Welcome to the June edition of the Official Manchester City Magazine.
And so another glittering campaign ends with a fourth successive Premier League title.
It’s an amazing achievement by Pep Guardiola and his players and, quite rightly, the boss is our cover star this month.
It’s often said that success in football is all about fine margins, and this season was so nearly a mirror of last year's Treble campaign.
Once again we battled against an excellent Arsenal team and, once again, managed to fend off their fierce challenge to become champions again (ole, ole, ole!).
Our main feature marks that achievement, but achieving back-to-back trebles is nigh on impossible - even for this City team.
Yet again we crossed paths with Real Madrid as we looked to defend or Champions League crown, but despite doing everything we could to beat them, we exited the competition on that cruellest of deciders – a penalty shootout.
Had we won that, who knows how far we might have gone?
And, once again, we faced Manchester United in the FA Cup final, but this time we couldn’t repeat he feats of last June and suffered a rare Wembley loss.
Our wonderful women’s team came so close to winning a second WSL title, losing out only on goal difference and our youngsters secured the FA Youth Cup.
All in all, a wonderful campaign for the Club.
As for this issue, we have a Steph Houghton interview as our legendary skipper hangs up her boots an reflects on a magnificent playing career, galleries of our glorious moments and plenty more besides...
We hope you enjoy it!
CITY MAGAZINE looks back at a campaign full of goals, drama, ups and the occasional downs – but all in all, another unforgettable season…
August
Overview: The campaign began with a penalty shootout loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield, before we kicked off our Premier League defence with a 3-0 win at Burnley. The first silverware of the new season was secured after another penalty shootout – this time a successful one – against Sevilla to secure a first UEFA Super Cup success. Then we had hard-fought league wins over Newcastle United and Sheffield United to end the opening month in style.
Goal: Cole Palmer’s stunning effort in the Community Shield against Arsenal.
Moment: Pep’s celebration into the camera for Julian Alvarez’s winner against Newcastle!
Not so good: Kevin De Bruyne’s hamstring injury against Burnley that would keep our Belgian genius out until January.
September
Overview: It looked very much like business as usual as City first thrashed Fulham 5-1, before winning 3-1 away to West Ham United and then opening our Champions League defence with a 3-1 win over Red Star Belgrade. A 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest, however, came at a cost (see below) and we ended the month with a 1-0 Carabao Cup loss at Newcastle and a 2-1 league defeat at Wolves.
Goal: Jeremy Doku’s first ever City strike away to West Ham.
Moment: Erling Haaland completing his hat-trick in the win over Fulham.
Not so good: Rodrigo’s red card after an altercation with Morgan Gibbs-White against Forest - and the resulting three-match ban.
October
Overview: Four wins out of five, October was another great month for City. It began with an impressive 3-1 win away to RB Leipzig before an early summit meeting with Arsenal at the Emirates. The Gunners won thanks to a deflected late Gabriel Martinelli strike and secured a result that already felt huge in the title race. The Blues bounced back with wins over Brighton, Young Boys and a comprehensive 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Goal: Alvarez’s curler away to Leipzig.
Moment: Erling Haaland’s emotional celebration at the Stretford End against the Reds.
Not so good: Losing at the Emirates.
November
Good: Five games, three wins, two draws and plenty of goals! In fact, 25 goals went in – 17 for City and eight against – as the Blues continued to challenge in the league and Champions League. We began with a 6-1 win over Bournemouth and that was followed by a 3-0 win over Young Boys at the Etihad. An eight-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea ended 4-4, then the Blues dropped two more points at home to Liverpool in a 1-1 draw. To end November, City came from 2-0 down to beat RB Leipzig 3-2.
Goal: Doku’s lovely curling strike against Bournemouth.
Moment: Doku’s goal and FOUR assists against Bournemouth.
Not so good: Late goals conceded against Chelsea and Liverpool cost the champions four vital points.
December
Overview: Another month of mixed fortunes began with a 3-3 draw against Spurs – our third league draw in succession - as Dejan Kulusevski (yet again) scored against City with a late leveller at the Etihad. And six dropped points from three games became nine from 12 with a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa as pundits began questioning the Blues' title credentials. Hard-fought single-goal wins over Luton Town and then Red Star Belgrade was followed by a 2-2 home draw with Crystal Palace. Yet, in spite of just one win in six league games, the fourth-placed Blues were only three points adrift of leaders Liverpool and still right in the thick of it. Then it was off to Saudi Arabia, where wins over Urawa Diamonds and Fluminense meant a first FIFA Club World Cup title for the Club - and we ended December with back-to-back league wins over Everton and Sheffield United.
Goal: Phil Foden’s long-range strike at Everton.
Moment: Lifting our first FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Not so good: An uncharacteristically flat performance at Villa.
January
Overview: Only four games, but the Blues won the lot! The return to fitness of Kevin De Bruyne gave the Club a huge boost going into 2024 and he was on the bench for the 5-0 FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town at the Etihad. Then, the Belgian returned to action in style, coming on when City trailed 2-1 away to Newcastle and scoring inside five minutes before assisting an added time winner for Oscar Bobb. The Blues then managed to finally score at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Nathan Ake’s last-minute prod home in the FA Cup fourth round securing a 1-0 win, followed by a 3-1 win over Burnley in the league.
Goal: Oscar Bobb’s delightful finish at Newcastle.
Moment: The emotional and lengthy standing ovation that Kevin De Bruyne received as he warmed up against Huddersfield following his return from injury.
Not so good: Nothing – a great month!
February
Overview: Pundits and journalists will tell you this is the month when the ‘Manchester City machine’ clicks into top gear – and with six wins out of seven in February, who could argue? A Phil Foden hat-trick saw City win 3-1 at Brentford, followed by a 2-0 win over Everton, courtesy of an Haaland brace. A 3-1 Round of 16 first leg win over FC Copenhagen meant we had one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals already, but Chelsea proved stubborn opposition again, holding City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad. A hard-fought 1-0 win over Brentford was followed by an equally difficult 1-0 win at Bournemouth as the Blues continued to find ways of getting over the line. Haaland ended the month in style with five goals in the 6-2 FA Cup win at Luton.
Goal: Foden’s third in the victory at Brentford.
Moment: Haaland’s five goals at Luton - almost repeating Denis Law's double-hat-trick in a game that was abandoned more than 60 years before at the same venue.
Not so good: Nothing too bad!
March
Overview: Another unbeaten month and March looked pivotal to our hopes of match the achievements of 2022/23 – which was always going to be a massive ask. We began with a 3-1 win over Manchester United at the Etihad and beat FC Copenhagen by the same score to set up a clash in the quarter-finals with old foes Real Madrid. City then collected a valuable point away to Liverpool before we saw Newcastle United off 2-0 to move into the FA Cup semi-finals. March was ended with what was dubbed as a potential title decider with Arsenal at the Etihad – the visitors would defend in numbers and leave with a 0-0 draw…
Goal: Phil Foden’s leveller against United.
Moment: John Stones’ goal at Anfield after a well-worked corner routine.
Not so good: Would dropped points against Liverpool and the Gunners prove costly?
