Football writing, thoughts and more by Gary James
Fifty years ago today (3 December 1975) Manchester City defeated Mansfield Town 4-2 in the League Cup. Subscribers can read all about the game below.
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You’ve got to watch this film of Manchester City v Wolves from today (29 November) in 1975. City win the game but there’s a deliberate handball that prevents a goal but doesn’t end up with a dismissal; a missed penalty; the referee taking out Mike Doyle and much more. Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkgSqz0Jeew
You can also read more on the game below if you subscribe to my site.
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Back in August 2014 I interviewed John Stapleton on his career and support of Manchester City. As part of my tribute to him, I’m posting it here as it was published eleven years ago. Hopefully it adds to the positive stories of him that have been appearing over the last few days. I always enjoyed meeting and chatting with John. Here’s the feature as published in August 2014:
John, you’re known today for ITV’s Good Morning Britain but your career started in local newspapers, with your early TV work coming on This Is Your Life. It was your idea to make Joe Mercer a subject for one show wasn’t it?
Yes it was. I did it purely for the benefit of me and my dad. Eamon Andrews, the presenter, had of course a great interest in sport and I put the idea to him and the rest of the production team. Together with Norah, Joe’s wife who in recent years I often sat with at games sharing her boiled sweets, we concocted a situation where Joe and Malcolm were in a London hotel before a trip to watch a European game in 1970. Malcolm disappeared – deliberately as part of the show though Joe didn’t know this – and Joe was called to reception urgently. Eamon leaped out to do the big ‘This Is Your Life’ reveal and Joe had no idea whatsoever. It was a great day for us all and Joe was thoroughly deserving of it as well.
More on that special ‘This Is Your Life’ here: https://gjfootballarchive.com/2023/03/25/this-is-your-life-joe-mercer/
How did you first become interested in City?
My grandfather, who lived in Denton, was at the first game at Maine Road and attended matches at Hyde Road and now my son Nick is a regular, so we’ve had a good four generations of Blues so far. When I was about 7 I was taken to watch City play Blackpool, in the days when Stanley Matthews played for them of course, and I loved simply being at the ground. It felt like home and that was it really. I was hooked. We used to have to go on two buses and a tram to get there from where we lived in Saddleworth – it seemed such a long journey at the time, but it was always worth it. No matter what the result.
Can you remember who your first heroes were?
Well, my dad went to the 1955 FA Cup final and then the year after we watched the final against Birmingham on our television. So exciting, because televisions were new to most of us back then and to be able to live the drama of the game, and of course Bert Trautmann’s injury, live in your own home was amazing really. The world’s moved on so much, but the black & white set felt so modern at the time. It was then that my first real hero emerged – Dave Ewing. A wonderful, uncompromising defender and I remember him protecting Bert in those final minutes as best he could.
Did you ever meet Dave?
Sadly, no, but I did meet his son. I left Manchester when I was 21 to work in Fleet Street and so opportunities to bump into your heroes were few. I was also less able to get back to Manchester as often as I do now, and so I watched City in the south and travelled back as often as work and finance allowed. I have since met quite a few of my heroes from that period, people like Ken Barnes and of course his son Peter. Two great City legends. Ken was a wonderful rascal and very funny and Peter is a really nice guy. I’ve also got to know Mike Summerbee quite well – and bought several of his shirts over the years and they weren’t cheap! He came to our house a few years back and charmed my parents. For my father it was great to be in his company and I think we all cherished that day. Even my lawyer was talked in to buying some of Summerbee’s shirts.
How do you feel about attending games today?
It’s an absolute joy and the fan in me never goes away. For my son, living in London and under so much pressure from his peers to support Arsenal, the years before the takeover were difficult. Those that had experienced the glories of the fifties to seventies had good memories of success, but the younger generation who had never seen us lift a major trophy must have found it tough. But it was all character building and fortunately he can now experience the success that this club deserves. It means more if you’ve been through the thick and thin – and he certainly experienced the thin alongside me!
Alongside the Mercer-Allison era, today is the best we’ve ever known and, hopefully, will keep on getting better. We’ve waited a long time but it’s been worth it. I’ve no complaints about any aspect of City today and the club is as friendly as ever, if not more so in some respects. It gives me a real buzz every time I walk into the stadium, or meet a former player, or chat to a fellow Blue like you Gary. We all have a shared bond and recognise that what we’re experiencing now is truly exceptional – long may it last!
In the mid 1970s you came in to contact with City professionally via the Junior Blues rally. What do you remember of it?
It was held at Belle Vue and there were thousands of Junior Blues there. It was a great event and we had the full team on the stage, giving fans the chance to ask questions to the team and the management. Peter Swales had asked me to present it – for free I might add but it was a major honour to do it – and it was probably the first time any club had opened up in such a way. City were quite forward thinking in terms of the media and fan relations at the time. I was also involved with the BBC Nationwide series on City.
That was another landmark moment in football’s relationship with the media. What was your involvement?
I was a Nationwide presenter and we’d managed to get City to open their doors for the cameras. Reporter Kevin Cosgrove did most of the progress reports and I came in at the end of the series to do a big outside broadcast on the last day of the season. I did some pre-recorded interviews, including one with Franny Lee, and then I did all the links at the ground. It went out to the full BBC network and was very good for the club and, of course, the BBC.
There’s a chant “City Are Back!” we’ve been singing for years, but I now feel that the club I first supported is back. Is this true for you?
In many ways yes. I’ve been a good friend of present day FA boss Greg Dyke for years as we’ve worked together in TV. He was given a tour of the club and the new facilities by Brian Marwood and he told me that this really is a friendly and forward looking club. He was very impressed and it’s satisfying to know others are now recognising how special this club is.
Those facilities will help City develop talented young players in future years. It’s ironic really that people have been urging certain other clubs to spend, spend, spend recently, but we’ve been the ones tagged as the big spenders.
