miserable moments

The recent death of Glyn Pardoe brought back memories from the past. He had the record of being the youngest player to have appeared for the first team. He was only 15 and 300 plus days old when I watched him play against Birmingham. No pics alas but my notes for the game mentioned that City missed several open goals in the first half before being well beaten. We both shared June 1st as a birthday. The City team that day was - Trautmann, Kennedy, Sear: Benson, Leivers, Oakes: Young, Dobing,
Pardoe, Hayes and Wagstaffe. Glyn played over 300 league games for City

Over the many years I have supported City there have been bad days both home and away and this web page will cover some of them. Younger City fans may need to hide behind the sofa!

Zabaleta gets a red card on 83 minutes for a second yellow!

Just on 90 minutes Watson scored for Wigan at a corner

With City in second place and Wigan about to be relegated surely City should have easily won this Wembley Final.
It was not to be and a poor display by the sky blues ended in a surprise defeat. It probably did not help that a change of manager was in the wind with Pellegrini likely to take over from Mancini,
Hart 6, Zabaleta 6 Kompany 6, Nastasic 5.5, Clichy 5, Yaya Toure 5, Barry 5 (Dzeko) , Nasri 5 (Milner 6), Silva 7, Aguero 6.5, Tevez 7 (Rodwell 6)
Lots of interesting stuff on my - 2012-13 page

With only a few minutes to go Joey Barton was sent off by referee Riley following an altercation with Faye

City were two down after just 25 minutes due to some guy called Anelka putting the ball past Weaver.
Now that name sounds familiar!!!

Not the best result on a cold day just before Christmas. I'm sure manager Pearce had much to say later!
Weaver 6: Onuoha 5.5. Dunne 5.5, Distin 5, Thatcher 5 (Samaras 5): Trabelsi 5.5, Barton 6.5, Ireland 4.5,
Miller 4.5: Dickov 4.5 (Dabo 6) Vassell 5
more pics HERE

It all started as early as the 4th minute. Viera started it all on the half way line.His cross field ball found Lauren who sent the most innocent of diagonal passes through the City defence and there strode Bergkamp to slot home the easiest of chances

Worse was to come. Another Henry run was stopped by Nash who conceded a corner. This was headed home by Campbell who beat Howey in the air

Nash 6: Dunne 3, Howey 5, Sommeil 5: Sun 5, Berkovic 6, Foe 6, Belmadi 4, Jensen 5: Fowler 6, Anelka 7

Just before the final whistle City scored a consolation goal when Berkovic and Sun combined and the final cross by the Chinese player was pushed home by Anelka.
It was Howey's last game for City - more pics HERE

Stockport County 4 City 1 March 1945
Well before I took any pics at a game my first away game was in the Northern League War Cup.
Catterick scored all four for County and Williamson scored for City.
Breedon,Jackson, Williams: Walsh, Eastwood, McDowell,:Linaker, Baillie, Williamson, Smith, Grant
It was not a happy cycle ride back to Didsbury!
Good job I didn't go to the home match against them - City lost 5-1!

The 1949-50 season was not the best for City as they were relegated to Division 2. Manager John Thomson had signed an ex prisoner of war Bert Trautmann and I had seen one of his first games - City reserves against Leeds in early November so I was looking forward to seeing him play for the first team against Derby County at the Baseball ground on Dec 3rd.
Alas the weather was awful, the pitch was awful and City were awful - the sky blues losing 7 nil .
Having watched England beat Ireland 9-2 a week or so earlier the result at Derby was very disappointing!
Trautmann, Sproston,Phillips, Murray, Fagan, Walsh, Oakes, Black, Turnbull, Clarke, Westwood

Connelly scores from the spot beating Weaver to give Wimbledon the lead after twenty odd minutes

Connelly scored again after 35 minutes and Shipperley added two late goals to complete the disaster. However this was the only home defeat all season and City finished top of the league and promotion back to the Premiership under Kevin Keegan
more pics HERE

In added time Aguero passed to Sterling who scored and City were 5-3 winners!

An amazing game. City were a goal down from the first leg of this Champions League game so when Sterling gave City the lead after only 5 minutes hopes were high. Things changed however and Spurs went 2-1 up but Benardo scored to make it two all. Sterling and Aguero made it 4-2 and surely we were through. Oh no - Spurs got a goal back thanks to VAR

The. Stadium shook as the players and City fans celebrated until we realized that the dreaded VAR was in action.
Aguero was given offside so it was no goal and Spurs were through on away goals - a misery moment indeed!
Ederson 6.5: Walker 7, Kompany 8, Laporte 5, Mendy 6.5 , Gundogan 7.5, Silva 6.5 (Fernandinho) De Bruyne 8.5, Sterling 8.5, Benardo 8, Aguero 8.5 - more pics HERE

A Rooney header gave United an early lead but things got a lot worse when Kompany was sent off after just 11 minutes.

