1899/1900 SEASON REVIEW
Newly promoted City opened their First Division campaign at Blackburn where they lost 4-3. However at a packed, newly refurbished, but not quite resplendent Hyde Road, guest Lord Arthur J Balfour, who would later become Prime Minister, watched on as City beat Derby County 4-0 to win their first ever first division game.
An early break from the League and City visited Stoke for a friendly game for the benefit of The Potters’ Jack Eccles, The Blues winning 1-0.
Back in the league and it was a another win, 4-1 at Bury where visiting City fans were lucky to get away with a few minor injuries as a wooden Stand collapsed at Gigg Lane.
At Hyde Road City then beat Notts County 5-1 and drew 1-1 against Wolves to end a very satisfactory first month in the first division with seven points from five games.
City put out an under strength team to play a friendly against The Kaffirs, who were a team of black South Africans from the Orange Free State on a four month tour of Britain, who put up the best display they could losing 5-3 To basically a City reserve team.
Sam Ormerod’s side couldn’t keep up their excellent start in October as they lost 3-0 at Sheffield United, then despite a 1-0 win at home to Newcastle they then lost 2-1 at Aston Villa and 1-0 against Liverpool at Hyde Road. With a quarter of the season gone City had slipped to eighth in Division One, nine points behind unbeaten leaders Sheffield United.
In an effort to get back to their early season form the team were sent for four days special training at Lytham prior to the game at Turf Moor, however they lost again, Burnley winning 2-0.
Back at Hyde Road however City beat Preston 3-1, and then had to wait two weeks for their next match as the game at Nottingham Forest was postponed due to fog.
The wait was worth while as they beat Glossop North End 4-1 at Hyde Road, then in a friendly for the benefit of Newton Heath’s Walter Cartwright, The Blues won again 1-0.
December started with a 1-0 defeat at Stoke, then in a 1-1 draw in a friendly at Corinthians.
City then beat Sunderland 2-1 at Hyde Road, drew 0-0 at West Brom and lost 2-1 at home to Everton. Moving into the busy Christmas period The Blues were mid table, however in a tight league they were only six points above the relegation zone.
Unfortunately it wasn’t a Happy Christmas for the City fans as The Blues lost 2-1 on Christmas Day to Sheffield United at Hyde Road and two days later lost 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.
A return friendly against Corinthians in Manchester ended 2-2 and in the last game of the century they drew 1-1 at home to Blackburn, leaving them in tenth place in Division One, just five points above the relegation zone.
New Years Day 1900 saw a 2-1 victory over Newton Heath in a friendly at Hyde Road.
In the first league game of 1900 City drew 0-0 at Derby then bolstered the squad by buying promising young centre forward Howard Harvey from Burslem Port Vale for £180.
The Blues continued January without a win, drawing 2-2 at home to Bury and 1-1 at Notts County. Then in the FA Cup first round they drew 1-1against Aston Villa at Hyde Road and then lost 3-0 in the replay at Aston Villa.
February saw just one league game, a 1-1 draw with Wolves at Molyneux. City also played two friendlies, losing 2-1 at home to Wolves and 1-0 at Newton Heath.
It was a mixed March as City lost 5-2 at Liverpool and beat Burnley 1-0 at Hyde Road. A break from the league saw a 3-0 defeat in a friendly against Glasgow Rangers in Manchester, and in Division 1 another defeat, 2-0 at home to Aston Villa
City then signed centre forward Alex Davidson from Glossop North End for £250, and his debut was against his former club at North Road, The Blues beating Glossop 2-0.
City made it three wins on the trot with two victories at Hyde Road, 1-0 against Stoke and 2-0 against Nottingham Forest, before signing another forward, Herbert Dartnell from Wellingborough.
Easter was a mixed bag, with a 0-0 draw at Newcastle on Good Friday, a 3-1 defeat on Easter Saturday at Sunderland and a 2-0 victory over Preston on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Blues then bought another forward, Joe Cassidy from Newton Heath for £150.
In the last home game of the season City fans celebrated a respectable first season in Division 1, cemented in the top half of the table, they beat West Brom 4-0. However in the last game of the season at Everton the team lost 4-0. Finishing 7th in Division 1 with 34 points.