The Full Members Cup

Went with mates by train. Two of us got seperated on the way to the stadium, and we ended up walking right through the Chelsea end looking for our turnstile. They left us alone, probably thought we were headcases or hard as fuck to be there, lol.

At 5-1 down we said sod it, and went and got the first train back. Passed two coppers in Piccadilly as we arrived back, and one said 'Close game lads'. Assumed he was taking the piss and mate flipped him the V's.
Walking down from the station, somebody else said something about what the final score was. Baffled I phoned my old man from the Brunswick and asked him what the score was. 'I thought you went??' :-)
 
Mad Eyed Screamer said:
Today - 23rd March - is the 38th anniversary of City playing in the final or the much maligned Full Members Cup in 1986
I went to every City game throughout the tournament (all six of them')

The Full Members Cup was a new cup competition introduced for the 1985 / 86 season. English clubs were banned from European competitions after the Hysel Stadium disaster. The clubs who would have qualified for Europe played in a mini tournament between themselves, called the Screen Sport Super Cup - so the remaining 1st and 2nd Division clubs competed for the Full Members Cup.

The first stage was a round robin group of three teams per group, playing one game at home and one game away. The team at the top of each trio going through to the next stage.

City beat Leeds United at Maine Road 6-1 (Davies 3, Lillis, Power and Baker) in front of 4,029 fans.
Then Sheffield United were beaten at Bramall Lane 2-1 (Phillips and Baker) with 3,420 fans watching.
As a result City topped the Northern Group 1 and faced Sunderland at Maine Road in the Northern Semi Final.

A crowd of 6,642 turned up to watch a game lasting 120 minutes without a goal from either side. Penalties from Lillis, Reid, May and Power saw City victorious 4-3, with Power's last spot kick sparking a mini celebratory pitch invasion!

The Northern Final was a two legged affair between City and Hull City. At the 1st leg played at Boothferry Park, the Tigers won 2-1 (Phillips) in front of 5,213 fans. At Maine Road, 10,180 witnessed a last minute Jim Melrose winner (after Phillips had scored City's opener) preventing the game going into extra time - and City were in the final and going to Wembley!

On the 23rd March 1986, manager Billy McNeill led City out against Chelsea in front of a crowd of 65,236 fans. The earlier rounds may have been shunned but the final captured the imagination of both sets of fans.

Both teams had to play a regular 1st Division game the day before. Chelsea at Oxford United and City coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 v Manchester United at Old Trafford.

At Wembley, Steve Kinsey put the Blues in front - before Chelsea (with a David Speedie hatrick) replied 5 times. In the final five minutes, City had second wind and Lillis scored twice on 85 and 89 minutes, with Chelsea centre half Doug Rougvie scoring an on goal in between Lillis's brace.
Sadly as City searched desperately for the equaliser, the whistle was.blown and Chelsea were the first winners of the Full Members Cup, winning 5-4.

The competition kept the name the following season, before being re-named the Simod Cup in the 1987 / 88 season. After two seasons, it became the Zenith Data Systems Cup which lasted for three further seasons and then the competition was discontinued due to the beginning.of the Premier League in August 1992.

Picture - Billy McNeill (far right) leads the team in red and black stripes out onto the Wembley Pitch.
View attachment 111385
Click to expand...
My favourite city keepers shirt there on my first city hero as well.
 
Went on a luxury double decker Selecta coach, one of three in a convoy. Stopped off at a pub in Walsall at some stupid time in the morning. Coach driver for some reason then stopped at Scratchwood services at around 2.00 meaning we only got into the ground just as the teams were about to kick off. At least all our windows were intact on the way back unlike many others.
 
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