Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City F.C.
A crest depicting a shield with a eagle behind it. ON the shield is a picture of a ship, the initials M.C.F.C. and three diagonal stripes. Below the shield is a ribbon with the motto "Superbia in Proelia". Above the eagle are three stars.
Full name Manchester City Football Club
Nickname(s) City, The Citizens, The Blues
Founded 1880 as St Mark's (West Gorton)
Ground City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester
(Capacity: 47,805[1])
Owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak
Manager Roberto Mancini
League Premier League
2010–11 Premier League, 3rd
Website Club home page
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
Current season

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's (West Gorton), they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894. The club has played at the City of Manchester Stadium since 2003, having spent most of their existence at Maine Road.

The club's most successful period was in the late 1960s and early 1970s when they won the League Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup. After losing the 1981 FA Cup Final, the club went through a period of decline culminating in relegation to the third tier of English football in 1998. The club has since regained top flight status where they have spent the majority of their history. In 2011, Manchester City qualified for the Champions League and won the FA Cup.

Contents

History

Main article: History of Manchester City F.C.
Fifteen men posing across three rows. Eleven of the men are wearing a football kit with a Maltese Cross on the breast. The other four are wearing suits and top hats.
St. Marks (Gorton) in 1884 – the reason for the Maltese cross is unknown to this day[2]
Billy Meredith, the Welsh Wizard who was key in City's early success

It is widely accepted that Manchester City F.C. was founded as St. Mark's (West Gorton) in 1880 by Anna Connell and two churchwardens of St. Mark's Church, in Gorton, a district in east Manchester.[3] Prior to this, St. Mark's played cricket from 1875 and the side evolved out of that cricket team – the key organiser was churchwarden William Beastow.[4] In 1887, they moved to a new ground at Hyde Road, in Ardwick just to the east of the city centre, and were renamed Ardwick Association Football Club to reflect their new location.[5] Ardwick joined the Football League as founding members of the Second Division in 1892. Financial troubles in the 1893–94 season led to a reorganisation within the club, and Ardwick were reformed as Manchester City Football Club.[6]

1880–1928

A group of thirteen men, eleven in association football attire typical of the early twentieth century and two in suits. A trophy sits in front of them
The Manchester City team which won the FA Cup in 1904
Main article: History of Manchester City F.C. (1880–1928)

City gained their first honours by winning the Second Division in 1899; with it came promotion to the highest level in English football, the First Division. They went on to claim their first major honour on 23 April 1904, beating Bolton Wanderers 1–0 at Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup; City narrowly missed out on a League and Cup double that season after finishing runners-up in the League but City became the first club in Manchester to win a major honour.[7]

In the seasons following the FA Cup triumph, the club was dogged by allegations of financial irregularities, culminating in the suspension of seventeen players in 1906, including captain Billy Meredith, who subsequently moved across town to Manchester United.[8] A fire at Hyde Road destroyed the main stand in 1920, and in 1923 the club moved to their new purpose-built stadium at Maine Road in Moss Side. The 100,000 capacity stadium would go one to have a remarkable history, and because of high capacity it was nicknamed Wembley of the North.[9]

1928–1965

Sam Cowan collects the FA Cup from King George V after winning the Cup in 1934
Main article: History of Manchester City F.C. (1928–1965)

In the 1930s, Manchester City reached two consecutive FA Cup finals, losing to Everton in 1933, before claiming the Cup by beating Portsmouth in 1934.[10] During the 1934 cup run, Manchester City broke the record for the highest home attendance of any club in English football history, as 84,569 fans packed Maine Road for a sixth round FA Cup tie against Stoke City in 1934 – a record which still stands to this day.[11] The club won the First Division title for the first time in 1937, but were relegated the following season, despite scoring more goals than any other team in the division.[12]

Twenty years later, a City team inspired by a tactical system known as the Revie Plan reached consecutive FA Cup finals again, in 1955 and 1956; just as in the 1930s, they lost the first one, to Newcastle United, and won the second. The 1956 final, in which Manchester City beat Birmingham City 3–1, is one of the most famous finals of all-time, and is remembered for City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann continuing to play on after unknowingly breaking his neck.[13]

1965–2001

Malcolm Allison holds the League Cup trophy aloft after victory in 1970 during City's most successful era
Main article: History of Manchester City F.C. (1965–2001)

After relegation to the Second Division in 1963, the future looked bleak with a record low home attendance of 8,015 against Swindon Town in January 1965.[14] In the summer of 1965, the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison was appointed. In the first season under Mercer, City won the Second Division title and made important signings in Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell.[15] Two seasons later, in 1967–68, Manchester City claimed the League Championship for the second time, clinching the title on the final day of the season with a 4–3 win at Newcastle United and beating their close neighbours Manchester United into second place.[16] Further trophies followed: City won the FA Cup in 1969, before achieving European success by winning the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1970, beating Górnik Zabrze 2–1 in Vienna.[17] City also won the League Cup that season, becoming the second English team to win a European trophy and a domestic trophy in the same season.

