Football writing, thoughts and more by Gary James
The 1992-93 season ended on May 8 with a 5-2 defeat for Manchester City at home to Everton. The Blues finished ninth in the inaugural Premier League campaign – not a particularly depressing position but this had been a strange season. There had been protests throughout the season.
Here for subscribers is some explanation of what happened:
Read more of this content when you subscribe today.
In 2005 , to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1955 FA Cup final between Manchester City and Newcastle I took a look at the players who appeared for City in that game. The article that follows was published in May 2005. The Blues lost the match 3-1, but it remained a significant anniversary in the history of the club.
Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It cost £20 a year or £3 per month to access everything on this site.
On May 6 2012 the Premier League title race was to see Manchester City away at Newcastle. The Blues had two games left to play – away at Newcastle and at home to QPR – and inevitably the focus on both Manchester sides was hight. The global audience for the Manchester derby had been huge and that game had swung the advantage City’s way. Both Manchester sides had the same number of points but the Blues had the better goal average.
The Blues felt they could do win their first top flight title since 1968 with captain Vincent Kompany leading the way on the pitch: “If we in at Newcastle we will win the title. Sir Alex said that, so it must be right. He has far more experience than me.”
Here for subscribers to the site is the story of what happened at Newcastle:
Read more of this content and everything else on the site when you subscribe. It costs £20 a year (about £1.67 a month) or £3 to pay a month at a time (below). You get access to all content posted so far including the entire Manchester A Football History.
Read more of this content and everything else on the site when you subscribe. It costs £3 to pay a month at a time (cancel anytime).
Chanting at football games is rarely documented correctly with many myths, rumours and stories developing over the years. This feature is designed to give a potted overview of the development of singing at City.
I explained about some of the chants in this talk recently:
Now, for subscribers is an 1800 word article on the history and development of chants at Manchester City:
Read more of this content and everything on the site when you subscribe today.
In November 2020 I was delighted to be one of the speakers at a blue plaque unveiling for former Manchester City boss Joe Mercer in his home town of Ellesmere Port. It set me off thinking about permanent tributes to footballers and so for this article I’m taking a look at the tributes already made and questioning what else could be developed.
This is a subscriber article. It costs £3 a month to subscribe OR take out an annual subscription at £20 (works out about £1.67 a month). All subscribers get full access to everything throughout their subscription.
Read more of this content when you subscribe today.
On this day (May 1st) in 1934 Manchester City, who had won the FA Cup for the second time in their history, took part in an incredible home coming parade.
Deservedly Manchester took time out to celebrate and what seemed like the whole of Manchester lined the city’s streets. The authoritative Pathe News claimed there were over a million on the streets. The film company was not known for exaggeration and if that figure is accurate – and their footage suggests it is – then this remains the largest homecoming in Mancunian football history (It was claimed in 1999 that 700,000 people had welcomed Manchester United’s treble winning team through the streets).
Various speeches were made into a microphone set up on the Town Hall steps (the BBC were broadcasting this live on radio), and the players and officials were given a civic reception. Mancunians enjoyed the success and wanted more.
In Albert Square Mancunians sang their celebratory songs including “Who Said City Couldn’t Play” – the earliest known recording of a City specific song:
Who Said City Couldn’t Play,
City Couldn’t Play, City Couldn’t Play,
Who Said City Couldn’t Play,
City Couldn’t Play football?
You can hear a recording of the song and read more about it here:
Who Said City Couldn’t Play?
The 1933-4 League programme still had two games left for the Blues. On 2nd May – the day after the parade – City suffered a 3-2 defeat at Liverpool, and then on 5th May City demolished Wolves 4-0 at Maine Road. Before the game City staff, assisted by a couple of police officers, carried the trophy around the ground on some kind of wooden board. The fans were delighted.
During a week of FA Cup celebrations an illuminated bus journeyed around the city covered in City’s colours. On the front above the bus number, ‘City 2 1’, was the Manchester coat of arms. On the side the message ‘Welcome to the victors’ proudly illuminated next to a picture of the FA Cup and a drawing of Sam Cowan.
You can see film of this illuminated ‘Victory Bus’, preserved by the North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University, here (the bus can be seen after 5 mins 38 seconds but other scenes connected with the homecoming can be viewed after about 3 minutes):
https://www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk/viewVideo.php?token=2495agw5666w7h114804aP5nxZYm4638b49Hq2dw
You can view Pathe’s coverage of the homecoming here (the commentary is a bit cringeworthy but listen out for comment about a million people on the streets; the scenes certainly suggest there was too):
This has been a taster of the material on this site. Subscribers have access to over 500 articles and posts, with many more scheduled over the coming weeks. Posted already for subscribers are exclusive audio interviews I have performed with Malcolm Allison, John Bond and George Graham (more to follow); the entire Manchester A Football History book (now out of print) and various other long read articles. It costs £20 a year (that’s about £1.67 a month) or £3 per month if you want to sign up a month at a time. Whichever subscription is taken out subscribers get full access to everything posted for as long as they are subscribers. You can subscriber here:
Subscriptions cost £20 a year or £3 a month
It was one of the most important Manchester derby matches of all time. Second placed City, who were still searching for their first League title since 1968, were to face League leaders United at the Etihad Stadium in a crucial game. United led the table by three points but City’s goalscoring exploits in recent games had swung goal difference back the Blues’ way. With two games left after the derby a victory for United would almost end City’s chance of winning the title, while a City victory would put the Blues in the driving seat.
Here for subscribers to my site is the story of this monumental derby game.
Subscribers get access to this and over 300 other articles, including audio recordings of interviews with John Bond, Malcolm Allison and George Graham and the entire Manchester A Football History. It costs £20 per year (works out about £1.67 a month).
On this day (April 29) in 1933 Manchester City and Everton became the first teams to wear numbered shirts in the FA Cup final. To mark this occasion here is an article on the history of numbered shirts…
This 1700 word article is available to subscribers to my website.
Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £20 a year of £3 per month and you then can access everything on the site. Have a search around and see the volume of content on here or try for a month.
Manchester City had reached their second consecutive FA Cup final in 1934. They were to face Portsmouth at Wembley on April 28 1934.
Here for subscribers is a long read on City’s preparations for the final and the game itself:
Subscribers can read this and all 300+ articles & interviews (including audio interviews with Malcolm Allison, George Graham & John Bond). It costs £20 a year (works out £1.67 a month) or £3 a month. Sign up for a month and see what you think. Thanks
On this day (April 27) 1974 Denis law played his last League game on a day that saw Manchester United relegated. Law was in his second spell at Manchester City and, over the years, many myths have developed about his final game and the weeks that followed.
United fans like to say that this game had no bearing on relegation (though pre match United were not relegated and still had a chance of survival) while City fans like to boast that Law’s goal relegated United (mathematically it did not). Many in the media claim Law’s goal was his last in first team football (it wasn’t) and that he retired immediately afterwards (he didn’t). There are other myths about the pitch invasions (there were two not one) and the actions of the ref, so here for the benefit of subscribers is the true story of that day, including quotes from interviews I have performed over the years. Those quoted are Dennis Tueart, Tommy Docherty, Denis law and Willie Donachie.
So get yourself a brew and enjoy this long read on that infamous day:
Read more of this content and access everything else on this site when you subscribe today. £20 per year (£1.67 a month) or £3 a month at a time.
Gary James' Football Archive 