- published: 24 Jan 2013
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- 1926 FA Cup Final
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Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (Arabic: أبو ظبي Abu Dhabi, Father of Deer) is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. The city proper had an estimated population of 896,800 in 2009.
Abu Dhabi houses important offices of the federal government, and is the seat for the United Arab Emirates Government and the home for the Abu Dhabi Emiri Family and the President of the UAE from this family. Abu Dhabi has grown to be a cosmopolitan metropolis. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed Abu Dhabi to a larger and advanced metropolis. Today the city is the country's center of political, industrial activities, and a major cultural, and commercial centre due to its position as the capital. Abu Dhabi alone generated 56.7% of the GDP of the United Arab Emirates in 2008.
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Ardwick
Coordinates: 53°28′09″N 2°13′07″W / 53.469167°N 2.218611°W / 53.469167; -2.218611
Ardwick is a district of the City of Manchester, in North West England, about one mile east of Manchester City Centre.
By the mid-19th century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a pleasant and wealthy suburb of Manchester, but by the end of that century it had become heavily industrialised. When its industries later fell into decline then so did Ardwick itself, becoming one of the city's most deprived areas. Substantial development has taken place more recently in Ardwick and other areas of Manchester to reverse the decline, notably the construction of many facilities for the 2002 Commonwealth Games held nearby in Eastlands.
In the late 19th century Ardwick had many places of entertainment, but the only remnant of that history today is the Art Deco Manchester Apollo, a venue for pop and rock music concerts.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Ardwick was a small village situated just outside Manchester in open countryside. The principal residents were the Birch family, one of whom was a Major General when Oliver Cromwell (briefly) instituted direct military rule.
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Argentina
Argentina
i/ˌɑrdʒənˈtiːnə/, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]), is a country in South America, the continent's second largest by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations.
Argentina's continental area is between the Andes mountain range in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. It borders Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, and Chile to the west and south. Argentine claims over Antarctica, as well as overlapping claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom, are suspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961. Argentina also claims the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom as British Overseas Territories.
A recognised middle power, Argentina is Latin America's third-largest economy, with a "very high" rating on the Human development index. Within Latin America, Argentina has the fifth highest nominal GDP per capita and the highest in purchasing power terms. Analysts have argued that the country has a "foundation for future growth due to its market size, levels of foreign direct investment, and percentage of high-tech exports as share of total manufactured goods", and it is classed by investors as middle emerging economy. Argentina is a founding member of the United Nations, Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization, and is one of the G-15 and G-20 major economies.
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Belgium
Belgium (i/ˈbɛldʒəm/ BEL-jəm), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish (about 60%), and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons (about 40%), plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
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Bermuda
Bermuda (
/bɜrˈmjuːdə/), officially the Bermudas or Somers Islands, is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about 1,030 kilometres (640 mi) to the west-northwest. It is about 1,373 kilometres (853 mi) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia and 1,770 kilometres (1,100 mi) northeast of Miami, Florida, USA. Its capital city is Hamilton.
Bermuda was discovered in 1505 by Spanish sea captain Juan de Bermúdez, after whom the islands are named. Apparently uninhabited, he claimed them for the Spanish Empire. Although he paid two visits to the archipelago, Bermúdez was persuaded never to set foot on any of the islands by the dangerous reef surrounding them. Subsequent Spanish or other visitors are believed to have released the feral pigs that were abundant on the island when settlement began. In 1609, the Virginia Company, which had established Virginia and Jamestown on the American continent two years earlier, established a settlement on behalf of the English colonial empire. Initially, it was administered as an extension of Virginia by the Company until 1614, before its successor, the Somers Isles Company, took over until 1684. Bermuda then became a British colony following the 1707 unification of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the unified Kingdom of Great Britain. After Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949, Bermuda became the oldest (and, since the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the most populous) remaining British overseas territory. Its first capital, St George's, was established in 1612 and is the oldest continuously-inhabited English town in the Americas.
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Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon (French: République du Cameroun), is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Bonny, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. The country is called "Africa in miniature" for its geological and cultural diversity. Natural features include beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas. The highest point is Mount Cameroon in the southwest, and the largest cities are Douala, Yaoundé, and Garoua. Cameroon is home to over 200 different linguistic groups. The country is well known for its native styles of music, particularly makossa and bikutsi, and for its successful national football team. French and English are the official languages.
Early inhabitants of the territory included the Sao civilisation around Lake Chad and the Baka hunter-gatherers in the southeastern rainforest. Portuguese explorers reached the coast in the 15th century and named the area Rio dos Camarões ("River of Prawns"), the name from which Cameroon derives. Fulani soldiers founded the Adamawa Emirate in the north in the 19th century, and various ethnic groups of the west and northwest established powerful chiefdoms and fondoms. Cameroon became a German colony in 1884.
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Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark, pronounced [ˈkɔŋəʁiːəð ˈdanmɑɡ̊] (
listen)) is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting the country of Denmark in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. The kingdom is a unitary state with some power being devolved from Denmark proper to Greenland and the Faroe Islands; this polity is referred to as the Danish Realm. Denmark proper is the hegemonial area, where judicial, executive, and legislative power resides. The Faroe Islands are defined to be a community of people within the kingdom, and the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.
Denmark is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, located southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland and many islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.
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England
Englandi/ˈɪŋɡlənd/ is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, while the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.
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Ewen Fields
Ewen Fields is a multi-use stadium in Tameside, England. It is the home ground of Hyde F.C. and Manchester City Reserves and has also in the past hosted Manchester United F.C. Reserves, Stockport County Reserves and Oldham Curzon Ladies. It is currently used for football. The stadium formerly used Baspograss, and held the last non-qualifying FA Cup game on an artificial surface when Hyde faced Darlington in the 1st Round Proper in 1994. It has also hosted American Football, namely the Manchester Spartans in the 1980s during a surge in popularity of Gridiron in the UK following Channel 4's coverage of live NFL overnight when the channel first began. A Rugby League Super League game between Oldham and Sheffield was staged at the stadium in 1997. The stadium holds 4,073 people.
Ewen Fields is made up of 5 stands: the Main Stand, the Scrattin Shed, the Tinker's Passage end, the Leigh Street stand and the Walker Lane end. All of the stands are covered.
The Main Stand is the only seated stand at Ewen Fields. It also houses the players' dressing rooms, board room and sponsors lounge as well as a refreshments bar and toilets.
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Faroe Islands
Coordinates: 62°00′N 06°47′W / 62°N 6.783°W / 62; -6.783
The Faroe Islands (Faroese: Føroyar pronounced [ˈfœɹjaɹ], Danish: Færøerne Danish pronunciation: [ˈfæɐ̯øːˀɐnə]) are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland. The islands form a self-governing country under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. The total area is approximately 1,400 km² (540 sq mi) with a 2010 population of almost 50,000 people.
The Faroe Islands has been a self-governing dependency of Denmark since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have taken control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, police, justice, currency and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands also has representatives in the Nordic Council as members of the Danish delegation.
The Faroe Islands were associated with and taxed by Denmark and Norway up to 1814, when Norway fell under the rule of Sweden. Scandinavia was in political turmoil following the Sixth Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars, when the Treaty of Kiel granted Denmark control over the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland in 1814. The Danish trade monopoly ended in 1856.
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FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich (German: Fußball-Club Bayern München IPA: [ˈbaɪ.ɐn ˈmʏnçən]), is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football, and is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.
The club was founded in 1900 by eleven football players led by Franz John. Although Bayern won its first national championship in 1932, the club was not selected for the Bundesliga at its inception in 1963. The club had its period of greatest success in the middle of the 1970s when, under the leadership of Franz Beckenbauer, it won the European Cup three times in a row (1974–76). In recent years Bayern Munich has been the most successful club in German football, winning five of the last ten Bundesliga titles. The club's last international title was the Intercontinental Cup in 2001, after they won their fourth European Cup the same year.
Since the beginning of the 2005–06 season Bayern plays its home games in the Allianz Arena. Previously the team had played in Munich's Olympic Stadium for 33 years. The team colours are red and white, and the team crest shows the colours of Bavaria. Bayern is a membership-based club with 162,187 members. There are also 2,764 officially-registered fan clubs with 192,160 members. The club has other departments for chess, handball, basketball, gymnastics, bowling, table tennis, referees, and senior football with more than 1,100 active members.
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France
France (Englishi/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km2 / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
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Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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Gorton
Coordinates: 53°27′55″N 2°10′21″W / 53.465314°N 2.172491°W / 53.465314; -2.172491
Gorton is an area of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is located to the southeast of Manchester city centre. Neighbouring areas include Longsight and Levenshulme.
A major landmark in Gorton is Gorton Monastery, a Franciscan 19th-century High Victorian Gothic monastery.
According to local folklore, Goreton derives its name "Gore Town" due to a battle between the Saxons and Danes nearby. This has been dismissed by historians as "popular fancy". The name Gorton means "dirty farmstead", perhaps taking its name from the Gore Brook, or dirty brook, which still runs through the township to-day. The brook may have acquired that name because of the dirty appearance of its water, perhaps caused by discolouration due to peat or iron deposits.
In medieval times the district was a township of the ancient parish of Manchester in the Salford Hundred of Lancashire.
Manchester City F.C. was founded as St. Mark's (West Gorton) in 1880. The club was formed with the aim of binding the local community and to combat a form of gang warfare called scuttling that existed during the 1870s. The rector's daughter, Anna Connell, is widely credited as the founder, however churchwarden William Beastow is believed to be the person who played the main part in creating sporting activities for the parish. In 1875 St.Mark's Cricket Club are known to have played and this evolved into the football club later in the decade. The first recorded football game was played in November 1880.
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Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze (Polish pronunciation: [ˈɡurɲiɡ ˈzabʐɛ]) is a Polish football club from Zabrze. The club has won numerous championships, and was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. For now Górnik has the most titles in Poland. The club plays in white or dark blue - red kit, and is based at the Ernest Pohl Stadium. Their main local rivals is Ruch Chorzów.
The club was founded in 1948, three years after borders of Poland had switched westwards and the city of Zabrze (until then called Hindenburg) became part of the Polish Republic. Górnik was based on several smaller sports associations that had existed in Zabrze between 1945 and 1948 - KS Zjednoczenie, KS Pogon, KS Skra, KS Concordia. The clubs merged into a single organisation, which took the name "Górnik", the Polish word for "Miner", reflecting the fact that Zabrze was an important coal-mining centre.
In 1950 Górnik joined the Opole Silesia regional league. In 1952 the club was promoted to the Polish Second Division. Their first game in the second tier was against Skra Częstochowa, and was witnessed by 20,000, with Górnik winning 5-1. The whole season was very successful and Górnik finished second overall, behind Górnik Wałbrzych.
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Hyde Road
Coordinates: 53°28′10″N 2°12′32″W / 53.46944°N 2.20889°W / 53.46944; -2.20889
Hyde Road was a football stadium in Ardwick, Manchester, England. It was home to Manchester City F.C. and their predecessors from its construction in 1887 until 1923, when the club moved to Maine Road. It was named after Hyde Road, a road which begins at the east end of Ardwick Green South in Ardwick and runs east towards Hyde. At the boundary between Gorton and Audenshaw it continues as Manchester Road.
Before its use as a football ground, the site was an area of waste ground, and in its early days the ground had only rudimentary facilities. The first stand was built in 1888, but the ground had no changing facilities until 1896; players had to change in a nearby public house, the Hyde Road Hotel. By 1904 the ground had developed into a 40,000-capacity venue, hosting an FA Cup semi-final between Newcastle United and The Wednesday the following year.
The stands and terraces were arranged in a haphazard manner due to space constraints, and by 1920 the club had outgrown the cramped venue. A decision to seek an alternative venue was hastened in November 1920, when the Main Stand was destroyed by fire. Manchester City moved to the 80,000-capacity Maine Road in 1923, and Hyde Road was demolished shortly afterward. One structure from the ground is still in use in the 21st century, a section of roofing which was sold for use at The Shay, a stadium in Halifax.
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Italy
Italyi/ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic or the Republic of Italy (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2 (116,347 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.6 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world.
Rome, the capital of Italy, was for centuries a political and religious centre of Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others. Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the Renaissance, an immensely fruitful intellectual movement that would prove to be integral in shaping the subsequent course of European thought.
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Manchester
Coordinates: 53°28′N 2°14′W / 53.467°N 2.233°W / 53.467; -2.233
Manchesteri/ˈmæntʃɛstər/ is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England with an estimated population of 498,800 in 2010. Manchester lies within one of the United Kingdom's largest urban areas; the Greater Manchester Urban Area which has a population of 2.2 million. The demonym of Manchester is Mancunian and the local authority is Manchester City Council.
Manchester is situated in the south-central part of North West England, fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south and the Pennines to the north and east. The recorded history of Manchester began with the civilian settlement associated with the Roman fort of Mamucium, which was established in c. 79 AD on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell. Historically, most of the city was a part of Lancashire, although areas south of the River Mersey were in Cheshire. Throughout the Middle Ages Manchester remained a manorial township, but it began to expand "at an astonishing rate" around the turn of the 19th century. Manchester's unplanned urbanisation was brought on by a boom in textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution, and resulted in it becoming the world's first industrialised city. An early 19th-century factory building boom transformed Manchester from a township into a major mill town and borough that was granted city status in 1853. In 1894 the Manchester Ship Canal was built, creating the Port of Manchester.
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Montenegro
Montenegro (i/ˌmɒntɨˈneɪɡroʊ/ or /ˌmɒntɨˈniːɡroʊ/; or /ˌmɒntɨˈnɛɡroʊ/; Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора [tsr̩̂ːnaː ɡɔ̌ra] ( listen), meaning "Black Mountain") is a country in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the southeast. Its capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is designated as the Prijestonica (Пријестоница), meaning the former Royal Capital City.
In the 10th century, there existed three Slavic principalities on the territory of Montenegro: Duklja, roughly corresponding to the southern half, Travunia, the west, and Rascia, the north. In 1042, archon Stefan Vojislav led a revolt that resulted in independence of Duklja and the establishment of the Vojislavljević dynasty. Duklja reached its zenith under Vojislav's son, Mihailo (1046–81), and his son Bodin (1081–1101). By the 13th century, Zeta had replaced Duklja when referring to the realm, which at the time was part of the Serbian Grand Principality of the Nemanjić dynasty.
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Moss Side
Coordinates: 53°27′22″N 2°14′24″W / 53.456°N 2.240°W / 53.456; -2.240
Moss Side is an inner-city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. It lies 1.9 miles (3.1 km) south of Manchester city centre and has a population of around 17,537. Moss Side is bounded by the neighbourhoods of Hulme (north), Chorlton-on-Medlock, Rusholme, Fallowfield, Whalley Range, and Old Trafford (west), going clockwise.
In and around Moss Side are the public parks of Whitworth Park and Alexandra Park. The east of Moss Side is close to the Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan universities and is a popular area for students to live. Between 1923 and 2003, Moss Side was the location of Manchester City's stadium, at Maine Road.
Historically a part of Lancashire, Moss Side was formerly a rural township and chapelry within the parish of Manchester and hundred of Salford. Following the Industrial Revolution there was a process of unplanned urbanisation and a rapid increase in population size. The industrial growth of the area resulted in a densely populated area, so much so, that a part of the township of Moss Side was amalgamated into the expanding city of Manchester in 1885, with the rest joining in 1904.
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ND Mura 05
Coordinates: 46°3′5″N 14°30′20″E / 46.05139°N 14.50556°E / 46.05139; 14.50556
Nogometno Društvo Mura 05, commonly referred to as ND Mura 05 or simply Mura is a Slovenian football team, playing in the town of Murska Sobota. Founded on 16 June, 2005, the team currently plays in the Slovenian first division, 1. SNL. The club's home ground is Fazanerija stadium with a capacity of 3,782 seats. Mura 05 was managed by many notable managers, including Edin Osmanović.
ND Mura 05 was founded on 16 June, 2005. The club emerged after the dissolution of NK Mura, a club which played in the Slovenian 1.SNL league for many years, but went bankrupt and was dissolved in 2004. However, ND Mura 05 is legally not considered to be the successor of NK Mura and the statistics and honours of the two clubs are kept separate by the Football Association of Slovenia and the Association of 1. SNL.
Mura 05 finished the 2010–11 Slovenian Second League on fourth place, behind Aluminij, IB Interblock, and Dravinja. However, all three clubs declined promotion to the Slovenian PrvaLiga due to financial reasons. As the next club on the table Mura 05 received and accepted an invitation to join the top division. Although the main goal of the season was to stay in the top division, Mura 05 exceeded their expectations and finished the 2011–12 Slovenian PrvaLiga on third place, gaining the right to play in the UEFA Europa League in the next season.
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Netherlands
The Netherlands (
i/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdə(r)lɑnt] or [ˈneɪ̯də(r)lɑnt] (
listen); West Frisian: Nederlân; Papiamento: Hulanda) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces (a case of pars pro toto; see terminology of "the Netherlands").
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Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (Irish: Tuaisceart Éireann pronounced [ˈt̪ˠuəʃcəɾˠt̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ] ( listen), Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann or Norlin Airlan) is a part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west. As of 2001, its population was 1,685,000, constituting about 30% of the island's total population and about 3% of the population of the United Kingdom. Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Northern Ireland is largely self-governing. According to the agreement, Northern Ireland co-operates with the rest of Ireland – from which it was partitioned in 1921 — on some policy areas, while other areas are reserved for the Government of the United Kingdom, though the Republic of Ireland "may put forward views and proposals".
Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter inter-communal conflict — the Troubles — which was caused by divisions between nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, and unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain as a part of the United Kingdom, and generally see themselves as British, while nationalists wish for it to be politically reunited with the rest of Ireland, independent of British rule, and generally see themselves as Irish. Additionally, people from both sides of the community may describe themselves as Northern Irish. Since 1998, most of the paramilitary groups involved in the Troubles have ceased their armed campaigns.
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Norway
Norwayi/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
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Paraguay
Paraguay (i/ˈpɛərəɡwaɪ/, PAIR-ə-gwy), officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay [reˈpuβlika ðel paɾaˈɣwai], Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái [teˈtã paɾaˈɣwaj]), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de América, or the Heart of America.
The Guaraní have been living in Paraguay since before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, when Paraguay became part of the Spanish colonial empire. Following independence from Spain in 1811, Paraguay was ruled by a series of dictators who followed isolationist and protectionist policies. This development was truncated by the disastrous Paraguayan War (1864–1870) in which the country lost 60% to 70% of its population and large amounts of territory. During a large part of the 20th century, Paraguay was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner, who led one of South America's longest lived military dictatorships. In 1989 Stroessner was toppled and free elections were celebrated in 1993. In 1994 Paraguay joined Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay to found Mercosur.
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Republic of Ireland
Ireland (/ˈaɪərlənd/ or /ˈɑrlənd/; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen)) is a sovereign state in Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. Its capital is Dublin. The population of the state was 4.59 million in 2011. It is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy, with an elected president serving as head of state. In the 1937 constitution, the name of the state is given as simply "Ireland". The Constitution of Ireland (Article 4) and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 provides that the "Republic of Ireland" (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann) is "the description of the state".