The club continued to challenge for honours throughout the 1970s, finishing just one point behind the league champions on two occasions and reaching the final of the 1974 League Cup.[18] One of the matches from this period that is most fondly remembered by supporters of Manchester City is the final match of the 1973–74 season against arch-rivals Manchester United, who needed to win to have any hope of avoiding relegation. Former United player Denis Law scored with a backheel to give City a 1–0 win at Old Trafford and confirm the relegation of their rivals.[19][20] The final trophy of the club's most successful period was won in 1976, when Newcastle United were beaten 2–1 in the League Cup final.

A long period of decline followed the success of the 1960s and 1970s. Malcolm Allison rejoined the club to become manager for the second time in 1979, but squandered large sums of money on unsuccessful signings, such as Steve Daley.[21] A succession of managers then followed – seven in the 1980s alone, the first being John Bond who succeeded Allison in October 1980. Under Bond, City reached the 1981 FA Cup final but lost in a replay to Tottenham Hotspur. The following season began well and they went top of the league just after Christmas, only to finish mid-table at the end of the season. They were relegated a year later, and reclaimed their top flight status two years afterwards, only to lose it within another two years. They returned to the top flight again in 1989 and finished fifth in 1991 and 1992 under the management of Peter Reid.[22] However, this was only a temporary respite, and following Reid's departure Manchester City's fortunes continued to fade. City were founders of the Premier League upon its creation in 1992, but after finishing ninth in its first season they endured three seasons of struggle before being relegated in 1996. Two years after that, they were relegated to Division Two – becoming the first former winners of a European trophy to be relegated to the third tier of their domestic league.

2001–present

View looking towards main stand at Maine Road during final match
Maine Road pictured on the day of the last match on 11 May 2003
An aerial shot of the City of Manchester Stadium
City moved into the City of Manchester Stadium in August 2003
Main article: History of Manchester City F.C. (2001–present)

After relegation, the club underwent off-the-field upheaval, with new chairman David Bernstein introducing greater fiscal discipline.[23] City were promoted at the first attempt, achieved in dramatic fashion in a play-off against Gillingham. A second successive promotion saw City return to the top division, but this proved to have been a step too far for the recovering club, and in 2001 City were relegated once more. Kevin Keegan arrived as the new manager in the close season, bringing an immediate return to the top division as the club won the 2001–02 Division One championship, breaking club records for the number of points gained and goals scored in a season in the process.[24]

The 2002–03 season was the last at Maine Road, and included a 3–1 derby victory over rivals Manchester United, ending a run of 13 years without a derby win.[25] City also qualified for European competition for the first time in 25 years after missing out in the 1990s with the European ban on English clubs entering European football. In the 2003 close season the club moved to the new City of Manchester Stadium. The first four seasons at the stadium all resulted in mid-table finishes. Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson became the club's first manager from overseas when appointed in 2007.[26] After a bright start performances faded in the second half of the season, and Eriksson was sacked in June 2008.[27] Eriksson was replaced by Mark Hughes two days later on 4 June 2008.[28]

The dream of bringing back the glory era to City, set out by Thaksin Shinawatra just a year before, now seemed doomed,[29] but what was about to unravel was something manager Hughes and the Manchester City supporters could never have possibly imagined, never mind anticipated – as within the coming months Hughes would find himself placed in a financial position which would become the envy of many a football manager and one which would hopefully change the course of Manchester City's inconsistent history for good.

In August 2008, the club was purchased by Abu Dhabi United Group. The takeover was immediately followed by a flurry of bids for high profile players; the club broke the British transfer record by signing Brazilian international Robinho from Real Madrid for £32.5 million.[30] City finished tenth, and also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.

