Manchester City F.C. Mobile Desktop Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. Terms of Use Privacy Go Manchester City Full name Manchester City Football Club Nickname(s) City, The Citizens, The Sky Blu Founded 1880; 133 years ago, as St. Marks Gorton) 16 April 1894, as Manchester Cit Ground City of Manchester Stadium Capacity 47,405 [2] Owner Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahya Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak Manager Manuel Pellegrini League Premier League 2012–13 Premier League, 2nd Website Club home page Home colours Away colours Third col Current season Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Marks (West Gorton) , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894. The club has played at the City of Manchester Stadium since 2003, having played at Maine Road from 1923. The clubs most successful period was in the late 1960s and early 1970s when they won the League Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners Cup under the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison . After losing the 1981 FA Cup Final , the club went through a period of decline, culminating in relegation to the third tier of English football for the only time in their history in 1998 . Having regained Premier League status, the club was purchased in 2008 by Abu Dhabi United Group and became one of the wealthiest in the world. In 2011, Manchester City qualified for the UEFA Champions League and won the FA Cup. In 2012, the club won the Premier League , their first league title for 44 years. History Main article: History of Manchester City F.C. St. Marks (Gorton) in 1884 – the reason for the Maltese cross is unknown to this day [3] City gained their first honours by winning the Second Division in 1899; with it came promotion to the highest level in English football, the First Division . They went on to claim their first major honour on 23 April 1904, beating Bolton Wanderers 1–0 at Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup; City narrowly missed out on a League and Cup double that season after finishing runners-up in the League but City became the first club in Manchester to win a major honour. [4] In the seasons following the FA Cup triumph, the club was dogged by allegations of financial irregularities, culminating in the suspension of seventeen players in 1906, including captain Billy Meredith, who subsequently moved across town to Manchester United. [5] A fire at Hyde Road destroyed the main stand in 1920, and in 1923 the club moved to their new purpose-built stadium at Maine Road in Moss Side . [6] The Manchester City team which won the FA Cup in 1904 In the 1930s, Manchester City reached two consecutive FA Cup finals, losing to Everton in 1933, before claiming the Cup by beating Portsmouth in 1934. [7] During the 1934 cup run, Manchester City broke the record for the highest home attendance of any club in English football history , as 84,569 fans packed Maine Road for a sixth round FA Cup tie against Stoke City in 1934 – a record which still stands to this day. [8] The club won the First Division title for the first time in 1937, but were relegated the following season, despite scoring more goals than any other team in the division. [9] Twenty years later, a City team inspired by a tactical system known as the Revie Plan reached consecutive FA Cup finals again, in 1955 and 1956; just as in the 1930s, they lost the first one, to Newcastle United, and won the second. The 1956 final , in which Manchester City beat Birmingham City 3–1, is one of the most famous finals of all-time, and is remembered for City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann continuing to play on after unknowingly breaking his neck. [10] After relegation to the Second Division in 1963, the future looked bleak with a record low home attendance of 8,015 against Swindon Town in January 1965. [11] In the summer of 1965, the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison was appointed. In the first season under Mercer, City won the Second Division title and made important signings in Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell. [12] Two seasons later, in 1967–68 , Manchester City claimed the League Championship for the second time, clinching the title on the final day of the season with a 4–3 win at Newcastle United and beating their close neighbours Manchester United into second place. [13] Further trophies followed: City won the FA Cup in 1969 , before achieving European success by winning the European Cup Winners Cup in 1970, beating Górnik Zabrze 2–1 in Vienna . [14] City also won the League Cup that season, becoming the second English team to win a European trophy and a domestic trophy in the same season. The club continued to challenge for honours throughout the 1970s, finishing one point behind the league champions on two occasions and reaching the final of the 1974 League Cup. [15] One of the matches from this period that is most fondly remembered by supporters of Manchester City is the final match of the 1973–74 season against arch-rivals Manchester United, who needed to win to have any hope of avoiding relegation. Former United player Denis Law scored with a backheel to give City a 1–0 win at Old Trafford and confirm the relegation of their rivals. [16][17] The final trophy of the clubs most successful