1948/49 SEASON REVIEW
City brought in winger Jackie Oakes from Blackburn in the Summer.
The Blues were the better side in the season opener at Turf Moor, however Burnley came out 1-0 winners. but the Blues found better luck at Maine Road where they beat Preston 3-2 and then finished August with a 0-0 draw at home to Stoke .
Moving into September and the Blues scored an early double over Preston , winning 3-1 at Deepdale, but then lost 3-2 at Charlton , so after five games City were mid-table on five points.
The Blues form in September was indifferent, they beat Birmingham 1-0 and drew 0-0 against Manchester United both games at Maine Road, then they were beaten 4-1 at Birmingham , before two draws 1-1 at home to Portsmouth and 0-0 at Newcastle .
October started well with three victories, a 1-0 over Middlesbrough at Maine Road, a 2-0 victory at Sheffield United and 4-1 against Aston Villa at Maine Road.
City then lost 3-0 at Sunderland and drew 3-3 at home to Wolves .
November brought just one win, first City lost 5-1 at Bolton and 4-2 at home to Liverpool , then drew 1-1 at Blackpool and beat Derby 2-1 at Maine Road.
December started with a 1-1 draw at Arsenal and then a 3-1 win over Huddersfield and a 2-2 draw against Burnley both games at Maine Road, and so moving into the festive period The Blues were mid-table with 24 points from 22 games.
Two games over Christmas against Everton saw both sides as mean as Scrooge in front of goal with two 0-0 draws, at Goodison Park on Christmas Day and then Everton travelling to Maine Road two days later.
New Years Day 1949 brought a 3-2 win over Stoke at The Victoria Ground, however it was a quick exit from the FA Cup as Everton knocked City with a 1-0 win in the third round at Goodison Park.
Back in the league and City finished January with a 1-0 defeat against Charlton and a 0-0 draw against Manchester United , both games at Maine Road. With a lack of games due to the FA Cup exit City played a friendly at Coventry which they lost 2-1
It was a fourth game without a win as The Blues lost 3-1 at Portsmouth , and then another friendly and a 4-2 win at Bournemouth . The Blues then went on to win their next three league games 1-0, against Newcastle at Maine Road, Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park and Sheffield United in Manchester. six points which saw City rise to sixth in Division 1 with a quarter of the season to go.
Any thoughts of a late Championship challenge were tempered as they were beaten 1-0 at Aston Villa , drew 1-1 at home to Blackpool and lost 2-0 at Derby .
Amazingly City then put together another trio of 1-0 victories, beating Bolton at home, Liverpool at Anfield and Chelsea at Maine Road moving to third in the league, and then put together a trio of 1-1 draws, at home to Sunderland , and away at Chelsea and Wolves , after the the game at Stamford Bridge Frank Swift announced he would be retiring from football at the end of the season he commented at his farewell party “I have given 17 years of loyal service and have done everything on and off the field to keep up the good name of Manchester City”.
The penultimate game of the season saw City lose 3-0 to Arsenal at Maine Road and then in the last game they lost 1-0 at Huddersfield to finish the season in 7th place on 45 points.
The squad embarked on an end of season tour to Denmark, they played two games against a Copenhagen Select XI , losing the first 2-1 and drawing 3-3 in the second. They then beat Esjberg 4-1, Alborgand Aallborg 5-1 and Randers 4-1, before ending with a 2-1 defeat against a Jutland Select XI.
The Blues were the better side in the season opener at Turf Moor, however Burnley came out 1-0 winners. but the Blues found better luck at Maine Road where they beat Preston 3-2 and then finished August with a 0-0 draw at home to Stoke .
Moving into September and the Blues scored an early double over Preston , winning 3-1 at Deepdale, but then lost 3-2 at Charlton , so after five games City were mid-table on five points.
The Blues form in September was indifferent, they beat Birmingham 1-0 and drew 0-0 against Manchester United both games at Maine Road, then they were beaten 4-1 at Birmingham , before two draws 1-1 at home to Portsmouth and 0-0 at Newcastle .
October started well with three victories, a 1-0 over Middlesbrough at Maine Road, a 2-0 victory at Sheffield United and 4-1 against Aston Villa at Maine Road.
City then lost 3-0 at Sunderland and drew 3-3 at home to Wolves .
November brought just one win, first City lost 5-1 at Bolton and 4-2 at home to Liverpool , then drew 1-1 at Blackpool and beat Derby 2-1 at Maine Road.
December started with a 1-1 draw at Arsenal and then a 3-1 win over Huddersfield and a 2-2 draw against Burnley both games at Maine Road, and so moving into the festive period The Blues were mid-table with 24 points from 22 games.
Two games over Christmas against Everton saw both sides as mean as Scrooge in front of goal with two 0-0 draws, at Goodison Park on Christmas Day and then Everton travelling to Maine Road two days later.
New Years Day 1949 brought a 3-2 win over Stoke at The Victoria Ground, however it was a quick exit from the FA Cup as Everton knocked City with a 1-0 win in the third round at Goodison Park.
Back in the league and City finished January with a 1-0 defeat against Charlton and a 0-0 draw against Manchester United , both games at Maine Road. With a lack of games due to the FA Cup exit City played a friendly at Coventry which they lost 2-1
It was a fourth game without a win as The Blues lost 3-1 at Portsmouth , and then another friendly and a 4-2 win at Bournemouth . The Blues then went on to win their next three league games 1-0, against Newcastle at Maine Road, Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park and Sheffield United in Manchester. six points which saw City rise to sixth in Division 1 with a quarter of the season to go.
Any thoughts of a late Championship challenge were tempered as they were beaten 1-0 at Aston Villa , drew 1-1 at home to Blackpool and lost 2-0 at Derby .
Amazingly City then put together another trio of 1-0 victories, beating Bolton at home, Liverpool at Anfield and Chelsea at Maine Road moving to third in the league, and then put together a trio of 1-1 draws, at home to Sunderland , and away at Chelsea and Wolves , after the the game at Stamford Bridge Frank Swift announced he would be retiring from football at the end of the season he commented at his farewell party “I have given 17 years of loyal service and have done everything on and off the field to keep up the good name of Manchester City”.
The penultimate game of the season saw City lose 3-0 to Arsenal at Maine Road and then in the last game they lost 1-0 at Huddersfield to finish the season in 7th place on 45 points.
The squad embarked on an end of season tour to Denmark, they played two games against a Copenhagen Select XI , losing the first 2-1 and drawing 3-3 in the second. They then beat Esjberg 4-1, Alborgand Aallborg 5-1 and Randers 4-1, before ending with a 2-1 defeat against a Jutland Select XI.