1939/40 SEASON REVIEW
The season kicked off with some uncertainty with the on-set of Hitler’s onslaught in Europe the fans were more concerned with the possibility of war than with football.
The Blues played one pre-season friendly, drawing 1-1 at Manchester United in a match arranged to raise funds for the Football League Jubilee Fund.
City’s league season started with a 4-3 defeat at Leicester , and a 1-1 home draw with Bury , then a first win, 2-0 against Chesterfield . However one day later war was declared with Germany and the official season finished there and then.
Even if people wanted to go to football games travel was difficult and any large crowds were discouraged.
The three games played were removed from clubs ‘official records and no official league games would be played again until 1946.
The government did give initial permission for football clubs to play friendly matches and these were hastily arranged, although attendances were limited to 8,000.
City beat Bury 4-2 at Gigg Lane, lost 3-0 at Preston , beat Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford, and won 5-0 at Stockport , before a 2-2 draw at Bolton .
The government had imposed a fifty mile travelling limit and therefore the Football League announced that league football would return, but clubs would be divided into eight mini regional leagues so games would be more competitive, rather than continual friendlies, although trophies would not be awarded, and of course fit in with the emergency travel rules..
City were placed in the Western Regional League with eleven other teams and got off to a great start with a 4-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, and then a 6-1 home win against Wrexham .
Due to the Lancashire Cup ties being played on a Saturday and City withdrawing from the competition this year, they arranged a friendly against Preston at Maine Road, the game ending 2-2.
Back in the league the Blues lost 3-1 at Everton . Then City played Stoke at Maine Road, The Blues were without Swift and Brook and The Potters were without Matthews due to a Red Cross representative game played at Wrexham on the same day. City’s game ended 1-1.
City then won 3-1 at New Brighton and then in an amazing game at Maine Road the Blues drew 6-6 against Stockport County , The Manchester Guardian commented “Twelve goals for a bob!… thats a penny apiece”.
City got back on track with a 4-1 victory at Maine Road against Chester which moved them up to third in the league.
The Lancashire Cup ties meant City played another friendly winning 2-0 at Burnley , before a 2-1 league win at Crewe .
There were no league games played over the Festive period so City played Manchester United in a friendly on Christmas Day and drew 1-1 at Maine Road, and then on Boxing Day the same friendly moved to Old Trafford and Manchester United won 3-1.
New Years Day 1940 saw another friendly at Maine Road, The Blues beating Stockport 7-2.
When league matches returned on 6th January City had a chance to go top of the league as they played Liverpool at Maine Road, however the Blues crashed to a 7-3 defeat.
The only other game played in January was a friendly at Blackburn which City won 2-1.
The Blues got back on track in the league with 1-0 at home to Manchester United and then won another friendly 3-1 against Sheffield Wednesday at Maine Road.
The Blues then lost 3-2 at Wrexham in the league, beat Burnley 3-1 in a home friendly and also at Maine Road drew 2-2 against Everton which saw them drop to fifth in the Western League table.
A further league defeat followed, 2-1 at Stoke , then, although they beat Blackpool 5-3 at Maine Road in a friendly, they surprisingly were beaten at home in the league by New Brighton , 3-2.
A trip to the seaside saw City beat Blackpool again in a friendly 3-0, before a 1-1 draw at Stockport in the league. The Blues were now sitting in seventh position in the league.
Two good league wins followed 3-0 at Chester and 5-1 at home to Tranmere .
With the incepion of a new Competition, The Football League War Cup, the Home Office announced that clubs would be able to allow fans in up to half their full capacity for the competition only, in an effort to boost club funds.
The first round drew City with Manchester United and the tie was played home and away, in the first leg at Old Trafford Manchester United lost 1-0, and then at Maine Road, in front of a crowd of over 21,000, City’s average gate in the league was less than 5,000, Manchester United won 2-0 and City were out of the cup, and would lose out on the financial bonus progression would have brought.
City then went on a goal scoring spree in the league, winning 6-1 at Tranmere , 5-2 at Port Vale , then at home beat Crewe 6-2 and Port Vale 7-0 and with just one game to play in the league they were third just one point behind leaders Stoke.
