City v Blackburn 2000 - Looking for fan stories.

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Hello all,

Citystories is looking to run a feature about 'City's On The Hill' - a look at that memorable fixture in 2000 when City sealed their return to the topflight. Many City fans perched on the hill overlooking Ewood Park to witness the last game of the season and we'd like hear from fans who were at the game that day...

If you were on the hill, in the stadium that day, or remember the game that day - drop me a message or leave comment on the section. We will select a story to promote on the site which the club will also use for pre-match build up for the return leg of the FA Cup tomorrow night.

It would great to hear your stories about this day so please get involved. If you would like to add these straight to the site, you can visit http://www.mcfc.co.uk/citystories and register to tell us your memories about this and many other games.

Cheers

Michael
Citystories
 
There have been two thread in the last few weeks full of tales about this game. Do a quick search and you'll get loads.
 
I was 13 at the time and lived in Warrington. 4 doors down from my house was Nathan Blake, who at the time played for Blackburn.

About 4 weeks before the game looking at the fixtures I realised B'Burn away was the last game of the season and could possibly be a decider, so I knocked on his door and offered to wash his car on the premise he'd get me some freebies for me and my old man. He let me wash his Maserati and had a chat with us whilst we did it. Was a sound bloke to be fair.

The week before the game he knocked on with 2 tickets in the Main Stand - Jack Walker Stand I think.

I was sat on the bottom tier about 4 rows from the front and my old man was in the gods at the back of the 2nd tier.

I was just to the right of the dug out and around me was pretty much all City fans. I was sat next to that huge black fella who used to work the doors at the Parkside by Maine Road, I think he only had one eye and he was a fuckin man mountain, as I sat down he said "alrite lad." I thought fucking too rite not fuckers gonna touch me with this mad **** here.

As I was sat on my own and was only really a bit of a kid my dad told me to keep my jumper on and not show my City shirt incase it kicked off. But during the second half I think after the Goat scored I thought fuck it, I was surrounded by City fans anyway so I took off my jumper and was stood there in my City Shirt. A steward came over and told me to put the jumper back and just as I was about to do it the Parkside bouncer next to me said "He's fuckin City, the jumper stays off." The steward shit a brick and fucked off.

As the final whistle approached everyone moved to the front of the stand and was banging on the advertising hoardings. When the ref blew I jumped over and fucking legged it to the first player I could find - Richard Edghill.

Once the players got off the pitch everyone was stood by the Tunnel and I was getting squashed so a copper pulled me out and stood me next to the City bench. Next to the seats there was a load of the players Lucozade bottles so I had a swig, I gagged to fuck though cos I think some dirty fucker had a piss in it.

Apart from the piss it was a top day and one that will live with me and the old man for ever.

Even though he's been done for snorting something since Nathan Blake was a top bloke and even apart from that he always had time for the kids on the estate.
 
Donkey Boy said:
I was 13 at the time and lived in Warrington. 4 doors down from my house was Nathan Blake, who at the time played for Blackburn.

About 4 weeks before the game looking at the fixtures I realised B'Burn away was the last game of the season and could possibly be a decider, so I knocked on his door and offered to wash his car on the premise he'd get me some freebies for me and my old man. He let me wash his Maserati and had a chat with us whilst we did it. Was a sound bloke to be fair.

The week before the game he knocked on with 2 tickets in the Main Stand - Jack Walker Stand I think.

I was sat on the bottom tier about 4 rows from the front and my old man was in the gods at the back of the 2nd tier.

I was just to the right of the dug out and around me was pretty much all City fans. I was sat next to that huge black fella who used to work the doors at the Parkside by Maine Road, I think he only had one eye and he was a fuckin man mountain, as I sat down he said "alrite lad." I thought fucking too rite not fuckers gonna touch me with this mad **** here.

As I was sat on my own and was only really a bit of a kid my dad told me to keep my jumper on and not show my City shirt incase it kicked off. But during the second half I think after the Goat scored I thought fuck it, I was surrounded by City fans anyway so I took off my jumper and was stood there in my City Shirt. A steward came over and told me to put the jumper back and just as I was about to do it the Parkside bouncer next to me said "He's fuckin City, the jumper stays off." The steward shit a brick and fucked off.

