Welcome to the April issue of the official digital City Magazine!
Another month ticked off and the end of the domestic season is now just weeks away.
Of course, the campaign is far from petering out with the FA Cup semi-final to look forward to and a fascinating battle for Champions League qualification to come.
Onto the April edition of the City Mag and we have the usual eclectic mix of interviews, features and columnists – not to mention the odd sprinkling of irreverence.
Nico is our main focus this month and our recent Spanish arrival reveals what it was like being the son of a La Liga legend and how his initial dislike of playing football eventually turned into a love of the game that has led him to the Etihad.
We also have our Jamaican goal-machine Bunny Shaw featured in this issue, and one of the best forwards in world football talks about her journey and early learnings at City that has seen her career jettison towards the very top.
The Manchester City legend that is Tommy Booth is the focus of So Solid Blue, and we also have a vintage Q&A with John Gidman and a wonderful archive interview with Georgi Kinkladze.
Kev Cummins’ A to Z of Manchester looks at an iconic collection of tattoos he’s photographed over the years, while Marc Riley gives another lifelong Blue a grilling.
Our Random Match Generator looks back at a miserable trip to the south coast, while Roger Palmer’s hat-trick against City is the focus of Sometimes They Come Back.
And, as a comedian from yesteryear used to say, “there’s more”.
Ryan McAidoo, Sebastian Naylor and Max Hudson are the focus of our Under-18 and EDS interviews, and we also have Technical Area, Cover Story and Andy Morrison taking on YouTube legend Prime Mutton in our This Month predictions battle.
So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
Nico Gonzalez speaks to the City Magazine about his early years, having a famous father, training with Messi… and his initial dislike of football!
Being the son of a La Liga legend and a Spain international, you’d imagine you would be kicking a football from the moment you could walk, wouldn’t you?
You’d also think that becoming a footballer like your dad would be all-consuming and the only thing you wanted to do in life… at least, that’s how we would think it would be from the outside.
But it wasn’t quite how it was for Nicolás González Iglesias – or 'Nico' as he prefers.
Nico's dad, known simply as 'Fran', played 550 games over an incredible 17-year period for Deportivo La Coruna – as well as winning 16 caps for Spain - but that meant very little to his toddler son as he played anything but football in those formative years.
“When I was really young, my father tells me that I hated football!” smiles Nico.
“I don’t know why, but between the ages of three and five, when young guys enjoy kicking a ball, I just didn’t like it.
“But my cousin David, who was maybe five years older than me, started to play football a lot and I finally started to play as well. He and I started to play every day, and I actually discovered I liked it, but before then, I could care less about football.”
Deportivo La Coruna were the team of Nico’s home city - A Coruña – and Fran is still fondly remembered by the fans of the club, particularly as he was a crucial part of the club’s one and only La Liga success in 1999/2000 when the ‘Blue and Whites’ became the second smallest city to win the Spanish title, fending off Barcelona and Valencia’s challenge to create a moment their supporters still talk about to this day.
Nico was three when his father, aged 36, decided to retire, but you’d imagine the influences to support the club were everywhere in the family home and in their everyday lives and that Nico was a huge Deportivo supporter… right?
“Me? No! My dad probably retired when I was five-years old, and because my interest in football hadn’t kicked in, I didn’t really follow anyone," says Nico. "But by the time I was six and playing football, Barca was probably in their best moment, so that was the team I wanted to follow.
“My dad liked them, too. Deportivo had just been relegated, and I decided to support a more successful team. Between the ages of six and eight, anyone who was a similar age to me gravitated towards Barca because they were such a fantastic team and the most fun side to watch.”
And it would be Barca Nico eventually ended up with, but he cut his teeth with fourth tier Spanish side Montañeros, where the boy who hadn’t liked football that much started to make quite an impression…
“Deportivo didn’t have a youth team back then,” he recalled. “At the age of eight or nine, I started playing youth football for Montañeros with my friends and I discovered I was pretty good!”
Did being the son of Fran make him more popular with his peers?
Nico says having a famous father actually made his progress, if anything, even tougher to succeed in junior football.
“More popular? I would say the opposite, actually. It was maybe harder. If I didn’t play well in some games, people would say I was only in the team because of who my father was – people expected more from me, I guess,” he reflected.
“But it got easier. When I started to play, my father had been retired for a few years and my team-mates didn’t know about him – the older ones did – but not my friends and in football, when you stop playing and retire, after two or three years people don’t remember you so well. It’s just the way it is.”
Such was Nico’s progress at Montañeros, by the time he was 11 it was clear he was destined for bigger and better things.
It meant an opportunity to play at the youth academy of the club he loved and in 2013, he joined Barcelona, making a near 700-mile switch from one side of Spain to the other in the process to reside at the world famous La Masia training complex.
It was, of course, a dream come true, even if the gravity of the opportunity hadn’t quite hit him immediately.
“It was amazing,” said Nico. “But it also came with a lot of pressure because at Barcelona’s academy, there is such a lot of competition every time you train or when we played games, but it was also a lot of fun. I was arriving from a small team where the level wasn’t that good, and it was easier to play games all the time - to a very professional set up where the training was hard and there was a lot of discipline. It was very good for me, and I learned so much at La Masia.
“Did I feel that prestige at being there? To be honest, not so much at the time but now, I feel so proud to have been there as an a 11-year-old boy. At that age, you don’t really know where you are at or maybe how special being somewhere like that is. But for a young footballer, it’s such an important place, playing with so many good and talented players. It just felt normal for me at the time. As I say, it’s only in later years you realise what it meant and I feel very fortunate to have been there and seen how many great players I played alongside have gone on to play for top teams.”
Nico’s time at Barca invites an intriguing question – was he there when Lionel Messi was at the club, and if so, what does he recall?
“He actually left the summer I moved to the first team,” smiles Nico.
“There was only one training session a little while before that I was at that and Messi was there – it was during an international break where he hadn’t travelled to be with Argentina and because so many senior players were absent, some of the younger players were invited to the session which I also took part in and he trained a little bit, too. It is something that I get asked a lot about, and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
“And Pep was at Barca when I was at La Masia. When I signed at the age of 11, I went along to watch a training session and Pep was there. I was really young, so I don’t remember if he spoke to us all or not, but it was a great experience.”
Nico progressed through Barca’s youth teams until he penned his first major contract – complete with a 500 million euro buy-out clause – in May 2021.
He smiles at the mention of it, but also says it was pretty standard for any young player signing a senior contract.
Nico revealed: “That is something they do for every young player at Barcelona – since the departure of Neymar Jr – they put that clause in almost every contract they do for young players signing on. It was nothing special that they did just for me, and it wasn’t even something I was aware of at the time.”
He would play for Barcelona B over the next three seasons, before finally winning a call up to the senior squad and aged 19, he would make his La Liga debut against Real Sociedad in August 2021, replacing his idol, Sergio Busquets.
How did he feel at that moment?
“Nervous!” he laughed. “He was an idol of mine and the one year I had with him, I learned so much. He talked to me a lot all that season and not only to me because I played in his position, but he helped all the young players. He talked a lot to us and was a really good captain, so anyone who had that sort of exposure could only learn good things.”
Nico would play 37 times in total for Barca, enjoy a season-long loan with Valencia and then make a permanent move to Porto in 2023 where he would quickly emerge as one of the most promising holding midfielders in Europe.
In fact, just 18 months later, he would be identified by Manchester City as the missing link in our midfield strategy following Rodri’s ACL injury.
But when Rodri returns, there is a side to Nico’s game that City fans will get to see that his current role in the side perhaps doesn’t allow so much – the ability to score and create goals - as his game continues to develop.
And now, after Busquets, he will learn ever more from his compatriot Rodri – something he cannot wait to do.
“I really want to play and train alongside the best player in the world – to learn from him, train with him and see how special he is,” said Nico.
“Along with Busquets, they are not only the best holding midfielders of their generation, but maybe in history.
“I am looking forward to learning new things from Rodri, because when I played with Busquets, you could give him any ball and he could make it look good. I think it will be the same with Rodri.”
And, finally, how is Manchester life suiting him?
“I am getting used to life here really well,” he beamed.
“I am actually liking it a lot. It’s not such a big city, but everything is really close, and I really like living in Manchester. I feel I’m arriving at not the worst moment because the weather has not been that bad. Every time there is a good day, people tell me not to get used to it – but to be honest, there have been a lot more good days than bad since I arrived.
“Maybe I am lucky. Maybe I brought the sunshine with me!”