That’s going away now I believe. The evidence is clear and we had to spend to catch up, just like other teams have throughout history. We should never forget either that two of our greatest and most consistent players – Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta – arrived before the takeover. Kompany is a truly great leader and I’ve been fortunate to meet him and he is also a wonderful man. He is the perfect captain for this club, but we’re so fortunate to have so many brilliant players. Just think of David Silva… outstanding quality!
You’ve worked with Manchester United supporter Eamon Holmes in the past, did the two of you ever discuss football?
We’ve had some good banter over the years. Good craic! In fact I took him to two games. The first was when Beckham scored from a free kick at Maine Road. Eamon jumped up in the directors’ box and you can imagine how that went down. The second time he was booed into the ground by City fans!
Your own personal greatest game?
Obviously, the last game v QPR in 2011-12, but also the 6-1 against United at Old Trafford. I turned to Nick my son and said ‘savour this moment. No matter how long you live you’re unlikely to experience this feeling again.’ And of course, there’s the 1999 play-off final without which we may never have come back at all. What a transformation in 15 years – hopefully, there’s more to come.
This is something I wrote a few years back about Ian Brightwell. I hope you enjoy it… Of all the players to appear in City’s 1986 FA Youth Cup winning side, Ian Brightwell is the one who ended up having the longest playing career with the Blues. He remained at Maine Road until 1998. By that time he had played for a total of ten permanent managers and numerous caretakers in a 12 year first team career. It’s a wonder any player could cope with so much change.
He made his debut against Wimbledon on 23rd August 1986 (their first game in Division One), around four months after the Youth Cup success over Manchester United: “Billy McNeill gave me my debut in the opening game of the following season against Wimbledon. He told me a few days before that I’d be playing. He came up to me and told me, and I couldn’t believe it. I’d only just turned 18, but I had a few days to prepare. We won the game 3-1 and it helped me that Steve Redmond was already in the side. Of that Youth side Reddo was first in and then it was me, and I remember us watching to see who would be next. My second game was at Anfield and that was a great experience. We drew the game 0-0 but how we got away with that I’ll never know. We were battered.”
Brightwell made 12 League appearances plus four as substitute that season, but it was not a great time for the Blues as City were relegated at the end of the campaign. Billy McNeill had left early in the season: “I had great respect for him and was really disappointed when he left. He was a real legend – first man to lift the European Cup for a British side. Jimmy Frizzell took over, so that helped as it was more of a continuation. But for me it became the norm that managers would be changed. I don’t think Billy should have left when he did. I’ve still got great respect for him as a person and of course as a football manager. I’ll always be thankful to him.”
Under Mel Machin the following season Brightwell became an established member of the promotion seeking side before the arrival of Gary Megson limited his chances for a while: “It was a strange season because it was the first time as a group those of us from the youth side weren’t winning. I know we’d been relegated the previous season, but by 1987-88 a few of us were regulars in the first team. We were disappointed and felt we should have done better. I missed the 10-1 against Huddersfield, but I appeared in the 6-2 against Plymouth a few days later. Those games did bring a lot of attention our way, but I’d rather City be consistent. We weren’t good enough overall, but the following year that experience helped push us on. But it was difficult in 1988-89 as well. It’s a tough division to get out of.”
Promotion was achieved on the last day of the 1988-89 season in a nerve-wracking match at Bradford: “The pitch invasion followed. I was carried off on fans’ shoulders and had half my kit ripped off me. In the dressing room I remember thinking how close we’d been to missing out.”
The following season there was yet another managerial change and Howard Kendall was brought in. Under his guidance Brightwell was given an extended run in the team and, on 3rd February 1990, he scored his most memorable goal. It was a marvellous 25 yarder against Manchester United at Old Trafford: “I remember that the ball was out on the right and Mark Ward sort of half-crossed it. It came to me and I’ll never forget this – I heard Steve Redmond on the half way line shout: ‘Bob…’ I’d best not say his exact words, but let’s just say he wanted me to have a go in his strong scouse accent! It was on my left foot, which isn’t my strongest, but I did what Reddo said. It went in the top corner!
“I ran off and jumped about twenty feet in the air – or at least that’s how it looks on the photos. I remember the noise because back then the away fans used to get about 10,000 tickets at Old Trafford and it was phenomenal.”
Afterwards an excited Brightwell, when asked to explain how he’d scored, told the media: “I just wellied it!” It became the expression of the season and seemed to match everybody’s impression of a boyhood dream come true.
In the years that followed Brightwell performed consistently and was loyal to the City cause. Many of his former youth team colleagues were transferred or, in the case of Paul Lake, suffered serious injury, but Brightwell remained: “It was odd once the others went. They didn’t all go at once and of course Lakey was injured, but it did feel different. We’d known each other as a group for about 15 years, so a big loss. But my incentive was always to stay in spite of everything else. I actually think that if we’d have had continuity of management during that time that we’d have all stayed. If that had happened… well just look at United. They had a crop of talented youngsters about ten years after us like Butt, Scholes, Neville, and so on and they grew as a team. We never got that chance.”
There were some bright moments for the Blues in the early Nineties, however the second half of the decade saw City plummet through the divisions. In 1998, after relegation to the third level of football, Brightwell moved on: “It broke my heart to see City fall so low but I still didn’t want to leave. It was a difficult decision but Joe Royle had explained that the Club couldn’t offer me a contract at the level I was on. In the end I had to go and I moved to Coventry who were still in the Premier League, but my first impression was that this was such a small club in comparison with City. They may have been two divisions higher but in my mind there was no comparison.
“It didn’t work out at Coventry and I became injured. I kept going back to Manchester to watch City whenever I could.”