period was won in 1976, when Newcastle United were beaten 2–1 in the League Cup final. A long period of decline followed the success of the 1960s and 1970s. Malcolm Allison rejoined the club to become manager for the second time in 1979, but squandered large sums of money on unsuccessful signings, such as Steve Daley . [18] A succession of managers then followed – seven in the 1980s alone. Under John Bond, City reached the 1981 FA Cup final but lost in a replay to Tottenham Hotspur . The club were twice relegated from the top flight in the 1980s (in 1983 and 1987), but returned to the top flight again in 1989 and finished fifth in 1991 and 1992 under the management of Peter Reid . [19] However, this was only a temporary respite, and following Reids departure Manchester Citys fortunes continued to fade. City were co-founders of the Premier League upon its creation in 1992, but after finishing ninth in its first season they endured three seasons of struggle before being relegated in 1996. After two seasons in Division One, City fell to the lowest point in their history, becoming the second ever European trophy winners to be relegated to their countrys third league tier, after 1. FC Magdeburg of Germany. After relegation, the club underwent off-the-field upheaval, with new chairman David Bernstein introducing greater fiscal discipline. [20] City were promoted at the first attempt, achieved in dramatic fashion in a play-off against Gillingham. A second successive promotion saw City return to the top division, but this proved to have been a step too far for the recovering club, and in 2001 City were relegated once more. Kevin Keegan arrived as the new manager in the close season, bringing an immediate return to the top division as the club won the 2001–02 Division One championship, breaking club records for the number of points gained and goals scored in a season in the process. [21] The 2002–03 season was the last at Maine Road, and included a 3–1 derby victory over rivals Manchester United, ending a run of 13 years without a derby win. [22] City also qualified for European competition for the first time in 25 years. In the 2003 close season the club moved to the new City of Manchester Stadium . The first four seasons at the stadium all resulted in mid-table finishes. Former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson became the clubs first manager from overseas when appointed in 2007. [23] After a bright start performances faded in the second half of the season, and Eriksson was sacked in June 2008. [24] Eriksson was replaced by Mark Hughes two days later on 4 June 2008. [25] By 2008, the club was in a financially precarious position. Thaksin Shinawatra had taken control of the club a year before, but his political travails saw his assets frozen. [26] Then, in August 2008, the club was purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group . The takeover was immediately followed by a flurry of bids for high profile players; the club broke the British transfer record by signing Brazilian international Robinho from Real Madrid for £32.5 million. [27] Performances were not a huge improvement on the previous season despite the influx of money however, with the team finishing tenth, although they did well to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. During the summer of 2009, the club took transfer spending to an unprecedented level, with an outlay of over £100 million on players Gareth Barry , Roque Santa Cruz , Kolo Touré , Emmanuel Adebayor , Carlos Tévez and Joleon Lescott. [28] In December 2009, Mark Hughes - who had been hired shortly before the change in ownership but was originally retained by the new board - was replaced as manager by Roberto Mancini . [29] City finished the season in fifth position in the Premier League, narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League, and competed in the UEFA Europa League in season 2010–11 . Continued investment in players followed in successive seasons, and results began to match the upturn in player quality. City reached the 2011 FA Cup Final , their first major final in over thirty years, after defeating derby rivals Manchester United in the semi-final, [30] the first time they had knocked their rival out of a cup competition since 1975. They defeated Stoke City 1–0 in the final, securing their fifth FA Cup, the clubs first major trophy since winning the 1976 League Cup. In the same week, the club qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1968 with a 1–0 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur. [31] On the last day of the 2010–11 season, City passed Arsenal for third place in the Premier League, thereby securing qualification directly into the Champions League group stage. Strong performances continued to follow in the 2011–12 season, with the club beginning the following season in commanding form, including beating Tottenham 5–1 at White Hart Lane and humbling Manchester United by a 6–1 scoreline in Uniteds own stadium. Although the strong form waned half-way through the season, and City at one point fell eight points behind their bitter rivals with only six games left to play, an unprecedented slump by the previous champions allowed the blue side of Manchester to draw back level with two games to go, setting up a thrilling finale to the season with both teams going into