ZWOLLE PEC 1 CITY 1
Friendly
6th August 1977
Attendance 5,500
Scorers
City Power(35)
Zwolle Hendricks(52 pen)
Ref Erik Mulder
City MacRae, Clements, Donachie, Watson, Booth, Owen, Channon, Tueart, Kidd, Hartford, Power – used subs Barnes(30), Royle(60)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
REPORT FROM THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 8TH AUGUST 1977
Manchester City’s line-up for their most concentrated attack on the First Division title since their 1968 championship is still in the melting pot.
Manager Tony Book admitted after Saturday’s explosive 1-1 draw against Dutch Second Division side Zwolle that he had learned little from the match as a tactical exercise.
Book should, however, reveal his thoughts when he selects, for the first time in four pre-season outings, a team to go the entire 90 minutes against Belgian side Lockeren tomorrow night.
Clearly City haven’t only inherited one of the games great attacking talents in £300,000 Mike Channon. They have bought themselves a problem that must be the envy of every club in the League.
The poser is how best to complement Channon’s ability from a squad of 17 other gifted and highly ambitious professionals.
Zwolle, a sleepy Dutch town with a side that failed to take their Second Division title by a single point last season, could have provided an answer until the entire exercise blew up in Book’s face in the second half.
City were bossing the show comfortably after a 38th minute goal, created by the raking speed of Channon and the finish of Paul Power, when the match exploded into fragments.
An appalling penalty award against Dave Watson by top Dutch referee Erik Mulder brought a 52nd minute equaliser from Hendricks.
City’s composure was rocked again when Asa Hartford was sent off for apparently striking an opponent with his elbow.
Book, who had already complained bitterly to the referee about a tackle that left Channon sprawling, led a charge on to the pitch from City’s dug-out that literally brought the game to a standstill for three minutes.
The episode that finally broke the patience of the normally implacable Book produced a booking for Gary Owen and a warning for the City boss from the referee to cool down the atmosphere.
Book rightly protested afterwards that if the official had clamped down on the Dutch side’s intimidating tackling earlier there would have been no problem…