Category Archives: Peter Barnes

The 1970s: 1976-1977 Maintaining A Title Challenge

The series of features/articles covering Manchester City in the 1970s continues with a 2,100 word article on the entire 1976-77 season – a season which saw City come close to League success. You can read this below. This series of articles and features on Manchester City in the 1970s has been running throughout January with indepth articles some days and smaller ‘on this day’ style posts on others. Every day in January has offered something to enjoy.

Subscribers can access everything. If you want to know more on this incredible decade for Manchester City Football Club then why not subscribe and read it all? You could even subscribe for a month and see what you think. The following 1,200 word article is on the 1976-77 season and is available to subscribers below. Enjoy!

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The 1970s: 1975-1976 Overhead

The series of features/articles covering Manchester City in the 1970s continues with a 5,320 word article on the entire 1975-76 season – a season which saw Tony Book guide the club to major success. You can read this below. This series of articles and features on Manchester City in the 1970s has been running throughout January with indepth articles some days and smaller ‘on this day’ style posts on others. Every day in January will offer something to enjoy.

Subscribers will get access to everything. If you want to know more on this incredible decade for Manchester City Football Club then why not subscribe and read it all? You could even subscribe for a month and see what you think. The following 5,320 word article is on the 1975-76 season and is available to subscribers below. Enjoy!

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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.

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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.

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The 1970s: Impressive Win At Norwich

Today (21 January) in 1978 Manchester City defeated Norwich 3-1 with goals from Brian Kidd (2) and Gary Owen. These highlights of the match are well worth watching to get a feel for how exciting this team truly was:

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The 1970s: Redemption at Rotherham

The 1978-79 season had promised so much with City progressing to the UEFA Cup quarter final before Christmas. However, before that game could be played a series of worrying results and agitation from director Ian Niven caused City to bring back former assistant manager Malcolm Allison in January 1979. Big Mal, as he liked to be termed by this time, was expected to give a bit of a boost but it didn’t quite work out like that.

A league game with Leeds ended 1-1 then a FA Cup tie with Rotherham saw a shock goalless draw at Maine Road. The Blues received significant criticism and two days later the media waited for a shock FA Cup giant killing at Rotherham. It didn’t happen as City won the match 4-2 with Brian Kidd netting twice and goals from Gary Owen and Peter Barnes. It wasn’t a straightforward win though, as this report shows. The game was played on this day (17 January) in 1979.

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The 1970s: Colin Bell v West Ham, Jan 1978

Here’s an interesting film of Colin Bell in action for Manchester City against West Ham on this day (14 January) in 1978. The commentary is from a much later feature but it’s worth hearing and watching this clip to get an appreciation of how we all felt about Colin at this time. We desperately wanted him to be in another trophy winning side and to be the player he’d been only a few years earlier before that horrific injury.

The game was a 3-2 City victory with goals from Peter Barnes, Brian Kidd and Tommy Booth.

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Don’t Leave Early: The Goal Standard

On 18 October 1978 in the UEFA Cup 2nd round first leg Manchester City defeated Standard Liege 4-0. Three of those goals (one a penalty) came in the last 5 minutes, demonstrating that no one should ever leave early (unless there are significant reasons of course). No game is over until the final whistle and this game against Liege is one that should always be remembered. The reason I say this… My dad made us leave early as it was a school night (I’d celebrated my 10th birthday a week or so earlier). We left when it was 1-0 with about 6 minutes to go.

I remember us walking down the Platt Lane tunnel and getting to the exit gates and hearing the roar – an obvious goal! Then as we walked down the pink passage behind the Platt Lane there was another roar. A third roar was heard a little later and then a fourth just as we neared our car and that was that! We only knew the actual score when we got home because, back then, there was no radio in dad’s car. Throughout that journey back to Hyde me, my brother and my dad tried to guess what the final score would be. We knew we’d heard four roars and assumed we’d missed four goals but the first roar would’ve been for the penalty award and the second for the penalty itself.

Missing three goals at the age of ten is not great. Hmm!

Anyway, for those, like me, who missed it here are the match facts and a video of those goals:

Attendance: 27,487

City Goalscorers: Hartford, Kidd 2 (1 pen), Palmer

City: Corrigan; Clements, Donachie, Booth, Watson, Viljoen (Keegan), Palmer, Bell, Kidd, Hartford, Barnes

Asa Hartford scored in the 13th minute but, despite several attempts that was all that separated the clubs up to the 85th minute.  A frantic late rally by the Blues saw three goals in four minutes to create a decisive and emphatic victory.  All those who had left the stadium early (to get to their cars and buses) realised that no game is over until the final whistle. 

The transformation was heralded as a high point in the career of Peter Barnes.  Barnes demonstrated his skills superbly as he made Liege suffer with attack after attack.  Peter Gardner:  “Twisting, turning, tormenting and teasing the harassed Belgians, Barnes paved the way for that final three-goal fling with Kidd grabbing tow and Palmer the last.  It was Barnes at his brilliant best although Hartford and Watson were also heroes on a night when City proved that patience always pays.”

My biography of Peter Barnes talks about this game of course and you can buy copies here:

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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

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El Rubio: Barnes, United & Betis

This week Manchester United play Real Betis in the Europa League. This immediately brings to mind the stories of the former England international winger Peter Barnes. Barnes, or El Rubio as he was known in Spain (it means the blond one).

Peter’s time at both clubs is covered in my authorised biography of him. There are some touching moments and some great stories too. The book was started before the Covid pandemic and then was delayed because of Covid. Despite the delays it was great to write this biography and Peter’s a wonderful person who has an interesting story. I’m sure fans of every club Peter was involved with and neutrals will enjoy reading the book.

You can buy the book below.

This 372 page, colour paperback book is £16.95 (including UK postage).

United Kingdom

The Peter Barnes Authorised Biography – UNITED KINGDOM

Order today for £16.95 (incl UK Postage and Packaging).

£16.95

To order please use the button above (UK postage included; outside UK contact me for 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.

Here are the contents pages:

This long awaited authorised biography, written by Gary James with the memories and stories of Peter’s career throughout, tells the story of Peter’s life from his childhood in Manchester and Wrexham through to the modern day. With particular focus on his footballing career with Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, Real Betis, Coventry City, Manchester United, Tampa Bay Rowdies and, of course, England.

If you run a book shop and would like to know more about the book please email: accounts@manchesterfootball.org

The ISBN is 978-1-9168852-0-2.

You can listen to Peter in conversation with myself about the book here:

Thanks,

Gary James

Barnes is Back!

On this day (13 January) in 1987 Peter Barnes re-signed for Manchester City from Manchester United and made his first appearance at home to Liverpool four days later.

You can still purchase copies of my acclaimed biography of Peter Barnes. Every copy bought direct from me will be signed by me. You can order here:

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A ‘Keeper’s Debut

On this day (23 November) in 1957 Manchester City goalkeeper Steve Fleet made his debut in a 4-3 defeat by League leaders Wolves. I’ve met and interviewed Steve often over the years and here’s a 2,500 interview I did with him where he talks about the circumstances around his debut, the game (it was an extraordinary match) and the rest of his career. I’ve also included a match report. Enjoy!

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