My First City Game » Favourites

MCFC V Birmingham 07/08

Angela Allen — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:04:45 +0000

My Husband Rob is Blue through and through but due to work commitments hadn’t been to a match at Eastlands. Finally he had a Saturday off I plotted with our sons we would say we where going to the Science and Industry Museum we arrived at Piccadilly and got in a taxi his jaw dropped when I asked the cabbie for the City Of Manchester Stadium!!! We arrived at the ground I was impressed by the size of the place we got our tickets and even met Moonchester outside. We where in tier 3 of the East Stand. Match time the noise was great the singing and cheering Elano scored a great goal in the bottom corner Rob nearly lost his voice!! 45,000 Left happy at full time me included I really enjoyed the day and I think Rob forgave me the lying about where we where going

Sven Gorran Erickson

Noah Thompson — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:33:06 +0000

(think thats how you spell it!)

My first city match was on my 8th birthday. I am now 10. I had supported city all my life, but i never got a chance to see a match. Because we moved to London. But this is about the game so no more of my life story.

Their were loads of fans turning up to see city play Birmingham. It was so crowded it was a nightmare to find a parking place.

I was dumb struck by finnaly seeing the stadium in real life it was a lot bigger then i had expected.

As the game started my dad started singing ( very embarrasing!)And the whole of the crowd was singing too it gave me a sensational feeling in my heart. Because i grew up in London everyone was supporting Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool etc etc…
so i always felt my family and I were the only supporters in the world!So it felt good, i attempted to sing but i could’nt.

The match was slow and not exciting but I did’nt care i was part of the wonderful atmosphere.

Finnaly we scored a goal,contreversal but still a goal.

The game was finishing when the crowd started singing”SVEN GORRAN ERICKSON, SVEN GORRAN ERRICKSON.” By this time at least i could sig so i sang.

Noah Thompson

My First City Game

Natalie Ross — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:51:50 +0000

My first City game was against Tottenham Hotspur at the City of Manchester Stadium with my Dad. It was an evening kick-off and therefore the thing that I remember the most was my first ever sight of the CoMS lit up, and looking up to see the blue lights of the stanchions, on the black night sky background. We lost the game but that did not matter, because I got the chance to see all of my heroes live, wearing the sky blue shirt, at the best stadium in the world. One of the greatest things was the atmosphere during the game, and standing up to sing “BLUE MOON”, to encourage the Blues. When we left the stadium, I must have been the only City fan smiling, because it was the best night of my life.

Kinkladze’s Magic Maiden Goal!

Tom McGauley — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 23:15:12 +0000

November 25th 1995 is a day that will live with me forever; City v Villa was my first City game, and what a game!! I was in the Platt Lane (Umbro)Stand and the atmosphere bristled from before kickoff as Bert Trautmann was honoured before the City faithful. Keith Curle led the Blues on to the field to the strains of ‘Roll with it’ by Oasis and City played well against a decent Villa outfit. Just as it seemed that the game would finish deadlocked at 0-0 City launched a final determined attack. Niall Quinn (minus disco pants!) showed a deft touch on the edge of the box, collecting the ball with his back to the Villa goal before skillfully laying it off to the Georgian magician who duly dispatched the ball into the far corner of the Villa goal. Throughout the hallowed ground unadulterated bedlam greeted Kinky’s first goal for City and a raucous rendition of Blue Moon brought the game to a victorious conclusion. And after all….you’re my Alan Ball! Still gives me goose bumps when I think of it.

Amanda Heywood — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:23:52 +0000

I married a Mancunian / City fan and I think it was on my second visit to Manchester that I went to my first game at City of Manchester Stadium. City beat Barnsley FC 7-0.
After watching sooo many games on the telly over here and watching sooo many losses it felt like they played that game just for me.
The scoreboard went on the frizt during that game and the joke was that it never had to go that high before.
I love Man City and I love Manchester!
Amanda
Montreal,Quebec

Ballet on Ice – 9 December 1967

Philip van Gass — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:26:45 +0000

From a faraway sun drenched land I listened to a radio commentary. The commentator described how Mercer’s men purred along like one of those olden day Rolls Royces that never went wrong. He said they would be promoted and then I realized that my boyhood dream was coming alive. I knew that I had to be there ………….
……..In amongst a sea of faces on the vast bank of the Kippax stand, the snow on the field glistened as it reflected the pale sunlight that seeped through a slate gray sky and the snow continued to fall. The only blue sky to be seen was in the colour of the shirts as Allison’s men passed a ball around with slide-rule precision while the men in white stumbled and floundered helplessly.
The outstanding feature of this game was the combination between Mike Summerbee and Neil Young. Their interplay resulted in: first, a rasping shot by Young on the volley from a long cross by Summerbee which the goalkeeper saved, then another powerful effort by Young which hit the crossbar and finally, at last, Summerbee scoring from Young’s diagonal left wing cross for City’s second goal.
Before that, Jimmy Greaves opened the scoring for Spurs when he drifted to the right as a free kick was being taken and latched on to the ball after it deflected off the wall. City equalized through Colin Bell after the ball had ricocheted off several legs in the penalty area as Spurs failed to clear. Half time 1-1.
Then came Summerbee’s piece of controlled inspiration, 2-1. Tony Coleman scored the third goal when the ball rebounded off the post after interplay between Summerbee and Lee. Finally, after a sweeping move by City, the goalkeeper failed to hold on to the ball amidst a goal mouth scramble and Young tapped the ball in.
Final score 4-1, and a memorable game of football was over.

