The only main transfer has been the move of Mahrez from Leicester. His form in the pre-season games in the USA showed he will be more than useful in the City attack this coming season. With the World Cup dominating the summer there were hardly any first team players in the three games with the youngsters given the chance to show what they are capable of. Looks like Joe Hart is off to Burnley who have got two keepers injured. It was a pretty easy win at Wembley against Chelsea. With both teams lacking key players it was not a full house there. Aguero at last got his 200th goal for City following a good run and pass by Foden. Aguero followed up with a second goal thanks to a good pass from Benardo Silva. With better finishing it might have been four or five nil!. benardo Silva had a good game as did Phil Foden who did not look out of place. Mendy attacked well down the left flank. Bravo gave us some OMG moments but his distribution was good. Fernandinho captain for the day once more bossed the middle of the park and overall it looks very promising for the new season.
Well it was a good start for City at Arsenal ( I nearly said Highbury - those were the days!) with a clear two nil win which should have been four with better finishing. With no De Bruyne,Sane or David Silva in the starting team it was a pretty decent effort. At the back Stones had a good game as did Walker and Mendy was good going forward down the left flank but he will have to swot up on his defensive work. Benardo Silva played well and scored a cracking second goal after Sterling got City off the mark in the first half. I thought Fernandinho and Gundogan were a little below par and Ederson actually made an error - he kept a clean sheet though.
After the great home display against Huddesfield it was a bit of a disappointing effort against Wolves. Two many players were well below par and nobody really stood out. Too many misplaced passes and the post kept the City score to a headed goal - the first by Laporte. There was a doubt about the Wolves goal but they had several chances thanks to defensive errors. Unlike the Huddesfield game we really missed Kevin! With Bravo off injured for a good while we have to hope Ederson does not get hurt.
There was one bit of good news as a team from Salford got thumped by Spurs at home.

The terrible event at Leicester City rather over-shadowed the City game at Wembley against Spurs. On a pretty poor pitch following the American football game the previous day City did well to win by the early goal by Mahrez. City return to the top of the league with a really improved defence. The return of De Bruyne is good news too.

I first saw him play in April 1959 when I was stationed in Norwich. I watched Norwich beat Chesterfield 2-1 at Carrow Road. It must have been one of his final games for Chesterfield as I next saw him play for Leicester against Blackpool in September 1959 in a one all draw. It was his debut for Leicester.
I saw him play against City several times at Maine Road including a cup tie before he moved to Stoke in 1967.
Harry Dowd was in goal for City in those days. In City's winning league season 1967-68 watched him play for Stoke in a 4-2 City win. Earlier that season I saw him play for England in a 2 nil win over ireland at Wembley in the UEFA European Championships.

Above is Young scoring past Banks in a 4 nil City win in 1970. More pics HERE

City 7 Schalke 0

March notes

City continued their good form and I look forward to another visit to Wembley for the FA Cup Final providing we deal with Brighton early in April.
However we did have some very bad news when we heard about the death of Bernard Halford our life President and ex secretary for many years. He was 77 and was dedicated to the club. Below I have put some images of him taken over many years.

At the end of City's win against Stoke at Wembley in 2011. Benard was sporting his famous red and black scarf

I have found out that City will be playing in Hong Kong during the summer and have a game against Kitchee on July 24th. I refereed in the HK League in the 50's and the pic on the left shows me reffing the Stanley Shield Final in the National Stadium on May27th 1957. South China who were the top team then won 4 nil. It was a muddy pitch! I doubt whether I could ref the game now!
I officiated in quite a few Kitchee games in my 2 years there. They will give City a good game.

After just a few minutes of slight concern when Liverpool and Brighton scored City hit back within a minute or so through Aguero and went on to score three more goals from Laporte, Mahrez and Gundogan and yet again the Premiership was ours! With Liverpool winning too the winning difference was just one point. It was City's 14th win on the trot - amazing. Other records included the fewest minutes trailing -132 and the most minutes leading in a season - 2088. Compared with last season we did slip up this season - the distance covered in miles was 7 down - 2640 compared to 2647 last season - Benardo will have to try harder!!!!
So now we have to beat Watford to win the FA Cup and a magnificent treble of trophies.

What an end to the season with this magnificent win at Wembley. It was my 30th visit to Wembley - the first was in 1954. Seeing City now compared with that incredible promotion play-off against Gillingham in May 1999 makes you realise how important that goal by Paul Dickov and the penalty saves by Nicky Weaver was. Some pics from that vital win are HERE. Only a few pics from the Div 2 days - HERE
To win three major trophies this season was a great send off for Vincent Kompany who alas will be leaving us for Anderlecht. Perhaps he will return in ten years to be manager when Pep goes on holiday!.

Benardo....................7.80 (26 games).....................last season 7.00
De Bruyne.................7.73 (15 games).....................last season 7.93
Aguero......................7.72 (18 games).................... last season 7.34
Kompany...................7.70 (10 games).....................last season 7.14
Fernandinho..............7.63 (19 games)... .................last season 7.47
Sterling......................7.42 (24 games)....................last season 7.23
Silva..........................7.42 (21 games) ....................last season 7.65
Foden........................7.36 (7 games)
Stones.......................7.17 (17 games)....................last season 7.28
Gundogan..................7.15 (19 games)....................last season 7.14
Laporte......................7.08 (24 games)....................last season 6.85
Sane..........................7.06 (16 games......................last season 7.30
Jesus.........................7.05 (17 games)....................last season 6.71
Ederson ....................7.04 (29 games)....................last season 7.13
Zinchenko..................7.00 (15 games)....................last season 6.15
Mendy........................7.00 ( 7 games).
Danilo.........................6.94 (9 games).....................last season 6.83
Mahrez.......................6.90 (13 games)
Walker.......................6.84 (25 games)....................last season 6.90
Delph.........................6.80 (6 games)......................last season 7.07
Otamendi...................6.50 (14 games)....................last season 7.04

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