Manchester City win the 2011 FA Cup, ending their longest trophy drought in their 131 year history

During the summer of 2009, the club took transfer spending to an unprecedented level, with an outlay of over £100 million on players Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tévez and Joleon Lescott.[31] On 19 December, it was announced that Mark Hughes had been replaced as manager by Roberto Mancini.[32] City finished the season in fifth position in the Premier League, narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League, and compete in the UEFA Europa League in season 2010–11.

Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season, Man City completed the transfers of Jérôme Boateng,[33] Yaya Touré,[34] David Silva,[35] Aleksandar Kolarov[36] and Mario Balotelli.[37] James Milner signed during the first week of the season.[38] Edin Džeko joined the club during the January 2011 transfer window.[39] On 16 April 2011, City reached the 2011 FA Cup Final, their first major final in over thirty years, defeating derby rivals Manchester United in the semi-final to set up a meeting with Stoke City.[40] They won the final 1–0, securing their fifth FA Cup (and first since 1969) and their first major trophy since winning the 1976 League Cup. On 10 May 2011, the club qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time with a 1–0 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur.[41] On the last day of the 2010–11 season, City passed Arsenal for third place in the Premier League, thereby securing qualification directly into the Champions League group stage. For the 2011–12 season, City made a number of high profile signings, including Gael Clichy, Stefan Savić, Sergio Agüero, Samir Nasri and Owen Hargreaves.

City started the season well, and after a stunning 6-1 victory against local rivals Manchester United in October, City were five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Reserves and Academy

Main article: Manchester City F.C. Reserves and Academy

Reserves

Until 2011 the reserves played in the Barclays Premier Reserve League North and the Manchester Senior Cup. The club have fielded a reserve team since 1892, when the reserves played in the Lancashire Combination. The reserves were champions of the Lancashire Combination in 1901/02. They left the Lancashire Combination in 1911 to join the Central League upon its formation. The reserves played in The Central League until 2000, winning it on three occasions; the 1977/78, 1986/87 and 1999/2000 seasons.

Academy

Manchester City's Academy is responsible for youth development at the club, with the goal of developing young players for the future. The club's first youth team was set up by Albert Alexander in the 1920s, known as the 'A' Team. From 1951 the 'A' team competed in the Lancashire League against reserve and youth teams of other clubs from North West England. From 1955 a second youth team, the 'B' team, typically comprising younger players than the 'A' team, competed in Division Two of the Lancashire League.

The academy is one of the most revered in the country and since its new incarnation in 1998 it has produced more professional players than any other Premier League club, 35 in total.[42] 14 of these players are still at the club and in the past two years, there have been eight graduates.

From the 2011–12 season the reserves will compete in the new formed NextGen football series, a European style competition in the form of the Champions League or Europa League with the aim of giving young European footballers the opportunity to play against one other.[43] Manchester City have played a pioneering role in creating the league[44] amid growing criticism from English media that English football is not producing enough young talent.[45][46]

Aside from the academy, the club attempts to reach out to young people in the Manchester area through its City in the Community charity programme[47] which provides Soccer Schools and a City Sixes programme for free coaching at certain venues in Manchester.[48]

Club crest and colours

Main article: Manchester City F.C. strip
A round badge with the words "Manchester City F.C." around the edge. In the middle is a shield with a ship in the upper half and red rose in the lower half
Manchester City crest from 1972–1997
An A330-200 plane liveried in the colours of Manchester City

Manchester City's home colours are sky blue and white. Traditional away kit colours have been either maroon or (from the 1960s) red and black; however, in recent years several different colours have been used. The origins of the club's home colours are unclear, but there is evidence that the club has worn blue since 1892 or earlier. A booklet entitled Famous Football Clubs – Manchester City published in the 1940s indicates that West Gorton (St. Marks) originally played in scarlet and black, and reports dating from 1884 describe the team wearing black jerseys bearing a white cross, showing the club's origins as a church side.[49] The red and black away colours come from former assistant manager Malcolm Allison, who believed that adopting the colours of AC Milan would inspire City to glory.[50] Allison's theory worked, with City winning the 1969 FA Cup Final, 1970 League Cup Final and the 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup Final in red and black stripes as opposed to the club's home kit of sky blue.

The current club crest was adopted in 1997, a result of the previous crest being ineligible for registration as a trademark.[Full citation needed] The badge is based on the arms of the city of Manchester, and consists of a shield in front of a golden eagle. The shield features a ship on its upper half representing the Manchester Ship Canal, and three diagonal stripes in the lower half symbolise the city's three rivers – the Irwell, the Irk and the Medlock. The bottom of the badge bears the motto Superbia in Proelio, which translates as Pride in Battle in Latin. Above the eagle and shield are three stars, which are purely decorative.

