TRUE BLUE STORIES

Paul V. Muschamp

Like most kids of around 6 or 7 I guess I flitted from team to team as the fancy (or results) took me. In the mid/late-sixties there were no overly-dominant teams, one week I was an Everton fan, the next week Chelsea, the next West Brom, etc. My two brothers and one sister were all Reds. My dad must have been quietly biding his time until one day when I decided that I was a City fan. He promptly took me to Maine Rd against Spurs. We were sat in the old Platt Lane stand and I still remember everyone standing up as the action got close to the goal, so I don't think I saw any of the goals. We won 4-0 and Colin Bell was the hero of the day. Of course, after this I was hooked.

The following few years were marvellous as we won the four major trophies with one memorable evening for me spent in the Platt Lane with my Dad seeing City drub Schalke04 5-1 in the ECWC semi.

It wasn't until the early seventies until I was allowed to venture to Maine Rd on my own and I stood on the Kippax terraces during Rodney Marsh's heyday. He seemed to have about one good game every four, but when he turned it on (nutmegging clueless defenders) he was a joy to watch.

The mid-seventies saw us assemble a great team and I was at Wembley in '76 to see Tueart's winner in the League Cup. We seemed to get the upper hand at the derbies most of the time as well; City's 4-0 win over Utd in the League Cup was probably the best, with Asa Hartford completely controlling the game in midfield. Despite Bell's injury at the hands of the dispicable Martin Buchan, I can't remember seeing a more overwhelming performance by the Blues over Utd, including the famous 5-1 win.

How we threw away the chamionship to Liverpool still baffles me. Soon after this, when all my favourties like Asa and Tueart were sold I lost interest a little and didn't renew my season ticket. For a few years after that I seemed to be more interested in Utd losing (e.g. the '79 Cup Final) than in City winning and it was not until the mid-eighties that I took up travelling to games again regularly. By that time I had moved to East Anglia (a footballing desert if ever there was one) so I saw more away games than home.

The eighties were up-and-down times with many amazing games and the banana era. At the first promotion clincher against Charlton (5-1) it was great to be back on the Kippax with a 40,000+ crowd. The second clincher against Bradford City was more nerve-racking. We needed only a draw to go up, and at 0-1 down a City fan got onto the pitch and seemed to have a quiet word with each of the players before the stewards got to him. It seems that Palace? were 4-0 up at Brimingham? and if they scored another and we lost 0-1, then Palace would clinch promotion on goal difference. It seemed to do the trick and we equalised. The whole ground was full of blues and the place erupted.

Then came the Kendall/Reid era and the two Maine Rd derbies stick in my mind. The first under Kendall was soul-destroying. I won't forget my joy when Colin Hendry stuck the third goal in only to see Reid substituted and the Reds pull two back and then nearly snatch a late winner. The second was a packed house when City/Utd occupied first and second place in the league. Tickets exchanging for 100+ Stlg outside the ground. At that time, the current City scapegoat was Adrian Heath and a lot of the fans truly hated him. I was stood in the Kippax next to this huge bloke (7 feet tall and built like a brick s***house) who shouted at the top of his voice for the fans to get off Heath's back, which they did. A tense game saw Heath miss an open goal towards the end of the game - final result 0-0. You could feel the whole of the Kippax turn to the bloke next to me with a withering look. He suddenly didn't seem all that big. P.S. I assume that Tor-Kristian Karlsen's suggestion in MCIVTA120b of bringing Heath back was PURE sarcasm.

To some extent I have to look back at the Reid era with some envy. How we miss a really competitive midfield terrier like Reid or McMahon.

This brings me on to the game which is probably the most disappointing of all that I've seen in 27 years of watching the blues. The FA Cup quarter final against Spurs at Maine Rd will forever stick in my mind. My brother had queued for 2 hours in the rain at Maine Rd to get me a ticket. It was the usual cock-up in the ticket office with their computer having gone down, surly staff etc. (My brother - a Red - resisted the urge to say to the other queuing, pissed-off blues "You don't get this trouble at Old Trafford you know"). After the long drive from East Anglia I took my seat in the Main Stand, just next to the North stand which was completely full of Spurs fans. They were all singing away, drowning out the noise from the Kippax. Being near the touch line I saw Phelan's brilliant dash and inch-perfect cross to Quinn for City's first goal. The North stand was suddenly quiet and I had visions of asking my brother to queue up later that week for a semi-final ticket. By mid-way through the second half, with City now 3-1 down, I was completely gutted and after Spurs' fourth had gone in I had had enough. I missed the pitch invasion and Phelan's late consolation goal ( I still think he has the potential to be a great attacking full-back for City, if he receives proper coverage at the back when he's going forward).

I've sinced moved to the USA so I only get to see games once or twice a year, although I did catch our win over Blackburn last season which was taped and televised on one of the cable channels here.

Looking back over the years, perhaps the most entertaining (and nerve-racking) games were when we were relegated twice in the eighties and had to fight our way back up. Perhaps a short spell in the 1st division ain't such a bad thing?! One way or another, our time will return.

Forever Blue