April
Overview: Eight games, three competitions and with a thrilling title race hotting up, no room for error. City started April by superbly dispatching Aston Villa 4-1 at the Etihad – inspired by a mesmeric Foden performance saw the play-maker grab his second hat-trick of the campaign. The Blues then beat in-form Crystal Palace 4-2 at Selhurst Park, with De Bruyne in sparkling form. A thrilling 3-3 draw away to Real Madrid seemed to have tipped the balance in City’s favour in the UCL quarters, with the Blues then effortlessly dispatching Luton 5-1 at the Etihad to keep the pressure on leaders Arsenal. The following day, both the Gunners and Liverpool were beaten at home by Villa and Palace respectively to blow the title race wide open in a dream weekend for City. There was to be heartbreak next after the Blues lost on penalties to Real Madrid at the Etihad, and Pep Guardiola’s crestfallen side then needed to dig deep to edge past Chelsea and book another FA Cup final Manchester derby, ending the month with vital league wins at Brighton and Nottingham Forest.
Goal: Foden’s hat-trick goal against Villa.
Moment: Ederson taking his first competitive City penalty against Real Madrid and Ortega Moreno’s Cruyff turn against Chelsea!
Not so good: More shootout disappointment…
May
Overview: A gruelling campaign would be decided this month. The title destiny was in our won hands and four more wins would guarantee a fourth successive top flight crown – something no other English men’s club had ever achieved. Four goals from Haaland started May perfectly with a 5-1 win over Wolves before a tense trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham. A tricky hurdle was comfortably overcome as City beat Marco Silva’s team 4-0 leaving just six more points needed to win the league. Our game in hand over leaders Arsenal was away to Tottenham – a ground we had never previously scored a Premier League goal at. It proved as tough as everyone had imagined, but a Haaland tap-in on 51 minutes gave City a slender advantage before Ederson had to be subbed with a nasty eye injury. Stefan Ortega Moreno came on and on 86 minutes, A Manu Akanji mistake let Son Heung-min through on goal – the nation held its collective breath as the South Korean ran towards the box, but Ortega Moreno stood tall and made a magnificent save. Haaland then converted an added time penalty – his 38th of another memorable season – to seal a 2-0 win. West Ham were now the only obstacle between the Blues and history and, though it wasn’t as comfortable as everyone had hoped, a 3-1 win was secured and City were champions. History again beckoned with the possibility of a ‘double Double’, but it sadly wasn’t to be as on this occasion and a slightly off-colour City were beaten 2-1 by United.
Goal: Haaland’s penalty against Spurs sealing three points.
Moment: Ortega Moreno's save at Spurs and the Blues lifting the Premier League trophy again.
Not so good: Ederson’s injury and the derby loss at Wembley.
VERDICT: Three trophies – the Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. We also competed in the Community Shield and FA Cup final and reached the Champions League quarter-finals. Phil Foden won the Premier League Player of the Season, Etihad Player of the Season, and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. All in all, yet another wonderful campaign by our men and women's teams.
End of Season Verdict
Former skipper Andy Morrison has provided City predictions throughout the 2023/24 season...
His column is one of the most popular features in the City Magazine, but how did the Sri Lanka national team coach actually do ?
Next season, he’ll be up against a guest’s predictions every month to add a bit of a new angle – but let’s focus on this season for the time being.
During 2022/23, ‘Mozzer’ shared his thoughts on 52 games and predicted 40 results (win/draw/lose) correctly – that’s an accuracy percentage of around 77%, but out of 52, managed just three correct scores which is around 7%.
Due to deadlines etc, not every game was covered.
Solid figures, but his aim was to hit more scorelines correctly in 2023/24 – so, did he manage it?
Well, yes.
Mozzer predicted the outcomes of some 59 matches and managed to get 44 results right, so approximately 74.5%, which is -2.5% less than less season.
However, he correctly guessed the scorelines of seven games – approximately 12% which is an increase of 5% on last season.
Andy got the following games correct:
Arsenal 1-1 City
West Ham 1-3 City
Young Boys 1-3 City
Liverpool 1-1 City
Brentford 1-3 City
City 3-1 FC Copenhagen
City 4-1 Aston Villa
So, four of his correct scores were 3-1, and City managed that scoreline 11 times this season.
All in all, an impressive season for our former captain and it will be intriguing to see how he goes against various guests next season…
Here we pay homage to players who flew under the radar of the football world outside of loyal City fans over the years.
The latest edition focuses on Ernie Toseland, who began his career almost a century ago and was pivotal in our first ever league title.
Ernie Toseland’s nickname tells you everything you need to know about the flying winger.
His dancing feet and the Maine Road faithful’s imaginative alliteration saw ‘Twinkle Toes Toseland’ crowned as such in his first full season at the Club.
Born in Northampton, it was instead Manchester where Toseland built his outstanding reputation in the professional game.
Toseland’s career started at Coventry City but the allure of City and our famous Maine Road home brought him to Moss Side towards the end of the 1928/29 season.
After three games and a goal to end that campaign, he was immediately a first choice by the time the next season rolled around.
Peter Hodge’s side finished third in the First Division, the top-flight at the time, with 19 wins from 42 league games as we scored 91 times and conceded 81.
Toseland started all 47 competitive games in that term, scoring five times and proving an excellent foil for the star-studded forward line of England internationals Eric Brook, Tommy Johnson and Fred Tilson.
The following year ended with an eighth-placed finish although City’s 18 wins meant we performed at a fairly similar level to the previous season.
Toseland didn’t quite achieve a 100% record this time around but proved a much prolific threat in front of goal. In total, he scored 10 times across 39 starts.
He was around that level in terms of goalscoring for much of the rest of his City career, although Toseland’s contributions were always overshadowed on a national level by the likes of Brook and Johnson – who until Sergio Aguero were still the two most prolific scorers in our history.
City struggled in the league the following campaign, leading to Hodge’s dismissal and the arrival of Wilf Wild.
It was in the FA Cup that City fans got the most joy in the first half of the 1930s, with a semi-final elimination in 1931/32, a defeat in the final in 1932/33 and success in 1933/34.
Toseland totted up an incredible amount of appearances during that period, playing 142 times and scoring 29 goals across three seasons.
The winger made many vital contributions to our 1933/34 FA Cup win and wore the number seven on his back in the Wembley final win against Portsmouth.
Wild’s City continued to compete in the top third of the league table for the next few seasons, but it was the 1936/37 campaign that made Wild, Toseland, Brook, Tilson, Frank Swift and many others heroes in east Manchester.
22 wins and 107 goals in 42 league games was enough to earn us our maiden First Division title with Toseland one of four men to play every single game that season.
He scored just seven times, but with Brook, Tilson and Peter Doherty all prolific, Toseland was not required to be the man providing the final touch.
Instead, his job was to work the ball into the areas that those striking talents could do their lethal work.
That was very much the high point of Toseland’s City career and Wild’s time in charge, with the Blues relegated in 1937/38.
In the following campaign, Wild started to look to the future with eight young debutants.
With opportunities dwindling, Toseland moved to Sheffield Wednesday in March 1939. However, he managed just 15 games for his new side before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Come 1945 and the return of peace in Europe, Toseland was 41 and his playing career over.
