50 years a Blue

[Dextersmate]

Today is the 50th anniversary of the first City game I attended as a young boy, 5th March 1966 vs. Leicester City in the FA Cup at Maine Road. My Dad took me and we stood on the old Scoreboard end near the wall at the front,and the game ended in a 2-2 draw,with Neil Young scoring both goals. I have managed to attend 9 Cup Finals(1 being a replay) and 4 FA Cup semi- finals in those 50 years and watch City win the League 3 times. But I have also seen us relegated a few times and also yo-yo up and down the leagues for a few years.
Be interesting to see what the next 50 years brings for this great and historic football club that we Bluemooners support.

Can,t remember the game,but first taken by my brother 57/58,he used to take a bugle,remember that cricket type scoreboard,and getting soaked.

 

[JGL07]

I come up for my 53rd anniversary on 4th May this year.

My first match was a 3-0 home defeat by Blackpool. City were relegated two weeks later despite beating the recent double winners Spurs seven days after the Blackpool match.

 

[urmston]

From Chassen Rd to the Etihad I've watched City for 54 years.

I can remember 10 of City's 14 major trophies.

 

[Esteban de la Sexface]

Great thread, as an Irish blue it is great to read this to get a feel for the times before I have actual memories of being a blue. I've followed City since I was 8. Which is 25 years. I wasn't always in attendance obviously, my experience was ceefax, newspaper reports, match of the day and the very rare experience of a 3pm broadcast. Ive seen us play pre season tournaments whenever City came to Ireland and met Alan Ball and his squad in Galway and got all the signatures, most prized being Quinn! Being a blue in Ireland was tough, surrounded by rags and dippers, being the laughing stock of my school and football teams, I always wore my city shirt to training. Always. I follow City because when I was very young they came to play Limerick FC, my hometown club whom my Dad played for, I idolised them, they were good. City came and dismantled them, I thought, they must be the best team in the world! I was very right but mistimed it by about 20 years.

Anyway I'm beered up, here's to you and your anniversary.

 

[Bluekiwi]

First game I attended was in February 1955 with my dad and uncle against Cardiff (won 4-1). In the old scoreboard end against the wall. All the blokes made space for us kids at the front.
My next game was at Old Trafford the following week when we walloped them 5-0.
I watched FA Cup Final against Newcastle on my grannies black & white TV.
My wife and I emigrated to New Zealand in 1974 and whenever we get back to England we always try to take in a game. We've been guests of the club on a couple of occasions and on our 25th wedding anniversary we met all the players in the Maine Road dressing room, Peter Reid took us down the tunnel and onto the pitch.
Happy memories.
Our son and eldest grandson are blue through and through, proudly wearing their Etihad shirts out and about in Hamilton (NZ), and of course our son was named after the KING - who else!

By the way, we lived in Gorse Hill a short walk from the swamp!!

 

[AliBobbyJ]

Congratulations (youngster!) on the big 50.
How things have changed, on and off the pitch. "The only thing that's stayed the same is the shape of the ball." (Denis Law, I think.)

 

[Bill]

love these stories, keep them coming. great thread op.

 

[Mantel]

Do you still have hair?

 

[manclad]

I am lucky in that I still have a decent head of hair as I approach turning 60 this summer.
Although what I have upstairs is turning grey at an alarming rate. Whether the grey hair is down to supporting City for 50 years or whether it is part of the natural ageing process is known only to the hair gods.

 

[blueinsa]

Baby still, turned 45 this month and my first game was when i was 7.

Yes, i was at York.