A new book about City's origins out now

[Risby]

Arrived today, brilliant surprise when I got home.

[Burt]

Nice book. A little heavy on the eyes at times with all the factual stuff but interesting nevertheless. I read it while in Portugal on my honeymoon :o)

Very disconcerted about the quote saying that the author was probably a rag as a kid though!!!

[BlueinBosnia]

Nice book. A little heavy on the eyes at times with all the factual stuff but interesting nevertheless. I read it while in Portugal on my honeymoon :o)

Very disconcerted about the quote saying that the author was probably a rag as a kid though!!!

Gingers can get married now? I'm all for equality, but...

[maddog fenton]

Hi fellow blues ill hate to say but I very much doubt this book will get into the city store, my reasons are as I myself were at a local city meeting last Thursday night which a guy their had a book out called teenage kicks which is based on the youth system of the 80s, when we asked the same Qz on why this book was not in store his reply was that city don't wont to know about it. Their response was our history started in 2010. Not 50s, 60s even 99, No they said not interested at all, the only way he managed to get the clubs backing to publish the book was only because he manged to get Paul Lakes name on their to. The club even refused to help him in any way at all to provide information on who, where, and how these players are to be then and now.
Also it is kitbag who owns and runs the super stores and are not interested in any type of books written out side of the hall of fame group as it just don't generate the money they are after, shirts, polo shirts etc etc is the only thing they are interested in.
I am sorry if I have wasted any of your time for reading this but this really upset me after the meeting as its proof that the old city who always and regularly had contacts with its local fan groups is long in the past and these nights will just be forgotten memory's of meeting the old and new players

[MCFChistory]

Yeah, I'm not expecting much help from the club, particularly as my book dismisses the theory that City were founded by the Connell family in order to tackle social deprivation (neither of those claims are true). Unfortunately, the marketing people at club got attached to the idea when Garry Cook was in charge and I don't think they were thrilled when I informed them that the Rev. Arthur Connell was accused of “the lowest form of sectarian bigotry” by a London newspaper, stated that Jews were a “fallen race”, and once delivered a speech accusing Catholics of plotting to take over the country - at a time when anti-Irish riots had erupted across East Manchester.

All mention of the Connell family has since been removed from both the official site and the Connell Sixth Form College website, and I doubt they'll be embracing City's early history again any time soon. A few weeks ago the official site ran a pictorial history of Maine Road which mistook the Main Stand for the Kippax (later corrected), and misidentified a couple of other photos (still not corrected). Sadly, I think that may be a good indication of the importance they place on the club's history.
http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2013/May/Maine-Road-day-history-gallery-article

Nice book. A little heavy on the eyes at times with all the factual stuff but interesting nevertheless. I read it while in Portugal on my honeymoon :o)

Very disconcerted about the quote saying that the author was probably a rag as a kid though!!!

Thanks for the feedback, and for sharing my dirty secret. In mitigation, I was about five-years-old at the time and being led astray by my two United-supporting elder brothers.

[Burt]

What year was it that the Orange guys at The Bulls head got involved again mate? That place is now on my doorstep and I am very intrigued by it because my brother in law told me recently that City played around here and I thought that he was wrong and I would like to investigate further.

[MCFChistory]

Gorton AFC played on land near the Bull's Head for two seasons between 1885-87. The pitch was probably located on the "12 acres of good grazing land" that the landlord advertised to let in June 1885, but its exact location has never been identified. The land was developed for housing a few years later (possibly when the pub was rebuilt in 1906) so the pitch may have been built over. However, I believe it's more likely that Gorton played on the spot where Aspinal Primary School's playing field now stands.

The link with the Orange Order is unclear. Gorton AFC's annual dinner in 1885 was held at the Justice Birch Hotel, which was at that time was a meeting place for Gorton's Conservative Association, Ashbury's Masonic Lodge and Gorton Orange Lodge 202. The Bull's Head had also been the headquarters of the local Orange Lodge, though this may have been coincidental.

There's been a lot of progress in identifying the location of early Gorton football grounds recently. But many questions remain unanswered, so the more people that start looking into this the better.

[Burt]

Gorton AFC played on land near the Bull's Head for two seasons between 1885-87. The pitch was probably located on the "12 acres of good grazing land" that the landlord advertised to let in June 1885, but its exact location has never been identified. The land was developed for housing a few years later (possibly when the pub was rebuilt in 1906) so the pitch may have been built over. However, I believe it's more likely that Gorton played on the spot where Aspinal Primary School's playing field now stands.

The link with the Orange Order is unclear. Gorton AFC's annual dinner in 1885 was held at the Justice Birch Hotel, which was at that time was a meeting place for Gorton's Conservative Association, Ashbury's Masonic Lodge and Gorton Orange Lodge 202. The Bull's Head had also been the headquarters of the local Orange Lodge, though this may have been coincidental.

There's been a lot of progress in identifying the location of early Gorton football grounds recently. But many questions remain unanswered, so the more people that start looking into this the better.

Ahhhh so the Bull was rebuilt and presumably it was originally on the same site? Thank you for your help. It is very fascinating stuff this mate!

[MCFChistory]

The pub was rebuilt in 1906 on the same spot but I'm not sure exactly when the housing behind it was built. In 1885 though the whole of the area between Gorton Road and Gorton Cemetery was grazing land.

I've just looked at an old Ordnance Survey map of the area and noticed that the pitch would have been close to the Manchester and Ashton canal, which ran along the eastern boundary of the cemetery before it was closed and filled in in the 1960s. So you could argue that the canal-side location of the Ethiad represents the club returning to its roots.