City have previously worn two other crests on their shirts. The first, introduced in 1970, was based on designs which had been used on official club documentation since the mid-1960s. It consisted of a circular badge which used the same shield as the current crest, inside a circle bearing the name of the club. In 1972, this was replaced by a variation which replaced the lower half of the shield with the red rose of Lancashire. On occasions when Manchester City plays in a major cup final, the usual crest has not been used; instead shirts bearing a badge of the arms of the City of Manchester are used, as a symbol of pride in representing the city of Manchester at a major event. This practice originates from a time when the players' shirts did not normally bear a badge of any kind, but has continued throughout the history of the club.[51] For the 2011 FA Cup Final, City used the usual crest with a special legend, but the Manchester coat of arms was included as a small monochrome logo in the numbers on the back of players' shirts.[52]

Players

As of 31 August 2011.[53]

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
2 England DF Micah Richards
3 England DF Wayne Bridge
4 Belgium DF Vincent Kompany (captain)[54]
5 Argentina DF Pablo Zabaleta
6 England DF Joleon Lescott
7 England MF James Milner
10 Bosnia and Herzegovina FW Edin Džeko
11 England MF Adam Johnson
12 England GK Stuart Taylor
13 Serbia DF Aleksandar Kolarov
15 Montenegro DF Stefan Savić
16 Argentina FW Sergio Agüero
18 England MF Gareth Barry
No. Position Player
19 France MF Samir Nasri
20 England MF Owen Hargreaves
21 Spain MF David Silva
22 France DF Gaël Clichy
24 England DF Nedum Onuoha
25 England GK Joe Hart
28 Côte d'Ivoire DF Kolo Touré
30 Romania GK Costel Pantilimon (on loan from Politehnica Timişoara)[55]
32 Argentina FW Carlos Tévez
34 Netherlands MF Nigel de Jong
37 Faroe Islands GK Gunnar Nielsen
42 Côte d'Ivoire MF Yaya Touré
45 Italy FW Mario Balotelli
See also: Manchester City F.C. Reserves and Academy and 2011–12 Manchester City F.C. season

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
9 Togo FW Emmanuel Adebayor (at Tottenham until the end of 2011–12 season)
14 Paraguay FW Roque Santa Cruz (at Real Betis until the end of 2011–12 season)
26 Colombia GK David González (at Aberdeen until December 2011)
33 Republic of Ireland DF Greg Cunningham (at Nottingham Forest until December 2011)
38 Belgium DF Dedryck Boyata (at Bolton until the end of 2011–12 season)
No. Position Player
40 Slovakia MF Vladimír Weiss (at Espanyol until the end of 2011–12 season)
43 England FW Alex Nimely (at Middlesbrough until December 2011)
50 Norway MF Abdi Ibrahim (at N.E.C until the end of 2011–12 season)
62 Côte d'Ivoire MF Abdul Razak (at Portsmouth until December 2011)
— England MF Michael Johnson (at Leicester until the end of the 2011–12 season)

Retired numbers

Main article: Retired numbers in football

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
23 Cameroon MF Marc-Vivien Foé (posthumous honour)

Since 2003, Manchester City have not issued the squad number 23. It was retired in memory of Marc-Vivien Foé, who was on loan to the club from Lyon at the time of his death on the field of play whilst playing for Cameroon in the 2003 Confederations Cup.[56]

Halls of Fame

See also: List of Manchester City F.C. players

Manchester City Hall of Fame

The following former Manchester City players and managers are inductees in the Manchester City F.C. Hall of Fame,[57] and are listed according to the year of their induction:

Last updated: 31 March 2011
Source: list of MCFC Hall of Fame inductees

National Football Museum Hall of Fame

The following former Manchester City players and managers are inductees in the English Football Hall of Fame (a.k.a. the National Football Museum Hall of Fame) and are listed according to the year of their induction within the various categories:

Last updated: 30 March 2011
Source: list of NFM Hall of Fame inductees

Scottish Football Museum Hall of Fame

The following former Manchester City players and managers are inductees in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame (a.k.a. the Scottish Football Museum Hall of Fame) and are listed according to the year of their induction within the various categories:

