Sizzling City are the tops

[Paul68]

The Sun is 40 yearss old today and they have reproduced their 1st edition - thought this would make interesting reading for us Old geezers and for you young 'uns that have not seen City win anything...

From the sun Monday November 17 1969:
For years Man City have had to live a drab existence in the gloomy shadow of neighbouring u****d's consistent and unending success.
Even when City won the the crown of league champions last year u****d upstaged them by lifting the european cup a few weeks later.
Until Saturday November 15 1969 that is.
Mark the date well for this is the day when City hit a new peak of perfection. They rubbed out those years of heartache with a performance of high-octance soccer that their manager Joe Mercer described as "Our greatest team performance - I couldn't see a flaw"
City did not just beat u****d 4-0 they destroyed them and then disdainfuly left them where they lay, a shattered wreck of a once great team.
It was a victory which said convincingy that u****d are now the "other" team in the area. And that City will be one of Englands outstanding clubs for the next five years at least. Take out ageless Tony Book and the oldest player is only 26.
United could not prise the midfield from the grasp of Colin Bell and Alan Oakes and neither Best or Law offered any threat to the City defence - how could they? you can't play if you don't have the ball..!
Perhaps City were helped by a fluke first goal just before half time - Young drove hard and low from the left wing some 30yds out, it looked more like a cross than a shot but it left Stepney groping thin air at the near post.
Citys 2nd goal a classic of simplicity and execution, a vivid ilustration of their finest quality - the ability to counterpunch with lightning speed and killing effect. A bad pass to Charlton was cut out by Oakes who raced 40yds then slipped the ball to Bell who beat off Sadlers challenge before lashing it in.
The luckless Sadler scored the 3rd trying to kick a Bowyer shot off the line and Bell grabbed the 4th after a superb run and cross by the elegant casual Young.
And I almost forgot - City also had 2 more disallowed. thats how overwhelming the slaughter was.

And in the same paper - George Best wrote a column predicting leeds to win 1970 European Cup, Manchester City for Cup Winners Cup and Liverpool for Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
he said " City play like I love to play, to hell with defensive caution - lets get at 'em. They are a rarity in the game - a team with 5 forwards all capable of thumping goals. Stop one of them and the other 4 are around your heels like irish terriers"

Ahh...those were the days!

[Dronny]

Sniff, sniff, lets hope we see those times again very soon!

[Wonderwall]

cheers mate, that was a good read ;-)

[Chinners]

Ha ha 40 years on, same old bollox from that rag ... wonder if we can sue then retrospectively back that many years

[ant london]

Thanks for posting that JG, a class read and nice to have something positive to enjoy

Hypothetical question for the elder chaps amongst us who remember those halcyon days. It's not the first time I'd seen a positive comment from Best about us in that era.

I'd always imagined that his close friendship with Summerbee innoculated him to the anti-City passion that you'll get from some reds these days (Neville being the prime example)....that and the fact that I understand that the Red-Blue divide was less tribal in those days in its intensity.

When he left the scum (or even in the early 70's when their ascendancy was certainly over), had we tried to sign him....do you think he would have come to Maine Road? How would he have been received? I'd assume the reaction would have been similar to when Law came over (.....albeit that I guess he was "coming back")

[Douglas Higginbottom]

They were great times and that's a great read and I really remember the game well. Especially the first goal from Neil Young. It was a very muddy pitch if I remember right and he was literally out on the touchline when he smashed it across. Bell as ever was brilliant and ran the show.

[BobKowalski]

Very evocative for me as I was 8 at the time and living in Bahrain (Dad in the forces) and this was the first English match I ever saw courtesy of American Forces TV and as you do when you are that age I pledged allegiance and became a blue even though I did not have a clue about Manchester City at the time.

