Welcome to the July edition of the Official Manchester City Magazine.
As always, our monthly digital offering is packed with all things Manchester City as we start to look ahead towards the 2025/26 season.
As our men's team take a well-earned few weeks off to recharge their batteries, many of our women's team will be in action at the Euros.
The July City Magazine reflects the above, with a fascinating interview with Rayan Cherki, who tells us about where his particular skillset took its inspiration from.
And Jess Park talks all things Lionesses as well as a special feature on England's success at the 2022 tournament and the impact it had at so many levels.
As always, we also have heady mixture of retro, vintage and new, with Kevin Cummins wrapping up his A to Z with Pablo Zabaleta, Francis Lee's return in Derby County colours for Sometimes They Come Back and Richard Dunne the subject of So Solid Blue.
Academy boss Thomas Kruecken looks back on a fine campaign and shares his learnings, while we also have a new Academy 5-a-Side feature to enjoy.
All that plus a vintage Samir Nasri interview, PDC darts star Alan 'Chuck' Norris' Best XI and Marc Riley's Mixed Grill.
Enough said - on with the show!
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Rayan Cherki joined City from Lyon ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup – and it’s fair to say his arrival caused quite a stir…
City fans love flair. They love a player who can get people on their feet with a flash of brilliance, be that an impudent flick, feign, nutmeg or outrageous piece of skill.
The Blues have had some incredible talents over the years, from Rodney Marsh to Georgi Kinkladze; from Ali Benarbia to Riyad Mahrez with a sprinkling of Eyal Berkovic and Maro Balotelli for good measure.
Players capable of breathtaking moments of brilliance – gamechangers – footballers who played with what the French call a ‘joie de vivre’ – a joy of living.
Ryan Cherki has that.
It’s in every part of his being once he steps onto a football pitch and that’s why Manchester City supporters are excited.
When he was first linked with a move to the Etihad, it’s fair to say that his YouTube highlights reels – and they are legion – took a bit of hammering.
Message boards and social media platforms went into overdrive, and all that was before his stunning cameo for France in the Nations League semi-final against Spain when he entered proceedings with Les Bleus 4-1 down and almost engineered an incredible come back with Spain edging home 5-4.
Cherki sparked new life into the French, scoring a quite brilliant volley and then assisting another with a superb cross.
That was his senior debut for France, by the way!
"It's not part of my DNA
- it is my DNA"
At 21, he’s come a long way in a relatively short space of time, and it will take time for him to fully settle in his new surroundings after leaving his beloved Lyon behind, but the stage is set, and Manchester City is his platform.
His love of the game stems from his childhood, where his father nurtured a special talent from a very early age.
“It was my father who taught me everything, so I’d say the foundation is my father,” Cherki told City Magazine.
“He is my inspiration and taught me what resilience and determination really was, what was needed for the drive to reach the top, so it’s all him and no one else.”
The romantic idea that some of the most natural talents in world football learned their skills on the backstreets of their home towns and villages is the sort of story every supporter loves.
Having the ‘street smarts’ way of playing conjures up wonderful images of limitless freedom to express without boundaries.
It’s a familiar story with many South American stars and almost a rite of passage.
All the above and more apply to Rayan Cherki when asked about learning his trade in an inner city, suburban backstreets of his home city.
“It’s not a part of my DNA - it is my DNA,” he smiled.
“I learned to play football in the streets, in the estates, on concrete. So, naturally it’s my DNA, and I’ll never change that.
“It brings a different style. We know that players like that are harder to find these days. So, that style we have must be preserved, refined, and improved every day.
“Spontaneity is in my DNA; it’s about not calculating what you do. That’s a quality we have. There are so many qualities in street football DNA; if I list them all, we’ll be here until tomorrow!”
Words that will be manna from heaven to every City fan.
Of course, like every young player, there will be parts of his game that Pep Guardiola will look to improve on, but the Blues boss will also no doubt encourage that spontaneity and unpredictable element.
City often face teams who play with low blocks, packing their own defensive third with bodies to stifle the threat – having a player like Cherki and not knowing what is coming next could be the difference in tight games.
He is here to learn, work hard and entertain.
"I'm someone who wants to give pleasure, who tries to do beautiful things with the ball while remaining efficient," he said.
“I like to dribble and play with joy. You can feel it in every match. I give my all for the team and try to please my team-mates and the spectators.
“I want to enjoy myself on the pitch, give pleasure to others and bring back a bit of the soccer I used to play.
“My style is easy. I love to play with the ball; to do skills and I love to help my team-mates. I am here to make people happy and this is very important to me.
“I prefer to play No.10 but right now I just want to play. Where I am on the pitch is not important, I just want to be on the pitch and help the team to win.
“The higher the ambitions, the more you feel obligated to set the bar high and work very hard to reach it. So, I have no limits.
“I’m following my plan, and I hope to achieve my goals one day. I think I am ready because I see all the time the games in the Premier League and for me, the Premier League is the best league in the world.”
And, under Guardiola’s guidance, Cherki believes everything is possible.
“For me, he’s the best coach in the world and I think he’s the best coach in history,” he said.
“I am passionate to play for him.”
One potential combination City fans are excited about is Cherki and Erling Haaland.
Judging by some of the many assists Cherki made for Lyon, he is capable of creating opportunities out of nothing, and with Haaland’s instinct and intelligence, it could be the start of a beautiful partnership in the coming years.
Understandings don’t happen overnight, but natural talents can find each other’s bandwidth pretty quickly, and Cherki admits he is relishing the prospect of linking up with the most prolific striker in European football.
“Of course!” he smiled. “We know that when I’m in the zone, I don’t hold back.
“So, I’m excited to help him score even more goals because I’m confident he’ll score plenty when I deliver the passes.
“I am also impatient to play a game in the Etihad in front of our fans with my team-mates.
“I am ready.”
Interview: David Clayton & Sylvie Minous
Jess Park: City at the Euros
“It was absolutely unbelievable. And with a mate like Chloe [Kelly] scoring the winning goal, it was quite teary, the shivers on the arms, the goosebumps, it was a really proud moment.
“I felt for the girls and could see how much it meant. It meant a lot to me as well and going forwards, I think it’s changed the game for us.
“The support we’ve had from the fans this year has been incredible, it’s only boosted the game more and more.”
Like so many of us in the summer of 2022, Jess Park was cheering England on as a supporter in the Euro final.
Now, though, she’s ready to play a leading role in the Lionesses’ defence of the crown they secured in such dramatic fashion three years ago.
A lot has changed since then in the English game and Park has been one of many exciting young talents to reap the benefits of that growth heading into this summer’s tournament in Switzerland.
To say she’s still eligible to win Young Player of the Year, Park’s longevity at the top of the game has been quite remarkable.
She’s City’s longest serving player, having made her senior debut in December 2017 against Doncaster Rovers Belles, and is well on her way to making 150 professional appearances for the Blues.
Park’s huge potential was never in doubt, but in the past two years she’s transformed from being one for the future into an absolute must in the present.