Last updated: 30 March 2011
Source: list of SFM Hall of Fame inductees

Management team

Current Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini with assistant manager Brian Kidd
Position Name
Manager Italy Roberto Mancini
Assistant manager England Brian Kidd
First team coach Italy Fausto Salsano
First team coach England David Platt
First team coach Italy Attilio Lombardo
Goalkeeping coach Italy Massimo Battara
Fitness coach Italy Ivan Carminati
International academy director England Jim Cassell
Under-21 elite development manager England Andy Welsh
Head of Platt Lane Academy England Mark Allen
Academy team manager England Scott Sellars

Notable managers

Main article: List of Manchester City F.C. managers

The following managers have all won at least one major trophy (excluding Community Shields) with Manchester City (totals include competitive matches only):[63]

Table correct as of 08 November 2011
Name From To Games Wins Draws Loss Win % Honours
Scotland Tom Maley 1902 1906 &10000000000000150000000150 &1000000000000008900000089 &1000000000000002200000022 &1000000000000003900000039 &1000000000000005932999959.33 1904 FA Cup
England Wilf Wild 1932 1946 &10000000000000352000000352 &10000000000000158000000158 &1000000000000007100000071 &10000000000000123000000123 &1000000000000004489000044.89 1934 FA Cup
1936–37 First Division
1937 Charity Shield
England Les McDowall 1950 1963 &10000000000000592000000592 &10000000000000220000000220 &10000000000000127000000127 &10000000000000245000000245 &1000000000000003715999937.16 1956 FA Cup Final
England Joe Mercer 1965 1971 &10000000000000340000000340 &10000000000000149000000149 &1000000000000009400000094 &1000000000000009700000097 &1000000000000004382000043.82 1965–66 Second Division
1967–68 First Division
1968 Charity Shield
1969 FA Cup
1970 European Cup Winners' Cup
1970 League Cup
England Tony Book 1974 1979 &10000000000000269000000269 &10000000000000114000000114 &1000000000000007500000075 &1000000000000008000000080 &1000000000000004238000042.38 1976 League Cup
Italy Roberto Mancini 2009 Present &10000000000000104000000104 &1000000000000006200000062 &1000000000000002100000021 &1000000000000002100000021 &1000000000000005961999959.62 2011 FA Cup

Supporters

Main article: Manchester City F.C. supporters

Manchester City has a large fanbase in relation to its comparative lack of success on the pitch. Since moving to the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester City's average attendances have been in the top six in England,[64] usually in excess of 40,000. Even in the late 1990s, when the club were relegated twice in three seasons and playing in the third tier of English football (then Division Two, now Football League One), home attendances were in the region of 30,000, compared to an average for the division of fewer than 8,000.[65] Research carried out by Manchester City in 2005 estimates a fanbase of 886,000 in the United Kingdom and a total in excess of 2 million worldwide.[66]

Manchester City has a number of supporters organisations, of which two have official recognition: the Manchester City FC Supporters Club (1949) (formed from a merger of the Official Supporters Club [OSC] and the Centenary Supporters Association [CSA][67] in July 2010) and the International Supporters Club. There have been several fanzines published by supporters; the longest running is King of the Kippax and it is the only one still published.[68]

The City fans' song of choice is a rendition of "Blue Moon", which despite its melancholic theme is belted out with gusto as though it were a heroic anthem. City supporters tend to believe that unpredictability is an inherent trait of their team, and label unexpected results "typical City".[69][70] Events that fans regard as "typical City" include City's being the only reigning English champions ever to be relegated (in 1938), the only team to score and concede over 100 goals in the same season (1957–58),[71] or the more recent example that City were the only team to beat Chelsea in the 2004–05 Premier League, yet in the same season City were knocked out of the FA Cup by Oldham Athletic, a team two divisions lower.

Manchester City's biggest rivalry is with neighbours Manchester United, against whom they contest the Manchester derby. Before the Second World War, when travel to away games was rare, many Mancunian football fans regularly watched both teams even if considering themselves "supporters" of only one. This practice continued into the early 1960s but as travel became easier, and the cost of entry to matches rose, watching both teams became unusual and the rivalry intensified.