the last day equal on points. Despite City only needing a home win against a team in the relegation zone, they still managed to fall a goal behind by the end of normal time, leading some of Uniteds players to finish their game celebrating in the belief that they had won the league. Two goals in injury time - including one scored almost five minutes after normal time had elapsed - resulted in an almost- literal last-minute title victory, Citys first in 44 years, and became only the fifth team to win the Premier League since its creation in 1992. In the aftermath that followed, the event was described by media sources from the UK and around the world as the greatest moment in Premier League history. [32][33] The game was only made all the more notable for former player Joey Barton s sending off, where he committed three separate red card-able incidents on three different players in the space of only a few seconds, resulting in a 12- game ban which effectively forced him to leave English football. [34] After an end to the season which many believed would only spur City on, however, the following season failed to capitalise on any of the gains made in the first two full seasons of Mancinis reign. The transfer window saw virtually no players join the club until the last day of the season, when a last-minute burst of activity saw four different players all join in the space of around 10 hours. The free-flowing football of the previous season was suddenly rare to behold, and while City rarely seemed likely to drop below second in the table, they posed little title challenge all season. In the UEFA Champions League , the club was eliminated at the group stage for a second successive season, in a result which seemed to confirm Mancinis reputation as far better at managing in domestic games than European, while a second FA Cup final in three seasons ended in a 1–0 defeat to relegated Wigan Athletic , after rumours circulated that Mancini would be dismissed. [35] Mancini was dismissed two days later, ostensibly as he had failed to reach his targets for the season [36] but with many in the press suggesting a break-down of relations between Mancini and his players[37] but also between the Italian and his board-level superiors, [38] while a refusal to promote young players was also cited. [39] In his place was appointed the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini , [40] who boasted a far more impressive Champions League record but less of a reputation for trophy-winning. Club badge and colours Main article: Manchester City F.C. strip Manchester Citys home colours are sky blue and white. Traditional away kit colours have been either maroon or (from the 1960s) red and black; however, in recent years several different colours have been used. The origins of the clubs home colours are unclear, but there is evidence that the club has worn blue since 1892 or earlier. A booklet entitled Famous Football Clubs – Manchester City published in the 1940s indicates that West Gorton (St. Marks) originally played in scarlet and black, and reports dating from 1884 describe the team wearing black jerseys bearing a white cross, showing the clubs origins as a church side. [41] The red and black away colours come from former assistant manager Malcolm Allison , who believed that adopting the colours of AC Milan would inspire City to glory. [42] Allisons theory worked, with City winning the 1969 FA Cup Final , 1970 League Cup Final and the 1970 European Cup Winners Cup Final in red and black stripes as opposed to the clubs home kit of sky blue. The current club badge was adopted in 1997 as a result of the previous badge being ineligible for registration as a trademark. The badge is based on the arms of the city of Manchester, and consists of a shield in front of a golden eagle. The eagle is an old heraldic symbol of the city of Manchester; a golden eagle was added to the citys badge in 1958 (but has since been removed), representing the growing aviation industry. The shield features a ship on its upper half representing the Manchester Ship Canal , and three diagonal stripes in the lower half symbolise the citys three rivers – the Irwell , the Irk and the Medlock . The bottom of the badge bears the motto Superbia in Proelio , which translates as Pride in Battle in Latin . Above the eagle and shield are three stars, which are purely decorative. City have previously worn two other badges on their shirts. The first, introduced in 1970, was based on designs which had been used on official club documentation since the mid-1960s. It consisted of a circular badge which used the same shield as the current badge, inside a circle bearing the name of the club. In 1972, this was replaced by a variation which replaced the lower half of the shield with the red rose of Lancashire. On occasions when Manchester City plays in a major cup final, the usual badge has not been used; instead shirts bearing a badge of the arms of the City of Manchester are used, as a symbol of pride in representing the city of Manchester at a major event. This practice originates from a time when the players shirts did not normally bear a badge of any kind, but has continued throughout the history of the club. [43] For the 2011 FA Cup Final, City used the usual badge with a special legend, but the Manchester coat of arms was included as a small monochrome