I was 8 yrs old. I was very cold, sat in the Platt Lane End with Ronnie our lodger to watch my first ever live football match. Snow covered the pitch and the ball was orange, I remember that very clearly. Jimmy Greaves scored the first goal…. Apart from the cold my overriding memory is of the hardest shot ever ever seen on the football field. Neil Young hit the bar from outside the area and I thought the bar would never stop shaking. We skated the ice rink better than Spurs and ran out winners: 4-1. I went on to spend a lot of time at the training ground in Cheadle, close to where I lived, helping where I could; I’m sure my help was invaluable to our success of the era. I took penalties against Joe Corrigan, understudy to Ken Mulhearn at the time … Big Joe did the decent thing and dived over the ball for me. I remember the first time Joe Mercer came to the training ground … his presence was obvious, even to a kid of eight. I have been on the bluemoon rollercoaster ride ever since, an experience I would describe as ‘character building’. But as I say to the many ManU fans I know: You’ll never know true happiness until you change to blue. Happy days!

My first game was the 1969 FA Cup Quarter final against Spurs I was only 8 my Dad took me to the game on a very wet Saturday after noon. we got the 53 bus from Belle Vie and got off at the end of Dickinson Road and walked around the side off Platt lane to the Resole Working Men’s Club sadly no longer their I sat in the corner with coke and a packet of crisps I remember listening to all the men talking about the game.
.Just walking to the ground through the back alleys was exiting enough with the sound of the crowd and everyone wearing some form of blue, I had never seen so many people. Once inside the great walls of Maine Road .I was overwhelmed by the size of the ground and the hustle and bustle of fans chanting and cheering, and the programme sellers shouting “programmes come and get your programmes”.
I sat on the wall close to the half way line with my feet dangling over the side all that I could see looking back onto the Kippax was a sea off blue scarves and in front of me a green but rather muddy pitch. I was so close I could have touched the players it was fantastic. The thing that I remember the most was the roar of the crowd and the celebrations when Franny Lee scored the winner; I was nearly pushed on to the pitch
I remember thinking that I would get the chance to go to a semi final. But was told that I was too young.
A game that I will never forget
Colin Greenwood Born in gorton

My first memory is City v Leicester (I think) sat in the old Platt Lane End on the wooden benches. I went with my Dad, we paid to get in the Kippax and transferred for a shilling into the Platt Lane. City won 4-1 and the game was made even memorable by a very rare Gordon Banks own goal. It was happy days watching the then 1st Division Champions.

I was 14 years old and it was the first time my Mam let me go on my own to a City Match with my mates. It was on the 17th Oct 1964 , It was against Huddersfield a real red rose’s battle sadly we lost 3-2 but what a game , my mates and I walked to Maine rd there and back and we felt like “real grown ups” there was no trouble and I was hooked for life. Today I go with my own son to Eastland’s and I get the same “buz” with my new mates

Sometime in 1963 / 64. My Dad had been promising my brother and I that he would take us to see ‘City’, for some time. My elder brother Paul and I caught the bus from our home in Northenden to my aunty’s house in Platt Lane, very close to Maine Road. We were very young, I was about 7 or 8 years old. After various members of our family met up we walked the short distance to the turnstiles at the Platt Lane Stand where we joined a long line of city fans. I remember the police horses walking past and along the lines and how people loved to stroke the noses of those huge animals, well when your less than 5 feet tall they look very big!. When we all eventually got through the the turnstiles and Dad bought a programme, we walked through a tunnel towards the pitch and the seats of the Platt Lane Stand. This is the moment that caught my breath away, the sight of the huge crowd in the Kippax Street stand was an experience that left such a lasting impression on my young mind. Although I cannot remember who City were playing that day I do recall that it was one of Bernhard Carl “Bert” Trautmann, OBE (born 22 October 1923)last appearances in a City jersey. I also recall that City were playing in the ‘old’ 2nd division. I have remained a loyal city fan through the years. Sadly my aunty and most of the people who went to that game are watching from another ‘elevated view’ but I thank them for taking me to see City and providing me with a lifelong passion. What a great day, thanks Dad

My first game watching City’s first team was against Wigan, who were then a nn league team. The North stand at Maine Rd was a large lump of earth. I sat in the front of the main stand with my dad and I watched City win 1 – 0. I was 6 and a half. I remember the game because we had coffee with rum in it to warm us up on a cold winters day. Great memories. Sadly my dad isn’t here any more but I know he will be watching all the goings on at City.

My first City game was on a Wednesday night in the 1969/70 season against Athletico Bilbao. I was 8 years old and went with my Dad & his best mate, my Uncle Jimmy. I had just been made goalkeeper for my school team & couldn’t wiat to see Joe Corrigan in action. We were in the Platt Lane End behind the goal – it was floodlit & the pitch looked like a huge theatre. The atmosphere was great & I was passed down over people’s heads & shoulders to the front where I saw Corrigan make some great saves. We won 3-0 & I was passed safely back to my Dad & Uncle Jimmy. We got home in time to watch Match of the Day & I was amazed to see Joe Corrigan making the same saves again on my telly!!

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

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.

My earliest and greatest memory as a ciy fan was outside main road(by the way i think city’s new stadium should be called new main road.)I was about 9 and in those days you could wander around outside the ground,without the security problems that you get today.I was waiting to go into block H which we always went into as Alan Oakes, mum was a dinner lady at our school and she sold me the tickets that he had been allocated to him.We were outside the ground when i felt someone put their hands on my shoulders i turned and looked up and it was Joe Mercer.I don’t think anyone believes me to this day,but it happened and it happened to me.I wonder what the great (and let’s not forget that’s what he was)Joe Mercer would have made of our great club today.