinthians toured the globe promoting Manchester, football and female endeavour.
Simon Mullock at the Sunday Mirror helped with an excellent feature too back in the early days. That support from a national tabloid was so important in widening the news and soon, in general conversation, people were mentioning the Corinthians and their achievements. I loved that! We were getting somewhere and Simon, together with later features by renowned journalists focusing on women’s football in other newspapers, was a big part of that.
Another major supporter since the start has been the Manchester FA’s Colin Bridgford. Again in 2019 we met up to talk about what we could do to promote the Corinthians’ story and I wrote several articles for the Manchester FA’s website. That support was important and helped raise the profile of what we were trying to achieve. We also arranged a meeting with Manchester FA staff and several of the Corinthians, including Margaret Whitworth, Margaret Shepherd and Jan Lyons – three of the Corinthian stalwarts who have worked tirelessly to rightly highlight the story of their team. Plans were put in place to do other activities with the Manchester FA but sadly Covid hit and plans had to be abandoned. Colin and his team did, of course, support the plaque unveiling last October.
The FA have helped too. In fact they have not only helped promote the story but also provided significant funding to ensure permanent tributes could be made. My connection with Rachel Pavlou at The FA came via Caterina Loriggio. Cat led a major project in partnership with the Women’s Euros the other year and I acted as the Heritage Lead for Trafford Council. Via the UEFA & FA project a series of activities were established in each host city/borough and the Corinthians inevitably became part of that. I performed interviews with several Corinthians (borrowing some of their trophies and kit too for an exhibition) in Trafford and others were interviewed at Wigan & Leigh. These were filmed and are still available here:
When I discussed the idea of erecting permanent tributes with Rachel she immediately offered funds and other support to ensure the Corinthians were recognised. The FA and Cat also approved the wording for the plaque. For me this had to recognise all the Corinthians, not one person or individual moments (I knew we could pay appropriate tribute to all of that via the book I’ve been working on for several years, which will be published this summer).
The FA were not the only ones to get involved of course as the campaign brought together a wide range of people… as with every project like this there are many, unsung heroes who work tirelessly without seeking or receiving financial reward. In that category are the Friends of Fog Lane Park. They deserve immense praise, especially Pamela & Alice and the others who attended various meetings along the way and performed many tasks that made the unveiling day such a success.
Some of the Friends of Fog Lane Park at the last meeting before the Corinthians plaque unveiling
I’d been introduced to the Friends by Manchester City Council and MCRActive, in particular Paul Hulme. Jan Lyons and I had met Paul at an early meeting we’d arranged. We’d hoped there would be support from the Council and sure enough Paul was interested, particularly when Jan told some of the Corinthians’ story. Her words and experiences brought it all to life and demonstrated perfectly why we needed to get this story out there. Paul immediately set up a meeting with the Friends of Fog Lane Park and other council officials and employees.
At that meeting in the Fog Lane Park Café me, Margaret Whitworth, Margaret Shepherd and Jan Lyons, explained about the Corinthians with the former players telling their stories while the Friends were enthralled. I put it all into context in terms of the wider football and Manchester stories, then explained about the attempts to raise public awareness and how we wanted to get a Blue Plaque erected. We agreed that the Blue Plaque appeal would be established in the name of the Friends of Fog Lane Park – they had a dedicated committee of passionate individuals and the opportunity to publicly recognise the Corinthians in the park that had been their home for over two decades was wonderful.
One of the Friends of Fog Lane Park meetings where we discussed the erecting of permanent tributes, 20 May 2022
Those who donated to the appeal to erect permanent tributes to the Corinthians were: Pam Barnes, Dan Mooney, Adam Turgoose, ‘Ben’, ‘Jean J’, Jonathan Kaye, Megan Riley, Helena Byrne, Dawn Burrows, Clare Wilkins, Linda Foley, Debbie Enever, John Carrier, Jacqui McAssey, Michael Cottam, Karen Phanco, David Hoyle, Daniel Rubin, Heidi James, Gary James and the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation. There were a couple of anonymous donations too. It was gratifying that many of those listed were not from Manchester but were connected with women’s football in other parts of the world. That was wonderful to see. It was also fantastic that via Gail Newsham the Dick, Kerr Ladies Foundation supported the campaign with a significant donation too, proving what a great community of women’s football enthusiasts and researchers we have.
