Eddie Hitler Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Gentlemen, fasten your anoraks. A discussion about how far back you know your football on another thread made me wonder which City player that I had seen play had the earliest debut. There is going to be a big fracture point in 1982 but prior to that there were some very long club careers and I wondered how far we could push this back. In my first game (Oct 1979, home to Arsenal) Trevor Tainton played and his first game for the club was an impressive twelve years earlier: September 1967, home to Carlisle. That's 54 years; easily beaten I would have thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Jeez……..I absolutely no idea! My first game at AG aged 12 was in 1967. John Atyeo was playing and I didn’t even remember him. Too busy messing around and eating sweets………..….. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidered abroad Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 August 18 1951 City v Newport County Peter John Walter Atyeo. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidered abroad Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Jeez……..I absolutely no idea! My first game at AG aged 12 was in 1967. John Atyeo was playing and I didn’t even remember him. Too busy messing around and eating sweets………..….. Sorry but Atyeo's last league match was against Ipswich on 10 May 1966. 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midlands Robin Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Jeez……..I absolutely no idea! My first game at AG aged 12 was in 1967. John Atyeo was playing and I didn’t even remember him. Too busy messing around and eating sweets………..….. Or was it because John Atyeo played his last game for City in May 1966? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeRed Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 I started going in 1966/67*so the season after Big John retired unfortunately so the earliest would be Alec Briggs and Gordon Parr who both debuted in 1957. Of course many on OTIB with have seen John Atyeo play who made his debut in 1951/52 season. * the memory is hazy after 55 years but the team that year was mostly: Gibson Ford Briggs Parr Connor Low Derrick Clark Bush Quigley Peters 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Hitler Posted November 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 I started going in 1966/67*so the season after Big John retired unfortunately so the earliest would be Alec Briggs and Gordon Parr who both debuted in 1957. Of course many on OTIB with have seen John Atyeo play who made his debut in 1951/52 season. * the memory is hazy after 55 years but the team that year was mostly: Gibson Ford Briggs Parr Connor Low Derrick Clark Bush Quigley Peters I'm amazed that you know that without recourse to a reference book! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Red Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 My first game was 1991 v Blackburn. Without checking, I would suspect it was Andy Llewellyn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeRed Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Jeez……..I absolutely no idea! My first game at AG aged 12 was in 1967. John Atyeo was playing and I didn’t even remember him. Too busy messing around and eating sweets………..….. Probably because he wasn't playing!...........Atyeo retired at the end of the 1965/66 season 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbored Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Sorry but Atyeo's last league match was against Ipswich on 10 May 1966. That’s why don’t remember him then! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midlands Robin Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 My first game was August 1992 (City v Sunderland). If he played then I expect it would have been Andy Llewellyn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pongo88 Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Gerry Gow and Chris Garland for me in the 60’s when they were both 17. (Not in the same match, as I recall) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidered abroad Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Gentlemen, fasten your anoraks. A discussion about how far back you know your football on another thread made me wonder which City player that I had seen play had the earliest debut. There is going to be a big fracture point in 1982 but prior to that there were some very long club careers and I wondered how far we could push this back. In my first game (Oct 1979, home to Arsenal) Trevor Tainton played and his first game for the club was an impressive twelve years earlier: September 1967, home to Carlisle. That's 54 years; easily beaten I would have thought. Do you mean the players in the first match we saw or the earliest debut which is what I put in the previous post. If you mean the players in the first side I saw then here goes. I assume none played before the war. Dennis Roberts, Ivor Guy, Arnie White who all made their league debuts on August 31, 1946-47 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidered abroad Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 (edited) Duplicated post Edited November 22, 2021 by cidered abroad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillred Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 (edited) It was a long time ago 1970, 71?? and it was only a pre season friendly but I saw a raw 17 year old make his debut and score for city against Juventus (yes really) the name Gerry Gow. Edited November 22, 2021 by pillred punctuation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick jones of hereford Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 My first game was on 5 November 1960 when City had their record win, it was the first round of the FA Cup and our opponents were Chichester. we won 11-0 with Atyeo scoring five goals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Hitler Posted November 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Do you mean the players in the first match we saw or the earliest debut which is what I put in the previous post. If you mean the players in the first side I saw then here goes. I assume none played before the war. Dennis Roberts, Ivor Guy, Arnie White who all made their league debuts on August 31, 1946-47 Well that but specifically the player you saw play who had the earliest debut for City. So it would be the last season or so of someone who had been a City player for a long time; or possibly had played for City before moving to other clubs and had returned like Louis Carey. Depending upon how much you want to hit the books this may not necessarily mean that player was in the first match you saw as they may have been injured. I didn't follow this up for mine because after that first game it was another two years before my next game (not my choice!