After Coventry Brightwell played for Walsall (including an emotional return trip to Maine Road), Stoke and Port Vale, before moving into coaching. In 2004 he was caretaker manager of Port Vale and, in 2006, he performed a similar role at Macclesfield. In 2007 he became Macclesfield’s manager on a permanent basis, but was dismissed in February 2008. He admitted in 2010 that Tony Book and Glyn Pardoe, who had been City’s youth coaches during the Eighties, remained influential figures throughout his career: “It’s difficult to stress how important Book and Pardoe and some of the others were. When I moved into coaching and, of course, management at Macclesfield, I used a lot of the things they said. They were so influential and if you think about where they got it from – well that was Malcolm Allison and Joe Mercer. You can’t get any better. Tony Book used to always say ‘control and play’. It sounds simple but in essence that’s what the game is all about and I still use that. Tony and Glyn used to drum it into you in the A team.”
To the wider world Ian Brightwell may not be the most well-known player from City’s 1986 FA Youth Cup winning team, but in terms of commitment to the Blue cause and longevity he was certainly one of the most dedicated. He was also a passionate Blue from childhood: “It was the team I supported and I used to go down to Maine Road. Colin Bell was nearing the end of his career when I went but there were people like Asa Hartford, Peter Barnes and Gary Owen. City were still a major side at that time. I remember the year we missed out on the title by a point to Liverpool (1977) – we should have done it. Tony Book was manager and the players were a different class. It was great to watch.”
During his career it was often highlighted that Brightwell came from a family with a great sporting pedigree. His brother David also played for City, while his parents were successful British Olympic athletes: “I couldn’t ask for a better sporting pedigree. My mum (Ann Brightwell nee Packer) won a gold and a silver in Tokyo and my dad (Robbie) won a silver.”
On this day (9 May) in 1987 Manchester City were relegated after a 2-0 defeat at West Ham (see match report). At the end of the game City supporters and West Ham fans climbed over the fences and onto the pitch. Some thought that the two sets of supporters were about to confront each other, but the fans knew differently. The Hammers began chanting “You’ll be back” and both groups swapped scarves and souvenirs on the pitch. It was the kind of moment that should have been widely reported in the media but at the time focus tended to be on hooliganism and confrontation rather than the positives of football support. City had been relegated, but their supporters did not seek revenge. The West Ham fans could have ridiculed, but they didn’t. If only those condemning football fans at the time could have seen the two sets of loyal supporters genuinely appreciating and understanding each other.
The relationship between the fans of the two clubs is not something that is widely discussed or promoted but it is something that has endured. City fans have never forgotten the ‘You’ll be back’ game and in recent years, as others have unfairly mocked both sets of fans, the supporters of both the Blues and the Hammers seem to understand and respect each other. Inevitably, there will always be banter during a game but outside of the match the mutual recognition and respect always seems to win through.
To many West Ham are the City of the South – a proud football club with a great history and heritage, combined with a loyal and passionate fanbase.
You can read more on Ian’s debut season of 1986-87 below. This is a 2,500 word feature on the entire season and is available to subscribers.
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On 3 June 2023 Ilkay Gundogan City secured his place in national football history with the quickest goal in a FA Cup final. It was a stunning volley after only 12 seconds. That day Gundogan scored two and helped City to 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Manchester United.
As well as the speed of the first goal, Gundogan’s goals gave him another MCFC record. Dave Masey, who has been collecting stats and historical information on Manchester City for years contacted me to tell me about one of his spreadsheets which holds details of City scorers in trophy winning games.
His records capture those who have scored in major cup finals, but besides Cup Finals he also records other trophy-winning games. These include the deciding League games from 1937 onwards against Sheffield Wednesday (1937), Newcastle, QPR, West Ham, Brighton and Villa (2022), but nothing from three recent title successes where the Blues clinched the title when they were not playing. Got that? Good, now….
Dave tells me that the FA Cup success saw Gundogan move to the top of the list with 5 goals, overtaking Neil Young and Sergio Aguero. So he has scored more goals in trophy-winning games than any other Blue.
The list of scorers in trophy winning games reads:
| 1904 | Meredith |
| 1934/7 | Tilson (3), Brook (2), Doherty |
| 1956 | Hayes, Dyson, Johnstone |
| 1968/70 | Young (4), Lee (2), Summerbee, Doyle, Pardoe |
| 1976 | P Barnes, Tueart |
| 2011-(former) | Aguero (4), Y Toure (2), Nasri (2), Kompany (2), D Silva (2),Jesus (2), Sterling (2), Dzeko, Zabaleta, Navas, Fernandinho |
| 2016-(current) | Gundogan (5), Laporte (2), Rodri (2), Mahrez, De Bruyne |
Dave also tells me that in the three seasons where somebody else’s defeat clinched the title for City, the scorers in the club’s last game before the title confirmation were:
Gundogan (3), Sterling (2), Jesus, Haaland.
As Dave says, Ilkay gets a remarkable number of important goals, particularly for somebody who is ‘just’ a 1 goal in 5/6 games player (63 in 357 for City by June 2025).
Looking forward to this weekend’s men’s FA Cup final. Back in 2011 Manchester City won their first FA Cup since 1969. The success became the first major trophy win of the current City ownership. To reach the final in 2011 City defeated Manchester United in that season’s FA Cup semi final. A few years back I produced Restored 2011: The All-Manchester FA Cup Semi Final and as we build up to this year’s FA Cup final it’s well worth reminding ourselves of this time when fans hoped for success. It’s a nice reminder of how significant the FA Cup has been to City’s modern success.
This special 1 hour audio recording looks at the years between City’s 1976 League Cup success and the FA Cup glory of 2011. 2011 was a crucial step in City’s journey since the 2008 takeover and I felt it was vital to do a special marking this.