logo in the numbers on the back of players shirts. [44] Players As of 19 July 2013. [45] First team squad See also: Manchester City F.C. Reserves and Academy and 2013–14 Manchester City F.C. season Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. No. Position Player 1 GK Joe Hart 2 DF Micah Richards 4 DF Vincent Kompany ( captain) 5 DF Pablo Zabaleta 6 DF Joleon Lescott 7 MF James Milner 8 MF Samir Nasri 9 FW Álvaro Negredo 10 FW Edin Džeko 13 DF Aleksandar Kolarov 14 MF Javi García 15 MF Jesús Navas 16 FW Sergio Agüero No. Positi 17 MF 21 MF 22 DF 25 MF 26 DF 29 GK 30 GK 33 DF 35 FW 38 DF 42 MF 60 FW On loan Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. No. Position Player 11 MF Scott Sinclair (at West Bromwich Albion until 31 May 2014) 18 MF Gareth Barry (at Everton until 31 May 2014) Current reserve players with first- team appearances Main article: Manchester City F.C. Reserves and Academy Manchester Citys reserve team, which the club terms the Elite Development Squad (EDS) , plays in the Barclays Under 21 Premier League , NextGen Series and a number of local cup competitions. The following EDS players have made first-team appearances for the club. Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. No. Position Player 43 FW Alex Nimely 44 DF Karim Rekik (at PSV Eindhoven until 31 May 2014) 49 FW Luca Scapuzzi No. Positi 50 MF 57 DF 64 MF Retired numbers Main article: Retired numbers in association football 23 Marc-Vivien Foé , Midfielder (2002–03) – posthumous honour . Since 2003, Manchester City have not issued the squad number 23. It was retired in memory of Marc-Vivien Foé , who was on loan to the club from Lyon at the time of his death on the field of play whilst playing for Cameroon in the 2003 Confederations Cup . [46] Halls of Fame See also: List of Manchester City F.C. players Manchester City Hall of Fame The following former Manchester City players and managers are inductees in the Manchester City F.C. Hall of Fame , [47] and are listed according to the year of their induction: Inductees in MCFC Hall of Fame Year of induction Player Position Role at MCFC Years in role at MCFC Manchester City players who were th inductees in January 2004 2004 [48] Billy Meredith FW ( outside right ) player 1894– 1906, 1921– 1924 Tommy Johnson FW ( centre forward ) & ( inside left ) player 1919– 1930 Eric Brook FW ( outside left ) player 1928– 1939 Frank Swift GK player 1933– 1949 Peter Doherty FW ( inside left ) player 1936– 1945 Roy Clarke FW ( outside left ) player 1947– 1958 Bert Trautmann , OBE GK player 1949– 1964 Roy Paul MF ( half back ) player 1950– 1957 Mike Summerbee FW / MF ( outside right ) player 1965– 1975 Tony Book DF ( right back ) player manager 1966– 1974 1973, 1974– 1979, 1980, 1989, 1993 Colin Bell, MBE MF player 1966– 1979 Francis Lee FW player chairman 1967– 1974 1994– 1998 Joe Corrigan GK player 1967– 1983 Paul Lake FW / MF / DF player 1987– 1996 Niall Quinn , (Honorary) MBE FW player 1990– 1996 Manchester City players and teams in 2004 2005 [49] Sam Cowan DF ( centre half ) player manager 1924– 1935 1946– 1947 Ken Barnes MF ( wing half ) player 1950– 1961 Alan Oakes MF player 1958– 1976 Joe Mercer , OBE MF ( left half ) manager 1965– 1971 Malcolm Allison DF ( centre half ) assistant mgr. manager 1965– 1971 1971– 1973, 1979– 1980 2006 [50] Ernie Toseland FW ( outside right ) player 1928– 1938 Johnny Hart FW ( inside forward ) player manager 1947– 1960 1973 Manchester City 1956 FA Cup- winning team not applicable Mike Doyle DF / MF player 1965– 1978 Shaun Goater FW player 1998– 2003 2008 [51] Fred Tilson FW ( centre forward ) player 1928– 1939 Neil Young FW ( outside left ) & ( inside left ) player 1961– 1972 Alex Williams , MBE GK player 1980– 1986 2009 [52] Uwe Rösler FW player 1994– 1998 Last updated: 31 March 2011. Source: list of MCFC Hall of Fame inductees National Football Museum Hall of Fame The following former Manchester City players and managers are inductees in the English Football Hall of Fame (a.k.a. the National Football Museum Hall of Fame ) and are listed according to the year of their induction within the various categories: Inductees in NFM Hall of Fame Year of induction Player Position Role at MCFC Years in role at MCFC Players with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date 2002 Peter Doherty FW ( inside left ) player 1936– 1945 Denis Law FW player 1960– 1961, 1973– 1974 Kevin Keegan , OBE FW / MF manager 2001– 2005 2003 Peter Schmeichel , MBE GK player 2002– 2003 Alan Ball , MBE MF manager 1995– 1996 2005 Bert Trautmann , OBE GK player 1949– 1964 Colin Bell, MBE MF player 1966– 1979 2007 Billy Meredith FW ( outside right ) player 1894– 1906, 1921– 1924 Mark Hughes FW manager 2008– 2009 2009 Frank Swift GK player 1933– 1949 2010 Francis Lee FW player 1967– 1974 2013 Mike Summerbee FW player 1965– 1975 Managers with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date 2002 Sir Matt Busby, CBE , KCSG FW ( inside right ) / MF ( right half ) player 1928– 1936 2004 Don Revie, OBE FW ( centre forward ) player 1951– 1956 2005 Howard Kendall MF manager 1989– 1990 2009 Joe Mercer , OBE MF ( left half ) manager 1965– 1971 Malcolm Allison DF ( centre half ) assistant mgr. manager 1965– 1971 1971– 1973, 1979– 1980 Manchester City Football Foundation Community Champions inducted to date 2007 Niall Quinn , (Honorary) MBE FW player 