Category Archives: Etihad/CityOfManchester Stadium

The Corinthians as Guests of MCFC

Today a small group of Manchester Corinthians have been welcomed as guests of Manchester City to their WSL game with Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. It was a great gesture by the club and followed the staging of a reunion of the Corinthians held at the stadium last month.

The group included a 90 year old former player and others in their 70s and 80s. All of them inevitably appear in my book, Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History (see below for details). Some of them also feature in this wonderfully produced video, filmed at the Corinthians reunion last month. For details of the video and to watch it see:

https://www.imprintfilms.co.uk/oh-what-a-team

If you’ve issues watching the video there (youtube may ask you to sign in) you can also watch it here (click on the ‘Watch on Youtube’, bottom left if your link doesn’t work):

I’d like to say my heartfelt thanks to Manchester City for their help and for inviting the Corinthians. I’s also like to thank all at Imprint Films for doing the video. In the spirit of Percy Ashley himself, they have funded the production of this video themselves and have the desire to see the Corinthians story spread widely. This is, of course, something I totally believe in myself. We need to spread this story and let the entire world know about the Corinthians.

Please share the video and, while you’re at it, spread the news about the book too. Both are self funded and we need help to spread the word.

Over the coming weeks and months. I’ll be talking at some events about them. There will also be articles and, hopefully, further book reviews. I know a certain online retailer is suggesting it takes months to receive the book but if you do want to order it I can sign copies and get them sent out same day.

The book consists of 356 pages. It is illustrated throughout and you can order it below for £25 (including UK postage and packaging).

If you live outside the UK then please contact for details of additional postage costs.

You do not need to have a PayPal account to order – use the ‘Pay with PayPal’ button above and it will give you the option to pay by credit/debit card without creating a PayPal account.

UK ONLY – Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History

The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This will be published in late December 2024. This is UK only at £25 (incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.

£25.00

Manchester City 2 Sheffield United 0

Here’s film from this day (30 December) in 2023 of the World Champions defeating Sheffield United 2-0 in their first home game following their return to England. City had won the FIFA Club World Cup earlier in the month. City’s goals came from Rodri and Alvarez.

https://www.mancity.com/citytv/mens/sheffield-united-premier-league-home-extended-highlights-63839535

The Excitement of Your First Game

At last night’s (23 October 2024) MCFC v Sparta Prague Champions League game a young boy and his mum were sat next to me. It was the lad’s first game and he was so excited before kick off. His enthusiasm was great to see and when the players started warming up near us he couldn’t believe it. It was a great reminder, in these days when social media and even some football commentary, talk of the negatives that football remains something to get excited about.

The first goal was enough for the boy next to me. Sure it was scored at the opposite end and he could hardly see it but he got so giddy. He’d seen a goal (note: where I sit at the back of North Stand Level 1 is one of the few places in the stadium where you cannot see any of the video scoreboards and so never get chance to see the repeats of the goal). It didn’t matter to him whether players are ‘overpaid’ or any of the other complaints that are thrown their way. Nor was the boy bothered about Premier League governance or rules that may or may not have been adapted to limit a club’s success. What the boy was bothered about was seeing Foden, Haaland, Stones & Co.

While some on social media and elsewhere were moaning about missed opportunities or whatever at half time the boy was still jumping up and down with excitement. He couldn’t wait to see his team attack the goal near him. Obviously, he loved every minute of that second half – but he’d loved every minute of the first too. That excitement is great to see and a wonderful reminder that football isn’t about boardroom activity or anything else, it’s about a game where teams try to score.

At one point I heard the boy’s mum suggest they should leave a little early to avoid the crowds but the little lad was adamant he wanted to stay. He was rewarded with the penalty and the anticipation of what that would bring. Again, it’s a nice reminder of how the excitement builds when you see a penalty live in the flesh for the first time.

At the final whistle I left but the boy was still there with his mum no doubt staying to watch every moment until the players disappeared.

How I wish we could all just watch and enjoy football for what it is. Some games/halves may appear dull to some but for others it’s the greatest spectacle they have seen. That boy will remember that game and how he felt for a very long time and, years after most of us have gone, he’ll be telling future generations of his first game; his first heroes; Haaland’s goals and more.

