Producing lists such as these is always going to be subjective, and I’m sure will be the source of much debate. The exclusion of certain players, and inclusion of others, may invoke the ire of some Blues. It’s virtually impossible to get consensus on such a subjective issue.

I’ve tried to be as fair and objective as possible, taking into account not just the player’s natural ability, but also the longevity of their City career and what they achieved during their time at the club. So for instance whilst Nicolas Anelka was clearly a better footballer than, say, Shaun Goater it’s the Bermudian who makes the list, albeit in 47th place.

The list is based on an article I did for The Times back in 2009, but has been tweaked since. With hindsight Robinho probably didn’t merit a place in the list after all. For that reason, none of the current squad are included despite their outstanding achievements over the last two seasons. As this is a historical list, they can, and no doubt will, be added once their time at City has come to an end.

Please feel free to add your opinions to the debate, either in the comments here or on the forum: http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=260911.

• 1. C Bell

  1966-1979
  500 appearances, 155 goals

  Known quite simply as The King amongst City fans, Bell is by common consensus the greatest player ever to pull on the sacred sky blue shirt. He joined the club from Bury in 1966 after being watched by Assistant Manager Malcolm Allison on a number of occasions. As local legend has it, City were initially unable to afford the asking price so Allison would sit amongst the other scouts and bemoan Bell’s ability all game. “He can’t head it, can’t pass it, he’s hopeless”, he’d lament in the stands at Gigg Lane, until City secured his services in 1966. Bell possessed incredible stamina and speed, was a good tackler and a natural goalscorer. He was the complete midfielder. A disgraceful challenge from United”s Martin Buchan resulted in a terrible knee injury that Bell never really recovered from, and deprived City of their greatest ever player in his peak years. His emotional comeback on Boxing Day 1977 is an occasion still talked about by fans.
• 2. BC Trautmann

  1949-1964
  545 appearances

  Trautman served with the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, and was captured by British forces towards the end of the conflict and transferred to a prisoner-of-war camp in Lancashire. City’s decision to sign an ex-German paratrooper in 1949 sparked mass protests but over time Trautman’s performances won the City fans over. He firmly established himself in City folklore in the 1956 FA Cup final, when he broke his neck fifteen minutes from full time. Incredibly, he continued playing and was able to collect his winner’s medal.
• 3. PD Doherty

  1936-1939
  134 appearances, 82 goals

  Some older City fans protest that Doherty was an even finer player than Colin Bell, but as I never got to see either of them play it’s difficult to quantify (apologies to the Doherty contingent, but I never said this was going to be factually accurate, right?). Regardless, Doherty was a City legend and although his career was sadly cut short by the Second World War, he was a fantastically gifted footballer and fully deserves his place in the top three. Although I still think Babyshambles are rubbish.
• 4. FV Swift

  1933-1949
  378 appearances

  Tragically Swift’s life was cut prematurely short by the Munich Air Disaster, whilst covering the game as a journalist for News of the World. Swift was a giant of a man, and famously fainted in front of the King after City won the 1934 FA Cup final. He was something of a innovator as a keeper, pioneering the long throw, and with 376 appearances is one of City’s greatest ever players. But for Trautman he’d be widely regarded as our best ever goalkeeper.
• 5. WH Meredith

  1894-1906, 1921-1924
  393 appearances, 152 goals

  Often dubbed “Football’s first superstar”, Meredith enjoyed a remarkable career. He had two spells at City and played his final game for the club aged 49. Sadly his legacy is somewhat tainted by a conviction for bribery (which led to him being banned for 18 months) and, more heinously, a spell at Old Trafford, but his achievements cannot be underestimated. A proud Union man, he fought continuously against the exploitation of footballers in the early part of the Century.
• 6. AA Oakes

  1959-1976
  682 appearances, 34 goals

  Oakes was the consummate professional, both on and off the field. A conscientious trainer and a model of consistency, he spent 17 years at the club and holds the record number of appearances for the Blues. He is the also the most decorated player in City’s history, winning the League Championship, ECWC, FA Cup, two league cups and the Second Division Championship.
• 7. FH Lee

  1967-1974
  340 appearances, 144 goals

  Although his legacy has been somewhat tainted by his disastrous tenure as Chairman in the mid-90s, Lee was an integral part of City’s most successful ever team. His strength and tenacity were admired by fans, and he had an uncanny knack of “winning” penalties and converting them (earning him the nickname Lee One Pen). He had balls too, famously going toe to toe with Norman Hunter whilst playing for Derby County. We won’t mention his appointment of Alan Ball as City manager.
• 8. EF Brook

  1928-1939
  496 appearances, 178 goals

  City’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 178 goals in 494 appearances, Brook was a strong player with a fieresome shot. He was an integral part of the 1934 FA Cup and 1937 League Championship winning sides, and his goalscoring record has never been surpassed. Brook was inducted into the City Hall of Fame in 2004.
• 9. TCF Johnson

  1920-1930
  354 appearances, 166 goals

  Johnson is the second leading goalscorer in City’s history, and holds the club record for most goals in a single season (38 in 1928/29). He was an incredibly popular figure with supporters, and his transfer to Everton in 1930 sparked protests and even a boycott on the terraces.
• 10. NJ Young

  1961-1972
  416 appearances, 111 goals

  Not the aging Canadian rocker, but the Fallowfield born forward with a devastating left foot. Whilst not as revered as his contemporaries Bell, Lee and Summerbee, Young was arguably City’s most important forward during the Mercer-Allison period of success. His relationship with the club was soured after a promised testimonial failed to materialise, much to the consternation of City fans. Young died in 2011, aged 67, after a battle against lung cancer.
• 11. M Summerbee

  1965-1975
  452 appearances, 66 goals

  Signed by Joe Mercer, Summerbee made over 400 appearances for City. In his first season at the club he started every single match, the only Manchester City player to do so that season. Playing on the right wing, he was one of the most influential players in the side which won 4 trophies in 3 seasons (1968-70). Something of a practical joker, Summerbee (or “Buzzer” as teammates nicknamed him) was also known for a fiery temperament, a trait described by teammate Franny Lee as “retaliating first”.
• 12. M Doyle

  1965-1978
  570 appearances, 41 goals

  As his autobiography dictates, if ever there was a footballer whose blood ran blue it was Mike Doyle. With over 550 appearances for Manchester City spanning an incredible thirteen years, Doyle is a legendary figure amongst the City fans who idolised the tough defender throughout his career and beyond. He was voted as the club’s hardest player in the official magazine, and loathed Manchester United with a passion.
• 13. TJ Corrigan