Interview: David Clayton
Onto the April schedule already and the finish line is in sight – can Mozzer edge ahead in his battle with the three City vloggers? This month he takes on Prime Mutton with the battle for victory neck and neck… we also added the Bournemouth match in ahead of publication...
BOURNEMOUTH v CITY
Sunday 30 March• 16:30 kick-off
Vitality Stadium
Mozzer verdict: This is a really tough one to predict but I’m going to go for City to edge home. The Cherries are good at home and we haven’t been fluent so it’s probably not the tie we would have chosen, but it’s our last crack at silverware so I think it will go all the way to penalties and we will go through to the semis.
Mozzer prediction: Bournemouth 2-2 City*
Vlogger verdict: I did feel that when the draw came out that this or Villa away were the two bad ties we could get out the teams that remained in the competition. However, I saw enough in the Brighton game to encourage me, and Bournemouth who are having an excellent season appear to have dipped slightly. It’ll probably be a tight one, but I think City will scrape though.
Vlogger prediction: Bournemouth 1-2 City
CITY v LEICESTER
Wednesday 02 April• 19:45 kick-off
Etihad Stadium
Mozzer verdict: Hopefully we are buoyant after the Bournemouth game as there could be a feeling of deflation if not – but I don’t see that happening. Leicester will need a miracle to survive the drop and I don’t see that starting here where I think we will coast to victory.
Mozzer prediction: City 5-1 Leicester
Vlogger verdict: Leicester are really struggling and looking like certainties to lose their top flight status. I can’t see them staying up and they’ve been taking a few thumpings of late . I expect City to fill their boots here and ramp up our goal difference which could be of importance in the final shake-up.
Vlogger prediction: City 4-0 Leicester
MAN UNITED v CITY
Sunday 06 April• 16:30 kick-off
Old Trafford
Mozzer verdict: The form book goes out of the window in these games – so the cliché goes – but it’s true! United have looked like they were coming into a bit of form in March, but I think their results were more to do with the quality of the opposition than anything else. Still, the atmosphere will be good as they will sniff a league double, but I think we will rise to the occasion.
Mozzer prediction: United 1-3 City
Vlogger verdict: You never know what you’re going to get with United these days - some shocking results against average teams one day, and in other games they have had pretty good results against decent teams. Ruben Amorim is good at setting up against big teams to play on the counter, although in the reverse fixture it did look as if City were going to record a stodgy 1-0 win until some painful errors at the end of the game. If we are at our best, we win, but neither team has been firing on all cylinders so I’ll sit on the fence here!
Vlogger prediction: United 2-2 City
CITY v CRYSTAL PALACE
Saturday 12 April • 12:30 kick-off
Etihad Stadium
Mozzer verdict: We are getting to the business end of the Premier League season, and we know we will need points to get a top five finish with the chasing pack breathing down our necks. For that reason, I don’t see a useful Palace side causing us headaches on this occasion, though they seem to enjoy playing at the Etihad!
Mozzer prediction: City 3-1 Palace
Vlogger verdict: Palace are in a comfortable mid-table position and their season will be defined by their progress in the FA Cup. Palace have sometimes put up a good fight at the Etihad, but I expect a comfortable win here with Champions League points very much needed for the Blues.
Vlogger prediction: City 3-1 Palace
EVERTON v CITY
Saturday 19 April • 15:00 kick-off
Goodison Park
Mozzer verdict: A really tough one given Everton’s resurgence but I think we’ll have too much for them. It’s impossible to tell what the injury situation will be like by this stage, but if we have our best available defence, I see us just edging this one again.
Mozzer prediction: Everton 1-2 City
Vlogger verdict: Everton have certainly been rejuvenated by David Moyes and are playing pretty well. I expect this to be a tough assignment even though Everton don’t have much to play for - but this is our final trip to Goodison Park and I’m going to go for a draw.
Vlogger prediction: Everton 1-1 City
CITY v ASTON VILLA
Tuesday 22 April • 20:00 kick-off
Etihad Stadium
Mozzer verdict: We always play against Villa at the Etihad and where their season is at will have a factor in how this one pans out. If they are out of the Champions League, they will need a big result here as this will be huge in the race for a top four/five finish – I just don’t see us allowing that to happen.
Mozzer prediction: City 2-0 Villa
Vlogger verdict: City and Villa are still in the FA Cup so this could be a preview of this year's final. But if Villa can somehow get past an excellent PSG side, it might be a good time to play them. Villa are well in contention for the European places, but our record at home against them is pretty good so I predict a City win - especially given that our January signings have been impressive so far and Villa could be stretched a bit thin by this point.
Vlogger prediction: City 2-0 Villa
FOREST v CITY
Sunday 27 April • 16:30 kick-off
Wembley Stadium
Mozzer verdict: I'm confident we will win this. Forest have been superb all season and few could have predicted their current position in the league as well as reaching the FA Cup semi-final. It won't be as easy to play their counter-attack game on Wembley's big pitch and I expect us to beat them.
Mozzer prediction: Forest 1-3 City
Vlogger verdict: On current form, we probably had the toughest quarterfinal and now perhaps have the toughest semi-final! Forest will set up to soak pressure and catch us on the counter, but who knows what City XI will be available for this game? I see one moment of magic settling the match - hopefully, from the boot of Kevin De Bruyne!
Vlogger prediction: Forest 0-1 City
March results
(3 points for a correct score, 1 for a correct result)
Mozzer 1-1 Vlogger
A sixth month without a correct score and so we edge towards the finish line with everything to play for. Both Andy and Esteemed Kompany collected a point for predicting the Plymouth result, but that, sadly was all! Mozzer has it all to do as Prime Mutton has already predicted the Bournemouth game correctly, though that isn't included here...
Overall scoreboard after 49 games:
Mozzer 22 Vloggers 26
The latest instalment of our series highlighting our unsung heroes of the past sees us remember the career of a solid centre-half.
Only six men have ever worn the City shirt more than Tommy Booth.
His 491 appearances spanned 14 seasons and a rollercoaster time for the club, with Booth proving the model of consistency.
Born in in 1949 in Middleton, a suburb to the north of Manchester, Booth was a promising youngster when Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison led the Club to First Division success in 1967/68.
With our title defence faltering slightly early on in the following campaign, Booth was given his chance in the backline alongside the team’s rock, Mike Doyle.
His senior debut came in a League Cup clash with Huddersfield Town before making his league bow just over a month later in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Turning 19 that campaign, Booth really came to the fore when in the last minute of the FA Cup semi-final with Everton, he stabbed the ball home in the last minute of a dramatic tie to send the City to Wembley where Leicester City awaited.
He played in the triumphant final too, meaning he hadn’t missed a game along the way and been part of a defence that had only conceded one goal in seven games.
In fact, he would become something of a lucky talisman for City, appearing in both 1970 cup finals (League and European Cup Winners’ Cup) as well as missing just one league game all season.
With 59 appearances in his second campaign, only Doyle was used more across all competitions and the pair were now known as the backbone of the team.
With Alan Oakes in midfield ahead of them and Tony Book and Glyn Pardoe also in the defence, City’s foundations were as strong as ever.
Booth’s commitment to the cause and bravery in every situation made him just as much a crowd favourite as his senior colleagues around him who had famously lifted that title a couple of years earlier.
Manager Joe Mercer clearly had Booth earmarked for greater accolades, stating: “He’s the best centre-half since Stan Cullis. He is great in the air, with a perfect temperament. He can play, too.
“He can go past them, he’s got loads of control, and makes it look all too easy. I think he is the best centre half in England.”
Senior caps for England never materialised and by March 1973, the coaching duo of Mercer and Allison had both left the club.
However, Booth and Doyle remained untouchable at the heart of our defence until England international Dave Watson joined from Sunderland in 1975.
Watson was moving to Maine Road to start every match he was fit for, of that there was no doubt.
It meant that all of a sudden, Booth went from the almost ever-present in the middle of the backline to a utility figure forced to adapt to whatever the team needed.
He naturally took it in his stride, replacing the iconic Colin Bell in midfield when Nijinsky had to sit out a Manchester derby.
He contributed a career-best eight goals in 1975/76 and remained in the centre of the park as we lifted the League Cup with victory over Newcastle United.
It was from that more advanced position that he wandered into the box to head across for Dennis Tueart to spectacularly overhead kick the goal that won us the cup.
Perhaps his most difficult season during his peak years followed in 1976/77, when Doyle and Watson built their partnership and appeared immovable.
