Kazimierz Deyna

[Centurions]

I was one of just two City fans (the other being Andy Shaw) who went to Poland to watch that friendly game. What an amazing trip! I've got enough anecdotes (all 100% true) to write a book; suffice to say that we ended up siiting on the City bench for the whole of the game.

It ended 2-1, with Deyna scoring a goal for each side.

Did we play home and away then? (It does strike a very faint bell) because I was thinking of the game at Maine Road.

 

[petrusha]

Did we play home and away then? (It does strike a very faint bell) because I was thinking of the game at Maine Road.

Yes, home and away friendlies were part of the deal with Legia Warsaw for Deyna. The home one was delayed from the original planned date and eventually played as a pre-season match in August 1980: https://www.citytilidie.com/latest/legia-warsaw-home-friendly-198081/

We were battered, really outclassed. At 5-0 down, the Kippax started cheering on Legia, doing the 'ole' thing as they knocked the ball around and booing if City got it back again. Kevin Reeves scored our consolation near the end against a backdrop of chants of, "We want six! We want six!" The exaggeratedly wild celebrations after Reeves's strike were intended as an absolute piss-take.

You could tell from that display we were in big trouble for the start of the forthcoming season, and we were beaten easily at Southampton four days later before losing 4-0 at home to newly promoted Sunderland the following midweek. I remember the Legia match quite clearly because it was the first time I'd seen the City crowd turn on the team like that.

 

[raininspain]

Did we play home and away then? (It does strike a very faint bell) because I was thinking of the game at Maine Road.

There was a game the following season at Maine Road, and we got hammered. Could have been 1-5.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Yes, home and away friendlies were part of the deal with Legia Warsaw for Deyna. The home one was delayed from the original planned date and eventually played as a pre-season match in August 1980: https://www.citytilidie.com/latest/legia-warsaw-home-friendly-198081/

We were battered, really outclassed. At 5-0 down, the Kippax started cheering on Legia, doing the 'ole' thing as they knocked the ball around and booing if City got it back again. Kevin Reeves scored our consolation near the end against a backdrop of chants of, "We want six! We want six!" The exaggeratedly wild celebrations after Reeves's strike were intended as an absolute piss-take.

You could tell from that display we were in big trouble for the start of the forthcoming season, and we were beaten easily at Southampton four days later before losing 4-0 at home to newly promoted Sunderland the following midweek. I remember the Legia match quite clearly because it was the first time I'd seen the City crowd turn on the team like that.

I was sat on the Front row of the Platt Lane for the Sunderland game.

Stepanoci at fault for at least 2 of the goals and John Hawley helping himself to the easiest Hat Trick of his life.
My abiding memory is Stepanovic's big cheesy grin after yet another sliced clearance.

 

[petrusha]

I was sat on the Front row of the Platt Lane for the Sunderland game.

Stepanoci at fault for at least 2 of the goals and John Hawley helping himself to the easiest Hat Trick of his life.
My abiding memory is Stepanovic's big cheesy grin after yet another sliced clearance.

The memory of Steppy gives me nightmares. One of Mal's crazier signings. Wasn't he made captain at one point despite not speaking any English? And, as a specialist right back, he featured for us at left back, centre back, central midfield and even once on the left side of midfield - but never at right back. No wonder he was shite!

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

The memory of Steppy gives me nightmares. One of Mal's crazier signings. Wasn't he made captain at one point despite not speaking any English? And, as a specialist right back, he featured for us at left back, centre back, central midfield and even once on the left side of midfield - but never at right back. No wonder he was shite!

On the day that City lost 3-1 at Southampton in 12-13, I found myself in the corporate hospitality at Eintracht Frankfurt v Nurnburg, and wondering why the grinning bloke in the large photograph above the banqueting table, looked vaguely familiar.
Evidently, their opinions of his football achievement (as both Player and Manager) are much higher than ours.

 

[salfordbluetrue]

My sporting god, when we talk about players from the past who could play for us now, he is definitely one, Pep would love him

 

[King KdB of Belgium]

marco you are right that he died in a car crash. The police said if memory servers me right that he was drunk when the accident happened. Another think that I do remember was being at a buffet for him as well as Tadeaus Nowak and another Polish player that played for Oldham, both came over at the same time as Kazimierz Deyna. I remember at one game telling a City supporter to stop shouting at Deyna, because he was having a bad game, it was also about the time his wife was heavily pregnant and seriously ill and could have lost the baby. After this he asked me how I knew I said because my dad was speaking to him about how he was settling in in Manchester. and that's how I knew she was seriously ill.

 

[Dirty Harry]

I think this is right. Rearranged midweek game that was our last fixture of the 1978/79 season. We were 2-1 up at half time with Deyna having scored both goals (I think the free kick was the second) but ended up losing.

Colin Bell played at centre back that evening alongside Dave Watson, and it ended up being the final City senior appearance for both of them. It was also the last game of Asa Hartford's first spell at City.

Your memory may be a bit better than mine Petrusha, definitely mid-week last game but I had us trailing 1-3 and Deyna with a top corner job free kick, my memory says in the dying embers as I was on my way out and looked back (from what became the Gene Kelly stand) .
Either way, a fantastic player, couldn’t believe it when we actually signed him, absolute class with a footballing brain to go with it, a very sad loss.

 

[Dirty Harry]

That could be a new Bluemoon Thread

The greatest goal you ever saw that wasn’t televised

I’m torn between Melrose v Notts County and Phillps at Selhurst Park (both 84-85)

Melrose all day long I’m afraid mate

Some great memories and names from the past here, Steppy, Big Mal thought he was Beckenbaur , and Tadius Nowak, didn’t he have an Art Garfunkel hairdo ?