MAINE ROAD DIARY

This diary covers the events involving Manchester City and also the growth of City-related resources on the Internet. To keep it in manageable chunks, the diary is split into approximately three-monthly sections. The latest events are at the bottom of the page.

Summer '94

Covering the events from the end of the '93/94 season in May until the start of the '94/95 season in August, including the Player of the Year awards, matches involving City players in the World Cup, changes in the backroom staff, close season transfer dealings, the Summer tours of the Isle of Man and Norway plus the pre-season friendlies against Portsmouth and Feyenoord.

Autumn '94

A mixed start to the season, with defeats at Arsenal, Chelsea, Barnet(!), Leeds, Coventry and, worst of all, a 5-0 humiliation at Old Trafford. However, there are also victories over West Ham, Everton, QPR (twice), Spurs, Leicester, Wimbledon and Ipswich; the win at Portman Road is City's first success there in 33 years and lifts the Blues to 6th place in the Premiership. Autumn '94 also sees the inauguration of the Internet mailing list and the World Wide Web home page.

Winter '94/95

A truly bleak Winter as City fail to register a single league victory, losing to Arsenal, West Ham, Blackburn, Liverpool, Leicester and Manchester United. The Cup competitions bring some cheer, with victories at Newcastle in the Coca-Cola Cup and against Notts County and Aston Villa in the FA Cup, but dreams of Wembley are shattered by defeats at Crystal Palace and Newcastle. City go into Spring facing another relegation battle.

Spring 95

Wins over Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday, Liverpool and Blackburn, combined with an assortment of draws, are enough to keep City in the Premiership - just. Defeats at the hands of Chelsea, Wimbledon, Palace, Spurs and Forest mean that City's safety isn't assured until Palace's defeat at Leeds, 5 days before the end of the season. In the final match of the season, the Blues lose at home to QPR for the first time ever, thereby ending the season on a low note, four points and two places above the relegation zone.

Summer '95

All the events of the close season, including the sacking of manager Brian Horton, the Player of the Year awards, the appointments of Alan Ball & Asa Hartford plus the summer transfer dealings and pre-season friendlies.

Autumn '95

The start of Alan Ball's reign at Maine Road, the worst start to a season in the club's history. After a draw in the first game at home to Spurs, the next eight League matches were all lost (another club record). In typical City fashion though, the Blues concede only one goal during November, winning three and drawing the other game during the month, winning Alan Ball the Carling Manager of the Month award.

Winter '95/96

CarlingNet (http://www.fa-carling.com/, now defunct) is launched, and City's good run continues with a win against Leeds, but then comes to an end and the Blues slip back into the relegation zone. There's plenty of transfer activity, with Nigel Clough and Michael Frontzeck joining the club and Tony Coton leaving; Paul Lake announces his retirement too. City go out of the F.A. Cup at Old Trafford, with the help of a controversial penalty decision just before half time with the Blues 1-0 up.

Spring '96

The battle to avoid relegation reaches its climax... an increasingly desperate one after a disastrous Easter weekend which sees defeat in the derby and a thrashing at Wimbledon. Despite a return of 7 points from the last 9, City are relegated on the last day of the season.

Summer '96

The close season starts with the release of eight young players but there follows little sign of the promised "clear-out" until the last couple of weeks before the start of the new season when Keith Curle and Niall Quinn are sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland respectively. The good news is that fans' hero Gio Kinkladze is still at the club despite many rumours that he would be sold following relegation. There are pre-season tours to Ireland and China, the latter of which is abandoned after one match due to adverse weather conditions. Back in England, there's a win, a draw and a defeat against lower division opposition in the last three warm-up games before the big televised kick-off of the 1996/97 season.

Autumn '96

City start the season as favourites for the Nationwide League Championship but fail to live up to this billing. Few tears are shed in Manchester when Alan Ball resigns after three games. Forty two days later, Steve Coppell is appointed his successor, but he lasts only 32 days before resigning on medical grounds, the pressure of the job proving to be too much for him. Phil Neal takes over for the "forseeable future"...

Winter '96/97

At last an investment bid with some substance is revealed as Stephen Boler and John Wardle come up with around £11 million to rescue the club from its lowly position. City's results show little sign of improvement before Chrismas though and Phil Neal resigns just before the new year as Frank Clark is appointed as City's next saviour. Backroom changes see the arrivals of Richard Money and Alan Hill, with Tony Book finally retiring after 30 years of service to the club. Results improve straight away and the Blues embark upon a long unbeaten run which starts to move them up the table and away from the relegation zone.

Spring '97

City's resurgence continues with the help of new signings Kevin Horlock and Ged Brannan, though it's not enough to lift the Blues into a play-off spot. The club's official web site, CityNet is launched but is not universally popular; there's also a new site for the Centenary Supporters' Association. Andy Dibble goes on loan to Glasgow Rangers and Dalian Atkinson spends two months with City on loan from Fenerbache but the biggest move is Steve Lomas' move to West Ham United for around £2 million. Fans on the Internet launch a campaign to persuade Gio Kinkladze to stay at City for another season; someone who won't be at Maine Road next season is reserve team coach Kevin Bond, the first victim of the summer clear-out.

Summer '97

The youth scheme is completely revamped, all the old staff (including Colin Bell) being replaced as City look to make up the ground on United. Gio Kinkladze surprises everyone by not only agreeing to stay at City but extending his contract. Tony Vaughan is signed from Ipswich for £1.35 million but that's nothing compared with the club record £3+ million splashed out on Portsmouth striker Lee Bradbury. The pre-season tour of England and Scotland leaves the Blues unbeaten in their new Kappa kits (a deal worth around £5 million over 3 years) but Paul Lake's testimonial has to be postponed.

Autumn '97

The most recent happenings at the Academy of Comedy.