I quickly learnt as much as I could about City and when we got to Germany a year or so later I joined as an overseas Junior Blue and if memory serves I got a booklet in which you stuck players pictures in. I also got a single with a song I forget but the cover had a buxom blonde in a tracksuit top with a ball under her arm and showing a fair bit of cleavage which I found profoundly fascinating at the time.

Happy days listening to British Forces radio on Saturday afternoons and hoping that second half commentry would feature City whilst sticking more players in my book with the cover from the single under my pillow a little bit worse for wear.

[Dipstick]

They were great times and that's a great read and I really remember the game well. Especially the first goal from Neil Young. It was a very muddy pitch if I remember right and he was literally out on the touchline when he smashed it across. Bell as ever was brilliant and ran the show.

I was stood right at the front - leaning on the wall - and right behind Nellie, when he hit that one in - one of those moments you never forget.

[Patrick]

[youtube]bHaq-27Ugn0[/youtube]

I was 8 too!

had just moved to birmingham and all of a sudden I was the only city fan

It also brought back the playground songs of that era

bell passed to crossan
crossan passed it back
bell did the ding dong and knocked the goalie flat
where was the goalie the ball was in teh net
halfway up the goalpost with his knickers round his neck

fine time to be a blue - do you think the doom mongers would still be dooming or is that just an internet phenomenon?

[john68]

Ant,
Believe it or not, Allison did enquire about the availability of Best and Doyle was even sounded out as a swap, to go to the swamp.
I'm not sure of the exact details mate but will go hunting and try and dig them out for you.

Passions ran high in those days and so did hatred of the rags and their players. Personally I think that Best would have met with a lot of initial opposition from Blues and losing one of our own in Doyle would certainly not have helped matters. If Best had done the business for us, it is likely that he may at some point have been accepted by many but methinks, not by all.

Off to check my records for you.

[Chinners]

Doyle mentioned that in his updated biography ... but not as a swap for Best

[ant london]

Ant,
Believe it or not, Allison did enquire about the availability of Best and Doyle was even sounded out as a swap, to go to the swamp.
I'm not sure of the exact details mate but will go hunting and try and dig them out for you.

Passions ran high in those days and so did hatred of the rags and their players. Personally I think that Best would have met with a lot of initial opposition from Blues and losing one of our own in Doyle would certainly not have helped matters. If Best had done the business for us, it is likely that he may at some point have been accepted by many but methinks, not by all.

Off to check my records for you.

cheers for that John.....doesn't actually surprise me that Mal tried to set that up

I look forward to the details!

[zuricity]

Ah! the tears are welling up....

I was at that game. In the Kippax, lost my voice from singing. I remember the Sadler own goal particularly, one of our mates at the game was a red and we took the piss out of him about how bad their defending was.

[Paul68]

Ant,
Believe it or not, Allison did enquire about the availability of Best and Doyle was even sounded out as a swap, to go to the swamp.
I'm not sure of the exact details mate but will go hunting and try and dig them out for you.

Passions ran high in those days and so did hatred of the rags and their players. Personally I think that Best would have met with a lot of initial opposition from Blues and losing one of our own in Doyle would certainly not have helped matters. If Best had done the business for us, it is likely that he may at some point have been accepted by many but methinks, not by all.

Off to check my records for you.

What John said - I was only 10 at the time but true dyed blue and hated the rags and everything to do with them.. (still do actually.. to the point where I don't even have any red t shirts/sweatshirts etc and would never ever ever buy a red car). As far as I was concerned whilst he was undeniably a good player - didn't want him at City - he was a red....

[john68]

Jeez Ant...that was some hunt for evidence.
The story is told by Malcolm Allison that he tried to sign Best in 1972. Best had been put on the transfer list by the rags but they eventuallly blocked a sale of him to City.
There are also stories that they wanted Mick Doyle in a swap.
Apparently, Best did agree to sign for....wait for it....OLDHAM...but never turned up at the agreed meeting place to put his signature on the paper.
Incidentally the Oldham secretary who had agreed this was none other than Bernard Halford before he came to City.

