Are you on this photo? City getting promoted at Blackburn in 2000

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

You were there too? I've told people about the stolen tv and they've not believed it. It was after Goater's goal to make it 1-1, everyone leaping around and then the tv was missing from its brackets. Another memory from that day is the train back to Manchester with some City nutters jumping off at Bolton to attack three Bolton fans standing on the platform.

Let me put you right on a few things pal. The tv fell off the wall when Goater equalised..I've never seen a pub go up like that ever! The vibration of the jumping took it off the wall, whether somebody had it away after is a different story but that's how it came off wall. The incident at Horwich train station wasn't 3 Bolton, it was about 40 of their firm. We all steamed off the train and a few of them had bricks n bottles. I basically grabbed a brick that had come my way and chased the fuckers with it. I remember me and Daft Donald both bagging a pair of sunglasses off them, his were Armani and mine were Armenia :-/ But there was loads of em, not 3. I remember the old Bill filming us coming out of the station and muttering ' we know who you are'. That was a great day. I managed to jib in at half time and ended up in the directors box with a pair of shorts and lacoste T shirt. At the end I got on the ledge and paraded up and down as if I was a player.. think I mght of pulled a moonie or 2, I remember Weaver pouring champagne on me from above. I wish I could get some footage or pictures of that. After the game I caught up with my pal Eddie Dolan, and we didn't have a clue how to get to station to meet the lads..so I seen this fit blonde at the lights and asked her way..she showed me but I just got in and asked her to take us, she did, to Eddies amazement. Anyway, got a snog and her number. Never did meet her, I should though coz she was fit. But a proper fanastic day.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Everyone has their own epic tales of that day.

We went on the corporate away trip which started with beers and breakfast at Maine Road. I was already hungover to the eyeballs from a party the night before. When we got up to Ewood we went and met our mates in the Fernhurst and the pubs and streets were swarming with excited Blues. I remember Nick Leeson at the pub and I remember tales that Alan Brazil (public enemy number one at the time for slagging off City fans for celebrating too early the week before) had been chased down the road.

After the victory, we went on the pitch and for some reason my mate and I were doing bullfighting actions with a City flag, and later on I found out that my whole family (Mum, Dad and sister) were in the main stand waving at us. By this point I had the worst headache I've ever had and it was curbing my excitement (but not by much). We got the coach back to Manchester and every pub had celebrating City fans outside of them, waving at us as we went past. Then when we arrived at Maine Road a big crowd was waiting there and they thought we were the players and mobbed the coach. As we got off I found myself shaking the hand of Johnny Marr who had been a hero of mine years earlier and was now treating me like a hero of his. We had some food and a pint or two in one of the lounges and then headed off back to Didsbury and here the celebrations really kicked off.

All the way down the Oxford Road in a taxi, through Fallowfield and Withington and every pub had big crowds of blues outside celebrating. One of us had his head out of the taxi window waving his City flag and as the taxi slowed down next to a pub, some wag chucked his pint right in my mate's face. I've never forgotten his face as he brought his head back in from out the window, stunned, soaked but still laughing. A street party was going on in Didsbury. Congas were blocking the road. Lads were climbing the monument. As day turned into night(the match was a lunchtime kickoff) things hotted up even further and every pub in Didsbury was full of celebrating City fans, spilling into the sstreets and singing. My final memory of the night was an Irish folk singer coming on in Flanighans and playing "Hey Jude". He could be heard from the street. The chorus of "Na na na nanana naaaah" seemed to be coming from everywhere.

It really felt like City were back for good after so long in the doldrums.

 

[manimanc]

Watched it in copper faced jacks then partied in Albert square and always remember the huge city fan in the fountain with the red and black away top on, am sure he was called shaun.

 

[Jordie]

I was in their staunch end right behind the goal opposite our fans. After they scored I of course didn't celebrate but prior to that I could see them nudging one another and references to me being a City fan being said. I was asked, " You're a City fan aren't you?" Of course it was bloody obvious.

I was told I would be okay in there so long as I didn't jump up if we scored. My main concern after paying a fortune to get in was getting kicked out. We were getting battered until Goater equalised so I had nothing to get excited excited about for ages anyway. The lad to my left who was pretty quiet told me he was a blue as well so we shared those four second half goals in a bit of restrained but delighted glee. They were all scored at our end as well.

In the sides of the ground there was loads of blues openly celebrating and where I was small pockets who were together but they were a distance from me and getting a bit of grief here and there. This was their end, their kippax I suppose so you had to be a bit more conservative than the side areas. As the final whistle blew though I was on the pitch and celebrated long and hard both there and back in Manchester.

Totally understand mate, we were in the posh stand which would have been to your right and it was probably about 30% city in there. I have done what you did at many a ground including the swamp and like you say the best thing you can do is try and stick it out as long as possible.

 

[paulchapo]

Totally understand mate, we were in the posh stand which would have been to your right and it was probably about 30% city in there. I have done what you did at many a ground including the swamp and like you say the best thing you can do is try and stick it out as long as possible.