However, with 75 goals in 411 games and two major trophies, he had earned himself a lifetime’s affection at Maine Road.
Jack Mumford
A record 5,409 supporters packed into the Joie Stadium for City’s final home game of the 2023/24 Barclays Women’s Super League season against Arsenal.
It wasn’t the result Gareth Taylor’s side wanted, but the match was about much more than simply what happened on the pitch.
Indeed, the attendance, atmosphere and post-match celebrations provided a fitting tribute to Steph Houghton, as she bid an emotional farewell to the Joie Stadium.
Rather poetically, it was the Gunners who the defender left to join City ahead of our official relaunch as a professional side in 2014, and the fact that so many of the away supporters stayed behind to applaud her incredible career speaks volumes of her legacy in the game.
It’s easy to reel off superlatives to describe Houghton’s contribution to the Club over the past decade, and many have been rightly sent her way from across the footballing world since she announced her retirement at the end of this season in March.
The influence she’s had on so many was evident in the tributes that were played on the big screen at the Joie Stadium after the Arsenal clash, including those from former and current City team-mates, members of Pep Guardiola’s squad and even her former Club captain counterpart, Vincent Kompany.
It was a fantastic way to celebrate the career of one of football’s most influential characters.
Back in 2014, Houghton knew she was joining a long-term project ahead of our first WSL campaign, but even she admits a decade of service isn’t something she expected to reach.
“I knew I was signing for the long term and the idea was always to end my career here,” she explained by the Joie Stadium pitch after that Arsenal fixture.
“Did I think it’d be ten years? Probably not, but I knew we were working towards a project that would be to make a winning team and one that would compete and become one of the most attractive clubs in Europe.”
There’s a big difference between a vision and a reality, though.
And the City Football Academy that Houghton knows so well certainly had a different look when the defender first visited!
She laughed: “I had a hard hat and a yellow jacket! I knew it’d be long term, so I’m so glad that I bought into it.
“You obviously see pictures and presentations, but you can’t really envisage it, but to get crowds like we have done, they’re memories that will last forever.
“The dream was always to have our own stadium and to play the football that we do, and I’ve been fortunate enough to do that.
“It’s been an unbelievable journey and I’m so excited for the next few years for the rest of the girls because I think they can go and do something special.”
As Steph alludes to, the squad she leaves behind is one of the most exciting young sides in the Barclays Women’s Super League, with only Bristol City having a lower average starting XI age over the course of the WSL campaign.
But whatever we go on to achieve in the coming years, Houghton’s role in setting the foundations and standards for any eventual success can never be overstated.
Many of the younger members of the squad, for example, have cited her as one of their inspirations when first getting into football, particularly following her heroics with Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.
That influence is still felt as keenly as ever today even if the defender’s playing time has been slightly limited this season.
Gareth Taylor, for example, spoke of a rousing half-time team talk from the captain which saw City turn a goalless first 45 minutes into a 5-0 triumph at Ashton Gate earlier this season.
In typically humble fashion though, Houghton still provides a coy response when asked about how she’ll reflect on all she’s been able to accomplish, and everyone she’s left a positive mark on, over her time in the game.
“I try not to think about it, you know what I’m like!” she laughs.
“I just try to look to the next one. But it’ll be nice to reflect on what I’ve achieved over this carer.
“There have been some amazing moments, not just at City but also Arsenal, England and Team GB. They’re memories that will last forever.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have so many people support us over my career, including the fans. That’s a special feeling when they sing your chant, so I’ve been very fortunate.
“To see where we began and where we are now, that’s not just down to me and some of the other players, it’s a lot of people who’ve allowed us to grow and compete as a Club.
“To have been there from the start and see us develop, what’s so exciting is we can be even bigger and better. I’m proud of where we started and the place I’m leaving it in.”
For all of the incredible spectacle of Steph’s final home match against Arsenal, one moment which provided a real measure of the captain actually happened once the TV cameras had been switched off and the supporters had left the terraces.
Despite the final whistle sounding over two hours before, she was still out on the pitch with around 30 of her friends and family, having a kickabout with younger members of the Houghton clan and posing for group photographs.
It’s a measure of the importance that the defender places on her family; something she’s emphasised throughout her career.
That’s why City, a place which she describes as her home, was always going to be a match made in heaven for the defender.
She adds: “I know I can say hand on heart that I gave absolutely everything to this football club.
“City means so much to me and my family so to come and live in Manchester and meet my husband here, this is my home now.
“It’s special for my family, they’ve been with me through thick and thin.
“For everyone connected to the Club to take me in like they have is so special.”
The defender calls time on a career spanning over two decades, which has seen her make over 100 international appearances and feature for four different clubs.
But it’s during her time in sky blue where she feels the biggest imprint was made on her, both on and off the pitch.
In her eyes, she’s developed as a player, a leader and a person.
“This Club has driven me to be a better player and a better person,” she admits.
“That’s what I love about it, every single day you meet someone new or see someone, and I don’t look at their job, I look at them.
“If that’s the biggest takeaway from this club, we love people with a good personality who can bring something and better each other.
“That’s been the case for me, I’ve not just been developing as a player but as a person as well. I’ve been fortunate to be at some brilliant clubs but without a doubt this has been the biggest influence on my career.
“From a leadership point of view it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice.
“You’re having to constantly meet new players or bring the team together through the bad and the good. Setting those standards was probably the biggest thing for me.”
Houghton has certainly set the standard at every Club she’s been at since making her senior debut for Sunderland back in 2002.
But back then, she was plying her trade in a very different landscape.
And it’s on this point that she finishes, explaining that the legacy she hopes to leave behind is about far more than what she’s achieved on the pitch.
The defender can now look back on a truly remarkable career in the game, but her eye is still firmly fixed on what it still has to offer, and the efforts she’s put in to make that happen.
She finishes: “I’ve been able to experience when women’s football had no facilities or kits, we trained once a week, you’d train until there was no light.
“So, I’ve been fortunate to see where the game’s gone, and I’d like people to think I’ve left the game in a better place.
“I’ve challenged and put up a fight for women to get the same opportunity that every male player gets.
“If I know I’ve left the game like that, then I know I’ve done half of my job.”
George Kelsey
Meet Luke Stanley, the mastermind behind the excellent MCFC Lads YouTube vlog…
CITY MAG: Good to meet you Luke, how did you start your vlog?
MCFC Lads: I’ve always been obsessed with City. My dad’s a Blue and I’m the youngest of four brothers so I’ve been going from the age of about five and then regularly from the age of eight or nine. When I was 12, I made an Instagram page on City, with a few pictures and the odd opinion – more of a hobby than anything else -but it was all pretty anonymous. I started picking up a few followers, but I wasn’t on camera or anything. Then I went to university and started uploading YouTube videos and Tik Toks to get my own face out there and started getting some nice feedback from people who said it made them feel like they were at the game, which was really rewarding in that sense.
When did you really get going?
It was just after COVID. To begin with, there wasn’t much of me in them, but when I did appear, it seemed to engage people more and I started getting people asking if they could get their predictions in when I was at the game, and it sort of just grew from there.
Why the name ‘MCFC Lads?’ Who’s behind the vlog?
