May 5
1956: One of the most famous FA Cup finals of all time saw City go into a 3-1 lead midway through the second half against Birmingham thanks to goals from Bobby Johnston, Joe Hayes and Jackie Dyson.
Then, 15 minutes from time, goalkeeper Bert Trautmann raced out and dived at the feet of Birmingham’s Peter Murphy, unknowingly breaking his neck as he made the save. Trautmann played on, though in great pain, for the remainder of the game to ensure City lifted the cup.
Despite being in agony, Trautmann made another brave save at the feet of an attacker, later discovering another knock on his neck could have paralyzed him or even killed him. The match is subsequently forever known as ‘The Trautmann Final’.
1996: Alan Ball watches his City side take on Liverpool, knowing they needed to better Coventry or Southampton’s result to stay in the Premier League.
The visitors went into a 2-0 lead before goals from Georgi Kinkladze and Kit Symons set up a grandstand finish.
At 2-2, the information from the City bench was that a draw would be good enough – it wasn’t – and bemused City fans, many of whom were listening to their own radios, watched as Steve Lomas kept the ball by the corner looking to run down the clock when another goal was still needed.
Time eventually ran out and the point gained was not enough as Coventry and Southampton had also drawn and City were relegated as a result.
2010: City took on Tottenham in the penultimate game of the 2009/10 season knowing a win would guarantee them a Champions League spot, but a Peter Crouch header in the second half was enough to give Harry Redknapp’s side a 1-0 win and it was the North Londoners, not City, who finished fourth.
2014: City secure our first win in the Continental Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton at the Etihad Stadium - the first time the women’s team have played at the ground professionally. An 89th-minute goal for youngster Natasha Flint is enough for the three points, which ensures Nick Cushing’s side are off the mark in Group Two.
Birthdays
1870 - George Livingstone: After a nomadic career with Hearts, Sunderland and Celtic amongst others, in 1902 striker Livingstone moved back to England, signing for Liverpool before then joining City a year later.
He made 88 appearances for the Club, scoring 20 goals and helped us win the 1904 FA Cup He returned to Scotland in 1906, playing for Rangers for two years before transferring to Manchester United in 1908 whom he helped win the 1911 league title, before retiring in 1914.
CITY+ - Free to Cityzens until football resumes
Livingstone holds the distinction of being the only football player to date that has both played (and scored) for both sides of the Old Firm and for Manchester’s two rivals.
1953 - Derek Parlane: A Scottish international striker who had enjoyed a fine career north of the border with Rangers, Parlane moved to Maine Road in the summer of 1983 from Leeds following or relegation out of the topflight.
It proved a decent bit of business of manager Billy McNeill’s part with Parlane, going to score 20 goals in just 48 league appearances before being sold to Swansea early in 1985.
