'Memries' Manchester City vs Sheffield United 10/10/1987

[SUFCHistory]

 

[Sithblade]

Watch a rare win from the end of McEwan era. Goals from Frain, Morris and Philliskirk in a 3-2 win.

 

[Dean68]

I was at that game - it was part of a rare good run in that season (6 games unbeaten) which had us thinking we'd do ok. Ended up getting relegated.

 

[Silent Blade]

Not seen the footage before, thanks.

 

[Bell4]

2 years later in the first division

 

[1973Blade]

I doubt that Pep Guardiola and Mel Machin have much in common!

 

[NAP]

I remember buying the pink ‘un straight after the game, surprisingly with no full time report!

 

[JJ Sefton]

I doubt that Pep Guardiola and Mel Machin have much in common!

Both slapheads.

 

[1973Blade]

Both slapheads.

In fact Mel Machin was manager when City beat Man Utd 5-1, something Guardiola has never bettered despite his fancy tactics.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Sgt Major McEwan never rated the bloke rare win in a season was shite , I went to Maine Rd that day . anyone remember the 5-0 at home to Oldham .. fuck me we were that bad even we were taking the piss . Bassett inherited some right shite & couldn’t keep us up . What a turnaround the season after

 

[DifferentClass]

Andy piggy twat Hinchcliffe

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

I remember going to that one. Did we have a small corner of the terrace next to the goal on the *LH side as you watch the video ?
Also remember not being able to find where I'd parked the car after, it was a peppermint green mark 2 Escort and should have stuck out like a sore thumb.
I ended up wandering the terraced streets for about an hour after the match until most of the parked cars had gone and mine appeared. Little did I know it was bloody Moss Side.

RH side even.

 

[Wapping Blade]

Not seen the footage before, thanks.

I was there but have never seen the first 2 goals as we couldn’t find anywhere to park and it was 1-1 when we got in.

 

[Cheets]

I didn't go but yes it was a nice little purple patch for us before it all went tits up culminating in McEwan's departure in early January. I remember David Frain being interviewed by Bob Jackson on Radio Sheffield after the City game and saying "Most people know I grew up a Wednesday fan but we've got a good young team developing here."

 

[petrusha]

Not seen the footage before, thanks.

I wasn't at the game, having started at university in East Anglia the previous week and not wanting to make what in those days would have been a 12-hour round trip, thus missing the opportunity to get to know my new mates. Nor had I seen that footage until now.

In those days, City filmed home games and produced highlights of them with commentary, but I'm not sure whether they released all of them for sale. The only one I've ever seen until this one was a match four weeks later against Huddersfield. We scored ten that day, so I can see why they would have released that one for sale. Can't imagine there'd have been many City buyers for the Blades game, though, which you must have enjoyed more than I did.

From a City perspective, the main interest lies in seeing a team including six members of the 1986 FA Youth Cup-winning side. In fact, five of those were still in the side two years later for the 5-1 Manchester derby win that 1973Blade mentions above (Ian Scott, who wore the number 10 shirt against the Blades, had been sold to Stoke by that time).

To answer DaveBassettsgoneonholiday - yes, the Blades fans occupied the terracing on the corner that you mention. Away teams also had the whole Platt Lane Stand in those days, which is the stand behind the right-hand goal as you look at it on that video. It held 8,000 seated on wooden benches, so looked pretty empty even when it had a couple of thousand in it. We didn't automatically also offer an away side back then the adjacent terracing that the Blades took that day. More often than not, it was left unoccupied, but they tended to open it up when a relatively large away following was expected.

I note that there are two players from that match who later played for the opposition. Would it be fair to say that David White didn't do much at BDTBL owing to his injuries? For what it's worth, Peter Beagrie played only around 50 league games for City in his spell with us, but is quite fondly remembered by those old enough to recall his time at our club.

From a Blades perspective, looking at that footage and at your line-up as well as relying on my memory of the standard in the second tier during that period, I'm a bit surprised that you got in relegation strife that season. I'm not sure I'd have expected you to be challenging at the top, but you look to me as though you should easily have avoided going down. Posters on here will know far better than I do what went wrong.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Nice to hear GCB during game even back then ,
One of the games I couldn’t get over to ,
Just had my ankle smashed so in plaster

 

[Revolution]

Thanks for posting - never seen that before.

Our team was Leaning, Wilder, Pike, Kuhl, Stancliffe, Barnsley, Morris, Philliskirk, Beagrie, Dempsey, Frain. We didn’t use a sub.

That was our most recent away win v City. Since then we are winless in 11 league games and 1 League Cup game, and we have not scored in our last 9 away games against them (5 0-0 draws, 0-1 once, 0-2 twice, 0-6 once). The last player to score away v City was Brian Gayle in October 1991.

As others have said, that win was during a rare good spell that season. We only got 6 points from the first 8 league games but then got a good point at Villa, won 2-1 at Oakwell with 2 late goals, deservedly saw off Hull thanks to Mendonca’s late header, won at Maine Road and then scored twice in 15 mins v Leicester (and missed a pen) and hung on to win 2-1. 13 points from 5 games, including 7 from 9 against the 3 relegated teams.