That was until the last 11 games of the term when Doyle’s season finished early and Booth was back in the fold.
It was like he’d never been away.
His form was so good that Doyle, one of the six men to play for City more than Booth, would never again be first choice.
That was Booth’s incredible resilience and passion for the sky blue shirt exemplified, he would do whatever job was asked him by the manager.
The Maine Road faithful knew that Booth put the club before his own personal glory and, as with any player who does such, he became a cult hero because of it.
He remained a key man until the end of the 1980/81 season, before moving to Preston North End after one appearance early on in the following season.
His departure felt very much the end of an era for the club as much as it will have done for the man himself.
With five major trophies and 491 appearances, Tommy Booth truly was Mr. Manchester City through this period.
Words: Jack Wilson-Mumford
Since her Manchester City arrival in the summer of 2021, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has cemented her status as one of world football’s most lethal finishers.
Goals galore, records, trophies and individual honours have followed since the Jamaican swapped Bordeaux for the Blues almost four years ago.
When examining her time at the Joie Stadium so far, it’s easy to assume she hit the ground running at the Club and hasn’t looked back since.
Her record in sky blue stands at a phenomenal 91 goals in 106 appearances – but by her own admission, things didn’t seamlessly click for the 2024 PFA Women’s Player of the Year immediately.
A change in footballing cultures provided a shock to the system for the striker who had previously netted consistently for her previous employers, and frustrations were beginning to creep in for Bunny.
That was until she sparked a partnership with Ellen White who provided the advice and confidence Shaw needed to shine on the elite stage.
“When I came in, my old club played completely different to the way we play here. So it took me a couple of months, to be honest, to get it right,” Bunny explained.
“In training, you could tell my intensions were there but it wasn’t clicking at the time.
“But having an experienced player like Ellen [White] who would always encourage me to keep making the runs, or if I make a bad pass, sometimes I would be down on myself because I just wanted it to work.
“Having her definitely helped me with the encouragement and also she wouldn’t just tell me, she would also show me as well.
“So having that relationship with her day in day out definitely helped me.”
Although only now just entering her prime years – which in itself is a staggering thought when viewing her record – Shaw has witnessed a City transfer strategy which has injected our side with exciting young players looking to impress.
Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, the Blues acquired the services of 21-year-old attacker Aoba Fujino, meanwhile Academy graduate Lily Murphy stepped up into the first-team fold.
And Bunny is now looking to play the role of White to our fledgling stars of the future.
“I try [to help], I communicate a lot on the pitch,” she continued.
“Sometimes they say I look angry, but I’m actually not. I just communicate and I try to help everyone around me because I could tell I was once there and I know what it felt like.
“As much as we can communicate and help them, I think it will help them be more confident and feel more comfortable.
“I always speak about my teammates because ultimately, they put the balls in and put me in the best position to score.
“Having the new players in is just about them knowing what we want to achieve, the style of play and what we do in certain areas of the pitch.
“Of course, it’s going to take time to adjust but I think as you can tell in training and in the games we’re slowly coming together now.
“It took a while but we’re getting it at the right time.”
Bunny is well versed in exceptional timing, often in the right place at the right time to plunder chances which may look lost to those without her poacher’s instinct.
There too, has been a direct correlation between goals and accolades for Bunny during her time at the Joie Stadium.
The Jamaican is the Club’s all-time leading women’s scorer which she shortly followed up by becoming our highest markswoman in the UEFA Women’s Champions League alone this term.
En route to both records she’s also tallied the most WSL hat-tricks in the competition’s shortly after winning the 2023/24 top-flight Golden Boot and Player of the Season prize.
She’s now only nine goals away from reaching 100 for City and would become the first player in our women’s team’s history to do so if she’s to achieve the feat.
When asked what it would mean to reach a century of City goals, she replied “[It would be special] 100%, of course.
“My position is to score goals and I try to do the best I can as much. As much as how [much] I want to score all the time it’s the same for winning.
“That’s just who I am and I set out to achieve every time I step out onto the pitch and I tried my best to do what I know what I’m capable of and try to work incredibly hard for the team.
“I think by just focusing on the small things, the bigger goals come with reaching 100 goals but that would mean a lot to me, for sure.”
During Shaw’s first season with the Club, she helped City triumph in the 2022 Subway Women’s League Cup.
Since then, the Blues have suffered agonising near misses when aiming to add to our trophy cabinet with narrow losses to Chelsea in the 2022 FA Cup final and 2025 League Cup showpiece.
The Londoners pipped us to the WSL crown last term on goal difference too, but Nick Cushing’s side are one step away from the FA Cup final this month as we host Manchester United in the last-four stage.
And lifting a major honour again with City would be a source of immense pride for Bunny.
She concluded: “The individual awards are good, but for me, it’s ultimately the team wins that I get the most satisfaction from.”
Interview: Sam Cox
In the second of a new CITY MAG feature, we look at goals scored in each and every minute, from our quickest to the last-gasp winners or equaliser. Next up, it’s minute two and the near-perfect starts
2 minutes
August 3, 1968
With barely a minute on the clock, a youthful Asa Hartford (in the colours of West Brom) plays a poor pass into the middle which Colin Bell easily intercepts and then quickly plays a 40-yard ball into the path of Mike Summerbee on the right flank. Buzzer spots Bobby Owen’s intelligent run and plays a superb cross into his path and the former Bury striker deftly places the ball past Osborne in the Baggies’ goal to get his City career off to a flying start and put his new club 1-0 up in the FA Charity Shield clash at Maine Road (the venues varied back then!).
2 minutes
December 29, 2001
Burnley were the surprise package of the 2001/02 campaign and arrived at Maine Road for the final game of the year four points clear of second-placed City at the top of Division One (now the Championship). The Blues were under pressure from the chasing pack behind with six clubs within four points in what was proving a highly competitive campaign. City tore into Burnley straight from the kick-off and with just 90 seconds gone Goater found space and crossed a low ball into the six-yard box where Paulo Wanchope slid the ball past Nick Michopoulos and into the net.
2 minutes
26 December 2005
Playing in an advanced position just behind Darius Vassell, Antoine Sibierski is preferred to Andy Cole and justifies manager Stuart Pearce's faith with a fine opening goal away to Wigan Athletic. Escaping the Latics’ back-line, Sibierski heads past Mike Pollit less than two minutes after kicking off. City eventually go on to lose 4-3 in a thrilling Boxing Day encounter.
2 minutes
6 November 2008
With the clock reading exactly two minutes as the ball crossed the line, City could not have wished for a better start against Steve McClaren’s FC Twente in this UEFA Cup Group A game. Shaun Wright-Phillips plays a clever one-two with Jo to beat the Twente back-line before placing a low shot past the goalkeeper's right-hand side to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.
2 minutes
February 21, 2015
City are awarded a first-minute penalty against Newcastle United at the Etihad after Edin Dzeko is fouled by Anita in the box. By the time the Magpies player had been booked, the game had entered the second minute and Sergio Aguero calmly slots home to make it 1-0 on what will be a long afternoon for Newcastle, who will go on to lose 5-0.
2 minutes
September 13, 2017
John Stones scores City's fastest ever Champions League goal as he rises to head David Silva's corner home with just a couple of minutes into the group stage clash with Feyenoord.
City Studios’ latest epic documentary focuses on how footballers cope with retirement, or, in this case, the prospect of it.
Featuring Steph Houghton, Paul Lake, Fernandinho, David Brightwell and Nedum Onuoha, each has a different story to tell, whether through choice or otherwise.
The documentary is available on CITY+, but also featured are several of our current first team, many who advise youngsters to make sure they have other strings to their bow in case things don’t work out – or if careers are ended early.
“Football is a bubble,” says Rodri, himself closing in on a return after suffering an ACL injury against Arsenal last September.
“Football, in my case, wasn't the first option. That's why my father said, ‘you are going to do a degree.’
“Young players will say, ‘yeah, but it's a lot of work. And get it. But if I can do it, everyone can do it.
“It’s something I really recommend for the kids growing up. Never leave studying because it makes you better and football finishes between 35 and 40.
“So there’s still most of your life ahead of you, you need to have good plans. And I think the only way to do that is if you have tools, if you organise yourself to be something in the future.”
Jack Grealish agrees completely with Rodri’s advice.
Like every player, Jack has suffered injuries and setbacks over the years and he is wise enough to see the limitations that age and physical condition place on a footballer’s career.
“When it's gone, you know, you're never going to feel those feelings again,” he says.