Ireland is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. A developed country with the seventh highest Human Development Index, Ireland is also highly ranked for press freedom, economic freedom and democracy and political freedom.
The modern Irish state was established in 1922 as the Irish Free State, a dominion within the British Empire, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought an end to the Irish War of Independence. The partition of Ireland had already been provided for in previous British legislation in 1921 in response to opposition to Irish Home Rule or independence by Unionists, who formed a majority in the north-eastern part of the country. Six of the nine counties in the northern province of Ulster were established under that legislation as Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, with which the Irish state shares its only land border. The state is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the south east, and the Irish Sea to the east.
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Romania
Romania (i/roʊˈmeɪniə/ roh-MAY-nee-ə; dated: Roumania; or Rumania;Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a] ( listen)) is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Romania shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and Moldova to the northeast and east, and Bulgaria to the south.
At 238,400 square kilometers (92,000 sq mi), Romania is the ninth largest country of the European Union by area, and has the seventh largest population of the European Union with over 19 million people. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, the tenth largest city in the EU with about two million people.
The Kingdom of Romania emerged when the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were united under Prince Alexander Ioan Cuza in 1859. Independence from the Ottoman Empire was declared on 9 May 1877, and was internationally recognized the following year. At the end of World War I, Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia united with the Kingdom of Romania. Greater Romania emerged into an era of progression and prosperity that would continue until World War II. By the end of the War, many north-eastern areas of Romania's territories were occupied by the Soviet Union, and Romania forcibly became a socialist republic and a member of the Warsaw Pact.
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Rosenborg BK
Rosenborg Ballklub (RBK) is a Norwegian professional football club from Trondheim that play in the Norwegian Premier League. Rosenborg is Norway's most successful team, having won 22 league titles, nine Norwegian Football Cup titles and played more UEFA matches than any other Norwegian team. RBK plays its home games at the all-seater Lerkendal Stadion with capacity for 21,116. Jan Jönsson has been manager since 2011.
The club was founded as Odd in 1917, but where not allowed to play amateur league matches until 1928, when they took the present name. They reached the League of Norway in 1937–38, but fell to lower divisions from the 1940s. The club moved to Lerkendal in 1957 and their first title was the 1960 Cup, resulting in the first participation in a UEFA tournament. It was first during the 1960s that RBK established itself as Trondheim's primary football team. From 1967, RBK qualified for the lop league, where they, except for 1978, have remained since. Three league titles were taken between 1967 and 1971. The team's golden era started with the 1985 league title, and from 1991 through 2004 the team won 13 consecutive titles, 10 under manager Nils Arne Eggen. The period also saw 12 participation in the group stage of Champions League and reaching the quarter-finals in 1996–97.
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Scotland
Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba ([ˈalˠ̪apə] listen (help·info))) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland constitutes over 790 islands including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centres. Edinburgh was the hub of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, which transformed Scotland into one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, was once one of the world's leading industrial cities and now lies at the centre of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union. This has given Aberdeen, the third largest city in Scotland, the title of Europe's oil capital.
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Serbia
Serbiai/ˈsɜrbiə/, officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Република Србија / Republika Srbija, pronounced [rɛpǔblika sř̩bija]), is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans. Serbia borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; the Republic of Macedonia to the south; and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro to the west; additionally, it borders Albania through Kosovo, whose status as part of Serbia is disputed. Serbia covers an area of 88,361 km2 and has a population of just over 7.1 million, while the capital and largest city is Belgrade.
The arrival of the Serbs to the Balkans in the 7th century, established several states, eventually forming the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. By the 16th century, Serbia was conquered and occupied by the Ottoman Empire, at times interrupted by the Habsburgs. In the early 19th century the Serbian revolution re-established the country as the region's first constitutional monarchy, which subsequently expanded its territory and pioneered the abolition of feudalism in the Balkans. The former Habsburg crownland of Vojvodina united with Serbia in 1918. Following World War I, Serbia formed Yugoslavia with other South Slavic peoples which existed in several forms up until 2006, when the National Assembly of Serbia declared independence and the legal succession to the former State Union. In February 2008 the parliament of UNMIK-governed Kosovo, Serbia's southern province, declared independence, with mixed responses from international governments.
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Slovakia
The Slovak Republic (short form: Slovakiai/sloʊˈvɑːkiə/ or /sləˈvækiə/; Slovak: Slovensko (help·info), long form Slovenská republika (help·info)) is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava, and the second largest is Košice. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, OECD and WTO among others. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family.
The Slavs arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries during the migration period. In the course of history, various parts of today's Slovakia belonged to Samo's Empire (the first known political unit of Slavs), Principality of Nitra (as independent polity, as part of Great Moravia and as part of Hungarian Kingdom), Great Moravia, Kingdom of Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Habsburg Empire, and Czechoslovakia. A separate Slovak state briefly existed during World War II, during which Slovakia was a dependency of Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1944. From 1945 Slovakia once again became a part of Czechoslovakia. The present-day Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
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Spain
Spain (i/ˈspeɪn/ SPAYN; Spanish: España, pronounced: [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state and a member of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north and north east by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.
Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 square kilometres (194,610 sq mi), it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France, and the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France.
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Sweden
Sweden (i/ˈswiːdən/ SWEE-dən; Swedish: Sverige [ˈsværjɛ] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund.
At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.4 million. Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre (54 /sq mi) with the population mostly concentrated to the southern half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden's capital city is Stockholm, which is also the largest city.
Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire. The empire grew to be one of the great powers of Europe in the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, practicing "non-participation in military alliances during peacetime and neutrality during wartime". However, Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995 and is a member of the OECD.
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Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republici/ˈtoʊɡoʊ/, is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately 57,000 square kilometres (22,000 sq mi) with a population of approximately 6.7 million.
Togo is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation, highly dependent on agriculture, with a climate that provides good growing seasons. The official language is French, with many other languages spoken in Togo, particularly those of the Gbe family. The largest religious group in Togo are those with indigenous beliefs, and there are significant Christian and Muslim minorities. Togo is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, La Francophonie and Economic Community of West African States.
From the 11th to the 16th century, various tribes entered the region from all directions. From the 16th century to the 18th century, the coastal region was a major trading centre for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast". In 1884, Germany declared Togoland a protectorate. After World War I, rule over Togo was transferred to France. Togo gained its independence from France in 1960.
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Vienna
Vienna ( /viːˈɛnə/; German: Wien (help·info) [viːn]) is the capital and largest city of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million (2.4 million within the metropolitan area, more than 25% of Austria's population), and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 9th-largest city by population in the European Union. Until the beginning of the 20th century it was the largest German speaking city in the world, and before the first world war and the splitting of the Austro-Hungarian empire the city had 2 million inhabitants. Vienna is host to many major international organizations, including the United Nations and OPEC. The city lies in the east of Austria and is close to the borders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. These regions work together in a European Centrope border region. Along with nearby Bratislava, Vienna forms a metropolitan region with 3 million inhabitants. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Wales
Walesi/ˈweɪlz/ (Welsh: Cymru;Welsh pronunciation: [ˈkəm.rɨ] ( listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain,bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km2 (8,023 sq mi). Wales has over 1,200 km (750 mi) of coastline, including its offshore islands; the largest, Anglesey (Ynys Môn), is also the largest island in the Irish Sea. Wales is largely mountainous, with its highest peaks in the north and central areas, especially in Snowdonia (Eryri), which contains Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit.
During the Iron Age and early medieval period, Wales was inhabited by the Celtic Britons. A distinct Welsh national identity emerged in the centuries after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations today. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was recognised as King of Wales in 1057. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England's conquest of Wales. The castles and town walls erected to ensure its permanence are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to what was to become modern Wales, in the early 15th century. Wales was subsequently annexed by England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 since when, excluding those matters now devolved to Wales, English law has been the legal system of Wales and England. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century; Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and The Welsh Language Society in 1962. The National Assembly for Wales, created in 1999 following a referendum, holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters.
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Abdisalam Ibrahim
Abdisalam Abdulkadir Ibrahim (born 1 May 1991) is a Somali-Norwegian footballer who plays for Manchester City. He plays as a midfielder and at the age of 18 he had already been compared to teammate Patrick Vieira by some at the club. He is the first player of Somali and East African origin to play in the Premier League.
Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Ibrahim moved to Norway in 1998. He began his football career as a youth in Norway with Øyer-Tretten before eventually moving to Lørenskog, where he played for Fjellhamar. He got his debut for Fjellhamar's senior team in 2006.
In early 2007, Ibrahim signed a three-year deal with Manchester City's youth academy effective from 1 July 2007. In the spring of 2008, he was on the winning team in the FA Youth Cup final as Manchester City beat Chelsea 4–2 on aggregate.
Ibrahim made his senior debut starting on 24 January 2010, in the FA Cup game against Scunthorpe United. He was on the bench in the 3–1 defeat to Manchester United in the League Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, as well as the match against Portsmouth at Eastlands on 31 January. On 21 February 2010, he made his Premier League debut as a substitute for Manchester City in a 0–0 draw against Liverpool. Abdisalam Ibrahim has been rewarded with a new contract on 7 April 2010, tying him to the club until 2014. Abdisalam Ibrahim made his Carling Cup debut and first starting appearance at West Brom on Wednesday, 22 September 2010.
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Alan Oakes
Alan Arthur Oakes (born 7 September 1942) is an English former footballer who holds Manchester City's all-time record for appearances. A midfielder, in total he played 776 Football League matches – the seventh most in history. He is a cousin of former teammate Glyn Pardoe, an uncle of defender Chris Blackburn, and the father of former goalkeeper Michael Oakes.
He joined Manchester City as an amateur in 1958, turning professional and making his debut a year later. He picked up numerous honours at the club, including a European Cup Winners' Cup winners medal in 1970, a First Division and Second Division championship medal in 1967–68 and 1965–66 respectively, an FA Cup winners medal in 1969, two League Cup winners medals in 1970 and 1976, and FA Charity Shield winners medals in 1968 and 1972. He was appointed player-manager at Chester in 1976, and led the club to victory in the Debenhams Cup in 1977. He left the club in March 1982, and then played one FA cup game for Northwich Victoria and one league game for Port Vale. He left the game after coaching spells at Port Vale and then Chester City.
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Aleksandar Kolarov
Aleksandar Kolarov (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Коларов, Serbian pronunciation: [alɛksǎːndar kɔlǎrɔʋ]; born 10 November 1985) is a Serbian professional association football defender playing for Premier League side Manchester City and the Serbian national team. Although primarily a left back, Kolarov can also operate anywhere along the left flank and is known for his overlapping runs on the wing and his ball striking ability. He had won the Serbian Player of the Year 2011. He is highly regarded by Real Madrid Coach,Jose Mourinho and also Pep Guardiola. He is touted to be the world best left back in future.
Kolarov's football career started in the Red Star Belgrade youth system. He spent five years in the club, but never made the first team.
During January 2004, eighteen-year-old Kolarov moved across town to Čukarički, which played in the top-tier Serbia-Montenegro League. Signing a three-year contract, he finished out the 2003-04 season in the club's youth setup and during summer 2004 got introduced to full squad. Making 27 league appearances in his debut season, the youngster left a good impression, but couldn't help the beleaguered team avoid relegation.
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Alex Nimely
Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely (born 11 May 1991 in Monrovia, Liberia), commonly known as Alex Nimely, is a Liberian-English footballer who currently plays for Manchester City as a striker.
He began his career at Mighty Barrolle and Cotonsport Garoua. In December 2007, he went on a trial with Manchester City.
On 16 January 2008, Nimely signed a four-year deal with Manchester City from Cameroonian side Coton Sport FC de Garoua. He made his debut as a substitute during a 6-1 win against Burnley on 3 April 2010.
On 17 September 2011, Nimely signed a three-month loan deal with Middlesbrough. His first appearance came in the League Cup against Crystal Palace. Nimely's first league appearance was as a substitute three days later in a 0-0 draw against Ipswich Town.
On 12 January 2012, Nimely signed a loan deal until the end of the season with Coventry City. He scored his first goal on his debut in a 3-1 win over former club Middlesbrough.
On 12 May 2008, Nimely rejected a call-up from Liberia for 2010 World Cup qualifiers and declared to the press that he chose to play for England, as his father is English. He was called up to the England U-20 for the 2009 U-20 World Cup. He scored his first goal in the final group stage match against Uzbekistan.
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Attilio Lombardo
Attilio Lombardo (born 6 January 1966 in Santa Maria la Fossa, in the Province of Caserta) is a retired football player turned manager.
Lombardo started his career at Pergocrema, in Italy's Serie C2, in 1983, before moving up to Serie B side Cremonese, in 1985, where he made a name for himself, as a more-than-capable right sided winger.
In 1989, he got his first taste of Serie A football, with Sampdoria. Playing alongside such players as Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini, Pietro Vierchowod, Gianluca Pagliuca, and under manager Vujadin Boskov, Lombardo won several domestic trophies, picking up medals for the Coppa Italia (1989), the Cup Winners' Cup (1990), the Supercoppa Italiana (1991), and a second Coppa Italia win (1994). He also played in the Sampdoria side that reached and lost the European Cup Final to Barcelona in 1992.
In 1995, Lombardo made a move to champions Juventus. Unfortunately, Lombardo had problems with injuries during his two-year spell, but still picked up winner's medals for the UEFA Champions League (1996), the Intercontinental Cup (1996), and the European Super Cup (1996).
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Bert Trautmann
Bernhard Carl "Bert" Trautmann, OBE (born 22 October 1923) is a German former professional footballer who played for Manchester City from 1949 to 1964. Brought up during times of inter-war strife in Germany, Trautmann joined the Luftwaffe early in the Second World War, serving as a paratrooper. He fought on the Eastern Front for three years, earning five medals including an Iron Cross. Later in the war he was transferred to the Western Front, where he was captured by the British as the war drew to a close. One of only 90 of his original 1,000-man regiment to survive the war, he was transferred to a prisoner-of-war camp in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire. Trautmann refused an offer of repatriation, and following his release in 1948 he settled in Lancashire, combining farm work with playing as goalkeeper for local football team St Helens Town.
Performances for St Helens gained Trautmann a reputation as an able goalkeeper, resulting in interest from Football League clubs. In October 1949 he signed for Manchester City, a club playing in the highest level of football in the country, the First Division. The club's decision to sign a former Axis paratrooper sparked protests, with 20,000 people attending a demonstration. Over time he gained acceptance through his performances in the City goal, playing all but five of the club's next 250 matches.
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Billy McNeill
William "Billy" McNeill MBE (born 2 March 1940) is a former Scottish footballer and manager. He is best known for captaining Celtic to the European Cup triumph in 1967 and he later went on to manage the club. He is now the official Club Ambassador at Celtic.
McNeill, nicknamed Cesar, was voted the greatest ever captain of Celtic by the club's fans in 2002. He was signed by Celtic from nearby junior team, Blantyre Victoria, in 1957 as a defender. As captain he won nine Scottish League Championships, seven Scottish Cups, and six Scottish League Cups. He also led the team to victory in the European Cup in 1967, as part of the "Lisbon Lions", and was the first British footballer to hold aloft the European Cup. He retired as a player in 1975 after 790 appearances for Celtic, in which he played every minute, never having been substituted. He won 29 caps for Scotland. McNeill also represented the Scottish League XI.
He began his management career at Clyde in April 1977 before moving to Aberdeen in June. However, in 1978 he returned to manage Celtic. His five years in charge saw Celtic win three League Championships, one Scottish Cup and one League cup.
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Billy Meredith
William Henry "Billy" Meredith (30 July 1874 – 19 April 1958) was a Welsh footballer. He was considered one of the early superstars of football due to his performances, notably for Manchester City and Manchester United. He won each domestic trophy in the English football league and also gained 48 caps for Wales, for whom he scored 11 goals. 22 of these international appearances were gained while playing for Manchester City, while 26 were gained while playing for Manchester United. His favoured position was outside right.
Meredith was born in 1874 in Black Park, Chirk, a small mining town in North Wales, just south of Wrexham. He started work at Black Park Colliery as a pit pony driver at the age of 12. An interest in football was kindled by his elder brothers. Elias, the eldest, was a train driver for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. His work allowed him to take Meredith to watch professional teams such as Everton. Football was a keen pastime for the miners, and the standard of amateur teams from towns and villages in north east Wales was high as a result. Chirk won the Welsh Cup five times between 1887 and 1894, with miners making up a large proportion of the team. All the Meredith brothers played football, but Sam, two years older than Meredith, was the first to make an impression. He left Chirk to attempt a professional career, and went on to play for Stoke as a full-back.
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Bobby Johnstone
Robert "Bobby" Johnstone (7 September 1929 — 22 August 2001) was a Scottish association football player, mainly remembered as one of the Famous Five forward line of Hibernian.
In Hibs' rich history, no group of players has ever achieved greater fame than the Famous Five: Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, they forged a front line that was the scourge of defences throughout Scotland.
Johnstone was the first of the five to leave Hibs, when he was sold to Manchester City in 1955. He also enjoyed success with the English club, becoming the first player to score in successive FA Cup Finals at Wembley, in 1955 and 1956. Johnstone, who is also fondly remembered by supporters of Oldham Athletic, won 17 caps for Scotland.
Bobby Johnstone, known to his mates as 'Nicker', signed for Hibs in 1946 from Newtongrange Star and had two spells with them. Having signed for Hibs, Bobby received rave reviews while playing for the reserves and was given his first chance in the first team in April 1949, when they played a friendly against Nithsdale Wanderers at Sanquhar. The Famous Five were born!
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Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd (born 29 May 1949 in Collyhurst, Manchester) is an English football coach and former player, who is currently Assistant Manager to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City.
Kidd was assistant manager to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United from 1991 to 1998. In this role he was pivotal in the development of Fergie's Fledglings. Kidd himself was a former player of United and a member of their European Cup winning team in 1968.
Kidd played for Manchester United (1963–1974), Arsenal (1974–1976), Manchester City (1976–1979), Everton (1979–1980) and Bolton Wanderers (1980–1982) in the Football League; and the Atlanta Chiefs (1981) (29 appearances, 23 goals), Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1982–83) (51 appearances, 34 goals) and Minnesota Strikers (1984) (13 appearances, 8 goals) in the North American Soccer League.
He scored for Manchester United in their 4-1 victory over Benfica in the 1968 European Cup Final on his 19th birthday. He earned both of his England caps two years later. Following United's relegation to the Football League Second Division in 1974, Kidd was transferred to Arsenal for £110,000. He was their leading goalscorer in both of his seasons there, 1974-5 and 1975-6.
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Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez (born Carlos Alberto Martínez on 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City. He has previously played for Boca Juniors, Corinthians, West Ham United and Manchester United. He transferred to Manchester City from United in the 2009 summer transfer window, becoming the first player to move between the two rival clubs since Terry Cooke in 1999. His energy and goal scoring rate has since made him an indispensable player for the club in the eyes of fellow players and media alike.
