Just love this pic...

[petrusha]

1983....Manchester City-west ham 2-1,Alex Willams CITY Legend :)

Asa on the post. The West Ham number 8 is Paul Goddard. Can't place the other West Ham player. Remember we went 2-0 up pretty early in this one, attacking the Platt Lane end.

Just looked it up, and after the game we were seven points clear of the relegation zone, though we had played more games than all the teams below us: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/division-one-old/1982-1983/table/1983-04-16" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.statto.com/football/stats/en ... 1983-04-16</a>

What a dismal end of the season that was.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

1983....Manchester City-west ham 2-1,Alex Willams CITY Legend :)

Asa on the post. The West Ham number 8 is Paul Goddard. Can't place the other West Ham player. Remember we went 2-0 up pretty early in this one, attacking the Platt Lane end.

Just looked it up, and after the game we were seven points clear of the relegation zone, though we had played more games than all the teams below us: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/division-one-old/1982-1983/table/1983-04-16" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.statto.com/football/stats/en ... 1983-04-16</a>

What a dismal end of the season that was.

Pretty sure that's Bobby Mac partially obscured by Alex's two arms.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Yes, the Main Stand roof was replaced in the summer of 1982. During the 1981/2 season, match programmes featured plans for a redevelopment of the whole ground with that the first phase - the Kippax was due to get a new roof of the same design as well, with the Platt Lane brought into line with the North Stand, IIRC. I think someone posted a scan from one of the programmes in question on here at some point. As per my new location, I'll see if I can dig it out.

I remember the article in the MEN well. Yes, the plan, which seems laughably unambitious by the club's modern standards, was to match up the Kippax roof with the new Main Stand roof and the Platt Lane roof with the North Stand cantilever. This plan was completely lacking in coherent thought and ambition. The Kippax would have lost a lot of its noise as a stand due to the incline of the (new) Main Stand roof. I also expect that all Swales planned to do with the a Kippax and the Platt Lane (if he actually planned to do anything at all) was put on a new roof, rather than build a new stand (as he did with the Main Stand). I'm not sure if the relative heights and lengths of the Kippax and Main Stand back walls would have made that entirely symmetrical. Also it would have (presumably) meant that the corners between the Kippax and the North and Platt Lane stands would have remained uncovered, at least up until the Platt Lane roof was replaced (as you say, to match the North Stand) and brought round up to the Kippax - although that still left the issue of the gap where the Gene Kelly stand eventually went in. Rather than make the ground look more uniform, that development displayed all the chronic lack of vision and ambition of City under Swales. A plan that appears faintly plausible upon first inspection, but scratch a little below the surface and you see something that could have been knocked up in an afternoon down the pub using the back of a fag packet as a drawing board.

Everything about Peter Swales was so fucking small time.

Edit: might be imagining things but wasn't there some sort of plan to install executive boxes suspended under the new Main Stand roof at some point?! Surely I've imagined this!!

 

[petrusha]

Yes, the Main Stand roof was replaced in the summer of 1982. During the 1981/2 season, match programmes featured plans for a redevelopment of the whole ground with that the first phase - the Kippax was due to get a new roof of the same design as well, with the Platt Lane brought into line with the North Stand, IIRC. I think someone posted a scan from one of the programmes in question on here at some point. As per my new location, I'll see if I can dig it out.

I remember the article in the MEN well. Yes, the plan, which seems laughably unambitious by the club's modern standards, was to match up the Kippax roof with the new Main Stand roof and the Platt Lane roof with the North Stand cantilever. This plan was completely lacking in coherent thought and ambition. The Kippax would have lost a lot of its noise as a stand due to the incline of the (new) Main Stand roof. I also expect that all Swales planned to do with the a Kippax and the Platt Lane (if he actually planned to do anything at all) was put on a new roof, rather than build a new stand (as he did with the Main Stand). I'm not sure if the relative heights and lengths of the Kippax and Main Stand back walls would have made that entirely symmetrical. Also it would have (presumably) meant that the corners between the Kippax and the North and Platt Lane stands would have remained uncovered, at least up until the Platt Lane roof was replaced (as you say, to match the North Stand) and brought round up to the Kippax - although that still left the issue of the gap where the Gene Kelly stand eventually went in. Rather than make the ground look more uniform, that development displayed all the chronic lack of vision and ambition of City under Swales. A plan that appears faintly plausible upon first inspection, but scratch a little below the surface and you see something that could have been knocked up in an afternoon down the pub using the back of a fag packet as a drawing board.

Everything about Peter Swales was so fucking small time.

Edit: might be imagining things but wasn't there some sort of plan to install executive boxes suspended under the new Main Stand roof at some point?! Surely I've imagined this!!

Managed to track down a pic from Gary James's 'Farewell to Maine Road'. I've lifted it from Gary's FB page, which is an essential 'Like' for any Blue who has a profile on the site - see here: <a class="postlink" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151390820297816&set=a.10150108408292816.281383.289818652815&type=3&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater</a>

You can't read the detail of the plans on that pic but here is an old thread in which the plans are discussed: <a class="postlink-local" href="http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=166652&p=3014493" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=1&t=166652&p=3014493</a>

The salient post, as ever, is by Gary James as follows:

Re: What it used to be like.
Post by Gary James » Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:54 pm

...

Anyway, as far as the 1982 redevelopment goes... you're right about the Exec boxes. They were going to 'hang' from the roof at the front on that silly criss-cross set of girders - that's why the initial roof build cost £1m (it would have been a lot less had they not needed to allow the weight in their designs.