“You know, for our whole lives, we’ve been in this football bubble. You have a routine every single day and you get told what to wear, where to be, what to do… everything.
“As you get older, you know, because you've done it your whole life, there are times when you want to switch off from football.
"That could be doing one of your hobbies. Spending time with family, friends... whatever it is that you want to do. So, yeah, I do think it's important to have something else outside of football."
Rodri admits being a top footballer means you are well taken care of by a multitude of people.
But he also adds when that comes to an end, if you haven’t been involved in the everyday aspects of life on a regular basis, it can come as something of a challenge.
“Everyone is helping us; everyone is there for us if we need anything,” he says.
“If we need to find a house or if we want someone to book our travel - these kinds of things that normal people don't have.
“And when you finish, maybe, as a footballer, you might not have this kind of assistance.
“So this makes you think that football is great, but it’s a bubble and at some time in your life, this bubble will finish.
“You will be proud of what you did, but you have another life. And this is the most important thing.
“Of course, the way that football has turned now, in terms of the money that we earn, but back in the 1980s and 90s, they didn't earn the same money. And they had to find a new future for themselves when they had finished playing.
“But in the same way, maybe it was a good investment in the sense that they find something in their lives to do and to fight for - and to be wealthy and rich, doesn't mean you're going to find this objective later in life.”
Rodri adds that David Silva’s career-ending injury will have hit him hard, but that he will look back with great pride on his achievements with Manchester City.
“I think there's not many clubs that know how to say goodbye to a legend or how to recognise a legend, but you can see it here at City with the statues,” continued Rodri.
“You can see the names of the pitches here in the CFA. And when the player comes back, like David, the team shows it to him.
“For sure, he will say that this is the best thing he will have from football here in Manchester.
“More than the trophies, more than ever, it’s the recognition.
“As for me. there's been quite a lot of talk about the amount of games that players are playing at the moment and in my humble opinion, I think it's too much.
“When I finish playing, for sure I will try to find something that gives me the same adrenaline rush I’ve had during my career.”
Like Rodri, Josko Gvardiol believes having a good education or trade behind you makes perfect sense for any young player.
He says his parents wanted to ensure he had something to fall back on if his football career didn’t work out.
“In first place is school, and then in second place is football,” said Gvardiol.
“I wasn't even thinking about being a professional footballer!
"Our careers are short. We have to enjoy every day, and we never know what's going to happen, today, tomorrow or whenever."
“When you are winning every game, you don't think about this.
“But there are moments where you are going to feel to feel a bit down because we are not robots. I'm not a robot.
“When I retire I would like to do a mini zoo, at home. I would take the animals from the street and give them a home… that’s something I would love to do.”
Manu Akanji echoes the thoughts of his team-mates: “My parents always told me that, I have to do my education - there was no way I could just focus on football.”
The documentary also has a poignant meeting between our EDS skipper Jacob Wright – currently on loan with Norwich – and former captain Paul Lake.
Both suffered similar injuries, but while Lake’s eventually ended his career, Wright recovered and has since progressed fantastically well.
“I joined the Academy at about nine years old,” says Wright.
“You come here, you see the amazing facility, you’re like, oh, wow. I’m sold straight away.
“And then Covid hit. I didn't play for about a year and a half. We came back at under 15/16 level and that's when it really started to get pretty good. And I felt like, ‘yeah, I can hold my own, I can be the best on the pitch.
“I made my debut against Huddersfield and obviously you played against Copenhagen in the Champions League. I mean that's absolutely incredible at 18, you know?”
But after suffering a similar injury to the one Lake had back in the early 1990s, he was forced to spend several months recovering with the best treatment and advice always on hand - something Lake never had.
“So I had a grade-three ligament tear,” said Wright. “It happened the day before I was meant to go on international duty, and I was in for a scan early in the morning.
“We had the results by midday. If you ever do need to talk to the medical team, they're there for you, but they're also there even if you don't think you need to talk.
“I'll be completely honest. I had a cry when I was injured. I had a cry because it was like everything was going so perfect, and it's a horrible feeling.
“But it's fine to have a cry. It does more damage keeping it in.
“I’m lucky. I felt really comfortable with the support I had and no matter what, I can go and really enjoy my life – and my life after football as well.”
Words: David Clayton
Pure Genius
We rediscover a City Mag interview from yesteryear... this time, it's Gio Kinkladze from circa 2015...
Those who remember his grace and skill still wax lyrical about the days Georgi Kinkladze played for City.
‘Genius’ and ‘maestro’ were often used to describe the diminutive Georgian playmaker who admitted he sacrificed the opportunity of playing for Barcelona and any number of other top European clubs to remain with the Blues despite relegation from the Premier League in 1996.
Had he moved to the Nou Camp, he would, of course, become a team-mate of Pep Guardiola and perhaps gone on to fulfil his potential, but instead the Blues’ 1995/96 Player of the Year decided to stay at Maine Road in a bid to win promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt.
Kinky joined City from Dinamo Tbilisi in 1995 and quickly became a terrace idol for supporters during a difficult time for the Club.
Manager Alan Ball promised fans would be “hanging from the rafters” to get a glimpse of the Georgian in action and he wasn’t far wrong.
Blessed with the kind of dribbling ability only players like Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona seemed to possess and a range of passing that Ali Benarbia would be proud of, Kinky was a shining light in a struggling team that drew two and lost nine of the opening 11 games of the 1995/96 season.
City rallied towards the end of the season and Kinky’s goal against Southampton in March 1996 was arguably the best individual goal ever scored by a City player, as the Georgian glided through four tackles with the finesse of a ballet dancer before finishing with the gentlest of chips and was also voted best opposition player by Middlesbrough supporters after scoring a breath-taking goal at the Riverside earlier in the campaign.
Ball’s side were relegated on the final day of the campaign against Liverpool and Kinkladze was expected to leave the Blues along with several other prominent stars.
Because of his relationship with the City fans, however, Chairman Francis Lee convinced Kinky to stay another season and help the Blues back to the Premier League, but the brilliant No.10 would quickly became a target for some of the Championship-level hatchet men who had figured that if they stopped Kinkladze, they pretty much stopped City.
He was kicked, fouled continually and left the pitch on a stretcher on several occasions with little or no protection from the match officials.
“It was tough,” recalled Kinkladze who was back in Manchester recently for the game against United.
“It’s true I had chances to leave. Barcelona and other sides had expressed an interest but I couldn’t go. I wanted to help City back into the Premier League so it wasn’t a hard decision for me to make.”
His second season again produced moments of sublime brilliance including an assist that saw Uwe Rosler bow in front of him - but despite his best efforts and some memorable goals and assists, City finished 10 points adrift of the play-offs in 14th spot..
It was one of the most turbulent times in the Club’s history both on and off the pitch. Alan Ball had been sacked a few games into the 1996/97 season and his replacement Steve Coppell lasted just five weeks before resigning. Asa Hartford and Phil Neal would have spells as caretaker managers before Frank Clark took command.
Kinkladze was injured for the last few games of the 1996/97 campaign and fearing their hero would leave, the City fans turned the last match of the season into ‘Kinkladze Day’, chanting his name throughout, waving Georgian flags and banners.
After a 3-2 win over Reading, the players and Kinkladze came out for a lap of appreciation but it was the Georgian the fans wanted to thank more than anyone else and, if nothing else, to maybe wish him luck if he did decide to move on.
“It was incredibly emotional, I couldn’t believe the reception I was given,” he said. “Again, I had chances to leave and maybe for my career, I should have done – but I just couldn’t. I looked at how the fans were and thought ‘how can I leave this?’ My heart was with City and so I decided to stay another year and see if we could get promoted.
“I didn’t want to leave those fans behind and wanted to do everything I could to help us get back to where we belonged. It was a gamble, but one worth taking.”
It was an incredibly unselfish act from a player who had again been voted the MCFC Player of the Year and still could have commanded a fee of £10m – probably about £80m or more in today’s market – but instead of the Bernabeu, Nou Camp or any of England’s top grounds, Kinky was again playing at Vale Park, Roots Hall and Blundell Park.
He showed what he was still capable of when the Blues hosted Premier League West Ham in the FA Cup at Maine Road and he scored a brilliant solo goal, but former midfielder Steve Lomas drilled him a winner for the Hammers later in the game.
“Steve Lomas!” smiled Kinky. “He almost never scored for us but like all returning players at Maine Road, he scored that day. It was tough going at times, were on a terrible run and when Joe Royle arrived as the new manager, I was dropped from the side."