Having already caught the eye at City, winning the Club’s Rising Star award in the campaign leading up to that famous Euro 2022 win for England, it was during an impressive loan spell at Everton the following year when she was handed her senior England debut.
She was on standby for the Lionesses at the 2023 World Cup when they made it to the final, but her rise for City and England made her an obvious inclusion for Euro 2025.
It’s a first major tournament experience for Park, and the significance of that hasn’t been lost on her.
She begins with a smile: “It’s a dream of mine, so to achieve that would be really special.
“I’m so excited to be there and to give everything I can for the team.
“It’s a feeling you can’t describe [to represent England], just in terms of the pride of representing your country. It’s incredible.”
As the holders and one of the pre-tournament favourites, the Lionesses will be looked at as a major scalp heading into Euro 2025.
They had a similar experience at the 2023 World Cup and, despite a couple of scares along the way, reached the final where they were eventually edged out by Spain.
But at the Euros, they’ll have to compete with the Netherlands, France and Wales just to reach the knockout stages, let alone another final.
People often talk about a ‘group of death’ at a major tournament and, for many, Group D is considered to be this summer’s iteration.
Park’s under no illusions about the challenge ahead and knows England will need to be at our best to qualify for the latter stages.
There’s also the added prospect of facing some of her past and present City team-mates should Kerstin Casparij, Vivianne Miedema and Jill Roord all be selected by the Netherlands, which adds another element of spice to the occasion on the whole.
Those friendships get put to one side when you’re at a major tournament, though, as Park explains: “When you’re competing for your country, I think that just goes aside for a bit while you’re playing the game.
“When we played against Spain for example I was against Leila [Ouahabi] and Laia [Aleixandri], two of my closest friends at City, but when it’s on the pitch it’s focus, it’s game time.
“They become the enemy as such! But after the game it’s important you shake hands, say hello and enjoy the moment whether you win or lose.
“It’s never nice if you lose, but you have to be respectful.
“It’ll be a tough group, [but] It’s important that we take it game by game and make sure that we focus on each game in front of us.
“We need to work really hard, get together, be as good as we can and deliver on the pitch.”
Park is one of seven tournament debutants for the Lionesses this summer.
It’s a new-look England side compared to the one who claimed a first major international honour since 1966 three years ago, and one as eager as ever to keep improving on the successes of the recent past.
But for our number 16, the key is to focus on the game in front of them, rather than looking too far ahead towards the ultimate objective.
“We’re a new squad, almost like a new England,” she points out.
“I think it’s important that we remember that, and we use what we’ve got in the team and what we’re good at.
“It’s really important that we take it game by game and give absolutely everything we can for the fans on the pitch.
“I have no doubts that we’ll do that.”
Park missed just one match for City last season, further emphasising her importance in the Blues’ engine room.
She grabbed eight goals – two of which were nominated for the WSL’s Goal of the Season – and a further four assists in another successful campaign from a personal perspective, but the Blues ultimately fell short of our usual lofty objectives.
An unprecedented injury crisis heading into the new year and then once again in the latter stages of the campaign certainly didn’t help, but Park is determined to be a driving force for City in 2025/26 and get the Club back competing for top honours.
And she thinks the setbacks of last season can play a huge part in that potential success, both this summer for England and beyond with City.
It might not have been plain sailing, but 2024/25 is a campaign that Park feels has developed her massively.
“Last season was difficult at times,” our midfielder said.
“We had a lot of injuries and didn’t finish how we wanted to or achieve what we wanted in other competitions, but we’ll take massive learnings from that.
“We’ll improve for next year, we’ll look at it and reflect and just move forward. We work really hard.
“For me personally, it’s been nice to be a starter and experience different things like the Champions League, lots of games, managing myself and using the facilities and coaching staff that are here to help me.
“It’s been a really key year to learn things.”
Interview: George Kelsey
Ticking from kick-off through to the last gasp goals of the not-so-distant past, we continue our look at City goals scored in particular minutes – with this month’s focus on the fifth minute of proceedings…
3 August 1968
City’s rip-roaring start to the FA Charity Shield clash with West Brom just gets better as the Blues double their lead with only five minutes on the clock. With Colin Bell dominating the early exchanges, he sprays the ball out to Mike Summerbee whose tempting cross is nodded into his own goal by Graham Lovett to put City 2-0 up in the game played at Maine Road rather than Wembley and Buzzer claims his second assist of the afternoon despite the match having just begun a few minutes before!
8 January 1988
This was a special FA Cup third-round tie for many reasons, but the main one was the fact City had beaten Huddersfield Town 10-1 in the league just eight weeks earlier. The hosts and their supporters saw this as an ideal opportunity for revenge but the Blues, backed by more than 8,000 travelling fans at Leeds Road, were in no mood for charity and when Ian Brightwell put City 1-0 up after just five minutes, the hosts must have feared another drubbing – but there is no further scoring in the first half with City going in at the break a goal to the good and the match will eventually finish 2-2.
9 November 2002
City draw first blood in the last ever Manchester derby at Maine Road as Kevin Keegan’s side score with their first attack of any note. Nicolas Anelka dispossesses Rio Ferdinand and sets up a chance for Shaun Goater who shoots and appears to catch Fabien Barthez by surprise. The French goalkeeper spills the half-hit shot back into the path of Anelka, who makes no mistake from close range and gives City a 1-0 lead.
3 April 2010
City make it two goals in two minutes to go 2-0 up against Burnley. With the Clarets still reeling from Emmanuel Adebayor’s fourth-minute strike, Carlos Tevez plays a clever pass into the feet of Craig Bellamy who checks inside one challenge before rolling a low shot past the keeper to double the Blues’ lead at Turf Moor.
26 December 2010
Carlos Tevez doubles City’s lead at St James’ Park with a second goal inside five minutes against Newcastle United. Tevez, who set up Gareth Barry’s opener on two minutes, rifles a shot into the top of the net with his left foot after sprinting onto a fine James Milner cross to give the Blues a quickfire 2-0 lead.
6 October 2012
A typical Aleks Kolarov strike, full of quality and venom. When City are awarded an early free kick at home to Sunderland, the Serbian left-back curls the ball past the wall and into the roof of the net before the Sunderland keeper has even seen it – a spectacular effort that puts City 1-0 up.
17 February 2013
A great team goal involving David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure. Yaya and Silva exchange passes in midfield before the Ivorian midfielder finds Tevez on the edge of the box – Tevez clips a ball back into Yaya’s path as he drives into the box and he collects the pass, feigns to shoot before taking the ball round the keeper and slotting home to give the Blues an early lead against Leeds United in the FA Cup fifth-round tie at the Etihad.
2 April 2017
City get off to a great start away to Arsenal as Leroy Sane puts the Blues 1-0 up at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are all at sea as Kevin De Bruyne finds Sane who then uses his electric pace to outrun a defender and take the ball around keeper David Ospina before sending an angled shot just beyond the desperate dives of two Arsenal defenders and into the empty net.
City’s most famous darts playing supporter is Alan ‘Chuck’ Norris.