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SydneyCity Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 I started watching City at AG in 88 and for some reason the player/debut that always stuck in my head was the goalkeeper, Wayne Brown. This thread prompted me to Google it and I can say with certainty that I remembered it all wrong. In my head I was a kid and he was absolutely amazing. In reality, it was 1994, he was only a few months older than me me and his debut was his one and only game. I knew he didn’t play much, but based on how I remember him playing, he definitely deserved more time on the pitch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Geoff Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 (edited) I have read the question several times and still don't understand it. But to follow others my first game was at the start of the 70/71 League season vs Sunderland and I am led to believe (although I was 8 yrs old and had no idea) but a certain Gerald Gow made his league debut....... or that may have been when the Dolman Stand made its debut, happy to be corrected on either. Edited November 22, 2021 by Sir Geoff Extra text 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Hitler Posted November 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 I have read the question several times and still don't understand it. But to follow others my first game was at the start of the 70/71 League season vs Sunderland and I am led to believe (although I was 8 yrs old and had no idea) but a certain Gerald Gow made his league debut....... or that may have been when the Dolman Stand made its debut, happy to be corrected on either. I've clarified two posts above. If your first game was John Atyeo's last (or you think that you saw him play!) then that links you back to the date of his debut performance for the club. If you saw him in 1966 you were then watching a player who first played for City in 1951. To give it a bit more colour I saw Ray Wilkins play for QPR several times in the mid 90s where I was watching a player who had been captain of Chelsea in 1975; I was watching the same player who had led Chelsea through the 70s in a wholly different era for football. Though widening it to "any player, any club" seemed to be a bit random. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southside Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 I have read the question several times and still don't understand it. But to follow others my first game was at the start of the 70/71 League season vs Sunderland and I am led to believe (although I was 8 yrs old and had no idea) but a certain Gerald Gow made his league debut....... or that may have been when the Dolman Stand made its debut, happy to be corrected on either. The Dolman definitely made its debut that day, a 4-3 win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-Robbo Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 I have read the question several times and still don't understand it. But to follow others my first game was at the start of the 70/71 League season vs Sunderland and I am led to believe (although I was 8 yrs old and had no idea) but a certain Gerald Gow made his league debut....... or that may have been when the Dolman Stand made its debut, happy to be corrected on either. It must've been the same for me, but being so young I was probably more interested in the sweets I could devour at the match. My memories if the matches I attended as a young kid are very hazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin Soldier Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 1977 Kevin Mabbutt, forget who against. Scored 3 goals away against Man U in 1978. Gained national attention as not many had achieved that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvio Dante Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 I've clarified two posts above. If your first game was John Atyeo's last (or you think that you saw him play!) then that links you back to the date of his debut performance for the club. If you saw him in 1966 you were then watching a player who first played for City in 1951. To give it a bit more colour I saw Ray Wilkins play for QPR several times in the mid 90s where I was watching a player who had been captain of Chelsea in 1975; I was watching the same player who had led Chelsea through the 70s in a wholly different era for football. Though widening it to "any player, any club" seemed to be a bit random. It took me a couple of reads to get it - it’s similar to how far you can go back in city history in the fewest steps but using the “fan” as the start point (as we’re all current). So in your example you go from now back to Tainton, and Tainton then takes you back another x years. If we were doing players, it’d be something like Vyner to Bryan to Carey and so on. That it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Gentlemen, fasten your anoraks. A discussion about how far back you know your football on another thread made me wonder which City player that I had seen play had the earliest debut. There is going to be a big fracture point in 1982 but prior to that there were some very long club careers and I wondered how far we could push this back. In my first game (Oct 1979, home to Arsenal) Trevor Tainton played and his first game for the club was an impressive twelve years earlier: September 1967, home to Carlisle. That's 54 years; easily beaten I would have thought. Beat me to it, I was there for that one. I think the earliest was Chris G in 66 v Preston, but I believe he had to wait a while for his second. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slartibartfast Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 I have read the question several times and still don't understand it. But to follow others my first game was at the start of the 70/71 League season vs Sunderland and I am led to believe (although I was 8 yrs old and had no idea) but a certain Gerald Gow made his league debut....... or that may have been when the Dolman Stand made its debut, happy to be corrected on either. No, Gow made his debut last game of previous season away at Charlton. I'm pretty sure Merrick made his debut away at Sheff U... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Hitler Posted November 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 It took me a couple of reads to get it - it’s similar to how far you can go back in city history in the fewest steps but using the “fan” as the start point (as we’re all current). So in your example you go from now back to Tainton, and Tainton then takes you back another x years. If we were doing players, it’d be something like Vyner to Bryan to Carey and so on. That it? Yup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidercity1987 Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 First match, 0-0 against the Gas in 1999. At a guess the earliest debut from that line up would have been Tinnion in 1993 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
22A Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Gerry Gow and Chris Garland for me in the 60’s when they were both 17. (Not in the same match, as I recall) Gerry Gow for me too. I also remember Geoff Merrick becoming the youngest Captain in the country when he was just 21. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityexile Posted November 22, 2021 Report Share Posted November 22, 2021 Its a bit of a tangent, but on the topic of debuts this made me smile from the weekend. Has all the signs of a lower league club going 'o no...quick, see what we have to hand in the fridge...' https://thejjreport.com/sport/crewe-man-of-the-match-zac-williams-16-awarded-jaffa-cakes-and-ready-salted-crisps-as-hes-too-young-for-champagne/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.