Best Ever Comeback (And Why)

[Im_Spartacus]

Just as an antidote to the scousers who despite being utterly humiliated yesterday, are doing what they do best and looking back into 'iistree today, to their Champions League win against Milan 10 years ago today.

Gotta admit, I did love it that they won that game, but for me when you're looking for the best ever comeback, it raises the questions of what criteria do you judge the comeback on?

Drama?
Comeback with 10 men?
Against a superior team?
Significance to the wider game of football?

It's hard to see a single comeback that has impacted the British game in the last 20 years, more than the Gillingham play off final - without which, who knows where we would be - the premier league certainly would be a very different place, and who knows who the Sheikh would own instead?

Other notable ones for us would be Blackburn in 2000 (again without which we probably wouldn't be where we are), Spurs in 2004. Despite the sheer eurphoria of being there, I don't consider the QPR game as being one of the greatest, simply because we were expected to beat them, and whilst we won the league, it made no real difference to the world as we know it.

I'd be interested to hear of non-city comebacks or even obscure City games from the dim and distant past we might have forgotten about

[Aggressive Walkling]

The "obscure" comeback that sticks in my mind was from the Dickov season - 2-1 win versus the six-fingered ones in late December. Dickov and Taylor I think with two fairly late goals.

If I remember correctly, that was our first win in a good month and a half and at the time we were looking in danger of yet another potential relegation. Felt like it started the road to Gillingham right there, as it were.

And not so much a comeback as to one match, but in 2012 at midweek against WBA right after the Arsenal catastrophe. I will never forget that match as long as I live. When the filth were losing 0-1 at Wigan at the same time. I started doing the sums and somehow convinced myself at that moment that we were going to catch them. Should have put money on it, of course, and didn't. I think the odds were 100-1 at that point.

[iwasthere2012]

Just as an antidote to the scousers who despite being utterly humiliated yesterday, are doing what they do best and looking back into 'iistree today, to their Champions League win against Milan 10 years ago today.

Gotta admit, I did love it that they won that game, but for me when you're looking for the best ever comeback, it raises the questions of what criteria do you judge the comeback on?

Drama?
With less players?
Against a superior team?
Significance to the game?

If using those criteria, then it's hard to see a single comeback that has impacted the British game in the last 20 years, more than the Gillingham play off final - without which, who knows where we would be, and who knows who the Sheikh would own instead?

Other notable ones for us would be Blackburn in 2000 (again without which we probably wouldn't be where we are), Spurs in 2004. Despite the sheer eurphoria of being there, I don't consider the QPR game as being one of the greatest, simply because we were expected to beat them, and whilst we won the league, it made no real difference to the world as we know it.

I'd be interested to hear of non-city comebacks or even obscure City games from the dim and distant past we might have forgotten about

Hard to look beyond the ones you've mentioned.
For drama you'll never beat the QPR game.
For significance I'd agree with Gillingham. I think that has a major deal to do with where we are now.
For backs to the wall, man down, seemingly impossible, the Spurs comeback was brilliant.

Outside of City, I can't look beyond that night in Istanbul. Have to say I was rooting for them even at 3-0 down and telling my mate that it was still possible.
He still remembers that and quotes often that I was the only one in the pub that wasn't taking the piss out of him and was telling him they could do it at half-time. He was getting texts in from every Rag we know.
I don't regard the United Champs league as anything near that (The jammy bastards).

[Im_Spartacus]

Perhaps I'm being unfair in my assessment of the QPR game..........it was certainly the greatest end to a league season surpassing even Arsenal in 1989.

One from recently, Bradford coming from 2.0 down to beat a very strong Chelsea side at the Bridge was an incredible result, perhaps moreso than any of the others because of the mismatch between the teams, but it seems to slip under the radar of most as there wasn't a huge amount of last minute drama.

So is that it, to be a great win, it has to be completed in the last minute?