So what’s in this special recording? Well, I’ve included exclusive material from interviews and recordings I’ve done over the years with Garry Cook, Brian Marwood, Roberto Mancini, Peter Barnes and Peter Swales. Why Swales? Well, have a listen and you’ll hear why. Basically though I’m trying to set the tone for why the 2011 FA Cup semi final victory and overcoming Manchester United was so significant.
On Mancini… I include a few words from him recorded in 2011 and at one point he talks about the view that was then being expressed that City were ‘trying’ to buy success (now they say City ‘have’ bought success!). His words are a reminder that City have been having that particular criticism thrown at them for over a decade! Oh well, I wonder how long those criticisms were laid at other clubs who had seen major investment which propelled them forward?
Anyway, get yourself a brew and be prepared to be transported back in time. Here’s the recording:
If you enjoy the recording then please let me know, comment or subscribe to the site. If it’s of interest then, over the coming months and years, I’ll produce others like this highlighting key points in Manchester City – and Manchester’s – footballing history. It costs £20 a year to subscribe (it works out £1.67 a month) or £3 if you’d like to sign up a month at a time to get full access for as long as you subscribe (you can always try it for a month). It’s worth bearing in mind that the 2010 Manchester A Football History cost £24.95 and all subscribers will be able to access all of that for as long as they are a subscriber (plus all the other stuff of course). You can subscribe below.
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Match Stats for the 2011 FA Cup Semi-final
City 1-0 United (HT 0-0)
Yaya Toure 52
City: 25 Hart 04 Kompany (yellow card), 05 Zabaleta (yellow card), 13 Kolarov, 19 Lescott, 11 Johnson (Wright-Phillips 79), 18 Barry, 21 Silva (Vieira 86), 34 De Jong (yellow card), 42 Y Toure, 45 Balotelli (yellow card). Substitutes 12 Taylor, 38 Boyata, 07 Milner, 08 Wright-Phillips, 24 Vieira, 10 Dzeko, 27 Jo
United: 01 Van der Sar, 03 Evra, 05 Ferdinand, 15 Vidic, 22 O’Shea (Fabio Da Silva 84), 13 Park Ji-Sung, 16 Carrick, 17 Nani, 18 Scholes (red card), 25 Valencia (Hernandez 65), 09 Berbatov (Anderson 74). Substitutes 29 Kuszczak, 12 Smalling, 20 Fabio Da Silva, 08 Anderson, 28 Gibson, 07 Owen, 14 Hernandez
Referee: Dean
Attendance: 86,549
Tomorrow brings the 2025 FA Cup semi final between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest at Wembley – I’m always pleased that my team has reached Wembley but I do wish FA Cup semi finals were played at neutral League grounds instead! For many fans the timing and cost of a Wembley semi final are simply too much. Sadly, I don’t think they’ll ever change that now. Reaching the semi does give opportunity to remember past Wembley trips. A few years back I made this special audio recording talking about the years building up to the 2011 FA Cup semi and the day itself from a Manchester City perspective. Many of you have listened to this already but if you haven’t then it tells the story of the 2011 FA Cup semi final and the years between 1976 and that moment in 2011 for City.
I included audio from interviews I did with a variety of people including Khaldoon, Peter Swales, Garry Cook, Brain Marwood and many others.
If you have heard it before then maybe you should listen again to remind yourself of how we all felt and why that game was so significant.
I included a few words from Roberto Mancini recorded in 2011 and at one point he talks about the view that was then being expressed that City were ‘trying’ to buy success (now they say City ‘have’ bought success!). His words are a reminder that City have been having that particular criticism thrown at them for well over a decade! Oh well, I wonder how long those criticisms were laid at other clubs who had seen major investment which propelled them forward?
Anyway, get yourself a brew and be prepared to be transported back in time. Here’s the recording:
If you enjoy the recording then please let me know, comment or subscribe to the site. If you don’t fancy doing that then there’s also the option to make a welcome donation to keep this site going (see below). I’ve produced videos/talks like this highlighting key points in Manchester City’s footballing history which subscribers can watch too.
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DonateHere’s another feature about the significance of 2011:
https://gjfootballarchive.com/2023/01/15/city-are-back-first-published-in-2011/
Read more of this content when you subscribe today. It costs £20 a year to subscribe (it works out £1.67 a month) or £3 if you’d like to sign up a month at a time. Annual subscribers get full access for as long as you subscribe (you can always try it for a month). It’s worth bearing in mind that the 2010 Manchester A Football History cost £24.95 and all subscribers will be able to access all of that for as long as they are a subscriber (plus all the other stuff of course).
It costs £3 a month to subscribe a month at a time. Why not give it a try! Monthly subscribers get access to everything posted since 1 October 2022 for as long as you subscribe.
Match Stats for the 2011 FA Cup Semi-final
City 1-0 United (HT 0-0)
Yaya Toure 52
City: 25 Hart 04 Kompany (yellow card), 05 Zabaleta (yellow card), 13 Kolarov, 19 Lescott, 11 Johnson (Wright-Phillips 79), 18 Barry, 21 Silva (Vieira 86), 34 De Jong (yellow card), 42 Y Toure, 45 Balotelli (yellow card). Substitutes 12 Taylor, 38 Boyata, 07 Milner, 08 Wright-Phillips, 24 Vieira, 10 Dzeko, 27 Jo
United: 01 Van der Sar, 03 Evra, 05 Ferdinand, 15 Vidic, 22 O’Shea (Fabio Da Silva 84), 13 Park Ji-Sung, 16 Carrick, 17 Nani, 18 Scholes (red card), 25 Valencia (Hernandez 65), 09 Berbatov (Anderson 74). Substitutes 29 Kuszczak, 12 Smalling, 20 Fabio Da Silva, 08 Anderson, 28 Gibson, 07 Owen, 14 Hernandez
Referee: Dean
Attendance: 86,549
When Manchester City defeated title chasing Ipswich 2-1 on 2 April 1977 their manager Bobby Robson told Tony Book: “If we don’t win it, I hope you do.” In the end City finished second – one point behind Liverpool – and Ipswich finished third.