The Friends of Fog Lane Park managed to get matching funds from Manchester City Council too and the Friends had some wonderful ideas to really improve the park and tributes further. As well as the hoped for plaque and a lectern providing a Corinthians’ timeline, the Friends organised for some of the funds raised via the appeal and The FA to be spent on two impressive murals painted by artist Gavin Renshaw and for a handout to be produced for park visitors on the Corinthians. Now everybody who visits the park gets to see wonderful artwork (on a former graffiti covered building), the plaque, a lectern, an information board inside the café and the leaflet. All of this is helping get the story out there again and, for those young girls and boys kicking a ball around the park, is inspiring.
In the weeks building up to the unveiling day the Friends spent considerable time and effort tidying up the park, arranging some of the logistics, erecting the plaque itself, overseeing the mural work, organising sandwiches, baking cakes and more. It was a real community effort and all deserve thanking again.
Various media companies helped promote the plaque appeal with myself, Friends of Fog Lane Park, Margaret Whitworth, Margaret Shepherd, Jan Lyons and other Corinthians being interviewed on a fairly regular basis. Contacts I had with various stations helped enormously (you know who you are – thanks for your support) and brought airtime we couldn’t have managed with cold calls.
When it came to the plaque itself another who helped was Mark Metcalf. Mark had instigated footballing plaques at various locations and I’d been fortunate to be involved with a couple. Mark provided contacts with plaque manufacturers and helped ensure we got a decent price too.
There was also a wonderful night in Hebden Bridge in December 2021 where several Corinthians were interviewed publicly and I gave a talk on the history of women’s football. At the end of that event I announced publicly for the first time the campaign to erect a blue plaque and that brought significant interest from the people of West Yorkshire. Local businessman Geoff Matthews had funded the talk and event and that support was wonderful too.
The plaque unveiling was supported on the day by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who spoke about the Corinthians as the suffragettes of football, and former England international Kerry Davis. She had actually played against many of the Corinthians in attendance that day too. Hundreds of people attended with strong support from fans of women’s football, including several key members of the Manchester City Women Supporters Club. Former City player Stacey Copeland was a key supporter that day (as she has been at other events, including the one at Hebden Bridge) and she has made efforts herself to promote the story and help the Corinthians frequently.
It really was quite remarkable the amount of interest demonstrated that day and how the story of the Corinthians has continued to receive attention.
I know this has been a lengthy piece but I think it’s both necessary and valuable to remember what a remarkable day the plaque unveiling was and to remember all those who contributed along the way. All of those involved, especially the Friends of Fog Lane Park, put considerable effort into that day and they quite rightly stood back to ensure the Corinthians’ achievements were recognised first and foremost. That day – and in the months leading up to it – a great community came together to ensure the Corinthians were thanked for all they had done for football and Manchester and the media support ensured that story was spread loud and clear.
I am really pleased and proud with the way it developed and how such a huge community has helped along the way.
The plaque unveiling and the campaign leading up to it has been included within the Authorised History I have written. The book details every season of the Corinthians, plus their legacy, and pays tribute to these remarkable players, their managers, coaches and supporting family and friends. Community again, working together. Over 50 Corinthians covering every single season from 1940s through to the club’s demise have been interviewed, while archives have been researched extensively to correct myths and add facts to the memories of those who were there.
Over the last decade contemporary articles and film of the Corinthians has been found and I’ve written for a variety of footballing and non-footballing national, regional & local publications and websites. Some have inspired others and some have helped re-unite former players.
I think, out of everything that has been achieved over the last decade or so it’s the re-uniting of players that is most satisfying, along with the support of a wide community of organisations, volunteers, footballers and more. Thanks. The reunion in December 2024 was a truly special event and brought together over 80 people from the Corinthians’ family at the Etihad.
