We had recently returned to England from New Zealand and my uncle took me to my first game. I was 15 and I loved football but out in NZ there wasn’t a lot of information about City so the whole experience was sensational. We won 4-1 and Bell, Young, Coleman and Summerbee scored but I drove my uncle crackers by constantly asking about the (then) No. 7 – Francis Lee. I thought he was magic then and I never changed my mind!
A fantastic start to my City life: Champions ‘68, FA cup ‘69, League cup and ECWC ‘70!!!
I thought it would always be like that; how wrong could I be? Still, I wouldn’t change anything!

Being born in 1956 while we owned a shop in Kippax Street probably meant I was always destined to be a Blue. We moved away to Ardwick and returned to Rusholme in the early 60s. I used to sneak into Maine Road when the gates opened about 15 mins from the end but could never usually see anything.
Then my Dad told me he was going to take me to the Huddersfield game on New Years Day in 1966. We went and I sat on the wall at the front of the Kippax. What a fantastic feeling! The only other thing I can remember was we won (1-0 I think). However that was the beginning of 42 years and counting.
CTID

For one of the first major events in my life, I will always be grateful to my older brother Barry. It was the mid 1960’s, long before the age of the replica football shirt, but one day our Dad came home from work with two football jerseys, bought from the local market in our home town on the outskirts of Manchester. The shirts were red with a white collar and cuffs. This was Bestie’s heyday and the Red’s of Manchester were flying high. I don’t actually remember having any allegiance at the time but I was delighted. I guess he never asked who we supported, we were Irish Catholics, and in that day and age that meant United. Dad’s elation at my excited face was short lived as Barry gave back the shirt and said “there’s no way I’m wearin’ that, I’m a Blue”. Believe me, that was brave, but to be honest, I can’t remember what was said or done after that, other than the fact that very soon there were two new blue and white jerseys.

I was a Blue by default, but a prouder one you could not have met. I lived in that shirt and every day down on the local field I could be seen, now Bell, Lee or Summerbee, scoring goals for City or Harry Dowd saving penalties from the now despised Charlton, Best or Law.

It must have been because of that shirt that a neighbour asked my Mum and Dad if I would like to go and watch City play. City had just won the championship and a friendly had been arranged against Bury to show off the trophy. It was decided that I could go as a birthday treat and what a treat it was, the noise, the atmosphere, the joy and jubilation. I have no idea what the crowd was that night, but I had never seen anything like that number of people in one place, all of whom were spectacularly happy. Everybody was laughing and talking to each other, singing together, hugging and slapping each other on the back. It was truly amazing. After that there could only ever be one team for me. Eight years old but without any doubt I already knew that I was “City ‘til I die”.

It was City v Aston Villa in 1961, City won 4-1, Denis Law scored 2 goals, I was in the Platt Lane Stand, it standing then.

My first game was a derby match in 1968 my eldest brother Tony was emigrating to Australia and he promised to take me to a match. I should have gone to the Charity shield match the previous week when City played West Brom at Maine Road (They didnt play them at Wembley),I think City won 5-1 but my brother forgot to pick me up. Never mind he said there a better match next week against Man United again at Maine Road. City league Champions against European Cup winners some of the best players ever were playing, Bell, Lee and Summerbee, Best, Law and Charlton. I was 10 years old and never been to a professional match before in fact I had never seen so many people and never heard so much noise before that day. At the match, I was a bit scared because all sorts of objects were being thrown down the stand, I couldnt see the teams from where we stood so my brother told me to climb over the wall and sit on the bench where the police usually sit, so there I am sitting on this bench with the full match right in front of me when this policeman comes across and tells me to climb back over the wall otherwise he would throw me out (I wasnt doing any harm). The game finished 0-0 and John Ashton who had played a fantastic game in the European Cup final broke his leg. Our Tony still follows the Blues even though he has been in Oz for 40 years.

My very 1st memories are, when I was a young lad in the late 60s sitting on the benches at the sideline(pitch side)with my dad, we sat there because he was disabled in WW2. It must have been hard for him having three sons, and only one growing up Blue.
Never mind their loss !!!
Cheers Dad

My Grandad took me to see City away at Huddersfield (Leeds Rd) it was an amazing day out Glyn Pardoe made his debut I think, we won 2-0 and I was hooked from then, City till I die. I have since taken my son to Maine Road and Eastlands. Come on City

the frist match i went to watch city was in 1965. we played spurs. but i was to young to remeber much. the match that i truly became a blue was the 69 cup final. which we all know city won 1-0. being a blue is been up one day and down the next. lets hope the furture is blue.
- trevor, blue for life

First game was City v Portsmouth, November 1965. We won 2-1 and i was hooked. My dad who was a red, wanted me to support that other lot, but after that first game, no chance. I was hooked for life.

Walking down to the ground for the final match of the season 1965-1966 having gained promotion, this was a celebration my dad was allowing me to go to the holy grail of soccer. I can still feel the excitement of going into the programme shop on Upper Lloyd Street to buy the blue star badges of our heroes that adorned our self- decorated camouflaged jackets we wore then. Then the match – a boring 0-0 draw, but so what, our heroes had got back to the top once more. As the final whistle went, onto the field we ran it was an awesome feeling and I’ve followed them ever since along with my family who are all season ticket holders.