The match had been a thrilling one with both sides level at 1-1 until Dave Watson thundered forward to powerfully head home a corner from Peter Barnes four minutes from time. Highlights here:
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DonateI’ve just got back after attending Steve Fleet’s funeral today. Steve was a wonderful man who played for Manchester City, Stockport County and Altrincham and it was great to see so many staff and former players from the clubs he was involved with in attendance. Fred Eyre read Steve’s own words as the eulogy and, typical of Steve, he did not want a fuss. He did not want Fred to talk of all the wonderful things Steve did or said. Steve was always humble and had a special aura that encouraged positivity.
Last week I posted one of the many interviews I did with Steve here for all to read and, if you missed it, here it is again. This was written in a Q&A style with Steve’s thoughts written out for all to see.
I think that when someone dies it is often best to use their words to describe their life/career. Who better to talk about Steve’s life than Steve himself? Here’s the interview as it was written up in 2004:
IN SEARCH OF THE BLUES – Steve Fleet
Steve Fleet has been involved with Manchester City for over 50 years, first as a player, then as a coach and later as manager of the Platt Lane complex. His early City career saw him as goalkeeping understudy to the great Bert Trautmann. Gary James, author of Farewell To Maine Road, caught up with him last week.
You made your debut against Wolves in 1957, can you remember much about that day?
I actually heard I was making my debut from the Manchester Evening News. I woke up to find a newspaper reporter and photographer on my doorstep, and they told me I was actually going to play. City had told me to report for training pre match but hadn’t said anything about being in the team. The reporter asked me what I thought of the news and then they got me to pose next to my record player – I suppose they wanted me to be doing the sort of things any 20 year old would be doing.
The game was a thriller and ended 4-3 to Wolves, how do you think you played?
I thought I’d played well, and I was fairly happy with my performance. I remember it was a bit of a foggy day and also that Wolves were powerful – they won the League that season and were one of the great sides of the period. Afterwards I saw the newspaper reports and they were full of praise, so that was great. In addition Frank Swift – a truly great City & England ‘keeper – wrote a very complimentary piece in his newspaper column and said I had a great future ahead of me, while Bert Trautmann told reporters I was the best young ‘keeper he had ever seen. All of that praise made me feel terrific of course, but I also knew I was only filling in until Bert was ready to return. He was an outstanding ‘keeper and there was no way any other ‘keeper would replace him if he was fit.
Did you feel despondent knowing you had little chance of replacing him on a regular basis?
No, not at all. I knew I was still young and all the praise made me feel that I would eventually be City’s number one. I suppose I felt I had to serve out my apprenticeship first of all. There were other good ‘keepers at City, including Roy Dixon – the father of the famous Arsenal player Lee Dixon – but I was sure my day would come. I was also delighted to be second choice to Bert. He was a terrific player and a great man.
Did he coach you or help in any other way?
Bert helped in every way. He was a great role model and taught me so much about life as well as football. He was like an older brother to me and I was fortunate to be taken under Bert’s wing. He insisted I presented myself well – clean shoes, wear a tie etc. – at all times. I listened and followed his lead both on and off the pitch.
My father needed a car to go south on holiday once and Bert offered to let Dad use it. For a fortnight my Dad had his car and when it came time to give it back, Bert refused any payment of any kind. He was terrific to be with and he remains a great man. There are few men in football or in life like Bert. Even today every former player looks at Bert Trautmann in awe – he is a true great and there are very few around.
As I was 14 years younger than him I thought I was being groomed as his natural successor. It didn’t quite work out like that, but Bert tried to ensure I was given some opportunities. I only managed to play 5 League games and 1 League Cup match during my City career but Bert ensured I’d play in some of those. I only found out recently but Bert deliberately pulled out of a couple of games simply so that I could get the opportunity. City would try and make him play every game, no matter how fit he was – and he often played when not fully fit because everyone demanded it – but for those games he made sure I got my chance.
Did you always play in goals, or did you start as an outfield player?
I didn’t like playing in goal at first and always wanted to be an outfield player but I was too slow. When I was 9 I played a game in goals and I remember a teacher shouting ‘great save’, and that spurred me on. The encouragement helped me enormously and, later when I became a coach, I always tried to ensure I encouraged and gave opportunities to those playing for me.
My first ever City match was in the Wythenshawe League for City’s 5th team. Charlie Gee, the ex-Everton & England star, was watching and I remember him complimenting me on how I’d played. Again that encouragement gave me a major boost.
What was training like at City when you first started to make it into the first team?
We’d train in the mornings, but nothing in the afternoon. We’d finish at lunch and I’d then go over to United’s training ground, The Cliff, to meet my best friend Eddie Colman. All the United youngsters would still be training hard for Bert Whalley – I think that was the big difference at the time. United under Busby and Wolves under Cullis were concentrating on coaching and on youth development, whereas the Clubs managed by more traditional managers were doing what they had always done.
Sadly, Eddie later died in the Munich disaster and I was a pallbearer at his funeral – no one can underestimate how the disaster affected all Mancunians.
As a young boy I was brought up in Ordsall and played for Salford Boys with Eddie – the first photo ever taken of me playing was in 1951 when Salford Boys beat Manchester Boys 1-0 in front of 11,000 – and they used to take us to watch United. Then I got the chance to go to Maine Road to watch City. I loved the colour of City’s shirts – a beautiful colour – and I also knew that City’s ground was better than Old Trafford – it definitely was.
One of your League appearances was against United in 1961, do you remember much about that?