Manchester Corinthians Reunion 2024
Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History is available from Amazon and other online retailers or direct from me here:
Back in August 2014 I interviewed John Stapleton on his career and support of Manchester City. As part of my tribute to him, I’m posting it here as it was published eleven years ago. Hopefully it adds to the positive stories of him that have been appearing over the last few days. I always enjoyed meeting and chatting with John. Here’s the feature as published in August 2014:
John, you’re known today for ITV’s Good Morning Britain but your career started in local newspapers, with your early TV work coming on This Is Your Life. It was your idea to make Joe Mercer a subject for one show wasn’t it?
Yes it was. I did it purely for the benefit of me and my dad. Eamon Andrews, the presenter, had of course a great interest in sport and I put the idea to him and the rest of the production team. Together with Norah, Joe’s wife who in recent years I often sat with at games sharing her boiled sweets, we concocted a situation where Joe and Malcolm were in a London hotel before a trip to watch a European game in 1970. Malcolm disappeared – deliberately as part of the show though Joe didn’t know this – and Joe was called to reception urgently. Eamon leaped out to do the big ‘This Is Your Life’ reveal and Joe had no idea whatsoever. It was a great day for us all and Joe was thoroughly deserving of it as well.
My grandfather, who lived in Denton, was at the first game at Maine Road and attended matches at Hyde Road and now my son Nick is a regular, so we’ve had a good four generations of Blues so far. When I was about 7 I was taken to watch City play Blackpool, in the days when Stanley Matthews played for them of course, and I loved simply being at the ground. It felt like home and that was it really. I was hooked. We used to have to go on two buses and a tram to get there from where we lived in Saddleworth – it seemed such a long journey at the time, but it was always worth it. No matter what the result.
Can you remember who your first heroes were?
Well, my dad went to the 1955 FA Cup final and then the year after we watched the final against Birmingham on our television. So exciting, because televisions were new to most of us back then and to be able to live the drama of the game, and of course Bert Trautmann’s injury, live in your own home was amazing really. The world’s moved on so much, but the black & white set felt so modern at the time. It was then that my first real hero emerged – Dave Ewing. A wonderful, uncompromising defender and I remember him protecting Bert in those final minutes as best he could.
Did you ever meet Dave?
Sadly, no, but I did meet his son. I left Manchester when I was 21 to work in Fleet Street and so opportunities to bump into your heroes were few. I was also less able to get back to Manchester as often as I do now, and so I watched City in the south and travelled back as often as work and finance allowed. I have since met quite a few of my heroes from that period, people like Ken Barnes and of course his son Peter. Two great City legends. Ken was a wonderful rascal and very funny and Peter is a really nice guy. I’ve also got to know Mike Summerbee quite well – and bought several of his shirts over the years and they weren’t cheap! He came to our house a few years back and charmed my parents. For my father it was great to be in his company and I think we all cherished that day. Even my lawyer was talked in to buying some of Summerbee’s shirts.
How do you feel about attending games today?
It’s an absolute joy and the fan in me never goes away. For my son, living in London and under so much pressure from his peers to support Arsenal, the years before the takeover were difficult. Those that had experienced the glories of the fifties to seventies had good memories of success, but the younger generation who had never seen us lift a major trophy must have found it tough. But it was all character building and fortunately he can now experience the success that this club deserves. It means more if you’ve been through the thick and thin – and he certainly experienced the thin alongside me!
Alongside the Mercer-Allison era, today is the best we’ve ever known and, hopefully, will keep on getting better. We’ve waited a long time but it’s been worth it. I’ve no complaints about any aspect of City today and the club is as friendly as ever, if not more so in some respects. It gives me a real buzz every time I walk into the stadium, or meet a former player, or chat to a fellow Blue like you Gary. We all have a shared bond and recognise that what we’re experiencing now is truly exceptional – long may it last!
In the mid 1970s you came in to contact with City professionally via the Junior Blues rally. What do you remember of it?
It was held at Belle Vue and there were thousands of Junior Blues there. It was a great event and we had the full team on the stage, giving fans the chance to ask questions to the team and the management. Peter Swales had asked me to present it – for free I might add but it was a major honour to do it – and it was probably the first time any club had opened up in such a way. City were quite forward thinking in terms of the media and fan relations at the time. I was also involved with the BBC Nationwide series on City.
