Former Blue Matt Busby Congratulates Manchester City

60 years ago today (5 May 1966) Matt Busby formally congratulated Manchester City on their return to football’s top flight. The previous day City had won 1-0 at Rotherham to earn promotion. Colin Bell was the scorer. If you missed this yesterday, here are some contemporary match reports and photos from that day.

Here for subscribers are match reports and details of that day:

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The 1950s: The 1956 FA Cup Final

70 years ago today (5 May 1956) Manchester City defeated Birmingham City 3-1 in the FA Cup final with goals from Bobby Johnstone, Jack Dyson and Joe Hayes. The final became known for Bert Trautmann’s exploits and during the night I was on Talksport about 2am talking with Paul Ross about Bert’s life. I also, briefly, mentioned Bert’s role with the Manchester Corinthians. You can listen here (my part starts around 1 hour 17 minutes into the show):

https://talksport.com/play/talksport/catchup/20260505-24517

Subscribers can read more on the 1955-56 season below…

Here for subscribers is a 3,900 word article on the 1955-56 season when City won the FA Cup final (nowadays known as the Trautmann Final) and Bert Trautmann was FWA Footballer of the Year (presented in the days before the final). Enjoy!

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Talksport Interview Tonight

If all goes to plan I’ll be on Talksport Radio with broadcaster Paul Ross tonight around 2am (5 May) chatting about the legendary Manchester City ‘keeper Bert Trautmann. We’ve recorded it now and I really enjoyed it. I met and chatted with Trautmann quite a few times over the years and it was great discussing him on national radio. I even managed to get mentions in there of the Corinthians.

If you subscribe to my site and want to know more about Trautmann then read on. This is a small article about him that looks back to a day when I visited his birth place and first football club. It also talks of his involvement with the Manchester Corinthians women’s football team.

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A 2nd Successive Manchester League Derby At United Ends early!

On 4 May 1976 and for the second consecutive League derby at Old Trafford, a meeting between United and City was cut short when thousands stormed the pitch before its natural conclusion. Home fans invaded the pitch before the 90th minute with United leading 2-0. Afterwards it was reported that the police had signalled to the referee to blow the whistle while fans were on the pitch. Referee Roy Capey told reporters: ‘My only concern was for the linesman who had to run from the far side of the ground. But he got into the dressing room safely.’

Screenshot

Derek Wallis, writing for the Daily Mirror, explained that United fans had raced on to the pitch: ‘ahead of time last night – nearly three minutes by my watch – and diplomatically referee Roy Capey promptly blew for time.’

A few days earlier United had been defeated by Second Division Southampton in the FA Cup final and United reporter David Meek started his Manchester Evening News report of the derby with this interesting line (his emphasis): ‘”WE’D RATHER win the derby than the Cup,” sang the Stretford enders as Manchester United sailed to a 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford last night.’

Sixty Years Ago Today: “We Went To Rotherham, We Won 1-0….” Manchester City’s Promotion

60 years ago today (4 May 1966) Manchester City won 1-0 at Rotherham to earn promotion back to football’s top flight. Colin Bell was the scorer and the win became immortalised in a song. Here are some contemporary match reports and photos from that day:

Here for subscribers are match reports and details of that day:

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Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £3 per month (cancel anytime) or sign up at a discounted £20 per year. Every subscriber gets access to the 1000s of articles already posted and those posted throughout your subscription. This includes the full Manchester A Football History and my first City book published in 1989

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The Corinthians at United-City

A year ago today (4 May 2025) we managed to take a small group of Manchester Corinthians to the WSL Manchester Derby at Old Trafford as guests of United. They were taken pitchside and also had seats in the Directors Box. Players from the 50s to 90s were there, such as Linda Hallam, who scored the only goal against Juventus when the team won a major tournament in 1970. Margaret Whitworth, who participated in the tour of South America was also one of our party. 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 I wrote for United. It talks about the full history of the club of course and mentions Maureen Charlton, one of three original players in 1948 (yes, 1948 not 1949 as is often claimed), who I interviewed for the book:

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 over 350 pages. It is illustrated throughout and you can find out more here:

Manchester Corinthians The Authorised History Revised and Updated: Subscribe Now

Manchester Corinthian Ladies FC Recognition @ The Women’s Football Awards 2026

I’m absolutely delighted to say the the incredible Manchester Corinthians will be honoured with recognition at the Women’s Football Awards on Thursday 7 May 2026. This is wonderful news and follows a special recognition award at the Manchester Sports Awards 2025, a lifetime achievement award at the North West Football Awards 2024 and even the Blue Plaque appeal was shortlisted at the This Is Manchester Awards 2024.

All of these awards help to ensure the Corinthians’ legacy will never be forgotten. The Women’s Football Award is special as it’s really important to remember the women who were there at the start of the club (including three special women who helped establish the club), those who played and those Corinthian women who played their part in the establishment of the Women’s FA, regional competition and also the establishment of the England Women international team. There are still Corinthians today contributing to coaching women and girls and also playing walking football. All deserve remembering and celebrating.