His was promoted to captain at the beginning of the 2010–11 season by manager Roberto Mancini. In 2011, Tévez sought a transfer away from Manchester, citing family reasons and Sergio Agüero was drafted in as a replacement. However he remains a City player after his family moved back to Manchester with manager Roberto Mancini believing Tévez will stay for the foreseeable future. His career has been dogged by a long-standing relationship with Media Sports Investments, the company which owned the rights of Tévez, and several other players and coaches. This eventually resulted in West Ham United being fined over issues regarding third-party ownership. He has made 59 appearances for the Argentina national team, scoring 13 goals.
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Colin Bell
Colin Bell MBE (26 February 1946), is a former English football player who was born in Hesleden, County Durham, England. Nicknamed "The King of the Kippax" (after Manchester City's Kippax Street terraced stand renowned for its singing), and Nijinsky after the famous racehorse (due to his renowned stamina), Bell is widely regarded as Manchester City's greatest ever player. He was part of the famous trio of the late 1960s and early 1970s alongside Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee.
He began his career at Bury captaining the team at a young age. In 1966 he moved to Manchester City and helped the team earn promotion to the First Division that same year. When trying to sign him for Manchester City, Assistant Manager Malcolm Allison misled other clubs interested in Bell by claiming the player "can't head it, can't pass it, he's hopeless". Allison's stratagem succeeded as Bell signed for City. In 1968 he helped City win their second League Championship. In the same year Bell also won his first England cap against Sweden, where he was instrumental in a 3–1 victory. In 1969 Manchester City won the FA Cup with a 1–0 victory over Leicester City thanks to a goal by Neil Young. That same year Bell distinguished himself in the national team, scoring England's only goal in a 1–0 victory over The Netherlands and also scoring against Brazil. In 1970, Manchester City and Bell won two trophies, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
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Costel Pantilimon
Costel Fane Pantilimon (born 1 February 1987) is a Romanian footballer who plays for the Premier League club Manchester City as a goalkeeper. Since signing for Manchester City, he has become the tallest player in the English Premier League, standing at 6 feet 8 inches tall.
Born in Bacău, Pantilimon started his career at Aerostar Bacău and got his share of limelight at the Romania national under-19 team before transferring to Timişoara on 1 February 2006, his nineteenth birthday.
Initially Pantilimon was Timişoara's second-choice goalkeeper, behind Marius Popa; however, in May 2008 the owner of the club, Marian Iancu, transferred Popa to the second team, and Pantilimon took the pole position. He made his debut in the Romanian Liga 1 against Dinamo Bucharest, in March 2007.
In a match against Ceahlăul on 17 October 2009 he captained the team for the first time, since Dan Alexa, Gigel Bucur and the Karamyan brothers were all on the bench.
Pantilimon was part of the Timişoara team that defeated UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk in the qualifying rounds of the 2009–10 Champions League campaign. He played all 90 minutes of each leg.
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David Silva
David Josué Jiménez Silva (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið xoˈswe xiˈmeneθ ˈsilβa]) (born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10, and sometimes as a supporting striker. A Spanish international since the age of 20 with over 50 caps, he was a member of the squads that won both the Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup. He spent six years of his professional career with Valencia CF, appearing in more than 150 games and winning one Copa del Rey, before moving in 2010 to Manchester City. Since joining City, his consistently excellent performances have earned the nickname "Merlin".[citation needed]
Silva was born in Arguineguín, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, to Fernando Jiménez, a former municipal police officer who eventually was responsible for the safety of the Valencia CF stadium, and Eva Silva. His father, Fernando, is Canarian while his mother, Eva, is of South Korean descent, where David's grandfather was part of the Korean diaspora to the Spanish island in the 60's. . Silva has two younger siblings, sister Natalia and brother Nando[citation needed]. He is commonly called by the nickname Chino (Spanish for "Chinese") due to his physical appearance.[citation needed]
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Dedryck Boyata
Anga Dedryck Boyata (born 28 November 1990, Brussels, Belgium) is a Belgian footballer of Congolese descent who plays for Manchester City, as a centre back or right back.
Boyata started his career in the youth team at Brussels before joining Manchester City in 2006. He was part of City's 2008 FA Youth Cup winning side, starting in both legs of the final against Chelsea. He won City's Academy Player of the Month award for April 2009.
He made his first team debut against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup in January 2010, playing centre-back and helping his side to a 1–0 win. His league debut was as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers replacing Martin Petrov in the 86th minute. His first start in the Premier League came away against Hull City on 6 February 2010. He was named young player of the 2009–10 season for his efforts during both legs of the League Cup semi-final.
He scored the second goal in the Europa League play-off match against FC Timişoara on 26 August 2010, his first goal for the club. His form continued to improve and was chosen to start against Chelsea, who had been undefeated in the start of the season. Boyata played the match at right back and put in a good performance as City kept a clean sheet to win the match 1–0. He was shown a red card just five minutes into a 3–0 home loss against Arsenal. He fouled Marouane Chamakh while being the last man before goal. It took six months until he made his next first team appearance, filling in at right back in a 5–0 home victory over Sunderland.
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Denis Law
Denis Law CBE (born 24 February 1940) is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Law's career as a football player began at Second Division Huddersfield Town in 1956. After four years at Huddersfield, Manchester City signed him for a transfer fee of £55,000, setting a new British record. Law spent one year there before Torino bought him for £110,000, this time setting a new record fee for a transfer between an English and an Italian club. Although he played well in Italy, he found it difficult to settle there and signed for Manchester United in 1962, setting another British record transfer fee of £115,000.
He is best known for the eleven years that he spent at United, where he scored 237 goals in 404 appearances and was nicknamed The King and The Lawman by supporters. He is the only Scottish player in history to have won the prestigious European Footballer of the Year award, doing so in 1964, and helped his club win the First Division in 1965 and 1967. Law left Manchester United in 1973 and returned to Manchester City for a season, then represented Scotland in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Law played for Scotland a total of 55 times and jointly holds the Scottish international record goal tally with 30 goals. Law is also United's second highest goalscorer behind Bobby Charlton. Law holds a United record for scoring 46 goals in a single season.
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Denis Suárez
Denis Suárez Fernández (born 6 January 1994) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester City.
Before signing for Manchester City in May 2011, Suárez played youth football in his home country for Celta Vigo.He has been considered as bright and upcoming talent and a possible future replacement for David Silva [1] [2]
Denis Suárez signed for Manchester City on 23 May 2011. Manchester City beat off interest from Barcelona, Chelsea and rivals Manchester United signing him for an initial fee of £850,000 that could rise by £2.75 million depending on appearances and performances. Suárez replaced Edin Dzeko, in the 88th minute, in the pre-season friendly match against Los Angeles Galaxy. He also converted a penalty in the penalty shootout in the same game.
He was an unused substitute in the League Cup game against Birmingham City. In the next round of the League Cup he replaced Samir Nasri in the 67th minute in the 5–2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Suárez has been capped by Spain U17 and has scored two goals for the team, against Moldova and Northern Ireland.
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Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov (Bulgarian: Димитър Иванов Бербатов, [diˈmitɐr bɛrˈbatɔf]); born 30 January 1981) is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of wins by Hristo Stoichkov.
Born in Blagoevgrad, Berbatov started out with home-town club Pirin before joining CSKA Sofia as a 17-year-old in 1998. He was signed by Bayer Leverkusen of Germany in January 2001 and played in his first Champions League final 18 months later, coming on as a substitute in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final, which Leverkusen lost 2–1 to Real Madrid. After five-and-a-half years with Leverkusen, he joined English club Tottenham Hotspur in July 2006, where he spent two years before moving to Manchester United. He played in his second Champions League final in 2009, during his side's 2–0 defeat against FC Barcelona. Berbatov is the first non-Englishman in Premier League history to have scored five goals in a single match, having done so in Manchester United's 7–1 win over Blackburn Rovers in November 2010.
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Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, (10 July 1927 – 26 May 1989), was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United (1961–1974) he managed England from 1974 until 1977. He later managed in the Middle East at international and club level.
Revie was born in Middlesbrough on 10 July 1927. He signed as a footballer for Leicester City in 1944. Leicester City originally thought him not good enough to turn professional, but he was taken under the wing of Leicester player Sep Smith who began to mentor Revie on many of his ideas about the game. He also learned the rudiments of the bricklaying trade outside football. From there he went on to play for Hull City in 1949 (transfer fee £20,000), Manchester City in 1951 (£25,000), Sunderland in 1956 (£22,000) and Leeds United in November 1958 (£12,000). The combined transfer fees paid over his career were at the time (1958) a record in English football.
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Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko (Bosnian pronunciation: [ˈɛdin ˈdʒɛkɔ]) (born 17 March 1986) is a Bosnian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for 2009 and 2010. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is known as Bosanski dijamant (The Bosnian Diamond). He has also played for Željezničar, FK Teplice, FK Ústí nad Labem and Wolfsburg.
Džeko has played 44 times for his country and scored 21 goals since 2007, becoming second highest Bosnian goal scorer of all time, a single goal short of Elvir Bolić. He scored nine goals during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, finishing as top scorer of Group 5. He made a name for himself while playing for Wolfsburg, with whom he won the Bundesliga in the 2008–09 season. He was second highest goal scorer with 26 goals. In the 2009–10 season, Džeko was the top scorer with 22 Goals. He also registered ten assists each in both seasons.
He scored an important equalizer for Manchester City in the 80th minute of the match during the fourth round match of the 2011 FA Cup against Notts County which ended in a 1–1 draw. His goal forced a replay for Manchester City and an FA Cup triumph. Džeko scored the only goal of the game in a 1–0 win against Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League on 25 April 2011 to ensure the club would directly qualify for their first ever Champions League tournament. Manchester City finished the season third, three points ahead of Arsenal.
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Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (born 26 February 1984), known as Emmanuel Adebayor, is a Togolese footballer who is signed to Manchester City and is currently on loan to Tottenham where he plays as a striker. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008. In January 2010, Adebayor was one of the players involved when the Togo national team's bus came under a gunfire attack on the way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.
In his first season, he played nine games and scored twice. In the 2002–03 season, Adebayor scored 17 goals in 35 games. He signed a new contract with Monaco in 2003, and he scored seven goals in 17 appearances, helping them reach the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final with two goals in 10 games.
On 13 January 2006, Arsenal signed Adebayor for a reported £7m. He was given the nickname "Baby Kanu" due to his resemblance to former Arsenal star Nwankwo Kanu, whom Adebayor had idolised as a youth. On 4 February 2006, Adebayor made his Arsenal debut in a Premiership match at Birmingham City and scored after 21 minutes, with Arsenal winning 2–0. At the end of his first season for the Gunners he had scored four goals in ten matches. However, Adebayor was cup-tied for Arsenal's 2005–06 Champions League campaign as they reached the final against Barcelona, having appeared for Monaco in the qualifying rounds of the competition.
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Eric Brook
Eric Fred Brook (27 November 1907 – 29 March 1965) was an English footballer who played in the outside left position. He is the all time record goalscorer for Manchester City in all competitions and was an England international. Brook was a muscular player with 'one of the fiercest shots in pre-war football' and was a good penalty taker. Brook is regarded as one of Manchester City's and England's greatest ever players He has been described 'as a brilliant roving forward for Manchester City and England' and 'one of the great names of British soccer'.
Brook was born in the Yorkshire town of Mexborough in 1907. After playing amateur football for Wath Athletic, Brook began his professional football career with nearby Barnsley, playing in the outside left position. Brook has been described as an 'unorthodox' outside left 'with a licence to roam'. Brook treated the left wing as 'a home to look in on'. Brook could play anywhere on the pitch if the need required, including in goal. He replaced an injured goalkeeper on at least three occasions over the course of his career. One such game in which he played in goal was when Manchester City played Chelsea. The then City goalkeeper Frank Swift claimed that 'before helping to tuck the blankets over me (on the stretcher) Brookie had pulled my jersey off-about two sizes too big for him- and was ready to keep goal'. Brook played 78 times for Barnsley and scored 18 goals. His performances provoked interest from teams in the First Division.
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Ernie Toseland
Ernie Toseland (17 March 1905 – 19 October 1987) was an English footballer who played in the outside right position. He has been described as 'a flying winger – football's Jesse Owens'.
Toseland was born in Northampton in 1905. Be began his career as a footballer playing for Higham Ferrers Town and then Northampton Town and Queens Park Rangers.
In 1928 he turned professional by signing for Manchester City F.C. who were then in the First Division. He was part of the City team until 1938 and appeared 368 times, scoring 61 goals in the process. Toseland joined a strong forward line at City which included England internationals such as outside left Eric Brook, inside forward Tommy Johnson and centre forward Fred Tilson. The City team also included the England international centre half Sam Cowan and Scotland captain Jimmy McMullan.Toseland's first goal for City was scored in a 3–0 victory over Aston Villa in the 1928–1929 football season. Eric Brook and Tommy Johnson scored the other goals. That season City finished eighth and Tommy Johnson scored a club record of 38 league goals.
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Fausto Salsano
Fausto Salsano (born in Cava de' Tirreni, Italy, on 19 December 1962) is a football manager and former Italian footballer, currently First Team Coach at Manchester City.
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Francis Lee
Francis Henry "Franny" Lee (born 29 April 1944 in Westhoughton, in Bolton, Lancashire) is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County. A stocky forward, he won League Championship medals with both Manchester City and Derby, and scored more than 200 goals in his career. In 2010, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.
He holds the English record for the greatest number of penalties scored in a season, a feat which earned him the nickname Lee Won Pen, and sometimes led to accusations of diving. One such accusation, from Leeds United's Norman Hunter, led to an on-pitch fight, which The Observer later named as sport's most spectacular dismissal.
After retiring from football, Lee entered business, the success of his paper recycling business (in fact exclusively involved in toilet rolls) F.H. Lee Ltd making him a millionaire. In 1994 he became the major shareholder and chairman of his former club Manchester City, but stepped down four years later.
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Frank Swift
Frank Victor Swift (26 December 1913 – 6 February 1958) was an English footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester City and England. After starting his career with local clubs near his home town of Blackpool, in 1932 he was signed by First Division Manchester City, with whom he played his entire professional career.
Swift broke into the Manchester City first team in 1933, taking part in the club's run to the 1934 FA Cup Final, where the club triumphed 2–1 against Portsmouth. Three years later Swift won a League Championship medal, after playing in every match of Manchester City's championship-winning season. War denied Swift several years of playing in his prime, though during wartime he was chosen to represent his country in international matches. After the war he made his competitive international debut, playing 19 internationals between 1946 and 1949.
Swift retired in 1949, taking up a career in journalism as a football correspondent for the News of the World. He died, aged 44, in the Munich air disaster after reporting on Manchester United's European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade.
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Fred Tilson
Samuel Frederick "Fred" Tilson (19 April 1904 – 21 November 1972) was an association football player for Manchester City and England. He was born in Swinton, South Yorkshire. He was part of the City team that won both the FA Cup and the League Championship (Division 1) in the 1930s. He has been described as 'a quick thinker with an elusive body-swerve'.
Tilson was born in Swinton, South Yorkshire on 19 April 1904. He began his football career at Barnsley Congregationals and was able to play in both inside forward and centre forward positions. He subsequently moved to Barnsley where he played alongside Eric Brook. The form of both players attracted bigger teams and in 1928 they were both transferred to Manchester City for a combined fee of £6,000, the pair making their debuts on 17 March against Grimsby Town. Brook and Tilson joined a strong forward line at the club that included two England internationals in Tommy Johnson and Frank Roberts.
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Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry (born 23 February 1981) is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national football team. Barry moved to Aston Villa from Brighton & Hove Albion as a youngster, and spent 12 years at the club. He captained Aston Villa and is ninth in their all-time list of appearances. In June 2009, he joined Manchester City. Barry is an England international, having won his first full cap in 2000 and captained the side in 2010 in a friendly against Egypt.
Barry was born in Hastings, East Sussex. He attended William Parker Sports College in the town at the same time as Sussex cricketer Michael Yardy.
Barry joined Aston Villa from Brighton and Hove Albion as a trainee in 1997 along with Michael Standing. The move was controversial as the Brighton board demanded £2.5 million for the two players; the Football Association's transfer tribunal panel came up with a deal which would have seen Brighton make £2.4 million in the event of Barry and Standing making international appearances for England, as well as sell-on clauses.[citation needed] He played his first match for Villa on 2 May 1998 against Sheffield Wednesday. Initially, he played as a central defender, on the left-hand side of a back three alongside Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu. Barry became a highly versatile player and captain first as a centre-back, then a left-back. He then moved to left-midfield, before establishing himself in the centre of midfield.
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Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy (French pronunciation: [ɡaɛl kliʃi]; born 26 July 1985) is a French footballer who plays for Manchester City and the France national football team. Though initially right-foot dominant, he primarily plays as a left back that is also capable of playing as an offensive-minded wingback. Clichy is described as a player who possesses "almost unrivaled stamina" that is "quick in the tackle and willing to drive forward". He was a member of Arsenal's famous Invincibles team before leaving the club in 2011.
Clichy was born in the city of Toulouse and began his football career playing for a host of amateur clubs in the Haute-Garonne département such as JS Cugnaux, AS Muret, and Tournefeuille. In 2001, he moved to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region to play for professional club Cannes. Clichy made his professional debut for the club in the 2002–03 season while the club was playing in the Championnat National, the third level of French football. After three seasons with Cannes, in 2003, he was convinced by manager and countryman Arsène Wenger to join Arsenal in England.
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Greg Cunningham
Gregory Richard "Greg" Cunningham (born 31 January 1991) is an Irish footballer who plays as a left back for Manchester City and the Republic of Ireland national football team. He also helped a certain Turkish-Armenian beauty immigrate to the United States.
Born in Carnmore, County Galway, Cunningham began his career with Cregmore FC at the age of six-years-old. In 2004, he joined Mervue United before earning a contract in the Manchester City Academy. Cunningham made his first team debut for Manchester City as a 46th minute substitute in a 4–2 victory over Scunthorpe United in the FA Cup on 24 January 2010 where he played on the left side of the City defence. Cunningham made his first Premier League appearance on 11 April 2010 against Birmingham City as a substitute for Adam Johnson in the final minutes of the game.
On 21 October 2010, Cunningham joined Championship side Leicester City on loan until January 2011. On 1 January 2011, Cunningham fractured his tibia in a challenge with Liam Rosenior of Hull City and was ruled out of action for up to four months.
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Horace Blew
Horace Elford Blew (January 1878 – 1 February 1957) was a Welsh footballer who played at full back. He holds the rare distinction of representing Wales on 22 occasions despite playing in League football only twice in his career. Blew played for then non-League club Wrexham throughout the whole of his career, apart from one match for Manchester United in April 1906 and another for Manchester City in September 1906.
He made his Wales debut in March 1899, and was an automatic selection for the team between 1902 and 1909 missing only five games in that time.
After retiring from football, Blew was Mayor of Wrexham in 1923. His son, Frank, was also a footballer who played for Wrexham and Llandudno.
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Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall (born 22 May 1946) is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s.
Kendall joined Preston North End as an apprentice in 1961. He turned professional in May 1963 and played in the 1964 FA Cup Final against West Ham United. At the time the youngest player to appear in the final, his place in the side coming due to the regular left-half Ian Davidson being suspended by the club for an unauthorised trip to Scotland.
