Your first ever City game

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

12\11/75 city 4 scum 0 stood in the open air bit between the North Stand and the Kippax. Lots of scum fans so fights every 2 mins and after every goal. My old man a rag,took me my uncle a blue brought me back to Hulme 10.30. The old man doing his nut, funny and a great 1st game and confirmation I was a blue. On another point Tevez how we miss hat boy what a goal, rips the net out.....

PS my birthday.

And the last game my dad took me to. Went with my mates after this game.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I remember very little of the football when I was young, mostly the feeling, the noise, the atmosphere.

As a child Maine rd seemed like the densest place on earth, just full of people and all bigger than me. My memory wants to say there was some sort of
Ominous fence, but that may just be my mind playing tricks. The noise was most definitely real. As was the feeling. Also the bananas were everywhere.

My earliest real football memories was reeneacting wins in my back garden not long after arriving in Australia, Niall Quinn, David white and tony coton were my stars as youngster.

My "return" if you like I remember quite clearly. A 1-0 win in the fa cup against Wigan. Andy cole scored the only goal, but my clearest memory is a back pass giving us a free kick Richard dunne hammered at the wall. There was about 30k in there and compared to any sport Id attended over here it felt like about 80k. The noise and the atmosphere were amazing. Loved every second and not a day goes by I don't day dream of my next trip. I went to a few games before i left with the most memorable being city3 charlton 2. Good times. The next year under pearces dark run wasn't much to write home about

[charvet_wonderland]

Spurs at home in 85. We wore red & black stripes for some reason. Minging bogs & a mad crush getting out at the end.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

At home to reading in the coca cola cup, think it was 2nd round, maybe 3rd. Got the tickets through primary school. Sat in the north stand near big Helen. Finished 1-1. I remember rubbing Tony Coton's head at the end. Was probably 1992 or 93.

Fucking loved Tony Coton. Broke my heart when he developed that rags connection.



Had that shirt signed from him. Wore it constantly for about two years.

Have you seen Coton recently? He turned up at Hyde a couple of times and probably does the CFA games now. Looked seriously scruffy as if he sleeps in a cardboard box somewhere behind Piccadilly.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

It was sad that Colin Bell underachieved somewhat at international level. Perhaps he was a little one paced but what a pace and the lungs of a horse. Allison called him Nijinsky which was apt. He also had a cracking shot. His career was sadly cut a little short by a knee injury, as I recall.

My first memory of a City game was actually away at the dippers in the 60s. We drew1-1. I was standing in the Anfield Road end. There were probably too many in the stand and there was some pushing and shoving. I was standing up against a crash barrier and was crushed against it knocking the wind out of me completely. For 30 seconds I thought I was going to die then I managed to squeeze away from the barrier and onto the steps. Hillsborough was many years later of course.

Call it a knee injury if you like but his career was cut short by Martyn Buchan and I am still looking for him when I am out in the car!

Like Ted my first games were reserve games as I had an auntie who lived in Parkside Road but I do have a weird memory of a game at Gigg Lane when Joe Hayes hit the bar with a 30 yard screamer.

[blues2win]

Just remembered it was in the title winning season. Franny Lee scored with a neat chip over the goalkeeper.

[Sister of fu]

One week after the 5-1. My family decided that they were fed up of seeing me in a Liverpool shirt ( I loved Ian Rush) so took me to the Luton game. We stood in windy corner, Dad, Grandad, Uncle and brother. We won 3-1 and I fell in love. I never wore that Liverpool shirt again and swapped Rush for Lake.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

September 97 versus Swindon, won 6.0 what a match to go to! Maine road was electric, the atmosphere, the flag and poster sellers the little shit souvenir shops, I loves it!

Got the tickets through Junior blues think you got two free for joining, great day, that season went downhill after that game!

I think Swindon were top at the time. I was on a course In Swindon and had being given loads of grief so was especially pleased with it.

