Tag Archives: Brian Horton

The 1990s: 1994-1995 Horton’s Entertainers

The series of articles covering Manchester City in the 1990s continues today with the 1994-95 season. Another significant season and this article is almost 5,000 words long. It’s available to subscribers, so why not subscribe and relive this extraordinary season? As with all these 1990s subscriber features it contains material from interviews I’ve performed with key figures from that time.

Here’s the 5000 word article on that season:

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This series of articles and features will run throughout March with indepth articles some days and smaller ‘on this day’ style posts on others. There will be flashbacks to great games, players and more. Every day in March will offer something to enjoy.

Subscribers will get access to everything, while some on this day material will be free for all to view.

If you want to know more on this incredible decade for Manchester City Football Club then why not subscribe and read it all? If you’d like to know more about subscribing then see:

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The 1990s: 1993-1994 Swales Out

The series of articles covering Manchester City in the 1990s continues today with the 1993-94 season. It was such an important (and at times complicated season) that this article on that season is over 9,000 words long. It’s like a book in itself! It’s available to subscribers, so why not subscribe and relive this extraordinary season? As with all these 1990s subscriber features it contains material from interviews I’ve performed with key figures from that time. In particular this one contains quotes from Peter Swales and Francis Lee which they discussed with me personally.

Here’s the 9000+ word article on that season:

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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.

Subscribe

This series of articles and features will run throughout March with indepth articles some days and smaller ‘on this day’ style posts on others. There will be flashbacks to great games, players and more. Every day in March will offer something to enjoy.

Subscribers will get access to everything, while some on this day material will be free for all to view.

If you want to know more on this incredible decade for Manchester City Football Club then why not subscribe and read it all? If you’d like to know more about subscribing then see:

How To Subscribe

Luton v MCFC: Story So Far!

It’s Luton v Manchester City in the FA Cup tonight. The two sides have met on 7 previous occasions in the competition with City winning 4, drawing 1 and 2 ending in defeat. There was also the famous expunged game where Denis Law netted six. ‘Expunged’ – what a great word! For anyone wondering, it means wiped from the records. So none of those six count in either Law’s goals record or City’s, but it is a game that often gets remembered.

You can read about that one here:

FAC Draw a Reminder! Law’s Expunged Six

Other fixtures include…

Paul Cooper saving a penaly:

Saving a 56th Penalty: Paul Cooper

Both sides pay their respects following the death of a monarch (interesting to note that that weekend’s FA Cup games went ahead as scheduled. Over 65,000 watched City defeat Luton 2-1 at Maine Road).

Royal Reactions (part one)

Of course, Luton played their part in one of the most infamous end of season games in 1983. I won’t put a link here to that but do a search if you’re interested as there’s plenty on my website about that day!

The full record for Manchester City against Luton prior to tonight’s game is:

CompetitionPlayedWonDrawnLost
League37141211
FA Cup7412
League Cup6321
European0000
Other0000

The 1980s: The Horton Door Incident!

The series of articles covering Manchester City in the 1980s continues today with a reminder of the day Brian Horton damaged the Maine Road away team dressing room door. Future City boss Horton was then the manager of Oxford United. This article from this day (3 December) in 1988 explains how he was unhappy following his team’s dramatic 2-1 defeat the previous Saturday. City had been losing 1-0 with only a few minutes to go and then two dramatic late goals gave the Blues the victory. You can watch highlights here:

I think we can all understand Horton’s frustration. As part of his anger Horton left the door hanging on just one hinge! Rumours had suggested the Blues would make him pay for the damage but Peter Swales, the City chairman, said that there’d be no charge afterall.

It’s all a story about nothing really but is a nice reminder that in the days before social media these things still happened, they were just reported differently. Now this would be a major incident with apologies demanded and who knows what but back then it’s simply filling a space in the Manchester Evening News.

If you want to know more of the 1988-89 season for Manchester City Football Club then why not subscribe and read the following 4,100 word feature on the 1988-89 season. Enjoy!

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Tomorrow’s feature is the last on the 1980s as we tell the story of the 1989-90 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

The 1980s: 1980-1981 Gow, Hutchison & McDonald

The 1980s: 1982-1983 Selling Francis

A new daily series of articles for subscribers started a few days ago covering the 1980s. This is a seasonal journey through a truly important decade in the history of Manchester City Football Club. Today’s article is a 3,500 word feature on the 1982-83 season. Enjoy (well, if you know the outcome of this season you can enjoy this memory refresh while reflecting on the modern day successes of the Blues!).

