Tag Archives: Newcastle United

The 1970s: Attendance Facts Not Fiction

It seems that some have a view that the giant clubs remain giant clubs forever and that there are some clubs who have only recently become prominent. Others believe that teams that were giants decades before some of today’s major trophy winners were never actually that prominent. I could spend hours challenging those who hold these views and pointing out that teams such as Everton, Newcastle & City won major trophies before many of these clubs and were perceived as giants years earlier too (decades before in some cases!), but it doesn’t feel like they’d listen. Ah well! Instead as part of my series of features/articles covering Manchester City in the 1970s I’d like to post a few attendance details that may interest some.

The following are a list of the top seven best supported top flight clubs for the ten seasons prior to City’s relegation in 1983. The Manchester clubs are in bold and the numbers in brackets show each club’s league position that season. In addition if any of the clubs won the European Cup, UEFA Cup, ECWC, FA Cup or League Cup that is also listed in brackets.

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1973-74

42712 MUFC (21st); 42332 Liverpool (2nd & FA Cup winners); 38666 Leeds (1st); 33048 Birmingham (19th); 32861 Newcastle (15th); 30756 MCFC (14th).

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1974-75

45966 LFC (2nd); 40021 Everton (4th); 34822 Leeds (9th); 34614 Newcastle (15th); 32898 MCFC (8th); 30854 Birmingham (17th); 29872 West Ham (13th & FA Cup winners). Both Manchester United (48387) and Sunderland (29931) were in Division Two but had an average higher than some of those in the top seven top tier averages.

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1975-76

54750 MUFC (3rd); 41623 Liverpool (1st & UEFA Cup winners); 38874 Aston Villa (16th); 34280 MCFC (8th & LC winners); 33060 Newcastle (15th); 31511 Leeds (5th); 28350 Derby (4th). Sunderland in Division Two had an average of 31250.

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1976-77

53710 MUFC (6th & FA Cup winners); 47221 Liverpool (1st & European Cup winners); 40058 MCFC (2nd); 37903 Aston Villa (4th & LC winners); 33599 Newcastle (5th); 32743 Sunderland (20th), 32671 Arsenal (8th).

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1977-78

51860 MUFC (10th); 45546 Liverpool (2nd & European Cup winners); 41687 MCFC (4th); 39513 Everton (3rd); 35464 Aston Villa (8th); 35446 Arsenal (5th); 32501 Nottm Forest (1st & LC winners). Tottenham were in Division Two with an average of 33417.

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1978-79

46430 MUFC (9th); 46407 Liverpool (1st); 36371 Arsenal (7th & FA Cup winners); 36203 MCFC (15th); 35456 Everton (4th); 34902 Tottenham (11th); 32838 Aston Villa (8th).

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1979-80

51608 MUFC (2nd); 44586 Liverpool (1st); 35272 MCFC (17th); 33596 Arsenal (4th); 32018 Tottenham (14th); 29794 Crystal Palace (13th); 28711 Everton (19th).

1979-80 League table and attendance detail up to 26/4/1980

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1980-81

45071 MUFC (8th); 37547 Liverpool (5th & LC winners); 34117 Aston Villa (1st); 33587 MCFC (12th); 32480 Arsenal (3rd); 30724 Tottenham (10th & FA Cup winners); 26477 Sunderland (17th). West Ham were in Division Two with an average of 27140.

Kippax Stand c.1980

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1981-82

44571 MUFC (3rd); 35100 Tottenham (4th & FA Cup winners); 35061 Liverpool (1st & LC winners); 34063 MCFC (10th); 26780 Aston Villa (11th & European Cup winners); 26585 West Ham (9th); 25589 Arsenal (5th).

1981 City v United Maine Road

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES – Top Tier 1982-83

41552 MUFC (3rd & FA Cup winners); 34758 Liverpool (1st & LC winners); 30581 Tottenham (4th); 26789 MCFC (20th); 24153 Arsenal (10th); 23748 Aston Villa (6th); 22822 West Ham (8th). Second Division Newcastle attracted an average of 24166.

Fans storming the main entrance in 1983. Mirrorpix photo

For those wondering Manchester City did drop a little in terms of position in the attendance chart during their Second Division days but they were still the 6th best supported club (of all clubs) in 1983-84 and 8th best in 1984-85. Back in Division One in 1985-86 the Blues were once again the 4th best supported team in the entire League.

