Category Archives: Seasons

Rodney Marsh Special

I’ve talked about this before but it’s always worth reminding ourselves of it. On this day 49 years ago (28 September 1974) Rodney Marsh netted a spectacular overhead goal. It was the only goal of the match with QPR at Maine Road. Do you remember it? The following subscriber post tells the story of that classic goal and images of it step by step.

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Newcastle v Manchester City: The Story So Far

City v Newcastle is one of the most enduring fixtures in English football. There have been cup finals, title deciders, dramatic games, shared heroes and so much more. The two clubs first met in the League in October 1893 (Ardwick/MCFC’s 2nd season in the League) and have since played each other 189 times overall with City winning 76 and Newcastle 72 games.

As tonight is a League Cup tie, the most famous meeting of the teams in that competition came in 1976 at Wembley when Peter Barnes and Dennis Tueart both scored for the Blues.

MCFC 20TH CENTURY CHRONICLE SEASON 1975-76

Anyone at Maine Road on the day City played away against Newcastle at Maine Road? See:

Maine Road 100 – Day 87

100 years ago there was the last meeting at City’s famous old Hyde Road ground:

Maine Road 100 – Bonus Article!

In 2012 a Newcastle v City game was crucial in the Blues’ title charge:

The Title Race Moves To Newcastle

Elano’s wonder goal in 2007:

On This Day: Elano Wonder Goal

In 2021-22 there was a memorable City victory:

Newcastle 0 Manchester City 4

Most Blues of my age and above will remember where they were when our King returned to action on Boxing Day 1977. Here’s an interview I did with him a few years back when we talked about that special day:

IN SEARCH OF THE BLUES – Colin Bell MBE (interviewed in January 2005)
On This Day in 1977: Colin Bell’s Emotional Return

When I was a teenager there was a second tier meeting that attracted a significant crowd for the period:

Manchester City v Newcastle United 1984

My Dad’s generation will remember the 1955 FA Cup final:

The 1955 FA Cup Final
IN SEARCH OF THE BLUES – 1955 FAC Team (first published May 2005)

During 1956-57 there was a ‘game of the season’ in the FA Cup between the clubs:

Game of the Season 1956-1957: Manchester City V Newcastle United

My grandad’s generation would’ve remembered Billy Meredith’s last game:

Billy Meredith’s Last Game: 1924 FA Cup Semi

Who remembers the title decider at Newcastle? Details:

Manchester City Win The League

There was a really odd thing a while back where a Newcastle paper claimed that their local team had first worn bar scarves at games. A few simple searches soon proved there were much earlier bar scarfs:

Showing Your Colours

Some of the above are free to read and some are for subscribers only. Follow the link below if you want to find out more about subscribing:

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Heatwave at Tottenham

110 years ago today! A famous heatwave game for Manchester City at Spurs. Photos from this match often get mistakenly published as Hyde Road but this match was definitely in London and played on 27 September 1913. The City scorer was Billy Lot Jones (Spurs won 3-1).

I know it’s difficult to work out but this is the City goal:

Billy Lot Jones’ goal v Spurs, 27 September 1913. The person nearest the camera is the Tottenham keeper. Jones doesn’t appear to be on the image.
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Dennis Tueart Interview

Here’s a video of my latest interview with Dennis Tueart. In this we focus on him leaving Manchester City for the NASL and New York Cosmos; his experiences there and his return to City. Dennis is always a great talker and there are some wonderful moments in this as he talks about this significant time in the changing Manchester City and in the excitement of New York soccer.

The conversation links Tony Book, Leonard Rossiter, Pele, Carlos Alberto, John Cleese, Dave Sexton, Malcolm Allison and Franz Beckenbauer amongst others.

It lasts about 50 minutes so get your self a brew and sit down to watch:

Dennis’s biography is still available (see link below).

If you have enjoyed this interview then why not subscribe to access other interviews in the archive, plus over 1000 articles/features. See below for details.

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.

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Dennis Tueart’s biography is available at most bookshops, including the usual online retailers such as:

COMPETITION: From Maine Road To The Etihad 100 Years Book

Fancy winning a copy of the new book on Maine Road and the Etihad? The publisher, Reach, has offered to post out a copy of the book to the winner of a competition (Sadly, only UK postal addresses will be allowed). See below for details of how to enter…

The competition is open until Sunday 1st October at 9pm UK time and only one entry per person will be allowed. To enter simply send the answer to the following question, along with your name and location (not your address, just your nearest town/post town), via email to: comp@GJFootballArchive.com

The question is: Who was the architect of Maine Road when it was first built in 1923?

The answer does appear on my website in a variety of locations, so go search for it if you don’t know and then enter the competition. The winner will be selected at random from all the correct entries received on Monday 2nd October and will be informed later that day.