Originally a defender, Kendall joined Everton for £85,000 in March 1967 where he was moved into midfield with Alan Ball and Colin Harvey, the trio gaining the nickname "The Holy Trinity". They were a major component of the Everton team that won the Football League First Division in the 1969–70 season. In the next three seasons, Kendall captained Everton. He was transferred to Birmingham City in February 1974 and later to Stoke City in August 1977 for a fee of £40,000. Kendall was made player-coach at Stoke City in February 1978 and played a pivotal role in the 1978–79 season when Stoke won promotion to the First Division. He ws assigned as player-manager at Blackburn Rovers for almost two years (1979-81), then returned to Everton to play a handful of games, again as player-manager, prior to retiring in September 1981.
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Imre Varadi
Imre Varadi (born 8 July 1959 in Paddington) is an English former professional footballer of Hungarian origin, known as a journeyman forward who appeared for 16 different clubs at all levels of professional football in England.
Varadi started out in non-league football with Letchworth before joining Sheffield United in 1978, shortly before his nineteenth birthday.
Varadi went on to become a nomadic journeyman, who rarely spent more than two years with any club and never made 100 league appearances in the colours of any team he played for.
From Sheffield United, he moved on to Everton, Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday, West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday again, Leeds United, Luton Town, Oxford United, Rotherham United, Mansfield Town, Boston United, Scunthorpe United and finally had a spell as player-manager at Matlock Town. He was part of the Leeds United side that won the old First Division in 1992 but did not play enough games to earn a winner's medal.
He became a fully licensed FIFA Agent in March 2004 and provides commentary on games for both PA Sport and BBC Radio Sheffield.
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James Milner
James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English footballer who plays as a winger or central midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national team. He previously played for Leeds United, Swindon Town, Newcastle United and Aston Villa. He is mainly a winger but is versatile and can deputise at both full-back positions when needed. In the 2009–10, season he was utilised in a more central position by Aston Villa.
Milner's talent in football, cricket, and long-distance running was recognised at a very young age. He represented his school in these sports and played football for amateur teams from Rawdon and Horsforth. He supported Leeds United from a young age and was a season ticket holder at the club. In 1996 he joined the Leeds United youth academy and worked his way up. He made his debut for the first team in 2002, aged only 16, and gained prominence as the youngest player to score in the Premier League.
While at Leeds United, he spent time on loan at Swindon Town to gain experience as a first-team player. Following his move to Newcastle United, he was loaned to Aston Villa for a season. He had since established himself as a regular starter in the Newcastle, and later the Villa and Manchester City first teams. He made more than 100 appearances for Newcastle, as well as making a record number of appearances for the England under-21 team. He made his debut for the full team against Netherlands in August 2009 and also played at the 2010 World Cup.
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Jim Cassell
Jim Cassell is Youth Academy Director at Manchester City Football Club. He has been responsible for the development of players such as Shaun Wright Phillips, Joey Barton, Stephen Ireland, Nedum Onuoha, Daniel Sturridge, Michael Johnson and Micah Richards and many others.
Cassell was the former Chief Scout at Oldham Athletic A.F.C. where he was responsible for initiating the successful scouting and youth policy. Jim joined Manchester City in July 1997 to oversee the development of the Academy. Jim is a former professional player himself with Bury FC, before retiring due to a knee injury. Jim's entire professional football career began and ended in the 1970-71 season. He played 3 times in the League, including once as substitute.
Jim also has 19 years experience working in local government.
His excellence in Manchester City's youth programme led them to victory in the FA Youth Cup Final in 2008.
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Joe Corrigan
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Corrigan (born 18 November 1948), is a former football goalkeeper who played in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion Manchester City, Norwich City and Stoke City as well as the England national team.
Corrigan joined Manchester City as a youth player in 1966. He made his debut in 1967, in a League Cup match against Blackpool. Corrigan established himself in the first team during the 1969–70 season, and was part of the Manchester City team which won a cup double of the European Cup Winners Cup and the League Cup. He was also a member of the 1976 League Cup winning side. His debut appearance for England came on 28 May 1976 against Italy, the first of a total of 9 caps, and he was part of the England squad for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He would undoubtedly have played more time for England if his chances had not been limited by Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence. Corrigan also appeared for Manchester City in the 1981 FA Cup Final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur. In total Corrigan made 592 appearances for Manchester City, a figure beaten only by Alan Oakes, and a club record for a goalkeeper. He also won Manchester City's Player of the Year award three times, a feat matched only by Richard Dunne.
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Joe Hart
Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart (born 19 April 1987) is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national football team and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team. Having made his competitive international debut in September 2010, Hart is now recognised as England's first choice goalkeeper.
Hart was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2010 but lost out to eventual new team-mate at Manchester City, James Milner but was voted as the Premier League goalkeeper of the 2009–10 season in recognition of his performances at Birmingham City. He returned to Manchester City for the 2010–11 season and won the Barclays Golden Glove for keeping the most clean sheets throughout the Premier League season, an award he received again in the 2011-12 season.
Hart was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire to Charles and Louise Hart , and attended Oxon Primary School, followed by Meole Brace School Science College in Shrewsbury, where he was Head Boy in his final year. Whilst he was still a Year 11 pupil at the school, he travelled with the first team squad of his hometown club, Shrewsbury Town, to Exeter City on 1 February 2003. He was a non-playing substitute on that occasion and fulfilled that role again versus Rochdale at Gay Meadow on 1 March 2003, still some six weeks short of his 16th birthday. This match yielded Shrewsbury's final victory in a season that culminated in relegation to the Conference. During the one season that Shrewsbury spent in the Conference, Hart made his senior debut on 20 April 2004, a day after his 17th birthday. He played the full 90 minutes in the match against Gravesend & Northfleet. Four days later, he conceded three at Morecambe.
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Joe Mercer
Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE (9 August 1914 – 9 August 1990) was an English football player and manager.
Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack during the Great War, while his son was only 12. In later life, after his footballing career was over, Joe Mercer junior became a regular attendee at Tranmere Rovers due to his father's involvement.
Joe Mercer, a left-half, first played for Ellesmere Port Town. He was a powerful tackler and good at anticipating an opponent's moves. He joined Everton in September 1932 at the age of 18 and claimed a regular first team place in the 1935–36 season. Mercer made 186 appearances for Everton, scoring two goals and a winning a League Championship medal in the 1938–39 season. While playing for Everton he gained five England caps between 1938 and 1939.
Like many players of his generation, Mercer lost out on seven seasons of football due to the Second World War. He became a sergeant-major and played in 26 wartime internationals, many of them as captain. The Everton manager Theo Kelly accused Mercer of not trying in an international against Scotland, but in reality Mercer had sustained a severe cartilage injury. Even after consulting an orthopaedic specialist, the Everton management refused to believe him and Mercer had to pay for the surgery himself. During the war Mercer guested for Chester, making his debut in a 4–1 win over Halifax Town in September 1942.
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John Guidetti
John Guidetti (Italian pronunciation: [ɡwiˈdetti]) (born 15 April 1992) is a Swedish footballer striker who currently plays for Manchester City.
Guidetti began his career playing in the Brommapojkarna youth system after leaving Kenyan football academy Ligi Ndogo. In April 2008, at the age of fifteen, he signed a three year deal with Manchester City.Internazionale, Sampdoria, Lazio, Roma and Ajax Cape Town (Ajax's feeder club in South Africa), among others, had all been in competition for securing his services.
Guidetti enjoyed a fine first season with the Manchester City Under-18 team, scoring 13 times in 13 appearances. He also marked his reserve team debut with a remarkable hat-trick against a Burnley side containing several seasoned campaigners. In 2010 he went out on loan to his old club IF Brommapojkarna, achieving an impressive 3rd spot in Sweden attacking efficiency table by scoring 3 goals and racking up 4 assists in only 7 starts and 1 substitute appearance.
Manchester City's manager, Roberto Mancini, wanted to see how the youngster matched up alongside the City first team, so he handed him a chance to impress on the club's pre-season tour in the United States during the summer of 2010. During this American tour, Guidetti managed to make his debut for the Manchester City first team, coming on as a substitute in the second half in a match against Sporting Lisbon. Approximately two months later, Guidetti went on to make his full debut in a competitive match for the Manchester City first team when he was selected as part of the starting lineup for the League Cup third round match against West Bromwich Albion on 22 September 2010, in which he provided the assist for City's only goal in the game.
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Joleon Lescott
Joleon Patrick Lescott (born 16 August 1982) is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City. He plays as a centre-back, though he has played in various other positions across the defensive line, including left-back. Born in Birmingham, Lescott is a graduate of the Wolverhampton Wanderers youth academy. He made his first team debut with Wolves in 2000 and he was named the supporters' Young Player of the Year two years running. By 2002 he was a first team regular, playing in most Wolves' games.
The team was promoted to the FA Premier League in 2003 but a knee injury ruled him out for the season and the team was relegated. He was named in the Championship team of the year for the 2005–06 season. He moved to Premier League side Everton and made his debut in August 2006. He was voted player's Player of the Season by his teammates in the following two seasons. In 2007–08, he scored 10 goals for the team, including 8 in the Premier League. Lescott completed his move to Manchester City on 25 August 2009. Internationally, Lescott represented England at various youth levels before making his first team debut in 2007 against Estonia in the Euro 2008 qualifiers.
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Jérôme Boateng
Jérôme Agyenim Boateng (German pronunciation: [ʒeˈʁoːm bo.aˈtɛŋ]) (born 3 September 1988) is a German international footballer who currently plays for Bayern Munich. A versatile defender, Boateng primarily is a centre back, although he is a capable full back on either side.
Boateng started his career at Hertha Berlin where he developed from the youth ranks to the main team. After his first season at Hertha he soon signed for Hamburger SV and established himself as an integral part of the team, helping Hamburg reach the Europa League semi-finals twice consecutively.
Physically strong and composed, he garnered a reputation as a tough-tackling, versatile defender. He also played in the Germany U-21 side, which won the Euro 2009 U-21 Championship and was soon promoted to the national side, being selected in Germany's 2010 World Cup squad.
Boateng was born in Berlin. He has a German mother and a Ghanaian father. His father, Prince Boateng, had left Ghana in 1981 hoping for a break in Germany where he wanted to study administration but was frustrated by the system and the paperwork. Instead he ended up working two jobs, one as a disc jockey and the other as a waiter. His uncle, Robert Boateng is a former member of the Ghana national team.
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Karim Rekik
Karim Rekik (born 2 December 1994) is a Netherlands youth footballer of Tunisian descent, who currently plays for Manchester City. His father was born in Tunisia and his mother is a Dutch primary school assist teacher.
Rekik signed for Manchester City from Feyenoord in the summer of 2011, and made his debut appearance for the first team in the Dublin Super Cup in pre-season. He made his official first team debut for Manchester City on September 21, 2011 against Birmingham City in the third round of the League Cup, coming on as a substitute for Wayne Bridge in the last 12 minutes of the game. He also made a late substitute appearance in the fourth round of this competition against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
On 22 March, it was confirmed that Rekik and Scapuzzi will join Portsmouth on a month's loan. He made his debut for Portsmouth on 27 March, in a 2-0 home win against Hull. This was also Rekik's first senior league appearance in club football.
As of 31 May 2012
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Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born 14 February 1951) is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United.
As a player in the 1970s and 1980s, he has been described as "arguably the first superstar English player to attract the modern media spotlight". He began his playing career at Scunthorpe United in 1968, before moving to Liverpool of Division One in 1971. At Liverpool, Keegan won three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups, one FA Cup and the European Cup. He also gained his first England cap in 1972, and moved to German top-flight club Hamburger SV in the summer of 1977. At Hamburg he was crowned European Footballer of the Year in both 1978 and 1979, won the Bundesliga title in 1978–79, and reached the European Cup final the following year. Keegan moved to Southampton that summer, and spent two seasons at the club before a transfer to second-tier Newcastle United in 1982. He helped Newcastle to promotion in his second season, and retired from football in 1984, having been capped 63 times for England, scoring 21 goals.
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Khaldoon Al Mubarak
H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak (Arabic: خلدون المبارك; born 1975 or 1976) is an Emirati businessman.
Educated in the United States, he entered a career in construction and real estate, becoming CEO of the Mubadala Development Company. He sits on a number of boards, including First Gulf Bank and Aldar Properties whilst he is a member of the Executive Council for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and chairman of Executive Affairs Authority.
Outside of the business world, he has been more commonly been known as the chairman of Manchester City Football Club since the buyout of the club by the Abu Dhabi United Group in September 2008.
Al Mubarak was born Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates but educated in America where he obtained a degree in Economics and Finance from Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts. His career began as a sales-executive at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Al Mubarak is a businessman involved in construction and real estate. After working at the oil company, he was employed by the UAE Offsets Group, where he held a number of positions within the company. Since then he has been Executive Vice President-Corporate at Dolphin Energy. He is the CEO and managing director of government-owned investment company Mubadala Development, whose projects include a $5 billion aluminium plant in King Abdullah Economic City. His company also owns significant stakes in other companies, including a 5% share in Ferrari, a 8.1% share in AMD, a 7.5% share in the Carlyle Group, and a share in General Electric. In May 2005 he was appointed vice-chairman of Oasis International Leasing, an Abu Dhabi based leasing company. Through Mubadala Development, Al Mubarak is chairman of the Imperial College London Diabetes Center (ICLDC) which opened in Abu Dhabi in 2006, vice chairman of Piaggio Aero, and vice chairman of LeasePlan. As well as this he sits on many boards including ALDAR Properties, Emirates Foundation and First Gulf Bank.
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Kolo Touré
Kolo Habib Touré (born 19 March 1981) is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast as a central defender. He is the elder brother of Manchester City's Yaya Touré and Makasa's Ibrahim Touré.
Born in Bouake, Touré joined Premier League team Arsenal in February 2002 from ASEC Mimosas for a fee of £150,000 after a short trial. His status as a full international meant Touré was able to secure an English work permit.
Touré did not make his debut for the first team until the next season, against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield in August 2002. Initially regarded as a utility player, he started his Arsenal career as a midfielder as well as in right back. He scored his first Arsenal goal at Stamford Bridge in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea. Arsenal failed to retain the Premiership crown that season, but Touré made a big step in his career nonetheless, winning the FA Cup as an unused substitute in the final.
At the start of the 2003–04 season, Wenger began using Touré as a central defender alongside Sol Campbell. He formed a terrific partnership with Campbell and had a great season when Arsenal went undefeated for the entire season. He, having previously been a striker or attacking midfielder, made a reputation for himself as being an attacking defender, although he only scored one goal and had one assist; he was very enthusiastic with his runs forward and from set-pieces.
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Les McDowall
Les McDowall (25 October 1912 – 18 August 1991) was a Scottish football player and manager. He managed Manchester City between 1950 and 1963, and then Oldham Athletic until 1965. McDowall was the longest serving manager in Manchester City's history, his tenure spanning 13 years.
Though born in India, McDowall was brought up as a Scot. A wing half or centre half, he spent five years of his playing career at Sunderland mainly as a reserve to Alex Hastings. Manchester City paid £7,000 for his services in 1937 and between then and 1948 he played 118 times for the team scoring 7 goals. He was also captain of the time for a short while. He briefly moved to Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground to take up the managerial post before being brought back to Maine Road in 1950 and installed as manager.
The club was languishing in the second tier of English football, McDowall set to work building a solid team and soon saw the fruits of his labour, with the club returning to the first division the following season.
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Luca Scapuzzi
Luca Scapuzzi (born 15 April 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Manchester City.
Scapuzzi joined A.C. Milan's youth system from Olmi in 2001. He spent eight years at the A.C. Milan academy before being released in June 2009.[citation needed] He joined Portogruaro at the beginning of the 2009–10 season. Scapuzzi made his professional debut with his new club in the first league game of the season, a home loss to Ravenna on 23 August 2009. He went on to make a total of 22 league appearances but remained scoreless as Portogruaro won promotion to Serie B. He made 7 more appearances in the second division before mutually terminating his contract with Portogruaro in July 2011.
On 30 July 2011 Scapuzzi played for the Manchester City first team in the Dublin Super Cup while on trial with the Elite Development Squad. He scored after coming on as a substitute late in the game against the League of Ireland XI. After a successful trial period with the EDS Scapuzzi signed a 3-year contract with the club.
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Malcolm Allison
"I'd been a professional for two and a half months and Malcolm had taught me everything I know.... When Malcolm was coaching schoolboys he took a liking to me when I don't think anyone else at West Ham saw anything special in me... I looked up to the man. It's not too strong to say I loved him."
Bobby Moore
Malcolm Alexander Allison (5 September 1927 – 14 October 2010) was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.
Allison's managerial potential become apparent while in his youth at West Ham United, where he became a reliable defender and acted as a mentor to the younger players including future England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore. His playing career was cut short in 1958 when he had to have a lung removed because of tuberculosis.
As a coach he is remembered for assisting manager Joe Mercer in the transformation of the team he supported as a young boy - Manchester City. And during the 1960s and early 70s, he won seven trophies in seven years with Joe Mercer. After Mercer left, he went on to manage the club on two occasions whilst offering his managerial services for a third time in 1989. He went on to manage several more English sides, as well as three in Portugal and the Kuwait national team.
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Mario Balotelli
Mario Barwuah Balotelli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmaːrjo baloˈtɛlli]; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian footballer of Ghanaian descent who plays as a striker for Manchester City and the Italian national team. He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona, and subsequently joining Internazionale in 2007. Inter manager Roberto Mancini brought Balotelli into the first team, but when Mancini left, Balotelli's disciplinary record fell away. He had a strained relationship with new head coach José Mourinho and was suspended from Inter's first team in January 2009 after a number of disciplinary problems.
His problems deepened in March 2010 when he came under heavy criticism by Inter fans after he appeared on the Italian TV show Striscia la notizia, wearing an A.C. Milan jersey. This damaged the prospect of him having a long career at Inter, but he did make several appearances after that. With doubts over his career at Inter, former coach Roberto Mancini at Manchester City gave Balotelli a fresh chance at a new club. He joined Manchester City in August 2010, where his performances and off-field activities have continued to be controversial and enigmatic. Balotelli earned his first cap for the Italian national team on 10 August 2010, in a friendly match against the Côte d'Ivoire thus making him the first black player to play for the Italian national football team.
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Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE (born 1 November 1963), is a former Welsh international footballer and the current manager of Queens Park Rangers having joined on 10 January 2012. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals.
During his playing career he was most noted for two spells at Manchester United, but he also played for Barcelona and Bayern Munich, as well as the English clubs Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and finally Blackburn Rovers, before retiring in 2002.
He won a host of medals during his playing career, including two Premier League title medals, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two European Cup Winners' Cups. He also collected an FA Cup runners-up medal and a League Cup runners-up medal.
His reign as Wales manager was his first managerial post; he was appointed in 1999 and remained in the role until 2004. He failed to qualify for a World Cup or European Championship during his five years in charge, although his reign coincided with a marked improvement in results; he came particularly close to securing European Championship qualification in 2004.
