1950/51 SEASON REVIEW
Prior to the season the board announced a profit of £11,109 from the previous season a figure down by over £10,000 from the season before that, understandable as City had been relegated and faced the campaign looking to try and bounce back to Division 1 at the first time of asking, and they certainly showed they were determined to do this when Les McDowall persuaded the board to pay £19,500 to Swansea in July to secure the services of Welsh International half back, Roy Paul.
Scottish International Andy Black moved away from Maine Road a few days later joining Stockport
Scottish International Andy Black moved away from Maine Road a few days later joining Stockport
Before a competitive ball was kicked Joe Fagan, shown above in pre-season training with Dennis Westcoot and Eric Westwood, was sidelined for up to two months with an ankle bone fracture. However competetively the season couldn’t have started better for the Blues as they won their first three games, 4-2 at Preston , then at home, 2-1 against Cardiff and 5-0 against Bury .
A point was dropped at Cardiff with a 1-1 draw but a 2-1 win at QPR , a 4-4 draw at Grimsby and a 5-1 win over Chesterfield saw the Blues unbeaten after seven games and were equal on 12 points at the top of Division 2 with Birmingham.
City remained unbeaten into their tenth game with a 2-1 win at Leicester , a 1-1 draw at home to Luton and a 1-0 win over Coventry also at Maine Road, to stay top of the league.
City’s England international defender Bert Sproston had been on the transfer list since the start of the season and had failed to get over an injury from the previous season so at the age of 36 he announced his retirement after playing 125 times for the Blues.
It looked liked City would make it 11 games without defeat as they led 3-0 at half-time at Doncaster , however amazingly Doncaster ended up 4-3 winners and The Blues slipped into second place in the league, one point behind Blackburn.
A week later City returned to the Division 2 summit as they beat Brentford 4-0 at Maine Road, Blackburn losing 6-1 to Coventry.
Another victory followed, 3-2 at Swansea , before City stuttered with two draws, 0-0 at home to Hull and 1-1 at Leeds
To try and add a little bit extra into the mix The Blues had bought Ray Haddington from Oldham and he scored on his debut at Elland Road and then again as City beat West Ham 2-0 at Maine Road.
At Blackburn , although Bert Trautmann saved two penalties, City fell to their second defeat of the season losing 4-1, and even worse they lost again, at home, 3-2 against Southampton .
City slipped further down the league with a 1-1 draw at Barnsley, and although they beat Sheffield United 5-3 at Maine Road, The Blues lost again 3-0 at home to Preston .
Christmas brought a double header against Birmingham , City winning 3-1 at Maine Road on Christmas Day and then losing 1-0 at Birmingham on Boxing Day. So as we moved into 1951 City held great hopes for promotion As they were equal on 30 points at the top of division two with Coventry and Preston, but had two games in hand.
January brought the 3rd Round of the FA Cup and a third match on the trot against Birmingham who promptly knocked City out winning 2-0 at St Andrews.
In the league January brought a win a draw and a defeat, City winning 2-1 at Chesterfield , drawing 1-1 at home to Leicester and a defeat, 2-0 to Bury at Gigg Lane.
February saw City unbeaten as they drew 2-2 against Luton at Kenilworth Road, beat Coventry 2-0 at Highfield Road and drew 3-3 at home to Doncaster .
Moving into March City were still in with a shout for promotion however they didn’t help themselves with two consecutive defeats, 2-0 at Brentford and 2-1 against Swansea at Maine Road, they were also beaten in a friendly at Hearts 1-0. In an effort to boost the promotion chase McDowall brought in the pacey Jimmy Meadows from Stockport for £4,600 and he made his debut in a 3-3 draw at Hull . Moving into the Easter period City were sixth in division 2 and three points behind second placed Blackburn, however the Blues had three games in hand on their Lancashire rivals.
City then beat Leeds 4-1 at Maine Road and then on a rain sodden Moss Side pitch only favourable for ducks they drew 0-0 against Notts County .
The Blues then beat West Ham 4-2 at The Boleyn Ground and with Preston confirmed as 2nd Division Champions City confidently moved into the second promotion spot with a 5-2 win over QPR at Maine Road, they were now one point ahead of third place Cardiff with a game in hand.
City won again 1-0 against Blackburn at Maine Road and despite a 2-1 defeat at Southampton the Blues continued their push for promotion with a 6-0 win over Barnsley at Maine Road.