  1967-1983
  603 appearances

  Big Joe spent an impressive 16 years with City and, after a shaky start, firmly established himself as a fan’s favourite. Prior to each home game, supporter Helen Turner would present him with a lucky sprig of heather, which became a pre-match ritual. He played nine times for England, and would’ve won many more caps but for the form of Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence. Along with Swift and Trautman, he is one of City’s greatest ever keepers.
• 14. E Toseland

  1929-1939
  411 appearances, 75 goals

  Toseland was a pacy winger (once described as “football’s Jesse Owens”) with an eye for goal. He was an important member of the team that won the F.A. Cup in 1934, and the club’s first Division One title in 1937. In the 1937–38 season Toseland was part of the City team that were relegated from the first division despite scoring more goals than any other team. In 1938 he transferred to Sheffield Wednesday but only played fifteen times for his new team before the outbreak of war.
• 15. TA Booth

  1968-1981
  492 appearances, 36 goals

  Booth was a talented centre half, who was excellent in the air and equally comfortable with the ball at his feet. He was a versatile player who could play in midfield when called upon, and spent 13 years at City, winning five trophies.
• 16. D Tueart

  1974-1978, 1979-1983
  275 appearances, 109 goals

  Famous for his spectacular overhead kick in the 1976 League Cup final, Tueart was a classy winger who scored an impressive 109 goals for the club in two spells in the 1970s. He enjoyed a spell with New York Cosmos, where he played alongside Franz Beckenbaur, before rejoining City in 1979. Went on to become a director of City and was instrumental in attracting Kevin Keegan to the club as manager.
• 17. J Hayes

  1953-1965
  364 appearances, 152 goals

  Hayes made his debut for City as a teenager in 1953, and scored the opening goal in the 1956 F.A. Cup final as City beat Newcastle United 3-1 at Wembley. A Lancashire lad, Hayes worked in both a cotton mill and a coal mine before becoming a professional footballer. He was prolific for City in the late 50s/early 60s, before suffering a serious knee injury. He was sold to Barnsley in 1965.
• 18. AK Book

  1966-1973
  314 appearances, 5 goals

  Book came into the professional game relatively late, having played much of his career in non-league football, and joined City aged 31. He went on to become the most decorated captain in City’s history, winning four trophies between 1968-71, and also had a successful spell as City manager in the late 70s.
• 19. S Cowan

  1924-1935
  407 appearances, 24 goals

  The only City player to have appeared in 3 Cup Finals, Cowan captained the club in the 1930′s and went on to become the team manager. Cowan was an excellent motivator and no nonsense defender, famed for his heading ability.
• 20. H Barnes

  1914-24
  235 appearances, 127 goals

  Barnes had a phenomenal goalscoring record for City, netting 125 goals in 235 appearances and was also the first City player to score at Maine Road. He possessed a fearsome shot, and according to legend he once hit a free kick with so much force that it broke the goalkeeper’s wrist.
• 21. G Pardoe

  1962-1975
  380 appearances, 22 goals

  Pardoe became City’s youngest ever player when he made his debut in 1962, and made the left back position his own in the most successful era in City’s history, playing alongside his cousin Alan Oakes. His career was cut short by a broken leg after a horrific tackle by George Best.
• 22. R Paul

  1950-57
  294 appearances, 8 goals

  The Welshman was a determined and fearless wing-half, who led City to successive FA Cup finals in 1955 and 1956. After the disappointment of losing to Newcastle in 1955 the defiant Paul vowed that City would be back the following year, and was true to his word.
• 23. D Ewing

  1952-1962
  303 appearances, 1 goal

  Scotsman Ewing was an uncompromising player with a huge frame and vocal encouragement to match. He holds the dubious distinction of club record for number of own goals (10), and played in both the 1955 and 1956 FA Cup Finals. Came back to the club in a coaching role in 1970, and passed away in 1999.
• 24. RJ Clarke

  1947-1958
  370 appearances, 79 goals

  Clarke arrived at City in 1946, and ended up spending the next fifty years with the club (first as a player, then assistant coach, followed by pools promoter, then Social Club manager, and later still as one of the founders of the ex-players association). The Welsh outside-left helped City to successive FA Cup finals in the 1950s.
• 25. PC Power

  1975-1986
  444 appearances, 36 goals

  Power was a versatile player who could play in both defence and midfield, and spent 11 years at his boyhood team. He possessed a steely, some might say slightly mental, stare; one journalist memorably described him as looking like he’d offered to break in a pair of contact lenses for a mate, and forgotten to take them out.
• 26. SF Tilson

  1928-1938
  275 appearances, 132 goals

  Scored a brace in the 1934 FA Cup Final to seal a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth. City had been trailing by a goal, and young keeper Frank Swift was feeling culpable for the goal conceded. “Tha don’t need to worry. I’ll plonk in two in the next half.” Tilson reassured him at half time and was true to his word, with goals in the 75th and 78th minutes.
• 27. KH Barnes

  1952-1961
  282 appearances, 19 goals

  Barnes was a half back who played for City in the 1950s, and flourished under the Revie Plan. He played in back to back FA Cup finals in 1955 and 1956, before joining Wrexham in 1961. He came back to the club in a variety of roles, and was oversaw the FA Youth Cup winning side on 1986. His son Peter also went on to play for the Blues.
• 28. T Browell

  1913-1926
  247 appearances, 137 goals

  Browell joined City from Everton in 1913, and went on to form a prolific partnership with Horace Barnes. He is the seventh leading scorer in the club’s history with 137 goals, and would have even more if wartime games were taken in to consideration. City were relegated in 1926 (typically after reaching the F.A. Cup final in the same season), and Browell was sold to Blackpool where he remained for the rest of his career. His achievements were recognised when a street close to Maine Road was named after him in the 70s; Tommy Browell Close is located to the east of Moss Side.
• 29. RA Hartford

  1974-1979, 1981-1984
  321 appearances, 36 goals

  Hartford famously failed a medical when it was discovered he had a hole in his heart, which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds in 1971, before joining City in 1974. A strong, talented midfielder, Hartford helped City to win the League Cup in 1976 before being sold, controversially, by Malcolm Allison in 1979. He returned to City in 1981 for a second, less successful, spell at the club.
• 30. RS Marshall

