My first match was around ‘54 – ‘55 against Spurs at Maine Road, we lsot 3-1. I remember the atmosphere and seeing City run out for the first time. It was exciting, I was impressed by the sky blue shirts with red numbers, and Bert trautmann became my favourite straight away.
The disappointment of losing the ‘55 cup final and winning the ‘56 cup final. I was in the crowd to welcome back City with the cup, everyone chanting for Bert after his heroics during the match. The memories from when you are young are the most vivid, I can still recite both City teams from the ‘55 and ‘56 Cup Finals. I also remember a real “downer” towards the end of the fifties when city lost to Grimsby Town in the FA Cup at Maine Roa, what a miserable journey home.
Of course, the real highs came during the Mercer Allison period, wonderful memories of winning the championship and other trophies. I came to live in the Midlands during this time, and went to watch city at Maine road whenever I could, and went to matches around the Midlands when City were playing.
Inthe low period when we were in division 2, I had to take the “brickbrats” from villa, Wolves, WBA, Birmingham City and even walsall fans. The worst howevrr came from those Midland Man Utd fans, I stood my ground and gave as good as I got.
A nice memory was a pre-season firendly, wolves v City, July 2004. SWP made one of his fantastic runs down the right, cut inside and scored a great goal.
However the biggest thrill that happened for me, when my daughter booked a stadium tour as a surprise for my 60th birthday. We travelled to Eastlands in the summer of 2004, it was a glorious sunny day and the stadium was a magnificent sight.
City were to play Lazio in a friendly, so unfortunately we were unable to see the dressing rooms. I photographed various parts of the ground and rounded off the visit by having lunch in the cafe next to the museum. It was a wonderful experience and one I will always remember.
I am phyiscally an absentee supporter, but I am always with City in spirit, and await anxiously the result on match day, experiencing the highs and lows according to the outcome.
With the new dawn at Eastlands, I look forward to the exciting times ahead, and offer all concerned my best wishes for the future

i was 7 and my own memory is vague but
my grandad gave me a city rossette and sat me in front of the black and whiteb tv,and apparently i was
inconsolable when we lost 3-1.the first game i actually
attended was i think in 62/63 and we got hammered.
most of my mates were reds buti instantly fell for the blues,and became a lifelong supporter.

City beat United 2-0 in front of nearly 75,000. My father had to hold me on his shoulders unde the old scoreboard. My mother had taken my sister to the ballet at the Palace so I insisted on my treat at Maine Road. The same day Liverpool played Everton in the Cup in front of 72,000. The score was also 2-0. This must be some kind of record.

My first City match was in April 1955 not long before the FA Cup final between City and Newcastle United which sadly resulted in a 3-1 victory for the Magpies. This first City game was against Blackpool at Maine Road when I was taken there by my father when I was 8 years old (I’m 62 now). We stood in the Kippax stand I recall. I think he took me to this match mainly because the legendary Stanley Matthews was playing for the Tangerines that day. He always used to say that the day that he and my mum got married was the day City won the FA Cup back in 1934. I only have vague memories of the game but I will never forget the final score and sometimes I mention this in conversations with people. The half time score was City 1 Blackpool 0 – a goal from a free kick by a player called “Fagan” I think. But, the FINAL SCORE was a complete turnaround – City 1 Blackpool 6 (Yes SIX).
About 10-15 years ago I wrote to the club at Maine Road about this game asking if they could look into their records and give me the full details for this particular result and they very kindly sent me a full summary with both teams, scorers, attendance figures etc. The next time I went a match was not until about 1967 when that great team under Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison was on the rise to glory. This was primarily because we were rugby league supporters of our local team Swinton, who were one of the best sides in the game during the ’60s.

Keith J. Smith

49 Danesway
Pendlebury
MANCHESTER
Lancashire
M27 4JS

Inspired by my son Matthew giving his recollections, I thought I would add mine.
In September 1955, my mate’s dad took us both to see City. I was nine years old and had never seen a match until then. We lived in West Gorton, and we took the 53 bus up to Rusholme. Walking into Maine Road was amazing, with an enormous crowd jostling and pushing up against the simple steel barriers set at different levels on the stepped terraces. I was lifted up and balanced on a barrier to see better.
We were playing Blackpool, who were top of the League at that time. No problem, City beat them 2-0, even with Stanley Matthews playing for them. He was famous – I had cigarette cards with his picture on – this was brilliant! Instant conversion, City fan for life.
……. and then we won the FA Cup at the end of the season …..

12th February 1955 defined my footballing future. I was 13 Years old and it was my first City game ever and it was at Old Trafford and the scoreline was United 0-5 City. It was
a day I will never forget. No crowd segregation Reds & Blues together in the boys pen.
Great victory and 53 yrs later I am as dedicated to the Blue cause as I was then. Wonderful memories have followed over the years but that day in 1955 was a defining moment in my life!

My first attendance at a City match was a game against Wolverhampton Wanderers just before Christmas 1955.
With two of my friends we caught an ‘85′ from Chorlton to Lloyd Street South and followed the crowd to Maine Road.

Once through the turnstiles at the scoreboard end we made our way down to the front and stood just to the right of the goal.
The real life colours of the ground were in stark contrast to the black and white images of the time.The pitch was vivid green with carefully sanded goalmouths, the goals themselves were amazingly white and bedecked with perfect nets and all was contained and marked with lines of perfect white.

A mild commotion opposite the players tunnel erupted into spontaneous applause as the teams ran out onto the pitch,even those amongst us with their strange accents and black and gold scarves cheered as eagerly as every one else.

Soon the game was on, the players in their brilliant attire striving with might and main to take advantage of their opponents, all of them using their sublime skills to try and force an opening while all around the crowd roared them on with surging enthusiasm.
Suddenly Jackie Dyson was through and lashed the ball into the net to a tremendous roar of acclamation.Moments later Joe Hayes darted in and cracked in goal number two.

Boy was this good! What a game! What a place!
What a day!

Eventually the final whistle sent us all flooding from the stadium and the three of us made our way back to Chorlton.
As we went along we talked about the power and speed of it all,about City’s dashing cavalier performance and about the two fantastic goals by our heroes Dyson and Hayes.
No one ever mentioned the iron men of Wolverhampton or the performance of the referee or even the two lucky goals that trickled in at the other end for we had already become do or die supporters of the greatest football club on earth.

On a day i will always remember, my father (a Spurs fan) took me to the 1955 cup final. It was the day Jackie Milburn was on fire and scored two for Newcastle. How do you tell a heartbroken 9 year old its only a game.

I went to Maine road with my Uncle Joe to see City’s last home game before they met Newcastle at Wembley. we sat at the back of the main stand. City lost 6-1 and I remember Roy Paul pushing Stanley Matthews onto his backside,out of sheer frustration, and all the crowd laughed.

It was the 12th February 1955 that as a 13 year old I went along to see my beloved Manchester City for the very first time. It was at Old Trafford and was back in the days when you queued to get in paid cash at the turnstile and stood Red & Blue side by side without battering each other. This was an awesome introduction to City who ravaged United 5-0 on their own turf and was the third win of the season against the old enemy having already won the league game and FA Cup game at Maine Road. It was the ‘Revie Plan’ that screwed United with goals from Hart, Fagan 2 and Hayes 2. Roy Clarke also scored a screamer which was ruled out for offside. 53 years later and Blue blood still roars through my veins and good times are coming once again. Yes 12th February 1955 was the start of this passionate love affair and without doubt was a defining moment in my life.