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North Stand Expansion

Yesterday’s release of the plans for the newly extended North Stand looked excellent. There’s a long way to go before anyone can sit or stand in the new extension of course, but it does look like it’s going to boost almost every area of support: New rail seating, an emphasis on under 21s, hospitality, families… interesting times. Looking at the images released it looks as though the new 3,000 rail seats will be at the back of the 2nd tier. If that’s the case any noise generated up there should bounce down off the roof and encourage others to join in.

You can read what City said about it all here:

https://www.mancity.com/news/club/configuration-of-the-etihad-stadium-s-north-stand-expansion-revealed-63862951?utm_source=x&utm_medium=organic+social&utm_content=organic
New North Stand extension at MCFC as released on 26 September 2024
New North Stand extension at MCFC as released on 26 September 2024

This is what was released in 2023:

Proposed North Stand extension at the Etihad, announced 28 February 2023

This is the stand (left of image) as it looked in 2022 before the building work began):

Manchester city women v Manchester United women 2022 (then a record crowd for women’s football at the Etihad)

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POSTPONED GAMES

The postponement of any game is rare. Obviously, the 2019-20 Covid hit season was different and in the days before undersoil heating icy conditions would often lead to postponements. However, Manchester City have suffered many postponements over the years. So for today’s feature I’m talking a look at some of them.

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More on the City-United 2009-10 postponed game here:

A Postponed Derby

Stadium Opener

On this day (14 August) in 2003 the City of Manchester Stadium (now Etihad Stadium) staged its first competitive game as City defeated TNS 5-0 in the UEFA Cup. Relive that night (and Granada TV!) with this video of the game:

The report above talks of the UEFA Cup draw with TNS.

A Wembley for the North?

This story gets repeated often over the decades as individuals, clubs and authorities talk about building a ‘Wembley of the North’. Back on 20 June 1992 the latest version of the story was that a new stadium would be built as Manchester’s bid for the 2000 Olympics. The article claimed that work on this stadium would start whether Manchester was awarded the Games or not.

In the end Manchester was not awarded the Games but the city did stage the 2002 Commonwealth Games and a new stadium, present day Etihad, was built for that.

The article was published in a Liverpool newspaper and it’s interesting that there’s talk in this of building an arena at King’s Dock, which of course has also happened.

There are some errors in the article, for example it claims that neither City nor United had expressed an interest in moving to the stadium but City had been in discussions for several years about supporting the Olympic bids. In fact in 1989 the club had announced it was interested in a move if a stadium was ever to be planned.

Manchester City v TNS in Wrexham?

On 20 June 2003 following the UEFA Cup draw, which had seen Manchester City drawn against Welsh Club TNS, discussions were being taken as to where the Welsh leg of the game could be played. Initially reports like this one suggested Wrexham but ultimately the game was moved to Cardiff. With the City leg played at the new City of Manchester Stadium (now Etihad) this meant both legs were played in the two newest major stadia in the UK.

This cutting has some interesting quotes on the European status of the two clubs at the time.

The 2000s: Wanchope Double

On 15 May 2004 Paulo Wanchope netted twice as Manchester City defeated Everton 5-1 on the last day of the 2003-04 season. The other goals were netted by Antoine Sibierski and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

If you want to read all about that season then here’s a 4,200 word article on it (below). This was City’s first at the City of Manchester Stadium (now Etihad).

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The 1990s: 1999 The Fightback

The series of articles covering Manchester City in the 1990s continues today with an indepth article on the opening months of 1999-2000 season. City had been promoted the previous May and the last few months of 1999 saw the Club continue its resurrection. The article is almost 4,000 words long. It’s available to subscribers, so why not subscribe and relive this period and an extraordinary decade? As with all these 1990s subscriber features it contains material from interviews I’ve performed with key figures from that time.

Here’s the 4900 word article on that season:

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This series of articles and features will run throughout March with indepth articles some days and smaller ‘on this day’ style posts on others. There will be flashbacks to great games, players and more. Every day in March will offer something to enjoy.

Subscribers will get access to everything, while some on this day material will be free for all to view.

If you want to know more on this incredible decade for Manchester City Football Club then why not subscribe and read it all? If you’d like to know more about subscribing then see:

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