Today I'm going back 43 years to 1979 and York City's home Fourth Division fixture against Stockport County at Bootham Crescent, attended by 2,443.
The featured programme is another one of those freebies that were given away free with admission at the turnstile. It was a single sheet of paper craftily folded into four and wouldn't have won any awards for programme of the year. However, I've been complaining lately about the 80+ page extravaganzas costing £4 in the Premier League and this programme is certainly at the other end of the scale. In addition to the front cover team line-ups, it contained Charlie Wright's Manager's Review, a City News Desk, notes on The Visitors, a League Table and a list of player Appearances and Goal Scorers. In short, probably everything that I ask for and free to boot!
Sadly that League Table, produced after seven games, showed York in 22nd spot (out of 24) with Stockport County not being much better off in 19th position after what the programme described as "a rather disappointing start". County had also already lost by seven goals to nil at Crystal Palace in the League Cup! Charlie Wright did have a famous City 2-5 away victory at Wigan Athletic the previous week to look back on but that had been somewhat tarnished by a midweek 6-1 "pasting" at Scunthorpe United's Old Showground. Charlie was grumpy and threatened that "changes will be made if this trend continues". I'm not sure that one game constitutes a trend but I'm sure that all City fans were in agreement nonetheless.
Stockport County's player-manager was former Manchester City legend Mike Summerbee but his 20 months in charge at Edgeley Park weren't terribly successful. Summerbee may not have cut it as a manager but he was a fine player and had 8 England caps to his name earned between 1968-1973 when England were champions of the world. At club level, Summerbee is best remembered playing for Manchester City where he made 357 Football League appearances for the Citizens scoring 47 goals. Summerbee had arrived at Maine Road from the County Ground, Swindon where he had started his career and where he made 218 Football League appearances scoring 39 goals.
The featured game finished two apiece with City coming from behind to snatch a draw with goals from Barry Wellings and Peter Lorimer. County's goals were scored by Phil Henson and, future City player, Mike Czuczman (pronounced Churchman apparently). I recall that Mr. Summerbee didn't seem to be a very happy bunny playing for Stockport County in the Fourth Division and replied to a pitch side comment by my friend David Bower using colourful industrial language. Shocking! It was not directly as a result of that incident that Summerbee was replaced as manager the following month by Jimmy McGuigan but we waved him a fond farewell nevertheless!
City's fortunes improved, although not by much, over the remainder of the season and they finished in 17th place, one below Stockport County in 16th. Champions of Division Four were Huddersfield Town with Walsall, Newport County and Portsmouth also being promoted. In the dreaded re-election zone (the bottom four) were Hereford United, Darlington, Crewe Alexandra and Rochdale but all four were duly re-elected at the end of season old boys club meeting.
CRB Match No.54
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