1990– 1996 Manchester City teams inducted to date 2009 Manchester City 1967– 70 not applicable Last updated: 30 March 2011. Source: list of NFM Hall of Fame inductees Scottish Football Museum Hall of Fame The following former Manchester City players and managers are inductees in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame (a.k.a. the Scottish Football Museum Hall of Fame ) and are listed according to the year of their induction within the various categories: Inductees in SFM Hall of Fame Year of induction Player Position Role at MCFC Years in role at MCFC Players with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date 2004 Denis Law FW player 1960– 1961, 1973– 1974 Billy McNeill , MBE DF manager 1983– 1986 2010 Bobby Johnstone FW ( inside right ) player 1955– 1959 Managers with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date 2004 Matt Busby , CBE , KCSG FW ( inside right ) / MF ( right half ) player 1928– 1936 Last updated: 30 March 2011. Source: list of SFM Hall of Fame inductees Welsh Sports Hall of Fame The following former Manchester City players are inductees in the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and are listed according to the year of their induction: Inductees in SFM Hall of Fame Year of induction Player Position Role at MCFC Years in role at MCFC Players with Manchester City backgrounds inducted to date 1990 Billy Meredith DF player 1894– 1906 1999 Horace Blew DF player 1906 Non-playing staff Board of directors Current owner of Manchester city FC, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Position Name Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak Non-Executive Director Simon Pearce Non-Executive Director Marty Edelman Non-Executive Director Mohamed Al Mazrouei Non-Executive Director John Macbeath Non-Executive Director Alberto Galassi Corporate management Position Name Chief Executive Officer Ferran Soriano Chief Operating & Commercial Officer Tom Glick Director of Football Txiki Begiristain Football Administration Officer John Williams Managing Director of the City Football Academy Brian Marwood Team Management Current City Manager Manuel Pellegrini Position Name Manager Manuel Pellegrini Joint Assistant Manager Rubén Cousillas Joint Assistant Manager Brian Kidd Goalkeeping coach Xabier Mancisidor Fitness coach Jose Cabello Head of Platt Lane Academy Mark Allen Under-21 Elite Development Manager Patrick Vieira Academy Team Manager Jason Wilcox Notable managers Main article: List of Manchester City F.C. managers Table correct as of 13 May 2013 [53][54] Name From To Games Wins Draws Loss Tom Maley 1902 1906 150 89 22 39 Wilf Wild 1932 1946 352 158 71 123 Les McDowall 1950 1963 592 220 127 245 Joe Mercer 1965 1971 340 149 94 97 Tony Book 1973 1980 269 114 75 80 Roberto Mancini 2009 2013 191 113 38 40 Supporters Main article: Manchester City F.C. supporters Manchester City has a large fanbase in relation to its comparative lack of success on the pitch. Since moving to the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester Citys average attendances have been in the top six in England, [55] usually in excess of 40,000. Even in the late 1990s, when the club were relegated twice in three seasons and playing in the third tier of English football (then Division Two, now Football League One ), home attendances were in the region of 30,000, compared to an average for the division of fewer than 8,000. [56] Research carried out by Manchester City in 2005 estimates a fanbase of 886,000 in the United Kingdom and a total in excess of 2 million worldwide, although since the purchase of the club by Sheikh Mansour and the clubs recent trophies, that figure has ballooned to many times that size. [57] Manchester Citys officially recognised supporters club is the Manchester City FC Supporters Club (1949), formed from a merger of two existing organisations in 2010: the Official Supporters Club (OSC) and the Centenary Supporters Association (CSA). [58] There have been several fanzines published by supporters; the longest running is King of the Kippax and it is the only one still published. [59] The City fans song of choice is a rendition of Blue Moon, which despite its melancholic theme is belted out with gusto as though it were a heroic anthem. City supporters tend to believe that unpredictability is an inherent trait of their team, and label unexpected results typical City. [60][61] Events that fans regard as typical City include Citys being the only reigning English champions ever to be relegated (in 1938), the only team to score and concede over 100 goals in the same season (1957–58), [62] or the more recent example that City were the only team to beat Chelsea in the 2004–05 Premier League, yet in the same season City were knocked out of the FA Cup by Oldham Athletic, a team two divisions lower. Manchester Citys biggest rivalry is with neighbours Manchester United, against whom they contest the Manchester derby . Before the Second World War, when travel to away games was rare, many Mancunian football fans regularly watched both teams even if considering themselves supporters of only one. This practice continued into the early 1960s but as travel became easier, and the cost of entry to matches rose, watching both teams became unusual and the rivalry intensified. A common stereotype is that City fans come from Manchester