My first game was Leicester at home Nov 74. Dennis Tueart scored after 53 seconds. Barney Daniels got two and King Colin the other. My Dad actually said on the way to the game that he fancied Barney to get a couple. Fuck knows why because I think they were the only two he ever scored. I thought he was the font of all footballing knowledge ( I now know that is Ted ;) )
The game was on MOTD and I got done later for constantly going on about it. I must have been incredibly irritating. A particularly vivid memory was the beautiful shade of Blue of the shirts. It somehow looked different to mine or on the telly.
As an aside, my very first game was a reserve game, I went along to them for about three years before getting to a 'proper' match.

[Paul68]

1968 - Dad (a Leeds fan being a yorkie) took me and my brother to the swamp. (the old man worked on t' railways and could seemingly get tickets to almost any ground in the country for some reason - no idea where or who from)
As my brother was a rag, I'd sort of naturally followed him (read: doing as I'm bloody told...!) and wasn't quite sure who this team called City was.
Goals from Bell, Heslop and Lee (wasn't this the season we signed him?) showed me exactly who they were, I remember being very excited that a team could beat U** 3-1, and a follow up visit to Maine Road a couple of weeks later to see Mike Doyles goal beat Chelsea turned my blood blue.
Been with them through thick, thin, thinner, and thicker ever since!

[CuteMancs]

We lived very close to Maine Road, and my Dad took me to my first game when I was old enough to go. It was a mid week game and we were in the Kippax stand. I want to say it was against Crystal Palace, but I cant honestly remember. This would have been around 1970-71, and I have lost a lot of brain cells to old age and alcohol since then! The funny thing is we were not a big football familly, but there was always a serious dislike of the rags in our house, so everyone favoured City :)

[lets all have a disco]

Mine was City Vs Ipswich.

Pretty sure it was this match. http://www.11v11.com/matches/manchester ... 993-21171/


I sat on the wall around the Kippax exits with the other kids and i loved every second and got a season book the next year and a membership clipper card. The blues have broken and made my heart for 20 odd years now and i wouldn't have it any other way.


Does anybody remember Rocastle's skill in the corner?

[Hazy2]

It was sad that Colin Bell underachieved somewhat at international level. Perhaps he was a little one paced but what a pace and the lungs of a horse. Allison called him Nijinsky which was apt. He also had a cracking shot. His career was sadly cut a little short by a knee injury, as I recall.

My first memory of a City game was actually away at the dippers in the 60s. We drew1-1. I was standing in the Anfield Road end. There were probably too many in the stand and there was some pushing and shoving. I was standing up against a crash barrier and was crushed against it knocking the wind out of me completely. For 30 seconds I thought I was going to die then I managed to squeeze away from the barrier and onto the steps. Hillsborough was many years later of course.

Call it a knee injury if you like but his career was cut short by Martyn Buchan and I am still looking for him when I am out in the car! same game 12/11/75

Like Ted my first games were reserve games as I had an auntie who lived in Parkside Road but I do have a weird memory of a game at Gigg Lane when Joe Hayes hit the bar with a 30 yard screamer.

[Goaters 103]

Does anybody remember Rocastle's skill in the corner?

Certainly do. Fantastic - was Francis Lee's first game as official owner as well. False dawn number 346 was about to commence.

[Blue Oli]

I was taken as a three month old across the road to Maine road in 1970 can't remember a thing about the game so couldn't have been an interesting one.