A former PDC World Championship quarterfinalist and runner-up in the BDO World Championship final, Norris is a lifelong Blue who has taken time out of darts in the last couple of years – but he’ll be back!
In 2016, he took on Kelechi Iheanacho in the City Darts Classic at the Etihad – you can watch that here:
CITY DARTS MASTERS | Kelechi "9 Dart Nacho" v Alan "Chuck" Norris
Here is his all-time best City team, complete with subs and a rare outing for one of our former bosses as his Best XI manager….
Trautmann,
Walker, Kompany, Dunne, Zabaleta
Bell, Rodri, De Bruyne
Summerbee, Aguero, Tevez
Subs: Corrigan, Book, Kinkladze, Goater, Power, Lee, Rosler
Formation: 4-3-3
Manager: Mark Hughes
We catch up with Senior International Programme Manager Gareth Hughes to find out more about his role…
Hi Gareth, what exactly is the role of a Senior International Programme Manager?
I manage a global network of community football projects that improve the physical and mental health of participants, through using the power of football. The projects are delivered by Young Leaders in inner city communities, in partnership with local NGOs. We support the projects with training from City in the Community Coaches, who upskill Young Leaders in Community Football, Leadership, Project Management and Social Impact.
How long have you been doing what you’re doing?
I started as a volunteer at City in the Community in 2009. I learnt to coach through hours of delivery in schools, community groups and grassroots clubs. I’ve been fortunate to travel to deliver coaching clinics and coach education courses and I really enjoy it. In 2016 I moved into a role with City Football, working globally with Manchester City.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A day can start early speaking to our projects over in Asia and finish late with our projects in the Americas. We work across many time zones and work together in a small team to organise training, summits, forums, as well as monitoring and evaluating the work. We are fortunate to support activities like the Trophy Tour and Pre-Season Tour, and take opportunities to integrate Manchester City first team players and legends with our work, meeting children and young leaders at the projects.
How do you measure its success?
For all the work we do, we closely monitor projects through reporting and survey data. This helps us to demonstrate the impact football is having on the communities we are impacting. From a personal angle, it’s the stories and feedback of how people grow and connect from the game, and how our training can go on to empower people to positively impact others.
You’ve been a junior football coach for many years – what aspect of that do you bring to your role?
I don’t do as much coaching now, but I really enjoy creating our training content and sharing the games and practices that I have learned over the years. When I do travel to deliver training, it’s great to be out on the field as a coach educator, and I find all the knowledge I have picked up over the years comes to the forefront.
Does the job involve travel and if so, in what form?
I travel to visit our projects as well as delivering in a team on our regional summits and club tours. It’s always a privilege and a pleasure to represent this great community club, working alongside inspiring coaches from City in the Community.
What would you say is the most rewarding part of your job?
Empowering new coaches through sharing knowledge, advice and experience. To see someone put the skills they’ve learnt into practice is very rewarding.
If anyone wanted to follow a similar path, what would your advice be?
To put the hours in! I learnt from years of grassroots coaching, by making mistakes, trying new ideas and attending coaching courses to gain qualifications. I volunteered and eventually got an opportunity at Manchester City, and since have worked very hard in several roles, before moving into this role which combines two of my greatest passions in football and travel.
Thanks for sharing Gareth!
My pleasure!
Interview: David Clayton
Samir Nasri
In 2012, we sat down with Samir Nasri for a Q&A session covering his move to City, early months with the Blues and plenty of other stuff…
Samir, last year you played well, but this season you’ve been flying. What changed?
“I don’t know – maybe because I have changed my club and I am playing regularly for my national team. Perhaps I took another dimension and progressed as a player, too. Last season, even when Arsenal had their ups and downs, I still had a good season when I did play, but I think probably joining City and playing for France on a regular basis could be the answer.”
You come across as quietly confident, but with the air of the street fighter about you. Is this accurate? Does your upbringing in Marseille have anything to do with your personality?
”Yes, of course. Your upbringing plays a big part in who you are and how you are on the football pitch. I have always had confidence in my own ability and if I need to draw on my early years and just being able to handle myself, then that’s what I do.”
You were Arsenal’s main man last season. Do you thrive on responsibility?
“Yes, I enjoy having a responsible role in the team because it brings out the best in me. I’m not sure I was the main man in that respect because Arsenal had many great players including Cesc Fabregas, so I played my part but it was a team effort rather than down to just one individual.”
How much strength of character did it take to join City? It would have been easy to stay at Arsenal, after all, where the fans loved you and you were a big player?
“The Arsenal fans loved me very much and they showed me that every time I played, but I needed a change. It wasn’t just about Arsenal, it was about me as well and I wanted to improve as a player and to do that I wanted to win titles and trophies. When I left Marseille for Arsenal, I became a man and I became a different player, but this wasn’t about Arsenal or Arsene Wenger – who was like a second father to me - or the Arsenal fans, who were just fantastic. I just needed a new challenge.”
What were Arsenal missing that Manchester City have?
“I think the thing is with City that we have a big squad full of world class players and when we change the team around, you can’t see the difference – there are two good players for every position. That makes us a better team. Arsenal had a lot of injuries last season and it made it difficult to be consistent because the squad didn’t have as much depth as we do at City. I don’t know the exact answer to this question, but I know that at City we now have the culture of winning games and you can see that in our play. When we are winning 1-0 or 2-0, you can see how settled we are and that is a good sign. We have a lot of belief in ourselves and a number of players who haven’t won very much so far. We are all hungry for titles.”
Is it fair to say Arsenal were psychologically troubled by their reputation of not winning trophies whereas City as a team haven’t felt that collective failure in a Cup final or a title race?
“I think the problem was Arsenal needed to win just one trophy – it didn’t matter what it was – in order to become a team with more experience and confidence. When we lost the Carling Cup final, we lost everything. We lost the title and everything we had been going for up to that point and after that, we didn’t stand up and play as a team. I’m not sure what happened in that game because we had beaten Birmingham at St Andrew’s just a month before, so maybe, in our minds, we were sure that we would win that cup. At City we have Yaya Toure, who has won plenty of titles and the Champions League with Barcelona; we have Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy who were part of the Invincibles with Arsenal so we have players who have been there and done it and know what is needed to get the job done.”
What kind of vibe did you feel at the club you walked into compared with the one you left?
“I think it is important that the club you are at is like a family. It was like that at Arsenal and it is the same at City. At City we have an amazing squad, with no egos and again, it was the same at Arsenal. Everyone wants to fight for their place and pull in the same direction, which is really good. It is like a big family at City and that makes a big difference when there is harmony in the squad because it is also obvious when you go out and play on the pitch.”
You seemed to hit the ground running at City. How come?
“It’s like I said – when you have great players around you and there is a good harmony between you and your team-mates, both on and off the pitch – it makes things easy. We know we all have to be at the top of our game when we play or train because there is always someone just as good waiting to come in if you aren’t playing as well as you can. We knew we had to be at the top of our game from day one so we could quickly hit the top of the Premier League and maybe open up a little gap. As the manager said, it is winning against the sides in mid-table and near the bottom where we will win the league and that’s what we’ve done in the first part of the season. We try and get ahead quickly, establish a grip on the game and then play our football. We’ve done that really well so far.”