Welbeck made it two nil on the half hour and Rooney made it three nil following a penalty save by Pantilimon

City came back in the second half with goals by Kolarov and Aguero (above left) but alas despite lots of effort we were out of the FA Cup. At least we had done the double over United in the League and we ended up Champions of the Premiership
more pics HERE

Pantilimon 6.5: Richards 7, Kompany 5, Lescott 6.5, Kolarov 6, De Jong 6.5, Johnson 6 ( Zabaleta 7) Milner 7.5 , Nasri 5 (Hargreaves) Silva 6 ( Savic 6.5) Aguero 8

Not the best of memories this game.It was the last game of the season and for once I was in the main stand at Upton Park courtesy of a ticket from left back Cliff Sear who I knew. City were relegated and subjected to a severe beating

City centre forward Harley is heading for goal.

Hurst - number 10 scoring one of the West Ham goals.

After this game long serving City manager Les McDowall was sacked and replaced by his assistant George Poyser .
The City team was-
Dowd: Kennedy, Sear: Oakes Lievers,Gray: Young, Dobing, Harley, Hayes, Wagstaffe.

City went two goals up with a great strike from Ireland - above left and then a second from Benjani after 20 minutes

After Kamara had scored in the second half Sun Jihai conceded a penalty which Hart saved but Murphy following up made it two all from the rebound and then in the final minute disaster struck when Kamara struck the winner for Fulham - more pics HERE
Team
Hart 7.5: Elano 6.5, Corluka 5.5, Ball 5.5, Sun 4.5: Ireland 7 ( Geovanni 6) , Fernandes 6.5, Johnson 6, Petrov 7.5, Vassell 7 (Caceido 6) , Benjani 7

Early blow for City when Adebayor scored to give Arsenal the lead

Before the half hour Eduardo hooked the ball past Hart to make it two nil

Fernandes reduced the arrears before half time but Adebayor clinched the game for Arsenal in the final moments
It was the end of City's unbeaten home record that season - more pics HERE

Team
Hart 6.5: Corluka 7, Dunne 6, Richards 6, Ball 6: Ireland 5.5 (Mpenza 6), Hamann 6.5 (Geovanni 6), Fernandes 7.5, Petrov 5.5,Elano 7, Sturridge 6 (Vassell 6)

Weaver,Wiekens,Granville, Dunne. Howey, Pearce, Benarbia, Etuhu, Huckerby, Goater, Tiatto

An own goal by Mangala after just 7 minutes was just the start of a depressing day for City fans

Coutinho made it two nil after just 22 minutes

When Firmino made it three nil it was game over

Aguero did get one back with a great long shot just before half time but Skrtel completed the scoring late in the game

Hart 7, Sagna 6, Demichelis 5, Mangala 5, Kolarov 6: Toure 5 ( Delph 6.5) Fernando 6, Navas 6 (Fernandinho 7) De Bruyne 7.5, Sterling 5, Aguero 7.5 ( Iheanacho) more pics HERE

After the defeat at Wembley we hoped for a win but goals by Pilkington and Holt gave the visitors the lead

Rodwell got his second goal to equalize but Howson got the winner for Norwich and it was farewell to Tevez
and not the best end to the season - more pics HERE

Nathan Tyson started the knockout on 37 minutes

Shortly after Earnshaw made it two nil

A defensive error after 75 minutes gave Garner the chance to complete the disaster.
This was the first time since 1963 I had seen City lose in the Cup to a lower league side at home. - more pics HERE

Hart 6: Zabaleta 5, Richards 5, Dunne 6.5, Ball 5: Wright-Phillips 6 ( Vassell 5),
Fernandes 5 (Hamann 5) Kompany 6.5, Elano 5, Sturridge 6, Caicedo 6.5 ( Jo 5)

Hart 6.5, Zabaleta 7, Richards 6, Lescott 6 Kolarov 4, Yaya Toure 5, Rodwell 7.5 ( Silva 6) Milner 7, Nasri 6, Dzeko 6, Tevez 6.5 (Aguero 6)

Huth scored past Hart to put Leicester into the lead after just three minutes

Early in the second half Mahrez made it two nil -
I wonder what happened to him!

on 60 minutes things got worse when Huth scored with a header to make it three nil

Hart 6.5: Zabaleta 6, Otamendi 5, Demichelis 4, Kolarov 5: Toure 5 (Fernando 6.5) Delph 5 ( Iheanacho 6) Fernandinho 6.5, Silva 6 ( Celina) Sterling 6.5, Aguero 6.5

On 16 minutes Mata passes to Rashford who beats Demichelis too easily and he then shoots past Joe Hart to give United the lead

Right at the start of the second half Demichelis fails to pass back to Hart with the right pace and Joe is hurt from the clash with Martial and has to be taken off. Not the best of days! more pics HERE

Team
Hart 6.5 (Caballero 7) Sagna 6.5, Demichelis 4 ( Bony 5 ) Mangala 6.5, Clichy 6.5: Toure 7, Fernandinho 7 Navas 6.5, Silva 6.5, Sterling 6 ( Fernando 6.5) Aguero 7

After 27 minutes Ireland scored to give City the lead

Early in the second half Dempsey equalized for Fulham

Dickson Etuhu smashed the ball past Given to put Fulham ahead and Dempsey made it three one on 82 minutes
more pics HERE

Given 6.5: Richards 6, Dunne 5.5, Onuoha 6, Garrido 6: De Jong 6, Zabaleta 6: Etuhu 5 ( Sturridge 5.5) Ireland 7.5, Petrov 6.5 ( Robinho 6.5) Bojinov 6.5 ( Evans 6.5)