Category Archives: Manchester United

Manchester City’s Three Royal Boxes!

Last Saturday (25 October 2025) I was fortunate to be invited to the England v Brazil women’s international as a guest of the FA. My seat was in the Royal Box at the Etihad (City of Manchester Stadium as it was named on the night due to sponsorship reasons). On social media someone commented that the Royal Box was a bit of a stretch in terms of its name but the truth is that the Directors Box (as it’s more commonly known) has housed members of the British royal family, including the late Queen Elizabeth II. In fact it was originally named the Royal Box for the Commonwealth Games in 2002. Back then I remember suggesting it should retain the name and now, maybe, the original name should return?

Other royals, including the former King of Spain, have sat there for Manchester City games and other events, so the name would be quite apt. Funnily enough, the Etihad’s ‘Royal Box’ isn’t the first part of a City ground to be given that name. It’s not even the second but the third! Both Maine Road and before that Hyde Road, had visits from senior members of the British Royal Family and on each occasion the Directors Box was spruced up and renamed the Royal Box for the game. Here’s the current King’s great grandad at Hyde Road’s Royal Box in 1920:

The King with the Mayor in Hyde Road’s ‘Royal Box’. Notice Lawrence Furniss stood, behind the King. Furniss was a major figure from the 1880s to the 1940s at City.

So, City, how about renaming the Directors Box the Royal Box again?

The following subscriber article talks about all of that, but in essence the current King’s dad, grandad and great grandad have all attended City matches at one of City’s home grounds. You can read about those visits here:

Subscribe to get access – Monthly

Read this 1,600 word article when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (cancel any time) or £20 a year. As well as this article you get to access books, videos, history talks, interviews and other articles.

Subscribe

Subscribe to get access – Annual

Annual subscribers access everything since the site went live in December 2020. Monthly subscribers get everything since 1 October 2022. All subscribers access new posts throughout their subscription.

Subscribe

Memorial Cards: Sledging Rivals in 1912

I’ve posted this before but it’s always worth another look. It is believed the memorial card seen here was printed to mark Manchester United’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City on December 28 1912. Cards like these were popular at most high profile games and in Manchester there was a significant industry behind football funeral cards.

They seem a bit macabre today in our half-half friendship version of professional football but back then cards were used to highlight games frequently. I’ve written and talked a lot on this over the years.

Here for subscribers I’d like to provide an overview of the industry, how it existed, what activities were carried out and provide a potted history of the funeral card business. This is about 3,500 words, so get yourself a brew and settle down to read…

Subscribe to get access

Read more of this and everything else on the site when you subscribe. It costs £20 a year or £3 a month to subscribe and you can access exclusive interviews, articles and more.

Subscribe

The Oldest Manchester Club?

I’ve researched a lot on the history of Manchester’s prominent clubs and so I know how the history of those teams has often been incorrectly reported. So, I’m just going to post this and make no further comment today. This is an article from October 1912 which talks of Manchester City as Manchester’s oldest football club. You can find out all about the history of Manchester’s clubs in my academic book ‘The Emergence of Footballing Cultures: Manchester 1840-1919’ if you’re interested.

League Cup Draw: City v United

On this day fifty years ago (8 October 1975) the draw for the fourth round of the League Cup was made. Manchester City were to face newly promoted Manchester United at Maine Road in what would turn out to be both a thrilling night and a deeply saddening night too!

You can find out what happened by reading the following 5,320 word article on the entire 1975-76 season for Manchester City – a season which saw Tony Book guide the club to major success. You can read this below.

Subscribe to get access – Monthly

Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (cancel anytime) to access everything posted since 1 October 2022 or there’s a special annual rate below which gives greater access and works out much cheaper.

Subscribe

Subscribe to get access – Annual

Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (above) or £20 a year (here) to access everything posted since the site was created in December 2020. This special rate works out about £1.67 a week and gives access to everything posted, including PDFs of 3 of my books.

Subscribe

If you’d like to know more about subscribing then see:

How To Subscribe

Frank Swift Went to Prison

On this day (4 October) in 1949 it was reported that Frank Swift went to Strangeways prison… to talk to inmates about football. He assumed he would be just talking to the male prisoners but there was so much interest from the female inmates that he spent some time with them first. He talked about his career; City and United and whether Billy Meredith or Stanley Matthews was the greatest all-time forward apparently.

Barnes Bidding for England

Forty years ago today (29 September 1985) it was reported that Manchester United’s winger Peter Barnes was being considered for a place in Bobby Robson’s England. The former City player had dropped out of the England squad a few years earlier but, as this report shows, his form for United brought him back in contention for an England place.

Sadly, injury ended the prospect for the talented winger.

You can read Peter’s story in the authorised biography I have written on him. It covers every aspect of his career. Details here:

The Peter Barnes Authorised Biography – Available Here!

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!

Subscribe to get access – Monthly

Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (cancel anytime) to access everything posted since 1 October 2022 or there’s a special annual rate below which gives greater access and works out much cheaper.

Subscribe

Subscribe to get access – Annual

Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (above) or £20 a year (here) to access everything posted since the site was created in December 2020. This special rate works out about £1.67 a week and gives access to everything posted, including PDFs of 3 of my books.

Subscribe

If you’d like to know more about subscribing then see:

How To Subscribe

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

5-1! We beat United 5-1!

On this day (23 September 1989) bargain basement Manchester City defeated big spending Manchester United 5-1 in the Manchester Derby. It was a game that entered Mancunian folklore. These days beating United is a lot more commonplace than it was back then, so if you’d like to understand how and why this became an important, never to be forgotten day then read the following 1700 word article…

This is available to subscribers (see below):

Subscribe to get access

Read more of this content when you subscribe today.

Subscribe

Arsenal 0 Manchester City 1

On this day (17 September) in 1921 Manchester City defeated Arsenal for the second time in a week. This time the Blues won 1-0 at Arsenal with a goal from Horace Barnes. You can read more on Manchester City during this season if you subscribe (see below). I hope you enjoy it. If you are not currently a subscriber 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:

Subscribe to get access

Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 a month (cancel anytime) or sign up for a year at £20 per year. Subscribers have access to the 1000s of articles, features, interviews etc. posted so far and all those posted during your subscription.

Subscribe

As well as subscriber pieces this series on the 1920s includes some free articles. Watch out for a daily post.

The First Manchester Derby of the 1920s

As we’re building up to the Derby here’s the latest in the series of features on MCFC in the 1920s… The first Manchester Derby of the 1920s took place at Old Trafford on 20 November 1920. You can read background, statistics and a report on that game below:

Subscribe to get access

This article is a subscriber feature. You can read it if you subscribe. It costs £3 a month (cancel anytime) or sign up for a year at £20 per year. Subscribers have access to the 1000s of articles, features, interviews etc. posted so far and all those posted during your subscription.

Subscribe

For more on this season why not read the following 2,350 word subscriber article. If you subscribe (see below) I hope you enjoy it. If you are not currently a subscriber 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:

Subscribe to get access

Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 a month (cancel anytime) or sign up for a year at £20 per year. Subscribers have access to the 1000s of articles, features, interviews etc. posted so far and all those posted during your subscription.

Subscribe

As well as subscriber pieces this series on the 1920s includes some free articles. Watch out for a daily post.