  1928-1938
  356 appearances, 80 goals

  Marshall was a versatile player who started his career as an inside forward, before reinventing himself as a centre half in the latter stages of his career. He was an instrumental part of the first City team to win the League Championship in 1938, before leaving for Stockport County. He remained as manager at Edgeley Park for a decade.
• 31. W Donachie

  1970-1980
  436 appearances, 2 goals

  Donachie spent 12 years at City, and was an able replacement for Glyn Pardoe, whose career was cut short by injury. Donachie was a full Scotland international, gaining 35 caps for his country, and appearing in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. He returned to City in 1998 as Joe Royle’s assistant manager before leaving for a similar role at Sheffield Wednesday.
• 32. PS Barnes

  1974-1979, 1986-1987
  161 appearances, 22 goals

  Barnes, the son of former City legend Ken, made his City debut in 1974 and scored in the 1976 League Cup final at the age of 18. In the same year he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and went on to be capped 22 times by England. In 1979 he was (yet) another high-profile victim of Malcolm Allison’s ill fated revolution, sold to West Bromwich Albion for a club transfer record. He returned to City briefly in 1986.
• 33. PA Lake

  1986-1996
  134 appearances, 11 goals

  A sublimely gifted footballer whose career was tragically cut short by injury. Lake was a Manchester lad, and City through and through. Some City fans have called him our Duncan Edwards, in that he was a prodigiously talented youngster who never got to fulfil his natural talent. An inappropriate analogy perhaps, but one can’t help wonder what he could’ve gone on to achieve but for his unfortunate injuries. Equally comfortable in defence or midfield, he had the world at his feet.
• 34. DV Watson

  1975-1979
  188 appearances, 6 goals

  Watson was a tough, uncompromising centre half made of granite. He was hugely popular with supporters who admired his rugged qualities and fighting spirit, and he was capped 65 times by England. Another victim of Malcolm Allison’s reckless purge saw him sold, bizarrely, to Werder Bremen.
• 35. SC Wright-Phillips

  1999-2005, 2008-2011
  273 appearances, 46 goals

  Wright-Phillips, or SWP as he was affectionately known by supporters, was the first graduate of City’s esteemed academy to break into the first team. Despite his diminutive size, Wright-Phillips was blessed with great pace and dribbling ability and was hugely popular with City fans. A £21m move to Chelsea (still a club record) was unsuccesful, and he returned to City in 2008 for three further seasons, before joining QPR in 2011.
• 36. NJ Quinn

  1990-1996
  243 appearances, 78 goals

  I remember feeling underwhelmed when we signed Quinn, but he went on to establish himself as a cult figure in City’s recent history. Despite having relatively limited ability, he was devastatingly effective in Peter Reid’s dour long ball system and his drinking prowess coupled with the fact that he was a genuinely nice guy will live long in Manchester folklore. His disco pants have been immortalised in our repertoire of songs, even though Sunderland fans shamelessly try to take the credit for it.
• 37. A Herd

  1933-1948
  291 appearances, 125 goals

  Herd was a Scottish inside half who joined City in 1933 from Hamilton Academicals. He was an integral part of both the 1934 F.A. CUp and 1937 League Championship winning sides. His career was interrupted by the Second World War, but he resumed playing in 1945. Three years later he was transferred to Stockport County, where he ended his playing days.
• 38. U Rosler

  1994-1998
  176 appearances, 64 goals

  “Der Bomber” as he was affectionately known, arrived at City to little fanfare but soon endeared himself to the fans by scoring a number of crucial goals in the 93/94 season. That his Grandad bombed Old Trafford, according to local legend, just cemented his place in our hearts.
• 39. R Johnstone

  1955-1959
  139 appearances, 51 goals

  Johnstone is perhaps best remembered as being one the Hibernian “Famous Five”, but he enjoyed a successful spell at City between 1955-59. He became the first player to score in successive cup finals before returning to Hibs and, later, Oldham Athletic.
• 40. RW Marsh

  1972-1975
  152 appearances, 47 goals

  Marsh signed for City in 1972 for a then club record £200,000. Upon signing Marsh, City were four points clear at the top of the table but by the end of the season had slipped to 4th. Marsh himself has since claimed that it was he who cost the club the league title that year, with his style simply not suiting that of the team. He nevertheless became one of City’s star players, scoring 19 goals in 1972-73 and often dazzling the crowd with his skills. Marsh led the club to a League Cup final in 1974, though this time he was on the losing side as City were beaten by Wolves.
• 41. JA Crossan

  1965-67
  110 appearances, 29 goals

  Crossan was an important member of the 1965-66 Second Division Championship winning team, and was Joe Mercer’s first captain. Had a huge influence in the dressing room and helped lay the foundations for City’s most successful period, although sadly injury limited his time at City to just two full seasons.
• 42. G Kinkladze

  1995-1998
  121 appearances, 22 goals

  Probably the most naturally gifted player I’ve ever seen at City. His dazzling displays in the moribund relegation season were one of the few highlights of Alan Ball’s tenureship. Actually, no. They were the only highlight. The fact that he stuck with us as we slipped down the divisions only endeared him to me more.
• 43. D White

  1986-1993
  339 appearances, 96 goals

  White was born in Urmston and was a member of City’s “golden generation” that won the FA Youth Cup in 1986. He made his full debut the same year, and quickly established himself as a first team regular. Known for his pace and strength, White could play either on the right wing or a striker. A number of impressive performances at the start of the 1992/93 season saw him capped by England, but his form dipped and in December 1993 joined Leeds in a swap deal which saw David Rocastle arrive in the opposite direction.
• 44. GA Owen

  1975-1979
  124 appearances, 23 goals

  Owen was a hugely talented midfielder who broke into the City side in 1975, aged just 17, and soon became a popular figure amongst supporters. Criminally, he was sold to West Brom just four years later during Malcolm Allison’s disastrous second spell in charge of the club.
• 45. D Law

  1960-1961, 1973-1974
  82 appearances, 38 goals

  Obviously more famous for his time at Manchester United, Law’s inclusion on this list is open to some debate as he only spent two seasons at City, either side of his time at Old Trafford. I decided he merited a place purely for that magical moment when he backheeled United into Division Two in 1974, his last ever kick in professional football.
• 46. RP Dunne

