Finbar o`neill City `character`.

[Anonymous]

He was on the football special to Leeds on the 9th March 1974 the day Glasgow Rangers visited Old Trafford,only about 100 city supporters were on that train.When he was asked how he felt about the low numbers travelling to Elland road given the fact there would be a welcoming committee there waiting?his reply was totally fearless saying the worst that could happen was to die.When we arrived in Leeds there mob was waiting outside the station and we had a flimsy police escort with infiltation from the Leeds yobs along the way.There was a City fan on the train and think his name was Sully or Scully who never made the train back rumour being it due to being attacked and put into hospital.I remember he was from Stretford and loyal City daft and was wearing white skinners and Doc Martin boots,I never saw him again after that so perhaps a fellow blue here could confirm one way or the other.So Paddy wasn't the only brave soul travelling there that day.When we finally reached the ground the city fans had dwindled with muggings against our fans happening around the stadium.Seem to remember a couple of blues being kicked off the football special for our return journey home with lots of horror stories of our treatment at the hands of the Leeds thugs.Before we left for Leeds Manchester was full of Glasgow Rangers supporters who were still in town when we arrived back.We exchanged scarves with there supporters who were everywhere?EAT YOUR HEARTOUT BRAVEHEART YA LADS WERE THERE FIRST.

That particular game at Leeds i rate as being my worst day as a City fan in all the years i've been going , and that's 42 years !

There were a few more on that train than 100 i'd say , maybe a couple of hundred or so , but it was absolute murder , both before and particuarly after the game at Leeds ..... we were heavily outnumbered out on the streets , we knew it , and they knew it , and they never let up.

It definetely WASN'T a day for the faint hearted!

I remember Sully or Scully , and i recall him standing his ground when Everton fans surrounded him in the old Park End terrace during one game there , but he didn't flinch ..... and it looked to me as though they kind of respected that , they didn't appear to touch him .

And yes i remember the Rangers fans when we got back to Victoria ..... a fair few of them walked with us up to Piccadilly.