Former Manchester City and England footballer Toni Duggan (photographed below with Debbie Darbyshire and Kate Themen, two players with Manchester City at that club’s formation in 1988) recognises the significance of these women: ‘As an England women national football team player, you know you’re part of something bigger. But this wouldn’t have been possible for me or any of my former teammates without the likes of Manchester Corinthians. They are the reason that we are here today. Their courage and love for the beautiful game has paved the way for generations of players like me – it is an honour to see their story celebrated.’

A year ago this week several Corinthians were guests of Liverpool FC for a wonderful day (see images below) when they met the Liverpool women’s team and watched training. The former Liverpool FC men’s team player Jamie Carragher has commented this week: ‘The Women’s Football Awards will be celebrating a group of fearless pioneers who refused to accept the limits placed upon them. The Manchester Corinthians didn’t just play football – they changed it forever. Their legacy is present in every girl and woman who plays football today.

The Corinthians are wonderful people who toured the globe promoting Manchester, football and female endeavour over a forty year period.

In 2024 around ninety former players/families of former players were brought together for a reunion at the Etihad Stadium. You can find out more about the Corinthians and watch moments from their reunion, when they sang their club song, here:

A Wonderful Celebration

Congratulations to all the Corinthians and thanks to the Women’s Football Awards for this latest recognition.

If you want to find out more about these remarkable women then there are lots of articles on this website mentioning the Corinthians. Here’s a link to everything tagged Manchester Corinthians:

https://gjfootballarchive.com/category/manchester-corinthians/

The 2010s: Victory over West Ham

On this day (1 May) in 2011 a 2-1 victory for Manchester City over West Ham left the Blues fourth on 62 points, five points behind third placed Arsenal, though City had a game in hand. A confident looking side took an early 2-0 lead with De Jong (10th minute) scoring his first goal and then Zabaleta (15th min) added a second. West Ham did score via Demba Ba in the 33rd minute and this caused some nervousness. Mancini’s side did hang on to some extent, but overall they had much more to offer than the Hammers.

Were You There 60 Years Ago Today? Manchester City 3 Birmingham City 1

Today (30 April) in 1966 Manchester City were almost back in the top flight after a 3-1 victory at home to Birmingham City. There were only four games left after this match in the Second Division with the next game being away at Rotherham the following Wednesday – fans wondered could this be the night (and if it is would a song eventually be created that would be sung for at least the next three decades remembering the night? No they didn’t wonder that but that is what happened).

Were you there that day? If you were please feel free to add your comments. Here’s some match reports from the Birmingham game:

You can find out more on Manchester City during the 1965-66 season by reading the following 4100 word article. As with most of the other features in this series it includes words from interviews I have performed with those who were there. This is a subscriber article (see below).

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The Corinthians at Liverpool

A year ago today (29 April 2025) Liverpool FC welcomed myself & several Manchester Corinthians to their women’s training facility at Melwood. The women who played for the Corinthians during the 50s-80s met the then current first team WSL squad of Liverpool; had a tour of the facilities; signed autographs (LFC wanted the Corinthians’ autographs and vice versa); and were given a wonderful lunch. I cannot stress highly enough how incredible the welcome was from LFC – all at LFC, not simply one or two people but everybody from security though to every area of the club.

The oldest Corinthian able to attend was 90 year old Centre-forward Mary Bee. Mary, along with Margaret Whitworth and Gill Holland who were also there, participated in a major international tournament in Venezuela in 1960 which the Corinthians won. She also played in the 1957 European Cup victory over Germany in Berlin (the Corinthians played as an unofficial England team). Others present today included players who had defeated Juventus in a major final in France in 1970.

Thank you Liverpool! It really was appreciated. Some photographs from the visit appear at the end of this article.

You can discover more on the Corinthians’ history (the facts not the fiction!) in my new book. Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History. The updated second edition will be available in October this year but if you order it before publication you can get your name published in a special roll of honour at the back of the book. This book is a must for anyone interested in Manchester or women’s football and consists of over 360 pages.

The book will be sent out to all subscribers on publication at the start of October 2026. This will be before it appears in any shop. Sadly, due to postage costs the book can only be posted to UK addresses. You do not need to have a PayPal account to order – use the ‘Pay with PayPal’ button below and it will give you the option to pay by credit/debit card without creating a PayPal account.

UK ONLY – one copy of Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History 2nd edition (paperback)

The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This is for one paperback book at £19.95 ()incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.

£19.95

Opportunities to buy multiple copies, sponsor the book or donate exist too. Please email Gary@GJFootballArchive.com for more information on those opportunities. For those wishing to order ten copies then a special panel will be included within the book thanking you for supporting the Corinthians’ project & book, plus you’ll get ten copies for the discounted total of £150 (including UK deliver).

UK ONLY – Ten copies of Manchester Corinthians: The Authorised History 2nd edition (paperback)

The story of a pioneering women’s club as told to Gary James by those who were there. This is for ten paperback books at £150 (incl UK postage and packaging). Outside UK contact for additional postage costs.

£150.00

Note: the cover is currently being redesigned and is likely to be different to the ones shown here.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=AWsGr3G_izE

Some photos from last year’s visit: