There have been games of cricket played by Manchester City over the years and there have been occasions when other sports, such as rugby and tennis, have been played at City’s grounds but it may surprise some to know that cricket has also been played at the club’s venues. Back on 24 July 1891 a Manchester newspaper listed this cricket fixture to be played at Hyde Road (at the time the ground of Ardwick AFC – City’s predecessor). It won’t have been the only cricket match there and the site had been known to stage bare knuckle boxing bouts years before the football ground was built there.
Category Archives: Seasons
New Rules and Player Payments… in 1937
People often talk about the amounts players make and whether clubs get value for money so this may interest those who like to know what footballers earned in days gone by. This is an article from the Manchester City match programme at the start of the 1937-38 season spelling out what bonuses players could earn that season. Back then there was a maximum wage of £8 per week (£6 in close season) for players plus the potential for the bonuses outlined here. Note also the changes to football laws were listed too in the programme. Imagine a world where we knew what bonuses players were on and could calculate their wages game after game! Social media would love that!
You can’t find out every penny earned but you could read more on the 1937-38 season for Manchester City here – it’s a 1,800 word subscriber article on the 1937-38 season. If you subscribe (see below) I hope you enjoy it. If you don’t subscribe then why not try it for a month (£3 per month or sign up for a year at a discounted £20 per year)?
Here’s the article:
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Hyde Road Crowd Image
I’ve included this in some of my books over the years and I think it’s a great crowd shot which leads to the odd question too. Take a close look at it. This is from 1912-13 season and shows a section of the crowd in the Main Stand paddock. There are definitely men, women and children in there, but is there also one of the earliest non-white faces to be seen at a home City game too? It’s difficult to tell but look at the complexion of the man above the word ‘archive’… We’ll never know sadly.
Training 1910 Style
Here’s a great cutting showing Manchester City players in February 1910 training. How things change! Subscribers can read more on the 1909-10 season (when the Blues returned to the First Division as champions after a one season absence) below.
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Malcolm Allison joins Manchester City
On July 20 in 1965 Malcolm Allison was formally interviewed by the Manchester City board to be manager Joe Mercer’s assistant. Mercer had wanted to bring Allison in since he took the job earlier in the month. Here is a feature I did on Allison back in January 2005.
I first interviewed Malcolm in 1991, and, using material from several conversations with him, and in 2005 I took the opportunity of a MCFC v Crystal Palace game to remind everyone of his significance. Today, for subscribers, I’m posting it here.
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The Mighty Wyn
Sorry to hear the news of the death of former Bolton, City, United and Stockport forward Wyn Davies. At Bolton he had a good attacking partnership with Francis Lee and it was Lee who suggested to Malcolm Allison (first and then manager Joe Mercer) to sign the player for City in 1971. Coincidentally it was this week in 1971 when Newcastle (Davies’ club at the time) agreed a fee with City.
Davies made his City debut on 14 August 1971 at Maine Rd v Leeds. His last City game on 9 September the following year, shortly before he became one of a relatively small group of players to transfer directly between the Manchester clubs.
At City and, presumably his other clubs, the chant ‘you ain’t seen nothing like the mighty Wyn’ was frequently sung. Years later the same chant was resurrected for Niall ‘the mighty’ Quinn.
My thoughts are with Wyn’s family and friends.
50 Years Ago Today: Paul Power
Paul Power signed as a full time professional for Manchester City on this day (17 July) in 1975. He had previously been a youth player, signing as a part time professional in December 1974 (while studying a law degree). You can find several articles that mention Paul throughout this website. Start looking here:
Maine Road Now and Then
It’s worth comparing this image from recent years, showing the housing and school now built on Maine Road, with this 1940s image of the Maine Road site. The boundary lines are visible, demonstrating how the site changed usage.
This 1971 aerial image shows the stadium from another angle, looking west.
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:
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Fancy Advertising at City or Newton Heath?
Here’s an advert from the official Manchester City and Newton Heath match programme, published in September 1899. It demonstrates a period when football clubs looked to raise money however they could. Here ‘business men’ could advertise on almost any part of City’s Hyde Road ground or United’s Bank Street ground. I always find it funny when people try to claim that football has only become a ‘business’ in recent decades… Ever since the game became professional it has been a business and those owning clubs have looked at ways to increase income or profitability.
More on the 1899-1900 season elsewhere on the site. Why not search for features?
The Reporting of a Manchester Derby
Here’s an interesting cutting from the Official Programme of both Manchester City and Newton Heath in December 1898. Back then City’s and Newton Heath’s match programme was a joint affair, shared with a couple of rugby clubs too. Reading this gives an impression of how the rivalry was at the time – I’m sure City fans will find the line about referee Jack Lewis’s decision making interesting!
This game was actually played at City’s Hyde Road on Boxing Day 1898 and, as was typical of the period, both sets of fans were vocal and spread around the ground.
The opening paragraph described an infamous passageway that led to the Hyde Road ground and was often muddy. Also, worth noting that Billy Meredith was the biggest name in football and was a popular City player at this time.
City won the game 4-0:
Gary James' Football Archive 