That was another landmark moment in football’s relationship with the media. What was your involvement?
I was a Nationwide presenter and we’d managed to get City to open their doors for the cameras. Reporter Kevin Cosgrove did most of the progress reports and I came in at the end of the series to do a big outside broadcast on the last day of the season. I did some pre-recorded interviews, including one with Franny Lee, and then I did all the links at the ground. It went out to the full BBC network and was very good for the club and, of course, the BBC.
There’s a chant “City Are Back!” we’ve been singing for years, but I now feel that the club I first supported is back. Is this true for you?
In many ways yes. I’ve been a good friend of present day FA boss Greg Dyke for years as we’ve worked together in TV. He was given a tour of the club and the new facilities by Brian Marwood and he told me that this really is a friendly and forward looking club. He was very impressed and it’s satisfying to know others are now recognising how special this club is.
Those facilities will help City develop talented young players in future years. It’s ironic really that people have been urging certain other clubs to spend, spend, spend recently, but we’ve been the ones tagged as the big spenders.
That’s going away now I believe. The evidence is clear and we had to spend to catch up, just like other teams have throughout history. We should never forget either that two of our greatest and most consistent players – Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta – arrived before the takeover. Kompany is a truly great leader and I’ve been fortunate to meet him and he is also a wonderful man. He is the perfect captain for this club, but we’re so fortunate to have so many brilliant players. Just think of David Silva… outstanding quality!
You’ve worked with Manchester United supporter Eamon Holmes in the past, did the two of you ever discuss football?
We’ve had some good banter over the years. Good craic! In fact I took him to two games. The first was when Beckham scored from a free kick at Maine Road. Eamon jumped up in the directors’ box and you can imagine how that went down. The second time he was booed into the ground by City fans!
Your own personal greatest game?
Obviously, the last game v QPR in 2011-12, but also the 6-1 against United at Old Trafford. I turned to Nick my son and said ‘savour this moment. No matter how long you live you’re unlikely to experience this feeling again.’ And of course, there’s the 1999 play-off final without which we may never have come back at all. What a transformation in 15 years – hopefully, there’s more to come.
Last Monday was a special night when a book I’ve co-edited with Fiona Skillen and Helena Byrne was launched at the Embassy of Ireland in London. We were absolutely delighted with the evening and support we received from the Embassy. I’ve been fortunate to have my books launched in some pretty spectacular venues over the years, this was the first time any of my books have been launched at an embassy. In fact, it’s the first time I can recall ever being in an embassy.
The book we launched was ‘Histories of Women’s Football in Britain and Ireland’ and the launch was attended by academics, researchers, historians, practitioners, international footballers and many others who have helped us along the way. The whole event was hosted by the Embassy and we were delighted that Orla McBreen, the Deputy Head of Mission, was so interested in the book. Both Orla and the rest of the Embassy team, made us feel so welcome and Orla introduced us with a nice speech too. Thanks for that.
Orla said: ‘The book turns our attention to an area of history that has too often been overlooked. By tracing both regional and national developments, and by spotlighting the work of historians, heritage practitioners, artists, and documentary makers, this volume shows how academic research can travel beyond archives into public spaces, shaping attitudes, inspiring communities, and ensuring that the struggles and achievements of women in football are preserved.’
After Orla’s speech came a panel discussion between myself, Fiona and Helena and then we opened up the discussion to questions from the audience. Over 100 people attended and the whole event was a great success. It was wonderful to see so many former players and administrators there and to have key representatives from organisations such as the Irish FA (Northern Ireland) and the FA, as well as officials from the Embassy of Ireland of course.
I’d like to say special thanks to Helena Byrne who, on behalf of all the authors and editors, put so much effort into making this launch happen at the Embassy. I’d also like to thank everybody at the Embassy for their efforts and support. It really is appreciated and was a special night.