[Tokyo Blue]

One of my favourites (that I have mentioned here before numerous times - apologies) was the 2-1 win v Stoke on Boxing Day in the Division Two season. We were 0-1 down at half time and playing really poorly. The whole crowd just seemed to galvanise at the start of the second half and the noise was immense. Stoke wilted and we won 2-1. For my, that was the beginning of the whole sequence that ended at Blackburn with the 4-1 win. The City crowd can be brilliant when they put their mind to it.

[branny]

Best City comeback has gotta be Spurs away FA cup 2004. Three nil down at ht. Joey sent off, Anelka off injured and then Arni's double save which Spurs should have scored from. You know the rest.

[PeterParker]

Watch on youtube.com

For me this is the one, laughed my ass off. 4-0 in the 60 minute, it finished 4-5. Of course, the level isn't that big, but the outcome was incredible.

But maybe Arsenal winning at Liverpool in 89.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

I think our most spectacular comeback was the 3-4 at Spurs in the cup. Of course it was nowhere near as significant as the Gillingham and QPR games in the context of the season, but 3-0 down away from home with your best player (Anelka) in the stands and down to ten men takes some beating.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I remember an interesting, rather than epic, comeback from the 1971/72 season and, paradoxically, City were on the receiving end.

We were away Bramall Lane and, in the opening part of that season, Sheffield Utd had started off like a runaway train but, by the Autumn, their form had dipped a little and they were dropping into mid-table.

The Blades went into the game with several key players injured and they were up against a City side that was playing some lovely football and who were in a really good run of form.

Early on, City were in dominant form and went two goals up, courtesy of Lee and Colin the King, before Sheffield pulled one back late in the first half from a corner (some things never change it seems !!). Towards the end of the first half, their midfielder Trevor Hockey was carried off with a broken leg (can't now remember if it was just before, or just after they had scored).

However, at the start of the second half, City conceded two more quick goals and found themselves 3-2 down, so it was a good fightback by The Blades under difficult circumstances for them.

City then made it 3-3 with a deserved penalty from Francis Lee on the hour mark and for the remainder of the game, the Utd goal area resembled a mini Alamo as City went for the winner.

The final score ended up at 3-3 and, the following morning, one of the Sunday papers had the headline "The Entertainers" which was a great tribute to a terrific game, in which Tony Currie was outstanding for Sheffield Utd.

[Sister of fu]

I loved the Palace V Liverpool come back last season. Don't think I have cheered a none City goal more. It was just brilliant.

[Tokyo Blue]

Tony Currie was a fine player.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I loved the Palace V Liverpool come back last season. Don't think I have cheered a none City goal more. It was just brilliant.

Good call Sis.

I'd forgotten how easy it is to overlook such recent events.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Tony Currie was a fine player.

He certainly was and I would have loved to have him at City.

In retrospect, it's almost a pity we couldn't have signed him that season instead of Rodney Marsh.

[Sister of fu]

I loved the Palace V Liverpool come back last season. Don't think I have cheered a none City goal more. It was just brilliant.

Good call Sis.

I'd forgotten how easy it is to overlook such recent events.

I watched it with my rag girlfriend and it will be the only time that we will celebrate a goal together like complete idiots. Shocked the neighbours didn't complain.

[patrickblue]

Just an aside from the topic.
I was looking through the thread and thought "I bet John brings one up from 1937 or something", then realised I've not seen him post for ages.
Is he OK does anyone know?

[iwasthere2012]

I loved the Palace V Liverpool come back last season. Don't think I have cheered a none City goal more. It was just brilliant.

Good call Sis.

I'd forgotten how easy it is to overlook such recent events.

Me too. That was so good.

[Im_Spartacus]

Just an aside from the topic.
I was looking through the thread and thought "I bet John brings one up from 1937 or something", then realised I've not seen him post for ages.
Is he OK does anyone know?

I think someone mentioned seeing him a few weeks back at an EDS game.

He's obviously just choosing not to post any more

[patrickblue]

That's ok then, thanks.

[mr_nool]

That's ok then, thanks.

I'm in touch with him on Facebook and he's doing great. A few weeks back he was holidaying in the Lake District with our own Kuwait, I kid you not.

[Nigels Tackle]

england 30-4
nz post over 500
england win the test
a fucking great comeback that