  2000-2009
  352 appearances, 8 goals

  Perhaps a surprising choice given his propensity for red cards and own goals, but it’d be folly to overlook the fact that he has won an unprecedented four back to back player of the season awards. At his imperious best he was a rock and revelled in the face of adversity. At his worst, he was comically bad. In many ways he personified City at that time.
• 47. LS Goater

  1998-2003
  212 appearances, 103 goals

  Never the most technically gifted of players (quite the opposite in fact!), Goater merits a place on this list as a cult icon as much as anything. Not that this should detract from an impressive goal scoring record, you understand. 103 goals for a club in the modern era is an impressive feat, although the fact that many of these were scored in the lower leagues and came off his arse, shin or chin mean that he doesn’t rank higher. Nonetheless, a genuinely nice guy and a great ambassador for the club.
• 48. DG Revie

  1951-1956
  178 appearances, 41 goals

  Despite his associations with dirty Leeds, Revie was a hugely influential player during his time at City and was awarded the Football Writer’s Player of the Year award in 1955. City’s tactic of playing a deep lying centre forward (Revie’s position) became known as the “Revie Plan” and transformed the way the game was played in this country.
• 49. M Woosnam

  1919-1923
  93 appearances, 4 goals

  Woosnam was a quite remarkable all round sportsman. Not content with captaining City (and indeed England) he also was a five times Cambridge Blue, Wimbledon doubles champion, Davis Cup captain, Olympic tennis gold medallist, and Lords centurion. Not a bad career, all things considered.
• 50. K Deyna

  1978-1980
  43 appearances, 13 goals

  Deyna was captain of the Polish national side and joined City in 1978, one of the first wave of overseas players to play in the English league. His time at the club was marred by injury, and he left in 1981 having only managed 43 appearances, but he was an exceptionally gifted playmaker and became a cult figure

It’s something of a sad affair when you’re a 24 year-old male and you can be considered an expert on something that isn’t picking your nose or scratching. But I, and I daresay most other City fans of a similar age and demographic, am widely knowledgeable about a subject that could be described, at best, as irritating and, at worst, downright infuriating.

The 2011 FA Cup was City’s first trophy in 35 years. The 2012 Premier League title was the first time the Blues have been the best team in England since 1968. If I’m honest, it does make me laugh the horror and shock experienced by Arsenal fans that they – get this – haven’t won anything since 2005. How can any team anywhere have no success for seven years? It must be so difficult for them.

I have friends who support Bradford and Wolves. Imagine how they feel.

My earliest memory of a City match is being drenched to the bone wearing a black bin bag in the Platt Lane Stand of Maine Road as Mark Robbins scored a late winner for Leicester in the early 1990s. To be honest, since then, despite often seeing signs to the contrary, it wasn’t quite the success story that that five year old had hoped for.

Don’t get me wrong, there have been good times. I’ll never forget the promotion season under Kevin Keegan, the five added minutes at Wembley in 1999, the derby day victories – especially the Munich anniversary game at Old Trafford, the end of season pushes for Europe… but despite the success signs being present at regular intervals, City have fallen at several hurdles more often than a horse with three legs running the Grand National. The seeds have always been in place, but the flowers have never quite blossomed.

In fact, they normally withered and died.

Though City’s problems started long before I can remember, I think the first relegation from the Premier League in 1996 sums up the club better than any long winded metaphor I can conceive. The image of Steve Lomas holding the ball next to the corner flag to preserve a 2-2 draw that would be marginally enough to see City safely down into Division One was trumped only by that of the substituted Niall Quinn bursting from the dugout to inform his team-mate that a point wasn’t enough to save the club. It was then generally agreed that City should be searching for a winning goal.

That goal, obviously, didn’t come and it was the start of a rollercoaster seven years where City blew every other yo-yo club out of the water and chose to yo-yo between three divisions, instead of the more conventional two. In fact, I got my first season ticket in the 1997-98 season and – just to give you some perspective, here – I didn’t watch City play in the same division in consecutive seasons until 2003-04, after they had stayed in the Premier League the campaign before.

Skip forward to April 1997. City had two games left of the season and were battling against relegation to the Second Division. Their games couldn’t have been better – they were playing two teams also fighting to avoid the drop – QPR at home and Stoke City away. Two victories would keep the team in the division.

And it was going well when Georgi Kinkladze gave City the lead against QPR. But, as always, it went disastrously wrong when first Mike Sheron levelled. It was a goal that only City could have conceived. After Martyn Margetson had illegally picked up a backpass and been penalised for it, rather than carry the ball back to his goal and get back into position, he simply handed the ball over to the nearest QPR player, who took a quick kick, squaring to give Sheron an open goal.

It didn’t end there. Jamie Pollock then wrote himself in QPR folklore, scoring the own goal that put City’s opposition ahead. Credit where credit’s due, though, it was a bloody good own goal. So good, in fact, that QPR fans hijacked a poll and voted Pollock one of most influential men of the last 2000 years. He ended up rating higher than Jesus.

City rescued a draw, but that meant that, on the final day of the season, they would have to beat Stoke and hope that one of Portsmouth or Port Vale lost. And, in a turn of events that could only conspire against City, both of those teams won, while City thumped Stoke 2-5. Nothing changed in the league and City were down.

Then, at the end of December 1998, I was sitting in the back of a blue Peugeot 405, at the tender age of 11, listening to Andrew Dawson slot the ball past Nicky Weaver and condemn City to a 2-1 defeat at York. At the time, I probably didn’t realise how much of an important moment in City’s history it would be, but that defeat left the club in their lowest ever league position – I suppose it’s times like this that remind me just how lucky I am that it didn’t all spiral on downwards from there, really.

When Joe Royle applied the brakes to City’s downward slide that December, he was able to shuffle things about to get the club out of reverse and put them into first gear. By the time the playoffs came along, City had gotten up into second gear and climbed out of the league at the first attempt, albeit with a cough and a splutter.

With a squad that was largely unchanged from the season before, City finished the next season in fifth gear and flew into second place, guaranteeing automatic promotion to the Premier League. Though, needing just a point to ensure second place at Ewood Park on the final day of the season, the club didn’t half do it the hard way: They were a goal down at half time thanks to Matt Jansen and Blackburn had hit the woodwork four times, while a David Johnson goal at Portman Road meant Ipswich were leading, putting them into second place and City in third.