The book is the culmination of several years work and includes the following chapters (author names in brackets after each chapter):
Setting the Scene: The Origins Story of Women’s Football in Scotland (Richard McBrearty)
The First Tour of Women’s Association Football – 1881 (Stuart Gibbs)
Women’s Football in Wales, 1890–1950 (Craig Owen Jones)
‘Testimonial to Mrs Walter Scott’: A Brief History of Diana Scott (Alexander Jackson)
Excommunicating the Women’s Game: The English FA’s 1921 Ban Revisited (Dilwyn Porter)
The Media Framing of Women’s Football in Wales During the English FA’s 1921–1970 Ban (Beth G. Clarkson, Keith D. Parry, Rafaelle Nicholson and Alice Hunter)
‘Proving themselves no mean experts at the game’: Women’s Football in Scotland, 1914–1921 (Fiona Skillen)
The Development of Women’s Football in Trafford (Gary James)
A Hollow Victory: Exploring the Limited Impact of the Removal of Formal Restrictions on Women’s Football in Scotland on the Development of the Women’s Game in the 1970s and 1980s (Karen Fraser)
Surviving or Thriving? Women’s Football in 1970s Northern Ireland (Conor Heffernan)
The Development of Women’s Soccer in Dublin (Conor Curran)
The Trailblazers – Organised Women’s Football in the Interwar Period (Helge Faller)
The Dick, Kerr Ladies from Paris and Sydney: Globalisation the Image and Influence of British Women’s Football Overseas (Keith Rathbone)
Game Changer: Looking Back on the First UEFA Competition for Women (Helena Byrne)
Winning Working Women – the Story of Sweet F.A. (Paul Beeson)
The Representation of Women Within the Scottish Football Museum (Demi Boyd)
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Heritage Programme: A Case Study (Caterina Loriggio)
From Pitch to Screen – PurpleTV’s Documentary Films on Women in Scottish Football (Margot McCuaig)
The publishing blurb says: ‘This book brings together a range of researchers to explore the growth and development of the women’s game in Britain and Ireland. They are active across a diverse range of fields, from historians and heritage practitioners, to those from the arts such as playwrights and documentary directors. This edited collection draws together both regional and national studies to provide a more nuanced understanding of the history of the women’s game in Britain and Ireland than has been possible before. Chapters in this book explore new findings around the development of key teams, players, and organisations, and in doing so enrich the historiography of the game.
‘Often books on the history of football have taken a narrative approach focusing only on the research findings or ‘story’. This is of course important, but in this book the editors also wanted to reflect the ways in which research into the history of women’s football has been shared and explored within a range of spaces and communities. There is a huge untapped audience who want to engage with the history of the sport. By reflecting on previous arts/heritage-based projects we can explore new avenues regarding how academic research can be made accessible to the general public and in turn how arts/ heritage-based projects can inform academic research.’
The book has been published by academic publisher Peter Lang and is, inevitably, priced accordingly. If you’d like to read the book then I’d encourage you to ask your local library or archive to stock a copy. Thanks
It’s a bit early to say much about this but my research and book on the Manchester Corinthians has inspired the creation of a short video film aimed at a South American audience on the pioneering women’s team. The Corinthians toured South America and the West Indies in 1960 and it’s been a dream of mine to see something created specifically for South Americans to enjoy on the club.
I was approached a while back about the club’s stories and connections to South America and am delighted something is now being created on them. It’s wonderful to know that this story is spreading across continents again, just as the Corinthians did when they toured all those decades ago.
Some of the filming for the South American video occurred at Fog Lane Park, Didsbury – the club’s home for its opening couple of decades – with the Blue Plaque we unveiled in October 2023.
I’ve been told my book will appear in the film (a still below) and it’s been used for much source material too. One of the main reasons I did my research was I wanted to spread the word about these remarkable women.
Watch this space for more on the South American video. In the meantime, if you’d like to know why this club is so special take a look at the only Authorised History of the club. Details here:
Continuing the series on Manchester City in the 1920s here’s a free to read 1300 word article on 1920s City (and 1900s United) manager Ernest Mangnall. Enjoy!
Although JAMES ERNEST MANGNALL is usually remembered as the first man to bring Manchester United trophy success – with a side containing the key members of City’s 1904 FA Cup triumph – he actually spent more years managing the Blues and saw City as the bigger club with more potential.
