The Manchester United Supporters Trust side probably did just about enough to deserve their success over Bristol City in this unique game that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of both club’s in the FA Cup Final. However, it could have been so different if City had made more of their excellent first-half chances when their football was as good as the sunny weather. With eight good opportunities compared to United’s four, City should have been well in front at the interval as they sought to avenge their 1909 defeat. Still, a one goal advantage was the reverse of the situation that had applied 100 years previously so the band of City fans, among the disappointingly small crowd of just 64, were in a confident mood during the break.
Unfortunately, United had other ideas and just as City had bossed matters before the interval so did their opponents after the break. City’s citadel had a few fortunate escapes, but their luck couldn’t prevent United repeating the success of their Edwardian predecessors. However, football was the real winner in this affair which was played in a fine spirit on the same Crystal Palace pitch (now an Athletics Stadium) where the final had been staged in front of a 71,409 crowd a hundred years ago. The Manchester United Trust (represented by Charlotte O’Keefe) people were absolutely fantastic and they even went to the trouble of producing a reproduction programme with the names of today’s players added under those of the originals.
Mark Tovey (Bristol City Supporters Trust), whose idea it was to stage this game, must have been proud that all his hard work had been successful, despite City’s narrow defeat. The players gave their all in a fine game, which was much better than one might have had reason to expect from two teams of supporters. The pity was the fact that only 18 City fans, including members of the families of City’s 1909 affair, right full-back Archie Annan and manager Harry Thickett, travelled to the game in a luxury Peter Carroll coach kindly paid for by long-time fan Charles Reynolds, following in the footsteps of ex-City player Kevin Mabbbutt who had previously given financial assistance in respect of this great enterprise.
With United kicking off some ten minutes late at 3.40pm City's first chance came as early as the third minute when they fired narrowly wide of the north end goal and within a further couple of minutes they were at it again when a good shot was unfortunately deflected into the hands of United keeper Nigel Beard. It wasn’t until the ninth minute that United had their first chance, but City responded three minutes later with an effort that was deflected just wide of the top corner of the net. From the subsequent flag-kick, City's first, they were again unfortunate as yet another effort sailed just wide.
City came again in the 21st minute, but Beard saved at the foot of the post. United's second opportunity came two minutes later when a great header sailed wide of the left hand upright, but City responded immediately with an effort that the United keeper almost fumbled into his own net. Back came United with a 26th minute header that sailed inches wide, before City had a seventh opportunity, which again missed the target, two minutes later. Nevertheless, paucity became simplicity as Mark Cooke could hardly miss as a ball across the box from the right dissected the United defence to leave him with an easy 31st minute tap in at the far post.
The 36th minute brought the first substitution, something which couldn’t have happened 100 years ago, with Gordon Durwood coming on for United’s injured right-back David Roberts, great-grandson of Charlie, United’s skipper in 1909. Refreshed by new blood, United forced Pudsey Bevan, City’s bushy-bearded keeper, resplendent in period flat cap, to pull off a great save in the 39th minute to keep out what was only their fourth opportunity of the match so far. With both teams tiring on the large pitch, the play petered out towards the interval and when the whistle blew City were in front by one goal to nil.
The second-half, which started at 4.33pm, saw City bereft of much of their first-half zest as United took control of the proceedings. However, it wasn't until some ten minutes had elapsed that the first real chance presented itself when United's great shot of the turn went narrowly wide. Soon after, City headed over the stranded United custodian Beard, only for the ball to drift wide of an open goal, then in the 59th minute it took the conceding of a corner to keep United at bay, from which the West Country boys were extremely fortunate when Kidner hacked the ball off the line at the base of the left hand post.
Sadly, they were not so lucky in the 62nd minute as United followed up to level the scoreline when keeper Pudsey Bevan spilled a shot for the grateful Dawson to side-foot home at the near post. City responded with an attempt which went narrowly wide in the 64th minute, but were rather fortunate a minute later when they almost put the ball into their own net. Unfortunately, this reprieve wasn't of long duration, as within barely a minute Callum Rothwell rifled United in front when the City goalkeeper palmed the ball into his path from a corner. Nothing daunted, City came back and had a good chance to equalise with a 68th minute header, which keeper Beard unfortunately saved.
As the limbs tired and the spaces opened out, United had an effort disallowed for offside in the 72nd minute and then, two minutes later, it took a terrific save from the City keeper to keep resurgent United at bay. With the game drawing to a close, United fired over in the 88th minute, then City, from a free-kick, won a corner from which they had a header saved by the United keeper. In added time United secured a free-kick which came to naught, and the game ended in the 94th minute with City's free-kick bringing no reward.
Whilst City’s bid to avenge their 1909 Cup Final defeat thus ended in failure, the day itself was a great success as it wonderfully illustrated the fact that the fans of different clubs can, in spite of their rivalries, come together to celebrate a worthy occasion, even if the parent clubs themselves are less than enthusiastic about their heritage.
City (Blue shirts, White shorts): Pudsey Bevan; Elliot Kidner, Nick Lynch (Duncan Baizley); Dave Howell, Phil Middleton, Ben Palmer; Stuart Urch, Mark Cooke, Liam Page (Alex Annett), Andrew Frangoulis, Wayne Macey.
United (White shirts, White shorts): Nigel Beard; David Roberts (Gordon Durwood 36), Paul Gannon; Andy Wilson, Colin Rothwell, Sean Hancock; Doug Crouch, Andrew Dawson, Steve Gowland, Aiden Doyle, Sam Williams.
Officials:
Referee: Baresh Kebar.
Linesmen: Samba Amadi & Matthew Day.
Note: (i) The City side was mainly comprised of London exiles
(ii) 19 year-old Callum Rothwell came on at half-time as a roving substitute for United.
David Woods
Photos from the match can be found here