We lost that day 1-0, but it was great to see one of the last ever games at an iconic stadium. Travelled up from the south coast, and that trip has become more and more common over the years.

Daniel Tyler

In an attempt to lure me into supporting Arsenal, my Dad took me and my brother, (who had already decided on City), to Maine Road. I was only 3 at the time and I didn’t realise there were two halves to a game of football. So when City were 1-0 up at half-time I was heading for the exit, satisfied that we’d won and that they were the team for me. Unfortunately Arsenal equalised in the second half and the game finished 1-1. Even so, once a Blue always a Blue, even if it initially was for only 45 minutes.

My Dad was a lapsed blue, and was determined not to inflict his obsession on me. For over a decade I badgered him to take me to match. Finally he took me to a mid week game ( I think it was Luton), where we stood on the Kippax, watching the dullest nil nil draw. He assumed that would be the end of my City fanaticism but he couldn’t have been more wrong. I was hooked. He passed on the baton and 27 years later I’m still here with family. My Dad only went to Maine Road one more time before he died.But he took me to that all important first game. For that I am forever grateful.

In 1971 I was in my first year at senior school, and for the first time in my life I met people who actually went to the match.

So after saving for months and finally persuading my mum to let me go (I lied when I said that a friends dad was taking me)I managed to go to my first game.

FA CUP 3rd Round against Non League Wigan, it was sure to be a classic and we were bound to win at least 4 – 0 or so we all said as we walked to the ground from Piccadilly Station where the train from Handforth had dropped us off.

If I am being honest I cannot remember much about the game except that we won 1 – 0. but as an eleven year old, having his first big adventure without his parents I do remember sitting on one of the bars in the Kippax in amongst loads of big men… I thought I was all grown up

Needless to say when my mum found out that I had lied I never got to another match until the next season, when the North Stand was opened as a standing area for a season.

My first City game was Blackburn away September 2007. I remember walking from the car park with my dad and his friends, we could hear all the City fans singing before we got near the ground. We passed a pub and the car park had a big tent on it full of City fans all singing. We got in the ground and stood behind the net, the noise from the City fans was very noisy and fantastic all the way through the game. Unfortunately we lost the game 1-0 but that didn’t matter I am now hooked for life. I am now a season ticket holder in South Stand with my dad and we have been to every home match since and a few away games as well. I now cant wait for every match day and love every minute of it.

We were at home against Birmingham City. It was one day after my 12th birthday and this was my most highly anticipated present. I don’t think I had a wink of sleep that night as I can remember being tired right up until we got to the stadium. From that moment on, I was sure that I was to be a City fan all my life.

I went with my older brother, Paul, who had been going to games with my Dad for as long as I can remember, and discussing what had happened at the game. (I always wanted to see what happened but unfortunately Match Of The Day was always on after my bedtime!) Now I was finally going to see all the ups and downs of a game.

I was on a high from the minute I sat down. We were treated with goals galore as by the end of the first half, as we were 3-0 up. With Sommeil, Barton and Sibierski scoring them. As it was a week before Christmas Eve, and with the opponents being thoroughly hammered; chants of: ‘you should’ve gone christmas shopping’ echoed round the stadium. I for one, was finding this hilarious and an all round thrilling experience at the same time. In the second half, It became clear that we were coming away with all 3 points as they were now 4-0 down. A late consolation goal gave the visitors something to cheer about. However, we were cheering with them as it was an easy win for us. I loved every minute of it, we all felt like one big family, cheering the best team in the world.

I went to bed that night with ‘you should’ve gone christmas shopping’ ringing in my ears.

My first game at Manchester City was at home to Arsenal on 22nd November 2008 (me being 15). I was looking forward to it before the match because i’d watched many pros on tv before but never seen them up close. I looked forward to watching Robinho, as he is my favourite player and i remember his days at Real Madrid being a joy to watch. After all that waiting he scored to make it 2-0 which made me scream in my friend’s ear. Superb goal you have to admit. I came with two of my best friends and we all enjoyed the match because we won! Arsenal are a very hard team to break down, but with a few players out injured it made it even easier to win 3-0. That game will always be stuck in my head as its good to go to a match and see the team win. I’ve been to the stadium before to watch England play but that was nothing compared to that game. Also, every camera that i saw, i waved at it because i hoped i could get on Match Of The Day. I don’t think it worked!

in march 2006 when I was 9 I saw my first city game city v Wigan. For my dads 40th birthday present my mum had bought him 2 tickets with hospitallity. She was ment to go but she couldn’t because my sister had a tennis tournament so my dad took me.

We went in the car and we got there 2 and a half hours early so it wasn’t busy. We went in the shop and I got my very first city scarf and then we went to the restraunt thing which was above the shop and had our meal. It delicious I would recommend it. Then we looked around the museum and I really getting excited.

Finally we went into the stadium. The atmosphere was mind blowing. We were in the posh sears on level 2 above the tunnel but we didn’t see any1 famous. We lost the game 1-0 but to be honest it didn’t matter.

My late dad took me to my first City match v Arsenal in February 1968. Team: Mulhearn, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Heslop, Oakes, Lee, Bell, Summerbee, Young, Coleman. Sub: Connor. The game finished 1-1. I was 8-years-old at the time. He took me on the 53x match bus from where we lived near Belle Vue. We got off on the corner of Dickenson Road and Wilmslow Road just by Roy Clarke’s sports shop. I remember cutting through the back entries watching fans park their bikes in back yards. My dad lifted me over the turnstile and in we went. (Those full length turnstiles would painfully catch my ankles as I would go in in later years!) We stood in the corner between the Kippax and the old Scoreboard end. To get a better view my dad lifted me on to the whitewashed sloping wall leading from the tunnel. Being February, the cold wall froze my legs as I was only wearing short trousers and I walked back to Belle Vue like John Wayne. My dad bought me my first pair of long trousers for the next game against Coventry which we won 2-1. I remember Colin Bell going up for an aerial challenge with Coventry’s German centre half Dietar Bruck. The top of the King’s head collided with Bruck’s chin and both were spark out for several minutes. There was silence around the ground until both players got up and continued to play to huge applause. Wouldn’t happen today – that’s for sure!

The heckles and hairs on the back of my neck as I walked into Maine Road. I watched Jimmy Grimble when it came out and his first experience of Maine Road when he walks into the Main Stand stand and sees the Kippax opporsit lit up by floodlights on a night game still makes me full of pride and fills me up because thats what I always got from the very special football ground, you know, just know when something is right for you.