The home Central League match against Coventry City in 1979, will always mark, for one three year old who was in the crowd, a seminal life changing event.
The tightly packed streets that surrounded Maine Road, disguised a huge stadium, who’s floodlight reached further than I could see. In the ground the maze of corridors, and the smell of Bovril greeted me. I then climbed the steps to be met by an ocean of luscious green, and a huge bowl of terraces and seats. I don’t know what the score was or what players played that day, but what I do know is that I instantly fell in love, with a team that could infuriate me, put me in ecstacy, make me laugh, make me cry-but a team I could never leave, I would always be a blue.

As a yorkshire lad I wasn’t able to go see City until this game. My Mother’s boyfriend (a Leeds fan) brought me to see the game. I had always hated Leeds more than any other team and it really hurt that we lost 1-0. It was a brilliant experience for me though and it is impossible to describe my feelings as I went through the tunnel to the Kippax. Peter Barnes was the young superstar at City, but my hero from those times was Dennis Tuart. I was 14 at the time, by the end of the season I was a regular at Maine Road and a season ticket holder the year after

My friend David Wright asked me if i wanted to go to the City game against Mansfield, it was a really cold night and my mum did not want me to go as i was only 9 years old! She agreed when to let me go as Davids uncle was taking us. I was really excited and got wrapped up warm. We drove down and the first thing we could see were the floodlights and the fans walking down. We got parked up and took the short walk to the match, there were thousands of fans outside the ground as we walked round to the kippax, we went through the turnstiles and I looked up at the stairs which seemed to go on and on forever. we went in and I was lifted up to sit on the big white wall at the side of the tunnel with a big drop on the other side. The noise sounded deafening to me when we scored! We won 4-2 and went on to lift the trophy. I was completely hooked and will never forget the feeling of not knowing what was going to happen, nothing has changed!!!

I’m sure you can imagine Northern Ireland was quite a turbulent place to grow up in during the 1970’s, the community relations branch of the old RUC and Army used to organise trips to England on a regular basis for teenagers to remove them from what was going on in the towns and cities. Being a 13 year old City supporter I jumped at the chance to join one of the trips which was heading to Maine Road. The game itself was a blur as I tried to take in the surroundings and the atmosphere, we won 2-0 and I think that win put us to the top of the old first division. It really was am unforgettable weekend.

It is a distant memory, but not a dream that at the end of the ’70s my dad took me to see City reserves at home. The memory was not the match, but the fact that my dad and I got into the changing rooms at the end of the game to meet Watson, Channon and Barnes. Aged 9 I was too shy to speak, but confident enough to stride out on the pitch afterwards to take air penalties which nestled into the goal at the North Stand End.

April 28th 1973. Malcolm Allison newly appointed Crystal Palace manager brings his team to Maine Road. I was 5 years old sat in the main stand, knowing at that age it was the greatest place on the earth, and in typical fashion so began my Manchester City life with a 3-2 defeat to a team who would later be relegated. It didn’t matter though it was City at Maine Road.

As a nine year old living in South Wales I had the opportunity to travel to ashton gate in the car with my father and best friend and his father, being too small I had to sit on my dads shoulders so I could see the game which we lost 1-0 thanks to a Gerry Gow free kick who was later to sign for city, city had a Gary Owen overhead kick disallowed I remember. I left disappointed not expecting what happened next as on the motorway a coach overtook us and the guy sat in the front seat looking gloomy looked like Joe Corrigan I thought, I quickly realised it was the team coach and players on seeing my city bobble hat started to give me the thumbs up out of the windows of the coach as it past making sure I never forgot my first city game!!

My first game was in Feb 1970. My grandad took me and our kid (aged 10 and to the away derby, where we were able to buy tickets at the box office on the day.
Sat in the middle of the “enemy”, we excitedly celebrated Mike Doyle’s opening goal at the Stretford End,and City went on to win 2-1. Hooked from that day on!

My first game was in February 1974, my friend and I had said we would go and watch City, but we went and picked a league cup semi final against Plymouth Argyle! We were 14 at the time and the queues were amazing, one kind soul got us near the front of the queue to go into the Kippax near to the North Stand. We ended up coming up the steps in the corner, what I saw was just breath taking with the floodlights on and the immense noise from all around the ground, it is something that will never ever leave me and I can conjure it up in my mind whenever I doubt my sanity at supporting City, then I know why I have paid for a season ticket every year since, it is love, plain and simple. We won 2-0 and were at Wembley.

Bleak Otober night in October 78 after a 1-1 draw at Bloomfield. We won 3-1. I was sat in the Platt Lane end. I don’t really recall the goals, I think I was in awe of the place & the special atmosphere. Most vivid memory was Peter Barnes hitting the post to the north stand end in the second half! happy days!!!