1940/41 SEASON REVIEW
Prior to the start of the season the board announced losses of £3,858, 3s. 5d. the loss mainly attributed to the war.
To help the War effort City played a pre-season against an RAF XI at Maine Road which they won 2-0.
The first game in the Northern League saw Everton draw 0-0 at Maine Road and then at Goodison Park Everton won 1-0.
Eventually City got on the scoresheet beating New Brighton 5-2, however without Swift and Sproston due to an Army representative game City could only draw 0-0 at Leeds .
Charlton Athletic’s Bert ‘Sailor’ Brown guested for City on the right wing at Maine Road, and helped himself to a goal as Manchester United were beaten 4-1 and The Blues moved up to fourth in the table.
Away at Manchester United City won again 2-0, and then went top of the league with a 3-1 win at Maine Road over Huddersfield .
A fourth win on the trot followed, 4-0 at Liverpool , and even though City then drew 1-1 at home to Blackburn , they kept their position at the League’s summit.
November started well with a 4-0 win at Doncaster and a 5-1 home win over Liverpool which saw the Blues cement their position at the top of the league with a goal average of 4, the league this year would be determined on goal difference not on points.
City then drew 2-2 at Blackburn , but robbed of the services of Doherty and Bray, who played in an Army and RAF representative match in Hull, City then lost to second place Preston 2-1.
Doherty and Bray were back for the return at Preston and the match ended 4-4.
Another representative match saw Swift, Doherty and Bray absent from a 1-0 defeat at Oldham , City now second in the league to Everton.
The Blues then won 9-1 against Stockport at Edgeley Park and then at Maine Road, Stockport were beaten again, 7-2, to take City back to the top of the league.
It wasn’t a good feative period for City as they drew 2-2 at Burnley on Christmas Day and then lost 2-0 three days later at Huddersfield , but at the half way point City were top of the league.
The New Year brought a fantastic 9-1 win against Rochdale at Maine Road the league match was also classified as a Lancashire Cup tie and the crowds for City home games were clearly reducing with threats of Air attacks as less than 2,000 fans were in attendance, the Manchester Guardian commenting “Men used to assemble in greater numbers for a Pendlebury ‘piggy’ match”.
in the return at Rochdale City won again 6-1.
Deprived of Swift and Doherty again City lost 4-2 at home to Blackpool and then at Bloomfield Road Blackpool beat City again 2-1 and The Blues were out of The Lancashire Cup.
City maintained their lead at the top of the league with a 5-4 win over Oldham at Maine Road and at Boundary Park Oldham lost again, 5-2.
The Football War Cup kicked off initially with two legged regional rounds and City met Blackpool again in the first round and beat them 4-1 at Maine Road, The Tangerines’ first defeat of the season. Despite Blackpool beating City 1-0 at Maine Road The Blues were victorious 4-2 on aggregate. City cruised through the second round, beating Blackburn 5-2 at Maine Road and 4-2 in Blackburn .
City were enjoying their Cup football and in the third round they drew 1-1 with Everton at Goodison Park, then at Maine Road beat Everton 2-0.
Unfortunately City missed Peter Doherty for the fourth round tie at home to Preston due to a Forces representative game and lost 2-1, and it got worse in the return at Preston as City failed in an attempt to put back the tie as Doherty, Swift and Sproston were all playing in yet another Forces’ representative game, the Blues’ depleted team went out of the cup losing 3-0.
Back to the League and City were clinging to top spot as they could only draw 1-1 at home to Leeds , however they dropped down to fourth after a disastrous 7-1 defeat against Manchester United at Maine Road.
Two wins, at Maine Road, 5-0 against Wrexham and 2-0 against Blackpool helped City improve their goal difference to climb in to second place, where they stayed despite three draws, 1-1 at Blackpool , 0-0 at Wrexham and 1-1 at Bolton .
The side was being stripped of their stars on a weekly basis due to representative games and a team with three guest players, including Manchester United’s Carey beat Bolton 6-4 at Maine Road.
With two games left City needed a barrel load of goals to have any chance of catching leader’s Preston’s goal average.
They beat Bury 3-2 at Gigg Lane and then in the final day of the season at Maine Road, Bury were beaten again 3-2.
