I’ll never forget the impact of the place as Dad and I took our seats in the main stand – the only time I ever sat there. The overwhelming memory is of the smell of tobacco smoke and the incredible greenness of the floodlit pitch. Alan Ball was playing for high flying Everton but City won with a Colin Bell special scored at the Platt lane end if memory serves. Fabulous.

City had won the second division title the year before and were promoted. My dad (united fan) said if city got promoted i could go to watch them at home if i went to Old Trafford with him, In the end i went with friends to city only and the season after we won the league. The Burnley game was a my 5th birthday treat. we won 3-2 Photo is of Me,Ian Bunting(brother in law) and Phil Bunting Nephew

We moved to Manchester in 1964 from Wigan, but I didn’t bother with football much until the 1966 World Cup, after which I was a football daft 10 year old.

My Dad decided to let me choose who we would go and watch and we went to Maine Road courtesy of a Maynes bus leaving from the Quality Shop in Droylsden.

My first impression of the stadium was just its sheer size, and when we finally squeezed through the turnstile and walked up what seemed like 1000’s of steps to reach our seats – those great long benches – in the Platt Lane Stand I was in awe of the place. The smell of fag smoke, burgers and horse manure mingled with the cacophany of sound and I just stared, wide-eyed.
Alan Oakes – what a plyer ! – scored the only goal and City had beaten my home-town team 1-0.

On the bus home the noise was almost as great as the stadium as everyone talked about the great win. Everyone was so friendly and whilst most of my friends were Blues I agreed to go to Old Trafford the folloiwng week.

Same bus, same departure point – totally different atmosphere. United beat Newcastle
3-1 but all I recall is everyone moaning – some things never change. As the sworn rivals of my home town team I should have been delighted that Newcastle got stuffed, but all the carping mystified me. My Dad could not answer the question why.

When he asked me who I wanted to go and support there was no hesitation -”City”. He hadn’t tried to influence me at all, but I remember he said “Good lad” as he was an admirer of the great Joe Mercer.

Never regretted it for a minute and I know nor did my Dad and, like another supporter whose first game was in this era, I too would give the world just to attend another City game with my beloved Dad.

He was City till he died. So will I be.

As a kid with a brother and several sisters who all were man u fans (sorry for bad language), my dad who had come over from Tiparary to Manchester to work was always trying to get us to follow our local team, City, it was a thing with him, he thought one should always support your local things, shops, sports etc., he had a mate at work who was a true blue, and his mate offered to take me to a game, it was City v Rotheram, we got the train from Central Station at the back of the Midland hotel, now G MEX. What a great day it was, we won 1.0 and that got City promoted, hence the song (in 1963 we fell in division 2 etc ). It was the seed sewn that day that made it a must for me to become a fan of my real local team, CITY, it certainly made my dad happy when I declared I was a blue. On the day Colin Bell scorded the winner but the whole team was fantastic as were the fans, they made me feel so at home what a great bunch of people City fans were and still are. the following season was even better as were the next few. Love to see those glory days again with my local team.

My first match was January 1966 versus Preston North End at Maine Road. Many blues will recall this season as the beginning of a golden era. Joe Mercer had arrived as manager the season before and we were about to take everything before us in the next few seasons. This season we won the 2nd Division title. I remember very little of the actual game but the lead up to the match and the atmosphere inside the ground will stay with me to this day.
My Dad had been a City fan since the 1930’s and decided it was time his 5 year old son was to follow City as well. I can’t remember were we parked up, I think somewhere off Yew Tree Road, but I could not wait to get inside the ground. There were appeared to be hundreds of people hanging around on the forecourt in front of the Main Stand and for some reason I remember a man shouting at passersby holding high his “Save Jesus” placard.
Finally I’m through the turnstile and inside the ground, my first view of the pitch from high up in the Main Stand is etched on the memory. The smell of pipe smoke lingers and the volume of noise experienced for the first time. The pitch looked completely bare not much green grass on display but the white line markings illuminate the surface. The match I had waited to see for so long passed in a flash and ended 0 – 0. The crush through the exits back onto Maine Road was made and we went of home. At home Mum told my Dad a 0 – 0 match must have been boring and he had put me of City for life.
How wrong I was hooked, it just was the start. The next few seasons were brilliant, I thought this great I’ve got this for life beating United and winning cups. We all know it didn’t last but supporting City is for life whatever happens. There’s something about the club, you just can’t seem to get them out of your system no matter what. Whenever I look back to that day in January 1966 and see it as the start of beautiful friendship.

Had nothing to do decided to walk to Maine Rd (no money) 4 miles. Sneaked into the ground under the turnstiles. Spent most of the time climbing on the stantions holding the Kippax up Finally went to see what all the shouting was have been silly eversince.

It was either in January or February and the match was a 3 o’clock kick off on a Wednesday afternoon. I was with Neil Goddard and we should have had sport that afternoon at Xaverian College but it was postponed. We think City’s match was in the afternoon because there were power problems. City won 2-0 I think, it wasn’t a great match and City’s kit was the old cotton sky blue shirt and socks with white shorts, but because they had been washed many times it was almost like a Leeds strip. The weather was very gloomy and we were in the Kippax. I have to be honest it I wasn’t thinking this is great, I’ll come here again, ‘cos I was used to watching Glossop North End! But – happy days. Now let’s shoot up the League.

It was the final game of the season and Dad took me and my big sister,catching a coach from Moston Lane,to see City receive the 2nd Division Championship trophy.

A big night out for a 5 year old, I can still remember craning my neck to try and see Johnny Crossan lift the trophy (failed miserably)
Yes,I was a Glory Hunter even then.

It was a cold wet Saturday afternoon in 1966 when I first saw City play, I was 7 years old, I’d not been able to play out all morning because of the weather and I was bored out of my head. My dad who was a regular at Maine rd was getting ready to go to the match, having a bit of dinner, his big coat and flat cap ready to don, chatting with mum about the upcoming game. “Dad, I’m bored can I go with you to watch City” I asked, “no son your too young” he replied, “but dad!” I whined, “no your not going and that is that” he said. That started me off whinging and sulking, I started crying and stomped up stairs and dived on the bed crying at the top of my voice, I think the whole street must have heard me! Anyway this eventually had the desired effect and mum talked him into taking me, “get your bloody coat, you can come” he moaned. He took me in the Score board end ( eventual North stand) and sat me on the front wall, next to the pitch, with loads of other little kids, I dont remember who we played and I don’t remember the score but I was hooked! Credit to dad he took me to every home game from then on, what an era to start watching the blues, Bell, Lee and Summerbee,Coleman, Oakes, Pardoe, Book, Heslop. What great players! What memories! Talk about being a spoilt kid!

My first game was on 12/02/1966 (I checked the date from a book) when a school friend took me to Maine Road to see City play Grimsby in the 4th Round of the FA Cup, we won 2 -0 as a result of an own goal and one from Buzzer (Mike Summerbee). I could not believe the electric atmosphere at the match, it was scary, yet gripping. I was hooked and went to as many matches home and away as my pocket money would allow. Some 6-years later I moved away from Lancashire so my visits became less frequent, but my love affair with City remains undiminished by years of rollercoaster activity, always with the optimism that the start of each season might be the one where we excell – I know I will be right one season! CITD.