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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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Tomorrow’s feature is on the 1983-84 season. If you missed the earlier features then start here:

The 1980s: 1980-1981 Gow, Hutchison & McDonald

Horton’s 9 Men Hold On

Manchester City were down to nine men when they defeated QPR 2-1 on this day (15 October) in 1994. It was a bit of a strange one for Brian Horton’s Blues with both goalkeeper Andy Dibble (two footed challenge on Les Ferdinand) and Richard Edghill (2nd bookable offence) sent off.

City had taken a 56th minute lead via a Garry Flitcroft header but then followed a frantic seven minutes or so. Paul Walsh scored City’s second when the ball went in off his face! Then Andy Dibble raced forward under pressure from Ferdinand and was judged to have handled the ball outside the area. Former blue Clive Wilson netted from the free kick.

After that came the sending off of Dibble then Edghill. You can read more on the game in this contemporary match report from the Telegraph:

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Anti-owner demos: Just another day in Manchester football

One Manchester club seems to be getting everything right, winning League titles, European trophies and so on while the other appears to be in self-destruct mode with demonstrations against the owner and all sorts of worrying stories appearing in the media. Sound familiar? This was actually the situation on this day (11 September) in 1993 when Manchester City (not United) were the team in crisis and United (not City) were the team winning Leagues and European trophies.

This cutting is from 11 September 1993 and highlights the proposed takeover by Francis Lee of the Blues. Peter Swales had been City’s chairman for twenty years during which he’d taken the club from being a major, profitable power to one that was heavily in debt – debt that was hampering the club’s development – with a stadium that was being downgraded almost every day via a lack of serious investment. Across at United the club appeared relatively stable with a stadium that was being invested in. They also had one of the game’s most talented and successful managers while City had gone through a series of managers in the previous few years. City were a relatively stable top flight team though by 1993. Brian Horton was now City’s boss and he seemed to offer a positive style of football but the wider problems of the club were never far away. All sound familiar still?

I do find it amazing that City and United seem to have swapped roles so emphatically since 1993 in terms of how the clubs are managed, invested in, stadium developments and so on.

For those unaware of what happened to City or those who perhaps support United and are looking to see what happened and whether history will repeat here’s a brief overview: United dominated football for most of the 1990s & 2000s while City’s Lee takeover was successful. Lee, however, was unable to revive City’s fortunes and build on the fifth place finished that had occurred in 1991 and 1992. Although much of the financial infrastructure of City was improved following the takeover, the dismissal of Horton as manager and a poor appointment in Alan Ball led to relegation. Further issues followed as star players left, managers were sacked or left and the Blues ended up in the 3rd tier (for one season – too many believe City were a 3rd tier club who eventually got lucky but they were a top 6 team who fell apart!).

Could history repeat itself with the roles reversed? Unlikely United will ever fall as low as City but it is worth noting that City never expected to fall that low. Also, removing Swales from power was something that fans had been wanting for decades. It only became a possibility when a former hero announced he could take over the club BUT even then the hopes and ambition of all Blues could not be met.

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Match stats here:

https://bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/History/Matches/Match.aspx?id=4048

Managerial Change

On this day (16 May) in 1995 Brian Horton’s time as manager of Manchester City came to an end. It was a sad departure for a man who had brought entertaining, attack-minded football back to Maine Road.

Subscribers can read an interview I did with Brian a few years back here:

IN SEARCH OF THE BLUES – Brian Horton (interviewed in October 2004)
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Beagrie Arrives

On this day (24 March) in 1994 Peter Beagrie signed for Manchester City from Everton and soon established himself as a hero.  With his trademark somersaulting goal celebrations Beagrie scored 5 goals in 58 (plus 7 as substitute) appearances, but his contribution to the exciting style of play enjoyed under Brian Horton was much more impressive than those statistics suggest.  

Beagrie’s debut came in a goalless game v Oldham the following Saturday.

Rocastle-White Swap

On this day (22 December) in 1993 David White left Manchester City after years of dedication to the Blue cause. He was transferred to Leeds United in a swap deal for David Rocastle. It was a sad loss for the Blues but it was also a new beginning for Rocastle.

You can read more on the 1993-94 season here:

Manchester City Season – 1993-94

There are lots of articles on this site that mention David White. Take a look at:

Welcome to Gary James’ Football Archive