As for the book…

I’m delighted to say I’m one of the co-authors on the new book which focuses on Maine Road and the Etihad stadia (the two most recent permanent homes of Manchester City).

I’ve contributed the Introduction, the story of Maine Road’s first game and the 100 Maine Memories of Maine Road. I tried to make sure the 100 Maine Memories cover both the great and the unusual so, inevitably, Colin Bell is featured but so is the wonky North Stand scoreboard! If you attended Maine Road it will all make sense and if you didn’t it’ll give you a great feel for what life was like at the old place.

Please enter the competition and good luck with it.

While you’re here, why not subscribe to the website and unlock all the articles on here? See:

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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.

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Swales Sells Main Stand

Here’s a nice little quote from 1973. It’s a reminder of the days just before Peter Swales became Manchester City chairman but he was already the main mouthpiece for the board (something that riled chairman Eric Alexander significantly!). It shows how Swales was already trying to grab the headlines with comments that he knew would get media attention.

The background is that there had been some discussion on whether Rodney Marsh would be sold as, according to the media, he wasn’t exactly fitting in with City’s perceived direction and had, according to some, cost the Blues the League title in 1972. You can read about that elsewhere on my site (see below).

I wonder if Swales ever did get any offers for the Main Stand as a result of this? I do know that Punch magazine did a humorous piece outlining that it had been bought by Tottenham for £500,000 and their forward.

You can read about 1971-72 here:

MCFC 20TH CENTURY CHRONICLE SEASON 1971-72
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City Chairman Ponders Putting Up Prices!

Here’s an interesting photo of Manchester City chairman Bob Smith in 1947 pondering putting up ticket prices. Smith had been chairman for about 12 years at this point – a period that had seen City win the League but also suffer relegation. There was also World War Two of course.

Attendances had increased post WW2 and so it does seem odd that the question of putting up admission prices was raised at all. City, in particular, were a hugely profitable club at this time and Maine Road staged high profile rugby games as well as United renting the stadium (on terms they had suggested).

This photo was taken at the League AGM and shows Smith with John Sarjantson (Southampton). Smith remained chairman for another 8 years after this. I’ve posted the photo because it does seem like an interesting snapshot of City’s boardroom leader at the meeting.

Our Home: From Maine Road To The Etihad 100 Years

I’m delighted to say I’m one of the co-authors on a new book on the stadia of Manchester City. I’ve contributed the Introduction, the story of Maine Road’s first game and the 100 Maine Memories of Maine Road. I tried to make sure the 100 Maine Memories cover both the great and the unusual so, inevitably, Colin Bell is featured but so is the wonky North Stand scoreboard! If you attended Maine Road it will all make sense and if you didn’t it’ll give you a great feel for what life was like at the old place.

The City Keeper Who Wore Glasses

During the 1920s Manchester City had a goalkeeper Jim Mitchell who played in glasses – not specially produced glasses, ordinary glasses of the period!

Here are some images of him in action. I’m not quite certain what’s happened but it looks like he changed his shirt during the game because these are definitely from the same match:

Born in Prestwich, Jim Mitchell was a former Manchester University and Northern Nomads ‘keeper.  He also had spells at Blackpool and at Preston where he gained an extremely good reputation.  He gained several significant honours and was the Great Britain goalkeeper at the 1920 Olympics.  He also kept goal for Preston in the 1922 FA Cup final (the last played at Stamford Bridge before Wembley Stadium opened) against Huddersfield and hit the headlines by leaping around while a penalty was being taken against him – this caused the rules to be changed.

He joined City shortly after the final and replaced Goodchild as City’s number one the following September, making his debut on 9th September 1922 at home to Birmingham.  Despite wearing glasses – on the pitch as well as off it – Mitchell was an agile ‘keeper and made 22 appearances in his first season. 

Always an amateur, Mitchell made history by being City ‘keeper for the first game at Maine Road (25th August 1923) and was generally recognised as a quality ‘keeper by neutrals.  He was certainly known nationwide and was capped at both an amateur level and for the full England side.

He later had a spell at Leicester, though he never appeared in their first team, and joined the footwear firm Stead & Simpson.  He went on to become their Managing Director.  He passed away in 1975.

Appearances:  League: 99  FA Cup: 10

Search my site and you’ll find film of Mitchell at Maine Road’s opening game in 1923. There’s also much more on this 1924 FA Cup semi final featuring Mitchell. It was Billy Meredith’s last game and subscribers can read more and watch film of it here:

Billy Meredith’s Last Game: 1924 FA Cup Semi

A Manchester Derby Reported in NY

This brief comment says everything you need to know about the 23 September 1989 Manchester derby. This was how the New York Post reported on Manchester City’s bargain basement Blues defeated United’s expensive Reds.

Subscribers can read about the 1989-90 season here:

Manchester City Season 1989-90