We asked David Silva what it was like playing with you and Sergio Aguero – same question to you: what’s it like playing with those guys? Do you have to be careful you don’t get in each other’s way at times?!
“For me it’s really good to be able to play alongside players like David and Sergio. When you play alongside quality players and technically, you try and establish a good connection with them as quickly as possible. With David, it is like the relationship I had with Cesc when we played together at Arsenal and with Sergio, it is the same sort of connection I had with Robin van Persie. It’s good for each player and especially for the team as a whole. It’s very easy to play alongside them.”
You seem to be very versatile. Is this a help or an obstacle at a club like Manchester City where competition for places is so tough? Where would you prefer to play?
“I like to play between the striker on either the right or the left wing. During my years at Arsenal I played everywhere so I’m used to being versatile in that respect. I’m not the sort of guy who will just ask for one position because it’s all about what is best for the team and I’m happy to play wherever the manager wants me to play. It’s not all about fixed positions in this team, either – when we lose the ball we all know where we need to be, but when we have the ball, it’s all about movement, being fluid and not giving the opposition defence a point of reference so they can mark us tightly.
What would you consider a successful season both personally and as a team?
“To win the Premier League, my friend!”
Can you take your City form into the national team?
“I want to have a great season with my club so I can carry that form into the national team as well. More than anything, I want to win the title with City so that everyone who was talking before and had an opinion on why I moved here in the first place will maybe think again before they speak. Then, perhaps they will look at our squad, how we play and think twice before they say things next time. We need to win the Premier League and as soon as we can so that people in England and Europe stop talking about Manchester City as a club with money and see that this is a club with a soul and great passion. When you walk around Manchester, you can see this is a team with its heart in the city and the people love this club and have done for many, many years – not just because we have money and can afford to buy great players – they’ve always been that way. I think we are where we deserve to be and that’s why I want to win the title and show everyone just why we came to this football club and that it is the place to be.”
Interview: David Clayton
Looking back at the stories behind some classic – and not-so-classic – City Magazine covers from the past 30 years…
As stated previously in Cover Story – and this will be the last one for a while – action shots were rarely used on the cover of the City Magazine.
The thinking was that it was always better to get a studio shot if possible, so we could create a theme and link it up with the focus of the interview.
In this case, the cover star – Steve Howey – wasn’t even featured in the magazine.
Kevin Keegan’s City were pushing hard for promotion back to the Premier League by late February when we put the March issue together, and the general feel was a rallying call was the best route to go down.
Things were going well, but in the space of four February matches, we lost to Wimbledon, drew 0-0 with Walsall and went out of the FA Cup to Newcastle.
It wasn’t the time for a late winter blip with West Brom and Wolves hot on our trail – so we came across a recent picture of Howey which sort of said what we were all feeling… come on City!!
So, that’s what we went with – Howey roaring at the camera, but in our minds, roaring at our fans to make sure we didn’t let this slip.
And we didn’t.
An action worked when the timing was right, and on this occasion, it definitely was, and as a footnote, clearly this cover ensured that the Blues won 11 of the 13 games remaining to win what is today the Championship in style.
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 finally up to the letters X-Y-Z and there can only be one person to feature in this, my final piece in the series, and that’s Pablo Zabaleta.
I photographed Zaba for a City Magazine cover in 2012.
It’s often difficult photographing footballers - as opposed to musicians – as they aren’t as much into self-promotion. Usually once they’ve heard the camera click around half a dozen times, they give you a cheery thumbs up, while walking away and asking, “You got enough?” which inevitably translates as: You’ve got enough.”
Consequently, my first question to a footballer is always, “How long do you have?” Zabaleta was great. He just said, “Until you finish,” as if I’d just asked him a stupid question.
The photos were taken up at Carrington, our then training complex. He remembered that I’d been on the open top bus a couple of years earlier when the team brought back the FA Cup. In fact, he actually handed me the cup to hold up over the side of the bus to show to some friends.
He had a bad head injury at the time and I got a great photo of it – with his blessing.
He was an absolute joy to work with and he was a joy to watch for all those seasons.
Maybe the editors of this magazine will let me loose on a couple of the current squad.
Let’s see what the start of the new season brings.
Kevin Cummins
I’d like to introduce to you now a True Blue who himself has something of a presence on Social Media. Usually with a MCFC angle.
Mr Christie McDonald.... take it away, sir!
My name is Christie McDonald and I’m a long-standing season ticket holder at City from Salford. My first match was at Maine Road with my dad in season 1984/85 which ended in promotion to the topflight after beating Charlton Athletic 5-1. From that season I was hooked.
I’m lucky enough to still be able to go to the match with my dad who sits next to me in the second tier of the South Stand in the same seats we have always had since the stadium opened.
As you’ll see from the answers to your questions, it’s fair to say I’ve seen the ups and the downs.
Fun fact – I chose to spend four years at Manchester University and not move away because I sensed City were on the verge of winning something. Started University in 1995 (City in the Premier League) – Graduated in 1999 (just scraped out of the third tier after the worst four years in the club’s entire history – all while living in view of Maine Road in student digs). I suppose we did technically win something though, just don’t ask me for any career advice.
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF GOING TO A FOOTBALL MATCH?
Bit of an odd one this, but my family are mainly Salford Reds so the first few matches I went to as a seven-year-old in the 1983/84 season were at Old Trafford. I’ve genuinely no real recollection of my trips to Old Trafford for those games though.
My first real memory of going to a football match was my first City league game in 1984 (season 1984/85) which was against Crystal Palace. My Dad was the manager of a local football team at the time and his game got called off, so he suggested going to Maine Road. I was a little bit non-plussed to be honest but as soon as I got in the ground at the Platt Lane end everything changed.
Even then, to a young kid, it all looked a little bit ramshackle, but I was absolutely transfixed by the Kippax and the people stood on it. It was just something I’d never seen the like of before – this huge stand running the length of the pitch packed with people. We won 2-1 but the result didn’t really matter. I felt like I’d discovered something a little bit different, and I’ve always been an awkward kid, so I was now a City fan. Not easy when you went to school in Eccles, but I didn’t care.
The mad thing is, whilst he wasn’t a rabid United fan and went to both Old Trafford and Maine Road when he was younger, my dad was a United fan. However, he was also so taken with it all he decided to ditch United and come on the journey with me. So, it is *sometimes* ok to swap allegiances when circumstances dictate.
WHAT IS THE MOST PECULIAR OR MEMORABLE THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU AT A CITY GAME?
We played at Ewood Park sometime in the noughties on St George’s Day and there was a lad on the concourse before the match dressed as a crocodile.
Me: “What’s with the outfit, mate?”
Him: “The shop had run out of dragons.”
Now, if that sounds familiar, it’s because I put it on Twitter a few years ago and Soccer AM blatantly nicked it and used it as a sketch on their programme! True story.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND PREVENT ONE MATCH FROM BEING PLAYED - WHAT MATCH WOULD THAT BE - AND WHY
The Jamie Pollock own goal game at Maine Road v QPR.