[ant london]

Excellent sleuthing Mr 68!

Did he not end up going to South Africa or something when he left United??

Interesting titbit that though, liking your work

[Vhero]

Oh dear that kinda shit makes you think were jinxed when you read it though..

[john68]

Here's another little titbit that might cheer you up Ant.

In those halcyon days, we had a pretty good record in the derbies.
1967-68...(A)...Won...3-1
1968-69...(H)...Drew..0-0
1968-69...(A)...Won...1-0
1969-70...(H)...Won...4-0
1969-70...(A)...Won...2-1
1970-71...(A)...Won...4-1
1970-71...(H)...Lost...3-4
1971-72...(H)...Drew..3-3
1971-72...(A)...Won...3-1
1972-73...(H)...Won...3-0
1972-73...(A)...Drew..0-0
1973-74...(H)...Drew..0-0
1973-74...(A)...Won...1-0....THE RAGS PUT DOWN BY DENIS LAW...to save them from further misery.

[blackburnblue]

The Sun is 40 yearss old today and they have reproduced their 1st edition - thought this would make interesting reading for us Old geezers and for you young 'uns that have not seen City win anything...

From the sun Monday November 17 1969:
For years Man City have had to live a drab existence in the gloomy shadow of neighbouring u****d's consistent and unending success.
Even when City won the the crown of league champions last year u****d upstaged them by lifting the european cup a few weeks later.
Until Saturday November 15 1969 that is.
Mark the date well for this is the day when City hit a new peak of perfection. They rubbed out those years of heartache with a performance of high-octance soccer that their manager Joe Mercer described as "Our greatest team performance - I couldn't see a flaw"
City did not just beat u****d 4-0 they destroyed them and then disdainfuly left them where they lay, a shattered wreck of a once great team.
It was a victory which said convincingy that u****d are now the "other" team in the area. And that City will be one of Englands outstanding clubs for the next five years at least. Take out ageless Tony Book and the oldest player is only 26.
U***d could not prise the midfield from the grasp of Colin Bell and Alan Oakes and neither Best or Law offered any threat to the City defence - how could they? you can't play if you don't have the ball..!
Perhaps City were helped by a fluke first goal just before half time - Young drove hard and low from the left wing some 30yds out, it looked more like a cross than a shot but it left Stepney groping thin air at the near post.
Citys 2nd goal a classic of simplicity and execution, a vivid ilustration of their finest quality - the ability to counterpunch with lightning speed and killing effect. A bad pass to Charlton was cut out by Oakes who raced 40yds then slipped the ball to Bell who beat off Sadlers challenge before lashing it in.
The luckless Sadler scored the 3rd trying to kick a Bowyer shot off the line and Bell grabbed the 4th after a superb run and cross by the elegant casual Young.
And I almost forgot - City also had 2 more disallowed. thats how overwhelming the slaughter was.

And in the same paper - George Best wrote a column predicting leeds to win 1970 European Cup, Manchester City for Cup Winners Cup and Liverpool for Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
he said " City play like I love to play, to hell with defensive caution - lets get at 'em. They are a rarity in the game - a team with 5 forwards all capable of thumping goals. Stop one of them and the other 4 are around your heels like irish terriers"

Ahh...those were the days!

Wonderful memories and still very vivid in my mind. We have still never emulated the "holy trinity" of Bell,Lee and Buzzer after all these years.....
I didn't read that report at the time as i have never or will EVER read that rag which is only fit for one thing- although it's not as good as Andrex.

[Paul68]

Wonderful memories and still very vivid in my mind. We have still never emulated the "holy trinity" of Bell,Lee and Buzzer after all these years.....
I didn't read that report at the time as i have never or will EVER read that rag which is only fit for one thing- although it's not as good as Andrex.

Not read through choice! all that was left in canteen this morning... I usually don't read tabloids but fancied something to peruse while scoffing breakfast.
:-)