have we ever played utd in a friendly before

[Kippax.]

Denis Irwin's testimonial too.

Sweeps first game, he almost scored after skinning 4 players

Went to this game, Wes Orange shoulder challenged him and sent him flying in that game, thought he needed to be stronger.

 

[Ray bloody Purchase]

Mike Duxbury testimonial at the swamp - City won the game 2-0. All the rags had done one when Duxbury came back out for a lap of honour, so the City fans being in generous mood gave him a good round of applause.

Cheers for that,we had a decent amount in the scoreboard paddock, there weren't many rags there in the first place from what I can remember, very sparse crowd.

 

[Maintainin]

I remember going to a couple at Old Trafford in the late 80s. Can't remember who they were for though.

Edit: According to this <a class="postlink" href="http://www.nwfootballmemorabilia.co.uk/manu/friendliestest.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.nwfootballmemorabilia.co.uk/ ... estest.htm</a> it was two of Kevin Moran, Mike Duxbury and Arthur Albiston.

That Albiston testimonial were a day after last match of term, we'd played Palace away on the Saturday.

was this the one (Albiston testamonial) where Clive Allen scored both - one a far post header - in a 2-0 win , I went to one of these, but memory is fuzzy, although I seem to remember the header as though it was yesterday

...yeah we beat em 0-2 day after we lost 2-0 at Palace Div2.

We then lost 5-2 three months later at OT in Moran's testimonial bout 25K tho they said Best were gonna cameo.

 

[trublue55]

There was the 4-team tournament in 1986 where we played the rags in one match, Atletico Mineiro and PSV were the other teams involved. We've played them lots of times in testimonials over the years, the wartime games are not counted as competitive matches for stats purposes but they weren't really friendlies either.

sorry to be pedantic, it was Palmeiras. Tuesday night PSV played Palmeiras followed by City v Rags, memory slightly fading cant remember who City player was, but he should have been sent off, and referee ordered him "substituted off", think first time anything like had happened, unfortunately we lost. Next night we played PSV and won 3 - 0, to be followed by the Final involving Rags, half hour later, never seen Maine Road empty so quickly, i certainly left, (think rags won, but who cares?)

Nope, it was definitely Atletico Mineiro.

sorry guys, did say i was getting old, just checked my programme, but i stand by overriding memory of the ground rapidly emptying just prior to Rag match, even though people had effectivelyb already paid for it, nobody wanted to stay and watch them

I think it was Tony Grealish who was subbed off.

 

[JGL07]

City played United at Maine Road in a charity match in 1964. I can't remember the details except that it was in the Summer either at the end of the 1963-4 season or at the start of the 1964-65 season and that the Rags won.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I remember going to a couple at Old Trafford in the late 80s. Can't remember who they were for though.

Albiston and Moran's testimonials were both around that time.

I definitely went as well, we were standing in the old scoreboard end. I have it in my head though that it was Mike Duxberry's testimonial. I'm probably wrong. However I have it in my head because I went to the same school as him, (in fact the same year, in fact the same class, in fact sat next to him) It was a long time ago lol!! Doh I wish I would read all the posts....lol!!

 

[Vienna_70]

We played them in the 1956 Charity Shield at Maine Road.

Lost 0-1.

 

[BlueTony]

I can't remember who it was (possibly George weah) but one of the city lads took irwin out right at the start of his testimonial and he had to go off injured. They've not asked us back since then :-)

haha didn't know this. brilliant.

Yeah it was George Weah I found the article <a class="postlink" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/4767310/Testimonial-Match-Weah-tackle-cuts-short-Irwins-night.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... night.html</a>

It was a very dirty testimonial!

That is because the real answer is no, there can never be a friendly between us and the rags, the hatred runs too deep!

 

[sixlashes]

tony books testimonial at maine rd 70.s not all ticket,it was a bloodbath.

 

[Sky Blue]

Mike Duxbury testimonial at the swamp - City won the game 2-0. All the rags had done one when Duxbury came back out for a lap of honour, so the City fans being in generous mood gave him a good round of applause.

Cheers for that,we had a decent amount in the scoreboard paddock, there weren't many rags there in the first place from what I can remember, very sparse crowd.

I was at that....we had about 8k there in a crowd of 19k.....Played them off the park in a warm up for the 5-1 a few months later!

 

[unexpected item]

We played them at cricket in '68 or '69 at the real Old Trafford. Don't remember who won but Franny Lee got a lot of runs. I do remember the rags throwing beer glasses on the pitch, so maybe we beat them.

 

[CtidBlueMooner]

There was the 4-team tournament in 1986 where we played the rags in one match, Atletico Mineiro and PSV were the other teams involved. We've played them lots of times in testimonials over the years, the wartime games are not counted as competitive matches for stats purposes but they weren't really friendlies either.

I was there...remembered PSV but could never remember the other team.
Cheers for jogging my memory.