Royle’s assessment of City’s problems was simple. He felt perhaps too many of the City side were relying on Kinkladze to get the Club out of trouble and the Georgian didn’t fit into the plans he was making. He felt a different sort of approach was needed, with players such as Shaun Goater who knew the lower leagues well needed so after taking over in February 1998, Royle risked the wraith of the supporters and began leaving Kinkladze out.
However, after a run of games that saw City take just five points from a possible 24, Kinkladze was recalled for the penultimate game of the season against QPR and responded by scoring a magnificent 30-yard free-kick early in the game.
The game ended 2-2 with Jamie Pollock famously scoring a bizarre own goal and in many ways, that sealed the Blues’ fate. For the final game away to Stoke and with City needing a win to have any chance of surviving, Kinkladze was on international duty with Georgia but after playing the day before, he took a private jet back to make the Blues’ crucial final game at the Britannia Stadium.
“It was a big rush to get back in time to play but I was determined to get there and hopefully play my part. I made it back, but I then found out I was only a sub so wondered what the point had been?” he said.
“I came on for the last 15 minutes but other results meant we were going down to Division Two. It was a sad way to end my time at City. Ajax had already agreed a deal so everyone knew this was my last game so I just went to the City fans and thanked them. I was in tears as I didn’t want to leave and even today if it was the same situation and a club like Barcelona came in, I’d want to stay at City.”
Kinky signed for Ajax for a bargain fee of £5.5m but it was a disastrous move for the Georgian, often played out of position and missing the adulation and life he’d had in Manchester.
“I didn’t enjoy my time with Ajax at all,” he said. “The coach played me on the wing instead of through the middle and it just didn’t work out. The one nice thing was that a lot of City fans came to Amsterdam to watch me play.
“I decided to leave and returned to England with Derby County and it was OK, but it wasn’t the same. I came back to Maine Road just once with Derby and the reception I was given was incredible. I couldn’t play that day because I didn’t ever want to play against City. I loved the Club and the fans and my heart just wasn’t in it.”
Gio retired in 2006 and today owns a string of sports clubs across Russia. He has three sons and will was a guest at City Square before the derby, coming on to the pitch briefly before the game to a rousing reception
“I always keep up with City’s results and come back whenever I can,” he said. “I’m not playing anymore but I’m always going to be a City fan.”
Interview: David Clayton
Watch our documentary, Kinkladze: The Magician of Maine Road on City+.
The 2006/07 season wasn’t that enjoyable. Stuart Pearce’s budget was limited, the football was frustrating and the general mood around the Club was less than enthusiastic.
In terms of the campaign itself, three wins over the festive period had eased any growing pressure on the manager and January would see more reason for muted optimism among the fanbase as the Blues maintained a midtable spot in the Premier League and progressed to the last 16 of the FA Cup.
But February would see the Blues fail to score in the league and Georgios Samaras was having a lean time in front of goal.. who better to front the February City Magazine, then?!
Our Greek forward was an amiable chap and as our record signing, not an unpopular figure among supporters.
But the lethargy around Manchester City was almost evident from the photoshoot.
It’s fair to say Georgios wasn’t overly enthusiastic having managed to score in just two Premier League games all season (a brace each time), but he was happy to talk to us.
The idea for the cover came from a series of general shots taken on the day, with the one of Georgios pointing up the eventual winner.
His index finger became the ‘I’ in CITY, which worked well, but maybe the sub-header of ‘The only way is up’ (based on Yazz’s UK No.1 from 1988) wasn’t overly positive and suggested we’d maybe hit rock-bottom!
Did it work? That’s for others to decide – but the content inside was pretty good with a feature on our Academy graduates and those City stars who went to ply their trade in the North American Soccer League so there was that!
All in, probably a 5/10 on this occasion, mirroring what was happening on the pitch at the time.
Feature: David Clayton
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 T and I thought I’d feature some of the tattoos I’ve shot – particularly the ones referencing Manchester bands.
I’ve always been into tattooing as an artform. I like tattoos where the owner has given it a reasonable amount of thought, too. Morrissey fans for instance, often have his lyrics tattooed on their person. Moz also has a lot of Latino fans, and I went out to southern California to meet many of them and to photograph their impressive array of body art. Many of them also get him to sign their arms and get his signature tattooed too.
Joy Division fans tend to go for the Unknown Pleasures Pulsar. A few have one of my photos of Ian tattooed on their arms, but I’ve not got around to meeting up with them yet.
With other bands, fans often go for a simple band logo, even catalogue numbers of their favourite song.
If any Oasis fan has Noel tattooed on their knuckles on one hand and Liam on the other, get in touch with me, I need to meet you.
Finally, a woman I met in New York is a New Order fan and her mum’s favourite song was Ceremony. Just before her mother died, she asked her to write Ceremony on a piece of paper, and as a lasting memorial to her mum, she had the song title tattooed on her arm in her mum’s handwriting.
Here is a small selection of the photos I’ve taken over the years.
Kevin Cummins
Please welcome to the hallowed halls of my Mixed Grill a certain David Howell. A man who evidently won’t let the small matter of a 146-mile round trip get in the way of his watching the Mighty Blues!
Over to David...
“I grew up in Nottinghamshire. My dad grew up near Maine Road and watched the Blues from the Twenties. So my loyalties were settled early. I moved to Manchester in 1968 and then to York in 1995. I travel to all the home matches and some away matches despite the vagaries of Trans Pennine Express!”
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF GOING TO A FOOTBALL MATCH?
My first game was a Second division match between Notts County and Everton. It finished 0-0. The only highlight was that Tommy Lawton played. My first match watching City was against Spurs at Maine Road August 1956 I was 10. A draw , 2-2. I remember how green the grass was at the start of the season and also some of the players - Roy Clarke, Joe Hayes, Don Revie.
WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE OR PECULIAR THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU AT A CITY MATCH?
A game against Middlesbrough at Maine Road in September 1975. Somehow a dog appeared on the pitch and started chasing the ball. The Kippax started chanting "Super dog!" The dog was removed to the boos of the Kippax. A few minutes later a City player passed the ball into touch. The Kippax chanted ,"we want the dog back."
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND PREVENT ANY MAN CITY MATCH FROM BEING PLAYED, WHAT GAME WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
The match in May 1983 against Luton. City needed a draw to stay up and put Luton down. Raddy Antic scored for Luton late on.
A MEMORABLE GOAL OTHER THAN 93:20?
Very difficult. I reckon Yaya Toure in the FA Cup final against Stoke in 2011. It gave us our first trophy after so long.
HAVE YOU EVER MET ONE OF YOUR MAN CITY HEROES? IF SO, WHO? AND HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE?
I knew Jeff Clarke in the 1970s. A good central defender, he played a few games in the first team then moved to Sunderland as part of the deal that brought Dave Watson to Maine Road. He had a good career at Sunderland as he did later at Newcastle - an unlikely pairing!
WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE LAST MATCH AT MAINE ROAD?
What an awful match it was. City never made it on to the field. Southampton were not much better. As I left ground... There was almost a disbelief about what was happening, a loss of something that really mattered. Not just my own memories especially of the Kippax on big nights but the tales my dad told me of the great City team of the Thirties. A loss of part of who I was.
WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT MAINE ROAD?
Walking to a game down Claremont Road through a community, narrow streets, pubs and people who lived there. It was alive and the football was part of it all.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST DISASTROUS AWAY GAME EXPERIENCE?
Winning 5-2 at Stoke in May 1998 and being relegated to the Third Division because the other results went improbably wrong.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE CITY PLAYER OF ALL TIME?
I'll go for David Silva, class player, El Mago.
IF YOU COULD PICK ONE CURRENT CITY PLAYER TO BE ON YOUR PUB QUIZ TEAM, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Rodri. He is good at solving problems.
Continuing our vintage Q&As with former favourites, we look at the Shoot Magazine feature on John Gidman. John was with Aston Villa at the time and wouldn't join the Blues until 1986 - approximately 11 years after this Q&A was first published.
An attacking left-back, Gidman would stay at Maine Road from 1986 to 1988, playing 71 matches and scoring one goal (a late, late equaliser against Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup) - and though he was towards the end of his career, he was a more than decent signing at the time.
