Tag Archives: Alan Harper

Sunderland’s Last

The 1990-1 season was Sunderland’s first in the top flight since 1985, although it was far from successful.  By the last match, on this day (11 May) in 1991, of the season the Wearsiders needed a win to avoid relegation, while Manchester City were enjoying their best League season since they finished 4th in 1978.

A large away following of around 9,000 filled the Kippax corner terracing and the Platt Lane Stand.  In fact this was the last great crowd housed in the old Platt Lane Stand which was demolished a year later, after being designated for away fans only since the mid-80s.  The result brought the Wearsiders nothing but disappointment as the Blues won 3-2 thanks to goals from future Sunderland star Niall Quinn (2) and David White.

Little did Quinn and City manager Peter Reid realise that within a few seasons they would be helping to resurrect the fortunes of Sunderland and its passionate supporters.  Despite the result in 1991, Reid and Quinn must have been impressed by the positive support given by the Wearsiders.

City ended the season in fifth place behind Arsenal, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, and Leeds, while Quinn was voted City player of the year.

Stats:  League Division One.  11th May 1991.

City 3 Sunderland 2

Scorers – City: Quinn 2 White

Sunderland: Gabbiadini, Bennett.

City:  Margetson, Hill, Pointon, Heath, Hendry, Redmond, White, Brennan, Quinn, Harper, Clarke (Beckford).

Sunderland: Norman, Owers, Hardyman (Brady), Bennett, Ord, Pascoe, Bracewell, Hawke (Hauser), Davenport, Gabbiadini, Kay.

Attendance: 39,194 (the highest Maine Road crowd since 23/9/1989)

While you’re here why not subscribe and read a series of articles covering Manchester City in the 1990s (and other decades too)? Here’s an article on the 1990-91 season when a shock managerial departure could have disrupted the club but ultimately they finished 5th, 3 points ahead of Manchester United: (it’s a 2,700 word article available to subscribers):

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1990s Football Banter

The departure of Howard Kendall from Manchester City in November 1990 led to a number of fan related chants, banners and more as fans tried to make their feelings known. United fans got in on the act and started to sing a version of Blue Moon that laughed at Kendall’s departure (which in itself shows how much everyone believed Kendall would bring success City’s way). City fans retaliated with a version that reminded United that only a year or so earlier City’s bargain basement Blues had defeated Ferguson’s Reds 5-1 – at that time the United team assembled by Ferguson was the most expensive British team ever created (and he still had further spending to make).

Banter between the Blues and Reds continues, with Kendall’s departure at the centre of it all but, demonstrating the self-deprecating sense of humour the Blues were known for at this time, Kendall started to be blamed for almost everything that was going wrong in Manchester. Unemployment rises – that’ll be Kendall’s fault. Buses are late – Kendall did that… and so on. Even a storyline in Coronation Street triggered a banner. In the soap opera Mavis and Derek Wilton’s house had been broken into. Who was to blame? Howard Kendall of course if a banner in the North Stand at Maine Road was to be believed.

This Manchester Evening News cutting mentions the chants and the banner. The banner appeared at the City-Leeds game played on this day (11 November) in 1990. It ended in a 3-2 Leeds win (bizarrely Alan Harper took a City penalty) and you can see the highlights here:

Coventry Defeated

On this day (6 October) in 1966 Niall Quinn was born and on this day in 1990 he scored for Manchester City in a 2-0 win against Coventry. Alan Harper scored the other goal. You can watch them both here:

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