The weather was warm and I was 10 years old. City played in a maroon striped kit. We had barely seetled in our seats when City scored (Joe Hayes I think) Everyone jumped into the air and hugged each other. It was so exciting for a young lad. I had missed the final the previous year as I went down with tonsillitis in our London hotel.
My other memories were of my (then ) favourite player Bert Trautmann being injured (no subs then) and Dave Ewing protecting him , kicking the ball all overthe place.
At the final whistle I was hoarse but so pleased. It was a long wait till the league win (I saw every home match and most away games too,) But nothing was quite so exciting as that May day at Wembley back in 1956

The hero Royston Clarke-horizontal,covered in mud,heading the ball into the net.Me ringing my bell for all it was worth-were going to Wembley.By the bye I never did find the clanger out of the bell,I do hope it didnt hit any blues supporter??

My grandad after finding out I’d been to O.T.just after Munich,(wasn’t I stupid), besides being furious,quite rightly insisted on taking me to Maine Rd at the first opportunity. Alas, it was a filthy day, and I recall sheltering under his coat dripping wet, stood up at uncovered Scoreboard End. The only other thing I remember was that the visitors were Aston Villa, and the result was scoreless. Many years later I discovered a photo of a very muddy Colin Barlow,on the wing, in a book looking back at City’s old games.Putting two and two together, I was very gateful therefore to finally establish that my first match at the great old stadium was April 1959. Fantastic!. I was fortunate to be at Newcastle in ‘68, but missed the ‘69 Cup Final, as the touts were charging £6 for standing tickets.

The game was against Leicester and the last one of season.City needed to win to stay up.I was only 8 so don’t remember much of the game.My mum took me and afriend,we lived near Maine rd at the time.My dad had died in 1954 and was a fan of City.We went in the main stand even though full,someone let my mum sit down and me and my friend sat on the steps next to her.City won 3-1 and avoided relegation(more to come over the yrs!).The main thing is it can’t have been easy for my mum to take us.I didn’t start watching regularly though till the 61/62 season when Bert Trautmann became my first of along line of City heroes.

In April 1959, I guess it was normal end-of season fare. Not the most memorable of matches for my two brothers and I [subscribers 142-144 to the Centenary City A Complete Record book of 1987)to endure…….but you just have to go back for more don’t you ! I can remember the ground, the big cigarette advert on the side of the stand and some sky blue stripey socks but not much else. I think we finished 20th that year and Villa 21st so they got relegated.

I am now living 230 miles away in the south but my elder brother has been a fanatic ALL this time and really WAS there with the other 8,014 for the game with Swindon in January 1965. Please hang onto that season ticket bro, it WILL get even better.

fa cup final when city lost to newcastle made me a city fan.before the war my gran worked at maine road and would bring the kit home to wash and iron it so there was a connection already. in those days of no cars washing would be hung across the street, imagine that today! my dad and granddad took me to watch my first match but even before we got there i was amazed at the throngs converging on the stadium. many on bikes. no segregation preston fans were stood near us no problems. we went to each home game and i clearly remember asking my dad why so many more people were heading to maine road . stanley matthews is playing was the reply. well. he did not play, and the groan that greeted the news was deafening mixed wiyh more than a little anger.for the next fifteen years i saw the high and lows but the hooligan years finally put an end to my live football matches. the derby game when the ref took the players off to cool off was my last for many years. i am still amazed how depressed i get when city dont play well. and how good it feels when utd lose. not forgetting leeds of course they were so cynical . liverpool fans were the first to bring obscene chants to maine rd but chelsea fans took the biscuit for provocation by waving fivers at us .loadsamoney!

I experienced my first City Game at the age of 4 when my dad, who was left to babysit me, instead took me along to watch City beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-1. I obviously don’t remember much except that it was mid-week at night and I do remember the floodlights and crowd cheering and my dad giving me a piggyback ride on his shoulders to the ground. A few years later my dad could take me to the matches under more legitimate circumstances and I used to idolize Bert Trautmann. Dad used to take car loads of his mates from Bury just to watch Trautmann play. Have supported them through thick and thin ever since. Even from Canada we get most of their games.
Keith Sharp
Toronto Canada

Can’t remember the exact game but my early memories are of Joe Hayes with his brilliant dribbling & Bert Trautmann. Like many of the supporters from that era have said, Bert was the ultimate hero and surely kept us from relegation for a number of seasons. What about a statue of him outside the ground ??

The teams emerge from the tunnel.
A blond Adonis wearing a green jersey positions himself in goal.
His charisma is palpable. His saves are spectacular.
Bert my hero – City my club.

Joyce Gale 1955

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