The Darkest Day - 20 years today

[paulchapo]

I was working nights onboard the ship so I had a few hours sleep and woke up to follow events on sky sports which we got onboard. I had a tv in the cabin and lay in darkness, still half asleep watching the scores updates. Totally gutted then had to get up to do my 12 hour shift. After being in the mess room having something to eat for a few minutes a group of the lads came in, stood in a line all wearing black armbands they had made the bastards lol!

In the corner a group of plastic rags were taking the piss so I got up and confronted them. I said I would take stick off any one of them that had been to old Trafford. Silence, not one. I then said the same, the provision being any one who had actually seen united play live. Total silence. The whole mess room was watching. I said, " I follow my team everywhere and have been to old Trafford and seen united play live more times than you lot put together. I have a season ticket and I will have one next year and will still support them if we are playing in the bloody Sunday league! That's what being a football fan is about, not watching it on the box glory hunting you rag c*****s!!!" The whole mess room stood up and cheered except for these sheepish muppets who then looked like I felt inside, sick.

Dark days I hope we never suffer them again.

 

[rowarta]

the engine on my vauxhall cavalier blew up coming back from the match

 

[johnevans]

Relegation to the third tier despite an away win at Stoke.

Where were you and how do you feel about it all those years on?

Was in the main stand at The Britannia with my brother and his father-in-law (a Stoke fan). We were surrounded by Blues, with some rather lairy looking Stoke supporters wondering whether to kick off against these interlopers! Fortunately, it didn’t. It was the lowest point ever for me, even lower than being at Edgeley Park with my daughter (who’d got freebie tickets via her primary school) the following season as County won with late goals whilst the news of City’s defeat at York was coming through. I’d seen my first relegation at Maine Road in 1963 watching the reserves, with Bert Trautmann in goal shaking his head as the quarter-hour score updates on the scoreboard eventually revealed our second 6-1 thrashing of the season at the hands of West Ham, condemning us to the 2nd division. I saw us fall into the relegation places for the first time and for barely 10 minutes all season at the end of the Luton game in 1983 and so dropping into the 2nd tier again. I’d also seen various disappointments along the way in cup finals (Wolves in 1974, Spurs in 1981) But none of those events could match the despair of going down that day at Stoke. All I can say is, thank goodness for Joe Royle, David Bernstein, Paul Dickov and The Sheik & Khaldoon (amongst many others!). 20 years on, I hope we never go back to that place again!

 

[webelieve]

Arsenal

Doh!

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

Wow, watching that video shows just the kind of punditry we used to get, so much nicer compared to the bitter shit nowadays

 

[Deleted member 77198]

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c.../man-city-relegation-david-bernstein-14605200

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Wow, watching that video shows just the kind of punditry we used to get, so much nicer compared to the bitter shit nowadays

It was Brian Marwood saying that, maybe he knew he’d work for us one day!

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Relegation to the third tier despite an away win at Stoke.

Where were you and how do you feel about it all those years on?

I remember chanting “we’ll support you even more” as the players were walking off, then getting a lump of concrete launched at my head on the way out of the ground.

Fast forward fifteen years and we were having a snowball fight with Stoke fans after the FA Cup game when Zaba scores the winner. A bit of a different feeling back from 1998

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

From the commentary: "It really is a crying shame that Manchester City, a club full of history, are in the position that they are".
Some journos were a bit less ignorant then, at least.

 

[horlock_was_super]

Got back to Manchester in one piece - somehow. Utter bedlam after the game. Got back to Manchester and got pissed, went home told (the ex) wife to fook right off, packed me bags and went back to my Mam’s, didn’t have anywhere else to go. Marriage had been shit for years, but, kept hoping that things would get better. Just like City! Life is brilliant now, happily remarried, nice house and a good job. I thank myself every day for keeping the faith (Pearce aside) and at 53 loving the fact that City really are the best team in the land and all the world!