Tag Archives: Stoke

From My Collection: Boxing Day 1988

Two items of interest here both connected with a Boxing Day game. First, Heidi’s photo taken at Stoke in 1988. We travelled down and she took quite a few photos that day but this one was always the special one. It’s been used in a few of my books.

Next, here’s a newspaper cutting from the same day at Christmas 1988. It shows the Boxing Day fancy dress game at Stoke which saw over 12,000 Manchester City fans fill half the stadium. As I mentioned earlier, I was there that day and there were some surreal sights. I won’t mention the score (you can see that from the report!) but this was one of those crazy days when fans injected humour. There was some coverage but not a great deal. My own photos from that day have appeared in a few of my books and when I get chance to dig them out I’ll aim to post some on this site.

Stoke v Manchester City 15 Years Ago

On this day (27 November) in 2010 City played out a dour draw at Stoke in the Premier League. If you fancy reading about it (and I’ve not really sold it with that description!) then see below:

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The Days When League Cup Ties Forced European Cup Games To Move!

This article from January 1964 is a reminder of a time when domestic competition took priority over European competition. Back then the Football League was able to tell its clubs to move a European Cup quarter final if it clashed with a League Cup game in the same city. The matter was brought to a head when United, due to play a European tie at Old Trafford, were told to move that game as City were planning on playing a League Cup semi final on the same night. It’s unlikely a similar decision would be made today of course.

You can find out more on Manchester City during the 1963-64 season below. If you’d like to read this 1700 word article, plus all other articles on the site, then please subscribe (see below). As with most of the other features in this series it includes words from interviews I have performed with those who were there.

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The 1930s: 1933-1934 Record Crowds And Wembley Glory

My series on Manchester City in the 1930s continues today with a 4,300 word subscriber article on the 1933-34 season. If you subscribe (see below) I hope you enjoy it. If you don’t subscribe then why not try it for a month (£3 per month or sign up for a year at a discounted £20 per year)?

Here’s the article:

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The 1990s: A Victory But Desperate Day for Manchester’s Blues

Today (3 May) in 1998 saw Manchester City thrash Stoke 5-2. You can see highlights below but this victory was actually a depressing day when, for the first and only time in their history, the Blues were relegated to the third tier of English football. Stoke were also relegated.

The City scorers were Shaun Goater (2; photographed), Lee Bradbury, Paul Dickov and Kevin Horlock. Highlights here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iGEMo2MSGE

You can find out more about this period by reading the following indepth article on the 1997-98 season. The article is almost 9,500 words long – there’s so much to say! Some people write entire football club histories that are shorter than that. It’s available to subscribers, so why not subscribe and relive this season and an extraordinary decade? As with all these 1990s subscriber features it contains material from interviews I’ve performed with key figures from that time.

Here’s the 9500 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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Happy 75th Dennis Tueart

Today (27 November 2024) is former Sunderland, Manchester City, New York Cosmos and England forward Dennis Tueart’s 75th birthday. You can watch a video interview I did with Dennis last year elsewhere on this site, or enjoy the following MCFC profile of him I wrote a while back.

Forward, 5ft 8in, 11st. 4lbs, b. Newcastle-on-Tyne, 27 November 1949

Signed from Sunderland, 11 March 1974 (£275,000)

Transferred: New York Cosmos, 13 February 1978 (£250,000)

Signed from New York Cosmos, 31 January 1980 (£150,000)

Transferred: Stoke City, 9 July 1983 (free)

Career: Manor Park Technical Grammar School, Welbeck Juniors, Sunderland, City, New York Cosmos, City, Stoke City, Burnley, Derry City.

Debut v Manchester United, 13 March 1974

Debut v Norwich City, 1 March 1980

Appearances: League: 216+8 apps. 86 gls; FA Cup: 13+2 apps. 3 gls; League Cup: 27, 18 gls; UEFA Cup: 3 aps, 0 gls; AS Cup: 3 apps, 0 gls; TC Cup: 2 apps, 2 gls; T Cup: 3 apps, 2 gls; Total: 267+10 apps, 111 gls

Remembered often for his spectacular overhead goal at Wembley in the 1976 League Cup final, Dennis Tueart was always a hero with City fans.  Earlier in his career he was a popular member of Sunderland’s 1973 FA Cup winning side, alongside Dave Watson, and he joined City in March 1974.