It was highly controversial! City were the better side in the opening minutes and United’s key danger was Alex Dawson but every time he challenged I had the better of him. Every time he jumped for the ball I would jump higher and catch it. There were no problems. Then it all changed. We both went up and his only chance of beating me was to punch the ball with his fist! He did that and amazingly the referee gave United the goal. I could not believe it, and afterwards Dawson admitted what he had done – I still have the newspaper cutting! – but it was too late, and United went on to win the match.
When Bert’s City career neared its end did you feel your time had arrived?
Unfortunately not. In fact it felt as if my time had already gone. I made a big mistake waiting all those years because, despite the promise and the positive coverage at the start of my career, I had stagnated to some extent in the reserves. It was great being number two to Bert, but I now realise I should have moved on earlier. I would never advise a young boy to wait to fill anybody’s shoes now. You do need first team football if you want to develop. I never achieved my full potential.
I was frustrated when Harry Dowd’s opportunities came but, fortunately, Ken Barnes was now the manager at Wrexham and he asked me to go there. I was at last a true first team footballer.
A couple of years later Bert was manager at Stockport County and he asked me to go there. We won promotion and I started to do a bit of coaching – I coached Ken Mulhearn who became City’s keeper.
Is that when you started moving into coaching?
In 1969 I moved to Altrincham as a player and started coaching there, then a year later I moved back to Stockport as Chief Coach. In 1973 I got the chance to come back to City and work with the Youth team. It was then that we tried to create a Busby style youth dynasty at Maine Road. We figured that if we could find good lads, coach them correctly, and give them the right opportunities we’d be able to keep the Club progressing.
With Harry Godwin, Ken Barnes, and all the other members of City’s backroom staff, you helped find and develop several exciting players. Who was your favourite from a footballing point of view?
Peter Barnes had the greatest skill and he was one of the nicest young players as well. He was always appreciative of the support given to him. He had lots of natural skill but was grateful for the advice given.
Clive Wilson was another very skilful player, but I suppose I was most pleased for Kenny Clements. Initially nobody rated him and he had to go on the groundstaff. We kept throwing him into practice matches and eventually Ian McFarlane recognised his ability and his career blossomed.
Gary Owen was the most enthusiastic player I ever had, while Alex Williams was another nice young man who developed well.
This was a golden period for youth football at City, reaching the FA Youth Cup final in successive years (1979 & 1980). How did it compare to your own playing career?
I loved playing of course, but I believe my biggest contribution to football came after my own playing days were over. The development of the Youth set up during this time saw Ken Barnes, myself and the others give the Club much more than the occasional victory. Some of our players were the backbone of the League side in the seventies and eighties. It was the most productive time in the Club’s history for youth.
Around this time you also had a regular column in the match programme on astrology. That seems an unusual topic for a football programme and a former player. How did that come about?
I was once on holiday in Abersoch and the weather was appalling so I sat reading an article in Cosmopolitan about star signs. I started to look into it further and eventually astrology did help me a little in football. Once I knew someone’s star sign it gave me an indication of how to handle the player. Then one day City had been playing John Bond’s Norwich and Kevin Bond had played well. They’d managed a draw, which was very unusual for Norwich at the time. As they came off the pitch Kevin Bond was asking for a telephone. It seemed a real emergency, so I took him into one of the offices and he made his call. Some of the other backroom staff were around and we all listened to his call. It turned out he’d ‘phoned his mother to tell her about the game. I watched and listened and as soon as he came off the ‘phone I asked “Kevin, I hope you don’t mind me asking but are you a Cancerian?”
It turned out he was and the rest of the staff were amazed that I could guess. There’s no point going through it all now, but during the call Kevin displayed typical characteristics of a Cancerian. One thing led to another and before I knew it I’d been talked into writing a piece by Eddie Booth.
I used to give information on typical characteristics and would try and link this in to players with birthdays etc. After a while it started getting crazy – I was receiving all sorts of letters, nothing to do with football, and we decided to stop the articles before they took over from the football!
Once John Bond arrived as manager, the youth emphasis changed and you found yourself moving on. How do you view the period that followed?
It was a great period for me personally because I went coaching in Iceland and gained a great deal of experience but also developed further as a person. Staying at one club, or in one job, can make you stale, but if you move to other clubs and other countries you get different experiences. There were also the major cultural differences – there was a lot to learn. I was in charge of Akranes – Arni Arason’s team before City – and then IB Vestmann in 1982. At Vestmann we managed to get into Europe two years running – going out to a Polish side and an East German side – so I’m very pleased with that period of my career.
I returned to England in 1984 and worked for Ron Saunders at Birmingham – I know Ron has his City critics but I always got on well with him, and was delighted when he gave me the opportunity he did. At Birmingham I coached Tony Coton and, of course, David Seaman was also there then.
You eventually returned to City as Sports Development Officer and later managed the Platt Lane Complex. Was this another period of personal development for you?
Definitely. Every period of life teaches you something and I found that the experience away from City helped me, but I also found I gained a great deal at Platt Lane. As a player I think I always knew that I wasn’t destined to be a great player, but I always tried to do things in a ‘great way’. I wanted to ensure my approach was right and I think my spells coaching at Maine Road and Platt Lane were my major contribution to this Club.
You left City’s employment for the last time in 2000, what did you do for the final years of your working life?
I worked for Manchester City Council Leisure department as an Events and Activities Co-ordinator. Again I gained much from that role because it brought me back to reality and I started to work with non-footballing people. There were some good people there again, and I enjoyed that final period of work.
Finally, thinking about your retirement, do you miss football?
I still watch City of course, and I also love the involvement with the Former Players’ Association. I enjoy helping people and I do love attending functions and so on. Most of all though retirement allows me to look back and consider how my life has progressed so far. Like everybody else I’ve suffered some major tragedies and problems over the years and, at times, these were extremely hard to face, however I now look back and realise that all of this has helped shape my life and personality.
