Interview with Mike Lester

[My Time In Football]

Anyone on here remember 70s player Mike Lester?

I spoke to Mike at the weekend, a boyhood City fan who spoke fondly about his debut at Maine Road following his move from Oldham, where he started his career.

Only made 3 appearances for City, but his career highlights included his first game at Maine Road, playing with Colin Bell, and going to Juventus with City in the UEFA Cup.

http://mytimeinfootball.com/Mike_Lester

 

[bluwes]

Good piece. He was a couple of years below me at school. You could tell then he would be a decent footballer. He's looking well.

 

[lancs blue]

I remember Mike Lester, he was a bit unlucky in that he was signed by City when they were "between managers", Johnny Hart had just resigned through ill health and Ron Saunders took over a couple of weeks after the deal for Lester had been completed by caretaker Tony Book. Lester had made his debut against Arsenal at Maine Rd and looked decent enough but he then disappeared into the reserves for nearly three years. He then came on as a sub at Juventus and nearly scored if the radio commentary I listened to was accurate.

 

[1961_vintage]

What a great read - thanks for posting.

 

[gravediggerj]

I know mike, was my manager when I was semi pro. Until I snapped my cruciate. Still mates with his sons. Top bloke. The best manager I ever played for

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

 

[petrusha]

Must be one of the oddest City careers - signed for GBP 40K, which wasn't a huge fee but wasn't buttons either given that the British transfer record when he signed was around GBP 300K, I think. (Would be the equivalent of a player signing for just under GBP 10 million these days, I guess). Made his debut against Arsenal, then disappeared for 3 years to emerge away to Juventus in the UEFA Cup, then was sold.

I started watching City as a kid in the mid-1970s, and my old man used to take me to watch the reserves on Saturdays when the first team had an away fixture. I must have seen Mike play loads of times between 1974-ish and when he left the club, though the only regular reserve player I have a clear memory of from those days - at least until Colin Bell started trying to regain fitness in the reserves in 1977/8 - is Barney Daniels, who seemed to me to score every week (I presume the record books show that he actually didn't).

Anyway, that's a nice interview with Mike. Good to see he's still a Blue at heart, as well.

 

[robinhood CITY]

Thought he played a good part in Oliver.

 

[patrickblue]

Thought he played a good part in Oliver.

That was his brother, Mark.

 

[isab23502]

When did we wear those dodgy shirts with airholes in them - was that the official shirt? Was it just for one season?