My first City game was in December 1968 when aged 11 I was invited by my cousin to watch City play Burnley at Maine Road. What a day it was! Not only did I get to see my first live game but I got to see City rattle up seven goals with Bell, Lee, Young and Summerbee in unbeatable form. It was a day that was to shape my future and the start of a relationship which has held strong through thick and thin. Once a blue always a blue! There have been some great games over the years but none of them will have the same thrill or will sow a seed which will stay with me for ever

It was 26 Oct 1968 and I went to Maine Road to watch what I thought was the greatest team – Notts Forest. It was the first time I had been allowed to go to a big match. I was in the scoreboard end. The game ended 3 each. I then started to watch MANCHESTER CITY on a regular basis, it was the start of a very long relationship – I was hooked. Come on you Blues ( I still keep an eye out for Notts Forest but that is where it ends). I became a true blue from that day forward.

I can’t remember who we played that day, and I couldn’t tell you who was in the team without ‘Googling’ it! I couldn’t even see much of it, as I was only small so my view was blocked for most of the match. I do remember the atmosphere, the boos, the cheers, smell of food and cigarette smoke, But most of all what made my first City match special was that I had my dad all to myself! It was a warm feeling that I forever associate with City…thanks Dad (you have the best view of all now)….thanks City

My first match was when i was 9 yrs old and i went to Maine Road with my dad.
I remember i was sat on the wall at the open corner between the Kippax and the Platt Lane stand.
I remember the noise, the crowds and the smell of hot Bovril and hotdogs and onions.
The atmosphere was overwhelming with excitment and fear.

City won 5-1 that day with Neil Young scoring two, Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee adding to the goals. Fulham played in an all dark strip.
Franny Lee wore the no 7 shirt and Mike Summerbee with the no 9 shirt, we all know now that this changed later on for the rest of the footballers careers to the other way round where Lee wore the no 9 shirt and Summerbee no 7 shirt!

Happy Days

28-9-68
LEEDS AT HOME … Bremner, Charlton, Grey, Giles, Reaney, Lorimer etc – top of the league, unbeaten, invincible.

CITY 3 LEEDS 1.
Been a blue ever since!

I rode to Maine Road on the pillion of my Dads BSA motorbike. I watched the floodlights as we went down Princess Parkway and was really excited. The smells, my Dads Brylcreem, cigarette smoke, Bovril etc. It was a night match against Bury Fc [friendly] I was about 12 at the time and wanted to swear like the grown ups did at the players but my Dad was a Royal Marine during the war and would have none of that. It was a dark cold night and then it happened……The City mascot ran around the pitch and the most wonderful sight, the City players came out of the tunnel in the most bluest of blue kits and most of them seemed to have blonde hair a light in all this gloom. I,ve been hooked ever since. They even brought Malcolm Allison on as a sub and he scored but the ref disallowed it so I muttered “bloody” or some other swear word under my breath. Thanks Dad. What I would give to be at the game with you watching our lads today play now. RIP.
Alan Cafferky [53]

Walking up to Old Trafford 2 hours before kick off at the end of March 1968 hoping to see City take another step towards the championship as a 10 year old. City fans everywhere, excitment incredible. The ground filling up, just before Kick off a drunken United fan stood blocking my view, gently moved on by my Dad. The teams came out , the tension unbearable “we were going to win the league” George Best scored after 36 seconds, my Dad just said never mind this is City we had to give United a chance. Thet never had another George Heslop, Colin Bell and Frannie Lee 3 – 1 to City. We will be champions.

My late dad took me to my first City match v Arsenal in February 1968. Team: Mulhearn, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Heslop, Oakes, Lee, Bell, Summerbee, Young, Coleman. Sub: Connor. The game finished 1-1. I was 8-years-old at the time. He took me on the 53x match bus from where we lived near Belle Vue. We got off on the corner of Dickenson Road and Wilmslow Road just by Roy Clarke’s sports shop. I remember cutting through the back entries watching fans park their bikes in back yards. My dad lifted me over the turnstile and in we went. (Those full length turnstiles would painfully catch my ankles as I would go in in later years!) We stood in the corner between the Kippax and the old Scoreboard end. To get a better view my dad lifted me on to the whitewashed sloping wall leading from the tunnel. Being February, the cold wall froze my legs as I was only wearing short trousers and I walked back to Belle Vue like John Wayne. My dad bought me my first pair of long trousers for the next game against Coventry which we won 2-1. I remember Colin Bell going up for an aerial challenge with Coventry’s German centre half Dietar Bruck. The top of the King’s head collided with Bruck’s chin and both were spark out for several minutes. There was silence around the ground until both players got up and continued to play to huge applause. Wouldn’t happen today – that’s for sure!

My first game was the early 60s with me sat on my dads shoulders aged 6 armed with my scarf & rattle Johhny Crossen was captain long b4 the glory days of colin bell mike summerbee and franny (dive in the box Lee)Now i only hope to live long enough to see those glory days again.come on Sparky,bring us some glory

My uncle took me to my first game.

United V City 1968 at Old Trafford.I was 6.

I was carried above everyone’s head to the front.

He was a red and I was not really bothered so I bet him a “tanner” City would win.
We did 1-3.
My uncle had to wait 20 minutes for me to get back to him after the game was over-he was not best pleased.
I have been hooked ever since. I never did get my tanner……