City then drew their next two games 0-0 at Sheffield United and Notts County and so going in to the last game of the season they only needed a point to be sure of a return to Division 1, City drew 2-2 against Grimsby and were promoted.
The end of the season saw two friendlies, the first a 6-0 win at St Helens Town and then as part of The Festival of Britain City played Wacker Innsbruck , the Blues winning 2-1.
Jackie Oakes then left the club, joining Queen of the South.
A point was dropped at Cardiff with a 1-1 draw but a 2-1 win at QPR , a 4-4 draw at Grimsby and a 5-1 win over Chesterfield saw the Blues unbeaten after seven games and were equal on 12 points at the top of Division 2 with Birmingham.
City remained unbeaten into their tenth game with a 2-1 win at Leicester , a 1-1 draw at home to Luton and a 1-0 win over Coventry also at Maine Road, to stay top of the league.
City’s England international defender Bert Sproston had been on the transfer list since the start of the season and had failed to get over an injury from the previous season so at the age of 36 he announced his retirement after playing 125 times for the Blues.
It looked liked City would make it 11 games without defeat as they led 3-0 at half-time at Doncaster , however amazingly Doncaster ended up 4-3 winners and The Blues slipped into second place in the league, one point behind Blackburn.
A week later City returned to the Division 2 summit as they beat Brentford 4-0 at Maine Road, Blackburn losing 6-1 to Coventry.
Another victory followed, 3-2 at Swansea , before City stuttered with two draws, 0-0 at home to Hull and 1-1 at Leeds
To try and add a little bit extra into the mix The Blues had bought Ray Haddington from Oldham and he scored on his debut at Elland Road and then again as City beat West Ham 2-0 at Maine Road.
At Blackburn , although Bert Trautmann saved two penalties, City fell to their second defeat of the season losing 4-1, and even worse they lost again, at home, 3-2 against Southampton .
City slipped further down the league with a 1-1 draw at Barnsley, and although they beat Sheffield United 5-3 at Maine Road, The Blues lost again 3-0 at home to Preston .
Christmas brought a double header against Birmingham , City winning 3-1 at Maine Road on Christmas Day and then losing 1-0 at Birmingham on Boxing Day. So as we moved into 1951 City held great hopes for promotion As they were equal on 30 points at the top of division two with Coventry and Preston, but had two games in hand.
January brought the 3rd Round of the FA Cup and a third match on the trot against Birmingham who promptly knocked City out winning 2-0 at St Andrews.
In the league January brought a win a draw and a defeat, City winning 2-1 at Chesterfield , drawing 1-1 at home to Leicester and a defeat, 2-0 to Bury at Gigg Lane.
February saw City unbeaten as they drew 2-2 against Luton at Kenilworth Road, beat Coventry 2-0 at Highfield Road and drew 3-3 at home to Doncaster .
Moving into March City were still in with a shout for promotion however they didn’t help themselves with two consecutive defeats, 2-0 at Brentford and 2-1 against Swansea at Maine Road, they were also beaten in a friendly at Hearts 1-0. In an effort to boost the promotion chase McDowall brought in the pacey Jimmy Meadows from Stockport for £4,600 and he made his debut in a 3-3 draw at Hull . Moving into the Easter period City were sixth in division 2 and three points behind second placed Blackburn, however the Blues had three games in hand on their Lancashire rivals.
City then beat Leeds 4-1 at Maine Road and then on a rain sodden Moss Side pitch only favourable for ducks they drew 0-0 against Notts County .
The Blues then beat West Ham 4-2 at The Boleyn Ground and with Preston confirmed as 2nd Division Champions City confidently moved into the second promotion spot with a 5-2 win over QPR at Maine Road, they were now one point ahead of third place Cardiff with a game in hand.
City won again 1-0 against Blackburn at Maine Road and despite a 2-1 defeat at Southampton the Blues continued their push for promotion with a 6-0 win over Barnsley at Maine Road.
City then drew their next two games 0-0 at Sheffield United and Notts County and so going in to the last game of the season they only needed a point to be sure of a return to Division 1, City drew 2-2 against Grimsby and were promoted.
The end of the season saw two friendlies, the first a 6-0 win at St Helens Town and then as part of The Festival of Britain City played Wacker Innsbruck , the Blues winning 2-1.
Jackie Oakes then left the club, joining Queen of the South.