proper, while United fans come from elsewhere. A 2002 report by a researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University found that while it was true that a higher proportion of City season ticket holders came from Manchester postcode areas (40% compared to Uniteds 29%), there were more United season ticket holders, the lower percentage being due to Uniteds higher overall number of season ticket holders (27,667 compared to Citys 16,481); not highlighted in the report was that within the City of Manchester itself, there were more City season ticket holders (approximately 4 for every 3 United). The report noted that since the compiling of data in 2001, the number of both City and United season ticket holders had risen; expansion of Uniteds ground and Citys move to the City of Manchester Stadium have caused season ticket sales to increase further. [63] In the late 1980s, City fans started a craze of bringing inflatable objects to matches, primarily oversized bananas. One disputed explanation for the craze is that in a match against West Bromwich Albion chants from fans calling for the introduction of Imre Varadi as a substitute mutated into Imre Banana. Terraces packed with inflatable-waving supporters became a frequent sight in the 1988–89 season as the craze spread to other clubs (inflatable fish were seen at Grimsby Town ), with the phenomenon reaching a peak at Citys match at Stoke City on 26 December 1988, a match declared by fanzines as a fancy dress party. [64] In August 2006, the club became the first to be officially recognised as a gay-friendly employer by campaign group Stonewall (UK) . [65] In 2010, City supporters adopted an exuberant dance, dubbed The Poznań , from fans of Polish club Lech Poznań . [66][67] Ownership and finances Main article: Manchester City F.C. ownership and finances The holding company of Manchester City F.C., Manchester City Limited, is a private limited company, with approximately 54 million shares in issue. The club has been in private hands since 2007, when the major shareholders agreed to sell their holdings to UK Sports Investments Limited (UKSIL), a company controlled by former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra . UKSIL then made a formal offer to buy the shares held by several thousand small shareholders. Prior to the Thaksin takeover, the club was listed on the specialist independent equity market PLUS (formerly OFEX), [68] where it had been listed since 1995. On 6 July 2007, having acquired 75% of the shares, Thaksin de-listed the club and re- registered it as a private company. [69] By August UKSIL had acquired over 90% of the shares, and exercised its rights under the Companies Act to squeeze out the remaining shareholders, and acquire the entire shareholding. Thaksin Shinawatra became chairman of the club and two of Thaksins children, Pintongta and Oak Chinnawat also became directors. Former chairman John Wardle stayed on the board for a year, but resigned in July 2008 following Nike executive Garry Cooks appointment as executive chairman in May. [70] The club made a pre-tax loss of £ 11m in the year ending 31 May 2007, the final year for which accounts were published as a public company. [71] Thaksins purchase prompted a period of transfer spending at the club, [72] spending in around £30 million, [73] whereas over the previous few seasons net spending had been among the lowest in the division. A year later, this investment was itself dwarfed by larger sums. On 1 September 2008, Abu Dhabi -based Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited completed a takeover of Manchester City. The deal, worth a reported £200 million, was announced on the morning of 1 September. It sparked various transfer deadline-day rumours and bids such as the clubs attempt to gazump Manchester United s protracted bid to sign Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in excess of £30 million. [74][75] Minutes before the transfer window closed, the club signed Robinho from Real Madrid for a British record transfer fee of £32.5 million. [76] The wealth of the new owners meant that in the summer of 2009, the club was able to finance the purchase of several experienced international players prior to the new season, spending more than any other club in the Premier League. [77] Stadium Main article: City of Manchester stadium See also: Hyde Road and Maine Road Manchester Citys stadium is the City of Manchester Stadium , also known as Eastlands and the Etihad Stadium since July 2011 because of sponsorship commitments. The stadium is situated in East Manchester and is part of a 200- year operating lease from Manchester City Council after the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The stadium has been Citys home since the end of the 2002–03 season, when the club moved from Maine Road .[78] Before moving to the stadium, Manchester City spent in excess of £30 million to convert it to football use. The field of play was lowered by several metres, adding an additional tier of seating around the entire pitch. A new North Stand was also built. [79] The inaugural match at the new stadium was a 2–1 win over FC Barcelona in a friendly match .