I am a great believer in fate and I do think that everything happens for a reason, so I’m not one to feel bitter. I’ve enjoyed my footballing life, and am delighted with every aspect of it. I particularly loved coaching City’s youngsters, but I have to say that I am happier today than I have ever been.
Following the death of former Manchester City, Stockport County and Altrincham goalkeeper Steve Fleet (who was also the man who had to break the news of Eddie Colman’s death to Eddie’s parents following the Munich air crash) I’ve decided to post one of the many interviews I did with Steve here for all to read. This was written in a Q&A style with Steve’s thoughts written out for all to see.
I think that when someone dies it is often best to use their words to describe their life/career. Who better to talk about Steve’s life than Steve himself? Here’s the interview as it was written up in 2004:
IN SEARCH OF THE BLUES – Steve Fleet
Steve Fleet has been involved with Manchester City for over 50 years, first as a player, then as a coach and later as manager of the Platt Lane complex. His early City career saw him as goalkeeping understudy to the great Bert Trautmann. Gary James, author of Farewell To Maine Road, caught up with him last week.
You made your debut against Wolves in 1957, can you remember much about that day?
I actually heard I was making my debut from the Manchester Evening News. I woke up to find a newspaper reporter and photographer on my doorstep, and they told me I was actually going to play. City had told me to report for training pre match but hadn’t said anything about being in the team. The reporter asked me what I thought of the news and then they got me to pose next to my record player – I suppose they wanted me to be doing the sort of things any 20 year old would be doing.
The game was a thriller and ended 4-3 to Wolves, how do you think you played?
I thought I’d played well, and I was fairly happy with my performance. I remember it was a bit of a foggy day and also that Wolves were powerful – they won the League that season and were one of the great sides of the period. Afterwards I saw the newspaper reports and they were full of praise, so that was great. In addition Frank Swift – a truly great City & England ‘keeper – wrote a very complimentary piece in his newspaper column and said I had a great future ahead of me, while Bert Trautmann told reporters I was the best young ‘keeper he had ever seen. All of that praise made me feel terrific of course, but I also knew I was only filling in until Bert was ready to return. He was an outstanding ‘keeper and there was no way any other ‘keeper would replace him if he was fit.
Did you feel despondent knowing you had little chance of replacing him on a regular basis?
No, not at all. I knew I was still young and all the praise made me feel that I would eventually be City’s number one. I suppose I felt I had to serve out my apprenticeship first of all. There were other good ‘keepers at City, including Roy Dixon – the father of the famous Arsenal player Lee Dixon – but I was sure my day would come. I was also delighted to be second choice to Bert. He was a terrific player and a great man.
Did he coach you or help in any other way?
Bert helped in every way. He was a great role model and taught me so much about life as well as football. He was like an older brother to me and I was fortunate to be taken under Bert’s wing. He insisted I presented myself well – clean shoes, wear a tie etc. – at all times. I listened and followed his lead both on and off the pitch.
My father needed a car to go south on holiday once and Bert offered to let Dad use it. For a fortnight my Dad had his car and when it came time to give it back, Bert refused any payment of any kind. He was terrific to be with and he remains a great man. There are few men in football or in life like Bert. Even today every former player looks at Bert Trautmann in awe – he is a true great and there are very few around.
As I was 14 years younger than him I thought I was being groomed as his natural successor. It didn’t quite work out like that, but Bert tried to ensure I was given some opportunities. I only managed to play 5 League games and 1 League Cup match during my City career but Bert ensured I’d play in some of those. I only found out recently but Bert deliberately pulled out of a couple of games simply so that I could get the opportunity. City would try and make him play every game, no matter how fit he was – and he often played when not fully fit because everyone demanded it – but for those games he made sure I got my chance.
Did you always play in goals, or did you start as an outfield player?
I didn’t like playing in goal at first and always wanted to be an outfield player but I was too slow. When I was 9 I played a game in goals and I remember a teacher shouting ‘great save’, and that spurred me on. The encouragement helped me enormously and, later when I became a coach, I always tried to ensure I encouraged and gave opportunities to those playing for me.
My first ever City match was in the Wythenshawe League for City’s 5th team. Charlie Gee, the ex-Everton & England star, was watching and I remember him complimenting me on how I’d played. Again that encouragement gave me a major boost.
What was training like at City when you first started to make it into the first team?
We’d train in the mornings, but nothing in the afternoon. We’d finish at lunch and I’d then go over to United’s training ground, The Cliff, to meet my best friend Eddie Colman. All the United youngsters would still be training hard for Bert Whalley – I think that was the big difference at the time. United under Busby and Wolves under Cullis were concentrating on coaching and on youth development, whereas the Clubs managed by more traditional managers were doing what they had always done.
Sadly, Eddie later died in the Munich disaster and I was a pallbearer at his funeral – no one can underestimate how the disaster affected all Mancunians.
As a young boy I was brought up in Ordsall and played for Salford Boys with Eddie – the first photo ever taken of me playing was in 1951 when Salford Boys beat Manchester Boys 1-0 in front of 11,000 – and they used to take us to watch United. Then I got the chance to go to Maine Road to watch City. I loved the colour of City’s shirts – a beautiful colour – and I also knew that City’s ground was better than Old Trafford – it definitely was.
One of your League appearances was against United in 1961, do you remember much about that?
It was highly controversial! City were the better side in the opening minutes and United’s key danger was Alex Dawson but every time he challenged I had the better of him. Every time he jumped for the ball I would jump higher and catch it. There were no problems. Then it all changed. We both went up and his only chance of beating me was to punch the ball with his fist! He did that and amazingly the referee gave United the goal. I could not believe it, and afterwards Dawson admitted what he had done – I still have the newspaper cutting! – but it was too late, and United went on to win the match.
