Manchester City won 1-0 away at Arsenal thanks to a goal from Joe Dorsett on this day (29 October) in 1910. This photo is from that game and shows the City ‘keeper Walter Smith battling an Arsenal attacker for the ball.
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A save by Manchester City’s Walter Smith in the Arsenal v City game of 21 September 1907. Irvine Thornley scored for the Blues but home team Arsenal won 2-1. You can read more on Walter Smith here:
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Images from 102 years ago today (17 September 1921) when Manchester City met Arsenal. The game ended 1-0 with Horace Barnes scoring for the Blues. These photos both show City attacker Tommy Johnson.
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It’s Day 97 of my Maine Road 100 countdown (almost there!) to the centenary of Maine Road’s first game and today it’s a simple one on the club that visited Maine Road as an away team the most. Any ideas who that was?
The team that’s played as a away side the most at Maine Road in League games is Arsenal. Of course Manchester United did play home games at Maine Road during the 1940s, but as an away team Arsenal have been the visitors the most. They’ve played City in 56 League games at Maine Road.
The team that’s appeared as an away team against the Blues the most in the FA Cup is Leicester City (6) while Blackpool (7) have been the most frequent Maine Road opponents in the League Cup.
Fans at MCFC v Arsenal and Mossley v Wigan, February 1935
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Day 57 of my posts counting down to the centenary of Maine Road’s opening game is a follow on from yesterday. It’s a cutting from the same newspaper, which was produced shortly after City and Arsenal had met at Maine Road in February 1935. It also follows on from some recent articles about stadium improvements. Here, the rumour was that City were planning to make Maine Road a 130,000 capacity venue.
February 1935 City v Arsenal Maine Road extension plans
Maine Road was only 12 years old but already it held a record individual crowd (84,569) for a game on a club ground that still stands today and it held the record League crowd (set at the game with Arsenal in February 1935). It had been expanded a little with the extension to the Platt Lane Corner (near the Main Stand and numbered 3 on the 1971 aerial photo lower down the page).
There was a development plan being developed which would see both the Platt Lane End and Scoreboard End have roofs added and be extended and then attention would turn to the Kippax where a double deck stand was suggested. By that time it was felt the stadium would hold 130,000. As it was the 1930s extensions meant it’s capacity was viewed as about 86,000.
The Platt Lane Stand (number 5 below) was built in 1935 (the old terracing was extended at the back on wooden steps and a roof was erected over the terracing) to the plan but World War Two meant the other plans were put on hold. They were eventually dropped and the next major development would be the Kippax roof and terracing extension in 1957.
Back in February 1935 the local media debated how often City would need a 100,000 capacity venue. The view was that, unless City could persuade the FA to move the FAC Final to Maine Road, then only one game a season would attract that kind of figure to the ground. With United in Division Two for much of the 1930s, and being watched by exceptionally low crowds, the game that most fans saw as the biggest meeting back then was the visit of Arsenal. How times change!
This 1971 aerial image shows the proximity of the housing on Thornton Road (bottom left, near number 6) and behind the North Stand (number 10). They were planned to be demolished in Lee’s 1994 plan.
Maine Road aerial 1971 from Farewell To Maine Road
If you’d like to read more on the history of Maine Road, take a look at Farewell To Maine Road, which can be downloaded from this page:
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.
Day 56 of my posts counting down to the centenary of Maine Road’s opening game is a simple reminder of the days when local newspapers would highlight faces in the crowd and offer cash prizes to those ringed, squared or triangled. The top row of photos here are from the Manchester City v Arsenal game at Maine Road of February 1935 and the bottom row is from Mossley v Wigan Athletic. Oddly, a bloke who looks uncannily like my granddad appears triangled in the bottom right. He’d have been about 20 when this photo was taken, so it can’t be him as he looks as he did in the 70s but they had it tough in those days! This is my granddad back in early 70s (I think it was 70s; could have been late 60s).
And the man I’m talking about…
Fans at MCFC v Arsenal and Mossley v Wigan, February 1935
Anyone worked out why the City-Arsenal game of February 1935 is still regularly referred to these days? This might help:
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.
Today (17 June) in 2020 the 2019-20 resumed for Manchester City after a pause due to the Covid pandemic with a Premier League game at home to Arsenal. Played without supporters present, the match ended 3-0 with goals from Sterling, De Bruyne and Foden. You can watch highlights here:
Tonight Manchester City and Arsenal face each other in what some are suggesting is a title decider. Of course, regardless of who wins it definitely isn’t a title decider as there are games to play and points to be won and lost, but it is a significant match in the season. Way back in April 1937 the two clubs met in very similar circumstances. Back then Arsenal were top and Manchester City were second and their Maine Road meeting was also promoted as a potential title decider. So what happened next?
Here for subscribers is the story of that game…
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On this day (24 April) in 2010 Gunnar Nielsen became the first Faroe Islander to play in the Premier League. The goalkeeper came on for the injured Shay Given in the 76th minute and kept a clean sheet as City drew 0-0 at Arsenal, watched by a crowd of 60,086.
Gary James' Football Archive 