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Massimo Battara
Massimo Battara (born 1 January 1963) is a football coach and former Italian footballer, currently Goalkeeping Coach at Manchester City.
He also worked at Inter Milan with current Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, and joined City in December 2009 as part of Mancini's new coaching team.
honors
FA Cup with Manchester City F.C. 2011
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Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG (26 May 1909 – 20 January 1994) was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season. His manager records and longevity at the helm of Manchester United are only surpassed by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Before going into management, Busby was a player for two of Manchester United's greatest rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool. During his time at City, Busby played in two FA Cup Finals, winning one of them. After his playing career was interrupted by the Second World War, Busby was offered the job of assistant coach at Liverpool, but they were unwilling to give him the control over the team that he wanted and he took the vacant manager's job at Manchester United instead.
Born to Alexander and Nellie Busby in a two-roomed pitman's cottage in the mining village of Orbiston, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Busby was raised a practising Roman Catholic of Lithuanian ancestry. When he was born, Busby's mother was told by the doctor "A footballer has come into this house today". Busby's father – a miner – was killed by a German sniper during the First World War at the Battle of the Somme, while three of his uncles were killed in France with the Cameron Highlanders.
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Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards (born 24 June 1988) is an English footballer who plays and is vice-captain of Manchester City. A powerful right back, he can also play at centre back. On making his full England debut in November 2006, he was the youngest defender ever to be called up to the England squad. Richards has also won 13 England caps.
Though his parents lived in Leeds, Richards was born in Birmingham as his parents were visiting relatives in the area at the time. Richards grew up in the Chapeltown district of Leeds, where he attended Archbishop Cranmer CofE Primary School and later Wetherby High School. He was an Arsenal supporter growing up.
Richards played for the Leeds United youth system as a striker, but he was released when he was around eight years old. He also represented Leeds Schools FA (Leeds City Boys) at a young age. He later played for the Oldham Athletic youth system, moving to Manchester City as a 14-year old, with Oldham reputedly having a 20% sell on clause. In July 2001 Manchester City reportedly tried to buy out the clause, but Oldham refused. He also attended the Brazilian Soccer Schools scheme and retains strong links with the programme, with his father Lincoln actually running a Brazilian Soccer School in Chapeltown, Leeds.
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Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee (born 15 December 1942 in Preston) is an English former footballer, who played in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Raised in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire where he attended Nauton Park Secondary M<odern School Summerbee made his league debut playing for Swindon Town in 1959 at the age of 16. He made more than 200 appearances for the Wiltshire club, scoring 38 goals. In 1965 Manchester City manager Joe Mercer signed Summerbee for a fee of £35,000. In his first Manchester City season Summerbee started every single match, the only Manchester City player to do so that season.
Playing on the right wing, Summerbee was one of the most influential players in the Manchester City side which won four trophies in three seasons from 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 Francis Lee as "retaliating first". Summerbee left Manchester City in June 1975, moving to Burnley, for a £25,000 fee, after making more than 400 appearances for City.
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Niall Quinn
Niall John Quinn (Irish: Niall Seán Ó Cuinn) honorary MBE (born 6 October 1966 in Dublin, Ireland) is a former professional footballer, and the ex-chairman of Sunderland A.F.C.. Quinn continued working at Sunderland AFC as an overseas manager until stepping down in February 2012. He received 92 caps for the Republic of Ireland national football team, scoring 21 times, and appearing for the national side at one UEFA European Football Championship in 1988 and two FIFA World Cups in 1990 and 2002. He played club football for English Premier League teams Arsenal, Manchester City and Sunderland during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Quinn is also heavily involved in the management side of horse racing.
Both Quinn's parents are from Thurles, County Tipperary. His father as well as his mother's brothers played hurling for Tipperary. He now lives in Kildare. He is married to the Irish model, Gillian Quinn, and they have two children Aisling and Michael. Gillian Quinn is a qualified Pilates instructor. In 2011 she appeared on Celebrity Bainisteoir.
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Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈnɑjdʒəl də ˈjɔŋ]) (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Manchester City and the Netherlands national football team. He joined the Ajax youth academy as a youngster and worked his way through the ranks to make the first team at age 17. Two years later, he made his international debut and won a 2010 World Cup runner-up medal.
De Jong moved on from Ajax in 2006 to join Hamburg in search of first team football and then moved to Manchester City in January 2009 for an estimated £18 million and has since become an important part of City's holding midfield. A tireless grafter, he has garnered a reputation of being a combative and feisty player in his performances, a reputation that has earned him nicknames such as "The Terrier" and "Lawnmower".
On 19 October 2002, de Jong made his debut for the Ajax first team. He scored his first goal of his senior career on 18 February 2003 in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal in the Champions League. He became a first team regular the following season, in which Ajax won the Eredivisie title. In 2004–05, his last full season in Amsterdam, de Jong was named Ajax Player of the Season. After a period when he appeared regularly in midfield and defence, he found himself sitting on the bench more often than being in the starting line-up. On 7 December 2005, it was announced that de Jong did not wish to extend his contract with Ajax, which was due to end in July 2006.
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Owen Hargreaves
Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981) is a Canadian-born English professional footballer. Hargreaves is known as a hard-working and "solid defensive midfielder who works tirelessly to win the ball" and provide his teammates with possession. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Hargreaves played with Calgary Foothills as a youth before beginning his professional football career in Germany with Bayern Munich. After seven years with the Munich side – during which time he won four German league titles and the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League – Hargreaves signed for Manchester United in 2007, winning the Premier League and UEFA Champions League in his first season.
However, his time at Manchester United was plagued with injuries and he was allowed to leave the club at the end of his contract in June 2011. Hargreaves posted YouTube videos in a bid to convince potential suitors of his fitness, and in August 2011, Manchester City offered a one-year contract to Hargreaves, which he accepted. As a Canadian with a Welsh mother and an English father, Hargreaves was eligible to represent Canada, Wales or England. He opted to play for the England U-21 team in 2000 and was capped by the senior squad the following year. He is the only player to have played for England without having previously lived in the United Kingdom, and only the second after Joe Baker, to have done so without having previously played in the English football league system.
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Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Javier Zabaleta Girod (born 16 January 1985) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a right-back for Manchester City and the Argentina national football team. Zabaleta can operate on both sides of the pitch either as a defender or defensive midfielder, but is predominantly a right sided player. Zabaleta also holds a Spanish passport. He has garnered a reputation for being a tenacious player and his overlapping runs from full back position and he contests the current right-back position with Micah Richards.
Born in Buenos Aires, Zabaleta was raised in Arrecifes, Argentina. He began his career at Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro in 2002 after progressing through their youth ranks, having been signed at the age of 12 from local club Obras Sanitarias. He started playing as a defensive midfielder but eventually moved to the right side of midfield
Zabaleta was transferred to RCD Espanyol in 2005 for €3 million after being Argentina under-20's captain in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, which Argentina won.
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Paul Lake
Paul Andrew Lake (born 28 October 1968 in Manchester) is an English former footballer, who played for Manchester City.
Raised in the Denton area of Manchester, he attended St Thomas More School Denton. Lake was spotted by Manchester City scout Ken Barnes as a ten year old, playing against boys two or three years older. As he reached his teens he joined youth club Blue Star, who had strong links with Manchester City. Other clubs also showed interest in Lake, Manchester United inviting him on a tour of Spain. However, as a Manchester City fan Lake remained determined to play for the Blues, and signed a contract to become a Youth Training Scheme apprentice on 1 July 1985.
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Peter Reid
Peter Reid (born 20 June 1956) is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.
A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career. He built his reputation as one of England's brightest midfield talents of the time at Bolton Wanderers, before signing for Everton in 1982. It was there that he enjoyed the most fruitful spell of his career, as he helped the club win domestic and European honours, including the Football League twice. He was voted as the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1985 and came fourth in the World Soccer Player of the Year award, behind Michel Platini, Preben Elkjær and Diego Maradona. He also received his first senior England call-up that year, and represented his country at the 1986 FIFA World Cup and 1988 UEFA European Championship. He won 13 caps in total. Reid joined Queens Park Rangers in 1989, but moved on to Manchester City a year later to begin his managerial career.
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Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE (Danish pronunciation: [ped̥ɐ ˈsmɑɪ̯ˀɡ̊l̩]; born 18 November 1963) is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993. He is best remembered for his most successful years at English club Manchester United, whom he captained to the 1999 UEFA Champions League to complete the Treble, and for winning UEFA Euro 1992 with Denmark.
Born in Gladsaxe, Copenhagen, Schmeichel was famous for his intimidating physique (he is 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) tall and weighed about 105 kg (16 st 7 lb) during his playing days. He wore specially made size XXXL football shirts. Unusual for a goalkeeper, Schmeichel scored 11 goals during his career, including one for the national team. He is also the most capped player for the Denmark national team, with 129 games between 1987 and 2001. In addition to Euro 92, he played for his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and three additional European Championship tournaments. He captained the national team in 30 matches.
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Reece Wabara
Reece Wabara (born 28 December 1991) is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City.
Wabara was born and raised in Quinton, Birmingham.
Reece is a central defender or left/right full back who signed for Manchester City's academy from Walsall's School of Excellence in 2007.
Reece began his City career playing in the academy, before moving on to becoming a mainstay in the Elite Development Squad. He committed his long-term future to the blues by signing a 3-year deal in March 2011 worth an estimated one million pounds. Reece made his first team debut on the last day of the 2010–11 season against Bolton Wanderers when he came on as a substitute for Pablo Zabaleta,.
In September 2011 he joined the Championship league club Ipswich Town on a three-month loan and has made three substitute appearances for them so far this season. He made his first appearance for The Tractor Boys' starting eleven on 5 November 2011 and played the full game, which the home team lost 2-3 to bottom of the table visitors Doncaster Rovers.
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Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto manˈtʃini]; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian former football player and manager of Premier League club Manchester City. As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa Italias and the Cup Winners Cup, whilst being capped 36 times by Italy. As a player, he gained a penchant for becoming a future manager and would often give team talks at half-time and ultimately became an assistant to Sven-Göran Eriksson at Lazio near the end of his playing career. After his retirement, Mancini embarked on a successful managerial career.
A cup specialist, Mancini has never failed to reach a semi-final of a major national cup competition in every season he has been a manager, from 2002 to 2012. He also guided the Italian clubs he managed to a record 5 consecutive Coppa Italia finals from 2004 to 2008, with Lazio once in 2004 and with Inter in the following four seasons. Mancini's first managerial role was at a cash stricken Fiorentina at only 35 years old and managed to win a Coppa Italia, but left with Fiorentina facing bankruptcy. Months later, he took over as manager at Lazio, where again he inherited financial constraints and was forced to lose a number of key players. With limited resources during his two season tenure, he still managed to win another Coppa Italia, reach a UEFA Cup semi-final, and secure a lucrative Champions League place.
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Robinho
Robson de Souza (born 25 January 1984), more commonly known as Robinho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as second striker and winger for Serie A club Milan and the Brazil national team. Robinho is known for his ball control, attacking instinct and speed.
In 1999, at only 15 years of age, Robinho was personally picked by Brazil legend Pelé as his heir apparent and went on to lead Santos FC to their first Campeonato Brasileiro title since Pelé himself played for the club. Since then, he has won another title with Santos and two more with Spanish club Real Madrid. He won the Italian Serie A title in his first season at Milan. Robinho has won one Copa América title and two Confederations Cups with the Brazilian national team.
Born in São Vicente, São Paulo State, Robinho signed his first professional contract with Santos FC in 2002 at the age of 18. He made 24 appearances in his debut season and scored one goal as Santos won the 2002 Campeonato Brasileiro. He reached the final of the 2003 Copa Libertadores with Santos, but lost in the final to Boca Juniors. In 2004, Robinho finished with 21 goals in 37 games and led Santos to win another Campeonato Brasileiro.
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Roque Santa Cruz
Roque Luis Santa Cruz Cantero (born 16 August 1981) is a Paraguayan footballer currently playing as a striker for Manchester City and the Paraguay national football team. Santa Cruz was described in his 2006 FIFA World Cup profile as having "long caused problems for opposing defences with his natural flair for goalscoring and surging runs into the penalty box."
Santa Cruz started his career with Olimpia Asunción, progressing through their youth system to the first-team squad where he made his debut at the age of 16 in 1997. He finished his career with the club having scored 13 goals in 24 Primera División appearances where Olimpia claimed the 1998 and 1999 Primera División titles. Santa Cruz scored three goals in four appearances for Paraguay at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship before debuting for the Paraguayan national team at the 1999 Copa América, where he scored three goals in four appearances. He immediately joined Bundesliga club Bayern Munich in August 1999 for a fee of €5million where he scored five goals in 19 league appearances in his first season. He faced a series of injuries and heavy competition from team mates Élber Giovane, Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro which limited his impact and restricted his appearances for the club.
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Roy Paul
Roy Paul (born 18 April 1920 in Ton Pentre, Wales, died 21 May 2002) was a footballer who played as a half-back for Swansea Town and Manchester City. He also represented the Welsh national team over 30 times and is regarded as one of Wales' best ever players.
Raised in the Rhondda Valley, Paul became a miner after leaving school, but an offer of a professional contract from Swansea gave him the opportunity to leave the colliery, but his football career was then disrupted by Second World War, during which he was a physical training instructor. After the war, Paul made his League debut, and spent four years playing first team football for Swansea, winning the Third Division South championship in 1948–49. Transfer listed after an abortive move to Colombian club Millonarios, Paul joined Manchester City for £19,500 in June 1950.
In 1941 Paul married his wife Beryl and had two children, Robert and Christine
At Manchester City Paul spent seven years as captain, leading the club to successive FA Cup finals in 1955 and 1956, losing the first and winning the second. In 1957 he became player-manager of Worcester City, and subsequently wound down his career in his native South Wales, becoming a lorry driver. He died in 2002 aged 82.
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Sam Cowan
Samuel Cowan (10 May 1901 – 4 October 1964) was an English football player and manager. A relative latecomer to the sport, Cowan did not play football until he was 17 and was 22 by the time he turned professional. He made his league debut for Doncaster Rovers in 1923, and signed for First Division Manchester City the following season.
Cowan played centre half for Manchester City for 11 seasons, captaining the team in the early to mid 1930s. He is the only player to have represented Manchester City in three FA Cup finals, as a runner-up in 1926 and 1933, and as a winner in 1934. Internationally, he gained three England caps between 1926 and 1931. In total he played 407 times for Manchester City, putting him 12th in terms of all-time appearances. In 1935, he transferred to Bradford City, and subsequently moved to Mossley as player-manager.
In 1938, Cowan joined Brighton & Hove Albion as a coach, and set up a physiotherapy business. He returned to Manchester City as manager in 1946, winning the Second Division in his only season in charge. He continued to work in sports and physiotherapy until his death in 1964.
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Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri (born 26 June 1987) is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical ability, creativity, pace, and ability to read the game. Of Algerian heritage, he is described as a player whose "vision and imagination make him an unpredictable opponent". His playing style, ability, and cultural background have drawn comparisons to French legend Zinedine Zidane.
Nasri began his football career playing for local youth clubs in his hometown of Marseille. At the age of nine, he joined professional club Olympique de Marseille and spent the next seven years developing in the club's youth academy at La Commanderie, the club's training center. In the 2004–05 season, Nasri made his professional debut in September 2004 at the age of 17 against Sochaux. In the following season, he became a regular starter in the team and also participated in European competition for the first time after playing in the 2005–06 edition of the UEFA Cup. In the 2006–07 campaign, Nasri won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award and was also named to the Team of the Year. He finished his career with Marseille amassing over 160 appearances. He played in the teams that reached back-to-back Coupe de France finals in 2006 and 2007.
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Scott Sellars
Scott Sellars (born 27 November 1965 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire) is an English former professional football player, who is the coach of the Manchester City U18 team after previously holding the role of assistant manager at Chesterfield in the League Two.
Sellars started his career at Leeds United, coming up through their youth system and making his first appearance in 1983. The talented left-footed midfielder soon became one of a number of talented youngsters encouraged to play open football by Manager Eddie Gray, but struggled with the physical aspects of the game. In 1986 he asked for a transfer and joined Blackburn Rovers, where he won a Full Members Cup medal, was capped at England under-21 level, won promotion for them and enjoyed six successful years, making 245 appearances and scoring 41 goal before leaving to rejoin Leeds in 1992. He always struggled with injuries and it came as no surprise when he moved north to Newcastle United in early 1993. On 24 April 1993 he scored the winning goal for the Magpies in their 1-0 win over local rivals Sunderland in Division One at St James's Park, which meant that they only needed a point from their final three games to be sure of promotion.
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Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo aˈɣweɾo]; born 2 June 1988) is an Argentine professional association football player who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team. On 5 July 2003, he became the youngest player to debut in the Argentine First Division at 15 years and 35 days, breaking the record previously established by Diego Maradona in 1976. He plays with the shirt name Kun Aguero.
At international level, Agüero represented the Argentina under-20 team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005 and in 2007, winning both tournaments. Agüero played at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he scored two goals in the 3–0 semi-final win against Brazil as Argentina went on to win the gold medal. Agüero was selected to represent Argentina in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2011 Copa América.
In 2006, Agüero moved to Europe to play for La Liga side Atlético Madrid for a fee of €23 million from Independiente. He made a name for himself, attracting attention from Europe's top clubs by scoring 101 goals in 234 appearances while winning the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010. Agüero moved to Premier League club Manchester City in July 2011 for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £35 million. On the last day of his début season with the club, Agüero scored a 94th-minute winner against Queen's Park Rangers that earned Manchester City their first league title in 44 years.
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Shaun Goater
Leonard Shaun Goater MBE (born 25 February 1970) was a Bermudian footballer, currently a free agent. He played as a striker for a number of English clubs in the 1990s and 2000s.
Goater's first professional club was Manchester United, but he did not reach the first team, making his League debut in 1989 after moving to Rotherham United. He played for Rotherham for seven years before moving to Bristol City in 1996. Two years later he moved to Manchester City for a fee of £400,000.
He is most well known for his time at Manchester City, where he scored over 100 goals between 1998 and 2003, finishing as the club's top scorer for four consecutive seasons. After leaving City, Goater had spells with Reading, Coventry City and Southend United, before retiring in May 2006. He represented Bermuda 36 times, scoring 32 goals.
Goater was born in the Bermudian capital Hamilton, living with his mother Lynette, his grandmother and two aunts. His introduction to English football came in April 1987 when he was invited to join the Saltus Grammar School football and basketball tour. He spent two weeks playing against various English high school teams, including the Leicester City youth team. At the age of 17, he left home to further his education in the United States, where he had a soccer scholarship at Columbia High School, New Jersey. Whilst home in Bermuda during his Thanksgiving break, Goater was spotted by scouts from Manchester United, who invited him to England for a trial. With encouragement from his mother, who was a former football player herself, Goater accepted, forfeiting his scholarship by doing so. At this time, Goater did not play as a striker, but instead played as a creative midfielder.