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 1,600 word article is on the 1974-75 season and is available to subscribers below. Enjoy!

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The 1970s: Geordies Slammed!

Today (18 January) in 1975 Manchester City gained revenge over Newcastle for their 3rd round FA Cup defeat (away at Maine Road!) 14 days earlier by thrashing the Geordies 5-1 at Maine Road. The following report gives the story of the game.

City’s scorers were Tueart (3 including 1 penalty), Colin Bell and Geoff Hammond.

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The 1970s: Newcastle Away At Home?

The series of features/articles covering Manchester City in the 1970s continues with an on this day (4 January) from 1975 when Manchester City played an away game at Maine Road. What? Follow the link for the story:

https://gjfootballarchive.com/2023/01/04/when-is-a-home-game-not-a-home-game-newcastle-united-v-manchester-city-4th-january-1975/

This series of articles and features on Manchester City in the 1970s will run throughout January 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 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 5,600 word article is on the successes of 1970 and is available to subscribers below. Enjoy!

Subscribe to get access – Monthly

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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Subscribe to get access – Annual

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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Rare Hyde Road Images

Rare action images from Hyde Road taken on this day (October 12) in 1912 as Manchester City were defeated 1-0 at home to Newcastle before a capacity 40,000 crowd.

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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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The City Keeper Who Wore Glasses

During the 1920s Manchester City had a goalkeeper Jim Mitchell who played in glasses – not specially produced glasses, ordinary glasses of the period!

Here are some images of him in action. I’m not quite certain what’s happened but it looks like he changed his shirt during the game because these are definitely from the same match:

Born in Prestwich, Jim Mitchell was a former Manchester University and Northern Nomads ‘keeper.  He also had spells at Blackpool and at Preston where he gained an extremely good reputation.  He gained several significant honours and was the Great Britain goalkeeper at the 1920 Olympics.  He also kept goal for Preston in the 1922 FA Cup final (the last played at Stamford Bridge before Wembley Stadium opened) against Huddersfield and hit the headlines by leaping around while a penalty was being taken against him – this caused the rules to be changed.

He joined City shortly after the final and replaced Goodchild as City’s number one the following September, making his debut on 9th September 1922 at home to Birmingham.  Despite wearing glasses – on the pitch as well as off it – Mitchell was an agile ‘keeper and made 22 appearances in his first season. 

Always an amateur, Mitchell made history by being City ‘keeper for the first game at Maine Road (25th August 1923) and was generally recognised as a quality ‘keeper by neutrals.  He was certainly known nationwide and was capped at both an amateur level and for the full England side.

He later had a spell at Leicester, though he never appeared in their first team, and joined the footwear firm Stead & Simpson.  He went on to become their Managing Director.  He passed away in 1975.

Appearances:  League: 99  FA Cup: 10

Search my site and you’ll find film of Mitchell at Maine Road’s opening game in 1923. There’s also much more on this 1924 FA Cup semi final featuring Mitchell. It was Billy Meredith’s last game and subscribers can read more and watch film of it here:

Billy Meredith’s Last Game: 1924 FA Cup Semi

Maine Road 100 – Bonus Article!

As Manchester City are playing Newcastle today (19 August 2023) and I’ve been doing a 100 day countdown to the centenary of Maine Road’s first game, it’s worth pausing to remember that before Maine Road City had another major venue that had staged games at an international level; semi-finals; been the best supported League club at; and had welcomed the King to. That ground was Hyde Road and the old stadium’s last ever League game came on 28 April 1923 when City drew 0-0 with Newcastle United (hence me doing this reminder today!).

The match was watched by a crowd of around 20,000.  On the same date Wembley Stadium, built by the same people who were building Maine Road, hosted its first FA Cup final and, because of the extraordinary scenes, very little space was given over to the City game in the national ‘papers.  Instead they concentrated on Bolton’s performance and the exploits of Billy, the white horse, in clearing the Wembley pitch. 

Three months after the last Hyde Road League match, on 18 August, the last ever game, a practice match, was staged on the pitch.  Afterwards the goal posts and a few turnstiles were taken from the old ground and erected at Maine Road – about 6 were still at Maine Road in 2003 when it was demolished. Attempts were made to keep one of the oldest (from 1896) and re-erect it in a public area at the new stadium. Sadly, the day before it was to be removed the external wall was smashed and the turnstile was stolen.