Philip van Gass
Cape Town
South Africa

Mike Summerbee’s Jaguar…..!!!

Frank Chorley — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:05:15 +0000

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!!)

Rachael Mason — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:45:11 +0000

My first game at the City of Manchester was Man City V Wigan the final sore was a draw but even though the score was a draw I still really enjoyed it. It was the best birthday treat I have ever had. I even got to have a photo with Moonchester the mascot.

First City game

Leslie Saul — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:44:31 +0000

My first City game was in September 1938 when I was 9 years old.I think it was against Nottinham Forest.City were in the Second Division after being relegated the previous season.I remember catching the Football Special Tram outside Manchester Town Hall with my Father.We got off at the side of the Princess Rd.Bus Depot and after walking through the side streets came out in front of the City ground an awe inspiring sight.My Father gave me sixpence and I went through the Boy’s Entrance in the Platt Lane Stand, meeting my Father inside.We went through the tunnel and saw the ground and the crowd for the first time and knew that this was going to be a big part of my life from then on.We watched the men with their trays full of packets of Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls throwing packets into the crowd and people throwing their pennies back to the vendors.We then went up the stairs to the top,I thought we would never get to the top but we eventually did.It was the Boy’s Corner,I stood at the Barrier and my Father stood just below me.The view was fantastic,I can’t remember the result but I will never forget My First Game.

Manchester City v Bolton Wanderers – Saturday 29th March 1980.

Daniel McGowan — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:23:26 +0000

I was only aged 6 in March 1980.
I don’t recall anything at that time which gave me any feeling for a particular football team. I can remember seeing football on the telly and playing ” footy ” on the street in Ashton Under Lyne but that was all. All that changed on Saturday 29th March 1980.

My Dad who was teaching at St Matthews, Moston , came home and told me that the school had organised a trip to a football match.
It actually turned out that a German exchange trip were over and the school had arranged for the group to attend a game. I can remember being excited that I was going to a real football match but not being bothered who was playing – probably a bit like the Germans really !

The strange thing is that my recollection of the whole “real football match experience ” is vivid while the actual football & goals are hazy. My mum packed my school bag with lots of food; crisps, butties & loads of chocolate.

I remember my Dad walking me across what must have been an untarmaced Kippax car park,
it was really muddy, full of pot holes & massive puddles and then buying me a badge from a stall which resembled a shed more than a shop.
It wasn’t a proper enamel pin badge, but a cloth City badge like the ones you used to get for swimming lengths at school.

I can remember my Dad pointing out the sky blue mosaic on what turned out to to be the Maine Stand Façade. I didn’t know where I was going, I was just really excited to be going somewhere new. I also remember an old man on the gate telling me to lift my bag of goodies over the turnstiles so it wouldn’t get caught.

When we got inside my Dad bought me the programme ( which I still have today ), I didn’t read any of the articles as the words looked too big but I did look at the pictures – some of which were in colour!

Looking back at the records now it is clear that the game was an important relegation battle and that probably explains why I remember it being the noisiest place I had ever been too.

We sat on the very back row of the Maine Stand. The low overhanging roof meant I was not able to see any of the sky and it felt very dark.
When the players ran out onto the pitch I can remember thinking
how bright & shiny the sky blue shirts of City and the pure white shirts of Bolton were, in contrast to how dark it was at the back of the Maine Stand, which still had the old low roof with the raised section in the middle.

I didn’t know who it was who but my Dad explained at the start of the game that City’s best player was Dennis Tueart and he pointed to where I would see him. It didn’t take long for me to see Dennis Tueart score ,and for him to become my first favourite City player. The thing I recall most is the fact that I saw grown ups getting excited, shouting & screaming but enjoying themselves and looking like part of a group – a gang for grown ups.

The game ended 2- 2. Dennis Tueart scored both and City stayed up. On looking at the records now I realise it must be a memorable game for Dennis Tueart too as these were the first goals he scored for City since re signing from New York Cosmos.

To most of the 33,500 people there that day , it was probably just another game long since forgotten. To me though, it was the most exciting thing I had ever been to and I became a passionate Manchester City fan and Maine Road regular there & then.

The following week my Dad bought me the 1980 Panini Stickers Album. I knew it was a good omen when I got Tony Henry in my first packet !
I also got another present too. It was a City kit which my Mum had secretly sewed the cloth City badge onto. I was delighted with it and wore it on the street. The other kids pointed out that the blue was too dark to be a real City kit ( It was in fact a royal blue football shirt resembling Everton. ) but I didn’t care because I could say I had been to Maine Road and seen Dennis Tueart score for Manchester City, and that was all that mattered.