Ballet on ice .

[Tim of the Oak]

Tony Book often talks about the players sharpening their metal studs to make them grip more. Totally illegal apparently, but Book & co did it. Pretty certain it was Book's idea from his days playing at Bath.

The name ballet on ice apparently came from the fact that City skipped around the pitch in a gracious, ballet like manner. It may well have been the BBC commentator who came up with it.

You are right Gary as usual. Tony tells the story in his book the Maine Man. Coincidentally, I read Skip's book over the weekend so it is fresh in my mind (rather than the usual cider haze!).

Tony told the lads to take the top layer off their studs to get at the metal pins below that offered better grip

 

[gary dickinson]

First ever City game that and now i,m older i can appreciate the skills of both sides that day in conditions which if it were today the game wouldn't have gone ahead

 

[TGR]

I was also at that game with my older brother.
It's only when you watch it on video / Youtube you notice just how much more assured the City players were than the Spurs players in their footing.
There really was a marked difference. City played some excellent passing stuff that day!
They wouldn't even open the surrounding area to the stadium these days in those conditions, never mind actually go ahead and play the match!

 

[laserblue]

Does anyone know who coined the phrase ballet on ice and when as for years my mates and I always referred to it simply as Spurs in the snow. Great memories of wonderful football on a freezing day. A couple of rag mates came along with us and they were mightily impressed with City, especially the build up to Coleman's goal. That was the moment when it dawned on them that City might just be good enough to win the title...

 

[remember arthur mann]

I am led to believe we were pretty cunning that day.

The studs were the old leather type that were nailed on to the boots and Alison got the back room staff to remove a layer of the leather from all the studs.

This had the effect as the game wore on that the city players had extra grip as the nails started to protrude as the remaining leather wore down.

I don't know if anybody else heard that story?

I very much doubt it.

Screw in stud boots were the order of the day by then, most first division players wore Adidas "Santiago" boots in 1967/8.

Santiago boots, used to have a pair Brilliant ! pity I was a poo player.
Aye it were cold in them, there days, when winters were winters !

 

[City1974]

Does anyone know who coined the phrase ballet on ice and when as for years my mates and I always referred to it simply as Spurs in the snow. Great memories of wonderful football on a freezing day. A couple of rag mates came along with us and they were mightily impressed with City, especially the build up to Coleman's goal. That was the moment when it dawned on them that City might just be good enough to win the title...

Not sure if it the phrase has ever been attributed to any one person. Kenneth Wolstenholme never used it during commentary and I neither Joe Mercer or Malcolm Allison coined the phrase. Just something that became used over the years without anyone knowing who first said it, a bit like the 5-1 in 1989 has become known as the "Maine Road Massacre"

I believe Alan Mullery who played for Spurs that day said about City:
"It was extraordinary. City moved like Olympic speed skaters while we were falling around like clowns on a skid patch."

Maybe we need phrases for all our big historical wins

Anyone got something for the 1-6 at Old Trafford ? maybe - "Mancini's Marvels flood the Swamp"

 

[pride in battle]

Does anyone know who coined the phrase ballet on ice and when as for years my mates and I always referred to it simply as Spurs in the snow. Great memories of wonderful football on a freezing day. A couple of rag mates came along with us and they were mightily impressed with City, especially the build up to Coleman's goal. That was the moment when it dawned on them that City might just be good enough to win the title...

Not sure if it the phrase has ever been attributed to any one person. Kenneth Wolstenholme never used it during commentary and I neither Joe Mercer or Malcolm Allison coined the phrase. Just something that became used over the years without anyone knowing who first said it, a bit like the 5-1 in 1989 has become known as the "Maine Road Massacre"

I believe Alan Mullery who played for Spurs that day said about City:
"It was extraordinary. City moved like Olympic speed skaters while we were falling around like clowns on a skid patch."

Maybe we need phrases for all our big historical wins


Anyone got something for the 1-6 at Old Trafford ? maybe - "Mancini's Marvels flood the Swamp"

Sick Swan....

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Does anyone know who coined the phrase ballet on ice and when as for years my mates and I always referred to it simply as Spurs in the snow. Great memories of wonderful football on a freezing day. A couple of rag mates came along with us and they were mightily impressed with City, especially the build up to Coleman's goal. That was the moment when it dawned on them that City might just be good enough to win the title...

Did you ever get a factual answer to that question?
I'm only asking because we had a similar conversation today during a rain delay at a local cricket match
I'm pretty sure that it was Bobby Charlton who first uttered the awful "Theatre of Dreams"
However, the "Ballet on Ice" seems to have morphed from nowhere.
It's a bit like "If he's not interfering with play, then what's he doing on the pitch?"
I've seen that comment attributed to both Shankly and Clough, yet apparently, it was Bill Nicholson.

 

[laserblue]

Did you ever get a factual answer to that question?
I'm only asking because we had a similar conversation today during a rain delay at a local cricket match
I'm pretty sure that it was Bobby Charlton who first uttered the awful "Theatre of Dreams"
However, the "Ballet on Ice" seems to have morphed from nowhere.
It's a bit like "If he's not interfering with play, then what's he doing on the pitch?"
I've seen that comment attributed to both Shankly and Clough, yet apparently, it was Bill Nicholson.

No mate. I'm still just as much in the dark. However, that could be an age thing :). You're right about Charlton but I never knew about Bill Nicholson's quote. I always thought it was Clough.

 

[NPBlue]

I am led to believe we were pretty cunning that day.

The studs were the old leather type that were nailed on to the boots and Alison got the back room staff to remove a layer of the leather from all the studs.

This had the effect as the game wore on that the city players had extra grip as the nails started to protrude as the remaining leather wore down.

I don't know if anybody else heard that story?

I remember seeing an interview with Buzzer years ago and he said they played in metal studs which meant they could grip the ground.

It makes sense when you remember how we danced past the Spurs players that day.