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…

I left Manchester at 24:00 midnight from Manchester by coach (Ginners) to go to Portsmouth away in 1963. we drew 1 – 1 after the game we all went out to a wrestling event at the Portsmouth Town Hall. Our volunteer Billy, went on stage and beat the pro Wrestler. Since then I have always been a blue CTID

my first sight of my blues must have been in 1963 they had just demolished hulme and they moved us to fallowfield some 5 mins walk from maine rd i must have been 8 or so one saturday i heard all this noise and had to find out what it was i clearly remember sneaking in at 3/4 time i was totally gob smacked after a couple of seasons of sneaking in i eventually got a paper round at platt lane post office and could afford to pay to go in.

I’ve so so many happy memories over the years like the time there was a bomb scare and mr summerbee took the ball and shook it pretending it was the bomb and threw it in the crowd (brilliant) happy days and who could ever forget the in my opinion one of the greatest blues mike doyle the way he wound those reds up was pure bliss im still potty as ever 45 yrs later for my blues im 55 and just bought a mini in blue n white potty or what

Boxing Day 1963/64 Season (I think)

It was my very first game at Maine Road. All the family are City supporters but normally just the men went. Anyway, as a special treat I was allowed to go to that game with my brother John his friend Johnny (our next-door neighbour).

I was very excited and when I first saw the pitch I was overwhelmed be the size of the pitch, and how green it was, and all the surroundings. We stood at the corner of the Kippax leaning on a barrier, as I was only small and to give me some protection. It was the most exciting spectacle I have ever seen and a game in which my future was sealed as a City supporter.

Neil Young scored a hat trick. From then on I have been a true blue. Neil Young again scored at my next most exciting game the FA Cup when he scored the winner, I had a ticket for the game (bought for me by my future husband from a market trader on Church Street, all black market in those days).

My brother and his friend were on one side of the ground and I was on another, along with a group of people from Bath. One of them decided to look after me and he said he knew Tony Book. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but I was the only person around me who jumped up when Neil Young scored.

We then come towards modern times and the Gillingham game at Wembley I don’t think I have ever been so deflated one minute and elated the next. The streets of London were lined with Blue that night.

I am now in my 60th year and am still a season ticket holder and I cannot ever see me giving up my ticket, no matter what happens.