This is something I actually get asked a lot. When I was 12, the words MCFC lads was something I said a lot and was in my vocab, because I was referring to the City players – the MCFC lads I went to watch every week, so it was just a spin on that. Now that my platform is growing, I get help here and there but otherwise 95% of MCFC Lads is just me.
What tech do you use for the vlogs?
I began with, and still use, just a mobile phone. I have headphones for the edit – often on the way back from an away game – or else back at home where I have a makeshift studio in my room where I have some lighting and a nice backdrop. I’m probably going to invest in a camera when I finish university for a bit more content but otherwise, it’s just a mobile.
So things are going well?
They are. When I first began, I was on Instagram and Twitter, so I had an audience when I began uploading to YouTube. Then I started making the vlogs a bit longer, put myself in them a bit more and began interviewing other fans more, canvassing their opinions and I started noticing the views starting to increase. It was all about my experience of the game and I just thought, ‘these are fun, and I enjoy doing them’ and it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the game, so I kept doing them.
You’ve been doing these since 2021 – where’s your audience/subscribers at now?
On YouTube I have around 300,000 subscribers, which is my biggest platform. In fairness, I’ve been uploading short clips as well as the vlogs and that’s boosted my following, so it’s a bit inflated – but still good! On Instagram, X and Tik Tok I’ve got maybe more than 500,000 followers combined between those three platforms. One thing I always set out to do was show no match footage at all – that’s not why I do it – I’ll video my reaction to the goals, and I’ll capture maybe 12-15 minutes of content and then edit that down. It’s quite easy and the most I’d spend on one is one to two hours for the more important games and I do it all on my phone. It’s mad how well you can edit on a mobile phone – I have an iPhone 13 and camera quality is fantastic.
Big numbers! You could get carried away with numbers like that…
Never. I’m just a normal City fan like everyone else. Sometimes I get some criticism from one or two people asking this or that and I just tell them that I’m just a fan like them and doing a couple of videos to camera so that other people can enjoy the games more. I’d say the response if 99% positive.
Are you getting recognised a lot these days, then?
At home games, a bit, but I sit in the same seat, and everyone knows me that's around where I sit. At away games, I find it quite mad the amount of people that know me, just because I’ve uploaded a few videos! I just like talking to people and I can talk for England, so I really enjoy it all and if I can share the journey for people who maybe can’t get to games for whatever reason.
Which other vloggers do you enjoy watching?
I quite like Thogden – he makes a lot of content all over the world and has a couple of million subscribers. He’s a Bolton Wanderers fan and he always gets into the biggest games at home and abroad. Prime Mutton is an entertaining guy, and I met him recently at Madrid when he had a ‘Mutton 12’ shirt on!
We obviously win a lot of games – what are the vlogs like when we lose?
Well, for one, I’m gutted and sometimes I’ll rant at the camera, so there’s a lot more editing to do! The 0-0 v Arsenal was completely different from last season because they came here this year, parked the bus and in hindsight, it probably cost them the league. So, that game wasn’t easy to do for a number of reasons. I set myself a challenge of attending all 38 Premier League games in the first season of the vlog, which I managed . I tried again last season and did it and I’ve just completed a third year of not missing a league game, so I’m quite happy about that.
Where would you like the vlog to lead?
The past year has led to more opportunities to get out there and talk to people – like this, talking to the City Magazine – and things have really been picking up. It might be nice to a bit of presenting here and there and next year I might do this is a full-time capacity, but for now I’m just going to enjoy myself, keep doing what I’m doing and see where it goes. I definitely want to go down the media route, but I wanted to get a good degree behind me first because I think that’s important. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, and I won’t – my family wouldn’t let that happen, anyway! I have no idea what’s around the corner, which is quite exciting in itself.
Finally, what advice would you give to youngsters wanting to follow in your footsteps?
My advice would be that whatever I’m doing now, will be different in five or 10 years. Nobody had heard of Tik Tok when I first started – that came out of nowhere – and there will be AI-generated technology coming in, so everyone will have a different route. Just get yourself out there and do what works for you an don’t be fazed by anything. If you have a passion and drive and don’t ever be put off by anyone or anything.
Follow Luke’s MCFC Lads YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@mcfc_lads
Interview: David Clayton
Esports is a world unknown to itself. Every year billions of views across thousands of competitions within hundreds of games sees an unfathomable amount of money made by content creators, professional players and the games themselves.
And Manchester City is proud to be one of the leading football club organisations within the scene.
In 2021, the Club formed a separate department of staff who were solely responsible for growing and developing Man City Esports. This dedicated and knowledgeable team has been led by Will Ingram since its inception and he’s been an integral figure in the Club’s success across FC and Fortnite over the past three years.
The City Magazine spent some time with our Senior Esports Producer to learn more about his role and the content Man City Esports produces alongside our place in the competitive scene.
CITY MAG: Will thank you for taking the time to talk to us. It would be great to hear about how you joined City first of all and what your role at the Club entails.
WILL: Of course! So I joined around lockdown and COVID in 2021 when no one was really about but we still managed to have a really strong start. We won the ePremier League in my first year, our former player Shellzz won the competition in lockdown but it was quite a unique experience because he had to play from home, everyone else was working from home so it was just me in the office celebrating his victory late one night and it’s all developed from there really.
In terms of my day-to-day, I look after all elements of content production, social media and content strategy. Basically I oversee anything creative to do with Man City Esports. That could be kit launch videos, player signings, social content, day-to-day content, event content and partnership content too. At the moment it’s Mitch and I but we are expanding our team which I think is a positive sign at how important and how much we value esports at the Club. I think we’re very lucky because we get to travel the world so much in this job with our professional Fortnite team and professional FC team. We’ve followed them to Saudi Arabia, USA, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal and Abu Dhabi and see phenomenal success.
CITY MAG: And since 2021, Man City Esports has continued to grow in stature in the esports scene. Just how much of a presence do we have in these games and their competitive scenes?
WILL: So in Fortnite we’re the only football club in that space which means we’re definitely the biggest sport organisation competing in the Fortnite scene. In FC, I’d probably say our biggest rivals are either Red Bull Leipzig or AFC Ajax. They’re both very successful, they’ve won a lot of titles but we’d like to think we’re just as competitive and successful and winning the ePremier League for a second time – the first club to do that – has obviously helped with that.
CITY MAG: Because you’re constantly working in and around the professional scenes in Fortnite and FC do you have much of a say as to which players City Esports signs?
WILL: Our objective has always been to reach a younger demographic that potentially aren’t interested in traditional sport and bring them into the Club that way. So our view has always been that we needed players that were very good in content as well as putting in strong performances in the competitive scene. That’s why we brought in Ryan Pessoa and Shellzz who were amazing. But when we expanded into Fortnite, I think that was when we decided we wanted to tilt the scales slightly more towards getting the strongest pro talent in as possible who would win titles.
So in terms of scouting pro players I have travelled the world with Saul Ashon, our Player Manager, so we both know players in the scene well. So when we’re scouting he’ll often ask me for my opinion on a player from a content perspective, a personality perspective or if I think they’ll be a good fit at the Club while he looks at them from a professional standpoint.