This was the last home game of the season, and we were in dire trouble with only Stoke City away after it the week after. We had to win to give ourselves any chance of not getting relegated to the third tier of the Football League for the first time in our history. It was a glorious day and I decided to try and calm my nerves with some mates on Wilmslow Road before heading to the ground. I had already been out the night before at a student do with most of said mates.
Unfortunately, this resulted in me being the drunkest that I have ever been at a football match and my dad nearly disowning me the moment I turned up at my seat at the back of the North Stand. The match is a blur, but I was vaguely aware things weren’t going well on the pitch.
So, I’d like to prevent that match being played and rearrange it for another day, preferably a day when I’d had a hearty breakfast and some orange juice in the morning. We’d still have got relegated but at least I’d have not let myself down so very badly.
WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE CITY GOAL YOU HAVE WITNESSED (“Aguerooooooooo…” aside…)?
Undoubtedly, Paul Dickov’s equaliser at Wembley in 1999. Everything would be all so different without that goal.
HAVE YOU EVER MET ONE OF YOUR MAN CITY HEROES… IF SO - WHO…AND HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE!
I was lucky enough to be backstage at one of the City pre-season events at the G-Mex (or whatever the kids call it nowadays) and I ambushed David Silva as he left the gents requesting a photo, which (I think) he agreed to. My wife took the photo and then he left - quickly. I’m not sure he was that happy to be honest but needs must at times.
WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE LAST MATCH AT MAINE ROAD? AS YOU LEFT THE GROUND WHAT WERE YOUR EMOTIONS?
It’s an odd one this. By the end of it I didn’t feel much of an emotional attachment to the ground at all and, to be brutally honest, I was glad to see the back of it. I know that won’t be the popular view of all City fans of a certain vintage, but it is genuinely how I felt. Whilst there were many great moments in that ground, the overall experience was terrible, certainly in the latter seasons. Even that brilliant promotion season of Keegan’s the season before we left just couldn’t give me the sense that it wasn’t all for the best. That promotion season was so good though.
So, oddly, I left the place for the very last time with a smile on my face. Despite getting beat on the day. Again.
WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT MAINE ROAD?
The Kippax when it was standing. Our seats right at the back of the North Stand. The chaos of the North Stand bar at half-time in its latter years. The smell of fried onions outside. The pubs.
WHAT'S YOUR MOST DISASTROUS AWAY GAME EXPERIENCE?
Unfortunately, whilst there are many, none are suitable for a family publication such as this.
WHO IS YOUR MOST FAVOURITE CITY PLAYER OF ALL TIME?
This is not my choice as best player, because we could debate that all day – and I’d be more than happy to do so - but my favourite player is Gio Kinkladze. Those four years I have already referred to really were tough, but for the time he was at City, he made things a bit more bearable. He wasn’t half bad.
IF YOU COULD PICK ONE CURRENT CITY PLAYER TO BE ON YOUR PUB QUIZ TEAM - WHO WOULD IT BE - AND WHY?
Ruben Dias. No reason in particular.
Continuing our vintage Q&As with former City players, we look at the Shoot Magazine feature on goalkeeper Barry Siddall. Barry was only a City player briefly when he joined on loan from Stoke in 1985/86 and played six games. He was with Sunderland at the time of his vintage Shoot Magazine Q&A (circa 1977) but his answers would have most likely been the same(ish) nearly a decade later!
Full name: Barry Siddall
Birthplace: Bromborough, Cheshire
Birthdate: September 12, 1954
Height: 6ft 0.5 inches
Weight: 14st 8lbs
Married: No
Car: Saab 99L
Favourite player: Joe Royle
Favourite other team: Everton
Most difficult opponent: Paul Mariner
Most memorable match: Final of the Mini World Cup where we beat East Germany
Biggest disappointment: Relegation last season (with Sunderland)
Biggest thrill: Winning the Mini World Cup
Best country visited: Portugal
Misc likes: Golf, tennis, horseracing
Misc dislikes: Slow drivers and people who don't buy their round of drinks
Biggest drag in soccer: Being injured
Best food: Fish and chips
Favourite TV shows: Fawlty Towers, Benny Hill, Celebrity Golf
Favourite actors: Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman
Favourite singers: Barry White, Kiki Dee, Glen Campbell
Best friend: Sam Allardyce
Biggest influence on career: My parents and Charlie Wright the Bolton coach
International honours: England Youth caps
Personal ambition: To get back into Division One
Professional ambition: To win a full England cap
What would you be if you weren’t a footballer: No idea!
Person you’d most like to meet: Golfer Jack Nicklaus
Francis Lee
“Interesting... very interesting! Look at his face. Just look at his face!”
Barry Davies’ famous Match Of The Day commentary from 1974 can still be impersonated by many Manchester City and Derby Country fans more than half a century on, complete with voice-breaking squeak.
A tribute to when Francis Lee came back to Maine Road with Dave Mackay’s Rams to score one of the most memorable goals of the decade.
In the 64th minute, the City legend had his back to goal, when he brilliantly cut inside, drifting between two sky blue defenders, before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the top corner.
And there was no suggestion of not celebrating a goal against his old club, the forward wheeling away towards the Main Stand with both arms triumphantly in the air.
That might seem unlikely to young football fans, when a player doesn’t celebrate the opening goal in a Champions League final against a former team where he spent one season.
But for Lee, who made 330 appearances for City over seven seasons, and was at the time our fifth highest goalscorer ever, it was a natural response.
The striker just loved playing football and particularly scoring goals, and it was a wonderful strike that even the City fans had to appreciate.
“It was amazing how all the fans had stood up and applauded,” Lee remembered, many years on. “You would have thought I’d scored for City!”
Lee’s goal wasn’t about revenge, despite believing that he should still have been in City colours.
He was of course part of the all-conquering City side at the turn of the decade that won every domestic trophy as well as the European Cup Winner’s Cup.
With Colin Bell and Mike Summerbee, he was one of the figureheads of a golden team with the trio celebrated with a statue outside the Etihad Stadium.
Among his long list of vital goals, Lee scored the winning goal in the 4-3 win at Newcastle that secured the 1967/68 title and the winner in our European triumph over Gornik Zabrze two years later.
But he believed he still had value for City at the beginning of the 1974/1975 season when he was sold to Derby, after being our top scorer in the previous season with 18 goals.
He returned in November with City’s title challenge floundering and Derby very much in the mix for the title.
The BBC saw the potential for a storyline and sent the cameras over to a boggy Maine Road and were rewarded handsomely.
More than 40,000 were at the game and it was Derby that made an early breakthrough, Henry Newton hit a smart half-volley into the top corner, Lee getting the assist.
Bell smashed in a second half equaliser after good work from Rodney Marsh and it looked like City could turn the game around.
But then came Lee’s moment of individual brilliance as he drilled the ball beyond Joe Corrigan to secure what would be a crucial two points.