Full name: John Gidman
Birthplace: Garston, Liverpool
Birthdate: January 10, 1954
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 12st
Married: No
Car: Ford Cortina 1600
Favourite player: Ian Callaghan (Liverpool)
Favourite other team: Leeds United
Most difficult opponent: Leighton James of Burnley
Most memorable match: Making my debut for Villa against Carlisle
Biggest thrill: Winning the 'Little' 1972 World Cup in Spain with England Youth
Biggest disappointment: Being knocked out of the FA Cup against Burnley
Best country visited: Cyprus
Misc likes: Playing golf, horse riding
Misc dislikes: Travelling to away games
Best food: Steak, scampi
Favourite TV shows: Match of the Day, Morecambe & Wise
Favourite singers: Rolling Stones, Mickey Newbury
Favourite actors: Paul Newman and Robert Redford
Best friend: Team-mates Pat McMahon and Sammy Morgan
Biggest influence on career: My father and former Villa manager Vic Crowe
Personal ambition: To be a good professional
International honours: England Youth
Professional ambition: To win a full England cap
Biggest drag in football: Being injured
What would you be if you weren’t a footballer?
A doctor
Person you’d most like to meet? Actor Frank Sinatra
Finding ways to connect with fans, help fans connect with each other and offer unique content to each fan to best suit their preference is what Chris Moriarty and his team work relentlessly to achieve.
Chris is Head of Personalised Marketing and since joining the Club seven years ago, he has been a spearhead in City’s initiatives to bring fans unique ways to connect with City, the players and all that surrounds the Club.
He sat down with City Magazine to detail his role and the hard work of his team…
CITY MAG: Chris, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with the City Magazine. First of all, could you tell us a little bit about your role and how would you describe personalised marketing to someone?
CHRIS: So, before joining City I started off as a journalist then I moved into digital marketing and I have worked in a few different industries such as entertainment, travel and finance. I’d always had an interest in the crossover between digital engagement and sport and the more human side of it when working for a football club.
What we try and do at City is make everything we serve up to fans as relevant and engaging as possible. So we don’t just want to share everything we, the Club, offers. We want to make sure it’s interesting and useful for that specific fan. We have such a broad range of fans so it’s important we tailor the content they get that most suits their interests.
CITY MAG: And what personalised marketing does City offer fans?
CHRIS: The most regular piece of personalised marketing we offer is via email. My team and I look after every marketing email that goes out to our fanbase and that’s the most traditional channel we offer. It’s been around for a few decades now but it’s still one of the most effective ways to reach an audience and engage with them. We also oversee our SMS marketing, elements of push notifications and the in-app marketing, in terms of the logged in experience. What I mean by that is the Cityzens platform where fans can have their say on things like Player of the Month or quizzes and competitions. And we are always looking for new ways to rewards fans or help them celebrate big moments.
CITY MAG: What is your favourite piece of personalised marketing you’ve been a part of creating for the fans?
CHRIS: In my first year, Pep [Guardiola] won his first Premier League with City and we offered fans a ‘selfie with the trophy’ through their mobile phone. It took a lot of planning, but it was a great way to help fans celebrate that moment in a unique way and in turn, feel closer to the moment and the team, especially for the fans that were watching from afar. It was a really exciting one to work on, it felt quite new at the time and with selfies and Instagram becoming more popular the fans just loved it. And that concept is something that we’ve evolved over time too. We did an augmented reality version last year where fans could put the Premier League trophy in their house virtually. That was exciting too and another great opportunity to celebrate with as many fans as possible.
CITY MAG: Do you hear from fans on how your personalised marketing impacts them?
CHRIS: We do see what the fans are saying about how we interact with them as a club through our personalised marketing and we love to see fans share it on social media. We’ve also seen that when fans share it online, that often leads to them interacting with each other too. For example, prior to the Champions League final in Istanbul, fans could create a virtual ticket as a memento for the match. On the ticket they were able to say where they would be watching the final against Inter Milan from and then fans would say to each other ‘I’m also watching in that country, whereabouts are you watching it’. The campaign generated so much human interaction and opened up conversations between fans – and that’s why we love what we do so much. That’s also why we try to get out and meet fans as well through events such as trophy tour or screening events. We help make sure fans near those know they are taking place and you can tell how much it means to the fans.
CITY MAG: Finally, what upcoming personalised marketing campaigns should fans be excited for?
CHRIS: We're always working on ways to improve how fans can interact with the Club across our digital channels. The Man City Official App is one of the best ways to engage with the latest content and there will be new ways to manage your tickets from the app coming too. I would also say to any fans with a Cityzens account to keep an eye on your inbox if you've got a birthday coming up, while we've got another couple of surprises lined up for the end of the season as well.
Interview: Holly Percival
Seb Naylor says chemistry and connection have been two of the key ingredients behind what has been a season to savour so far for City’s Elite Development Squad.
Under the tutelage of Lead Coach Ben Wilkinson, City’s Under-21s have made a huge impact across the course of the Premier League 2 campaign to date.
With just two games of the regular campaign remaining, the young Blues are firmly in the driving seat to finish first in the table – which means we would then enjoy home advantage in the knockout stages of the competition.
Left-back Naylor has been one of the key components in our EDS’s fine form across the first nine months of the season.
The 19-year-old has made 15 appearances to date, weighing in with a goal and an assist for good measure to go alongside his impressive defensive displays.
Reflecting on the season to date Naylor is in no doubt as to one of the key ingredients in City’s hugely impressive form.
“On our form I think the team's bonded really well,” Naylor pointed out.
“You look at certain chemistry's like between me and Emilio (Lawrence), Lakyle (Samuel) and Farid (Alfa-Ruprecht) since the start of the season, the centre back partnership (between Max Alleyne and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey), I feel like everyone's got a good connection.
“Everyone is gelling together. You see it in training, coming out more and more every day.
“I think it's so important to have team chemistry and know who to pass to when and what their strengths are.
“I think for us if we use each player to their strengths (it’s only going to help).
“We're all at Manchester City and everyone has got amazing abilities, so we need to use them as much as possible.
“Overall, I think everyone's just gelling really well together and that's what's helping us.
“I also think this squad still has got a lot to come. Like we're all young players still.
“And another year of maturity this season will do everyone the world of good and the team has been quite consistent throughout.
“So, everyone's building that bond and there's a lot more to come there definitely.”
And for his part, Seb says listening, watching and learning whenever the EDS have been afforded the opportunity to train alongside Pep Guardiola’s first team has proved invaluable in furthering his footballing education.
“Yeah, I definitely try to get advice [from the first team guys]. I think Ruben (Dias) is a good one,” Naylor added.
“He talks a lot and tries to help the younger ones and tries to help everyone a lot.
“He’s always happy to just give a bit of advice here and there, and I think it's really beneficial coming from a senior pro that’s played so many Premier League games.
“I think, the defending stuff has really helped (when working) across both groups.
“Whether I’ve been training with the first team or with the EDS I think they know that's something I could get better at.
“So, it's good to do 1 v 1 sessions against wingers in our group like Emilio and Farid, but also good to experience it with a different type of personnel over there when we are with the first team.
“And in terms of the EDS, I think Ben and Muddy (assistant coach Craig Mudd), to be fair, have really helped me.
“With Ben, it's like a bond like we've come closer. He knows my game. I know how he works better, and he's put a lot of trust in me and it's really working.
“And Muddy as well has helped my defensive stuff and we do a lot of work and training on it and it's really showing on match days.”
Interview: Neil Leigh
Roger Palmer August 1988
A natural goal-scorer showed City what we’d been missing when he returned in the colours of Oldham athletic…
The Oldham fans used to sing ‘Ooh Roger Palmer!’ – this was more ‘Ouch, Roger Palmer!’
Palmer broke through into the City youth team where he was a prolific goalscorer.
The Manchester-born youngster broke into the first team in December 1977 during a 2-0 win against Middlesbrough and played again a few days later in a 0-0 draw with Leicester.
He would have to wait until March to get his next opportunity – and the19 year-old took it with both hands, scoring both our goals in a 2-2 draw.
Palmer, however, would never nail down a regular first team spot.
He was in and out of a team that was starting to struggle and his last 14 games in sky blue yielded just one goal.
He was sold to Oldham Athletic having scored 11 goals in 41 appearances for the Blues, costing the Latics a nominal fee for a striker who as elusive in the box as he was outside football.
A shy lad, his languid style would often be mistaken for laziness, but he was both razor sharp and a superb finisher – as Oldham fans would discover.
Palmer became a cult hero at Boundary Park, where he would eventually become the club’s record goal-scorer with 159 in more than 500 appearances.
Three of those goals would come at Maine Road in August 1988.