 

[chaddblue]

I might be imagining this, but I remember a friendly derby v the rags at Maine Road in the 80's. Paul Stewart was running round kicking shit out of anything in a red shirt. In the end the ref told our manager (Machin?) to take him off before he sent him off!

 

[Cellarite]

we also played WITH them in colin bell's testimonial. a manchester team against a merseyside team. my uncle said (although he is a pisshead) that the mancs battered the scousers out of maine road, then turned on each other.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

One for Gary James maybe....... in the 60's there was a game at Maine Road..... The Duke of Edinburgh Trophy........ between City and the rags.....

 

[bluefromleve32]

Denis Irwin's testimonial too.

Sweeps first game, he almost scored after skinning 4 players

he almost snapped irwins leg in two!! made himself a legend. watching irwin getting carried off from his own testimonial was pure gold

 

[The Colonel]

There was the 4-team tournament in 1986 where we played the rags in one match, Atletico Mineiro and PSV were the other teams involved. We've played them lots of times in testimonials over the years, the wartime games are not counted as competitive matches for stats purposes but they weren't really friendlies either.

I was there...remembered PSV but could never remember the other team.
Cheers for jogging my memory.

Pretty sure all the games ended 3-1. PSV finished bottom and went on to be European champs that year.

 

[digbythebiggestdogintheworld]

There was the 4-team tournament in 1986 where we played the rags in one match, Atletico Mineiro and PSV were the other teams involved. We've played them lots of times in testimonials over the years, the wartime games are not counted as competitive matches for stats purposes but they weren't really friendlies either.

sorry to be pedantic, it was Palmeiras. Tuesday night PSV played Palmeiras followed by City v Rags, memory slightly fading cant remember who City player was, but he should have been sent off, and referee ordered him "substituted off", think first time anything like had happened, unfortunately we lost. Next night we played PSV and won 3 - 0, to be followed by the Final involving Rags, half hour later, never seen Maine Road empty so quickly, i certainly left, (think rags won, but who cares?)

Nope, it was definitely Atletico Mineiro.

I think it was Tony Grealish who was subbed off.

it was paul stewart - can't remember what he did but he definitely got a large round of applause when he got subbed!!

also remember a late 80's maybe early 90's game at their shithole that we won, 2-0 i think. me and my mate stood in the stretford end and asked a copper to move us over to the city end at full time so we could celebrate properly. the copper turned out to be a rag, and impolitely declined.

 

[mat]

That Albiston testimonial were a day after last match of term, we'd played Palace away on the Saturday.

was this the one (Albiston testamonial) where Clive Allen scored both - one a far post header - in a 2-0 win , I went to one of these, but memory is fuzzy, although I seem to remember the header as though it was yesterday

...yeah we beat em 0-2 day after we lost 2-0 at Palace Div2.

We then lost 5-2 three months later at OT in Moran's testimonial bout 25K tho they said Best were gonna cameo.

i remember the club PA announcing his apologies to the crowd fror Bests absense only to be greeted with a rendition of "On the piss" from us.

 

[Gary James]

One for Gary James maybe....... in the 60's there was a game at Maine Road..... The Duke of Edinburgh Trophy........ between City and the rags.....

Yes, you're right. Utd won that (Law scored). It was to raise money for the Variety Club charities. It was noted for its heavy rain - apparently there was still a pitch invasion at the end though.

A few other points.... It was definitely Mineiro in the 1986 Manchester International Tournament (which was supposed to be the first of a new annual tournament).

City & Utd have played each other in lots of friendlies and charity matches over the years, including the 1956 Charity Shield (also the first 'modern' Manc derby under floodlights and played at Maine Rd because OT didn't have any). I've written about this for this weekend's community shield programme.

In 1889 (yes that's right) the 2 sides met (while known as NH and Ardwick) under floodlights at the old Belle Vue stadium that became the 'old' speedway stadium. This was to raise money for the victims of the Hyde Coal Mine disaster that killed 23.

All games between the sides prior to the first meeting in the Manchester Cup, Lancashire Cup, and then FA Cup and League were in the main regarded as friendlies. Since League football began the 2 sides have met in lots of one-off friendlies (sometimes in the past if they've both been knocked out of the FA Cup at an early stage they've played a friendly), charity games, testimonial matches, Jubilee Cup games and so on.

There have also been cricket games and other sports.

The wartime games counted as competitive wartime fixtures if organised as part of the war Leagues/cups, others were friendlies. Most were regarded as competitive at the time but not they were not FA Cup or Football League official matches. Nowadays people often view them as a bit of a footnote, like a friendly, but I would argue that on the day each game was played the competing sides both wanted to win; that the fans who paid to watch them saw them as being significant; and that they were great morale-boosters, so should be viewed as proper competitive games - they weren't national tournaments, but they were still important at the time.

EDIT: I've not checked the figures, but I'm absolutely certain that City and Utd would have played each other more in friendlies than either side has played friendlies against another side.