It wasn’t a goal of revenge, but one that maintained the Rams title challenge, which would ultimately prove successful as Lee collected the second Division One winner’s medal of his career six months later.
“City wouldn’t pay me what I deserved after such loyal service and after being one of their top performers for many seasons,” he recalled. “Key decision makers at the club wanted to get rid of me.
“I would’ve loved to have stayed at City, but it was best for me and my career to move on and my decision was justified after playing a key role in Derby’s title win. I had a great time at Derby!”
It certainly didn’t affect his standing at City, where he remained a legend and was chairman of the Club in the late 1990s.
Francis sadly passed away in October 2023 but was remembered for the wonderful person and amazing footballer that he was.
That goal in 1974, was just another spectacular moment for one of English football’s greatest talents and special personalities.
Words: Jonathan Smith
The regular City Mag feature that takes a trip down memory lane to focus on the career of a much-loved City player who maybe didn’t get the appreciation he deserved beyond east Manchester…
The idea of playing at a FIFA Club World Cup was an alien concept during Richard Dunne’s Manchester City career.
The centre-back is perhaps the perfect example of the kind of player this feature sets out to shine a light on.
Widely misunderstood by fans of the game beyond those of the clubs he represented, Dunne was the glue in a rollercoaster period at City and adored at Maine Road and the Etihad because of it.
To prove that, you only need to look at the Player of the Year award records.
Dunne’s tally of four can only be equalled by one Kevin De Bruyne. While the Belgian’s were spread out across his 10 years at the Etihad, Dunne won it each year between 2005 and 2008.
He could perhaps have counted himself unlucky not to pick up the gong earlier in his City career, having been brought to the Club back in 2000 by Joe Royle.
We were back in the top-flight after successive promotions and it was immediately apparent that help at the back would be needed if we were to survive.
21-year-old Dunne had mostly been used as a makeshift right-back by previous club Everton and had mixed success in the role.
But Royle had an existing relationship with the Irish international having given him his Toffees debut as a teenager in 1997.
The initial theory when he moved to Maine Road was that he’d be deployed on the right at City too but he soon made the central role his own.
He figured 28 times in that first campaign despite not arriving until October. It was clear that the successive promotions had perhaps been too much for Royle’s squad and relegation was confirmed.
But with the appointment of Kevin Keegan in the summer of 2001, we were perfectly poised for a promotion charge.
And that’s exactly what happened, with Keegan preaching attacking football above all else. We netted a mammoth 108 goals in the league that term and claimed 99 points in one of the most exciting campaigns ever put together in the second tier.
Dunne played 43 of a possible 46 league games that term and there was now no doubt he was a centre-back first and foremost.
His incredibly broad shoulders and 6ft2in frame meant Dunne was a physically imposing specimen for opposition strikers to face.
But a smiley disposition off the pitch helped lead to the nickname ‘Dunney Monster’, in comparison to the giant ‘Honey Monster’ on a cereal advert of the time.
So, City were now a Premier League side again and heading into our final year at Maine Road, the job was to stay there.
Athletic French defender Sylvain Distin arrived at City that summer and so began a beautiful partnership.
Distin and Dunne would be the undisputed first choices at the heart of our defence until the former left in 2007.
During that time, Dunne played 184 games for City and Distin 206 – most of them together in the middle of a back four.
Goals obviously were harder to come by back in the top-flight, but a solid backbone of Dunne, Distin and goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel led us to an unexpected top-half finish.
Distin was recognised as our Player of the Year that season and would become captain in our first term at the Etihad – then known as the ‘City of Manchester Stadium’ of course.
But Dunne continued to improve year-on-year, with the pair being increasingly relied upon to underpin the attacking instincts of so many players ahead of them.
A model of consistency, Dunne finally collected his first Player of the Season award at the end of the 2004/05 campaign just weeks after Keegan, who had been a crucial part of his development, left and Stuart Pearce took his place.
Goals became harder and harder to come by under Pearce, as finances got tighter and talented attacking talent like Nicolas Anelka and Shaun Wright-Phillips moved on.
That’s why Dunne became ever more important to our Premier League survival and appreciated even further amongst the fans.
He would win the Player of the Year award in 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08, all but keeping a blunted City in the Premier League.
The ultimate assurance that Dunne was pivotal to everything we were doing came in 2006, when he was finally named the club captain.
2008/09 then proved to be his busiest in a City shirt, playing 47 times as Mark Hughes led us into a new era.
However, it also proved to be his last as he left for Aston Villa in September 2009 to the devastation of thousands of Blues.
For the remainder of his career at Villa and then QPR, Dunne remained one of those rare players that City fans would actively support and wish only the very best for.
What most fans who didn’t watch Dunne every week see when they consider his career are the own goal and red card records.
The Republic of Ireland man has put the ball in his own net more than anyone else in Premier League history, while he is level with Duncan Ferguson and Patrick Vieira as the players to have been sent off the most.
As with every stat of this nature, it completely strips the context in which Dunne was often forced to play – sprinting back to his own box and throwing everything at the ball or an opponent in order to protect his goal.
That dedication to the cause – his captain’s spirit – is the very essence of what made ‘Dunney’ a hero to a generation of City fans.
Words: Jack Mumford
Club America 1-1 City
(4-1 to City on penalties)
29 July, 2010
Atlanta International Soccer Challenge
City: Hart (Given 46), Richards (Cunningham 81), K Toure (Lescott 46), Boyata, Bridge, Kompany (Zabaleta 46), Y Toure (Ireland 46), Barry (Vieira 46), Wright-Phillips (Weiss 46), Johnson (Jo 46), Adebayor.
Club America: Ochoa, Mosquera, Rojas, Valenzuela, Martinez, Montenegro, Sanchez, Pardo, Layun, Beausejour, Vuoso (Esqueda 46).
After our recent time in the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup, our random match generator has thrown up a previous visit to North America.
It was back in the summer of 2010 that we visited the Georgia Dome to face Mexican side Club America in the Atlanta International Soccer Challenge.
And it was a game when City fans got their first glimpse of two big signings, although they had differing careers at the Etihad.
Yaya Toure had made the move from Barcelona weeks earlier. And he played the first 45 minutes of what would be a brilliant period at City, not least 10 months later when his goal against Stoke City in the FA Cup final ended our 35-year wait for silverware.
The other player that supporters were seeing for the first time was striker Matias Vuoso – an expensive signing during Kevin Keegan’s stewardship eight years earlier, but a player that never played a minute for the Club.
Despite not making an impact with City, he did well during his time in his native Mexico, winning the title and the Golden Boot twice as well as collecting 15 international caps.
There would be new faces to come in the summer with David Silva, Aleksandar Kolarov, Mario Balotelli, James Milner and Jerome Boateng still to join up with the Club.
But that gave the opportunity for a number of homegrown players on the US tour with Dedryck Boyata, Vladimir Weiss and Greg Cunningham in action against America along with established Academy players Micah Richards and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
For all the new faces, there was some special familiarity – City wore the classic white kit with red and black sash that has been reprised for this summer’s tournament.