And a great example of that is us bringing in Donovan ‘Tekkz’ Hunt and Matias Bonanno. I wasn’t familiar with Mati because he was playing in Argentina and Spain but Saul knew of him but I knew Tekkz because he’d been at almost every tournament we had been at so he was a signing I was excited to bring in.
And the same goes for our new Fortnite pro players. Iwo ‘Setty’ Zajac was a signing Saul knew I wanted to bring in to City for a long time because of how he performs in competitions but I’m also a big fan of the content he produces on his own channels. Joshua ‘Cold’ Butler was a player I didn’t know much about but from what I had seen of him in content I knew he had a lot of potential alongside Saul and I knowing he’s an incredibly talented pro player too.
CITY MAG: And can you touch on just how much hard work goes on behind-the-scenes for our pros to be at their most elite level in competitions?
WILL: I think it’s easy for people to assume that professional esports is just people sat on their sofa playing a game but it’s so much more than that to be at that top level. Mati and Tekkz for example in FC, when they’re building up to a competition, they’ll be playing between six to 12 hours a day in order to get warm and confident. We also have coaches for both the FC and Fortnite players. The FC coaches break down everything about the game. Strategies, tactics, formations, the opposition, what formations they play, how they play, do they play with a big striker up top, do they play in behind? There’s so many different things and credit to our head Coach Edu and Zac, they’ve been phenomenal working on things such as set piece routines and making sure the lads know exactly what to do in certain scenarios and we’ve massively profited from that.
CITY MAG: And all of that hard work has seen Man City Esports have our most successful year yet and it’s not even over yet!
WILL: Yes! It’s been such an exciting year already and we’ve still got so much more to come. Cold won City Esports our first FNCS title and in turn qualified for the Fortnite Global Championships – and Setty recently joined him in securing his place there too. We’re confident and excited that Trippernn and Threats will grab spots in the Global Championships too!
Tekkz and Mati, like we mentioned, won the ePremier League so they qualified for the eChampions League which Mati has just won a place in the Finals. They’ve also qualified for the FC Pro World Championships which is the biggest event of the year in FC. It’s the one competition Tekkz hasn’t won so it’s the one he really wants and Mati obviously also wants to win it so hopefully we will see more trophy lifts before the year ends.
Interview: Holly Percival
Jaden Heskey, the Under-18s’ captain for the 2023/24 season, can’t have imagined a better way to end the campaign, with the FA Youth Cup trophy.
Wearing the captain's armband can feel like a heavy weight on a player’s shoulders but for Heskey, he feels he accepted the challenge with open arms and finished the season feeling like he played an important role in not just his development and success, but also his peers around him.
On top of trying to be a leading figure on the pitch, Heskey was also tasked with playing out of position for the majority of the past eight or so months, often developed as an eight rather than a striker.
But reflecting on his final campaign in the Under-18s squad, Heskey, rightly so, is proud of his performances.
“When Ben entrusted me with the armband it was just more responsibility really as one of the oldest players in the Under-18s,” began Heskey.
“I definitely feel like I’ve taken on more responsibility for the team and I don’t think it’s come unnaturally. I’m quite a vocal player anyway but I’ve felt more responsibility to show it to the rest of the team and help get us through games.
“And then in terms of playing out of position, I played as an eight a couple of times for the Under-16s because we had injuries but it didn’t really stick because they came back from injury and I went back to a nine.
“But in the most recent pre-season Ben [Wilkinson] put me at eight and he thought I played well Since then I’ve played there for the majority of the campaign and I’ve enjoyed it. I feel like it’s brought out another side of my game where I can go up and down the pitch, use my physical qualities and on the ball I can turn in the box and help score goals as well.
“I’m excited to keep developing as much as I can.”
Another season in sky blue completed and each year Heskey has continued to grow in stature with countless impressive performances since joining the Club’s Academy at six years old.
And this was reflected in him being awarded the Under-18 Scholar of the Season Player of the Season and Player’s Player of the Season trophies at the Academy end-of-season awards following the conclusion of the campaign.
And as he chases his dream of senior football, Heskey reflected on what it was like being born with a ball at his feet given his family’s history in the game.
“I joined at Under-6s so I’ve been here a long time but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of it,” said Heskey.
“I feel like it’s the best place to be to learn how to play football and since Pep [Guardiola] came in, because we implement his style across all the Academy teams, you feel like you’re learning even more tactics.
“I’ve always felt a little bit of pressure with my last name but it’s something I don’t think about too much now. I’m really fortunate that my Dad [former England international Emile Heskey] helps me with that.
“He’s quite relaxed and he doesn’t put much pressure on me either. He just lets me do my own thing and gives me little tips here and there.”
Emile, who made over 500 appearances in English football, continued to show his support for his eldest son’s career at the Etihad Stadium in City’s recent FA Youth Cup final triumph against Leeds United.
Jaden Heskey scored the second goal in our 4-0 win which saw City’s youngsters lift the trophy for a fourth time.
Even though some time has passed since the career highlight for Heskey, it’s still an iconic moment that still doesn’t quite feel real.
“It was a mad game! We obviously had it last season where we went out in the semi-final so to get to the final and win, I felt accomplished, it was great,” said Heskey.
“After the game everyone was in the dressing room jumping around and dancing. I think there was a photo of all the staff and all the players with the trophy and you could see a couple of the coaches pouring water on everyone.
“It was good memories and a bit mad in the changing room. But the fact that it was at the Etihad, and in front of almost 20,000 fans, made it even more special.
“Just getting to experience what it would be like to be in there every week with a full stadium. It’s just more fuel to want to push to play in a Premier League game at the Etihad, hopefully, in the near future.”
Interview: Holly Percival
City’s pursuit of Robbie Fowler finally paid dividends when the former Liverpool legend joined the Blues in January 2003.
Though one of the most instinctive finishers of his generation, a hip injury had meant he’d lost some of his dynamism and had only managed to get into double figures for goals twice in the previous five seasons.
City paid less than £5m for his services, but Kevin Keegan believed Fowler would be the answer to his side’s goal-scoring problems.
For the cover shot of the February City Magazine, there wasn’t enough time to arrange a photoshoot, so we had to go with a signing day stock image.
In truth, it wasn’t our favourite cover.
Sometimes, the cover inspires a great headline, but as this was a fairly boring shot, it resulted in a fairly mundane ‘Robbie Fowler MCFC + England’ with the sub header ‘KK finally gets his man’.
David Sommeil and Djamel Belmadi also featured in the magazine, with the highlight being an interview with United fan Christopher Eccleston, who was starring in The Second Coming which was partly filmed at Maine Road.
Ah, well…
DC
City’s connection with Argentina has been remarkably fruitful in recent decades with so many players making a huge contribution to our success on the pitch.
From Sergio Aguero writing his name in our record books as our greatest ever goalscorer to Pablo Zabaleta, adored by fans for his courage and quality, so many from the South American country have made an incredible impact.
Now Julian Alvarez is a major part of Pep Guardiola’s success while also securing his place in his country’s footballing history as a vital member of Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022.
The striker joined us from River Plate and, in January this year, we signed 18-year-old midfielder Claudio Echeverri from the historic Buenos Aires club.