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Stefan Savić
Stefan Savić (Serbian pronunciation: [stɛ̂faːn sâʋitɕ]) (Cyrillic: Стефан Савић; born 8 January 1991) is a Montenegrin footballer who plays for Manchester City in the Premier League. A centre-back who primarily plays on the right side of the pitch, he is regarded as a promising young prospect.
Savić began his professional career with BSK Borča during the 2008–09 season. In early 2010, he was on a 10-day trial with Arsenal. According to Savić, he had agreed to join Arsenal in the summer, but the transfer never went through.
On 29 August 2010, it was announced that Savić had signed for FK Partizan on a four-year contract and was given the number 15 shirt.
On 6 July 2011, Savić signed a four-year contract for Manchester City in a £6 million move. He made his debut against Swansea City on 15 August 2011 and came on as a substitute, making a solid start to his career at the Etihad Stadium.
On 1 October 2011, he came off the bench and scored his first goal for the club in a 4–0 victory away to Blackburn Rovers, heading in the fourth goal off a corner from Samir Nasri.
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Steve Daley
Steve Daley (born 15 April 1953 in Barnsley) is a former English footballer, who played as a midfielder. The most notorious incident in his career was his British record transfer to Manchester City in 1979, later described in a 2001 Observer article as "the biggest waste of money in football history". The Manchester City manager Malcolm Allison and chairman Peter Swales subsequently accused each other of inflating the fee.
Daley began his football career as an apprentice at Wolves, after arriving at the club via their feeder team Wath Wanderers based in Yorkshire. He signed professionally in 1971, and made his first-team debut later that year on 18 September, coming on as substitute in a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
He won a League Cup winners medal with the club in 1974 and played in their run through to the 1972 UEFA Cup Final, scoring a vital goal in the semi final against Ferencváros inside the first minute. He was an ever-present in the 1976–77 season, scoring 13 goals, and a further eight the following season saw him receive an England 'B' call up. He played six times for the 'B' side during 1978, scoring twice (against Singapore and Czechoslovakia 'B').
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Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra (Thai: ทักษิณ ชินวัตร; RTGS: Thaksin Chinnawat; Thai pronunciation: [tʰák.sǐn tɕʰīn.nā.wát]; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup.
Thaksin founded Advanced Info Service, Thailand's most successful mobile phone operator, and became a billionaire. Thaksin entered politics in 1994 under Palang Dharma Party, left the party along with many of its MPs in 1996, and founded the populist Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party in 1998. After a historic election victory in 2001, he became prime minister, the country's first to serve a full term. Thaksin introduced a range of policies to alleviate rural poverty; highly popular, they helped reduce poverty by half in four years. He launched the country's first universal healthcare program, the 30-baht scheme, as well as a highly popular drug suppression campaign. Thaksin embarked on a massive program of infrastructure investment, including roads, public transit, and Suvarnabhumi Airport. Nevertheless, public sector debt fell from 57% of GDP in January 2001 to 41% in September 2006. Levels of corruption were perceived to have fallen, with Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index improving from 3.2 to 3.8 between 2001 and 2005. The Thai Rak Thai party won an unprecedented landslide in the 2005 general election, which had the highest voter turnout in Thai history.
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Tom Maley
Tom Maley (8 November 1864 – 24 August 1935) was a Scottish football player and manager.
Born in Portsmouth to a soldier from County Clare, Maley spent his entire playing career in Scotland, with Partick Thistle, Dundee Harp, Hibernian,Third Lanark and Celtic. An amateur during his playing days, he worked as a school teacher and later governor. He left this role in 1902 to become manager of Manchester City, helping them to their first major honour, the 1903–04 FA Cup. After leaving City in 1906 he became manager of Bradford Park Avenue then later assisted Southport.
Two of Maley's brothers also found fame in the footballing world. Alec Maley was a manager with Clyde then Hibernian, while Willie Maley was a Scottish international and later manager of Celtic between 1898 and 1940.
It was on a visit to the Maley home in Cathcart in December 1887 to invite Tom Maley to join Celtic that Brother Walfrid and the rest of the Celtic deputation first met Willie Maley (Tom was out courting his wife-to-be), and their casual invitation to Willie to also come along was perhaps the most important in Celtic's history.
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Tony Book
Anthony Keith Book is a retired English footballer and manager who was born in Bath, 4 September 1934. Book spent a large part of his career in Non-League football with his home town club Bath City, before entering league football with Plymouth Argyle. At the age of 31, he joined First Division Manchester City, where he became captain. Under Book's captaincy, Manchester City won four trophies, making him the most decorated Manchester City captain of all-time. Book had a five year tenure as Manchester City manager from 1974–1979, and subsequently held various coaching roles at the club until 1996.
Tony Book was born in Bath, but at the age of four moved to India when his father, an officer in the Somerset Light Infantry, received an overseas posting. During World War II, Book's father served in Burma, and Book lived with his mother and brothers in army quarters in a number of places in British India, including Mumbai and Multan. In September 1945, the Book family returned to England. Tony started secondary school in Bath, and gained his first experience in competitive football when he was selected to play for both Bath boys and Somerset boys.
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Uwe Rösler
Uwe Rösler (born 15 November 1968 in Altenburg) is a German football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Brentford.
Rösler was previously a successful player who played for several clubs, most notably Manchester City (1994–1998), where he was the leading goalscorer for three consecutive seasons from 1995–96 to 1997–98, and 1. FC Kaiserslautern, where he played in the UEFA Champions League. In addition, Rösler played six times for East Germany.
Rösler started his career in his native country, joining 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig in 1987, where he spent one season, before moving on to 1. FC Magdeburg in 1988, where he spent three seasons. Rösler then moved to Dynamo Dresden in August 1991, before spending the 1992–93 season on loan to 1. FC Nuremberg, where he failed to score once in 28 games. Having grown up in the East, where players were officially regarded as amateurs, Rösler found it difficult to adapt when he moved to the West after reunification: "I suddenly saw more individualistic thinking, cliques, a powerful press and personal politics around team selection. The Wall was still there in some people's heads and in many ways I was naive."
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Vincent Kompany
Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany (born 10 April 1986 in Uccle, Brussels) is a Belgian footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Belgium national team. He is capable of playing at both centre back and defensive midfield. In the 2011–12 season he was awarded the captaincy of Manchester City, leading his club to win the Premier League that season, their first league title in 44 years.
Kompany began his professional career at Anderlecht, spending three years at the Belgian club before moving to German club Hamburger SV in 2006. In the summer of 2008, at the age of 22, he completed a transfer to his current club, Premier League side Manchester City. He has since established himself as an integral part of the Manchester City squad and is one of the bargain buys of the revolutionised City era, blossoming into one of the Premier League's best centre backs. Kompany was included in the Premier League Team of the Year for two years in a row in 2011 and 2012, and won the Premier League Player of the Season in 2012.
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Wayne Bridge
Wayne Michael Bridge (born 5 August 1980) is an English footballer who plays as a left back for Manchester City. A graduate of the Southampton Academy where he made his debut in 1998, he has also played for Chelsea, West Ham, Manchester City and Fulham during his Premiership career. Bridge made 36 appearances for the England national team, including representing England in the World Cup.
Bridge was born in Southampton, but moved to Winchester at an early age. He attended Oliver's Battery Primary and Kings' School, Winchester. When playing for Olivers Battery he was spotted by Micky Adams, who recommended him to Southampton, who signed him as a trainee in July 1996. He made his reserve team debut, as a centre-forward against Portsmouth on 13 August 1997 and turned professional in January 1998.
He made his first-team debut on 16 August 1998 (the opening day of the 1998–99 season) coming on as a replacement for John Beresford, who had badly damaged his knee. Bridge made his first senior start in the next match on 22 August in a 5–0 defeat away to Charlton Athletic. As Southampton struggled to pick up points (with only two points after the first nine games), Bridge played (on the left wing) in most of Saints' league games until early December before losing his place to Hassan Kachloul. For the remainder of the 1998–99 Premier League season Bridge was only used occasionally, as Saints narrowly completed their "Great Escape" from relegation. He completed his first season as a first-team player with 15 starts and 8 substitute appearances.
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Wilf Wild
Wilfred Wild (1893 – 12 December 1950) was a British football manager who served as manager of Manchester City from 1932 to 1946.
Wild first joined Manchester City in 1920 as an assistant to Ernest Mangnall, primarily assisting in administrative matters. Mangnall held the position of secretary-manager, meaning he was responsible for both on-field and off-field matters. Mangnall left the club in 1924, and the role was separated into two areas. David Ashworth was appointed as manager, with the responsibility of selecting the team and coaching, and Wild was appointed as secretary, taking responsibility for administration. Wild remained in this position until 1932, when the manager's position became vacant due to Peter Hodge leaving to become Leicester City manager. Wild took on the managerial role in addition to his existing secretarial duties.
In Wild's first season in charge Manchester City reached the 1933 FA Cup final , but lost 3–0 to a Dixie Dean inspired Everton. The following season Wild again led City to the final, this time emerging as 2–1 winners against Portsmouth. The 1933–34 season also saw Wild hand a debut to Frank Swift, who became the club's first choice goalkeeper for the next 16 years. The FA Cup success was accompanied by a fifth place League finish, and the two subsequent seasons also resulted in top half finishes.
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Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré (born 13 May 1983), commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who plays primarily as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national team. Touré is renowned for combining speed, passing ability, and physical power with technique. A versatile player, he aspired to be a striker during his youth and has played centre back, including for FC Barcelona in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. He frequently plays as a box-to-box midfielder for club and country and often switches from defensive and offensive positions throughout matches. Touré began his playing career at Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas, where he made his debut aged 18.
His performances attracted attention from Europe, playing for clubs in minor European leagues. Touré played for SK Beveren in Belgium, Metalurh Donetsk in Ukraine, Olympiacos in Greece, and AS Monaco in France. In 2007, Touré moved to Barcelona, playing over 100 matches for the club and was part of the historic 2010 Barcelona team which won six trophies in one season. Touré then moved to Premier League club Manchester City in 2010, where he has since scored a number of key goals for the Citizens, most notably in the 2011 FA Cup semi-final and Final. Touré has a distinguished international career with 67 caps for Côte d'Ivoire, representing the team in their first appearance in a FIFA World Cup, in the 2006 competition and in 2010. He is the younger brother of his Côte d'Ivoire and Manchester City teammate Kolo Touré.
wn.com/Yaya_Touré
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SKILLS! KOLAROV RABONA - Inside Training at Manchester City
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:11
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Aleksandar Kolarov scores during shooting practise with a rabona. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
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Aleksandar Kolarov scores during shooting practise with a rabona. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
PHOTOSHOOT: Aguero, Garcia, Yaya Toure and Nasri
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:59
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
CityTV capture all the behind the scenes footage of when Sergio Kun Aguero, Yaya Toure, Javi Garcia and Samir Nasri are snapped at a photo shoot for Esquire magazine. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/PHOTOSHOOT_Aguero,_Garcia,_Yaya_Toure_and_Nasri
CityTV capture all the behind the scenes footage of when Sergio Kun Aguero, Yaya Toure, Javi Garcia and Samir Nasri are snapped at a photo shoot for Esquire magazine. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 21 Jan 2013
- views: 36844
- author: mcfcofficial
EXCLUSIVE #asksergio - Kun Aguero on Messi, RVP & zombies!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:45
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
CityTV sat Sergio Kun Aguero down and put the questions posed by the fans on City's twitter account (@mcfc). Panda's or polar bears? Zombies? Why Kun? Favourite song? Messi, Messi, Messi? Robin Van Persie? Damas Gratis? All the questions are answered! Manchester City FC Summer Tour 2012 presented by Abu Dhabi Travellers Welcome www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/EXCLUSIVE_asksergio_Kun_Aguero_on_Messi,_RVP_zombies!
CityTV sat Sergio Kun Aguero down and put the questions posed by the fans on City's twitter account (@mcfc). Panda's or polar bears? Zombies? Why Kun? Favourite song? Messi, Messi, Messi? Robin Van Persie? Damas Gratis? All the questions are answered! Manchester City FC Summer Tour 2012 presented by Abu Dhabi Travellers Welcome www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 12 Jul 2012
- views: 146098
- author: mcfcofficial
TUNNEL CAM: City 2-0 Fulham - Behind the scenes at the Etihad Stadium
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 13:07
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
All the behind the scenes footage from City's 2-0 victory over Fulham. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/TUNNEL_CAM_City_2-0_Fulham_Behind_the_scenes_at_the_Etihad_Stadium
All the behind the scenes footage from City's 2-0 victory over Fulham. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 19 Jan 2013
- views: 22420
- author: mcfcofficial
City v Fulham: MCFC team arrival
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:46
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
The Manchester City team arrive at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the visit of Fulham. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/City_v_Fulham_MCFC_team_arrival
The Manchester City team arrive at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the visit of Fulham. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 19 Jan 2013
- views: 8222
- author: mcfcofficial
SILVA ON GOALS: City 2-0 Fulham
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:22
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
David Silva gives us his thoughts after he scored both of City's goals against Fulham. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/SILVA_ON_GOALS_City_2-0_Fulham
David Silva gives us his thoughts after he scored both of City's goals against Fulham. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 19 Jan 2013
- views: 9960
- author: mcfcofficial
MANCINI ON GUARDIOLA: City v Fulham Preview
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:18
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/MANCINI_ON_GUARDIOLA_City_v_Fulham_Preview
Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 19 Jan 2013
- views: 3934
- author: mcfcofficial
MANCINI ON TRANSFERS & FULHAM: City v Fulham Preview
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:18
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Roberto Mancini speaks about the January transfer window and City's next opponents, Fulham. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/MANCINI_ON_TRANSFERS_FULHAM_City_v_Fulham_Preview
Roberto Mancini speaks about the January transfer window and City's next opponents, Fulham. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 18 Jan 2013
- views: 4193
- author: mcfcofficial
City Football Academy: Fly-through
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:17
- Updated: 20 Jan 2013
Manchester City is delighted to announce that work is to commence on the ground-breaking City Football Academy. BAM Construction has been selected as the construction partner. This is a landmark project for the Club. City are to build a state of the art youth development and first team training facility on an 80 acre site adjacent to the Etihad Stadium. BAM, a leader in sustainable construction and part of Royal BAM Group, will begin work on the plot, which forms part of the Etihad Campus, in the coming weeks and are due to complete the project in time for the 2014/15 Premier League season. The building of the Academy, which will provide a centre for up to 400 young players as well as housing the first team training base and the Club's operations functions, follows four years of extensive research and planning by City across five continents and more than 30 elite sport development centres. The City Football Academy will include the following: A new Academy for up to 400 young players with classrooms for 200 On site accommodation for junior and senior players 16.5 football pitches, 12 of them dedicated to players aged from 8 to 21 A state of the art first team building with changing rooms, gym, refectory and injury and rehab centre A 7000 capacity stadium for youth matches Staff offices and a dedicated media centre A bridge linking the site to the Etihad Stadium and the rest of the Etihad Campus "Today is an extremely important day for the future of Manchester City ...
http://wn.com/City_Football_Academy_Fly-through
Manchester City is delighted to announce that work is to commence on the ground-breaking City Football Academy. BAM Construction has been selected as the construction partner. This is a landmark project for the Club. City are to build a state of the art youth development and first team training facility on an 80 acre site adjacent to the Etihad Stadium. BAM, a leader in sustainable construction and part of Royal BAM Group, will begin work on the plot, which forms part of the Etihad Campus, in the coming weeks and are due to complete the project in time for the 2014/15 Premier League season. The building of the Academy, which will provide a centre for up to 400 young players as well as housing the first team training base and the Club's operations functions, follows four years of extensive research and planning by City across five continents and more than 30 elite sport development centres. The City Football Academy will include the following: A new Academy for up to 400 young players with classrooms for 200 On site accommodation for junior and senior players 16.5 football pitches, 12 of them dedicated to players aged from 8 to 21 A state of the art first team building with changing rooms, gym, refectory and injury and rehab centre A 7000 capacity stadium for youth matches Staff offices and a dedicated media centre A bridge linking the site to the Etihad Stadium and the rest of the Etihad Campus "Today is an extremely important day for the future of Manchester City ...