When Bert’s City career neared its end did you feel your time had arrived?
Unfortunately not. In fact it felt as if my time had already gone. I made a big mistake waiting all those years because, despite the promise and the positive coverage at the start of my career, I had stagnated to some extent in the reserves. It was great being number two to Bert, but I now realise I should have moved on earlier. I would never advise a young boy to wait to fill anybody’s shoes now. You do need first team football if you want to develop. I never achieved my full potential.
I was frustrated when Harry Dowd’s opportunities came but, fortunately, Ken Barnes was now the manager at Wrexham and he asked me to go there. I was at last a true first team footballer.
A couple of years later Bert was manager at Stockport County and he asked me to go there. We won promotion and I started to do a bit of coaching – I coached Ken Mulhearn who became City’s keeper.
Is that when you started moving into coaching?
In 1969 I moved to Altrincham as a player and started coaching there, then a year later I moved back to Stockport as Chief Coach. In 1973 I got the chance to come back to City and work with the Youth team. It was then that we tried to create a Busby style youth dynasty at Maine Road. We figured that if we could find good lads, coach them correctly, and give them the right opportunities we’d be able to keep the Club progressing.
With Harry Godwin, Ken Barnes, and all the other members of City’s backroom staff, you helped find and develop several exciting players. Who was your favourite from a footballing point of view?
Peter Barnes had the greatest skill and he was one of the nicest young players as well. He was always appreciative of the support given to him. He had lots of natural skill but was grateful for the advice given.
Clive Wilson was another very skilful player, but I suppose I was most pleased for Kenny Clements. Initially nobody rated him and he had to go on the groundstaff. We kept throwing him into practice matches and eventually Ian McFarlane recognised his ability and his career blossomed.
Gary Owen was the most enthusiastic player I ever had, while Alex Williams was another nice young man who developed well.
This was a golden period for youth football at City, reaching the FA Youth Cup final in successive years (1979 & 1980). How did it compare to your own playing career?
I loved playing of course, but I believe my biggest contribution to football came after my own playing days were over. The development of the Youth set up during this time saw Ken Barnes, myself and the others give the Club much more than the occasional victory. Some of our players were the backbone of the League side in the seventies and eighties. It was the most productive time in the Club’s history for youth.
Around this time you also had a regular column in the match programme on astrology. That seems an unusual topic for a football programme and a former player. How did that come about?
I was once on holiday in Abersoch and the weather was appalling so I sat reading an article in Cosmopolitan about star signs. I started to look into it further and eventually astrology did help me a little in football. Once I knew someone’s star sign it gave me an indication of how to handle the player. Then one day City had been playing John Bond’s Norwich and Kevin Bond had played well. They’d managed a draw, which was very unusual for Norwich at the time. As they came off the pitch Kevin Bond was asking for a telephone. It seemed a real emergency, so I took him into one of the offices and he made his call. Some of the other backroom staff were around and we all listened to his call. It turned out he’d ‘phoned his mother to tell her about the game. I watched and listened and as soon as he came off the ‘phone I asked “Kevin, I hope you don’t mind me asking but are you a Cancerian?”
It turned out he was and the rest of the staff were amazed that I could guess. There’s no point going through it all now, but during the call Kevin displayed typical characteristics of a Cancerian. One thing led to another and before I knew it I’d been talked into writing a piece by Eddie Booth.
I used to give information on typical characteristics and would try and link this in to players with birthdays etc. After a while it started getting crazy – I was receiving all sorts of letters, nothing to do with football, and we decided to stop the articles before they took over from the football!
Once John Bond arrived as manager, the youth emphasis changed and you found yourself moving on. How do you view the period that followed?
It was a great period for me personally because I went coaching in Iceland and gained a great deal of experience but also developed further as a person. Staying at one club, or in one job, can make you stale, but if you move to other clubs and other countries you get different experiences. There were also the major cultural differences – there was a lot to learn. I was in charge of Akranes – Arni Arason’s team before City – and then IB Vestmann in 1982. At Vestmann we managed to get into Europe two years running – going out to a Polish side and an East German side – so I’m very pleased with that period of my career.
I returned to England in 1984 and worked for Ron Saunders at Birmingham – I know Ron has his City critics but I always got on well with him, and was delighted when he gave me the opportunity he did. At Birmingham I coached Tony Coton and, of course, David Seaman was also there then.
You eventually returned to City as Sports Development Officer and later managed the Platt Lane Complex. Was this another period of personal development for you?
Definitely. Every period of life teaches you something and I found that the experience away from City helped me, but I also found I gained a great deal at Platt Lane. As a player I think I always knew that I wasn’t destined to be a great player, but I always tried to do things in a ‘great way’. I wanted to ensure my approach was right and I think my spells coaching at Maine Road and Platt Lane were my major contribution to this Club.
You left City’s employment for the last time in 2000, what did you do for the final years of your working life?
I worked for Manchester City Council Leisure department as an Events and Activities Co-ordinator. Again I gained much from that role because it brought me back to reality and I started to work with non-footballing people. There were some good people there again, and I enjoyed that final period of work.
Finally, thinking about your retirement, do you miss football?
I still watch City of course, and I also love the involvement with the Former Players’ Association. I enjoy helping people and I do love attending functions and so on. Most of all though retirement allows me to look back and consider how my life has progressed so far. Like everybody else I’ve suffered some major tragedies and problems over the years and, at times, these were extremely hard to face, however I now look back and realise that all of this has helped shape my life and personality.
I am a great believer in fate and I do think that everything happens for a reason, so I’m not one to feel bitter. I’ve enjoyed my footballing life, and am delighted with every aspect of it. I particularly loved coaching City’s youngsters, but I have to say that I am happier today than I have ever been.
Gary James' Football Archive 