Palmer had played against City before – there were several meetings during the 1980s – but this game was very much payback time for the Sale-based striker.
Mike Milligan had already scored a fine goal to put the visitors ahead at Maine Road but on half-time, Palmer made it 2-0 with a thumping header.
On 56 minutes, Palmer’s super glancing header put Oldham 3-0 up, causing City fans to turn on chairman Peter Swales in the process before Paul Lake reduced the arrears.
But Palmer, who enthusiastically celebrated his goals that day, would save the best until last as a cross was cleared to him on the right of the City box where he chested the ball down before sending a superb lob over Andy Dibble to complete his hat-trick and seal a 4-1 win.
It was a treble of the very highest quality and, for City fans, a glimpse of what might have been had the club had a little more patience with this precocious striking talent who was born on the doorstep of Maine Road.
Words: David Clayton
Since joining the Club in the summer, it’s fair to say Ryan McAidoo has caught the attention of many City fans.
The 16-year-old made the brave move from London to Manchester by himself, transferring from Chelsea’s academy to City’s Academy ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The quick, skilful, dangerous forward missed the opening games of the season as he looked to settle into life in a different shade of blue.
But it’s fair to say since making his debut for the Under-18s, McAidoo hasn’t looked back.
“I feel like my first goal was a standout moment for me because I feel like that really stamped a mark in the campaign for me and the team,” began McAidoo.
“It was a big confidence booster as well so now I don’t feel like I’m worried heading into games.
“I don’t think I found it hard to integrate into the team because Olli [Reiss] and Kolo [Toure] put a lot of trust in me from the start and now I work on keeping it and staying grounded, work hard and giving mutual respect.
“Life here feels normal already, I know the boys I can speak to a lot of them, they are all nice and very relatable which also means I have a good relationship with everyone on the pitch.
“And I think people can see that in our performances which we hope to continue for the rest of the season and hopefully get some trophies off it too.”
McAidoo’s full debut under Lead Coach Oliver Reiss came in City 4-0 away win over Everton back in September.
Two weeks later the winger bagged his first goal for the Club in City’s 6-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest.
McAidoo has gone on to make a total of 31 appearances in five competitions and has totalled an impressive 13 goals and six assists in what has already been an incredible debut season for him in our Under-18s squad.
Now, he’s looking to complete the campaign with as strong a finish as possible and is hopeful of helping lift all four trophies our Under-18s and Elite Development Squad are fighting for.
“I don’t really feel much pressure, I don’t think the team does because it’s just about going out and performing as best we can,” said McAidoo.
“I feel like that is what has got us far in these competitions so far and will continue to do so. We want to put a stamp in the world and winning these competitions would do that.
“We just have to focus on what’s in front of us, stay grounded, keep working hard and stay humble.
“I’d love for us to win the UEFA Youth League. It would be such a huge statement because Chelsea are currently the only English team to have won the competition.
“It would also be a fantastic way to mark my first season. I feel like it will show us that we can do anything because we are a new team as well so it will show how much we have integrated so a trophy in our first season would mean a lot.”
Interview: Holly Percival
Southampton 4-2 City
Premier League, May 1, 2016
Southampton: Forster, Martina, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Wanyama, Clasie (Romeu 60), Mane, Davis (Ward-Prowse 73), Tadic (Rodriguez 87), Long.
Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Cedric, Yoshida, Austin
City: Hart, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov, Fernandinho (Demichelis 60), Delph (Navas 64), Sterling, Iheanacho, Nasri, Bony.
Subs not used: Caballero, Sagna, Fernando, Clichy, Aguero
Attendance: 31,472
The last thing Manuel Pellegrini and his Manchester City squad needed at the beginning of May nine years ago was a long trip to Southampton.
Three days later, we would go to Real Madrid for a Champions League semi-final second leg, after going further in the European competition than we had ever done before.
After a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium, it was a tough but not impossible task to secure a place in the final against a side deep into their Galactico period with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Marcelo among their squad.
However, the fixture computer decreed that would have the littlest amount of time available as possible to prepare for the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Our 500-mile round trip to St Mary’s would be the teatime kick-off on Sunday afternoon - the maximum inconvenience conceivable with our longest away trip of the season in the final fixture slot of the weekend ahead of a Champions League semi-final away.
Not only that, Champions League football for the following season was by no means secure, as we faced a battle for fourth place.
The Saints, with a bright young squad, including future stars Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic, were outsiders but in the mix for the top-four themselves and needed a win to stand any chance.
City, meanwhile, were without David Silva, injured in the first leg against Madrid, while Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Kevin De Bruyne were all missing and Sergio Aguero was on the bench.
There was a least some good news ahead of kick-off with fifth-placed Manchester United drawing 1-1 at home to 10-man Leicester to take some of the pressure off.
But the idea that City’s priority was the huge Champions League second leg was enhanced when we conceded a sloppy early goal, with Shane Long reacting quickest to Tadic’s hopeful flicked cross.
Tadic then played in Mane for a simple second although Aguero’s stand-in Kelechi Iheanacho pulled a goal back before the break.
Mane restored Southampton’s two-goal lead at the start of the second half when he scrambled a second from a corner and then completed a hat-trick as City struggled to maintain possession.
Iheanacho at least claimed the best goal of the day with a brilliant left-foot strike into the top corner from the edge of the box but it was a dismal evening for the Blues.
And it was not the morale-boosting encounter that Pellegrini would have wanted and he jettisoned his usual attacking strategy in Spain days later.
Madrid opened the scoring with a huge slice of luck when Bale’s cross deflected off Fernando and looped over Joe Hart into the net.
But with the away’s goal rule still in force, City remained an equaliser away from reaching the final at the San Siro in Milan.
It never came. A speculative long-range shot from Aguero flicked the roof of the net but that was as close as City came as Madrid saw out the tie to the final whistle.
Defeat was particularly heart-breaking for Pellegrini with the Champions League representing his final opportunity to win silverware after the arrival of Pep Guardiola in the summer was announced a couple of months earlier.
He still needed to bequeath top European football to his successor and the Saints defeat did not help.
That game on the south coast would be also the final appearance of Martin Demichelis with the Argentinian defender leaving at the end of the season with no more minutes in our final two matches.
A 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal and a 1-1 draw at Swansea meant we secured fourth place on goal difference.
However, that Southampton game did us absolutely no favours.
Words: Jonathan Smith
As we approach the business end of the Premier League campaign, we caught up with our FPL Scout to get the lowdown ahead of April’s fixtures…
1. Five big matches for City this month, how does it shape up for FPL?
Manchester City ride high on the fixture difficulty rating (FDR) for April with fixtures against Leicester, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Everton and Aston Villa.
These fixtures will make City players key targets for FPL managers.
Those who are playing their Wildcard and can change their whole teams will likely look to double or even treble up on Man City players for this run, not just in April but until the end of the season.
2. Who could be the key City players to transfer in this month?
Since Gameweek 18 Erling Haaland (£14.8m) has been firmly back on the radar for FPL managers and through April he will be a popular transfer in - subject to whether he recovers from an ankle injury in time.
Between Gameweek 18 and 29 Haaland has returned 69 points for his owners. This is the eighth most in the game. Meanwhile, his 10 attacking returns can only be bettered by three players.
Throughout April Haaland won’t just be an important own for FPL managers, but he will also be a popular captaincy candidate.
Alongside Haaland, the forward double up with new FPL darling Omar Marmoush (£7.3m) will be popular.
Since making his debut in Gameweek 23 Marmoush has scored four goals, the same as Haaland and has two big double-digit hauls. Owning both City attackers would be a great way for managers to differentiate their FPL teams and target an attractive fixture block.
Managers also have a wealth of options across the rest of the City team with players like Phil Foden (£9.2m), Savinho (£6.2m), Jeremy Doku (£6.2m) and Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m) likely to return well this month.
3. Best differentials across the league?
Newcastle and Crystal Palace play twice in Gameweek 32. These double gameweeks will make their players good options for managers.
The likes of Jacob Murphy (£5.0m) who is owned by just 3.6% of managers and Ismaila Sarr (£5.6m) who is owned by just 4.5% of managers could be excellent investments for managers for April.
It is possible that Palace could also double again in Gameweek 33 having progressed n the FA Cup at the weekend. The double-double would further increase Sarr’s appeal.
Bournemouth also have an attractive run of fixtures in April and whilst the likes of Justin Kluivert (£6.3m) and Antoine Semenyo (£5.7m) are popular with managers, Evanilson (£5.7m) has only just returned from injury and is owned by only 3.3% of managers.
