1961/62 SEASON REVIEW
In the summer of 1961 City announced a profit from the previous season of £26,468 after a loss the season before, also the £100,000 fee received from Torino for the sale of Denis Law wasn’t even included in the figure. And so with ‘cash on the hip’ The Blues paid £45,000 to KIlmarnock for Wing Half Bobby Kennedy,
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it was a record fee paid to a Scottish team by an English club. City also paid Blackburn £37,500 for Striker Peter Dobing, Dobing in his latter years spoke of his move to Maine Road: “As a Manchester-born lad, you can imagine how delighted I was when Manchester City bought me from Blackburn. But my joy was short-lived. To put it bluntly, I found I had joined a bloody awful team… The ground seemed like a mausoleum. It was as if the ghosts of all the club’s past glories were still haunting the corridors and dressing rooms… This seemed to be affecting everybody at the club. The players seemed to be just going through the motions and most people connected with the club seemed to have lost their drive and ambition to make Maine Road successful again,”
Talk of finances was in the air at all clubs as the Football Union finally managed to get the maximum wage rule abolished and players who could only previously earn up to £20 a week in the season could now dream of at least doubling their wages.
City’s season began with two friendlies at Bury City winning 2-1 and 4-0
Bobby Kennedy got off the mark in City’s first league game as The Blues beat Leicester 3-1 at Maine Road, and then in an incredible game at Craven Cottage City came from 3-0 down to beat Fulham 4-3. The Blues then made it six points from six as new signing, Dobing, scored two late goals to beat Ipswich 4-2 in Suffolk.
City headed to the top of the table with an early double over Fulham, winning 2-1 at Maine Road, however The Citizen’s time at the Division 1 summit was cut short as they lost 3-1 at home to Burnley.
The Blues got back to winning form at Goodison Park as they beat Everton 2-0, and returned to lead the division, but again the lead was short lived as The Blust lost 3-0 against Arsenal at Highbury.
City couldn’t transfer their good start in the League to the League Cup as Ipswich avenged their 4-2 defeat in August by beating City 4-2 at Portman Road in the 1st Round of the League Cup.
in a tense Lancashire derby at Maine Road City chalked up their sixth win of the season beating Bolton 2-1, however four days later The Blues slipt to third in the league losing 3-1 at home to Everton, and then lost again in the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford, Manchester United winning 3-2.
The Blues slipped further down the league to fifth, drawing 2-2 at West Brom and then losing 2-1 at home to Cardiff, Brian Crowther wrote in The Guardian “…City once again are poised nervously on the upper rungs of the league ladder and their form at Moss Side on Saturday suggests that they have begun their annual slide to the foot of it”.
A welcome break from the League saw Torino, complete with Denis Law, visit Maine Road for a prestigeous friendly which City won 4-3.
But back in the League City continued their slide losing 2-0 against Tottenham at White Hart Lane and dropping to eleventh in the league. They managed a 3-0 win at home to Nottingham Forest however lost on their travels again, 4-1 at Wolves.
City were struggling to stop the rot and at Maine Road even though they led 3-1 at half-time against West Ham, The Irons ended up 5-3 winners.
Another defeat, 3-1 against Sheffield United at Bramhall Lane and slipped into the bottom six in the league, one of six clubs with just 15 points. Gerry Baker was then sold to Hibs for a fee of £18,000
The Blues could then only manage a 2-2 draw at home to bottom of the table Chelsea, the City team were booed off at half-time by a Maine Road crowd becoming more and more frustrated by the decline in the team’s performance and results.
Things got worse with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, a 4-2 home defeat against Blackpool and then defeats at Blackburn, 4-1 and Leicester 2-0.
The Blues first win in nine league games was greatly received at Maine Road as City beat Ipswich 3-0, and then earned a good point, drawing 1-1 at Birmingham on Boxing Day to stay just two points clear of bottom place in the league.
There were no further games for City in 1961 due to a very severe weather snap and so the next game was in the FA Cup in January and City moved into the 4th round beating Notts County 1-0 at Meadow Lane.
City’s mini revival was cut short as, even though they scored three goals at Turf Moor, they were beaten 6-3 by top of the table Burnley, a defeat that took the Blues to the bottom of the league.
The Blues managed a much needed win at Maine Road as they won 3-2 against Arsenal. The Citizens participation in the FA Cup was then cut short by Everton as the Toffees won 2-0 at Goodison Park, but back in the league City won again beating fellow strugglers Bolton 2-0 at Burnden Park, however in the Manchester derby at Maine Road Man United won 2-0 to leave City fourth from bottom in the league.
The Blues then travelled to Scotland to play a friendly against Dundee and lost 2-1. However a third league win in four games lifted the spirits at Maine Road as the Blues beat West Brom 3-1, and the Blues began to climb the table with a 0-0 draw at Cardiff, an emphatic 6-2 home win against Tottenham and a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at The City Ground.