I had tried loads of Blackburn fan's that day to buy their ticket off them but none of them would sell. I had to pay £100 to a Manchester tout. Sod's bloody law as soon as I bought it about five minutes later two Blackburn fan's are trying to sell their tickets for £50. Obviously the problem was thousands of Blues were after tickets so as soon as one was selling they were inundated. It was worth every penny at the end. Once I was in no way was I going to risk being thrown out.

 

[Blue Feather]

Bit boring really as I was in the upper tier of our 'official' end and didn't get on the pitch !!! Top day, City going up in the sunshine and blues everywhere :)

 

[Mike N]

Pitch of the year award as well, lol.

 

[Newman Noggs]

The only occasion I've been "escorted out" by the police after running down the stairs in their end, barging the drummer out of the way in the process, when the Goat equalised.

A policewoman let me go when a bit of argy-bargy broke out so I dived straight back in to the stand. By then we'd got a second and every blue in the stand had made themselves known.

 

[paulchapo]

Everyone has their own epic tales of that day.

We went on the corporate away trip which started with beers and breakfast at Maine Road. I was already hungover to the eyeballs from a party the night before. When we got up to Ewood we went and met our mates in the Fernhurst and the pubs and streets were swarming with excited Blues. I remember Nick Leeson at the pub and I remember tales that Alan Brazil (public enemy number one at the time for slagging off City fans for celebrating too early the week before) had been chased down the road.

After the victory, we went on the pitch and for some reason my mate and I were doing bullfighting actions with a City flag, and later on I found out that my whole family (Mum, Dad and sister) were in the main stand waving at us. By this point I had the worst headache I've ever had and it was curbing my excitement (but not by much). We got the coach back to Manchester and every pub had celebrating City fans outside of them, waving at us as we went past. Then when we arrived at Maine Road a big crowd was waiting there and they thought we were the players and mobbed the coach. As we got off I found myself shaking the hand of Johnny Marr who had been a hero of mine years earlier and was now treating me like a hero of his. We had some food and a pint or two in one of the lounges and then headed off back to Didsbury and here the celebrations really kicked off.

All the way down the Oxford Road in a taxi, through Fallowfield and Withington and every pub had big crowds of blues outside celebrating. One of us had his head out of the taxi window waving his City flag and as the taxi slowed down next to a pub, some wag chucked his pint right in my mate's face. I've never forgotten his face as he brought his head back in from out the window, stunned, soaked but still laughing. A street party was going on in Didsbury. Congas were blocking the road. Lads were climbing the monument. As day turned into night(the match was a lunchtime kickoff) things hotted up even further and every pub in Didsbury was full of celebrating City fans, spilling into the sstreets and singing. My final memory of the night was an Irish folk singer coming on in Flanighans and playing "Hey Jude". He could be heard from the street. The chorus of "Na na na nanana naaaah" seemed to be coming from everywhere.

It really felt like City were back for good after so long in the doldrums.

I seem to remember that matador thing, everyone shouting "Ole!" as one charged the flag.

Albert square was fun, we danced behind s Hare Krishna bloke singing "Joe Royle's blue and white army!" as he banged his drum in time. On to O'Neils in Didsbury where I got the band to play blue moon as everyone sang along. The roads were blocked and police trying to get traffic through, a great day/night.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

Let me put you right on a few things pal. The tv fell off the wall when Goater equalised..I've never seen a pub go up like that ever! The vibration of the jumping took it off the wall, whether somebody had it away after is a different story but that's how it came off wall. The incident at Horwich train station wasn't 3 Bolton, it was about 40 of their firm. We all steamed off the train and a few of them had bricks n bottles. I basically grabbed a brick that had come my way and chased the fuckers with it. I remember me and Daft Donald both bagging a pair of sunglasses off them, his were Armani and mine were Armenia :-/ But there was loads of em, not 3. I remember the old Bill filming us coming out of the station and muttering ' we know who you are'. That was a great day. I managed to jib in at half time and ended up in the directors box with a pair of shorts and lacoste T shirt. At the end I got on the ledge and paraded up and down as if I was a player.. think I mght of pulled a moonie or 2, I remember Weaver pouring champagne on me from above. I wish I could get some footage or pictures of that. After the game I caught up with my pal Eddie Dolan, and we didn't have a clue how to get to station to meet the lads..so I seen this fit blonde at the lights and asked her way..she showed me but I just got in and asked her to take us, she did, to Eddies amazement. Anyway, got a snog and her number. Never did meet her, I should though coz she was fit. But a proper fanastic day.

Alright. Never saw the tv fall, it was there one minute and not the next so thanks for the correction. Don't know what happened at Horwich but it was definitely Bolton's Trinity Street (been there enough times) where we saw some bother and these ordinary Bolton lads, not in a firm, were outnumbered. Happen it was you the missus got upset with as the train got into Manchester - and no, mate, no number for you that time.