River are currently managed by Argentina legend and former City defender Martin Demichelis, and we caught up with him on our recent Trophy Tour to ask him about the connection.
Martin, how is everything is going at River? Two titles in 2023, that doesn't sound bad at first glance.
Argentinian football is very, very competitive and challenging. We won two titles. At times, we played very, very well. That's how I want the team to reflect itself on the field. We won both derbies we had in 2023. Unfortunately, we had an early elimination in the round-of-16 on penalties in the Copa Libertadores, which was the great desire of the people. So, we experienced both good and not-so-good feelings, but in general the first year as River's coach was very positive.
After you and Julian Alvarez, we have another connection between the two clubs in ‘El Diablo’ Echeverri. What can you tell us about this player?
Claudio is truly one of the great emerging talents in River's football. We have a great squad that always produces technically gifted players. However, the day-to-day whirlwind at River demands not only winning but being a protagonist in a very special way, trying to play well. I believe that when you leave River well-formed, you are prepared for anything. Claudio is still in the stage of evolution. He has made a very, very significant leap in recent months. Technically, he is a marvel. We enjoy watching him play, even at such a young age. He caught everyone's attention. We'll enjoy him for a while longer and then leave him to you.
Do you think he has the potential to succeed at City in the short-medium term?
Absolutely. Firstly, because he is passionate about this sport. That's already a great advantage. Then, he also has great individual technique and handles the ball very well. That's why going to City is ideal for Claudio. There is no better team for him to continue his path to further development.
Did you give him any advice on what it's like to play in England, considering your experience?
Claudio has experienced very strong emotions in recent months. For now, we try to support him because people here in Argentina demand a lot from him. He has played a little in the Argentinian First Division, and people expect him to score goals. After that, when the time comes to transfer to Manchester City, it's also important for him to start taking English classes. Whether you like it or not, that's an advantage, both on and off the field. So, for now, enjoy, get ready. However, it's only when he arrives in the country that he will realize what it means.
Let's talk about Julian. He came in a summer when Erling Haaland also arrives. In the second season, he has got many more minutes. How important is patience?
Here in Argentina, we live in a country where immediacy seems to be the most important thing. Sometimes, a young kid is expected to perform as if he was a veteran. I remember going to the final at the Bernabeu in Madrid, the Copa Libertadores final. There, Julian came in at the end, but he adapted and had a real impact on the game. With his talent, with his competitive spirit, he earned his place until he became a starter.
What City has with the Argentines is something special. You, Zabaleta, Tevez, Aguero, Otamendi, Julian… is there a reason for this beautiful relationship?
With all due respect to all other countries, here we are very passionate about living this sport. There has been a very positive dynamic between Manchester City and Argentina. Very technical, aggressive, passionate players have passed through here and they had success. Kun, Zabaleta, Tevez. They all paved the way and I'm sure there will be many more cases in the future.
Martin, thank you for your time, it's been a pleasure.
Thank you very much for giving me this time. I send a very special greeting to all the Manchester City fans who always treated me with a lot of respect and affection in the three years I was there.
Interview: Jonathan Smith
Elite Development Squad striker Will Dickson says he is already counting down to the start pre-season in the wake of a 2023/24 campaign that was bedevilled by injury.
After enjoying a superb 2022/23 campaign during which he helped the Club’s Under-21s to a historic third consecutive PL2 title as well as our Under-18s claiming the national Under-18 Premier League title, the 19-year-old was looking to kick on again at the outset of last term for Brian Barry-Murphy’s young side.
Instead, a stress injury that had progressively got worse over time forced Dickson onto the sidelines – and turned into a far more long-term issue that first envisaged.
While the players now enjoy a deserved close season break, for Dickson the recovery and rehab means he is likely to see more of the CFA than his team mates.
But he says after more than six months on the sidelines, there is a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of his projected return to the fray.
“Recovery is going well. I was diagnosed with Osteitis Pubis. It’s a very long name, but basically it's almost like a stress response or like a stress overload of the bone,” Will revealed.
“It was a bit of a weird one at the start because I basically didn't know much about it at all.
“But I've learned a bit more over time and yes, it's been a long time out - around six months so far - and I’ve still got a good couple of months to go.
“So, I’m looking to be back for preseason, but things have started to go in the right direction recently.
“It [the injury] just it just came up over time and I think it just got gradually worse.
“I was playing with it for quite a while and then it just got to a point where I said like enough is enough basically and felt like I couldn't really play to the best of my ability anymore, so that's when I stopped playing.
“And then it's been a lot longer than I thought. It's definitely my longest injury. I had a similar one when I was 14 which was six months. But this has been the longest time out.
“We’re progressing quite a bit now on the pitch and I’m starting to feel a bit more like a footballer now and starting to be on the ball a bit more.
“It's more familiar than just the gym work and it's made the process a bit more exciting, I guess.”
For all the frustrations and inevitable us and downs of having to navigate such a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Dickson believes there have been valuable learnings along the way.
Not just in the way he has navigated the setback physically but also mentally as well.
“I think it's not all negative. I think I've had time for my body to mature and I think I've learned to cope well with setbacks,” Will added,
“Like it builds your resilience in a way. So it's not all negative. Obviously not playing football it's quite tough, but overall, there's also been some benefits that I can take from it.
“When it first happened, I didn't think it would be for the whole season to be honest.
“I think it at first it was supposed to be like two or three months, which wouldn't have been too bad.
“But then I think I just had the mindset that this has happened now and what is the best way to go about it and the best way to deal with it.
“There's no point moping about. Having thoughts like that don't help me in any way, so I’ve just tried to do the best with what I can.
“I think I think it does give you a different perspective when you've been out for so long, so I'm definitely coming back with a lot of motivation.
“I think short term, just getting back to training and playing football and getting fit is the target because when you're off six months your fitness does take a bit of a hit.
“I think I’m going to be at City quite a lot of the summer. I've had a good little time off because of the injury. So yeah, I'm just looking to stay at City as much as I can (over the summer).”
Interview: Neil Leigh
This season I’m taking you on an A-to-Z tour of Manchester and possibly taking a few liberties with the alphabet. Expect lots of musicians, an occasional session with a footballer and whatever else I can find in my archive.
This issue we’re up to the letter J and I suppose there can only be one candidate: Joy Division.
I worked with the band from their first gig – as Warsaw on 29 May 1977 at the Electric Circus – through to their current incarnation as New Order.
When I was shooting for the NME in this, my first year out of college, I had very little money. I had to pay for my own film and processing (£10 per roll) and hope that the NME would use more than one shot to make a profit. (£6.50 was the repro rate at that time). Consequently, I was very parsimonious with film. I rarely wasted a shot. A typical Joy Division session would rarely run to more than one roll, and even then, I'd try to save a few frames to shoot something for another client.
Ian & Co were learning how to pose as a band. I was learning how to shoot bands. We had our own agenda. It wouldn't be politic to release shots of Ian smiling, so on the rare occasion I captured a hint of a smile I cursed my bad luck at wasting a frame. Often, as Ian stood in front of my camera looking contemplative, the other band members, bassist Peter Hook 'Hooky', drummer Stephen Morris and guitarist Bernard Sumner, would stand behind him pulling faces. Occasionally Ian would yawn. These images only exist in my mind. I could never commit them to film. I couldn't afford to. Would my pictures tell a different story if I'd had the luxury of being able to shoot endless frames digitally?