A common stereotype is that City fans come from Manchester proper, while United fans come from elsewhere. A 2002 report by a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University found that while it was true that a higher proportion of City season ticket holders came from Manchester postcode areas (40% compared to United's 29%), there were more United season ticket holders, the lower percentage being due to United's higher overall number of season ticket holders (27,667 compared to City's 16,481); not highlighted in the report was that within the City of Manchester itself, there were more City season ticket holders (approximately 4 for every 3 United). The report warned that since the compiling of data in 2001, the number of both City and United season ticket holders had risen; expansion of United's ground and City's move to the City of Manchester Stadium have caused season ticket sales to increase further.[72]

In the late 1980s, City fans started a craze of bringing inflatable objects to matches, primarily oversized bananas. One disputed explanation for the craze is that in a match against West Bromwich Albion chants from fans calling for the introduction of Imre Varadi as a substitute mutated into "Imre Banana". Terraces packed with inflatable-waving supporters became a frequent sight in the 1988–89 season as the craze spread to other clubs (inflatable fish were seen at Grimsby Town), with the phenomenon reaching a peak at City's match at Stoke City on 26 December 1988, a match declared by fanzines as a fancy dress party.[73]

In August 2006, the club became the first to be officially recognised as a "gay-friendly" employer by campaign group Stonewall (UK).[74]

In 2010, City supporters adopted an exuberant dance, dubbed The Poznan, from fans of Polish club Lech Poznań.[75][76]

Ownership and finances

Main article: Manchester City F.C. ownership and finances

The holding company of Manchester City F.C., Manchester City Limited, is a private limited company, with approximately 54 million shares in issue. The club has been in private hands since 2007, when the major shareholders agreed to sell their holdings to UK Sports Investments Limited (UKSIL), a company controlled by former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. UKSIL then made a formal offer to buy the shares held by several thousand small shareholders.

Prior to the Thaksin takeover, the club was listed on the specialist independent equity market PLUS (formerly OFEX),[77] where it had been listed since 1995. On 6 July 2007, having acquired 75% of the shares, Thaksin de-listed the club and re-registered it as a private company.[78] By August UKSIL had acquired over 90% of the shares, and exercised its rights under the Companies Act to "squeeze out" the remaining shareholders, and acquire the entire shareholding. Thaksin Shinawatra became chairman of the club and two of Thaksin's children, Pintongta and Panthongtae also became directors. Former chairman John Wardle stayed on the board for a year, but resigned in July 2008 following Nike executive Garry Cook's appointment as executive chairman in May.[79] The club made a pre-tax loss of £11m in the year ending 31 May 2007, the final year for which accounts were published as a public company.[80]

Thaksin's purchase prompted a period of transfer spending at the club,[81] spending in around £30 million,[82] whereas over the previous few seasons net spending had been among the lowest in the division. A year later, this investment was itself dwarfed by larger sums. On 1 September 2008, Abu Dhabi-based Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited completed a takeover of Manchester City. The deal, worth a reported £200 million, was announced on the morning of 1 September. It sparked various transfer "deadline-day" rumours and bids such as the club's attempt to gazump Manchester United's protracted bid to sign Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in excess of £30 million.[83][84] Minutes before the transfer window closed, the club signed Robinho from Real Madrid for a British record transfer fee of £32.5 million.[85] The wealth of the new owners meant that in the summer of 2009, the club was able to finance the purchase of several experienced international players prior to the new season, spending more than any other club in the Premier League.[86]

Stadium

Main article: City of Manchester stadium
See also: Hyde Road and Maine Road

Manchester City's current stadium is the City of Manchester Stadium, also known as Eastlands and the Etihad Stadium since July 2011 because of sponsorship commitments. The stadium is situated in East Manchester and is part of a 200-year operating lease from Manchester City Council after the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The stadium has been City's home since the end of the 2002–03 season, when the club moved from Maine Road.[87] Before moving to the stadium, Manchester City spent in excess of £30 million to convert it to football use. The field of play was lowered by several metres, adding an additional tier of seating around the entire pitch. A new North Stand was also built.[88] The inaugural match at the new stadium was a 2–1 win over FC Barcelona in a friendly match.[89] The current capacity as of summer 2011 stands at 47,805,[1] after various stadium renovations under the new owners since 2008.

Manchester City have used several grounds during their history: after playing home matches at five different stadia between 1880 and 1887, the club settled at Hyde Road, its home for 36 years.[90] After a fire destroyed the Main Stand in 1920, the club started to seek a new site and moved to the 84-000 capacity Maine Road three years later. Maine Road, nicknamed the "Wembley of the North" by its designers, hosted the largest-ever crowd at an English club ground when 84,569 attended an FA Cup tie against Stoke City on 3 March 1934.[91] Though Maine Road was redeveloped several times over its 80-year lifespan, by 1995 its capacity was restricted to 32,000, prompting the search for a new ground which culminated in the move to the City of Manchester Stadium in 2003.