People tend to focus on his successes at United but his commitment to the Blue cause and determination to move City to the best stadium in English football, are perhaps the most interesting aspects of his life. His United successes are clearly significant moments in Manchester football, however City fans prefer to remember his Blue achievements.
He joined City in 1912 but the most interesting aspect of his arrival is the way it was carried out. Mangnall had been United’s leader since 1903 and had achieved so much that no one could ever have expected him to move. As well as the trophy successes (promotion, two League titles and the FA Cup) he was also credited with being instrumental in United’s move from Clayton (where the Velodrome’s BMX track is today, close to the Etihad Stadium) to Old Trafford.
City were still regarded as the region’s number one club despite the problems they had faced in the period 1905-1912, and they stunned the football world when they lured Mangnall away from the Reds. Never before had a manager left a major club for its biggest rivals after so much success, but what made the story more of a sensation was the fact Mangnall had agreed to become City manager while still in office at Old Trafford, and that he had watched the Blues’ opening game at Notts County when he was supposed to be with United at Arsenal. He actually remained in charge of United for the Manchester derby of 7th September 1912 at Old Trafford.
Occasionally United historians dispute that Mangnall was officially their manager on the day of the derby but leading newspapers of the period, most notably the Umpire and the Daily Dispatch, are perfectly clear that he was officially in charge. City won the Old Trafford match 1-0 despite being down to ten men for most of the game. Mangnall, according to one report, was delighted with the City win despite, officially at least, still being a Red. “United speeded their manager rejoicing with two points to his new club” read one article.
The following Monday Mangnall moved into his Hyde Road office, and within a few weeks his side were looking like Championship contenders: “Manchester City stand out boldly as the only first class team in the two divisions of the League, the Southern and the Scottish Leagues, with the highest possible points to their credit. The Citizens of Manchester have earned every point in September. Other clubs have remained undefeated, but they have not annexed the maximum marks. Nine years have passed since Manchester City commenced a campaign in this stimulating style.”
The title didn’t arrive, however Mangnall did develop a decent-looking side by the time of the First World War – they missed the 1914-15 title by three points. City were also proving a highly popular side to watch, so much so that the ground could hardly cope. A notorious cup match with Sunderland in February 1913 had to be abandoned due to overcrowding. Incredibly – and this is difficult to appreciate today – the team manager was also responsible for the management of the ground at this time, and so Mangnall was held responsible for all matters concerning safety and crowd control as well as picking the team and buying the players. A reporter named Veteran accused Mangnall of spending too much time with the team and said: “I am rather surprised at Mr. Mangnall being caught napping, but it may be that he has been away with the team and had had little to do with the home management.”
During the hostilities Mangnall kept the Club alive and brought some trophy success in the wartime tournaments that replaced the League.
After the war, Mangnall’s side became very popular and he had to focus on ground issues as well as team matters. With the Blues filling the 40,000 capacity on a regular basis, Mangnall regular had to face the press, the FA, the Football League, Manchester City Council, and the police to explain why chaotic scenes were being experienced game after game in the streets around the ground.
In 1920 fire destroyed the Main Stand and exacerbated the problems Mangnall faced. He approached his former club United about using Old Trafford, the ground he had been primarily responsible for, but they met his request with exorbitant terms that were ridiculed in the press. Perhaps they still felt a little aggrieved about his departure almost a decade earlier?
Mangnall’s view was that City had to move from Hyde Road. Its forty thousand capacity was far too small, and the manager worked with club officials, most notably another former City manager Lawrence Furniss, to plan the development of a new ground. One with potential.
At the same time as the ground debates, Mangnall guided the Blues to second place in the League and their popularity increased further.
By the start of 1921-22 far too many people were missing out on watching Manchester’s favourite team. That season he created plans for an “English Hampden” on the Moss Side/Rusholme border.
In 1923 City moved to the 85,000 capacity Maine Road, and in Mangnall’s final season (1923-24) he almost managed to guide the Blues to the FA Cup Final. With the 49 year old Billy Meredith back in Mangnall’s side, City were defeated by Newcastle. That run was important as it perhaps demonstrated the reason why Mangnall had been determined to join the Blues back in 1912 for his City side attracted a few magnificent attendances including over 76,000 for a cup tie with Cardiff. At the time this was the largest crowd for any footballing fixture played in Manchester including three FA Cup finals (1893, 1911 replay & 1915). Mangnall knew all about City’s popularity and he must have felt a great deal of satisfaction at seeing such a large crowd in the stadium he had pushed for.