- published: 14 Sep 2012
- views: 145092
- author: mcfcofficial
INSIDE CITY 59: Headcam in goalkeeper training
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 20:19
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
CityTV trials some new camera kit in training with the goalkeepers with Richard Wright wearing the headcam. In an evening with VitaStudent, Roberto Mancini reveals the truth about the widely reported incident on the training ground with Mario Balotelli. Pablo Zabaleta receives his Player of the Month Award and gives some fans a present. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/INSIDE_CITY_59_Headcam_in_goalkeeper_training
CityTV trials some new camera kit in training with the goalkeepers with Richard Wright wearing the headcam. In an evening with VitaStudent, Roberto Mancini reveals the truth about the widely reported incident on the training ground with Mario Balotelli. Pablo Zabaleta receives his Player of the Month Award and gives some fans a present. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 19 Jan 2013
- views: 27007
- author: mcfcofficial
INSIDE CITY 58 - Balotelli goes blond
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 15:39
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com Watch every episode of Inside City www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/INSIDE_CITY_58_Balotelli_goes_blond
Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com Watch every episode of Inside City www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 12 Jan 2013
- views: 190130
- author: mcfcofficial
TEVEZ TEACHES BALOTELLI | Advent Calendar | December 9
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:03
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Carlos Tevez teaches Mario Balotelli how to wrap a present! Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/TEVEZ_TEACHES_BALOTELLI_|_Advent_Calendar_|_December_9
Carlos Tevez teaches Mario Balotelli how to wrap a present! Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 09 Dec 2012
- views: 964236
- author: mcfcofficial
FIFA 13|Arsenal FC VS Manchester City
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:12
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Remember To : Subscribe to my channel:tinyurl.com Follow me on Twitter:tinyurl.com Like me on Facebook: tinyurl.com
http://wn.com/FIFA_13|Arsenal_FC_VS_Manchester_City
Remember To : Subscribe to my channel:tinyurl.com Follow me on Twitter:tinyurl.com Like me on Facebook: tinyurl.com
- published: 11 Jan 2013
- views: 1181
- author: EdgezGaming
TUNNEL CAM: City 2-3 Manchester United EPL 12/13
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 14:10
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
All the behind the scenes footage of City's 3-2 loss to Manchester United. Tom Cruise and Robert Duval aren't regulars to the Etihad tunnel but showed up for the biggest game of the season. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/TUNNEL_CAM_City_2-3_Manchester_United_EPL_12_13
All the behind the scenes footage of City's 3-2 loss to Manchester United. Tom Cruise and Robert Duval aren't regulars to the Etihad tunnel but showed up for the biggest game of the season. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 10 Dec 2012
- views: 266843
- author: mcfcofficial
SOLO GOALS City U18 2-0 Burnley FA Youth Cup
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:47
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
City are in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup following two wonder goals from Marcos Lopes and Jose Angel Pozo against Burnley. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/SOLO_GOALS_City_U18_2-0_Burnley_FA_Youth_Cup
City are in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup following two wonder goals from Marcos Lopes and Jose Angel Pozo against Burnley. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 11 Jan 2013
- views: 27103
- author: mcfcofficial
BALOTELLI CRACKERS | Advent Calendar | December 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:24
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Mario Balotelli has some fun with christmas crackers! Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/BALOTELLI_CRACKERS_|_Advent_Calendar_|_December_1
Mario Balotelli has some fun with christmas crackers! Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 02 Dec 2012
- views: 287314
- author: mcfcofficial
AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS: Good luck to Kolo, Yaya & Abdul
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:16
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Our tribute to the Toure brothers, Kolo & Yaya and Abdul Razak as they look to win the African Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/AFRICAN_CUP_OF_NATIONS_Good_luck_to_Kolo,_Yaya_Abdul
Our tribute to the Toure brothers, Kolo & Yaya and Abdul Razak as they look to win the African Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 21 Jan 2013
- views: 7784
- author: mcfcofficial
FIFA 13 PREDICTS: City v Fulham
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:59
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
City legend Paul Lake selects his XI to take on Fulham and then pits them in a simulation of Saturday 19 January's clash at the Etihad Stadium. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/FIFA_13_PREDICTS_City_v_Fulham
City legend Paul Lake selects his XI to take on Fulham and then pits them in a simulation of Saturday 19 January's clash at the Etihad Stadium. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 18 Jan 2013
- views: 16971
- author: mcfcofficial
Manchester City 3-0 Watford | The FA Cup 3rd Round 2013
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:38
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
Manchester City v Watford | The FA Cup 3rd Round 2013 | 05/01/13 A 25-yard free-kick from Carlos Tevez and a Gareth Barry header gave Man City a first-half lead and all but erased City's fears of an upset. City's third came in stoppage time when Marcos Lopes struck from close range. To find out more about the The FA Cup visit: thefa.com The FA Cup on Facebook www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter twitter.com
http://wn.com/Manchester_City_3-0_Watford_|_The_FA_Cup_3rd_Round_2013
Manchester City v Watford | The FA Cup 3rd Round 2013 | 05/01/13 A 25-yard free-kick from Carlos Tevez and a Gareth Barry header gave Man City a first-half lead and all but erased City's fears of an upset. City's third came in stoppage time when Marcos Lopes struck from close range. To find out more about the The FA Cup visit: thefa.com The FA Cup on Facebook www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter twitter.com
- published: 07 Jan 2013
- views: 27448
- author: thefacup
BALOTELLI GOALS City U21 v Blackburn Highlights
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:49
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
Mario Balotelli makes a rare appearance for Manchester City's U21's and scores two goals in a 4-0 win. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/BALOTELLI_GOALS_City_U21_v_Blackburn_Highlights
Mario Balotelli makes a rare appearance for Manchester City's U21's and scores two goals in a 4-0 win. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 10 Jan 2013
- views: 357483
- author: mcfcofficial
GREATEST TRAINING GOALS | VOTE: Win a signed City shirt by voting and subscribing
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:25
- Updated: 24 Jan 2013
We've decided to put all your favourite training goals in one video. Vote for you favourite by clicking the annotations at the end of the video or through the links below. We're also giving you a chance to win a signed City shirt by subscribing to mcfcofficial. A winner will be chosen on 1st February 2013. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com To vote for - A. Edin Dzeko www.youtube.com To vote for - B. Mark Hughes www.youtube.com To vote for - C. Joe Hart www.youtube.com To vote for - D. Mario Balotelli www.youtube.com To vote for - E. Vincent Kompany www.youtube.com To vote for - F. Nigel De Jong www.youtube.com To vote for - G. Micah Richards www.youtube.com To vote for - H. Joe Hart www.youtube.com To vote for - I. David Platt www.youtube.com To vote for - J. Aleks Kolarov www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/GREATEST_TRAINING_GOALS_|_VOTE_Win_a_signed_City_shirt_by_voting_and_subscribing
We've decided to put all your favourite training goals in one video. Vote for you favourite by clicking the annotations at the end of the video or through the links below. We're also giving you a chance to win a signed City shirt by subscribing to mcfcofficial. A winner will be chosen on 1st February 2013. Subscribe for FREE and never miss another CityTV video. www.youtube.com To vote for - A. Edin Dzeko www.youtube.com To vote for - B. Mark Hughes www.youtube.com To vote for - C. Joe Hart www.youtube.com To vote for - D. Mario Balotelli www.youtube.com To vote for - E. Vincent Kompany www.youtube.com To vote for - F. Nigel De Jong www.youtube.com To vote for - G. Micah Richards www.youtube.com To vote for - H. Joe Hart www.youtube.com To vote for - I. David Platt www.youtube.com To vote for - J. Aleks Kolarov www.youtube.com www.mcfc.co.uk http www.twitter.com
- published: 17 Jan 2013
- views: 52883
- author: mcfcofficial
Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:44
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full...
http://wn.com/Arsenal_5-1_West_Ham_2013_All_Goals_Full_Highlights_23-01-2013_Premier_League_HD
Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full...
- published: 16 Dec 2012
- views: 22192
- author: footballnewsnews2012
Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:43
- Updated: 23 Jan 2013
Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full...
http://wn.com/Arsenal_5-1_West_Ham_2013_All_Goals_Full_Highlights_23-01-2013_Premier_League_HD
Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full Highlights 23-01-2013 Premier League HD Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 2013 All Goals & Full...
- published: 16 Dec 2012
- views: 14604
- author: footballnewsnews2012
photo: AP / Lee Jin-man
24 Jan 2013
North Korea threatened to conduct a nuclear weapons test “targeted” at the U.S. after the Obama administration pushed through new United Nations sanctions against the totalitarian state for last month’s rocket launch. “In a new phase of the anti-U.S ... The UN Security Council imposed additional restrictions on North Korea on Jan ... The U.S ... ....(size: 2.2Kb)
photo: White House / Pete Souza
24 Jan 2013
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. In the world of politics and imagination, theater usually trumps theology while history is most often vanquished by histrionics. President Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony for a second term reflects this truth, specifically as he uses two historic bibles-one belonging to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and another used only by Abraham Lincoln ... "With malice toward none; with charity for all."....(size: 7.3Kb)
photo: AP / Anis Belghoul
22 Jan 2013
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. When then-Vice President Dick Cheney stated. "If there's a 1% chance that Pakistani scientists are helping al-Qaeda build or develop a nuclear weapon, we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response. It's not about our analysis...it's about our response,"(1) it was clearly evident that the "war on terror" had been lost ... And when Zacarias Moussaoui shouted. "America you lost ... 11....(size: 9.1Kb)
photo: AP / Patric Schneider
23 Jan 2013
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Three people were wounded, one critically, on Tuesday when gunfire erupted during an altercation between two people on a community college campus near Houston, police said, the latest in a series of shootings on U.S. college and school campuses. Two people "of interest" in the Lone Star College shooting were detained for questioning, including one with a student identification, according to authorities....(size: 3.7Kb)
photo: AP / Burhan Ozbilici
21 Jan 2013
Germany has sent 240 soldiers to southern Turkey as part of a NATO mission using Patriot missiles to deter cross-border airstrikes from war-torn Syria. Units are also being provided by the Netherlands and the US ... DW.DE ... But the area is too big for the existing missile defense shield – not all cities are covered. (20.01.2013) ... 'Deterrent effect' ... The Dutch, German and US Patriots will be stationed around three southeastern Turkish cities ... ....(size: 2.4Kb)
The Independent
24 Jan 2013
There is a myth, peddled by Manchester City supporters, that most footballing Mancunians support their team; Man Utd fans, they claim, fly up each week from London. A survey by estate agents Rightmove gave the lie to that this week revealing that 55.6 percent of Mancs follow United, while just 14.8 percent follow City ... The writer plays an FC loyalist ......(size: 2.5Kb)
noodls
24 Jan 2013
Liverpool FC Ladies unveil their new-look squad on Saturday when they play their first pre-season friendly against Manchester City at their new home ground - the Halton Stadium in Widnes ... "We have a very good squad this season and I have been able to sign some quality players which will strengthen us and help Liverpool FC Ladies challenge at the top end of the table ... Manchester City (H) 7.15pm....(size: 3.4Kb)
Goal
24 Jan 2013
More On . AC Milan, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Bayern München, FC Internazionale, Hamburg, Juventus, Liverpool, Man Utd., Manchester City FC, Newcastle, Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Madrid ......(size: 1.4Kb)
Goal
24 Jan 2013
More On . AC Milan, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Bayern München, FC Internazionale, Hamburg, Juventus, Liverpool, Man Utd., Manchester City FC, Newcastle, Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Madrid CF, Roma, Schalke 04, SSC Napoli, ......(size: 1.6Kb)
noodls
24 Jan 2013
24 January 2013 Total combined revenues of the top 20 Money League clubs up 10% to €4.8 billion; Real Madrid top the rankings for the eighth successive year with revenue of €513m; FC Barcelona complete a Spanish one-two for the fourth year running; A first Premier League title and participation in the UEFA Champions League propel Manchester City up ......(size: 15.2Kb)
noodls
24 Jan 2013
For final 16 players, the ultimate training tour includes matches against academy teams from Manchester United, Juventus and U.S ... FC Barcelona's famed youth academy ... During the tour, the team will also experience the cultural diversity of each place they train and play in cities ranging from Los Angeles to Turin, Italy and Manchester, United Kingdom....(size: 5.0Kb)
photo: AP / Salvatore Laporta
24 Jan 2013
More On . AC Milan, Manchester City FC, Real Madrid CF, Mario Balotelli, Kaká ... be making moves for Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli or Real Madrid midfielder Kaka....(size: 1.1Kb)
Sky Sports
24 Jan 2013
Sky Sports understands QPR manager Harry Redknapp visited FC Porto on Wednesday amid speculation linking him with the club's Portuguese defender Rolando ... Nelsen's announcement he will depart next week to take up his coaching post at Major League Soccer club FC Toronto ... Manchester City 4/9 Draw 16/5 Q.P.R....(size: 1.6Kb)
noodls
24 Jan 2013
(Source. Toronto FC). TORONTO - Center back Darren O'Dea was pleasantly surprised when he learned Tuesday that Ryan Nelsen was set to become Toronto FC head coach on a full-time basis earlier than expected ... When Nelsen (above) was announced as the replacement for Paul Mariner on Jan ... 29 when QPR take on defending champions Manchester City in a league match ... This noodl was issued by Toronto FC and was initially posted at torontofc.ca....(size: 3.9Kb)
Goal
24 Jan 2013
More On . Malaga, Manchester City FC, Isco, Samir Nasri, David Silva ... Gaging Manchester City's title defence is no easy task ... If Manchester United are to win the Premier League title, it will be down to the goals Van Persie has scored - the tap-ins, the blockbusters and the decsive ones ... MAN CITY'S CLEAR-CUT CHANCES ... MANCHESTER CITY LATEST. 5/2 Manchester City are 5/2 to win the Premier League with Paddy Power....(size: 7.0Kb)
Goal
24 Jan 2013
More On . Manchester City FC, Stoke ... After a difficult December, Manchester City have started 2013 playing like a team on a mission, winning all four games since the turn of the year without conceding a single goal ... A strong display from the home side could well force City to settle for a share of the spoils, so odds of 5/2 (3.50) are not be missed on these opponents playing out their sixth consecutive draw at this venue ... ....(size: 3.9Kb)
U~T San Diego
24 Jan 2013
... Manchester United inglés (fue primero entre las campañas 1996/97 y 2003/04) ... Los ascensos más significativos en 2012 fueron los de Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund y Nápoles, que subieron cinco puestos debido a sus buenos resultados en las competiciones domésticas ... FC Barcelona (ESP) 483 ... Manchester United (ING) 395,9 ... Manchester City (ING) 285,6....(size: 3.2Kb)
noodls
24 Jan 2013
(Source. Manchester United plc). 24/01/2013 11.55, Report by Editorial team. Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United FC... 24/1/13 ... 24/1/13 ... This noodl was issued by Manchester United plc and was initially posted at www.manutd.com....(size: 1.9Kb)
| Manchester City badge | ||||
| Full name | Manchester City Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | City, The Citizens, The Sky Blues, The Blues | |||
| Founded | 1880 as St Mark's (West Gorton). In 1894 the name was changed to Manchester City F.C | |||
| Ground | City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester (Capacity: 47.726[1]) |
|||
| Owner | Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan | |||
| Chairman | Khaldoon Al Mubarak | |||
| Manager | Roberto Mancini | |||
| League | Premier League | |||
| 2011–12 | Premier League, 1st | |||
| Website | Club home page | |||
|
||||
 Current season |
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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 played at Maine Road from 1923. 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 under the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison.
After losing the 1981 FA Cup Final, the club went through a tumultuous period of decline culminating in relegation to the third tier of English football in 1998 for the first time in their history. The club has since regained top flight status where they have spent the majority of their history. In 2008, they were bought by the Abu Dhabi United Group, spending millions of pounds on top class players. Success soon followed. In 2011, Manchester City made a breakthrough and qualified for the lucrative Champions League and won the FA Cup. In 2012, the club won the Premier League with a last-minute goal from Sergio Aguero, beating rivals Manchester United to the title on goal difference and ending their 44-year wait for the English football championship.
Contents
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History[link]
Main article: History of Manchester City F.C.
It is widely accepted that Manchester City F.C. was founded as St. Mark's (West Gorton) in 1880 at St. Mark's Church, in Gorton, a district in east Manchester.[3] Prior to this, St. Mark's played cricket from the 1860s 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[link]
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 80,000 capacity stadium would go on to have a remarkable history, and because of high capacity it was nicknamed Wembley of the North.[9]
1928–1965[link]
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[link]
File:1969 FA Cup Malcolm Allison.jpg
Malcolm Allison holds the League Cup trophy aloft after victory in 1970 during City's most successful era yet
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[link]
Maine Road pictured on the day of the last match on 11 May 2003
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.
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 Gaël Clichy, Stefan Savić, Sergio Agüero, Samir Nasri and Owen Hargreaves. City started the season well, and were five points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 6–1 victory over Manchester United in October. Poor form in the middle of the season saw City out of the Champions League and the Europa League, and they fell eight points behind United for the league lead with six matches remaining. City then forged a late-season push to regain the Premiership lead with two matches to go after defeating United 1–0 at Etihad Stadium in what Sir Alex Ferguson called the most important Manchester derby of his managerial career.[42] Victory in the penultimate game away to Newcastle United left City needing a home win against relegation canditates Queens Park Rangers, but after taking a first-half lead, City were losing 2-1 after 90 minutes; in one of history's most dramatic finishes to a football competition, City scored twice in added time to win the game and win the Premier League title.
