CITY 0 BIRMINGHAM CITY 0
League Division 1
20th November 1982
Attendance 23,174
Ref Don Shaw
City Corrigan, Ranson, McDonald, Bond, Power, Caton, Tueart, Reeves, Cross, Hartford, Baker – Sub Reid(unused)
Birmingham Coton, Hagan, Van den Hauwe, Stevenson, Blake, Broadhurst, Dillon, Brazier, Ferguson, Curbishley, Handlysides – sub Francis(31)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 22ND NOVEMBER 1982
What a match to turn a dog out on!
For that blame a pathetic Birmingham side who will get the game stopped the way they played.
Not that Manchester City were much better as Maine Road’s lowest crowd of the season yawned through an abysmal goal-less draw.
A 10 minute delay at the start with a lone labrador forcing referee Don Shaw to incredibly take the teams from the pitch didn’t help. For that turned out to be the highlight of the afternoon and it was downhill all the way once the dog departed.
Soccer is in enough trouble without having to endure this sort of shabby stuff.
And Blues boss John Bond was justified in his after-match outburst at Birmingham’s ultra defensive tactics that totally ruined the game as anything resembling an entertaining spectacle.
Bond rightly claimed any side in the country would have difficulty breaking down the sort of barrier the methodical Midlanders threw up in front of rookie goalkeeper Tony Coton who was one of the few heroes of the non-action.
His saves from Asa Hartford, by far City’s most committed player, and David Cross were crucial in a first half where they remained the only incidents worth recording.
Joe Corrigan at the other end had even less to do. A near post swoop to pick up a rare Birmingham shot just before the interval was his busiest moment.
Birmingham played in the manner of their manager, dour and colourless. And Bond had every right to slam Ron Saunders for tactics that will get his side nowhere except perhaps the Second Division.
But at the same time if Bond has designs on taking his side places this season he has to learn to combat Birmingham’s numerical strength at the back.
That applied particularly on the flanks where there was nobody to effectively stretch the opposition by getting round the back and providing that most effective pass of all, the one pulled back in front of the defenders.
Apart from Cross’s fine header first half effort, neither he nor Kevin Reeves put in a strike at goal, so well smothered were the front pair.
And with only Hartford ticking in midfield, the City engine room creaked and groaned alarmingly.
Graham Baker continues to battle against loss of form and Dennis Tueart had yet another frustrating match.
Last word on the dog, would City create as much interest at Crufts.
