4th February 2004 - A Special Match

[City_Shirts]

16 Years Ago Today............….One of the greatest comebacks of modern times as City recover from 3-0 down with 10-men to beat Tottenham 4-3 at White Hart Lane. After going three behind in the first half and seeing Joey Barton dismissed for a second yellow at the break, the Blues seemed to be heading for defeat in the FA Cup fourth-round replay. Somehow, Kevin Keegan's side clawed their way back into the game and goals from Sylvain Distin, Paul Bosvelt made it 3-2 with just over ten minutes left. Then Shaun Wright-Phillips skipped through to level the scores before Jon Macken connected with Michael Tarnat's cross in the last minute to send the City fans wild and give the Blues a famous victory and passage into the fifth round......I will never forget the night as my lad was fighting his own battle to survive as he was seriously ill in St. Mary's hospital, Paddington with meningococcal septicaemia, a deadly form of Meningitis, he was just 9 months old, I had a ticket for the game but couldn’t leave his bedside where I’d been for two weeks solid as he continued to defy the odds with his quest to live, despite him being given a very slim chance of survival by the doctors who so remarkably cared for him. I recall the Spurs goals flashing up on my Nokia 6410 and cursing City for the performance, the second half comeback felt like it was sent from above to cheer me up, it did the trick as Harvey started his own miracle come back from the dead, despite serval amputations and loss of a third of each foot he made a near full recovery, he’s now 16 years of age and closing in on his 250th attended City match, City have given us so many magical memories to treasure but I will never forget that match and what it meant to me.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

A great post.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

16 fucking years ago!!!!!!

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Remember listening to it on the car radio, sat in the back seat.....

 

[Fiftyyearsandcounting]

3rd March 1962 City 6 Spurs 2. Peter Dobbing hattrick.
City were having a mediocre season but Spurs were flying with Jimmy Greaves, Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, John White, Bobby Smith et al.
Everyone predicted that City were in for a hiding but we played one of, if not the best matches I've seen in over 60 years.
I was first on the bus home after the match, the conductor asked me the score I replied "6-2". He assumed we'd lost and in sympathy said I could keep the bus fare.

 

[manclad]

Fantastic post OP. Great to see your little boy fighting back against all the odds and going on to become a True Blue.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

16 Years Ago Today............….One of the greatest comebacks of modern times as City recover from 3-0 down with 10-men to beat Tottenham 4-3 at White Hart Lane. After going three behind in the first half and seeing Joey Barton dismissed for a second yellow at the break, the Blues seemed to be heading for defeat in the FA Cup fourth-round replay. Somehow, Kevin Keegan's side clawed their way back into the game and goals from Sylvain Distin, Paul Bosvelt made it 3-2 with just over ten minutes left. Then Shaun Wright-Phillips skipped through to level the scores before Jon Macken connected with Michael Tarnat's cross in the last minute to send the City fans wild and give the Blues a famous victory and passage into the fifth round......I will never forget the night as my lad was fighting his own battle to survive as he was seriously ill in St. Mary's hospital, Paddington with meningococcal septicaemia, a deadly form of Meningitis, he was just 9 months old, I had a ticket for the game but couldn’t leave his bedside where I’d been for two weeks solid as he continued to defy the odds with his quest to live, despite him being given a very slim chance of survival by the doctors who so remarkably cared for him. I recall the Spurs goals flashing up on my Nokia 6410 and cursing City for the performance, the second half comeback felt like it was sent from above to cheer me up, it did the trick as Harvey started his own miracle come back from the dead, despite serval amputations and loss of a third of each foot he made a near full recovery, he’s now 16 years of age and closing in on his 250th attended City match, City have given us so many magical memories to treasure but I will never forget that match and what it meant to me.

Fucking brilliant post.

 

[Shirley]

3rd March 1962 City 6 Spurs 2. Peter Dobbing hattrick.
City were having a mediocre season but Spurs were flying with Jimmy Greaves, Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, John White, Bobby Smith et al.
Everyone predicted that City were in for a hiding but we played one of, if not the best matches I've seen in over 60 years.
I was first on the bus home after the match, the conductor asked me the score I replied "6-2". He assumed we'd lost and in sympathy said I could keep the bus fare.

I love these posts as they brings back so many memories.
As young kid I would go to all the games in them days and as the final whistle blew would leg it to Princess street bus depot to get the bus back home.

A great win that was.

 

[DrBlueBob]

I remember it well. In a pub in Edinburgh having to listen to a bunch of happy and noisy Spurs fans who got progressively quieter and then silence.
Never mind all that, I'm delighted your lad is well. Properly heartwarming.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Nice one to Mark and Harvey and great to have met you both

I watched the game in the Moston Sports & Social club on Kenyon Lane. (ex con club)
Lads dancing on the snooker tables when the winner went in!