And it was also a special day for assistant manager Brian Kidd, who was returning to the city where he spent a season playing football for Atlanta Chiefs in 1981.
''This was sentimental for me,'' he said. ''I always have fond memories of the city and the people. Atlanta is always close to my heart.''
It was a firm test for City with Daniel Montenegro hitting the post from 25 yards before the Blues took the lead eight minutes before half-time, Emmanuel Adebayor scoring from the penalty spot.
But after seven changes at the break, City were caught cold with America snatching an equaliser with a neat finish from Enrique Esqueda.
Adebayor went close to restoring our lead late on but his effort struck the underside of the crossbar.
That meant the game went to penalties with Shay Given, a half-time replacement for Joe Hart, becoming the hero.
The Irishman saved two spot-kicks as City were flawless from the spot via Adebayor, Jo, Weiss and Patrick Vieira to win 4-1.
It was the high spot of a difficult tour having earlier lost to Sporting CP and New York Red Bulls in New Jersey before losing 3-0 to Inter in Baltimore three days later.
Thankfully, it wasn’t an omen going into the season as we would secure Champions League football for the first time as well as triumphing at Wembley in the FA Cup.
Words: Jonathan Smith
Now that the dust has settled on a busy and successful 2024/25 campaign for City’s youngsters, Academy Director Thomas Kruecken sat down with City Studios in his office in June to provide his assessment on the season as a whole.
From pinpointing successes such as impressive debut seasons in charge of the Elite Development Squad and Under-18s for Lead Coaches Ben Wilkinson and Oliver Reiss respectively to the further development of the off-pitch work being undertaken by City’s Academy, 2024/25 brought huge pride to Kruecken and the Academy.
When asked for his thoughts on the EDS campaign, which saw our Under-21s win both the Premier League 2 league phase and subsequent play-offs to be crowned national champions for a fourth time in five years, Kruecken provided detailed insight into what made this term’s success even more special.
“Winning the Premier League 2 League Phase as well as the play-offs, after a very difficult last season where we ended 23rd in the league, was a big achievement of Ben [Wilkinson], Craig [Mudd] and the whole multi-disciplinary team,” began the Academy Director.
“We had the youngest squad of the Premier League 2, aged 18.7. And 70% of the players started their journey with us at Under-9s, so in the foundation phase. [That means] so many of our staff members were involved in developing these players and it was a big achievement for all of us and many people.
“I remember the day we won the league [against Southampton] many staff members were really proud, some of them with tears in their eyes because it was the last game for many players for our Academy.
“Another big achievement of this group was being part of the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League, which is another big success compared to the last years.
“It was a bit unlucky, I remember the game at [AZ] Alkmaar, we played a fantastic second half, we missed a penalty, and with their first shot on target, we lost. It was unlucky but it is learnings for our players to go back next season, which I'm sure we'll do.”
There was also silverware for City’s Under 18s with the Blues’ youngsters winning the Under-18 Premier League North crown after a titanic tussle with Manchester United.
Though the City youngsters were edged out by Aston Villa in the National final – and also saw Villa pip us to the FA Youth Cup – it still represented a campaign to savour.
Every matchday you could see Kruecken stood on the sidelines watching the Under-18s chase the North title, supporting them every step of the way.
Reiss’ side broke records with a 21 successive win streak underpinning City’s march to a fourth Northern crown in five years.
What also stood out to Kruecken throughout the course of the campaign was the age of the group with young scholars impressing every week all whilst showcasing City’s attacking, intense style of play.
“The quality is there in our Under-18 group,” the Academy director added. “When you see how we played across the whole season with the consistent high-performance level.
“It was a difficult start, I remember we drew away at Leeds and then we lost to [Manchester] United and then winning 26 games in a row, including in the FA Youth Cup, what an achievement for a youth team to play that consistently. It was great!
“So a big thank you to Olli [Reiss], to Kolo [Toure], to the whole multi-disciplinary team and how they developed our young players.
“Six first-year scholars were involved and were always starters for the group and involved in the UEFA Youth League games, making sure this UEFA Youth League squad was the youngest squad across Europe, aged 18.2. Which was great.
“And at the end it was the goal of the team to win the Under-18 Premier League North back from United which we did.
“And being involved in two finals. It was a great experience for the boys to play in front of 25,000 people at Villa Park. Unfortunately, we lost both finals, Villa deserved it across both games, they were the better team.
“But, for us, at the end it was a fantastic season with learning opportunities in the finals for staff and players and I'm sure that we will go again next year.”
Away from competitive matchdays for both Academy teams, the staff have been hard at work developing and perfecting competencies and coaching models - key developments which Kruecken says have helped play a vital role in City’s success on the pitch.
“I'm also really excited about the fact that we further implemented the Future Player Programme and the innovation-driven culture we have in place in the Academy which is created by the ideas of our staff to make sure our players get the best possible content to move forward.
“And our ideas of how the future game and how the future player looks like. And at the end we developed in the last couple of months a competency model aligned to our purpose with core competencies, for example, effective communication, and functional competencies, 14 different models, with the knowledge and impact of our staff, making sure that we have clear criteria.
“So, it has been a very intensive year, but I'm pleased with the outcome.”
Words: Neil Leigh /Holly Percival
Seb Naylor sat down with City Magazine to create his ultimate Academy 5-a-side team. All he has to do is follow some simple rules. He can only select Academy players he has played with during his time in the Club’s Academy, and the formation is one goalkeeper, one defender, two midfielders and one attacker. Who did he pick for his line-up…
GOALKEEPER: I think I’m going to go with True Grant in goal because he’s so comfortable with the ball at his feet. And I think in 5-a-side he’d be able to play almost like an outfield player which I think would help.
DEFENDER: One defender is tough, but I’ll pick Rico Lewis. I played with him back in the younger days. He’s so technically good on the ball and good at defending. He’ll help us play out from the back.
MIDFIELDER: I’m going to put Nico O’Reilly in midfield for my first choice. He’ll provide presence and he’s also technical, so he will hold the squad together.
MIDFIELDER: And then alongside him, I’ll go with Oscar Bobb to continue down the technical route. He’s so skilful and he’ll score goals and create goals as well.
FORWARD: And leading the line, Divin Mubama. From what we’ve seen him bring in from West Ham, he’s so good, so different to a typical City striker. He’s good aerially but also in a 5-a-side in training, he’s always waiting around the box and ready to tap one in.
Feature: Holly Percival
Roaring Change
Club Journalist, Alice Wright discusses the pivotal moment England won the Euros and the impact this had on fans across the nation.
On 9 May 2003, another football fan was born. Me. A little girl unaware of how lost she would feel in the sport she loved. But on the 31 July 2022, I was born into another family. The woso community. It was then that I finally felt seen. I had been born again.
After starting my Journalism degree in October 2021, I threw myself into the world of writing and it wasn’t long before I was contacted by my local supporters’ club to write about their women’s football team.
I had predominantly only followed men’s football throughout childhood and my early teenage years, so this was my first peek into the world of women’s football and I was encapsulated from the beginning.