But goals from Shaun Goater, Mark Kennedy and Paul Dickov, as well as an own goal from Christian Dailly, saw City promoted and the City fans were confident once again. The confidence was boosted by the summer signings of Paulo Wanchope, Alf Inge Haaland, Steve Howey and, notably, the former World Player of the Year, George Weah. Even the manager himself was talking about the possibility of getting into Europe.

Of course, City were relegated.

In came a new manager, namely Kevin Keegan, and with him some new and exciting players – the gem of the 2001-02 season being a free transfer by the name of Ali Benarbia. But it wasn’t a one man team by any stretch of the imagination; Eyal Berkovic played with him in the middle – leading to many satirical and perhaps ill-judged headlines about how Arabs and Israelis can work together. Stuart Pearce joined to shore up the defence, while, despite later admitting he didn’t get on with the manager, Shaun Goater hit the form of his life, becoming the first City player since Francis Lee to score over 30 goals in one season.

With the Division One title under their belt and some excellent football played, City moved on to the next level and finished ninth in the Premier League the following season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup thanks to the Fair Play League. The run of form saw City beat United in Maine Road’s final derby game. Added to that, the signings of Nicolas Anelka and Robbie Fowler gave the club a bright outlook.

And that meant it was no surprise to any football fan anywhere that the club was nearly relegated again the following season. Aside from another impressive derby day victory and one of the best comebacks in football history at Tottenham in the FA Cup, there wasn’t much for City fans to cheer about. The club was knocked out of the UEFA Cup earlier than expected to the Polish side Groclin. In fact, had it not been for David James’ penalty saves to preserve draws against Wolves and Leicester, and Leeds’ catastrophic goal difference, City could have been in a lot more trouble than they actually were.

Despite starting well, Keegan’s tenure at City ended with a whimper. He resigned just after a home defeat to Bolton, allowing Stuart Pearce to take charge for the end of the 2004-05 season, where City fans would be presented with yet another false dawn.

It all started well for ‘Psycho’. Apart from defeat at Tottenham in his first game, City finished the season with an unlikely leap towards the last UEFA Cup spot. Going into the final day of the season, City sat in ninth and Middlesbrough sat in eighth spot (which would have been enough to qualify for Europe). Typically, it was City against Middlesbrough at Eastlands that would decide both clubs’ fates. City needed to win. For Middlesbrough, a draw would have been enough.

So, at 1-1 with five minutes of the game left, Pearce made his first managerial “last-roll-of-the-dice” decision. With an extra forward on the bench, he opted against putting Jon Macken on in place of Claudio Reyna, choosing instead to play Nicky Weaver and stick David James up front for his height. Then City won a penalty… a goal would leave Middlesbrough less than a minute to find an equaliser and City seconds away from another European campaign.

Robbie Fowler stepped up and missed.

City were gunning well under Pearce, until a series of injuries and suspensions saw the club win only one of their last 10 games of 2005-06 and an utterly awful season of struggle, not helped by a total lack of funds, followed in 2006-07, encompassed by the club’s inability to score at home after New Year’s Day. In fact, that season, City scored 10 home league goals – three of them in one game. If you missed that match with Fulham, you missed 30 percent of them.

‘Psycho’ moved on and he was replaced by the former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. The club was taken over by Thaksin Shinawatra and anticipation spread when news broke that millions of pounds worth of new and exciting players had joined the club. City got their first derby win at Old Trafford in 34 years and enjoyed a first derby double in even longer.

And, at Christmas, it was all looking good and City were in fourth – confidence of a top four finish was at an all time high amongst City fans. But a disastrous second half of the season, culminating in an 8-1 defeat at Middlesbrough, saw the team finish ninth. A European place was gained through the Fair Play League… again.

Despite a ropey first season, Hughes started his second campaign at the club well. Excellent performances were joined by clean sheets and early victories, but as Christmas approached on the horizon, form began to dip. A 4-3 defeat at Old Trafford in time added on to time added on was a bitter pill to swallow. And it was those four goals where it all started to go wrong for Hughes.

The following game, West Ham at Eastlands on Monday 28 September, was his last league victory until Saturday 5 December. For 68 days, City didn’t manage a win in the league. Nor did they slump to a defeat, but rather they drew seven matches, throwing away leads and gifting away silly goals.

After the victory over Chelsea that December, City managed just one more win before Hughes lost his job – in true City style, everybody knew that he had been sacked during the game, including the man himself. In his final three games, against Bolton, Tottenham and Sunderland, City picked up four points, but conceded nine goals. And, ultimately, it was the defence that many people thought led to Hughes’ downfall.

Then Roberto Mancini arrived.

City just missed out on the League Cup semi final, losing to another last minute United goal. They just missed out on Champions League football, losing to a late Peter Crouch winner in the penultimate game of the season. The end of the season came and it felt like another false dawn.

But that was buoyed by summer signings of quality players.

Of course, it was a mixed bag to start with – win, lose and draw in the league – but, slowly City turned on the style. One or two blips in form didn’t blot the copybook too much and, once the club had gotten into the top four on Sunday 19 September, 2010, they never dropped out of it.

For the first time in a long time, City did everything right, both on and off the pitch. And it resulted in automatic qualification for the top European competition and a successful FA Cup campaign, including a satisfying semi final revenge against the team from across town.

But it doesn’t end there. The following season, City began with their third trip to Wembley: The Community Shield match with Manchester United. City’s performance was a disaster, but, somehow, they ended up two goals in front, on the stroke of half time – thanks to Joleon Lescott and Edin Dzeko. United’s pressure told, however, and two quick goals after the break pulled them level.

It was at this point so early in the season that Vincent Kompany’s role in the success of the club began to be spelled out. He made a rather uncharacteristic mistake in the final minute, gifting the ball to Nani and the Portuguese winger ran half the length of the field, took it past Joe Hart and slotted it into the net. At that stage, it felt awful to witness, but looking back at the end of the season, Kompany would come out on top.

The response to that defeat was immediate. A record breaking start to the season saw City smash their way to top spot, scoring goals for fun. Notably, Tottenham were dispatched at White Hart Lane 1-5 and United fared even worse, losing out to City at Old Trafford 1-6. It was their biggest ever Premier League home defeat and it was at City’s hands. Worse for them, it put the Blues five points clear of them in top spot.

To their credit, however, United battled back. Soon, on level games, the two Manchester clubs were on level points, City only on the top of the league thanks to their superior goal difference. But, just as it looked like it was going to go to the wire, March 2012 happened. A wretched month for City, the club started it two points clear of United on level games. Defeat in the first game of April left the Blues eight points behind, again having played the same number of matches. The points lead had gone. Even the goal difference lead City had boasted was no more – United on +51 to City’s +49.

