Category Archives: 1987-88

The 1980s: Significant Praise from Stiles for ‘City Babes’

Continuing the series of articles covering Manchester City in the 1980s. Here’s a nice article from this day (5 December) in 1987. It was a piece praising Manchester city’s youth players with quotes from Nobby Stiles, the legendary Manchester United and England star. High praise indeed and these players deserved the focus.

Subscribers can find out more about the 1987-88 season by reading my 4,000 word feature on it below. Enjoy!

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Tomorrow’s feature is on the 1988-89 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

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

The 1980s: A Late Late Equaliser By Adcock

Continuing the series of articles on Manchester City in the 1980s. Today we have a late, late equaliser by City’s Tony Adcock at the Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion. Watch the following highlights and you might just about relive the drama of that day or if you never managed to be there then just sit back and try to get a feel for what it was like travelling away with City back then. See if you can spot an inflatable banana and look out for that red/black chequerboard kit too.

The game ended 1-1 on this day (28 November) in 1987.

If you want to know more about that season then why not subscriber and read this 4,000 word article on the 1987-88 season. Enjoy!

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Tomorrow’s feature is on the 1988-89 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

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

The 1980s: City’s Women’s Team’s First Game

Continuing my new daily series of articles for subscribers started earlier this month covering the 1980s. The last ten days or so have taken a seasonal journey through a truly important decade in the history of Manchester City Football Club’s men’s team. But what about the women’s team? Well, today (27 November 2023) marks the 35th anniversary of the women’s team’s first game (as Manchester City Ladies v Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park – I was there!). Today’s article is a 2,200 word long read on this historic first game. Enjoy!

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Today’s feature was the last on the 1980s. I hope you’ve enjoyed them. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

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

The 1980s: 1987-1988 Remember When

A new daily series of articles for subscribers started last week covering the 1980s. This is a seasonal journey through a truly important decade in the history of Manchester City Football Club. Today’s article is a 4,000 word feature on the 1987-88 season. Enjoy!

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Tomorrow’s feature is on the 1988-89 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

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

We Never Win At Home & We Never Win Away, We Lost Last Week….

But City did not lose on this day (21 October) in 1987! Why was this remarkable? It was the first time Manchester City had won away from home in over a year. In fact the Blues had gone 34 away League games without victory.

I remember it well and was at Bradford that night when City won 4-2. At the time the buzz amongst those of us who travelled away was ‘will today be the day’ and it got that way that you felt you couldn’t miss an away game. I’m convinced numbers going to away games increased game after game as we were keen to be there on the day we finally found a win.

Throughout this long, long run without an away win the song ‘We never win at home and we never win away…’ seemed to become our anthem. It belted out game after game and, in some ways, was our release from the disappointment of another defeat or draw. The song had begun in the late 1970s (I’ve done quite a bit of research on this and should write it all up one day) but it was the 1980s, in particular the relegation season of 1986-87, when it became a regular chant, game after game. Usually reserved for when City conceded or were losing it was given more opportunities to be sung during that period than ever before.

It faded during the late 1980s and early 1990s, especially when City finished fifth two seasons running, but reappeared later in the 90s when Alan Ball’s management (and everything that followed) brought misery City’s way.

We all got a bit nervy against Bradford, especially when our 2 goal lead disappeared, but we won 4-2 and you can see how giddy those of us behind the nets were in these highlights of the goals. We were stood behind the goals to the right of the camera (the commentator makes a couple of errors but the film should give you a feel for the night):

Wolves v MCFC The Story So Far

It’s Wolves v Manchester City today (30 September 2023) and there are dozens of stories referencing Wolves on this website. There have been major finals and significant league games. One of the away games I vividly remember going to came in October 1987 and is a great contrast with City’s modern day records:

Away Run Ends: Wolves v City

Here’s a link to some of the other stories on here involving Wolves:

Welcome to Gary James’ Football Archive

City’s record in these meetings (all competitions): Played 127 Won 54 Drawn 25 Lost 48.

Maine Road 100 – Day 84

Post 84 of my 100 Maine Rd countdown remembers the day in 1987 when Manchester City defeated Huddersfield Town 10-1.  It was one of the most memorable days at the old ground for fans of my age. I was stood in the Kippax that day. Notice the newspaper cutting includes Maine Road in its headline. The old stadium name often appeared in headlines in a way that doesn’t seem to happen so much these days.

Paul Stewart, Tony Adcock, and David White each scored a hat-trick while the goal spree was started by Neil McNab. You can read the full story of the game; watch highlights and more here….

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Maine Road 100 – Day 53

The 53rd post in my series counting down to the centenary of Maine Road’s opening game remembers the banana craze.

I’ve written a lot on the banana craze over the years and, like many other areas of football, there are already some myths that have developed. You can read about the craze here:

Bananarama – The Inflatables Craze

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:

Farewell To Maine Road – Part One

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MCFC v LFC 1988

Today (13 March) in 1988 Second Division Manchester City faced Liverpool in the FAC quarter final.  At the time this was seen as a major game, shown live on television and it was full of the usual controversy that these games tend to have. You can read the full story and watch highlights of it here:

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Remember When City Scored Ten!

On this day (7 November) in 1987 Manchester City defeated Huddersfield Town 10-1.  Paul Stewart, Tony Adcock, and David White each scored a hat-trick while the goal spree was started by Neil McNab. You can read the full story of the game; watch highlights and more here….

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Read more of this content when you subscribe today. If you’d like to support my research then why not subscribe? Every subscription directly helps support my research and provides annual subscribers with access to everything posted on this site, including the entire Manchester A Football History and From Maine Men To Banana Citizens books, plus interviews, articles and more. I am not employed by anyone and all my research is self funded or comes from subscriptions to this site.

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