1947/48 SEASON REVIEW
Sam Cowans resigned before the start of the season after disagreements with chairman Bob Smith and so the newly promoted City team started the campaign managerless.
City played in front of the highest crowd on the season’s opening day as they beat Wolves in a 4-3 thriller, however it was to be a mixed August as they lost 1-0 at Everton and then drew 1-1 at Aston Villa .
Everton gained an early season double over the Blues as they won 1-0 at Maine Road,
September was as unpredictable as City beat Sunderland 3-0 at Maine Road, then drew 0-0 against Derby County at The Baseball ground to cement a mid-table position in Division 1.
The Blues moved into the top third of the table, losing 1-0 at Grimsby , beating Derby 3-2 at home and then drawing 0-0 in front of a Maine Road crowd of over 78,000 against Manchester United who were the away team despite them still using Maine Road as their home ground due to the bombing of Old Trafford.
September finished with a 3-1 defeat by Blackburn at Maine Road.
Moving into October and City were struggling on their travels, drawing 1-1 at Blackpool and losing 2-1 at Preston , at Maine Road they disposed of Stoke 3-0.
In an effort to shake things up City paid Chesterfield £8,000 for much sought after forward Billy linacre, as well as the cash Peter Robinson and Tommy Capel also moved to The Spirites.
City failed to win away again drawing 1-1 against Burnley at Turf Moor, and so with a third of the season gone the Blues were mid-table with 13 points from 14 games.
Back at home City won again 1-0 against Portsmouth but then predictably lost away, 2-1 at Middlesbrough , before beating Western Command 8-2 in a friendly.
Eventually City announced their new man in charge as Jack Thompson was named manager on 13th November 1947
With a new man at the helm and City back in Manchester they beat Charlton 4-0, and then even though the journey to Burnden Park was short it was still away from Maine Road and The Blues were beaten 2-1 by Bolton .
November finished with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Maine Road.
December saw City fail to win away at the tenth time of asking as they drew 1-1 at Arsenal , however their home form kept them in the top half of the table and they beat Sheffield United 4-3 in Moss Side, but they then lost away at Wolves 2-1.
The festive double header ended in stale mate, at Maine Road City drew 1-1 against Huddersfield , and the teams drew by the same score at Huddersfield .
Although the new year started with a defeat, 2-0 at home to Aston Villa . The rest of the month saw four victories. In the third round of the FA Cup City beat Barnsley 2-1 at Maine Road and then The Blues gained their first away win of the season beating Sunderland 1-0 at Roker Park. In the fourth round of the FA Cup City beat Chelsea 2-0 at Maine Road and then also at home Grimsby were beaten 3-1 in the league, also at home.
City’s participation in the FA Cup ended with a fifth round 1-0 defeat to Preston at Maine Road. In the league they then lost 1-0 at Blackburn and beat Blackpool 1-0 at Maine Road.
March started predictably as City were beaten 3-0 by Stoke at the Victoria Ground, but at home they were victorious over Burnley 4-1.
After 15 years service with The Citizens Alec Herd moved to Stockport County on a free transfer.
Away from Maine Road City failed to win again, losing 1-0 at Portsmouth and drawing 2-2 at Chelsea . However The Blues then won three games on the trot, 2-0 against Middlesbrough and 1-0 against Chelsea both at Maine Road and 1-0 against Charlton at the Valley.
The Derby at Old Trafford against United saw both sides stripped of their stars courtesy of the Old Firm International at Hampden Park, and the game ended 1-1.
City then failed to win their last five league games, losing 2-0 at home to Bolton , drawing 1-1 at Liverpool , sandwiched in between they beat Chester 1-0 in a friendly but in the league lost at home again, 3-0 against Preston then also at Maine Road drawing 0-0 against Arsenal before losing the last game of the season 2-1 at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United .
The Blues finished 10th on 42 points.
City played in front of the highest crowd on the season’s opening day as they beat Wolves in a 4-3 thriller, however it was to be a mixed August as they lost 1-0 at Everton and then drew 1-1 at Aston Villa .
Everton gained an early season double over the Blues as they won 1-0 at Maine Road,
September was as unpredictable as City beat Sunderland 3-0 at Maine Road, then drew 0-0 against Derby County at The Baseball ground to cement a mid-table position in Division 1.
The Blues moved into the top third of the table, losing 1-0 at Grimsby , beating Derby 3-2 at home and then drawing 0-0 in front of a Maine Road crowd of over 78,000 against Manchester United who were the away team despite them still using Maine Road as their home ground due to the bombing of Old Trafford.
September finished with a 3-1 defeat by Blackburn at Maine Road.
Moving into October and City were struggling on their travels, drawing 1-1 at Blackpool and losing 2-1 at Preston , at Maine Road they disposed of Stoke 3-0.
In an effort to shake things up City paid Chesterfield £8,000 for much sought after forward Billy linacre, as well as the cash Peter Robinson and Tommy Capel also moved to The Spirites.
City failed to win away again drawing 1-1 against Burnley at Turf Moor, and so with a third of the season gone the Blues were mid-table with 13 points from 14 games.
Back at home City won again 1-0 against Portsmouth but then predictably lost away, 2-1 at Middlesbrough , before beating Western Command 8-2 in a friendly.
Eventually City announced their new man in charge as Jack Thompson was named manager on 13th November 1947
With a new man at the helm and City back in Manchester they beat Charlton 4-0, and then even though the journey to Burnden Park was short it was still away from Maine Road and The Blues were beaten 2-1 by Bolton .
November finished with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Maine Road.
December saw City fail to win away at the tenth time of asking as they drew 1-1 at Arsenal , however their home form kept them in the top half of the table and they beat Sheffield United 4-3 in Moss Side, but they then lost away at Wolves 2-1.
The festive double header ended in stale mate, at Maine Road City drew 1-1 against Huddersfield , and the teams drew by the same score at Huddersfield .
Although the new year started with a defeat, 2-0 at home to Aston Villa . The rest of the month saw four victories. In the third round of the FA Cup City beat Barnsley 2-1 at Maine Road and then The Blues gained their first away win of the season beating Sunderland 1-0 at Roker Park. In the fourth round of the FA Cup City beat Chelsea 2-0 at Maine Road and then also at home Grimsby were beaten 3-1 in the league, also at home.
City’s participation in the FA Cup ended with a fifth round 1-0 defeat to Preston at Maine Road. In the league they then lost 1-0 at Blackburn and beat Blackpool 1-0 at Maine Road.
March started predictably as City were beaten 3-0 by Stoke at the Victoria Ground, but at home they were victorious over Burnley 4-1.
After 15 years service with The Citizens Alec Herd moved to Stockport County on a free transfer.
Away from Maine Road City failed to win again, losing 1-0 at Portsmouth and drawing 2-2 at Chelsea . However The Blues then won three games on the trot, 2-0 against Middlesbrough and 1-0 against Chelsea both at Maine Road and 1-0 against Charlton at the Valley.
The Derby at Old Trafford against United saw both sides stripped of their stars courtesy of the Old Firm International at Hampden Park, and the game ended 1-1.
City then failed to win their last five league games, losing 2-0 at home to Bolton , drawing 1-1 at Liverpool , sandwiched in between they beat Chester 1-0 in a friendly but in the league lost at home again, 3-0 against Preston then also at Maine Road drawing 0-0 against Arsenal before losing the last game of the season 2-1 at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United .
The Blues finished 10th on 42 points.