Seemingly, the false dawns were back and big time. It was painful.

Roberto Mancini publicly conceded the title. In every interview, he denied that City could win it and confirmed the club would simply carry on doing their best, but it wouldn’t be enough to take top spot. Call it a mind game with United or a mind game with his own players to ease the pressure, either way it worked.

United lost to Wigan, while City thumped West Brom. The gap was five points again. The Reds then threw away a two-goal lead against Everton at home to draw 4-4, while City beat Wolves. The gap was down to three points – with the Manchester derby to play.

For United, a win would see them virtually crowned champions, with them needing one point from their final two games. A draw would keep City at arm’s length and likely allow them to retain the league. City needed to win, or else it was curtains.

Step forward Vincent Kompany. The captain. Leader. The man who had made the error in the Community Shield to lose the game. The man who had been sent off – wrongly – in the FA Cup third round tie at home for a challenge, again with Nani. On the stroke of half time, his bullet header gave City the lead and it would turn out to be the goal that would decide the game. The Blues were back on top of the league, again on goal difference.

A hard-fought win at Newcastle, matched by United’s result against Swansea, left the league going down to the final day of the season: For City, it was QPR at home. Level points and an eight goal advantage meant that, should the Blues win, it would take a goal frenzy from United at Sunderland to steal it from them.

In many ways, it’s fitting that Roberto Mancini’s successes have come in games over Stoke (FA Cup) and QPR (Premier League). Thinking back to 1998, it was the games against these two clubs that saw City drop into their lowest ever league position and it signalled the worst time to be a City fan. Okay, so the Blues went undefeated against them back then, but that wasn’t enough. The 2-2 draw and the 2-5 win left the Blues relegated to Division Two.

Now, 1-0 and 3-2 wins have ended City’s trophy drought and left the club sitting as the best team in England for the first time in over four decades. It’s remarkable the coincidences that football can throw up sometimes.

And, after so many false dawns, this all feels too good to be true. It feels like we’re all going to wake up and it’s going to have been a horrible trick played on us by our minds: No Champions League, no FA Cup, no Premier League winners medals and City still hanging around Division Two and being the laughing stock of football throughout the world. Yet somehow still playing QPR and Stoke.

But here’s the good news: This is no dream.

City are back.

David Mooney’s book, Typical City, is now available to pre-order in paperback from here – or the ebook is already available to download in the Amazon Kindle store here.

The morning after the QPR game I spent about £15 on papers and wedged myself behind a table at a local greasy spoon. There, I immersed myself in bacon, match reports, eggs, Shaun Custis, sausages, Martin Samuel and about a gallon of tea. While the world left me alone for an hour, I basked in the title victory and began to come to terms with the word ‘Champions’. That hour was not the time for deep reflections or analysis of the campaign, that was time for some self-indulgent wallowing whilst 44 years of pain were washed away.

But as the dust has settled on the season, it has become easier to look back and see the patterns emerge. In particular, the four games against the rags stand out for me like milestones along the journey, illustrating graphically what was going on with our club on and off the field at each of the times we played them. This is not some rag-fuelled obsession – it is simply that those games turned out to be barometers of a title winning season: one season in four games, if you like. Those matches could have been real banana skins for us (two almost were) but in the end the pattern of those games highlights and exemplifies much about our season and provides perhaps some real pointers for the future.

We kicked off in August with the Community Shield at Wembley. We were not, in truth, widely fancied either for the game itself or the league campaign to follow. In an eve of season poll of 30 BBC pundits, 26 had tipped United to retain the championship, with only three brave souls predicting a City title win – one being GMR’s Ian Cheeseman. Mark Bright bravely tipped Liverpool who only missed out on the title by 38 points. But at Wembley, against the run of predictions, and rather against the run of play, we established a two goal lead before half time. The second half saw United fight back to 2-2, but with Mancini chasing the win towards the end of a bad tempered contest, an uncharacteristic slip by Vincent Kompany allowed Nani to hare upfield and skip round Joe Hart to win the game. United celebrated with their customary restraint and modesty. Wayne Rooney told the world that this result showed who the better team was, and then tweeted some gloating nonsense about a footballing lesson – the lesson presumably being how satisfying it is to win a trophy at the expense of your fiercest rivals by scoring deep in injury time.

There were straws which showed the way the wind was really blowing for those who cared to look for them. David De Gea had been weighed, measured and found wanting. The Typically Defensive Italian had sent nine men up to United’s area in search of a winner with the score at 2-2. A full strength United barely coped with a City short of Tevez and Aguero and with Samir Nasri looming on the horizon. None of that stopped the media cliche factory from clicking into gear: Scholes and Neville were gone but Jones and Cleverley had taken their place; Fergie had once again conjured a youthful team who would storm the premiership; moneybags Manchester City had no clear vision other than to buy every player in sight and hope it would all come good; another injury time winner for the relentless United machine.

There was no doubt that the general consensus of opinion in punditland was that the Good Guys had won and the Bad Guys had lost. Whilst Matt Lawson in the Daily Mail viewed City as ‘too defensive’, Martin Keown compared United’s attacking play to Barcelona’s. (Seriously.) Gary Neville proclaimed Mario Balotelli to be an ‘embarrassment’, and Graham Poll considered City fortunate to end the game with 11 men still on the pitch. And with appropriate lip-service paid to the need for caution, the media at large satisfied itself that the season would probably pan out in much the same way as the match at Wembley: City’s wealth might take them so far, but in the end United’s know how and class would see them home. Steve Howard, writing in The Sun, summed up the prevailing mood when he wrote ‘this was a result to make football itself stand up and cheer’. Mark that phrase. Mark it well.

As the season proper got under way, there were signs that the traffic along Fleet Street was not entirely moving one way. Henry Winter, one of the more thoughtful of football writers, was interviewed at half time during City’s first home game against Swansea. His optimism about City’s prospects deserves credit, for at the time City were drawing 0-0 against a newly promoted side widely tipped to go straight back down. But whilst Winter’s was not a lone voice, it certainly did not represent the main stream of opinion. Nonetheless, it became clear as the season progressed that the Universally Hostile Press of 2010-11 had mellowed into merely a Mostly Hostile Press.