One of the Hyde Road stand roofs was dismantled and sold to Halifax Town to be re-erected at the Shay. 

The Shay had opened approximately twelve months before Hyde Road’s last League match, and a stand had already been constructed.  When this stand was extended it coincided with the demolition of City’s ground.  Basically, it appears that the metalwork from one of City’s multi-span roofs was dismantled and re-erected along the touchline at the Shay.  It was linked to the existing roof, and formed one traditional style roof.  The roof still exists at the Shay today, although during the early 1990s it was re-clad.

The front stanchions look suspiciously like those at Hyde Road, while my investigations in the late 1990s highlighted that the metalwork matched that of similar roofing at a factory in Sale.  That factory’s roof was also a former stand roof from Hyde Road.  Both the Shay roof and that in Sale were so similar that it seems likely they had previously been erected at Hyde Road.

The Sale factory was dismantled and sections of the roof given to Manchester City for possible re-use in a City museum.  Sadly, by 2002 the metalwork had vanished from Maine Road and its whereabouts unknown.

A page from Charles Thurrell’s copy of Hyde Road’s last league game match programme v Newcastle, 28 April 1923
Charles Thurrell’s copy of Hyde Road’s last league game match programme v Newcastle, 28 April 1923

Maine Road 100 – Day 87

It’s time for post 87 of my Maine Rd 100 countdown and this is a reminder of the day (4 January) in 1975 when Manchester City played ‘away’ at Maine Road against Newcastle United in the FA Cup.  The tie should have been played at Newcastle but the FA ordered that the match be played at Maine Road following crowd disorder at St. James’ Park the previous season.  City lost the match 2-0.

Were you at this match? If so why not leave your memory as a comment or email it to me for possible future use on this website?

You can read a 1500 article on the 1974-75 season here:

The Story of 1974-75

100 Years Ago Today: Hyde Road’s Last

Today (28 April) in 1923 Hyde Road staged its last League game as Manchester City drew 0-0 with Newcastle United.

The match was watched by a crowd of around 20,000.  On the same date Wembley Stadium, built by the same people who were building Maine Road, hosted its first FA Cup final and, because of the extraordinary scenes, very little space was given over to the City game in the national ‘papers.  Instead they concentrated on Bolton’s performance and the exploits of Billy, the white horse, in clearing the Wembley pitch. 

Three months after the last Hyde Road League match, on 18 August, the last ever game, a practice match, was staged on the pitch.  Afterwards the goal posts and a few turnstiles were taken from the old ground and erected at Maine Road – about 6 were still at Maine Road in 2003 when it was demolished. Attempts were made to keep one of the oldest (from 1896) and re-erect it in a public area at the new stadium. Sadly, the day before it was to be removed the external wall was smashed and the turnstile was stolen.

One of the Hyde Road stand roofs was dismantled and sold to Halifax Town to be re-erected at the Shay. 

The Shay had opened approximately twelve months before Hyde Road’s last League match, and a stand had already been constructed.  When this stand was extended it coincided with the demolition of City’s ground.  Basically, it appears that the metalwork from one of City’s multi-span roofs was dismantled and re-erected along the touchline at the Shay.  It was linked to the existing roof, and formed one traditional style roof.  The roof still exists at the Shay today, although during the early 1990s it was re-clad.

The front stanchions look suspiciously like those at Hyde Road, while my investigations in the late 1990s highlighted that the metalwork matched that of similar roofing at a factory in Sale.  That factory’s roof was also a former stand roof from Hyde Road.  Both the Shay roof and that in Sale were so similar that it seems likely they had previously been erected at Hyde Road.

The Sale factory was dismantled and sections of the roof given to Manchester City for possible re-use in a City museum.  Sadly, by 2002 the metalwork had vanished from Maine Road and its whereabouts unknown.

A page from Charles Thurrell’s copy of Hyde Road’s last league game match programme v Newcastle, 28 April 1923
Charles Thurrell’s copy of Hyde Road’s last league game match programme v Newcastle, 28 April 1923

Manchester City 2 Newcastle Utd 0

Fifty years ago today (18 April 1973) City defeated Newcastle 2-0 with goals from Tommy Booth (a header) and a brilliant effort from Rodney Marsh (in 69th minute). City’s boss at the time was Johnny Hart. You can read his frank views (from an interview I did with him several years ago) here:

IN SEARCH OF THE BLUES – Johnny Hart (interviewed December 2004)