Category Archives: Old Trafford

The 1980s: Bury 1 Manchester City 2 at Old Trafford

On this day (25 September) in 1985 Manchester City defeated Bury 2-1 at Old Trafford in the League Cup. The game was played at Manchester United’s ground as Bury hoped for a big attendance. In the end the crowd of 11,377 wasn’t that much more than Gigg Lane could hold. Many City fans had stayed away simply because the game was at Old Trafford! Here’s a plan of OT as it was back then from the back of my ticket for the game:

You can read more on this season for Manchester City below. This is a 2,500 word feature on the 1985-86 season. Enjoy!

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Tomorrow’s feature is on the 1986-87 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

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

Video of History Of Women’s Football Talk

If you’re interested in women’s football or in football in Trafford or Manchester then get your self a brew, settle down and enjoy this video of my talk. It was part of my work on the #WEuro2022 Heritage Lottery funded project and my long standing project into the history of women’s football in Manchester. Here goes:

This talk on the history of women’s football was staged at the National Football Museum a few years back. The talk lasts about 47 mins. Enjoy!

The history of women’s football in Trafford is documented in the new book on women’s football I’ve co-edited. You can find out more about that here:

Book Launch at the Embassy of Ireland

My work on the Manchester Corinthians continues and you can find out about the Authorised History here:

Manchester Corinthians

The 1930s: 1939-1940 War Reports

My series on Manchester City in the 1930s continues today with a 1,400 word subscriber article on the 1939-40 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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Photos From The Corinthians at United-City

A small group of Manchester Corinthians were invited to attend the WSL Manchester Derby today at Old Trafford. They were taken pitchside and also had seats in the Directors Box. Players from the 50s to 90s were there, such as Margaret Whitworth, who participated in major trophy winning successes for the club in Venezuela and France. Others, like Wendy Crossland, had been significant players during the club’s first league successes – back when the Corinthians became champions of the highest league available to them. Here are a few photos from the day, plus images of the match programme article:

You can discover more on the Corinthians’ history (the facts not the fiction!) in my new book. Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History. It is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and consists of 356 pages.

It is illustrated throughout and you can order it now for £25 (including UK postage and packaging). I’ll sign all copies ordered direct from me below.

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

Some photos from when a group of Corinthians visited LFC’s Melwood a few days ago:

The Corinthians at United

If you’re attending the WSL Manchester Derby today at Old Trafford watch out for a few representatives of the Manchester Corinthians. United will be taking them pitchside for a few photographs nears the dugout about 10.50 so watch out for them and give them a cheer if you can. In addition, the match programme will contain a five page feature on the team, explaining their significance and experiences. This really is appreciated. Thanks United! Some photographs from the visit will appear here over the coming days.

If you’re wondering why the Corinthians are so important to football’s history watch this free 18 minute film (including interviews with some of those at United today) now. You won’t be disappointed:

You can discover more on the Corinthians’ history (the facts not the fiction!) in my new book. Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History. It is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and consists of 356 pages.

It is illustrated throughout and you can order it now for £25 (including UK postage and packaging). I’ll sign all copies ordered direct from me below.

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

Some photos from when a group of Corinthians visited LFC’s Melwood a few days ago:

The 1940s: A Wartime Manchester Derby

This is the cover of the wartime Manchester derby match programme for today (27 April) in 1940. The game was actually a League War Cup tie second leg and ended in a 2-0 United victory at Maine Road. The first leg had ended 1-0 to City. Wartime crowds were restricted by the Government and accurate attendance figures are often difficult to find but I do know that this Maine Road game attracted a restricted crowd of 21,596. You can read more on this wartime season below. It’s a 1,400 word article on Manchester City’s 1939-40 season. The season started as any other but then world events intervened!

This is a subscriber article and you can read it by subscribing below.

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The 1940s: The 1940-41 Season

The new series on Manchester City in the 1940s continues with this article on the 1940-41 season. The season ended with Manchester United sharing Maine Road after bomb damage to United’s ground. The image shows sites where bombs damaged property close to Maine Road on that same night.

This is a subscriber article and you can read it by subscribing below.

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The 1940s: The 1939-40 Season

The new series on Manchester City in the 1940s starts today with this 1,400 word article on the 1939-40 season. The season started as any other but then world events intervened!

This is a subscriber article and you can read it by subscribing below.

Subscribe to get access

Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month or you can subscriber for the discounted annual rate of £20 per year. Each subscriber gets access to everything posted so far, including PDFs of a couple of my books.

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Only 13,646 at Old Trafford

On 30 October in 1973 The second round League Cup tie between Manchester City and Walsall went to a second replay.  City won the game 4-0 with a hat-trick for Francis Lee, but a pitiful crowd of 13,646 witnessed the match at Old Trafford.  City fans didn’t mind playing a 2nd replay, but they did object to it being played at United’s ground.

You can read more on the 1973-74 season here:

The 1970s: 1973-1974 Wembley Return

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6-1 Manchester Derby

On this day (23 October) in 2011 Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City defeated Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United 6-1 in the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. The City goals came from Mario Balotelli 22, 60; Sergio Aguero 69; Edin Dzeko 90, 90+3; and David Silva 90+1. United’s was scored by Darren Fletcher 81.

MCFC have highlights of the game here:

https://www.mancity.com/citytv/match-highlights/2011/october/united-v-city-extended-highlights-23-oct

The City win equalled the record score in a Manchester derby – also set by City and also in a League derby at Old Trafford (in a season City also got relegated!). You can read about that one here:

Decisive Derbies – 23 January 1926 MUFC v MCFC

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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Your contribution is appreciated.

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