As a wide eyed 10 year old, I was taken to the game by my dad’s mate, Frank Boardman.

Instant memeories…the scale of the ground…instant aromas for ever associate with maine Road and particularly the Platt Lane…pipe tobacco(Frank smoked a pipe)..so many of the fans smoked, the pies, bovril….a heady mix.

And what a game to start….City ran out winners 8-1….and the only reason Scunthorpe scored wa sbecause Harry Dowd 9who always wanted to be a plumber ) tried to head a goalbound shot around the post.
I think Murray and kevan both scored hat tricks….I was hooked.
Followed them now for 45 years and my Dad still follows them with me at the ripe old age of 98 (99 in August)…as does my son now 17.

Supporting City …pure passion.

Now had scunthorpe won….where would I be now!

I was born into an opposition family – Grandad having been a native of Newton Heath – and started supporting City as a 10 year old as an act of rebellion and becuase my best mate at the time was a City fan and we reached an age where we started going to City home games. My first one was around 1962 or 63 and we were at home to Grimsby town. I remember being admonished by my friend as I cheered the wrong team on to the pitch as Grimsby’s strip was reminiscent of City’s 1956 cup final strip. City won I think on the day and I think Derek Kevan was on the team.

My first game (aged 10)was boxing day 1963 against Scunthorpe in the old second division. I went with my mum and dad on the bus and saw us win 8-1 with Derek Kevan scoring one from the halfway line. I have been hooked on this roller coaster ever since.

My first city game was at Maine road, but as a Bury fan and the Shakers weren’t even playing there!
I came from a “split” family network, where brothers, parents and relatives were divided between city and Bury. However I was very much a trainspotter at the time, aged 13, but was just getting into football, partly as a result of being chosen to play for Prestwich and Whitefield boys town team at full back.
During one morning spent on the platform end at Manchester Victoria station, I struck up a conversation with fellow locomotive enthusiast, a lad from Blackpool. He said he’d arrived early for the City vs Blackpool game and was collecting numbers before going to Maine Road. then I saw the Blackpool football special run in on the far side of thr station, probably pulled by a Stanier Black 5. Home at lunchtime, I suggested to the fmaily thay my afternoon’s football fancy would be to see the City Blackpool game. Well knowing city played “in blue”, I wore my royal blue and white Bury scarf, but felt a bit self-conscious on the Kippax with everyone else in Sky blue and white attire.
For a couple more years I watched bury mostly, but also City increasingly. But when Colin Bell, my Gigg lane hero, left Bury for Maine Road, myself and my football heart went with him and I’ve never looked back.

I not sure of the date but it was against Swindon and it was the lowest gate ever at Maine Rd, the weather was horrible it was raining non stop.
I went to the match with my cousin and it was the just after we had bought Summerbee, in the team was Bell, Lee and Summerbee and was the beginning of the good years.

I saw The Blues for the first time in May 1963. I was 9 and my dad got us some seats in the main stand. I remember the bright colours of the teams shirts and the smell of cigars around me. Spurs were a top team of the time and had only recently won the double. City beat them 1-0 and my addiction started. City were relegated that season so it was a good grounding in the highs and lows of the next 45 years. Wouldn’t have changed anything.

it was April 1963, my last term at primary school. City were playing at Blackpool. Dad ttook a car full from The Birch Arms to the game. I sat in the back of the Singer Gazelle Estate Car with the luggage. The plan was that they would drop me off at my Gran’s in St. Annes on the way to the match but she was not at home so they had to take me along. We stood in the Spion Kop, long since demolished, I was stood on the wall on the right side of the stand and, for most of the game, watched the steam trains shunting in the massive sidings by the side of the ground. It was a wonderful day, sunshine, Blackpool, trains and I’d gone to a football match with my Dad and my eldest brother. City lost 3 – 1 that day, but that didn’t matter. If City fans weren’t pragmatic they’d be suicidal! I went on to have my holiday on St. Annes and have followed City ever since. It’s a shame my Dad isn’t here to recall his first game in 1919 at Hyde Road, that’s a memory lost now for ever.

Saturday the 2nd of March 1963. We won 2-1 I would have to look up the scorers but i still have the programme. I stood on the scoreboard with my Dad Harry Pugh also life long and now 87. I remember that they had a disallowed goal which i thought was a goal so at the end I thought it was a 2-2 draw.we were relegated at the end of the season, went down with Leyton Orient Team Dowd betts Sear Benson leivers Oakes Dobing Kennedy Harley Cheetham Gray.

Being now 50 plus, I cannot recall the exact game. But vividly remember the passion that is still there. I recall my freinds dad taking me and sitting in the Platt Lane Stand.

Away games were fantastic and none better than 1968 at Newcastle, I can still feel the passion from the crowd.

Memorable games at Maine Road would be Spurs on Ice , WHU at home when we lost and Jimmy Greaves scored for WHU on his debut.

In ref to Jack Coupe and his memeories I also attended St James C of E and there was garage where Tony Coleman used to visit near the school and he swapped my jubbly for an autograph!! Great memories

I was a young boy, and I went with my mate Raymond Barlow, straight from school, St James C of E in Gorton, to Maine road, if I remember rightly it was a cup tie in the afternoon, midweek, and city played in all maroon, at a guess the opponents were Leicester, as we arrived in the scoreboard end my mates family were all there and as it was filling up quickly, they told us to get over the wall at the front where we would be able to see, we were right behind the goalmouth and I remember the atmosphere and the greenness of the turf, it was all new to me. As regards the year it was a guess but I do remember Johnny Crossan was playing so it must have been in the second division years…