As the final whistle approached everyone moved to the front of the stand and was banging on the advertising hoardings. When the ref blew I jumped over and fucking legged it to the first player I could find - Richard Edghill.

Once the players got off the pitch everyone was stood by the Tunnel and I was getting squashed so a copper pulled me out and stood me next to the City bench. Next to the seats there was a load of the players Lucozade bottles so I had a swig, I gagged to fuck though cos I think some dirty fucker had a piss in it.

Apart from the piss it was a top day and one that will live with me and the old man for ever.

Even though he's been done for snorting something since Nathan Blake was a top bloke and even apart from that he always had time for the kids on the estate.
Click to expand...

Nice story but unlikely to make it onto what is essentially the official site.
 
I was 16 and sat in the end oposite the away end upper tier with my old man surrounded by blues doing a conga at the end. At the final whistle we had to come out of the ground to get back in the bottom tier to get on the pitch.

I ended up snogging a girl from Irlam back in the car park up the hill, she use to sit near me in the Platt Lane at Main Road and I had fancied her for ages!

happy days!
 
One of the most emotional days in our recent history. It was the completion of the recovery which started at wembley the year before in the 95th minute. And what a day we had-it was a lunchtime kickoff, remember, and was a beautiful day.

We started off with beer and cooked breakfast in the kippax suites. A coach took us up to Blackburn where we met our mates for more beers at the Fernherst. The match was a rollercoaster and the sheer joy and relief we felt can be heard on the TV footage when goater equalises. After the whistle I was on the pitch and spotted the rest of my family in the top tier of the jack walker stand going mad - that stand must have been at least half city. We got the coach back and got mobbed by a big celebrating crowd at Maine Road who thought we were the players. Had beers and a buffet in the kippax then headed back to Didsbury. Driving in a taxi, waving out the windows, there were huge groups of celebrating blues outside every pub all the way through fallowfield and withington in the sunshine. In Didsbury an enormous street party went on all night. Then we all went back to mine to watch the video.

My overriding memory of the day is a spine-tingling chorus of "We are not really here" a few seconds before the final whistle, with the perimeter of the whole stadium ringed by celebrating City fans. Until that moment the song was a lament to how far the club had fallen, but at that moment it became an expression of the disbelief we all felt at the club's meteoric recovery.
 
Love the stories, like most, we had our tickets guaranteed, but plenty of other Blues desperate to get in. Used our contacts to acquire tickets from the Walker family, to get other Blues in, best seats in the Main Stand. After the game, we blagged our way into the foyet/reception area, where Lee Crooks was busy swigging the Champers, we asked him for a drop and he kindly obliged! Politely escorted out of the main entrance door shortly after, but felt part of what was a memorable day in our history, city til we die.........................:-)
 
cheddar404 said:
Donkey Boy said:
I was 13 at the time and lived in Warrington. 4 doors down from my house was Nathan Blake, who at the time played for Blackburn.

About 4 weeks before the game looking at the fixtures I realised B'Burn away was the last game of the season and could possibly be a decider, so I knocked on his door and offered to wash his car on the premise he'd get me some freebies for me and my old man. He let me wash his Maserati and had a chat with us whilst we did it. Was a sound bloke to be fair.

The week before the game he knocked on with 2 tickets in the Main Stand - Jack Walker Stand I think.

I was sat on the bottom tier about 4 rows from the front and my old man was in the gods at the back of the 2nd tier.

I was just to the right of the dug out and around me was pretty much all City fans. I was sat next to that huge black fella who used to work the doors at the Parkside by Maine Road, I think he only had one eye and he was a fuckin man mountain, as I sat down he said "alrite lad." I thought fucking too rite not fuckers gonna touch me with this mad **** here.

As I was sat on my own and was only really a bit of a kid my dad told me to keep my jumper on and not show my City shirt incase it kicked off. But during the second half I think after the Goat scored I thought fuck it, I was surrounded by City fans anyway so I took off my jumper and was stood there in my City Shirt. A steward came over and told me to put the jumper back and just as I was about to do it the Parkside bouncer next to me said "He's fuckin City, the jumper stays off." The steward shit a brick and fucked off.

