My Dad took me to my first City game at Chelsea in April 1975. A bright sunny day, a starry eyed young me approaching 13 years of age. We had tickets in the Chelsea stand and I was worried we would be nowhere near any City fans. As the teams came out the four men in front of us jumped up signing songs about Rodney Marsh. Fellow blues. And I was off. Lost in the ultimate brand loyalty that is your own football team. Hero worshipping Asa from that day forward as he scored on the volley from a free kick chipped over the wall, from Colin Bell I think. So we won on my first ever game. I met Asa years later at Gillingham when we were in our darkest hours in the old 3rd division and he was one of the coaches. I asked to shake his hand. My way of saying thank you some 25 years later.

Tueart, Bell, Doyle, Marsh, Big Joe in goal…a fantastic team that won the cup the next year and nearly won the league two years later. I remember being in tears as I filled in my wall chart as we had been pipped by Liverpool to the title.

I was a little lad & was torn on whether i should follow my dad’s red heart or my older brother’s blue. This day, sat on the wall at the front of the corner of the Kippax next to the North stand, convinced me that blue was the only way to go… never looked back! Also helped that we beat United that day!

Maine Road on a very cold day in January 1972. City v Wolves. City win 5-2. Saw myself in the crowd on MOTD that night !!!

The moment I became a City fan. I can remember it like it happened just a heartbeat ago, I was 14 years old and peering over the wall behind the goal at the Platt Lane End of Maine Road when the god like figure of The King, Colin Bell majestically headed home City’s second goal of the evening against Atletico Bilbao, Time did indeed stand still, and my head and my heart took a picture that makes me forever bound
to my beloved City.

I remember City won pretty easily and beat Bristol City who were near the top. My Dad took me for the first time with my little brother and uncle. I was aged about 11 or 12. My Dad was a United fan but agreed to take my bro and my Uncle who was a regular at Maine Road. By the way, my Dad converted gradually to becoming a City boy. We now go fairly regularly together!! Lots of memories of that era, shamefully all I remember about my first game was the amazing roar of the crowd. From that point on we wanted to go to all the games. Moving away from Manchester made it more difficult. However, the saying “once a blue, always a blue” still applies……….Except in my Dads case !!

My first game was in 1978 (I think – maybe 77) My dad took me when i was 7 or 8 and we sat on the old wooden benches on the left in the main stand looking onto the pitch. It was chucking it down. the game sticks in my head for three reasons:
1. King Kenny Clements broke a leg.
2. My first city goal was Asa Hartford scoring what seemed like a 20 yard header.
3. Even though we got beat 2-1 I loved it.

If this game was in 77 then it was the year after Dennis T scored his scissor kick to win the league cup. I wonder if anyone else has been going so long without seeing them win a (proper) trophy?

A miserable 20th November in 1976 with City at home to WBA saw a young lad approaching his 10th birthday, and yet to be really bitten by the City bug, make his Maine Road debut. The blues had won the League Cup earlier in the year and created a childhood hero for me in Dennis Tueart after his spectacular overhead kick winner.
How fitting then that I should make my first visit to Maine Road with a family friend and witness Tueart run what seemed the length of the pitch before firing in another spectacular winner as City won 1-0.
There began a lifetime of following the club home and away yet still waiting for my first major trophy.

My first game at Maine Road City v Newcastle boxing day 1977. Colin Bell returns from injury. can’t remember the first half apart from i was sat with my mate in the kippax on the tunnel next to the away fans. But what a second half when Colin Bell came on the place erupted, Newcastle never stood a chance it was amazing. We would have beaten any team in the world that day. ps This was also my future wife’s first game at Maine Road. her Dad took her and said at halftime she was a jinx and he wouldn’t bring her again he certainly changed his mind in the second half.

It was 3 days after my 9th birthday when my next door neighbours asked if i wanted to go to maine rd, got the bus to town from Droylsden then one to princess park way bus depot. Everything was exciting, nothing could describe the feeling when i could see the blinding floodlights the immaculate bright green pitch and hear the deafening roar of the crowd.30yrs on and still ADDICTED

P.S. — ask the wife.

My Dad, a Wolves fan, took me to see Wolves v City at Molineux I think he was trying to get me to follow the Wolves. City won 4-0. Dennis Tuart scored a fantastic overhead Goal. I have been a City Fan ever since that memorable day.