15th October, 1960. After refereeing a school football match my father said he was taking me to watch City play Leicester City at Maine Road.

Watching from the Main Stand I was simply overwhelmed by the unbelievable noise from a crowd of over 30,000 [30,193 to be precise]. I

City won comfortably 3 – 1.

At the age of seven I was hooked. Bert Trautmann became my first City hero and I had the privilege of attending his testimonial match four years later.