As the final whistle approached everyone moved to the front of the stand and was banging on the advertising hoardings. When the ref blew I jumped over and fucking legged it to the first player I could find - Richard Edghill.

Once the players got off the pitch everyone was stood by the Tunnel and I was getting squashed so a copper pulled me out and stood me next to the City bench. Next to the seats there was a load of the players Lucozade bottles so I had a swig, I gagged to fuck though cos I think some dirty fucker had a piss in it.

Apart from the piss it was a top day and one that will live with me and the old man for ever.

Even though he's been done for snorting something since Nathan Blake was a top bloke and even apart from that he always had time for the kids on the estate.
Click to expand...

Nice story but unlikely to make it onto what is essentially the official site.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it would make it with a bit of careful editing ; . )
 
I'd only turned 18 few weeks before the game so it was good chance to have a few beers before the game with my dad as I'd obviously never drank at a football game when under-age, my dad certainly never used to get me a few at the Fallowfield before home games for two years previous!!

Anyway we got there early and was near the motorway at Darwen end of ground when a bloke pulled up in a car and offered us both "City caps" from the Manchester Evening news and gave us a few extra to give out, he was from the MEN and we were apparently the first blues he'd seen.

Went to nearest boozer which was locked but could hear noise, went round the back of the pub and the pub garden was full of blues already, we gave out the caps and had a few beers, it was a glorious day. Moved on to that pub that is almost literally under the motorway, again full of blues, we hadn't seen one Blackburn shirt at this point.

We got to the ground about 20 mins to kick off, still no Blackburn shirts. It was a weird atmosphere, everyone was ready to party but we'd followed City for too long to take anything for granted. Game starts and our worst fears realised, we were playing awful, looked nervous and went a goal down to Matt Jansen, throughly deserved to be 1-0 down at half time.

Second half started even more one-sided, Blackburn seemed to be hitting the post for fun, we just weren't playing at all, but by about the fifth time they had hit the post you start thinking "this could be our day after all" and then Goater happened. Just ghosted in at the back post to equalise, the Darwen end went berserk, only then did I realise how many blues were everywhere, it looked like at least half of each end went up when Goater scored. An own goal soon followed, plus Kennedy to make it 3 and that daft run to the subs bench celebrating. By the time Dickov made it four it was party time, the end to our right, which is supposed to be a home end, was doing the conga up and down alongside the pitch, "CITY ARE BACK, CITY ARE BACK!"

Final whistle went and it was everyone on the pitch, funniest sight of the day for me was looking back to see if my dad was on the pitch and he was literally the only bloke out of thousands that a steward tried to stop, my dad said something along the lines of "naff off, you are joking aren't you" and on we continued on to the pitch, it was only then we realised how many were on the hill and had made their way down and in to the ground at the end.

Great day, after the game was a real party atmosphere, City fans know how to celebrate and this was no exception!! I'll never forget that day, or the look on my dad's face getting gripped by the steward as thousands around ran past shouting and screaming.
 
Many thanks for the posts guys.

Wasn't expecting to read stories about acquiring tickets from Blackburn players, getting kicked in knackers or pulling a bird at full time.... Absolutely tremendous!

It's clearly a very important day in the clubs history. We've received a few stories and we're in the process sorting through the entries.

Feel free to add any of these to site and many thanks for all of your comments!

Cheers,

Michael
http://www.mcfc.co.uk/citystories
 
Didsbury Dave said:
One of the most emotional days in our recent history. It was the completion of the recovery which started at wembley the year before in the 95th minute. And what a day we had-it was a lunchtime kickoff, remember, and was a beautiful day.

We started off with beer and cooked breakfast in the kippax suites. A coach took us up to Blackburn where we met our mates for more beers at the Fernherst. The match was a rollercoaster and the sheer joy and relief we felt can be heard on the TV footage when goater equalises. After the whistle I was on the pitch and spotted the rest of my family in the top tier of the jack walker stand going mad - that stand must have been at least half city. We got the coach back and got mobbed by a big celebrating crowd at Maine Road who thought we were the players. Had beers and a buffet in the kippax then headed back to Didsbury. Driving in a taxi, waving out the windows, there were huge groups of celebrating blues outside every pub all the way through fallowfield and withington in the sunshine. In Didsbury an enormous street party went on all night. Then we all went back to mine to watch the video.

