I’ve just got to tell this story – I’ve got to come clean, after all these years….’Mike, it was ME!!!!’
It was 1967, I was in the first year at West Hill Boys School in Stalybridge, just after attending my first ever Man City game at Maine road – and I was City mad!
Mike Summerbee was my absolute hero and he was engaged to a lovely lady called Tina Schofield – who’s family, I seem to recall, owned a sports shop in the town. At the time he lived in Mottram Road in Stalybridge, and one of my school chums – Paul Chadwick – lived close by and used to wash Mike’s shiney, dark blue, Jaguar MK 10! I badgered Paul to let me go with him the next time he washed the car – anything, just to be close to my hero!
I arrived, and there he was, Mike Summerbee, in the flesh! You could keep your ‘Roy of the Rovers’ and your Georgie Best, this man, to this scrawny little 11 year old, was a GOD – and I was actually washing his car! So excited was I that I just couldn’t resist scraping off some paint from under the front wheel arch and keeping it in a match box…..!!! Mike, forgive me! It’s taken me 41 years but I’ve owned up at last. You were my hero, you WERE Manchester City, that scraped off smidging of paint was my little piece of belonging to what was – and what still is – the most magical, evocative and awe-inspiring football team in the whole country. I loved the team then, I’ll love the team forever – City ’til I die. Frank Chorley (aged 52 and 3/4’s!!)

In early 1962 I attended my first match which was a City Reserve game at Maine Road.

I was 11 years old and as I got off the bus and turned the corner of Maine Road. The sight that greeted me was awesome even though it was a reserve match.

I had trouble collecting the exact money for the entrance fee and had to go round the local shops trying to get half a crown changed into sixpence so that I could enter the ground.

It was brilliant and it was the first of many years following City.

It isn’t difficult to remember my first game, despite forty-six years of matches since. Jimmy Greaves scored twice, Spurs were the double-winners of 1961 (the previous year) and City scored SIX. I often think I’m fantasising but Ray Goble’s stats confirm it: 3rd March 1962, including a Peter Dobing hat-trick.

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!

I remember my first game at Maine Road was against Stoke City in 1969. My dad was a Stoke fan (later converted to a blue) and City lost a dire match 1-0. My second trip to Maine Rd was the first game of the 70/71 season, a 0-0 draw with Burnley. I then missed the home game with Blackpool (a midweek game played in the afternoon due to the 3 day week – remember that !!) which we won 2-0. My next game was against West Brom, and we promptly went a goal down. I was beginning to think I was a bad omen. However, we then got a goal back and didn’t know when to stop. City 4 W. Brom 1
I’ve followed City ever since, though don’t get to many games these days as I no longer live in Manchester.

I can’t even tell you who City played but, I went to Maine Road for the first time in ‘67; Mike Summerbee, Colin Bell, Franny Lee, Tony Coleman, Mike Doyle, Tony Book (Captain), Harry Dowd…..I was eleven and in heaven! Sttod in the Kippax and shouted my head off for Franny Lee, only to realise it was actually Tony Coleman – who cares, they were magic then and they remain magic today – let’s just hope that all that oil momney can give us a side to win the premiership , maybe next season. CITY – I LOVE YOU!!!!!

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.

My first memory of seeing City was at Maine Road in the winter of 65 we were at home to Preston NE, and Alan Ogley was in Nets, it was freezing cold the pitch was white and the ball was more red than orange. I think my Dad thought he would cure me from asking to go again, It did not work I was hooked, even at 6 yaers of age I knew that I would always belong to City, The following season was the start of more frequesnt visits and of course the start of the Mercer Era, The atmosphere of going to the match, the magic feeling of walking down those low ceilinged tunnels on to to the Kippax, only a blue would know. Godleyblue

1968 – I was 7 years old.
A night match – City versus newcastle. The Kippax was crammed, the old floodlights blazing,
the scoreboard end and the half-time scoreboard scoop. A Wagon Wheel and a Bovril. Late into the second half, City one nil down and then we equalised. The crowd surged forward, the roar sounded like an explosion, the passion, and the emotion erupted all around. That was it: From that day forward nothing else could ever compete. A ‘Blue’ was born…

my first game was against leeds away. iwas 9 and went to support leeds but the city fans sang all the way though and i know then i would be a city fan.