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!

The Holy Trinity of Bell,Summerbee & Lee, Lake what a player that we lossed, 1999 Wembley, we had to win there was no escape plan, Dicky,Horlock Weaves and of course the man for the moment, often forgotten but we see our Dunnie as a colosuss, well I can tell you the one guy guy that dragged us through those dark times and the manager that we owe oh so much to, Joe Royle and Andy Morrison, the toughest pair of City player and manager ever, they had to be. Div 2 nothing to look forward to but blood, sweat toil and tears, ‘we are not we’re not really here’ Rain, wind and standing in a tatty old stand with no roof as such(sorry Macc) Macclesfield Town FC in 1998/99 season. That brought a lot of realities home, what was gods club doing here, well he was bringing us down to earth just so we could appreciate what we now have. To City I raise my glass, you know how to entertain in life never fully up and never fully down but never far away from either. You are my City, my only City from Maine Road. CTID all my family and me. Gary Williams

My younger sister had been in Pendlebury Hospital for a couple of months and one saturday in February My dad said “Come on son, we are going to see Josephine” I couldn’t understand all this because I didn’t really want to visit my sister (being only 7 years of age at the time) but Dad insisted and then he explained to me on the bus into town that e were going to see CITY after the hospital. Excited or what I couldn’t believe it. When we arrived outside the ground I had to stand outside the pub opposite (King george iv, I think) while my dad had a swift half, then into the ground, main stand seats. I must have been an embarassment to my dad by asking him why they were playing with a plastic ball, because it was white and I had got for christmas a leather case ball which was brown, and at that time all plastic balls were white.
All I really remember about the afternoon was that the pie at half time was cold and horrible a CITY player had a clash of heads and had to carry on with his head bandaged, and CITY won 2-0. I was the first in my class to go to a match and 47 years later I am still going and still get emotional about certain games.

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.

my grandad was a postie from hyde and a true blue all his life. my dad the same from stockport and they took me and my twin brother to see our first city game at maine road against spurs in 1967, as far as i can remember we won 1-0. i can remember the noise was intense but everyone seemed safe, the kids were passed forward to the front and at the end of the game they were passed back again.ive been a blue all my life (48yrs)have been up and down and high(wembley finals) and low (beaten at home when kinky crashed his car), but once a blue always a blue, city till i die.

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.

As a nine-year-old on 9th January 1960 at last my dad had taken me to a game. One-nil up against Southampton in the FA Cup until the muddy conditions laid our defence on its backside. After the third division’s Saints’ nap hand delivered a now too familiar slap in the face, “under the arm” the strongest words that I heard in the Kippax, had to be explained to me and the way the fans made space for a young ‘un was truly gracious. The humour then and now, the ethos of the club (it can never change no matter how much money is thrown at it) the results -nowt’s changed!

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

City beat a strong Everton side 2-0 (Bell and Lee)in round 4 of the cup. But it was the electric atmosphere that night that will live with me forever. I sat on a wall in the old scoreboard end at Maine Road and was transfixed by the colour of the pitch, the size of the Kippax, the glow of matches and lighters in the crowd, and the brilliant green of the pitch (we only saw football in black and white in those days). I was just hooked. My brother-in-law’s brother took me on the bus from Middleton – I was 11 years old and had been desperate to see a live game.

My greatest game came a few months later when we beat Shalke 5-1 in the CWC semi-final – there has never been a performance to beat that since by any City side.

A day I will never forget,attending Maine Road for the first time ever with my Dad for a 1-0 FA Cup Quarter Final victory over Tottenham.On a muddy Maine Road pitch,Francis Lee scored the winner midway through the second half.
My Dad was a Spurs fan,and we had travelled up from London for the game with my Mum and sister.
I fell in love with Maine Road,the friendly and electric atmosphere,the passion emanating from the crowd and the formidable team.
My allegiance changed to City that day,the family moved to Manchester by happy coincidence just two years afterwards, and I remain a passionate Blue still attending with my Mum as a Season Ticket holder 37 rollercoaster years later.And I wouldn’t change anything-it was love at first sight with Manchester City,and my love for the club will stay with me until I die!!