We were up to 11th after Leicester and I was optimistic for the next game v Birmingham. But we were poor and lost 2-0. Those who were around at the time will remember that Peter Withe played for Brum despite being on loan to us and scored both goals. A pivotal night. That started a run of 1 point from 7 games, and we ended up relegated of course.

A month after losing to us, City beat Huddersfield 10-1 at Maine Road. No one has scored double figures in an English league game since then.

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

Must have been to City a dozen times, and we've never even got a point. Can only remember winning there twice, and both times I wasn't able to go. This was one of them, and we had another in the 70s where we won 1-0 I think, but can't remember the year. Remember Paul Dickov running riot once and got a hat-trick I think. Not a happy away destination for me.

 

[Aganarama]

I note that there are two players from that match who later played for the opposition. Would it be fair to say that David White didn't do much at BDTBL owing to his injuries? For what it's worth, Peter Beagrie played only around 50 league games for City in his spell with us, but is quite fondly remembered by those old enough to recall his time at our club.

I liked White but there were a lot who were critical of him. If you look back at the goals from when he was here, he was involved in a great number. But like you say, injuries did him.

I also remember his signing was at a time when ownership was changing and wages hadn't been paid!

 

[Aganarama]

That was our most recent away win v City. Since then we are winless in 11 league games and 1 League Cup game, and we have not scored in our last 9 away games against them (5 0-0 draws, 0-1 once, 0-2 twice, 0-6 once). The last player to score away v City was Brian Gayle in October 1991.

I knew we were bad there...just not 9 games and no goals bad! I was at the Keegan/Benarbia 0-0. Monty followed Benarbia everywhere.

 

[Newbury Blade]

I remember buying the pink ‘un straight after the game, surprisingly with no full time report!

Football Pink, published by the Manchester Evening News. It was available at 6pm on Saturdays, with full match reports, so you would have had time for a couple of pints before it came out.

 

[N20 Blade]

Love watching old games like this, football had a different type of charm back then. The crowds back then are interesting, just 18k there that day and a handful from Sheffield. Meanwhile our average home attendance would have been barely 10k I guess that season. I miss football from the 80s & 90s to today but it's only go to one way. Used to enjoy going to Maine Road, it was huge away and for a couple of games under Bassett we took a load over, and it was still far from full.

 

[Silent Blade]

Must have been to City a dozen times, and we've never even got a point. Can only remember winning there twice, and both times I wasn't able to go. This was one of them, and we had another in the 70s where we won 1-0 I think, but can't remember the year.

March 1974. Geoff Salmons scored direct from a corner.

 

[Russ]

Thanks, I went to it as well and will look forward to watching it all. I remember the saga about the penalty not given then one being awarded to us for nothing in the second half.

What a treat for the younger ones to be able to see what Colin Morris was like. What a player he was. What a signing. Brilliant.

 

[N20 Blade]

Must have been to City a dozen times, and we've never even got a point. Can only remember winning there twice, and both times I wasn't able to go. This was one of them, and we had another in the 70s where we won 1-0 I think, but can't remember the year. Remember Paul Dickov running riot once and got a hat-trick I think. Not a happy away destination for me.

My happiest memory of city away was hodges making his debut in a 2-0 defeat to mark ward. he looked a class above and offered something new. i think jones was booked after 0.002 seconds and saw red later on. next season gayle scored twice and we still lost. i vaguely remember a league cup game two when duffield scored a brace. let's be honest it will be a while longer yet!!

 

[Silent Blade]

i vaguely remember a league cup game two when duffield scored a brace.

Bryson scored the first and Duffield the second

 

[NAP]

Football Pink, published by the Manchester Evening News. It was available at 6pm on Saturdays, with full match reports, so you would have had time for a couple of pints before it came out.

There must have been an early edition on Saturdays then cos remember the paper sellers as we left the ground

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Bryson scored the first and Duffield the second

Had a few visits to Maine Rd from 85 onwards including the league cup tie but never saw us get a result there ( miseds this one as playing On Sats a few games that season ) . But at The Lane a different story had a great record against them up to the PL

 

[Old Programme seller]

It’s funny how people say that football ‘back then’ was better I honestly don’t think it was players are far more professional and dare I say it more skilful not just on the ball but movement in body and positioning, we did go through a period of ‘just athletes‘ but the modern day footballer has moved on probably through sports science.

 

[N20 Blade]

It’s funny how people say that football ‘back then’ was better I honestly don’t think it was players are far more professional and dare I say it more skilful not just on the ball but movement in body and positioning, we did go through a period of ‘just athletes‘ but the modern day footballer has moved on probably through sports science.

I’m not saying it was better but it had a different feeling, you had an empathy with the players and it was something you could relate to. Technically and physically they are different games now but not necessarily a good thing?