First real memory is sitting on a white wall behind the hordings watching a game - presume the North stand in the 75-76 season but again can't remember who it was against. Shit memory prior to 81 to be honest

[bobbyspater]

Ten years old but remember it as clearly as if it was yesterday. October 18th 1958 v Portsmouth. Team: Trautmann, Leivers, Sear, Cheetham, Ewing, Barnes, Barlow, Johnstone, Hannah Hayes and Fagan, and I'm pretty sure the legendary Jimmy Dickinson played for Pompey. 3-2 to City - scores were Hayes, Fagan and, I think, Cheetham. Crowd around 30,000. Stood on the open terrace at the scoreboard end, Beswick Prize Band performing before the game and at half time (the crowd lived in hope that the bandmaster would drop has baton when he tossed in the air, but he never did). Remember the programme with adverts for the UCP tripe restaurant and Stonedry? macs, but not much about football, and also trying to work out the halftime scoreboard. Remember too the refreshment trollies with a huge urn of tea, which went round the pitch but never managed to get served. Entertaining game, though City weren't great at that time and I think they finished the season quite close to the bottom, but certain players stood out as exceptional by any standards. Ken Barnes was one - how he never played for England I will never know. And of course the incomparable Bert - far and away the best keeper I have ever seen and one of the few truly world class players to play for the club.

As for so many of us that was the start of a lifelong love affair. Can't explain it - it's just something wholly intangible which grabs you and never lets go and carries you through the doldrums and teaches you never to take City for granted.

[lets all have a disco]

At home to reading in the coca cola cup, think it was 2nd round, maybe 3rd. Got the tickets through primary school. Sat in the north stand near big Helen. Finished 1-1. I remember rubbing Tony Coton's head at the end. Was probably 1992 or 93.

Fucking loved Tony Coton. Broke my heart when he developed that rags connection.



Had that shirt signed from him. Wore it constantly for about two years.

Have you seen Coton recently? He turned up at Hyde a couple of times and probably does the CFA games now. Looked seriously scruffy as if he sleeps in a cardboard box somewhere behind Piccadilly.

That's Eike Immel's shirt.

This is the Coton Shirt.




Mint keeper was Coton (rag)

[lets all have a disco]

Does anybody remember Rocastle's skill in the corner?

Certainly do. Fantastic - was Francis Lee's first game as official owner as well. False dawn number 346 was about to commence.

The Rocastle skill wasnt quite in the corner unless this is different.

45 SECONDS IN.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niotOZC ... D848064D3C

[Douglas Higginbottom]

It was sad that Colin Bell underachieved somewhat at international level. Perhaps he was a little one paced but what a pace and the lungs of a horse. Allison called him Nijinsky which was apt. He also had a cracking shot. His career was sadly cut a little short by a knee injury, as I recall.

My first memory of a City game was actually away at the dippers in the 60s. We drew1-1. I was standing in the Anfield Road end. There were probably too many in the stand and there was some pushing and shoving. I was standing up against a crash barrier and was crushed against it knocking the wind out of me completely. For 30 seconds I thought I was going to die then I managed to squeeze away from the barrier and onto the steps. Hillsborough was many years later of course.

Call it a knee injury if you like but his career was cut short by Martyn Buchan and I am still looking for him when I am out in the car! same game 12/11/75

Like Ted my first games were reserve games as I had an auntie who lived in Parkside Road but I do have a weird memory of a game at Gigg Lane when Joe Hayes hit the bar with a 30 yard screamer.

Point well and truly missed!

[twosips]

At home to reading in the coca cola cup, think it was 2nd round, maybe 3rd. Got the tickets through primary school. Sat in the north stand near big Helen. Finished 1-1. I remember rubbing Tony Coton's head at the end. Was probably 1992 or 93.

Fucking loved Tony Coton. Broke my heart when he developed that rags connection.



Had that shirt signed from him. Wore it constantly for about two years.

Have you seen Coton recently? He turned up at Hyde a couple of times and probably does the CFA games now. Looked seriously scruffy as if he sleeps in a cardboard box somewhere behind Piccadilly.

That's Eike Immel's shirt.

This is the Coton Shirt.




Mint keeper was Coton (rag)

I don't think my parents could afford new kits every year. That one would have to do.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Cant remember , but I do remember playing adhering to these rules when we had a kick about before we went to a match on a Saturday afternoon.