1943/44 SEASON REVIEW
The 1943/44 League Division North would follow the previous seasons format. The first half of the season would decide the league champions and the second half would follow a complicated Cup format.
Before the season kicked off properly City drew 2-2 at Maine Road against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly,
City got off to a bad start with a 4-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, and although they then beat Liverpool 2-1 at Maine Road, they the lost their next three games, 6-2 against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, in the return at Maine Road Blackpool won 2-1, and Bolton won 4-1 at Burnden Park.
October saw a tremendous improvement as City won all five games in the month. They beat Bolton 4-0 at Maine Road, at the Racecourse ground they beat Wrexham 1-0, and then due to England playing an International at Maine Road, they played at The Racecourse Ground again and beat Wrexham 4-1, they then beat Crewe 2-0 at Maine Road, and at Gresty Road Crewe were beaten again, 2-0.
November started with a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United and then, again, at Maine Road Manchester United defeated City 3-0 in their ‘home’ game. The Blues then beat Chester City 2-1 at Sealand Road and then back at Maine Road Chester lost again, 3-0.
December brought a 2-2 draw against Tranmere at Maine Road and then at Prenton Park Tranmere were beaten 6-0. In the penultimate game of the ‘league section’ of the season City lost 4-0 against Everton at Goodison Park and then in the final game on Christmas Day Everton won again 5-3 at Maine Road. City finished in 17th position with 20 points from 18 games.
Boxing Day brought the start of the League War Cup, City would play ten games against five teams in the qualifying round.
The Cup kicked off with a 4-0 victory for the Blues at Bury , however on New Years Day Bury got their revenge defeating City 7-1 at Maine Road. The Blues chances of qualifying for the next stage faltered further as they drew 0-0 against Oldham at Maine Road and then at Boundary Park, Oldham drew again, 1-1. Manchester United were still playing their matches at Maine Road due to the bomb damage at Old Trafford and so in their ‘home’ game they were defeated by City, 3-1, however a week later United beat City 3-2.
The Blues then beat Stockport 4-0 at Maine Road, however with a depleted team due to representative games they then lost 4-3 at Stockport and were perilously close to failing to qualify.
A 5-3 victory over Halifax at The Shay and then a further defeat of Halifax , 4-0 at Maine Road saw City through to the next round of the Cup.
in the first round they beat Blackburn 3-0 at Maine Road, however Blackburn led 4-1 at full time in the return at Ewood Park and the game went into extra time, City scoring the winning goal to make it 5-4 on aggregate.
The second round was just as close, City drew 1-1 with Liverpool at Maine Road and the return at Anfield, Liverpool were only beaten again after extra time, 3-2.
City went into the third round against Birmingham with a depleted team due to Frank Swift and Peter Docherty being engaged in a Forces match in Edinburgh, despite the loss of talent the Blues won 1-0 at Maine Road and then in the 2nd leg at Birmingham they drew 0-0, and so qualifying for the semi-finals.
City then played Manchester United in a league game (very complicated I know) and won 4-1.
In the semi-finals City drew 1-1 with Blackpool at Bloomfield Road and drew 1-1, however in the 2nd leg The Blues lost 2-1 against Blackpool and were out of the cup.
City finished the season with a 5-0 defeat at Bradford Park Avenue , and then at Maine Road they beat Bradford Park Avenue 2-1
Before the season kicked off properly City drew 2-2 at Maine Road against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly,
City got off to a bad start with a 4-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, and although they then beat Liverpool 2-1 at Maine Road, they the lost their next three games, 6-2 against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, in the return at Maine Road Blackpool won 2-1, and Bolton won 4-1 at Burnden Park.
October saw a tremendous improvement as City won all five games in the month. They beat Bolton 4-0 at Maine Road, at the Racecourse ground they beat Wrexham 1-0, and then due to England playing an International at Maine Road, they played at The Racecourse Ground again and beat Wrexham 4-1, they then beat Crewe 2-0 at Maine Road, and at Gresty Road Crewe were beaten again, 2-0.
November started with a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United and then, again, at Maine Road Manchester United defeated City 3-0 in their ‘home’ game. The Blues then beat Chester City 2-1 at Sealand Road and then back at Maine Road Chester lost again, 3-0.
December brought a 2-2 draw against Tranmere at Maine Road and then at Prenton Park Tranmere were beaten 6-0. In the penultimate game of the ‘league section’ of the season City lost 4-0 against Everton at Goodison Park and then in the final game on Christmas Day Everton won again 5-3 at Maine Road. City finished in 17th position with 20 points from 18 games.
Boxing Day brought the start of the League War Cup, City would play ten games against five teams in the qualifying round.
The Cup kicked off with a 4-0 victory for the Blues at Bury , however on New Years Day Bury got their revenge defeating City 7-1 at Maine Road. The Blues chances of qualifying for the next stage faltered further as they drew 0-0 against Oldham at Maine Road and then at Boundary Park, Oldham drew again, 1-1. Manchester United were still playing their matches at Maine Road due to the bomb damage at Old Trafford and so in their ‘home’ game they were defeated by City, 3-1, however a week later United beat City 3-2.
The Blues then beat Stockport 4-0 at Maine Road, however with a depleted team due to representative games they then lost 4-3 at Stockport and were perilously close to failing to qualify.
A 5-3 victory over Halifax at The Shay and then a further defeat of Halifax , 4-0 at Maine Road saw City through to the next round of the Cup.
in the first round they beat Blackburn 3-0 at Maine Road, however Blackburn led 4-1 at full time in the return at Ewood Park and the game went into extra time, City scoring the winning goal to make it 5-4 on aggregate.
The second round was just as close, City drew 1-1 with Liverpool at Maine Road and the return at Anfield, Liverpool were only beaten again after extra time, 3-2.
City went into the third round against Birmingham with a depleted team due to Frank Swift and Peter Docherty being engaged in a Forces match in Edinburgh, despite the loss of talent the Blues won 1-0 at Maine Road and then in the 2nd leg at Birmingham they drew 0-0, and so qualifying for the semi-finals.
City then played Manchester United in a league game (very complicated I know) and won 4-1.
In the semi-finals City drew 1-1 with Blackpool at Bloomfield Road and drew 1-1, however in the 2nd leg The Blues lost 2-1 against Blackpool and were out of the cup.
City finished the season with a 5-0 defeat at Bradford Park Avenue , and then at Maine Road they beat Bradford Park Avenue 2-1