Evanilson has already scored since his return from injury in Bournemouth’s draw against Spurs and prior to his injury the forward had five goals and four assists to his name in the Premier League. He could be a good differential target for managers.
Tell us something about yourself fans might not know?
I got told I'd never use my arm again. When I was four I broke my elbow in multiple places, all my nerves were damaged and I was told I'd never use my right arm again. I've got a big scar to show for it!
I 'jumped' off a chair but my sister was near when it happened so who knows, maybe she was involved in the accident. Either way, I don't remember exactly what happened. I went through rehab, I had surgery and somehow, I can use my arm and now I’m a goalkeeper!
What is your go-to karaoke song?
Unwritten. When we [Wales] qualified for the Euros that was our song at the time and it's stuck ever since.
What is your idea of paradise?
The Maldives. A nice little beach holiday.
Name a place you'd live if you could.
New York.
Name a food that you'd happily eat for the rest of your life.
Pasta. I love pasta!
What is your best ever Netflix binge.
Brooklyn 99.
What is the scariest thing that's ever happened to you?
Probably my elbow injury.
Name a hobby you enjoy outside of football.
I like exploring different places, I like going places I've not been before, I like day trips to try and get away as much as I can.
What would be your dream job if you weren't playing football?
I grew up wanting to be a fireman but I don't think I'd want to do that now. I feel like it's too much responsibility!
What is the best gig you’ve been to?
I've never been to one! I want to try and go in the summer though, I'd love to see Adele live.
What do you prefer, cats or dogs?
Dogs but my house parents had a cat so if they see this, cats, if not then dogs!
What is your worst habit?
I get told I spit on my gloves too much. It doesn't really help but I convinced myself it does and now I always do it.
What skill does a team-mate have that you wish you had?
There are so many different ones it could be. I wish I had either the first touch of Reigan Heskey or Ryan McAidoo just so when the ball comes to me I can bring it down like them. Or the passing of Divine Mukasa.
Interview: Holly Percival
The League Cup final in March might have gone against City, but it was a special day for one particular fan in attendance.
Poppy has been a diehard Blue her entire life and celebrated her 50th City game at Pride Park.
A nice achievement, sure, but what makes it so remarkable is the fact that Poppy is still just two years old!
She’s already memorised some of the chants that are heard week in, week out on the terraces and is a firm favourite with many of the current squad and some of our former stars.
Kerstin Casparij is one of those who Poppy has a particular affection for, even having a knitted doll called ‘Kerstin’ which she plays with while her mother, Jess Cook, discusses the incredible bond her daughter has with City.
“It’s great because it makes that connection with the team that bit nicer.
“The fact that the players know our names for example is so nice – we saw Steph Houghton at the Everton game and she said hello to Poppy. It’s just really nice.
“She’s starting to recognise some of the players more which is great because I can say to her ‘where’s Kerstin’, for example.
“If we can’t make a game, we’ll put it on at home and she’ll point to them as well. I like that we have something we can do together.”
Unsurprisingly, Poppy is a firm favourite with the City fans as well. Indeed, it was their frequent visits to the Official Supporters’ Club table ahead of kick-off, where she receives a badge for each game, that alerted Jess to her rapidly approaching milestone.
It’s clear that while the action on the pitch is important, both Jess and Poppy’s experience on a matchday is about so much more.
“Normally we’ll aim to be there 90 minutes before so we can get the atmosphere and meet up with our friends there.
“We always go to the OSC table as well and get a badge. Those badges are at home on scarves, we have a scarf for each season she’s done with each game on.
“We’re at that phase where she’s a bit up and down, but luckily where we sit it’s the same people and everyone understands and helps us out.
“It’s just a really nice atmosphere, the stewards know who she is as well. The fact that Moonchester and Moonbeam know her too is great, and we always get a picture.”
“She’s three in July – obviously we didn’t intend it to be a thing, but a lot of the supporters know she’s at 50 games now.
“We’ll get up during the game and lots of the fans around us will sing ‘give us a wave’.
“It’s nice that we get those interactions with people at the football as well and we can celebrate with her.”
How City celebrated Community matchday takeover
During City’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Brighton Hove Albion on 15 March, the Club celebrated its charity, City in the Community (CITC).
Prior to the day, CITC Premier League Primary Stars participants from Barlow Hall were tasked with drawing Manchester City players for the matchday graphics.
The once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for CITC participants included mascot spaces, taking part in a team photo on the pitch before kick-off, welcoming players off the bus on the blue carpet and shadowing Manchester City content teams.
Randa, a CITC Premier League Inspires participant, once again met Ruben Dias as she announced him of the bus after meeting at a surprise visit to her session earlier in the week.
Following the game, one participant was even able to interview player of the match, Omar Marmoush. Check out the interview with Omar HERE.
Elsewhere, the City in the Community Etihad Stadium, renamed for the day, came alive with charity branding ahead of kick-off, including a centre circle display, bespoke LEDs and participant drawn graphics to help raise awareness of CITC’s identity and purpose.
The City squad also showed their support by wearing City in the Community-branded T-shirts and mid-layers during the pre-match warm-up.
You can watch a full round up of the day here!
To help further raise awareness of the day, City manager, Pep Guardiola, sported a CITC branded top during his pre-match press conference, as well as commenting on CITC saying: “Everybody knows it. As much as a football club, we’re part of the area, the city. They [CITC] help people with problems…
“For many years they’ve been involved in many things, in the toughest moments, like COVID, this club has shown incredible things in the community like no other club has done.”
The day was organised to help raise awareness of the Club’s charity and its work to empower healthier lives through football.
Commenting on the day, CEO of City in the Community, Michael Geary, said: “Days like today play a pivotal role in allowing us to raise awareness, raise understanding and knowledge to fans about what their club is doing in the community.
“It’s been special to see participants from across our programmes enjoying the game and taking part in unique experiences and we want to showcase these opportunities to fans, so they can feel proud of what their club is doing to support people in the community.
“I’d like thank all staff at the Club, as well as its partners, who helped to make the day such a success.”
Charlie, a CITC Degree Student who shadowed the Manchester City photography team on the day said: “I want to say thank you for the experience of a lifetime. I’ll cherish this forever and never ever forget it.
“This has ignited a burning passion for photography and I’m excited to get going and build a portfolio.”
Throughout the day, the attention of supporters was drawn to the CITC Prize Draw. The newly redeveloped product was highlighted in many areas, including the pre-game Matchday Live show, across the Etihad Stadium and within the dedicated matchday programme.
Running every month, the CITC Prize Draw ensures fans around the world* can get their hands on unforgettable experiences, signed player shirts and more from just £5 a ticket!
Fans can enter on a one-off basis, or they can sign up to a direct debit, meaning they enter the draw monthly automatically.
Fans have until the 28th of each month at 12:00 GMT to enter! Every penny raised goes towards sustaining the charity’s programmes, which empower healthier lives through football.
To take part in the prize draw, or to find out more, visit: www.mancity.com/citcprizedraw
City in the Community empowers healthier lives with city youth through football.
To find out more, visit www.mancity.com/CITC or follow @CITCmancity.
*Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Qatar, Lebanon, and North Korea are the only excluded countries from the prize draw.
Competition! Win copies of Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants - 25th anniversary edition!
Oasis launch their 25th anniversary reissue of their fourth studio album, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants – available on limited edition vinyl including silver LP and official store exclusive blue and purple marble LP. To celebrate, City Magazine have THREE silver LP vinyls up for grabs!
A pivotal moment in Oasis’ storied history, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants marked the start of a new era for the band. ‘Go Let It Out’ was the first release on Noel and Liam Gallagher’s own label Big Brother Recordings Ltd, established in January 2000 following the sudden closure of Oasis’ former UK label Creation Records. Big Brother’s debut release was rushed into production and released on 7 February 2000, only seven weeks after the label’s inception.
Set up by Noel and Liam, together with their management team and entirely self-financed, Big Brother was the only real option for one of the most independently minded bands in the UK. Including the rights for the band’s existing catalogue as well as new releases, in the 25 years since its birth, Big Brother has gone on to be responsible for 10 number one albums and over 15 billion streams globally.
To enter our competition, simply answer the following question:
What was the first release on Noel and Liam Gallagher’s own label Big Brother Recordings Ltd?
A. Roll It Over
B. Go Let It Out
C. Sunday Morning Call
Send your answer to [email protected] marked ‘OASIS comp’ – good luck!
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