In the late 1970s, Manchester, which Engels called 'a grim place to live', was still suffering the after-effects of WWll. The heavy bombing, along with an ill-conceived 1960s regeneration programme, conspired to make Manchester redolent of an eastern European city. Revisiting my photographs, I see the bleakness of a city slowly dying. A single image taken from a bridge in Hulme of Princess Parkway, the major road into Manchester, features no cars. Unthinkable now. But this is the reality of the afternoon of Saturday 6 January 1979.
After my initial photo-session for the NME, I spent a lot of time with Joy Division - socially and professionally, both in rehearsal and on tour. They were typical of most young lads in their late teens/early twenties. We were a similar age. Talk was mainly about music (Iggy and the Stooges, Velvet Underground, Bowie, Lou Reed), girls, books, football (with Ian - the others weren't bothered. Ian and I supported Manchester City). They weren't really the serious young men of Ian's dark lyrics. Bernard would say that he didn't really understand what Ian was writing about. It was just another layer to their sound.
These photographs of Joy Division are a collaboration between a young band and a young photographer all learning their trades together. I had no idea it would be such a short relationship. But it’s one of which I’m immensely proud.
Joy Division: Juvenes by Kevin Cummins https://amzn.eu/d/8SgLSdi
Archivum: Vintage Joy Division Prints by Kevin Cummins https://amzn.eu/d/fV0tvFF
Kevin Cummins
This time around in my ongoing Mixed Grilling saga I’d like to enter into the Hall of Fame a certain Wayne Haigh.
Vital statistics (other than being a fiercely loyal member of the Blue Army…) 49-year-old, a City fan for 39 years and from Ashton Under Lyne.
A man of taste - would include in his list of likes: Thai food, Belgian Beer and Detroit Techno! Presumably not all taken at the same time.
OK…to the business in hand then...
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF GOING TO A FOOTBALL MATCH?
Getting tickets off Roy Clarke in the social club in the late 80s .
WHAT IS THE MOST PECULIAR OR MEMORABLE THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU AT A CITY GAME?
Talking to Eddie Large about tactics through the fence in the Main Stand at Maine Road!
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND PREVENT ONE MATCH FROM BEING PLAYED - WHAT MATCH WOULD THAT BE - AND WHY?
Champions league semi-final 2022 Real Madrid, watching the tie slip away in a mad five minutes.
WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE CITY GOAL YOU HAVE WITNESSED (“Aguerooooooooo…” aside…)?
Play off final Gillingham 1999, Paul Dickov'd leveller.
HAVE YOU EVER MET ONE OF YOUR MAN CITY HEROES… IF SO - WHO…AND HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE?
Met David Silva in Marks & Spencer's on Market Street Manchester. I was starstruck and could not speak. El Mago was buying cooked chicken and baguettes, though.
WHICH PLAYER WERE YOU MOST SAD TO SEE LEAVE CITY?
Ali Benarbia.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CITY TERRACE ANTHEM?
We never win at home, etc…
WHO IS YOUR MOST FAVOURITE CITY PLAYER OF ALL TIME?
Kevin De Bruyne.
IF YOU COULD PICK ONE CURRENT CITY PLAYER TO BE ON YOUR PUB QUIZ TEAM - WHO WOULD IT BE - AND WHY?
Ederson, if you have smiley face tattoo on your neck you’re obviously up for a laugh.
Manchester City might’ve been pipped to the Barclays Women’s Super League title on goal difference, but the 2023/24 campaign will go down as one of our most memorable to date.
Statement wins were gathered against Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, and exciting young talent emerged into key figures such as Khiara Keating and Jess Park.
We ended the campaign with the best defensive record in the WSL, conceding just 15 times in 22 outings, with Keating becoming only the second City player to claim the Golden Glove award since Ellie Roebuck in 2019/20.
Records were smashed at the top end too, with Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw becoming our leading goalscorer en route to being claiming the WSL’s Golden Boot.
The future looks bright for this exciting young team, but the season also provided an opportunity to celebrate our history, as we reached a decade of professional women’s football at the Club.
Club captain and legendary figure Steph Houghton was the only remaining member of that first side from 2014 in the current team, and she called time on her incredible career at the end of the campaign.
Including derby wins, unbeaten runs and incredible individual records, here are some of the best images from the season…
West Ham (A)
We begin the season with a 2-0 win at West Ham, with summer signing Jill Roord opens her City account.
Chelsea (H)
Chloe Kelly wheels away after opening the scoring in our first home game of the season. Despite being reduced to nine players, City would hold on for a 1-1 draw.
Arsenal (A)
The first setback of the season, as the hosts take the points in stoppage time.
United (A)
City responded in style to successive league defeats to deal United their first ever Old Trafford loss in November 2023.
Everton (A)
We signed off for 2023 with a 4-1 win at Walton Hall Park, as Bunny Shaw became the first player in WSL history to grab three hat-tricks in a calendar year.
United (H) CC
City knocked United out of the Continental Cup ten years to the day since our professional relaunch.
Leicester (H)
Stunning goals from Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly saw City grind out a hard-fought 2-0 win over Leicester at the Joie Stadium in February 2024.
Arsenal (A) FA Cup
Laia Aleixandri’s strike proved the difference as Gareth Taylor’s side weathered a late Arsenal onslaught – thanks to some late Khiara Keating heroics - to win 1-0 in the FA Cup.
Chelsea (A)
Another 1-0 win, this time seeing City become the first side in over three years to come away from Kingsmeadow with a win, as Chelsea are edged out in a top-of-the-table clash.
United (H)
A Jess Park brace and Shaw’s record 68th City goal saw us cruise to another Manchester derby win in front of more than 40,000 fans in March 2024.
Liverpool (A)
A devastating first half performance sees the visitors cruise to a 4-1 win at Prenton Park, with Shaw’s long-range stunner the pick of the bunch.
West Ham (H)
A 13th successive WSL win sets a new record for the longest sequence of victories across a single season in the competition, as the Hammers are put to the sword.
Arsenal (H)
Steph Houghton’s final home match before her retirement draws in a record Joie Stadium crowd, but a late Arsenal brace puts Chelsea in the WSL title race driver’s seat.
Villa (A)
City round off the season with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa, and in front of an incredible away support at Villa Park.
George elsey
Here, we uncover another classic Q&A from days gone by with Shoot Magazine's 'Focus on Willie Donachie'...