A panorama of the City of Manchester Stadium

Honours

League

Cup

  • Charity Shield
    • Winners (3): 1937, 1968, 1972
      • Runners-up (5): 1934, 1956, 1969, 1973, 2011

European

Club records

Main article: List of Manchester City F.C. records and statistics

See also

References

Bibliography
  • Buckley, Andy; Burgess, Richard (2000). Blue Moon Rising: The Fall and Rise of Manchester City. Bury: Milo. ISBN 0-9530847-4-4. 
  • Gardner, Peter (1970). The Manchester City Football Book No. 2. London: Stanley Paul. ISBN 0-09-103280-6. 
  • Inglis, Simon (1987). The Football Grounds of Great Britain (2nd ed.). London: Collins Willow. ISBN 0-00-218249-1. 
  • James, Gary (2002). Manchester: The Greatest City. Polar Publishing. ISBN 1-899538-09-7. 
  • James, Gary (2005). The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame. Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-61282-1. 
  • James, Gary (2006). Manchester City – The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 1-85983-512-0. 
  • James, Gary (2008). Manchester – A Football History. Halifax: James Ward. ISBN 978-0-9558127-0-5. 
  • Penney, Ian (2008). Manchester City: The Mercer-Allison Years. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 978-1-85983-608-8. 
  • Rowlands, Alan (2005). Trautmann: The Biography. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 1-85983-491-4. 
  • Tossell, David (2008). Big Mal: The High Life and Hard Times of Malcolm Allison, Football Legend. Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84596-478-8. 
  • Wallace, David (2007). Century City – Manchester City Football Club 1957/58. Leigh: King of the Kippax. ISBN 978-0-9557056-0-1. 
  • Ward, Andrew (1984). The Manchester City Story. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 0-907969-05-4. 
Footnotes
  1. ^ a b Clayton, David (24 June 2011). "Dublin Super Cup: Aviva Stadium v CoMS". Manchester City Football Club. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/American-Pre-season-tour/2011/Dublin-Super-Cup-Stadium-comparisons. Retrieved 4 July 2011. "Note: The capacity of the City of Manchester Stadium has changed frequently since the takeover by in 2008 with the stadium seeing a number of minor renovations. As of July 2011, its correct capacity is 47,805" 
  2. ^ "Club History – The Club – Manchester City FC". mcfc.co.uk. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/The-Club/Club-History. Retrieved 9 September 2010. 
  3. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, pp. 16–18
  4. ^ James, Gary (2008). Manchester – A Football History. Halifax: James Ward. ISBN 978-0-9558127-0-5.  p. 58
  5. ^ James, Gary (2006). Manchester City – The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 1-85983-512-0.  p. 23
  6. ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, p. 8
  7. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p32
  8. ^ James, Manchester:The Greatest City, pp 59–65.
  9. ^ Bevan, Chris (11 May 2003). "Maine Road through the ages". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/3011895.stm. Retrieved 2011-09-10. 
  10. ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, pp. 31–33
  11. ^ James, Gary (22 April 2011). "FA Cup special: Thrills, spills and a cast of thousands at Maine Road". menmedia.co.uk. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/1418817_fa-cup-special-thrills-spills-and-a-cast-of-thousands-at-maine-road?order=liked#comments. Retrieved 23 April 2011. 
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  13. ^ Rowlands, Trautmann – The Biography, pp. 178–184
  14. ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, p. 57
  15. ^ Penney, Manchester City – The Mercer-Allison Years, pp. 27–36
  16. ^ Penney, Manchester City – The Mercer-Allison Years, pp. 37–56
  17. ^ Gardner, The Manchester City Football Book No. 2, pp. 13–22
  18. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, pp. 410–420
  19. ^ Other results meant United would have been relegated even if they had won or drawn, but neither team knew this at the time.
  20. ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, p. 70
  21. ^ Tossell, Big Mal, Chapter 18
  22. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 68
  23. ^ Buckley, Andy; Burgess, Richard (2000). Blue Moon Rising: The Fall and Rise of Manchester City. Bury: Milo. ISBN 0-9530847-4-4.  p. 177
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