As the second derby approached, City began to attract more plaudits for their entertaining and attractive football. As in 1967, notice of a genuine title challenge was served with a thumping win over Spurs. Scoring three or four goals a time was commonplace as Blackburn, Villa and Wigan were put to the sword. Even our nemesis Everton was dismissed without troubling the scorers. But although City deservedly topped the league, United would not let us get away. We scored three against Bolton, they scored five. We put five past Spurs, they put eight past Arsenal. Rags regularly pointed out, as the derby approached, that Spurs were the only side of note we had played whilst they had faced not only Spurs but Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool as well. So the marketing men at Sky could scarcely have hoped for better material to hype up the October derby. Two unbeaten teams going head to head; First against Second; the richest club in the world against the most famous club in the world at the top of the best league in the world; the two best attacks against the two meanest defences; all that money v all that history. (And it’s live.)

When the game kicked off, the rags undoubtedly had the better of the first 15 minutes or so but by the time we went ahead we had already achieved more than just a foothold in the game. Our half time lead was thoroughly deserved taking the first 45 minutes as a whole. But early in the second half Mario ‘embarrassment’ Balotelli was put clean through on goal following a neat one-two with Aguero, and the rest as they say is history. Later, the gracious Glaswegian would point to the sending off as the decisive moment of the game. I’m not so sure about that. In a one-on-one situation you would back Balotelli to score more often than not and certainly against David de Gea at that point in the season. So the real effect of the sending off may well have been to keep the score at 1-0 for 15 minutes longer than would otherwise have been the case. Had they been chasing the game for 45 minutes at 2-0 down, even with 11 men there is every chance we would have taken them apart just as clinically as we did after Evans’ red card.

But as it was, with the rags a man short City controlled the game totally. In the end it really could, as the song says, have been ten. A five point lead – clear blue water – had opened up between us and them; but the game was about much more than three points or local bragging rights. We had been stringing 20 pass goals together for quite a few games before James Milner crossed for Balotelli’s second. When we penned them back in their own half for lengthy periods it was no more and no less than we had done to every other team since the season began. But now Football sat up and took notice. ‘Another flowing Manchester City move’ was how Alan Parry described Aguero’s goal, and with complete justification – we had been doing this all season, only now we were doing it in the champions’ yard. And if we learned one thing only from that game it was that, like most bullies, United cannot take a hiding.

The cautious media approval that had been building since the season got under way now turned into open fawning. Jamie Redknapp considered the win to be the biggest statement of intent any side had made in the premier league era. In The Guardian, Kevin McCarra suggested that ‘only a curmudgeon could fail to appreciate the accomplishment of City’. Paul Hayward in the same paper was not alone in acknowledging David Silva was to be ‘comfortably the player of the season so far’. Who needs Carlos Tevez, asked Gary Neville, when you have Dzeko, Balotelli and Aguero? On the pitch, we continued to take teams apart, scoring three or more goals in each of the five games we played following the 6-1. Norwich, Newcastle and Stoke were all put to the sword in the weeks that followed. Wolves conceded eight in two games against us in the space of four days, despite an abysmal refereeing display from Stuart Attwell at the Etihad. Which brings us nicely to the issue which dominated the middle third of the season: some appalling, inconsistent and possibly biased refereeing.

Nobody had noted a serious problem with referees prior to the Old Trafford derby. But as we approached the turn of the year, especially away from home, we could scarcely get through a game without being on the wrong end of some controversial decision. An Agger elbow on Aguero at Liverpool resulted in no more than a free kick, whereas Balotelli’s flailing arm when challenging for a header led to a red card. David Silva was denied the clearest of penalties at Chelsea with the score at 1-0 and City in the ascendancy, but Lescott was later penalised for handball when he might easily have been given the benefit of the doubt. Clichy was sent off for offences similar to those for which Meireles went unpunished. In a tight game at West Brom, a good City goal was wrongly ruled out, though in the next tight game at Sunderland an offside goal was allowed to stand. Charlie Adam kicked all and sundry at the Etihad without a card being shown, Gareth Barry picked up two yellow cards from three innocuous fouls in the same game. There were dark mutterings as to where this spate of dreadful decisions had come from.

Despite all that, City fans were in general licking their lips when the third round draw of the FA Cup brought the rags to our door. Our first defence of the only trophy we had won in 35 years could scarcely have been more apt. In front of their own fans – well, if truth be told, in front of a fast-emptying stadium – we had demolished them. What would we do to them on our own turf?

As things turned out, the prospect of giving them another good hiding lasted less than a quarter of an hour. We bossed the first 10 minutes. They scored a good goal on the break, but we had scored 3 times in five minutes more than once this season already and being 0-1 down to the rags with 80 minutes to go did not faze us. But then Vincent Kompany slid in to make a good interception – or so we all thought. What had not even looked like a foul, certainly not a dangerous or reckless challenge, led Mr Foy – in surely his last ever appearance at the Etihad – to show a red card. With perhaps a little help from his assistant referee Mr Rooney. United took full advantage, as we had done in October, and by half time had raced into a 3-0 lead. And in truth, it could have been worse.

Many have said that the interval in this game with the scoreboard showing City 0 United 3 – the first time the Etihad scoreboard had ever registered such a travesty – represented our lowest point of the season. Had we been asked after the demolition derby whether the rags would ever put six past us on our own ground, we might have answered ‘not in my lifetime’. As the second half loomed it looked like they could do it within the next half hour.

But then two things happened. First, the team began to fight. Mancini – he who was derided for having no Plan B – reorganised the team so we played with 3 at the back and five across the middle. That did not put us on the front foot so much as staunch the bleeding from the first half wounds. And we came out snarling and ready for the scrap in the second half. Mancini’s changes worked, and City started to take the game to them.

Next, the crowd began to fight. Some had left at half time – and who could blame them, we have been through so much pain over the years. But an embarrassing evacuation of the sort we saw at the swamp was never on the cards. This was a Manchester Derby. We stand our ground, we never run. And we do not give in to Them – ever. Remember winning 4-3 at Spurs without Barton? We have done this before, we can do it again. Kolarov drilled in a free kick and we really had something to shout about. The stadium got behind the team in a way I can scarcely remember when we have been behind against the rags. Loud and proud. We escaped a very strong penalty shout – frankly Foy should have given it, but as is often the case, he perhaps over compensated for his earlier decision. And at the other end De Gea spilled a shot, Aguero pounced, and it was 2-3. Game on.

