I was born about a mile from Maine Road.

The first game my father took me to see was City v Blackpool who had Stanley Matthews playing for them at the time.

In those days, before the smoke abatement laws came in, Manchester suffered from dreadful smog conditions – real pea soupers.

As kick-off time approached, the smog came down, then started closing in, thicker and thicker.

We were standing behind the goal, but within a short time we could barely see the centre circle, let alone the other goal.

The referee kept the game going until half time, but then, inevitably, it was called off.

I can’t remember the score, but I do remember the disappointment, something that we City fans have tasted all too frequently over the years, albeit with stoic resignation.

Let’s hope that Sheikh Mansour’s new regime will usher in a golden age for the club and its many thousands of faithful supporters.