The plan was to mirror this roof on the Kippax (but keep the terracing) and to rebuild Platt Lane to resemble the North Stand (these would also be extended into the Kippax corners). Estimated build was £6m (I guess about £2.5m for the 2 roofs and a new stand for £3.5m). Swales once said the capacity was supposed to increase to around 56,000, though how that could happen is a bit of a mystery as the 'old' Platt Lane Stand held around 9,000 (about 1,000 more than the North Stand), so I guess the Kippax terracing would have been increased but then we'd have also lost the extra standing places in the corners.

The plan was put on ice prior to relegation in 1983, although most claim it was relegation that ended it (Swales stopped the plan when he realised the financial mess he'd created). I actually had a City official (who is still at the club) tell me once the Exec Box plan was stopped because of safety after the Bradford fire, but Wembley had a similar set up, so I find that extremely hard to accept. It was more about money.

...

Meanwhile, Swales's plans for replacing the Kippax in the 1990s were terrifying. There's a discussion here: <a class="postlink-local" href="http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=290286&start=30" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=15&t=290286&start=30</a>

However, I'll reproduce the salient point below from two posts by Gary James:

Re: forward with franny ?
Post by Gary James » Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:08 pm

Not at home so can't show material, but I have a copy of the plan which shows top half of old Kippax lopped off and seats placed on old terracing with new second tier; Franny changed that and improved capacity/3rd tier.

....

Re: forward with franny ?
Post by Gary James » Tue Mar 25, 2014 9:50 am

For redeveloped Swales Kippax lower tier see the old Platt Lane stand rake with plastic seats on it instead of benches. Would have been an absolute disgrace.

 

[hateutd]

 

[lancs blue]

Sept 85, 0-3 defeat. That's the match where Alex Williams landed heavily on his back and he never played again for City. The injury never really went away and eventually forced him to retire early after a spell at Port Vale.

No.6 is David Phillips and that's Clive Wilson's left arm just in shot.

 

[petrusha]

Sept 85, 0-3 defeat. That's the match where Alex Williams landed heavily on his back and he never played again for City. The injury never really went away and eventually forced him to retire early after a spell at Port Vale.

No.6 is David Phillips and that's Clive Wilson's left arm just in shot.

Paul McGrath is one of the United players. I can't be 100% certain, but their number 6 looks like Graeme Hogg (didn't we nearly sign him a couple of years later, or am I imagining that?). And the United number 9 is likely to be Frank Stapleton, though you can't be sure from that shot. He just tended to be their number 9 around that time. Had a pretty good scoring record in derbies, I think, as well.

 

[isab23502]

Think the West Ham lad is Alan Dickens

1983....Manchester City-west ham 2-1,Alex Willams CITY Legend :)

Asa on the post. The West Ham number 8 is Paul Goddard. Can't place the other West Ham player. Remember we went 2-0 up pretty early in this one, attacking the Platt Lane end.

Just looked it up, and after the game we were seven points clear of the relegation zone, though we had played more games than all the teams below us: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/division-one-old/1982-1983/table/1983-04-16" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.statto.com/football/stats/en ... 1983-04-16</a>

What a dismal end of the season that was.

Pretty sure that's Bobby Mac partially obscured by Alex's two arms.

 

[isab23502]

Kenny Clements (as someone suggested) wouldn't be in this shot - he broke his leg against Ipswich earlier in the season and didn't play again in 78/79. I was hoping his return to fitness for 79/80 would have heralded a return to the form for the team that preceded his injury but Big Mal sold him before the season started and obviously preferred Ray Ranson to him, which on reflection, wasn't unreasonable and I expect we also got a small fee for selling Kenny. I note Kenny being quoted as not being able to understand Mal's instructions since - sounds a bit like sour grapes as he never picked him!

A few things from that pic. Pretty sure that's a Wilson's bitter sign in to the left of the 'Trumanns for Steel' one. Awful stuff, like everything else to come out of Newton Heath.

The means of access/egress to/from the commentary box looks like an accident waiting to happen. Can't see that being allowed in today's health and safety conscious world.

Talking of health and safety, that's the old Main Stand roof, pre-dating its replacement in the summer (I think) of 1982, made of asbestos cement, as many stadium roofs were in the post war years. Cheap, impervious and with very good acoustic qualities, it fitted the bill perfectly.

Pretty sure that's Barry Silkman who's just taken the corner. Seems too far up the pitch to be Kenny Clements!

This was the Maine Road I first knew. Regarded as one of the top grounds in the country back then, though when you look at that commentary box, maybe it's not saying a great deal!

Yes, the Main Stand roof was replaced in the summer of 1982. During the 1981/2 season, match programmes featured plans for a redevelopment of the whole ground with that the first phase - the Kippax was due to get a new roof of the same design as well, with the Platt Lane brought into line with the North Stand, IIRC. I think someone posted a scan from one of the programmes in question on here at some point. As per my new location, I'll see if I can dig it out.

That game looks like the Bristol City match of 5 May 1979 to me, which we won 2-0 with goals by Deyna and Hartford. Number 10 in the pic is Hartford and 7 is Mick Channon. The corner taker is almost certainly Silkman - whom I couldn't stand. He did the flash Cockney thing like Rodney Marsh, but Marsh was actually a top player so he could pull it off. When Silkman left City, however, he went to Brentford and never played in the top flight again, which shows you his level. Another one for Malcolm's extensive 'What the hell were you thinking?' file, I'm afraid.

 

[hateutd]