FA Cup Final loss in 1981 or Luton 83?

Luton was by far the worse day in my 50 off years of watching City, after beating Brighton away, Luton lost 5-1 at home to Everton, we were huge favorites to stay up because as long as we didn't lose we would stay up. I can't put into words the gut wrenching heart break that came with that defeat, I suppose you had to be there to understand.
 
The damage to Manchester city was done before both games by the board and Peter Swales, The truth was Swales wanted to be Number 1 and make all the decisions both on and off the field, No manager had a chance in hell of building his own team, transfers and sales and players playing or not playing Swales had the say, Why else was there a phone in the dugout and a phone next to the chairman's seat,

The only thing that still haunts me to this today is why on earth did we let Swales stay as Chairman for so long,
 
come-on-barney said:
Having been at all three games, the cup final and the replay were both hard to take. However, the Luton game was awful. Just remember fans sat on the steps at the end in total disbelief.
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Like yourself I went to all 3 games. The cup final was really disappointing, especially as we should have won on the Saturday. Spurs have remained very much near the top of my most disliked clubs.
The FA Cup run in 81 had some great moments, and though we lost In the replay and I was absolutely gutted, I always felt privileged to have been at both .
There was nothing good about Luton in 83, awful day, horrible atmosphere (quite toxic as someone else pointed out). Like you say, I was in total disbelief that day that City could be relegated from the top flight....got used to it though over the years!
 
Mancity1980 said:
Both hit me hard as a 9 then an 11 year old. The latter I found almost incomprehensible. However it is the fact that relegation can be remedied with promotion which renders 1983 to the history books. Losing an FA cup final and then winning NOTHING for a further 30 years hurt a lot more in the long run. To some degree the 2011 victory finally put 1981 to bed, however part of me will never feel fully vindicated until we meet Spurs in a final and BEAT the southern b@st@rds!!
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We have beat spurs in a final
 
I was 8 and 10 respectively and both broke my little blue heart:( I cried all the way home from the final and it was only my dad's mate giving me quid that's shut me up. I remember I got home after the Luton game and I went upstairs and just sat there on my bed bewildered. After a while I put my little radio on and law and behold, the story of blues by the Mighty Wah was playing. I should hate that song, but it's one of my favourites of all time. So both these games were exactly the same in the gutting stakes for a young Cowboy. :(
 
As a self-proclaimed 'Tourist' only saw the 81 Finals on the telly, so that one means more. And as someone has said, you can always get promoted and bin a relegation to history (sort of). A loss in a final is crap, but what I really hate about that one is the slavering over Villa's goal which still gets replayed whenever some Spurs supporting cockwomble in the BBC gets the chance. It was apparently voted 'Wembley Goal of the Century in 2001' according to wikiwhatever and wasn't even the best goal in that game. If I was Steve MacKenzie I would feel a bit pissed off. Perhaps if it had been the winner .....................
 
Both heartbreak for me but Luton was the one. Went to Brighton game and then Luton thinking we only need a draw. Losing did'ent enter my head. Shocked!!!
 
As heartbreaking as ‘81 was, it didn’t come close to that first relegation for me.

I comforted myself after the final that we were sure to be back within a year or two and put it right.

I don’t know if it was the naivety of youth but it never crossed my mind once during that season that we might be going down. Not sure if this is true but I’ve always thought that we’d never once been in the relegation zone all season until that goal went in.

Obviously not something that we could ever know but I’ve always maintained if we’d needed to win that game, the chances are we would have smashed them.
 
I was way too young to really comment on the two but if I older enough to witness both I would of opted for Relegation (especially under the circumstances during the game) and it was similar to 1996 (which I did witness).
 
Zapcity said:
Like yourself I went to all 3 games. The cup final was really disappointing, especially as we should have won on the Saturday. Spurs have remained very much near the top of my most disliked clubs.
The FA Cup run in 81 had some great moments, and though we lost In the replay and I was absolutely gutted, I always felt privileged to have been at both .
There was nothing good about Luton in 83, awful day, horrible atmosphere (quite toxic as someone else pointed out). Like you say, I was in total disbelief that day that City could be relegated from the top flight....got used to it though over the years!
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I also went to all three games. All of them were horrible in their own way but the relegation against Luton Town was by far the worst.
 
Wow. Started this thread over a decade ago. Quite shocked to firstly see it reappear and secondly the amount of recent responses considering all the success we have had since.
 
Went to both
The Luton game sticks in my mind. Carnage afterwards
Riot van turned over behind Kippax near away fans section
Used to get the 262 bus with my mates from where the away fans coaches were.
Someone said ‘where are the away fans coaches?’ My mate said near our bus stop.
So there were not just the three of us making are way to that bus stop. We were being followed by thousands of city fans leaving a trail of destruction behind. Police trying to disperse us without much success.
Crazy day
 
Blue Streak said:
Wow. Started this thread over a decade ago. Quite shocked to firstly see it reappear and secondly the amount of recent responses considering all the success we have had since.
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Somebody posted some photos of the Luton players being attacked a few days ago and it brought the thread to life.
 
Used to live next door to a Luton town fan late 80s.i invited him up to Maine rd once for some random match.He just looked at me as all the colour drained out of his face ,shook his head and muttered I,m never going there again,no way.
1983 had scarred him.he and his mates got battered.
We never mentioned the match again.
 
CambridgeExileBlue said:
81 final every time having led in both matches. Still not got over it…and MacKenzies goal was the best. Always felt Villa’s was partly due to our suspect depending as I don’t want them having all the credit.
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Insane that our back 4 for that final included Caton (18) Reid (19) and Ranson (20)
 
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