Often described by supporters as an entertaining, exciting, determined player, Tueart constantly delivered during a period when City challenged for the title in addition to the League Cup success, however in 1977-78 he became a little disenchanted and decided to move to the States to play for the New York Cosmos.  He became the first ‘current’ England international to transfer to the USA, and played alongside players such as Beckenbauer.

He remained in America for a couple of seasons before re-joining City in 1980.  He netted five goals during 11 games that season but a wrist injury during a 2-1 defeat at Stoke the following September caused Tueart to miss significant games against Manchester United, Liverpool, and Leeds.  During that period the Blues struggled and the management team of Allison & Book were dismissed.  New manager John Bond transformed the club, but Tueart was not given much opportunity to impress.  Then, in the 1981 FA Cup final replay Tueart was brought on as substitute for Bobby McDonald.  This brief appearance led to him appearing in 15 of the opening 18 matches of 1981-2, scoring 9 goals in the process.  It was a great period for him personally, but he damaged his Achilles tendon against his former team Sunderland in December and missed the rest of the season.

In 1982-3 he made 36 appearances but relegation on the final day led to Tueart being transferred to Stoke.  After his playing career finished Tueart concentrated on his sports promotions company and became a director at City in the mid 1990s, contributing significantly to first the period of resurrection (1998 to 2003) and then stability at the new stadium.

Summerbee Goal

On 12 November 1966 a solitary goal from Mike Summerbee gave Manchester City victory over Stoke City at Maine Road.  Defender George Heslop performed well that day but injury forced him to miss the next game. You can read an interview I did with Mike some time ago here:

Mike Summerbee, OBE

Manchester City’s First Shoot-Out

On 28 October in 1981 Manchester City faced their first competitive penalty shoot-out.  The League Cup tie with Stoke ended 2-2 on aggregate but it took some considerable effort for either side to progress in the competition.  With the penalty shoot-out reaching 8-8 goalkeeper Joe Corrigan saved.  Norwegian Aage Hareide made it 9-8 for City and the Blues progressed.   You can read what John Bond thought about penalties below.

More on the 1981-82 season here:

The 1980s: 1981-1982 Plans For A Change

Programme Flashback City V Stoke, 24 September 1975

On this day in 1975 Manchester City faced Stoke at Maine Road.

Here for subscribers is a flashback piece detailing what features were in the MCFC match programme that day and game information:

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The 1900s: 1900-1901 Attendances

The series of features on the 1900s continues today with a simple look at the average attendances of league clubs. I’m publishing the statistics here for season 1900-1901 when Manchester City finished 11th in the First Division (top tier). There were 18 clubs in the division that season. Despite this relatively low position, City were the second best supported club – the highest position either Manchester team had enjoyed up to that point. League champions Liverpool were the 5th best supported club. Newton Heath (MUFC) were still a Second Division club and were 22nd best supported team.

All these figures are estimated based on newspaper reports of the period but are widely accepted as a good indication of support enjoyed at each club.

Match programme for 29 September 1900. Manchester City v Stoke

In the following table every team is in Division One unless (2) appears after their name. This indicates they were a Second Division club that season. Where two teams have the same average then these have been listed in alphabetic order.

1900-1901 Average Attendances

AverageTeam
18700Aston Villa
18300Manchester City
16225Everton
15800Newcastle
15000Liverpool
13600Sheff Utd
11525Sunderland
10575WBA
10175Bolton
9950Sheff Wed
9450Notts County
9350Nottm Forest
8375Middlesbrough (2)
8050Derby
6950Bury
6850Stoke
6575Blackburn
6325Preston
5900Small Heath (2)
5900Woolwich Arsenal (2)
5850Wolves
5475Newton Heath (2)
4975Leicester Fosse (2)
4625Grimsby (2)
3725Stockport (2)
3575Lincoln (2)
3125Walsall (2)
3100Burnley (2)
2850Barnsley (2)
2825Chesterfield (2)
2800Glossop (2)
2675New Brighton Tower (2)
2375Burton Swifts (2)
2075Burslem Port Vale (2)
2050Gainsborough Trinity (2)
1850Blackpool (2)

This series of features covers the final years of Ardwick, the birth of Manchester City and the Club’s first national success. Why not subscribe and read every feature?

More on the 1900s tomorrow.