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Totally agree about changing careers. For years I worked with a good salary in IT for a major financial institution. With a young family the security was excellent but the work was not my passion.I needed to research; needed to write. I decided I'd go part time initially because it was such a...

40 years ago today several players who would go on to help the youth team find FA Youth Cup success signed apprentice forms for the club. They include these guys: https://gjfootballarchive.com/2024/07/04/40-years-ago-today-david-white/...

It's between 1985 and 1986... the fences are a big giveaway and the Platt Lane is away fans only by the looks of it. So the Platt Lane became away for the 1985-87 season and I'd have to check but I'm pretty certain the Kippax fence was made higher than this in 1987. In 1984-85 the original fence...

Thanks. It's been out of print since about 2004 but I've scanned it and a PDF of it is available to subscribers to my website: https://gjfootballarchive.com/2023/05/13/farewell-to-maine-road-the-book-re-appears-2/ Manchester A Football History and my first book From Maine Men to Banana Citizens...

Yesterday he was talking about when the deal was signed in 2011 (rewriting history I suppose we'd call it as his views now are somewhat different to August 2011). The attached image shows what he says about the 'mid table nonentities' actually the FA Cup holders who finished 3rd (same points as...

I think this is the point. His article back in 2011 was believable and seemed to be well thought out. Obviously, we can all change our minds as we hear other stuff but this was such a strong piece and so it's really odd that a view can swing so much. I'm not certain if he'll edit this article...

I see Nick has been posting about City’s 2011 sponsorship deal claiming City were midtable nonentities and valuation was way out of line. However, it’s worth noting that in August 2011 he held a different view and believed it could actually be under value! Have a look at what he said back then...

Ah, the old fence separating home and away fans behind the Kippax. We'd often stand there staring at the rival fans like it was a zoo (I suppose it was depending on who the opposition were!). This must be after the game as everyone's coming down the steps, so maybe something was going on between...

The only tape Mike gave was the last day of the Kippax which was preserved by the North West Film Archive and was shown as part of the Boys In Blue film shows we did. I haven't seen any film from Platt Lane - that sounds like a great film. The appeal I did a decade or so ago found quite a lot...

I have no idea whether City asked to be at home or away for any opening/closing day games but I wonder if the building work at North Stand may have a bearing? It may be that City asked to have a longer close season for Etihad each year? Many clubs have done that in the past. Just a thought...

When I was writing Farewell To Maine Road I interviewed Eric Alexander who was the director/then chairman responsible for the North Stand being built. The plan was to have it as terracing and then the Ibrox disaster brought more scrutiny of stadia (still not enough sadly!) and City claimed the...

They do still exist so yes if they win the FA Cup they'll be top. To be fair Blackburn Rovers won it only 3 years after them, so not much different to how the table looked a few years back when Blackburn headed it but both City and Liverpool have passed them since. It's never been about how...

Yes. I explain some of that here: https://gjfootballarchive.com/2024/06/02/european-span-of-success-2024/ Even qualification for the Watney Cup took priority!

The reaction when Arsenal fans boast about history & tradition and then you say 'but your first major trophy was decades after City's!'

I used to think 'no history' was simply banter but I attend a lot of academic conferences where even some supposedly knowledgeable academics who study sport and teach on it trot out the same old inaccuracies. I was recently told by someone in an influential footballing position - trot out the...

Each year I update my table showing the gap between a club's first major trophy success and their most recent. City, of course, are highly placed in the table so feel free to use this when talking with anyone who doesn't seem to understand European football history...

This time I've listed the progression of the 'in-a-row' record from Preston in 1888-1890 to City and updated the % of titles that have been won with 2 points or less: https://gjfootballarchive.com/2024/05/22/four-in-a-row-an-incredible-achievement/ I comment that if: 'you’re the kind of person...

That’s how I feel now. Win everything by big margins because we get accused whether we do or we don’t so let’s dominate the PL.

Yes, but also so many lies told about City's dominance and inequality blamed on City - part of the reason I've written those two features.

Part 2 of my feature has just been published. This time I'm looking at the difference between the champions and the relegated clubs. City have been accused by some of creating a bigger gap than ever before so I thought I'd look at the facts. I've looked at the points gathered by the bottom few...