The rags – against 10 men – had seen their healthy lead evaporate and were now hanging on by their fingernails. But the third goal did not come. We went close: Kolarov tested De Gea with another free kick. Big Pants, up for a corner in the dying seconds, flashed a header wide. In the end, however, it was not to be. The rag cheers at the final whistle were cheers of relief as much as celebration, for when it had been 10 v 11 in our favour, we had humiliated them. When it was 10 v 11 in their favour we came close to humiliating them again. For the first time I can remember, a City team which had just been beaten at home by United was given a standing ovation as it left the field. The referee, not the opposition, had caused the defeat. We felt cheated, not beaten. We lost our trophy but not our pride.

There was something of the Dunkirk about that defeat. Like any home defeat by them it hurt badly, but it could have been an absolute disaster. For so long City have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory; now we had snatched defeat from the jaws of annihilation. What turned the game around was the fighting spirit displayed by the team and the crowd acting together (hashtag). Mancini and Khaldoon would both later pick out this performance as a key moment during the season. Mancini even described it as ‘important’. We would need that spirit – that ‘strong mentality’ – as the season progressed, and we found it when we were staring at catastrophe.

The next couple of months were endured rather than enjoyed. The Carling Cup slipped away. We missed Yaya and Kolo at the African Cup of Nations. There were suspensions for Kompany and Balotelli. We struggled away from home at Everton and Swansea, and rarely looked imperious on our travels even when we returned with three points. There were bright moments along the way – wins over Spurs, our old foes, and Chelsea, the latter featuring the return of Carlos Tevez to the fold; we saw some emphatic home wins over mediocre visitors. We even revived the Ballet on Ice against Fulham, though it ended up as something of a waltz. Overall, though, the first three months of the new year were dogged by uninspiring performances and disappointing decisions, especially on the road. And all the while, we watched United as they were gifted game upon game by one dodgy decision after another.

But even as our once healthy lead became an 8 point deficit, we hung in there grimly. Mancini maintained in private if not in public that our chance would come. And it did, as we put ten past Norwich and West Brom whilst United struggled against Wigan and Everton. The appalling prospect of watching our team applaud them onto our pitch as champions faded away. By the time they came back to the Etihad, our destiny was in our own hands: lose or draw and it was all over bar the shouting; beat them, and whilst it would go right down to the wire, winning our remaining games would surely see us home.

What followed may in years to come be heralded as the day City arrived as a major force in world football. An estimated 650 million people watched the game in clubs, bars and homes around the world, in the early morning in Australia and New Zealand, late into the night in Asia, and in the quiet of a Monday afternoon in the Americas. Those of us fortunate enough to have been there have never experienced anything quite like it, though the QPR game a fortnight later would come close. The build up to the game was hype on a scale barely witnessed before, and never in the context of a domestic league game. Our legends were all there. Diego was in town. Liam was in town. Richard was in town. (Scudamore, of course, who did you think I meant?) Sky were ejected from their normal studio next to the south stand scoreboard in favour of a foreign TV station, and the old studio in the opposite corner was pressed into emergency service. TV crews from the middle east, the far east, the States and South America interviewed fans around the ground. Our starting 11 featured internationals from 6 different nations, with five more nations represented on the bench.

And yet, this most cosmopolitan of Manchester derbies was settled in the most English fashion. A hulking centre half – the captain no less – went up for a corner and powered home a bullet header. It was Mike Doyle, Dave Watson, Andy Morrison and Steve Howey all rolled into one with a healthy dollop of Mick McCarthy and Richard Dunne rolled in for good measure. Who put the ball in United’s net? Vincent Kompany did. “Buzzin’ ‘” was how he would describe it in his Brussels-cum-Beswick accent. “Deeecent”.

United could not live with City in the second half. They had played the first half in their own third, but now they needed to attack more and find some penetration. They couldn’t do it. We looked closer to a second than they did to equalising, chances falling to Yaya and Nasri in particular. On the touchline, the gracious Glaswegian visibly lost it. Since October it had been rammed down our throats that United would come good in the run-in, like they always do. But when a really big performance was needed, they failed to muster a single shot on target. Their vaunted know-how simply deserted them. In one way, watching City surpass them in this fashion after they had thrown away an eight point lead was an even greater humiliation than the 6-1.

As in January, in the stands we roared them on. I have never heard the Etihad louder. The chorus of Blue Moon while the players left the field at half time was just immense, Hey Jude at the final whistle even more so. We had come onto the world stage and every single person associated with this club did themselves proud as that incredible spectacle unfolded. The fact that it was an intensely mancunian affair did not detract from its international appeal, it enhanced it. The Premier League suddenly understood that an acute cross-town rivalry at the top of the English league might actually eclipse the Spanish giants’ traditional rivalry, and indeed Maradona would later compare the Barcelona/Madrid El Clasico game unfavourably to the Manchester derby. Internet message boards around the globe buzzed with the game, the hype, criticism of the hype, discussion of the worldwide TV audience, analysis of what the game meant for the outcome of the league and the future of the two clubs. Not so long ago, the Manchester derby wasn’t even the major story in Manchester. Now it was the biggest talking point in World sport.

That game of course only laid the foundation for the title: nerve shattering games against Newcastle and QPR stood in our way. But we had done it: the title had been all but theirs, and we had wrestled it out of their hands while the world watched us do it. This really was a result to make Football itself stand up and cheer. And cheer it did, as it did when thirteen days later we secured the title in the most dramatic fashion. Football watched, Football drank it in. Football did the Poznan at the Stadium of Light, and cheered us from Swansea and from Stoke and from Stamford Bridge. The best ever finale to the best ever season in the Best League In The World. Football? Bloody hell.

So there you have our season, a 10 month white knuckle ride encapsulated in four games all against the same opposition. Unloved and unfancied going into the first game, United’s win cemented some lazy press attitudes which in truth were hangovers from the season before and had been unfair even then. By the second game, our free flowing football was taking apart all opposition, and our win at the swamp was in fact pretty typical of our autumn campaign. The FA cup game was mired in controversy, as were so many of our games at that time, but the fighting spirit which came through that day would stand us in good stead as the season approached its climax. And then the piece de resistance, the worldwide event that announced who we are in the modern age, the vital stepping stone to the title. The day we knocked the rags off their perch. Each one of those four games, especially the last, was potentially a banana skin on which we might so easily have slipped, leaving the rags to saunter ahead once again. How very very satisfying to have left those four skins behind.