To help the War effort City played a pre-season against an RAF XI at Maine Road which they won 2-0.
The first game in the Northern League saw Everton draw 0-0 at Maine Road and then at Goodison Park Everton won 1-0.
Eventually City got on the scoresheet beating New Brighton 5-2, however without Swift and Sproston due to an Army representative game City could only draw 0-0 at Leeds .
Charlton Athletic’s Bert ‘Sailor’ Brown guested for City on the right wing at Maine Road, and helped himself to a goal as Manchester United were beaten 4-1 and The Blues moved up to fourth in the table.
Away at Manchester United City won again 2-0, and then went top of the league with a 3-1 win at Maine Road over Huddersfield .
A fourth win on the trot followed, 4-0 at Liverpool , and even though City then drew 1-1 at home to Blackburn , they kept their position at the League’s summit.
November started well with a 4-0 win at Doncaster and a 5-1 home win over Liverpool which saw the Blues cement their position at the top of the league with a goal average of 4, the league this year would be determined on goal difference not on points.
City then drew 2-2 at Blackburn , but robbed of the services of Doherty and Bray, who played in an Army and RAF representative match in Hull, City then lost to second place Preston 2-1.
Doherty and Bray were back for the return at Preston and the match ended 4-4.
Another representative match saw Swift, Doherty and Bray absent from a 1-0 defeat at Oldham , City now second in the league to Everton.
The Blues then won 9-1 against Stockport at Edgeley Park and then at Maine Road, Stockport were beaten again, 7-2, to take City back to the top of the league.
It wasn’t a good feative period for City as they drew 2-2 at Burnley on Christmas Day and then lost 2-0 three days later at Huddersfield , but at the half way point City were top of the league.
The New Year brought a fantastic 9-1 win against Rochdale at Maine Road the league match was also classified as a Lancashire Cup tie and the crowds for City home games were clearly reducing with threats of Air attacks as less than 2,000 fans were in attendance, the Manchester Guardian commenting “Men used to assemble in greater numbers for a Pendlebury ‘piggy’ match”.
in the return at Rochdale City won again 6-1.
Deprived of Swift and Doherty again City lost 4-2 at home to Blackpool and then at Bloomfield Road Blackpool beat City again 2-1 and The Blues were out of The Lancashire Cup.
City maintained their lead at the top of the league with a 5-4 win over Oldham at Maine Road and at Boundary Park Oldham lost again, 5-2.
The Football War Cup kicked off initially with two legged regional rounds and City met Blackpool again in the first round and beat them 4-1 at Maine Road, The Tangerines’ first defeat of the season. Despite Blackpool beating City 1-0 at Maine Road The Blues were victorious 4-2 on aggregate. City cruised through the second round, beating Blackburn 5-2 at Maine Road and 4-2 in Blackburn .
City were enjoying their Cup football and in the third round they drew 1-1 with Everton at Goodison Park, then at Maine Road beat Everton 2-0.
Unfortunately City missed Peter Doherty for the fourth round tie at home to Preston due to a Forces representative game and lost 2-1, and it got worse in the return at Preston as City failed in an attempt to put back the tie as Doherty, Swift and Sproston were all playing in yet another Forces’ representative game, the Blues’ depleted team went out of the cup losing 3-0.
Back to the League and City were clinging to top spot as they could only draw 1-1 at home to Leeds , however they dropped down to fourth after a disastrous 7-1 defeat against Manchester United at Maine Road.
Two wins, at Maine Road, 5-0 against Wrexham and 2-0 against Blackpool helped City improve their goal difference to climb in to second place, where they stayed despite three draws, 1-1 at Blackpool , 0-0 at Wrexham and 1-1 at Bolton .
The side was being stripped of their stars on a weekly basis due to representative games and a team with three guest players, including Manchester United’s Carey beat Bolton 6-4 at Maine Road.
With two games left City needed a barrel load of goals to have any chance of catching leader’s Preston’s goal average.
They beat Bury 3-2 at Gigg Lane and then in the final day of the season at Maine Road, Bury were beaten again 3-2.
City didn’t catch Preston and indeed Chesterfield pipped them into 2nd place. The Blues finishing third on a goal average of 1.89.