Happy 77th Birthday To Club Legend Joe Corrigan

Joe Corrigan 1981 FA Cup Semi-Final Match Worn Shirt

A brilliant FA Cup campaign under new manager John Bond during the 1980/81 season saw City arrive at Villa Park for a semi-final clash with Bobby Robson’s much fancied International star-studded team on Saturday April 11th April 1981.

Bond, who had arrived during October 1980 was quickly stamping his mark on the club who were, at the time, failing fast. Some much-needed steel was added to the squad when he snapped up the experienced Scottish trio of Bobby McDonald, Tommy Hutchison and Gerry Gow. All three were instrumental during FA Cup wins over former manager Malcolm Allison’s Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Peterborough, Everton, following a replay, City hitting seventeen goals along the way.

With both teams opting for their away colours for the semi-final, which meant an outing for the much popular black and red style away strip that was in its second of the three campaigns it was used, and also the second of two that the shirt featured the Manchester Coat of Arms crest before it switched to the circular crest for 1981/82 season.

In what was to become one of City’s most iconic fixtures of the 1980’s, skipper Paul Power lashed home a 100th minute extra time winning strike to send the mass City faithful home happy following a tense and tight fixture which saw the blues book a first Wembley FA Cup final date in twelve years following the 1969 final appearance and victory over Leicester City, curtesy of a Neil Young solitary strike. Power’s strike may never have happened if it wasn’t for Town’s Eric Gates deciding not to close the City skipper down as he was instructed to knock the ball on for Tommy Caton to strike it, this was the plan but as Gates never moved from the wall so Power took the decision himself to strike, and the rest, as they say, is history.

This traditional all green number one keeper jersey was worn during the semi-final victory over Ipswich by legendary blues stopper Joe Corrigan, or ‘Big Joe’ as he’s more affectionately known. The Sale born Corrigan would amass just over 600 City games between the City sticks, an appearance number only bettered by Alan Oakes, he would pick up two League Cup winners medals, a European Cup winners medal and nine England caps along the way although many believe that number should have been much higher. The popular keeper would make a City debut against Blackpool during March 1967 with his final outing coming some 16 years later against Swansea City in March 1983.

Following his retirement from playing Big Joe endured a highly successful goalkeeping coaching career at the likes of Leeds, Barnsley, Bradford, Celtic, Liverpool and West Brom before finally hanging his gloves up and can now be found back at City as part of the match day hospitality team, where he always seems to have time for everyone to say hello and chat about the club dear to his heart and one he represented with such distinction.

Happy Birthday Big Joe

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Happy birthday Big Joe. Meet him in mid 70s post a Chelsea away match. I was so small and he was so tall I swear I thought he had clouds around his head. Told him that years later when met him again at Wembley pre one of our league cup domination wins. Lovely chap. He was sat with Tommy and Peter. Great to see my first heroes before going out to cheer on my current ones.
 
Happy birthday big fella. Best goalkeeper in the land during your peak years and deserved many more England caps than you were awarded. Certainly would have got them had you been at a more entitled club at the time.
 
Cravenvirgin said:
Happy birthday big fella. Best goalkeeper in the land during your peak years and deserved many more England caps than you were awarded. Certainly would have got them had you been at a more entitled club at the time.
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Peter Shilton was hardly at a more entitled club at the time. Joe was unfortunate in that Shilton and Clemence were both established in the England set up before Joe had developed into the great goalkeeper he became. Phil Parkes at QPR was the other one who missed out at the same time. There was a match we played v QPR - shows in the records as a 0-0 draw but it was a brilliant match that only stayed 0-0 because of a goalkeeping masterclass by both of them.

Happy birthday Joe - lots of fond memories of his time with us.
 
cyan said:
Peter Shilton was hardly at a more entitled club at the time. Joe was unfortunate in that Shilton and Clemence were both established in the England set up before Joe had developed into the great goalkeeper he became. Phil Parkes at QPR was the other one who missed out at the same time. There was a match we played v QPR - shows in the records as a 0-0 draw but it was a brilliant match that only stayed 0-0 because of a goalkeeping masterclass by both of them.

Happy birthday Joe - lots of fond memories of his time with us.
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You’re right about Shilton but Clemence was with the beloved Dippers and I believe he got more caps than Joe despite the fact that imo Joe was better. He was also better, again imo than Shilton.
 
He was on Liverpool's coaching staff when we were relegated in 1996 after the infamous 2-2 draw.

He did an interview where he said he saw City players sat on the tunnel floor crying after the game, and then said he filled up and he felt like crying with them.

Once a blue, and all that.
 
2nd most appearances for City, ever. Felt sorry for Big Joe when turning up for his testimonial. The attendance was really poor. Lost form and confidence for a couple of seasons, but showed his character by coming back to be one of the best in England. Great servant for us and a great bloke.
 
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