My first game was the 1969 FA Cup Quarter final against Spurs; my Dad took me to the game on a very wet Saturday after noon. We got the 53 special bus from Belle Vue getting off at the end of Dickinson road a journey that I would make hundreds of times in the future. We walked around Platt lane into the side streets and called into the Rusholm Working men’s club sadly no longer there I sat in the corner with a coke and some salt and shake crisps listening to the city fans talking about the coming game. Just walking to the ground through the back alleys was exiting enough with the sound of the crowd and everyone wearing some form of blue, I had never seen so many people. Once inside the walls of Maine Road .I was overwhelmed by magnitude of the ground and the hustle and bustle of fans chanting and cheering.
I sat on the wall close to the half way line with my feet dangling over onto the side of the wet and muddy pitch. When the players came out in their sky blue, my heart missed a beat I was so close that I could have reached out and touched them it was fantastic. The thing that I remember the most was the roar of the crowd and the celebrations when Franny Lee scored the winner; I was nearly pushed on to the pitch
I remember thinking that I would get the chance to go to a semi final. But was told that I was too young.
A game that I will never forget
Colin Greenwood born in Gorton