Full name: William Donachie
Birthplace: Glasgow
Birthdate: October 5, 1951
Height: 5" 9'
Weight: 11st 7lbs
Previous club: None
Married: Yes, to Yvonne
Car: Morris Minor
Favourite player: Pele
Favourite other team: Celtic
Most difficult opponent: Howard Kendall (Everton)
Most memorable match: City v Gornik 1971
Biggest thrill: Knocking out Gornik because nobody gave us a chance
Biggest disappointment: Being dropped for ECWC semi-final v Chelsea
Best country visited: USA especially San Francisco
Favourite food: Steak, fish
Miscellaneous likes: Food, clothes, watching football, travel
Miscellaneous dislikes: Smoking and snobs
Favourite TV: Match of the Day, Man at the Top
Favourite singers: Marmalade, The Beatles
Favourite actors: Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, Katherine Hepburn
Best friends: Eddie Stewart, Eddie Jones, Steve Carter, Davie Gibbons
Biggest influence on career: Johnny Hart, Dave Ewing
Biggest drag in soccer: Being injured
International honours: 2x U23 Scotland caps
Personal ambition: To be happy and rich!
Professional ambition: To play for Scotland at the 1974 World Cup finals
If you weren't a footballer, what do you think you'd be? In some healthy, out-of-doors job
Who would you most like to meet? Frank Sinatra
Meet Swedish band The Hives who recently provided the soundtrack to an ad for Etihad Airways featuring many of the City squad. The guys took time out of their busy schedule to talk about the Blues and their new association...
How come you ended up being the soundtrack to such a cool Manchester City ad?
Because we were the best band for the job and someone smart at an ad agency or football club asked!
When were you approached and what did you think when you were?
A couple months ago. We thought that’s some good football playing but wow the music really is something extra. Oh, wait, it’s us!
Are any of the band football fans?
Sure. One in particular who shall remain nameless.
What do you make of City?
Well you won the league, didn’t you? Enough said. Also it’s the team those brothers from Oasis like.
Have you played Manchester and if so, how was that (plus where and when!)?
Many, many times and it’s always been a pleasure. The Mancs always feel like kindred spirits.
Of course, we had the wonderful Sven-Goran Eriksson as a former manager - did that raise City's profile in Sweden?
Yeah, maybe. Love that guy.
Outside Sweden, is it fair to say you guys have the most success in the UK? How does that make you feel about our tiny island?
Well the Americas and mainland Europe are probably bigger but the UK was the first place we became and felt like stars so we will always love you for that. The UK success led to all the other success so it holds a special place, definitely!
If you do like football, who are your favourite City players?
Rodri on all positions.
After the Etihad ad, do you feel an affiliation with Manchester City now?
Well we are not as a band allowed to take sides in professional sports but, maybe!
Do you think 'Hate to Say I Told You So' is the perfect soundtrack for the season just ended given many thought City wouldn't win the Premier League?
Yes! It is useful in so many situations that arise in life and this feels perfect to us.
Who will do better at the Euros? England or Sweden?
The Hives ;)
Michael's Story
City created history with a fourth successive Premier League title, and the Club marked that moment in a special way alongside City in the Community (CITC).
On 30 May, it was 25 years since our iconic 1999 Division Two Play-off final win, a match which cemented Paul Dickov’s place in Club folklore.
The forward’s injury time equaliser forced the penalty shootout that would ultimately see us promoted back to Division One at the expense of Gillingham, and completed a remarkable turnaround from two goals down at Wembley Stadium.
As a nod to that piece of City history, Dickov was one of two very special Trophy Bearers at the Etihad Stadium who brought the Premier League trophy out onto the pitch and handed the players their medals.
Alongside Dickov was lifelong City fan Michael Crowther, a CITC participant who has been attending ReminisCITY sessions for several years.
ReminisCITY aims to create a dementia safe environment for fans to enjoy social and physical activity, through the conduit of football and Manchester City.
As a huge City fan, one of Michael’s favourite matches to discuss at ReminisCITY is the Gillingham game of May 1999; especially during sessions focused on sharing recollections.
Manchester City has always played a big role in Michael’s life, and presenting the Premier League trophy to the Champions alongside Paul honoured his long-serving connection to the club.
You can watch the video that shows our Trophy Bearers watching that famous 1999 play-off final back here.
This month our Random Match Generator has come a little closer to the present day with a Carabao Cup tie away to Burton Albion from just five years ago.
Carabao Cup
Semi-final, second leg
Burton Albion 0-1 City
Wednesday, January 23 2019
Attendance: 6,519
City: Muric, Zinchenko (F Nmecha 67), Sandler, Garcia, Danilo, Delph, Foden, De Bruyne (Mendy 63), Poveda, Mahrez, Aguero (Jesus 63).
Subs Not Used: Grimshaw, Stones, Bolton, Richards
Just 90 minutes away from a return trip to Wembley, could City get the job done? Well, for a semi-final second leg, there was absolutely no jeopardy for our one and only visit to the Pirelli Stadium to date.
A 9-0 demolition of League One Burton Albion had ended any hope of a giant-killing with the tie essentially over inside the opening 45 minutes of the tie.
It had been a bruising night at the Etihad a fortnight earlier for the away fans, many of whom didn’t make it to the stadium due to long tailbacks on the M6 motorway.
Those that did saw Kevin De Bruyne and two goals from Gabriel Jesus firing City into a 3-0 half-time lead.
Jesus finished the game with four in total with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez.
Urged on by the fans singing: “We want 10”, City went in search of another, but Burton defended manfully in the last 10 minutes to keep the score in single figures.
Brewers boss Nigel Clough said his players would learn a lot from the experience of facing such a brilliant team but wanted to celebrate his Club’s huge achievement of reaching the last-four.
And that was certainly the focus on a freezing night in East Staffordshire for the second leg for a sell-out record home crowd, despite the scoreline.
Pep Guardiola congratulated Burton on their amazing run, which saw them knock out Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough, and vowed to take the second leg seriously.
True to his word, City lined up with seven full internationals, including De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, along with a number of players from the Academy.
Dutch defender Philippe Sandler made his only start for the Club in a youthful centre-back pairing alongside Eric Garcia who had played in the first leg on his 18th birthday.
Aro Muric continued in goal after playing in every round before in wins over Oxford, Fulham and Leicester, while 18-year-old winger Ian Carlo Poveda made his first ever appearance.
A difficult pitch made it an awkward match and Burton had an early effort on target when Liam Boyce’s goalbound flick was saved by Muric.
City were finally ahead in the 26th minute when Aguero swept in Riyad Mahrez’s pullback after good work from De Bruyne.
Another Academy player, Felix Nmecha, was handed his debut in the second half, just a year after his older brother Lukas made his bow in the same competition.
Danilo, Aguero and Jesus missed chances for the Blues while Burton were denied a famous goal when Garcia cleared off the line from Will Miller.
Former City striker Clough brought his dog into his post-match press conference and spoke of his team getting their pride back after the difficult first leg.
"The youngsters will learn so much from being on the same pitch as these magnificent players,” he said. “Hopefully we have made a few quid from the run but it's more about the experience."
It would be the last City appearances for Poveda and Muric, although both have gone on to become full internationals at Colombia and Kosovo respectively, as has Nmecha with Germany.
City, meanwhile, would march on to Wembley where we beat Chelsea after a penalty shootout for what would be the second of four successive times we won the trophy.
That second leg clash at a freezing and tiny stadium may have been free of risk, but it still managed to capture the magic of cup football in England which remains precious and is admired by so many, including Guardiola.
“[Burton’s players] had what a professional player has to have - pride - and not accept what happened in the first game and play like they did - that's why they have to be so proud,” he said.
Jonathan Smith
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