Remember..March 1981.PAUL POWER!

The Lightbowne Cowboy said:
I've just watched it again and thought exactly the same. Like the polar opposite of these days. Was it Moore on comms or David Coleman?
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Coleman.
He did seem pretty excited about both our goals and very low key about Everton’s. Having said that, his ‘1-0’ following the opener was a standard in nearly all his commentaries.
 
The Lightbowne Cowboy said:
I've just watched it again and thought exactly the same. Like the polar opposite of these days. Was it Moore on comms or David Coleman?
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I'm glad you agree mate,it's not just me over thinking things as usual,lol

The main examples for me are after Gows equaliser" Gow ! They ve equalised! Just when it mattered most!!"

This after being rather underwhelmed when Peter Eastoe opens the scoring for everton, describing it almost as a non event ,in a similar fashion to perhaps Martin Tyler describing David silvas goal for us at Anfield in front of the kop few years back...
 
Luddite_Blue said:
1981 semi final extended highlights (2 hrs 4 mins)

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Already evident from watching this early on that Tommy Hutch ( norm left wing)is playing a deep centre mid role for Bond ,a Pep like tactical switch maybe to confuse Ipswich,at the time,one of the most powerful teams in Europe,whilst we were dusting ourselves down from being in the bottom 3 of the old 1st division under Big Mal...and exceeding all expectations under John Bond..wed already ,of course made the semi finals of the league cup v Liverpool...

For younger Blues watching this...it's important to have some context...

Young Dave Bennett was up against One of the best centre backs in the country at the time,Terry Butcher...Bennett is clearly nervous early on as noticed by the commentator....but Bennett sticks to his task very well for a young Mancunian lad ,and is responsible for teasing and drawing the foul from Butcher,which leads to the free kick....deep into injury time of extra time...which of course Power put away superbly.

Just going back to Bennett,yes he started off nervous ,but his career has gone( in just a few short months ) from him dancing down the wing in the mud at Halifax Town in the fa cup debacle....to being part of John Bonds squad rising from the bottom of the top league and reaching TWO cup semi finals in the same season.!
I'm so glad Bennett received a fa cup final winners medal in later years,albeit with a different shade of Blue.

Just for some more context,Ipswich Town in 81 had Paul5-1 Cooper in goal,Scottish right back George burley,England left back Mick Mills Terry Butcher,the Powerful Kevin Beattie at centre back ,big Paul Mariner.EricGates and Alan Brazil all at the time top quality players.not to mention the suberbly quality of the Dutch international midfield maestros

And of course John Wark Scottish international centre mid,who iirc scored 34 goals in one season from midfield!!

This was a big big win for City,with a hotspotch team against one of the best teams in the country

Any old time City fan who doesn't remember this era fondly prob needs to give his head a wobble ; )
 
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i was there, just turned 17 with a few mates the same age. We’d been to anfield for the league cup semi a few weeks before so I thought I’d seen the worst of the scousers. I was mistaken. Getting out of goodison to lime street that day was something else. We were right behind the goal when power lobbed the keeper. It felt like it was in the air forever. It’s right up there for me with any high I’ve ever had at a game.
 
Didn't go to the Ipswich game but remember the game against Everton and the walk to Goodison from the station. There.were scousers lobbing stuff at us as we were escorted. I was young and nervous. But it was all part of the experience of football and indeed life in those days.
The replay against Everton was great as were the two games against Liverpool in the LC.
 
shadowplay said:
i was there, just turned 17 with a few mates the same age. We’d been to anfield for the league cup semi a few weeks before so I thought I’d seen the worst of the scousers. I was mistaken. Getting out of goodison to lime street that day was something else. We were right behind the goal when power lobbed the keeper. It felt like it was in the air forever. It’s right up there for me with any high I’ve ever had at a game.
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That’s what I always remember…the ball taking ages in the air and similar with Gows goal….the ball just seemed to hang in the air.

We had played Everton on the Boxing Day a couple of months earlier and before the match my dad had a heart attack just outside Goodson (it was a bit of a blur but think it was on Gwladys St) and died in hospital about an hour later and so was in two minds about going to this one for obvious reasons.

Remember it being an unbelievable atmosphere but there had been a feeling right from the start of the cup run that we would be going to Wembley….should have been going twice had Alf Grey being the only person in the ground seeing something wrong with the Kevin Reeves goal.

Such a shame that Tommy Hutchinson was in the wrong place at the wrong time in the final.
 
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shadowplay said:
i was there, just turned 17 with a few mates the same age. We’d been to anfield for the league cup semi a few weeks before so I thought I’d seen the worst of the scousers. I was mistaken. Getting out of goodison to lime street that day was something else. We were right behind the goal when power lobbed the keeper. It felt like it was in the air forever. It’s right up there for me with any high I’ve ever had at a game.
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Thanks for your input Blue
And again ,another older Blue ,who remembers just how important this match is in our long proud history...This was Manchester City ,on the metal,..Going places,..bouncing from the depths of the of the foot of the old Division one.....to take on the best teams in the country...at the time.This era ,for me,is unforgettable.....short lived as it was...a magical, exciting time for all Blues around the country.

Aa an aside ..your username points towards an excellent choice in music ,SP being, probably my fav Joy Division track of all time....you must have been Buzzing in this era Blue!

Glad I've sparked a few memories for you( not the violence from goodison to Lime Street station.obviously!) ....for me City playing in red and black,away from home Tommy hutch and Gerry Gow..Steve McKenzie playing with the No.9 shirt.iconic,Paul Power a child hood favourite of mine,what a name! This City era really was The Business.
 
Alfie Budd said:
All these years, drama and trophies later, that game at Goodison still lands in my top five City watching experiences.
Paul Power’s goal and the subsequent celebrations never fail to send shivers down the spine.
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That's how I feel about it,and I wasn't even there !
Listening on my old radio,knowing id be late for my paper round job as the match went deep into extra time sat afternoon....the Relief and Joy when the commentator told me Power had scored.
My word! Happy Days!!
 
Blueknows said:
Was there , mental scenes when the equaliser went in , mental scenes running through stanley park afterwards as well
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Sounds scary.
I've done the Stanley Park walk/ run a few times over the years....but not in the early 80s!!
As I got older watching City away...Big Paul Bevan and Micky Owen introduced me to an old Irish boozer,just down from Stanley Park,and away days in Liverpool were definitely more relaxed and friendly as the years went by.
I actually started to look forward to drinking in Liverpool and would meet up with pals at 10amMa Eggertons at the train station before bouncing into Dixie Deans up the road.
Happy Days!
 
dennishasdoneit said:
That's how I feel about it,and I wasn't even there !
Listening on my old radio,knowing id be late for my paper round job as the match went deep into extra time sat afternoon....the Relief and Joy when the commentator told me Power had scored.
My word! Happy Days!!
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Are you getting confused with the semi final at Villa Park mate?
 
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