Unfortunately City lost their last game 3-2 at Liverpool and finshed in 4th position with 28 points from 22 games.
The Blues played one pre-season friendly, drawing 1-1 at Manchester United in a match arranged to raise funds for the Football League Jubilee Fund.
City’s league season started with a 4-3 defeat at Leicester , and a 1-1 home draw with Bury , then a first win, 2-0 against Chesterfield . However one day later war was declared with Germany and the official season finished there and then.
Even if people wanted to go to football games travel was difficult and any large crowds were discouraged.
The three games played were removed from clubs ‘official records and no official league games would be played again until 1946.
The government did give initial permission for football clubs to play friendly matches and these were hastily arranged, although attendances were limited to 8,000.
City beat Bury 4-2 at Gigg Lane, lost 3-0 at Preston , beat Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford, and won 5-0 at Stockport , before a 2-2 draw at Bolton .
The government had imposed a fifty mile travelling limit and therefore the Football League announced that league football would return, but clubs would be divided into eight mini regional leagues so games would be more competitive, rather than continual friendlies, although trophies would not be awarded, and of course fit in with the emergency travel rules..
City were placed in the Western Regional League with eleven other teams and got off to a great start with a 4-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, and then a 6-1 home win against Wrexham .
Due to the Lancashire Cup ties being played on a Saturday and City withdrawing from the competition this year, they arranged a friendly against Preston at Maine Road, the game ending 2-2.
Back in the league the Blues lost 3-1 at Everton . Then City played Stoke at Maine Road, The Blues were without Swift and Brook and The Potters were without Matthews due to a Red Cross representative game played at Wrexham on the same day. City’s game ended 1-1.
City then won 3-1 at New Brighton and then in an amazing game at Maine Road the Blues drew 6-6 against Stockport County , The Manchester Guardian commented “Twelve goals for a bob!… thats a penny apiece”.
City got back on track with a 4-1 victory at Maine Road against Chester which moved them up to third in the league.
The Lancashire Cup ties meant City played another friendly winning 2-0 at Burnley , before a 2-1 league win at Crewe .
There were no league games played over the Festive period so City played Manchester United in a friendly on Christmas Day and drew 1-1 at Maine Road, and then on Boxing Day the same friendly moved to Old Trafford and Manchester United won 3-1.
New Years Day 1940 saw another friendly at Maine Road, The Blues beating Stockport 7-2.
When league matches returned on 6th January City had a chance to go top of the league as they played Liverpool at Maine Road, however the Blues crashed to a 7-3 defeat.
The only other game played in January was a friendly at Blackburn which City won 2-1.
The Blues got back on track in the league with 1-0 at home to Manchester United and then won another friendly 3-1 against Sheffield Wednesday at Maine Road.
The Blues then lost 3-2 at Wrexham in the league, beat Burnley 3-1 in a home friendly and also at Maine Road drew 2-2 against Everton which saw them drop to fifth in the Western League table.
A further league defeat followed, 2-1 at Stoke , then, although they beat Blackpool 5-3 at Maine Road in a friendly, they surprisingly were beaten at home in the league by New Brighton , 3-2.
A trip to the seaside saw City beat Blackpool again in a friendly 3-0, before a 1-1 draw at Stockport in the league. The Blues were now sitting in seventh position in the league.
Two good league wins followed 3-0 at Chester and 5-1 at home to Tranmere .
With the incepion of a new Competition, The Football League War Cup, the Home Office announced that clubs would be able to allow fans in up to half their full capacity for the competition only, in an effort to boost club funds.
The first round drew City with Manchester United and the tie was played home and away, in the first leg at Old Trafford Manchester United lost 1-0, and then at Maine Road, in front of a crowd of over 21,000, City’s average gate in the league was less than 5,000, Manchester United won 2-0 and City were out of the cup, and would lose out on the financial bonus progression would have brought.
City then went on a goal scoring spree in the league, winning 6-1 at Tranmere , 5-2 at Port Vale , then at home beat Crewe 6-2 and Port Vale 7-0 and with just one game to play in the league they were third just one point behind leaders Stoke.
Unfortunately City lost their last game 3-2 at Liverpool and finshed in 4th position with 28 points from 22 games.