My overriding memory of the day is a spine-tingling chorus of "We are not really here" a few seconds before the final whistle, with the perimeter of the whole stadium ringed by celebrating City fans. Until that moment the song was a lament to how far the club had fallen, but at that moment it became an expression of the disbelief we all felt at the club's meteoric recovery.
Click to expand...
didsbury was magical that night, i was only a kid at the time but it was brilliant. driving passed people spilling out of the nelson and into didsbury village, fantastic times.
 
stimo said:
Didsbury Dave said:
One of the most emotional days in our recent history. It was the completion of the recovery which started at wembley the year before in the 95th minute. And what a day we had-it was a lunchtime kickoff, remember, and was a beautiful day.

We started off with beer and cooked breakfast in the kippax suites. A coach took us up to Blackburn where we met our mates for more beers at the Fernherst. The match was a rollercoaster and the sheer joy and relief we felt can be heard on the TV footage when goater equalises. After the whistle I was on the pitch and spotted the rest of my family in the top tier of the jack walker stand going mad - that stand must have been at least half city. We got the coach back and got mobbed by a big celebrating crowd at Maine Road who thought we were the players. Had beers and a buffet in the kippax then headed back to Didsbury. Driving in a taxi, waving out the windows, there were huge groups of celebrating blues outside every pub all the way through fallowfield and withington in the sunshine. In Didsbury an enormous street party went on all night. Then we all went back to mine to watch the video.

My overriding memory of the day is a spine-tingling chorus of "We are not really here" a few seconds before the final whistle, with the perimeter of the whole stadium ringed by celebrating City fans. Until that moment the song was a lament to how far the club had fallen, but at that moment it became an expression of the disbelief we all felt at the club's meteoric recovery.
Click to expand...
didsbury was magical that night, i was only a kid at the time but it was brilliant. driving passed people spilling out of the nelson and into didsbury village, fantastic times.
Click to expand...

In the afternoon a conga stopped the traffic. There were hundreds and hundreds celebrating.

Late at night a band was on in Flanaghans and at one point played "Hey Jude" to a raucous reception as the whole street sang "City!"
 
My story of that great day. I lay in my bed the middle of the night listening to it on the phone. My mother had her phone beside the radio. I was in Auckland, she was in Gorton.
 
I wasn't on the hill but it was an amazing day. There were city fans everywhere in the glorious sunshine. I wonder how many city fans were actually in Blackburn that day. I would guess at about 30,000 realistically.
 
I remember walking up the street near the Fernhurst and it was full of City, flags and balloons, people swinging from lamp posts and packed.
 
We arrived in Blackburn very early, looked for a pub but all those near the station were closed - we walked about a mile and a half before we found one open (felt like 10 miles probably due to hammering the brandy and coke on the train), went inside, and heard a load of Blues in the beer garden at the back singing Feed The Goat, then next thing no word of a lie a goat wandered into the pub from the beer garden (belonged to the landlord apparently), and it is fair to say that "The Goat" received a lot of unwanted attention from many Blues that day. I spent the rest of the session trying to buy the goat off the landlord, got as high as £100 but he wasn't having it - strange how when you are pissed you actually believe that you can walk a goat for 2 miles and then get it into a football ground! Can't remember the name of the boozer, but I bet someone on here can. God I miss that goat
 
I was in Melbourne and went to the pub with Melbourne Blues hoping the game would be televised.

It wasn't so we ended up at a house in Port Melbourne hoping to listen to the game over the internet. Couldn't hear too clearly (as was the case in the dial up modem days), and when the Dailly og went in most of us were gutted as we thought he had scored for them. Took a while for us to realise we were actually winning.

The other moment of fun came when one of the lads wanted a pizza, so made the call which of course cut off the internet. He got some abuse.

Happy days.
 
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