From the close-knit relationship between players and fans and camaraderie in the stands, I was sold, and it was everything my younger-self yearned for. To be represented in football.
My love for the game only grew stronger as I realised my words and the articles I published could make an impact, then came that seismic afternoon at Wembley Stadium. The women’s football landscape would be changed forever.
But with BBC Sport recording an audience of 17.4 million and making it the ‘the most-watched women's football game on UK television’, I wasn’t the only one who had been influenced. Thousands of women’s football fans were born.
“You think it’s all over? It’s only just begun.”
Harriet Allen started supporting Manchester City Women shortly after the conclusion of the game-changing tournament.
After never watching women’s football before, she became completely invested in the Euros tournament in the summer of 2022.
So much so that she delved into the history of the Lionesses and spent almost every waking moment trying to understand more about the game.
“I became obsessed and that’s an understatement,” Harriet said.
“I spent that whole summer researching, going through files of YouTube videos, Instagram posts, Twitter posts, everything to trace back this English women’s team for about the last five years leading up to that tournament.
“It changed my life in that it became my fixation, my obsession and that love for the game and for the people, the players, it continued and I wanted to continue that engagement into the season.”
“I became obsessed and that’s an understatement.”
However, it wasn’t just the magic that happened on the pitch that inspired a deep-dive into the world of woso, but it was the powerful words of BBC presenter Gabby Logan that stuck with her.
“I remember her [Gabby Logan] saying at the end of the tournament ‘If you’ve enjoyed it, get yourself along to a WSL this season. The Lionesses have brought football home. Now it’s down to the rest of us to make sure it stays here. You think it’s all over? It’s only just begun.’ and that was it for me.”
It was towards the end of the tournament when Harriet started to research which team she should follow and how the league worked. Eventually she landed on Manchester City.
“I knew I was moving to Manchester and some of my family support Manchester City,” Harriet said.
“I’d researched a lot about the club’s legacy, their history with having players that are huge names at the club before that Euros and also seeing content about City being one of the first club’s to fully integrate their women’s team.”
That Euros not only gave her a passion and a hobby, but it also got her into sport. Three things she never had growing up.
As Gabby Logan said it had only just begun. And that was it. It was decided that Manchester City Women would be the WSL team that Harriet would follow.
Someone who followed a similar path is 19-year-old Courtney Cheetham.
She had grown up with a love for football and supported her local team, but as she grew older she lost interest as she couldn’t relate to the men playing on the pitch.
“The women’s Euros opened my eyes to the beauty of women’s football. It encouraged me to get involved and create an amazing bond with the sport. The impact they had on the nation after their win was phenomenal.”
“Through my love of women’s football, it has driven me to get involved with the journalism side of sports media!”
Courtney had not only spent time thinking about what the win meant, but it also opened her eyes to the possibility of working in sports media.
“It changed me in some ways. During the time between then and now I’ve been thinking a lot about the subject of media, but at the time I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do. Through my love of women’s football, it has driven me to get involved with the journalism side of sports media! I love the passion of the sport and how much movement it holds.”
Not only had she discovered her future career, but it also persuaded her to play football in the garden and lit her creative spark.
“It made me want to get out and have fun, even if that means just having a kick about with my younger sister,” Courtney said.
“It also encouraged me to get involved with football in other ways such as creating things with my passion for art.”
At the start of the 2022/23 WSL season, Courtney began to watch City Women’s games, with her family visiting the Joie Stadium on numerous occasions.
Eventually her love for the sport snowballed and she finally felt like she could relate to the players in front of her.
“It makes me feel so included and proud to be who I am,” she said.
“I’ve formed such a supportive group of friends through the sport that I may have never found otherwise. Seeing your idols winning for your country is truly like no other.”
And it wasn’t just the next generation that were inspired.
Alison Slingsby is 36 years old and has been a football fan for as long as she can remember, but for her England’s historic victory had been more than just a trophy. The impact could not have been clearer. It had moved her.
“It gave me hope that finally women’s football may start to get the recognition it deserves. It also made me want to get back into football,” Alison said.
“It didn’t feel real at first and it gave me hope that finally we as a country were beginning a journey to finally start giving woman’s football the recognition and support it deserves.
“But its special to finally see the fan base grow in the woman’s game. It made me proud, very proud of our women’s team, and proud to be a female who loves football. To see the packed [Wembley] stadium was both refreshing and inspiring.”
Alison has since been to watch Manchester City Women’s games with her family and she was also influenced to produce the next generation of Lionesses and Cityzens.
In her spare time, she coaches a group of U11 girls at her local grass roots club, Mexborough Athletic Girls.
“It made me proud, very proud of our women’s team, and proud to be a female who loves football.”
“I absolutely love it. Helping the young girls learn and progress in doing something they love to do is an amazing feeling,” Alison said.
“Coaching means the world to me. No matter what’s going on in my personal life, good or bad, all the stress and any worries I have just disappear.
“I also refer a lot to women’s football as I want them to learn that we females have just as much right to play football, and that it is possible for us to go on and one day be on those big pitches with thousands of fans screaming your name.”
Finally, Alison stated how far she thinks women’s football can go. Spoiler alert: it’s only going to skyrocket from here.
“I believe it can go to the stars! And that makes me feel excited.”
Feature: Alice Wright
'It's one of the best things that’s ever happened to me'
Ciara’s story...
Each month, Manchester City’s charity, City in the Community (CITC), spotlights it's work and programmes through the voices and stories of it's participants.
This month CITC spoke with Ciara, who was a previous participant on the Premier League Inspires programme.
Before joining the programme, Ciara was very shy and struggled to cope with the demands of mainstream school.
Working with CITC coaches each week, the Inspires programme helped improve her confidence, self-esteem and resilience.
Click here to watch the full interview with Ciara.
Reflecting on her time on the programme, Ciara said: “I’d describe it as one of the best things that’s ever happen to me.
“I think my school experience without City in the Community would have been a lot harder.
“I was very shy, and I didn’t like social things but having that support really helped me, and it was exactly what I needed to get me through.
“Now I’m happy to push myself outside my comfort zone, to try and become a better version of myself and be more confident.”
Her time on the programme has now inspired her to join CITC’s BTEC programme.
“Seeing what the coaches did for me made me want to be that person for someone else. Which is what inspired me to enrol on the CITC BTEC programme,” she added.
“After that, I want to do the CITC Degree programme, and then hopefully get a job with City in the Community.”
City Inspires is an educational programme, partnered with the Premier League, and delivered in schools across Greater Manchester.
The programme works with groups of secondary school learners who are at risk of not reaching their potential and support them as they move through the education system and early adulthood, giving them the confidence, resilience and skills to succeed.
With thanks to Blue Emergency Cover for their support of the We Are CITC series.
Protect your home and support City in the Community- sign up for Blue Emergency Cover using code CITC20 to contribute to the campaign while enjoying reliable boiler insurance.
To find out more, visit: https://blueemergencycover.co.uk/
City in the Community empowers healthier lives with city youth through football.
To find more, visit www.mancity.com/citc or follow @citcmancity.
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