The following May his contract was not renewed, although It seems likely he chose to step down feeling that there was little more he could achieve at Maine Road. After leaving the Blues he became a director of his home town team, Bolton, and was a significant figure within the PFA. He died of a cerebral embolism in 1932 at St. Annes.
In addition to his roles at Burnley – his first club as secretary, United, City, and Bolton, he was also recorded as the man responsible for founding the Central League and the Football Managers’ Association.
Modern day football rarely remembers men like Mangnall, however his place in the history of Manchester must always remain a significant one. He restored pride and passion to the Blues and was the key figure in City’s move to Maine Road. That move enabled City to rediscover their ambition, drive, and natural position as one of England’s elite.
Football historians tend to focus on Mangnall’s United career but that does the man a great disservice. He may have won trophies at Old Trafford but his entire career was packed with achievements.
Mangnall should always be remembered as the catalyst for City’s regeneration during a difficult period. The fact that he walked out on United to take on the City challenge adds an angle that Blues love. Mangnall was a great Blue.
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Continuing the series on Manchester City in the 1920s here’s a free to read 1100 word article on 1920s City (and 1930s Everton) star Tommy Johnson. Enjoy!
Tommy Johnson was a huge favourite with City supporters throughout his eleven year career with the Blues. Their love affair with the Dalton-in-Furness born goalscorer was borne out of a tremendous appreciation of his contribution to the Blue cause. They also recognised that despite the fame and adulation Johnson was from the same background as they were. For much of his City life he lived in the Gorton area and was often seen in the pubs and clubs talking and mixing with supporters.
In an interview I did with him two decades ago, Johnson’s son Alan remembered his father being a familiar presence in Gorton: “My father was proud of being an ordinary bloke. The players didn’t get paid large wages and life at times was tough, and I think most of his neighbours and friends understood that he really wasn’t any different from them. After he’d left City and joined Everton he would sometimes bring Dixie Dean to Gorton and the two of them would sit in the Plough or one of the other pubs chatting away. In fact Dixie became as well known in the pubs of Gorton as my Dad was!”
Around 1918 City full back Eli Fletcher spotted the promise of Dalton-In-Furness born Johnson when he saw him play. He contacted the Blues and urged them to sign the exciting 17 year old. Johnson joined the Blues in February 1919, and he immediately made an impression during that final season of wartime football.
Once the full League programme resumed in August 1919 Johnson had to wait for his opportunity to impress in the First Division. His chance did not come until the following February, but when it did he scored both goals in City’s 2-0 defeat of Middlesbrough. It wasn’t however until the 1922-3 season that the striker could be regarded as a regular. That season he played 35 of City’s 42 League games and scored on 14 occasions.
In 1926 Johnson appeared in the FA Cup final and a few weeks later he made his England debut at inside left against Belgium in Antwerp. He scored as England won 5-3. A journalist of the period described him as: “an inside forward with a left foot shot few players have equalled and a penchant for the telling cross-field pass.”
During 1926-7 Johnson broke the twenty goals a season barrier when he scored 25 in 38 League appearances, including a hat-trick in the 8-0 victory over Bradford on the final day of the season. The following season he became recognised across the country as a major striker as he managed to score a Club record 38 goals in 39 League appearances. Five of those goals came in one incredible match with Everton at Goodison when City defeated the home side 6-2.
Tommy Johnson’s record breaking 38th League goal of the season as drawn for the Liverpool Echo.
The following season was to be his last at Maine Road despite his role as the fans’ favourite. There were plenty of magical moments from Johnson. The Manchester derby of October 1929 saw one of Johnson’s most memorable performances. According to the renowned Manchester journalist Ivan Sharpe writing in the Athletic News: “Johnson should have been a fairly happy man. He has the credit of making the match come to life. It was going to pieces early in the second half when Moore thoughtlessly pulled up while appealing for off-side and Johnson – with his right foot – scored and set the game alight.”