It was five games unbeaten as City drew 2-2 at home to Wolves, before another great away performance as the Blues beat West Ham 4-0 at Upton Park.
two 1-1 draws followed at home to Sheffield United and away at Chelsea, before City lost their first game in nine as they lost 4-1 against Birmingham at Maine Road.
Talk of finances was in the air at all clubs as the Football Union finally managed to get the maximum wage rule abolished and players who could only previously earn up to £20 a week in the season could now dream of at least doubling their wages.
City’s season began with two friendlies at Bury City winning 2-1 and 4-0
Bobby Kennedy got off the mark in City’s first league game as The Blues beat Leicester 3-1 at Maine Road, and then in an incredible game at Craven Cottage City came from 3-0 down to beat Fulham 4-3. The Blues then made it six points from six as new signing, Dobing, scored two late goals to beat Ipswich 4-2 in Suffolk.
City headed to the top of the table with an early double over Fulham, winning 2-1 at Maine Road, however The Citizen’s time at the Division 1 summit was cut short as they lost 3-1 at home to Burnley.
The Blues got back to winning form at Goodison Park as they beat Everton 2-0, and returned to lead the division, but again the lead was short lived as The Blust lost 3-0 against Arsenal at Highbury.
City couldn’t transfer their good start in the League to the League Cup as Ipswich avenged their 4-2 defeat in August by beating City 4-2 at Portman Road in the 1st Round of the League Cup.
in a tense Lancashire derby at Maine Road City chalked up their sixth win of the season beating Bolton 2-1, however four days later The Blues slipt to third in the league losing 3-1 at home to Everton, and then lost again in the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford, Manchester United winning 3-2.
The Blues slipped further down the league to fifth, drawing 2-2 at West Brom and then losing 2-1 at home to Cardiff, Brian Crowther wrote in The Guardian “…City once again are poised nervously on the upper rungs of the league ladder and their form at Moss Side on Saturday suggests that they have begun their annual slide to the foot of it”.
A welcome break from the League saw Torino, complete with Denis Law, visit Maine Road for a prestigeous friendly which City won 4-3.
But back in the League City continued their slide losing 2-0 against Tottenham at White Hart Lane and dropping to eleventh in the league. They managed a 3-0 win at home to Nottingham Forest however lost on their travels again, 4-1 at Wolves.
City were struggling to stop the rot and at Maine Road even though they led 3-1 at half-time against West Ham, The Irons ended up 5-3 winners.
Another defeat, 3-1 against Sheffield United at Bramhall Lane and slipped into the bottom six in the league, one of six clubs with just 15 points. Gerry Baker was then sold to Hibs for a fee of £18,000
The Blues could then only manage a 2-2 draw at home to bottom of the table Chelsea, the City team were booed off at half-time by a Maine Road crowd becoming more and more frustrated by the decline in the team’s performance and results.
Things got worse with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, a 4-2 home defeat against Blackpool and then defeats at Blackburn, 4-1 and Leicester 2-0.
The Blues first win in nine league games was greatly received at Maine Road as City beat Ipswich 3-0, and then earned a good point, drawing 1-1 at Birmingham on Boxing Day to stay just two points clear of bottom place in the league.
There were no further games for City in 1961 due to a very severe weather snap and so the next game was in the FA Cup in January and City moved into the 4th round beating Notts County 1-0 at Meadow Lane.
City’s mini revival was cut short as, even though they scored three goals at Turf Moor, they were beaten 6-3 by top of the table Burnley, a defeat that took the Blues to the bottom of the league.
The Blues managed a much needed win at Maine Road as they won 3-2 against Arsenal. The Citizens participation in the FA Cup was then cut short by Everton as the Toffees won 2-0 at Goodison Park, but back in the league City won again beating fellow strugglers Bolton 2-0 at Burnden Park, however in the Manchester derby at Maine Road Man United won 2-0 to leave City fourth from bottom in the league.
The Blues then travelled to Scotland to play a friendly against Dundee and lost 2-1. However a third league win in four games lifted the spirits at Maine Road as the Blues beat West Brom 3-1, and the Blues began to climb the table with a 0-0 draw at Cardiff, an emphatic 6-2 home win against Tottenham and a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at The City Ground.
It was five games unbeaten as City drew 2-2 at home to Wolves, before another great away performance as the Blues beat West Ham 4-0 at Upton Park.
two 1-1 draws followed at home to Sheffield United and away at Chelsea, before City lost their first game in nine as they lost 4-1 against Birmingham at Maine Road.
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With five games left to play the Blues consolidated their place in next seasons upper echelon by beating Aston Villa 1-0 and Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, both games at Maine Road.
two defeats followed, 3-1 at Blackpool and 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday, however on the last day of the season Maine Road was treated to a 3-1 win against Blackburn.
With a great last third of the season display City finished in 12th position on 41 points.
two defeats followed, 3-1 at Blackpool and 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday, however on the last day of the season Maine Road was treated to a 3-1 win against Blackburn.
With a great last third of the season display City finished in 12th position on 41 points.