Reserves and Academy[link]
Main article: Manchester City F.C. Reserves and Academy
Reserves[link]
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[link]
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.[43] 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.[44] Manchester City have played a pioneering role in creating the league[45] amid growing criticism from English media that English football is not producing enough young talent.[46][47]
The club also reaches out to young people in the Manchester area through its City in the Community charity programme[48] which provides Soccer Schools and a City Sixes programme for free coaching at certain venues in Manchester.[49]
Club badge and colours[link]
Main article: Manchester City F.C. strip
File:Oldmanchestercitylogo.png
Manchester City badge from 1972–1997
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.[50] 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.[51] 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 badge was adopted in 1997, a result of the previous badge 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 eagle is an old heraldic symbol of the city of Manchester; a golden eagle was added to the city's badge in 1958 (but has since been removed), representing the growing aviation industry. 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 badges 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 badge, 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 badge 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.[52] For the 2011 FA Cup Final, City used the usual badge 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.[53]
Players[link]
- As of 22 March 2012.[54]
Current squad[link]
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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[edit] Current EDS players with first-team appearances
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Retired numbers[link]
Main article: Retired numbers in association football
23 
Marc-Vivien Foé, Midfielder (2002-03) - 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.[55]
Halls of Fame[link]
See also: List of Manchester City F.C. players
Manchester City Hall of Fame[link]
The following former Manchester City players and managers are inductees in the Manchester City F.C. Hall of Fame,[56] and are listed according to the year of their induction:
| Inductees in MCFC Hall of Fame | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of induction | Player | Position | Role at MCFC | Years in role at MCFC | Notes |
| Manchester City players who were the inaugural inductees in January 2004 | |||||
| 2004[57] |  Billy Meredith |
FW (outside right) | player | 1894–1906, 1921–1924 | also see NFM Hall of Fame |
 Tommy Johnson |
FW (centre forward) & (inside left) |
player | 1919–1930 | ||
| Eric Brook |
FW (outside left) | player | 1928–1939 | ||
| Frank Swift |
GK | player | 1933–1949 | also see NFM Hall of Fame | |
 Peter Doherty |
FW (inside left) | player | 1936–1945 | also see NFM Hall of Fame | |
| Roy Clarke |
FW (outside left) | player | 1947–1958 | Lifetime achievement award | |
 Bert Trautmann, OBE |
GK | player | 1949–1964 | also see NFM Hall of Fame | |
| Roy Paul |
MF (half back) | player | 1950–1957 | ||
| Mike Summerbee |
FW / MF (outside right) | player | 1965–1975 | ||
| Tony Book |
DF (right back) | player manager |
1966–1974 1973, 1974–1979, 1980, 1989, 1993 |
||
| Colin Bell, MBE |
MF | player | 1966–1979 | also see NFM Hall of Fame | |
| Francis Lee |
FW | player chairman |
1967–1974 1994–1998 |
also see NFM Hall of Fame | |
| Joe Corrigan |
GK | player | 1967–1983 | ||
| Paul Lake |
FW / MF / DF | player | 1987–1996 | ||
 Niall Quinn, (Honorary) MBE |
FW | player | 1990–1996 | also see NFM Hall of Fame | |
| Manchester City players and teams inducted since 2004 | |||||
| 2005[58] | Sam Cowan |
DF (centre half) | player manager |
1924–1935 1946–1947 |
|
| Ken Barnes |
MF (wing half) | player | 1950–1961 | Lifetime achievement award | |
| Alan Oakes |
MF | player | 1958–1976 | ||
| Joe Mercer, OBE |
MF (left half) | manager | 1965–1971 | Outstanding achievement award also see NFM Hall of Fame |
|
| Malcolm Allison |
DF (centre half) | assistant mgr. manager |
1965–1971 1971–1973, 1979–1980 |
Outstanding achievement award also see NFM Hall of Fame |
|
| 2006[59] | Ernie Toseland |
FW (outside right) | player | 1928–1938 | |
| Johnny Hart |
FW (inside forward) | player manager |
1947–1960 1973 |
Lifetime achievement award | |
| Manchester City 1956 0000FA Cup-winning team |
not applicable | en masse induction | |||
| Mike Doyle |
DF / MF | player | 1965–1978 | ||
 Shaun Goater |
FW | player | 1998–2003 | Cult hero award | |
| 2008[60] | Fred Tilson |
FW (centre forward) | player | 1928–1939 | |
| Neil Young |
FW (outside left) & (inside left) |
player | 1961–1972 | ||
| Alex Williams, MBE |
GK | player | 1980–1986 | Lifetime achievement award | |
| 2009[61] | Uwe Rösler |
FW | player | 1994–1998 | |
Last updated: 31 March 2011
Source: list of MCFC Hall of Fame inductees
National Football Museum Hall of Fame[link]
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:
| Inductees in NFM Hall of Fame | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of induction | Player | Position | Role at MCFC | Years in role at MCFC |
| Players with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date | ||||
| 2002 | Peter Doherty |
FW (inside left) | player | 1936–1945 |
 Denis Law |
FW | player | 1960–1961, 1973–1974 | |
| Kevin Keegan, OBE |
FW / MF | manager | 2001–2005 | |
| 2003 |  Peter Schmeichel, MBE |
GK | player | 2002–2003 |
| Alan Ball, MBE |
MF | manager | 1995–1996 | |
| 2005 | Bert Trautmann, OBE |
GK | player | 1949–1964 |
| Colin Bell, MBE |
MF | player | 1966–1979 | |
| 2007 | Billy Meredith |
FW (outside right) | player | 1894–1906, 1921–1924 |
| Mark Hughes |
FW | manager | 2008–2009 | |
| 2009 | Frank Swift |
GK | player | 1933–1949 |
| 2010 | Francis Lee |
FW | player | 1967–1974 |
| Managers with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date | ||||
| 2002 | Sir Matt Busby, CBE, KCSG |
FW (inside right) / MF (right half) |
player | 1928–1936 |
| 2004 | Don Revie, OBE |
FW (centre forward) | player | 1951–1956 |
| 2005 | Howard Kendall |
MF | manager | 1989–1990 |
| 2009 | Joe Mercer, OBE |
MF (left half) | manager | 1965–1971 |
| Malcolm Allison |
DF (centre half) | assistant mgr. manager |
1965–1971 1971–1973, 1979–1980 |
|
| Manchester City "Football Foundation Community Champions" inducted to date | ||||
| 2007 | Niall Quinn, (Honorary) MBE |
FW | player | 1990–1996 |
| Manchester City teams inducted to date | ||||
| 2009 | Manchester City 1967–70 |
not applicable | ||
Last updated: 30 March 2011
Source: list of NFM Hall of Fame inductees
Scottish Football Museum Hall of Fame[link]
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:
| Inductees in SFM Hall of Fame | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of induction | Player | Position | Role at MCFC | Years in role at MCFC |
| Players with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date | ||||
| 2004 | Denis Law |
FW | player | 1960–1961, 1973–1974 |
| Billy McNeill, MBE |
DF | manager | 1983–1986 | |
| 2010 | Bobby Johnstone |
FW (inside right) | player | 1955–1959 |
| Managers with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date | ||||
| 2004 | Matt Busby, CBE, KCSG |
FW (inside right) / MF (right half) |
player | 1928–1936 |
Last updated: 30 March 2011
Source: list of SFM Hall of Fame inductees
Welsh Sports Hall of Fame[link]
The following former Manchester City players are inductees in the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and are listed according to the year of their induction:
| Inductees in SFM Hall of Fame | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of induction | Player | Position | Role at MCFC | Years in role at MCFC |
| Players with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date | ||||
| 1990 | Billy Meredith |
DF | player | 1894-1906 |
| 1999 | Horace Blew |
DF | player | 1906- |
Management team[link]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Roberto Mancini |
| Assistant manager | Brian Kidd |
| First team coach | Fausto Salsano |
| First team coach | David Platt |
| First team coach | Attilio Lombardo |
| Goalkeeping coach | Massimo Battara |
| Fitness coach | Ivan Carminati |
| International academy director | Jim Cassell |
| Under-21 elite development manager | Andy Welsh |
| Head of Platt Lane Academy | Mark Allen |
| Academy team manager | Scott Sellars |
Notable managers[link]
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):[62]
- Table correct as of 13 May 2012
| Name | From | To | Games | Wins | Draws | Loss | Win % | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Maley |
1902 | 1906 | &10000000000000150000000150 | &1000000000000008900000089 | &1000000000000002200000022 | &1000000000000003900000039 | &1000000000000005932999959.33 | 1904 FA Cup |
| Wilfried Wild |
1932 | 1946 | &10000000000000352000000352 | &10000000000000158000000158 | &1000000000000007100000071 | &10000000000000123000000123 | &1000000000000004489000044.89 | 1934 FA Cup 1936–37 First Division 1937 Charity Shield |
| Les McDowall |
1950 | 1963 | &10000000000000592000000592 | &10000000000000220000000220 | &10000000000000127000000127 | &10000000000000245000000245 | &1000000000000003715999937.16 | 1956 FA Cup |
| 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 |
| Tony Book |
1973 | 1980 | &10000000000000269000000269 | &10000000000000114000000114 | &1000000000000007500000075 | &1000000000000008000000080 | &1000000000000004238000042.38 | 1976 League Cup |
| Roberto Mancini |
2009 | Present | &10000000000000141000000141 | &1000000000000008500000085 | &1000000000000002600000026 | &1000000000000003000000030 | &1000000000000006028000060.28 | 2011 FA Cup 2011–12 Premier League |
Supporters[link]
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,[63] 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.[64] 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.[65]
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][66] 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.[67]
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".[68][69] 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),[70] 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.[71]
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.[72]
In August 2006, the club became the first to be officially recognised as a "gay-friendly" employer by campaign group Stonewall (UK).[73]
In 2010, City supporters adopted an exuberant dance, dubbed The Poznań, from fans of Polish club Lech Poznań.[74][75]
Ownership and finances[link]
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),[76] 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.[77] 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.[78] 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.[79]
Thaksin's purchase prompted a period of transfer spending at the club,[80] spending in around £30 million,[81] 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.[82][83] Minutes before the transfer window closed, the club signed Robinho from Real Madrid for a British record transfer fee of £32.5 million.[84] 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.[85]
Stadium[link]
Main article: City of Manchester stadium
See also: Hyde Road and Maine Road
Manchester City's 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.[86] 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.[87] The inaugural match at the new stadium was a 2–1 win over FC Barcelona in a friendly match.[88] The current capacity as of summer 2011 stands at 47,726 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.[89] 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.[90] 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.
Honours[link]
League[link]
- First Division/Premier League (first tier)[91]
- Football League Third Division / Football League Second Division (third tier)
- Play-off winners: 1998–99
Cup[link]
- Full Members Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1986
European[link]
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
- Winners (1): 1970
Club records[link]
Main article: List of Manchester City F.C. records and statistics
- Record League victory – 11–3 v. Lincoln City (23 March 1895, most goals scored) 10–0 v. Darwen (18 February 1899, widest margin of victory)[92]
- Record FA Cup victory – 12–0 v. Liverpool Stanley (4 October 1890)[93]
- Record League defeat – 0–8 v. Burton Wanderers (26 December 1894), 0–8 v. Wolverhampton Wanderers (23 December 1933), 1–9 v. Everton (3 September 1906), 2–10 v. Small Heath (17 March 1893)[92]
- Record FA Cup defeat – 0–6 v. Preston North End (30 January 1897), 2–8 v. Bradford Park Avenue (30 January 1946)[93]
- Highest home attendance – 84,569 v. Stoke City (3 March 1934)[94] (remains the record home attendance in English football)
- Most League appearances – 561 + 3 sub, Alan Oakes 1958–76[95]
- Most appearances overall – 676 + 4 sub, Alan Oakes 1958–76[95]
- Most goals scored overall – 177, Eric Brook 1928–40[96]
- Most goals scored in a season – 38, Tommy Johnson 1928–29[97]
- Record transfer fee paid – £35 million to Atlético Madrid for Sergio Agüero, July 2011[98]
- Record transfer fee received – £21 million from Chelsea for Shaun Wright-Phillips, July 2005[99]
See also[link]
References[link]
- 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
- ^ "Part 8: Clubs", UEFA Champions League Statistics Handbook, UEFA, 13 Sep 2011, p. 10, http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/StatDoc/competitions/UCL/01/67/63/79/1676379_DOWNLOAD.pdf, retrieved 15 May 2012
- ^ "Club History – The Club – Manchester City FC". mcfc.co.uk. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/The-Club/Club-History. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ James, Gary (2010). Manchester – A Football History (2nd ed). Halifax: James Ward. ISBN 978-0-9558127-3-6. p. 55
- ^ James, Gary (2008). Manchester – A Football History. Halifax: James Ward. ISBN 978-0-9558127-0-5. p. 58
- ^ James, Gary (2006). Manchester City – The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 1-85983-512-0. p. 23
- ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, p. 8
- ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p32
- ^ James, Manchester:The Greatest City, pp 59–65.
- ^ 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 10 September 2011.
- ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, pp. 31–33
- ^ 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.
- ^ "England 1937/38". league table from RSSSF. http://www.rsssf.com/engpaul/FLA/1937-38.html. Retrieved 29 December 2005.
- ^ Rowlands, Trautmann – The Biography, pp. 178–184
- ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, p. 57
- ^ Penney, Manchester City – The Mercer-Allison Years, pp. 27–36
- ^ Penney, Manchester City – The Mercer-Allison Years, pp. 37–56
- ^ Gardner, The Manchester City Football Book No. 2, pp. 13–22
- ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, pp. 410–420
- ^ Other results meant United would have been relegated even if they had won or drawn, but neither team knew this at the time.
- ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, p. 70
- ^ Tossell, Big Mal, Chapter 18
- ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 68
- ^ Buckley, Andy; Burgess, Richard (2000). Blue Moon Rising: The Fall and Rise of Manchester City. Bury: Milo. ISBN 0-9530847-4-4. p. 177
- ^ Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 265
- ^ "Goater double gives City derby win". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071219015810/http://www.rte.ie/sport/2002/1109/manchester.htm. Retrieved 28 May 2007.
- ^ "Eriksson named Man City manager". BBC Sport. 6 July 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/6241052.stm. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
- ^ "Eriksson's reign at Man City ends". BBC Sport. 2 June 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/7430827.stm. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
- ^ "Manchester City appoint Mark Hughes". Manchester City FC. 4 June 2008. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Players/Management/Mark-Hughes. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
- ^ Winrow, Ian (12 August 2008). "Thaksin Shinawatra's crisis ends Manchester City's European dream". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/2548558/Thaksin-Shinawatras-crisis-ends-Manchester-Citys-European-dream-Football.html. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
- ^ "Man City beat Chelsea to Robinho". BBC. 1 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/7593026.stm. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
- ^ "Lescott completes Man City move". BBC Sport. 25 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8216645.stm. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
- ^ "Mark Hughes sacked as Man City appoint Mancini manager". BBC Sport. 19 December 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8422676.stm. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ^ "Jerome Boateng has agreed the terms of a five-year contract to join Manchester City from German Bundesliga side Hamburg SV.". Manchester City official website. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Team-news/2010/June/Jerome-Boateng-agrees-to-five-year-deal. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ^ "Manchester City sign midfielder Yaya Toure". BBC sport. 2 July 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8783455.stm. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
- ^ "Silva seals City switch.". Sky Sports. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11679_6260796,00.html. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
- ^ MCFC close to signing Serbian Aleksandar Kolarov from Lazio. Manchester City FC. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ "Balotelli signs for City". Manchester City official website. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Team-news/2010/August/Mario-Balotelli-signs-for-Manchester-City. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
- ^ "City complete signing of James Milner". Manchester City official website. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Team-news/2010/August/City-complete-signing-of-James-Milner. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
- ^ "Manchester City sign striker Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg ring piece". BBC Sport. 7 January 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/9336604.stm. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ^ "Man City 1 – 0 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 16 April 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/9457489.stm.
- ^ "Man City 1 – 0 Tottenham". BBC Sport. 10 May 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9480251.stm. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- ^ "Ferguson: Derby is title decider". ESPN Soccernet. 22 April 2012. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1052588/sir-alex-ferguson:-manchester-derby-is-title-decider?cc=5901. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- ^ "Manchester City launch online football skills academy". BBC. 10 August 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8901000/8901607.stm. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
- ^ Man City enter new European league for young players. Manchester City FC. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ Man City scrap reserves to focus on kids' Champions League NextGen series | Mail Online. Dailymail.co.uk (22 June 2011). Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ Danny Mills slams system after England U21s' failure – ESPN Soccernet. Soccernet.espn.go.com (21 June 2011). Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ Clubs leave lost youth behind as academies fail English talent | David Conn | Football. The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ City in the Community – The Club – Manchester City FC. Mcfc.co.uk (7 July 2011). Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ Sport / Football – The Club. Manchester City FC. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ James, Manchester: The Greatest City pp. 14–15
- ^ Turner, Georgina (23 November 2005). "Nicking the shirts off their backs". The Guardian (London). http://football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledge/story/0,13854,1643916,00.html. Retrieved 18 December 2006.
- ^ David Clayton, Everything Under the Blue Moon (Mainstream Publishing, 2002), 21
- ^ "Cup final shirt to feature coat of arms". http://www.mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/2011/may/manchester-coat-of-arms-on-cup-final-shirt. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "Players". Manchester City F.C. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Players. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ^ "Man City retire number 23 shirt". BBC Sport. 27 June 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3026212.stm. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
- ^ "Past Players". mcfc.co.uk. (Manchester City Football Club). http://www.mcfc.co.uk/The-Club/Club-History/Past-Players. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ "Starting line-up inducted into City Hall of Fame". menmedia.co.uk (Manchester Evening News). 23 January 2004. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/79/79136_starting_lineup_inducted_into_city_hall_of_fame.html. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ "King Ken collects plaudits". menmedia.co.uk (Manchester Evening News). 9 February 2005. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/145/145636_king_ken_collects_plaudits.html. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ "City legends honoured". menmedia.co.uk (Manchester Evening News). 22 February 2006. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/s/205/205320_city_legends_honoured.html. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ "Academy honoured at Hall of Fame". mcfc.co.uk. (Manchester City Football Club). 6 March 2008. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Academy-news/2008/March/Academy-honoured-at-Hall-of-Fame. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
- ^ "Uwe Rosler exclusive interview". mcfc.co.uk. (Manchester City Football Club). 2 December 2009. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/2009/december/uwe-rosler-interview. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
- ^ "Managers". mcfcstats.com. http://www.mcfcstats.com. Retrieved 29 March 2006.
- ^ "Top 30 English Football Clubs by League Attendances". footballeconomy.com attendance table 2002-2005. http://www.footballeconomy.com/stats/stats_att_04.htm. Retrieved 30 December 2005.
- ^ "Average Attendances – English Football Divisions – 1994/95–2004/05". footballeconomy.com division attendance table 1995–2005. http://www.footballeconomy.com/stats/stats_att_01.htm. Retrieved 30 December 2005.
- ^ "Customer Success – Manchester City Football Club". Hewlett-Packard case study. Archived from the original on 25 November 2005. http://web.archive.org/web/20051125201443/http://h20219.www2.hp.com/services/cache/78471-0-0-225-121.html. Retrieved 4 April 2007. (archive.org mirror)
- ^ "New era for Manchester City Supporters Club". mcfc.co.uk. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/2010/july/new-era-for-manchester-city-supporters-club. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ "King of the Kippax fanzine". http://kingkippax.blogspot.com/. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- ^ "FA Cup preview". ESPN Star article. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071219190036/http://www.espnstar.com/facup/facup_gamedetails_1660559.html. Retrieved 24 September 2009. (archive.org mirror)
- ^ "Typical City!". Unofficial supporters homepage. Archived from the original on 11 January 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060111201056/http://www.uit.no/mancity/club/typical.html. Retrieved 25 March 2006.
- ^ Wallace, Dave (2007). Century City – Manchester City Football Club 1957/58. Leigh: King of the Kippax. ISBN 978-0-9557056-0-1. page ix
- ^ "Do You Come From Manchester?". Manchester Metropolitan University study. http://www.e-space.mmu.ac.uk/e-space/bitstream/2173/12506/1/seasonticketreport%20-%20brown1.pdf. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
- ^ "The Inflatables Craze". Manchester City Football Club Supporters' Homepage. http://www.uit.no/mancity/bananas.html. Retrieved 30December 2005.
- ^ Campbell, Denis (26 August 2006). "Top club backs gay rights". Premiership side set to change footballing attitudes by introducing 'gay-friendly' policy.' Homepage (London). http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1859387,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=15. Retrieved 27 August 2006.
- ^ Sloan, Jenna (4 February 2011). "Man City fans are doing the Poznan". London: thesun.co.uk. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3389828/Man-City-fans-are-doing-the-Poznan.html. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- ^ Pitt-Brooke, Jack (20 April 2011). "Poles apart: how fans of Poznan inspired City's unlikely dance craze". independent.co.uk. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/poles-apart-how-fans-of-poznan-inspired-citys-unlikely-dance-craze-2270018.html. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- ^ "Manchester City plc". PLUS Markets Group. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070205055003/http://www.plusmarketsgroup.com/details.shtml?ISIN=GB0005599336. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
- ^ "Thaksin completes Man City buyout". BBC Sport. 6 July 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6277502.stm. Retrieved 6 July 2007.
- ^ Taylor, Daniel (10 July 2008). "Wardle quits City". The Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jul/10/manchestercity.premierleague. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ "MCFC Annual Group Accounts published". Manchester City plc. dmy. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080705093139/http://www.mcfc.co.uk/default.sps?pagegid=. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
- ^ "Eriksson continues Man City spending". Reuters. 2 August 2007. http://uk.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUKL0287604320070802. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ "Bojinov joins Man City". FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=563047.html. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ Montague, James (1 September 2008). "Manchester City's new owners put national pride before profit". The Guardian (UK: Guardian News and Media Limited). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/sep/01/manchestercity.premierleague1. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ "City Takeover Confirmed". Sky Sports. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_4078332,00.html. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
- ^ "Robinho joins City". mcfc.co.uk. (Manchester City Football Club). 1 September 2008. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2008/September/Robinho-joins-City. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- ^ "English Transfer Window Ends With Man City As Biggest Spenders". goal.com. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/85/england/2009/09/01/1475428/english-transfer-window-ends-with-man-city-as-biggest. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
- ^ Bailey, Chris (8 November 2006). "Why Blues must cash in on name game". Manchester Evening News. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_city/s/227/227642_why_blues_must_cash_in_on_name_game.html. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
- ^ James, Manchester: A Football History, p391.
- ^ "Man City vanquish Barca". BBC article. 10 August 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/3139231.stm. Retrieved 28 December 2005.
- ^ Inglis, The Football Grounds of Great Britain, p62
- ^ "Club History". Manchester City FC. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/The-Club/Club-history. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
- ^ Up until 1992, the top division of English football was the Football League First Division; since then, it has been the FA Premier League. At the same time, the Second Division was renamed the First Division, and the Third Division was renamed the Second Division.
- ^ a b James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 509
- ^ a b James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 511
- ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p524
- ^ a b James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 155
- ^ James, The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame, p. 48. Some sources state 178 goals, as Brook scored a goal in the abandoned 1939–40 season, the matches of which are generally excluded from statistical records
- ^ Clayton, Everything Under the Blue Moon, p. 112.
- ^ Edwards, Luke (28 July 2011). "Sergio Aguero completes £35 million transfer to Manchester City". Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/8669009/Sergio-Aguero-completes-35-million-transfer-to-Manchester-City.html.
- ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 521
External links[link]
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