The game with United ended in a 3-1 City victory but it also saw one of the more controversial moments of the season when the referee blew for full-time a good two minutes before time was actually up. This was particularly galling for Johnson as he netted the ball after an amazing run just at the moment the whistle went. Ivan Sharpe gave his entertaining thoughts on the incident in his match report: “When Thomas CF Johnson was a boy he dreamed of playing for a First Division team, and like every youngster, of playing at centre-forward.
“On his night of nights he was playing against his own club’s deadly rivals, and over 100,000 eyes were riveted upon him as he darted through the defence – ‘Go on Johnson!’ – dodged this man and that man, drew out the goalkeeper, dribbled the ball round the other side’s last hope and with the roars of the delighted populace acclaiming his performance, rolled the ball through the untenanted goal. I have not asked him, but I know it’s true, because every schoolboy gets those midnight, alone-I-did-it goals.
“But isn’t it a hard world? The once-in-a-lifetime goal dribbled around the goalkeeper on the aforesaid deadly rivals’ very own ground all came true in this battle of Manchester, and the referee said the time had expired a moment before the ball had crossed the line! And that’s not all. Time had not expired. My watch and every watch around me – plus the carefully compiled record I invariably keep of the minutes of the passing show – definitely established that the referee was two and a half minutes too soon. And this is making no allowance whatever for lost time.
“How curious that the referee got in a muddle with his minutes on the day the clock goes back. He provided the last ‘rows’ of summer!”
The following March, Johnson was transferred to Everton for £6,000. The supporters were furious. Petitions were written. Demonstrations were made, and even a boycott of the Blues was threatened, but there was nothing the fans could do to actually stop the transfer. City’s average attendance did drop by several thousand however.
At Everton Johnson won the Second Division Championship and the FA Cup – beating City 3-0 in the final. A spell at Liverpool followed before he became player-manager of Darwen.
In the late 1940s he became licensee of a pub in Gorton and attended Maine Road regularly. He purchased his own season ticket for several years. According to his son Alan, Tommy Johnson was a dedicated City fan: “At Everton he had a lot of success – he won more trophies than he had in Manchester – but City remained his club. In fact, after he’d left City he kept coming back to Maine Road and sometimes paid to stand on the Kippax side of the ground. He was often recognised and was usually congratulated simply for being ‘Tosh’ Johnson!”
Johnson passed away in 1973 at the age of 71. Four years later Manchester City Council named part of a new Moss Side housing development ‘Tommy Johnson Walk’ in his honour close to Maine Road.
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.
Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £20 a year to subscribe (it works out £1.67 a month) or £3 if you’d like to sign up a month at a time. Annual subscribers get full access for as long as you subscribe (you can always try it for a month). It’s worth bearing in mind that the 2010 Manchester A Football History cost £24.95 and all subscribers will be able to access all of that for as long as they are a subscriber (plus all the other stuff of course).
It costs £3 a month to subscribe a month at a time. Why not give it a try! Monthly subscribers get access to everything posted since 1 October 2022 for as long as you subscribe.
Those who saw the Manchester City v Tottenham match programme at weekend May have noticed my new series of articles. This year I’m doing a season tracker feature and have chosen the seasons 1975-76, 2010-11 and 2020-21. Each issue will cover those seasons plus I’ll write a Memory Match feature on a game from that week in one of the three seasons. The three seasons are all important ones in the history of Manchester’s Blues (every season is important of course!) and I hope I can do them justice. The reason I’ve chosen those seasons….
Typically season tracker pick seasons that are a multiple of five and usually focus on 5, 10, 25 years but I felt it was important to look at a season further back, so chose fifty years ago (1975-76 – one of my own personal favourite seasons). I also wanted to recognise the 2010-11 season as that saw Roberto Mancini’s team win their first major trophy. The 2020-21 season was of course a major trophy winning season unde Pep Guardiola.
The Memory Match I chose for the first issue was from 2010 and a day when Liverpool were defeated.
I hope everyone who gets chance to see the programme enjoys the four page feature. Thanks, as always, to those who support my writing.
Gary James' Football Archive 