[80] The current capacity as of summer 2013 stands at 47,405 after various stadium renovations under the new owners since 2008. [2] Manchester City have used several grounds during their history: after playing home matches at five different stadia between 1880 and 1887, the club settled at Hyde Road , its home for 36 years. [81] After a fire destroyed the Main Stand in 1920, the club started to seek a new site and moved to the 84-000 capacity Maine Road three years later. Maine Road, nicknamed the Wembley of the North by its designers, hosted the largest-ever crowd at an English club ground when 84,569 attended an FA Cup tie against Stoke City on 3 March 1934. [82] Though Maine Road was redeveloped several times over its 80-year lifespan, by 1995 its capacity was restricted to 32,000, prompting the search for a new ground which culminated in the move to the City of Manchester Stadium in 2003. A panorama of the City of Manchester Stadium Honours Domestic Leagues Captain Vincent Kompany with the Premier League trophy after the victorious 2011–12 season. First Division/ Premier League [83] Winners (3): 1936–37 , 1967–68 , 2011–12 Second Division /First Division [83] Winners (7): 1898–99 , 1902–03 , 1909–10 , 1927–28 , 1946–47 , 1965–66 , 2001–02 Third Division Play-offs Winners (1): 1998–99 Cups FA Cup Winners (5): 1904 , 1934 , 1956 , 1969 , 2011 Football League Cup Winners (2): 1970 , 1976 FA Community Shield Winners (4): 1937 , 1968 , 1972 , 2012 European UEFA Cup Winners Cup Winners (1): 1970 Club records Main article: List of Manchester City F.C. records and statistics Record League victory – 11–3 v. Lincoln City (23 March 1895, most goals scored) 10–0 v. Darwen (18 February 1899, widest margin of victory) [84] Record FA Cup victory – 12–0 v. Liverpool Stanley (4 October 1890) [85] Record League defeat – 0–8 v. Burton Wanderers (26 December 1894), 0–8 v. Wolverhampton Wanderers (23 December 1933), 1–9 v. Everton (3 September 1906), 2–10 v. Small Heath (17 March 1893) [84] Record FA Cup defeat – 0–6 v. Preston North End (30 January 1897), 2–8 v. Bradford Park Avenue (30 January 1946) [85] Highest home attendance – 84,569 v. Stoke City (3 March 1934) [86] (remains the record home attendance in English football) Most League appearances – 561 + 3 sub, Alan Oakes 1958–76 [87] Most appearances overall – 676 + 4 sub, Alan Oakes 1958–76 [87] Most goals scored overall – 177, Eric Brook 1928–40 [88] Most goals scored in a season – 38, Tommy Johnson 1928–29 [89] Record transfer fee paid – £38 million to Atlético Madrid for Sergio Agüero , July 2011 [90] Record transfer fee received – £21 million from Chelsea for Shaun Wright-Phillips , July 2005 [91] Affiliated clubs Sister clubs New York City FC (2013–present) [92] On 21 May 2013 it was announced that Manchester City F.C. had partnered with the American Baseball franchise New York Yankees to introduce the 20th Major League Soccer expansion team New York City FC. Facility sharing Hyde (2011–present) [93] Seeking a replacement reserve team stadium to supplant the Manchester Regional Athletics Arena , Manchester City signed a deal with Hyde F.C. to use their stadium for reserve team purposes. The partnership followed on from a rebranding from the name Hyde United and a lucrative kit sponsorship by Manchester Citys charity arm City in the Community for a sum which saved the Conference club from bankruptcy. City also agreed to pay £250,000 - twice the size of the clubs debt - to renovate the clubs stadium. [93] Scouting partners Aarhus (2013–present) [94] In January of 2013, Aarhus invited Academy head and former Aarhus player Scott Sellars over to Denmark to tour their facilities, whereupon an agreement was signed between the two clubs. Aarhus impressed with their youth facilities and planned co-operation on young players. In exchange, Manchester City agreed to periodically send youth signings from the Right to Dream Academy on loan to Aarhus. Gil Vicente (2012–present) [95] An agreement was signed on 9 May 2012 for Gil Vicente to share their scouting network with Manchester City, granting City more specialised access to the Portuguese market, primarily for youth talent, while also allowing Gil Vicente to benefit from Citys more global reach. Limerick (2013–present) [96] Limerick signed a scouting network partnership agreement with City mainly owing to their desire to access the pool of talent coming from the Right to Dream Academy , whom City have a long-term understanding with. Consequently, Limerick will bring in a couple of young Africans from the Academy every season in exchange for a partnership of unknown extent with the English club. Sporting Lisbon (2010–present) [97] Under the terms of their agreement, Sporting Lisbon signed with Manchester City a deal that they had previously had with Manchester United, to grant City first option on their players, specifically with a view to their youth talent. Overseas academies Mpumalanga Black Aces (2013–present) [98] On 4 June 2013, Manchester City announced a three-year agreement with Mpumalanga Black Aces of the South African Premier Soccer League to serve as their regional youth development partner. Under the agreement, the Black Aces will benefit from coaching links with and visits to and from Manchester City, while they will also serve as a regional centre of Citys global youth development network and as a conduit for spreading Manchester Citys name and style of football within their country. The agreement was signed a month before a Manchester City tour to South Africa. Right to Dream Academy (late 2000s– present) [96] Manchester City have a partnership with the Right to Dream Academy which allows them to cherry-pick the best talent from the academy once players graduate. Stories have circulated that City have bought the academy and own it outright, though if this is true it has never been publicised. Work permit feeders Following the trend of other major English clubs, Manchester City has a series of agreements with clubs to whom they can loan youth players from non- EU countries who otherwise would need to serve five years of residence in the UK to earn an EU passport granting them the ability to play in England without needing a work permit. Primarily the countries of Benelux and Scandinavia are viewed as the shortest way of achieving this. Djurgårdens IF (2013–present) [99] BK Häcken (2012–present) [100] KV Mechelen (2010–present) [101] NEC Nijmegen (2010–present) [101] Strømsgodset IF (2010–present) [101] See also Manchester City L.F.C. Bibliography Buckley, Andy; Burgess, Richard (2000). Blue Moon Rising: The Fall and Rise of Manchester City . Bury: Milo. ISBN 0-9530847-4-4 . Gardner, Peter (1970). The Manchester City Football Book No. 2 . London: Stanley Paul. ISBN 0-09-103280-6 . Inglis, Simon (1987). The Football Grounds of Great Britain (2nd ed.) . London: Collins Willow. ISBN 0-00-218249-1 . James, Gary (2002). Manchester: The Greatest City . Polar Publishing. ISBN 1-899538-09-7 . James, Gary (2005). The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame . Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-61282-1 . James, Gary (2006). Manchester City – The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 1-85983-512-0 . James, Gary (2008). Manchester – A Football History. Halifax: James Ward. ISBN 978-0-9558127-0-5 . Penney, Ian (2008). Manchester City: The Mercer-Allison Years. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 978-1-85983-608-8 . Rowlands, Alan (2005). Trautmann: The Biography . Derby: Breedon. ISBN 1-85983-491-4 . Tossell, David (2008). Big Mal: The High Life and Hard Times of Malcolm Allison, Football Legend . Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84596-478-8 . Wallace, David (2007). Century City – Manchester City Football Club 1957/58 . Leigh: King of the Kippax. ISBN 978-0-9557056-0-1 . Ward, Andrew (1984). The Manchester City Story . Derby: Breedon. ISBN 0-907969-05-4 . References 1. ^ On 16 April 1894, the name was changed to Manchester City . 2. ^ a b Club Profile - Manchester City - Stadium . Premier League . Retrieved 2013-08-21. 3. ^ Club History – The Club – Manchester City FC . mcfc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2010. 4. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p32 5. ^ James, Manchester:The Greatest City , pp 59–65. 6. ^ Bevan, Chris (11 May 2003). Maine Road through the ages . BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 September 2011. 7. ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story , pp. 31–33 8. ^ James, Gary (22 April 2011). FA Cup special: Thrills, spills and a cast of thousands at Maine Road . menmedia.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2011. 9. ^ England 1937/38 . league table from RSSSF. Retrieved 29 December 2005. 10. ^ Rowlands, Trautmann – The Biography , pp. 178–184 11. ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story , p. 57 12. ^ Penney, Manchester City – The Mercer- Allison Years , pp. 27–36 13. ^ Penney, Manchester City – The Mercer- Allison Years , pp. 37–56 14. ^ Gardner, The Manchester City Football Book No. 2 , pp. 13–22 15. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, pp. 410–420 16. ^ Other results meant United would have been relegated even if they had won or drawn, but neither team knew this at the time. 17. ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story , p. 70 18. ^ Tossell, Big Mal , Chapter 18 19. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 68 20. ^ Buckley, Andy; Burgess, Richard (2000). Blue Moon Rising: The Fall and Rise of Manchester City . Bury: Milo. ISBN 0-9530847-4-4 . p. 177 21. ^ Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 265 22. ^ Goater double gives City derby win . RTÉ . Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2007. 23. ^ Eriksson named Man City manager . BBC Sport. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2007. 24. ^ Erikssons reign at Man City ends . BBC Sport. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2008. 25. ^ Manchester City appoint Mark Hughes . Manchester City FC. 4 June 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2009. 26. ^ Winrow, Ian (12 August 2008). Thaksin Shinawatras crisis ends Manchester Citys European dream . London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 September 2010. 27. ^ Man City beat Chelsea to Robinho . BBC. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2009. 28. ^ Lescott completes Man City move . BBC Sport. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2009. 29. ^ Mark Hughes sacked as Man City appoint Mancini manager . BBC Sport. 19 December 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009. 30. ^ Man City 1 – 0 Man Utd . BBC Sport. 16 April 2011. 31. ^ Man City 1 – 0 Tottenham . BBC Sport. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011. 32. ^ Is Man Citys title win really the best Premier League moment ever? See the Top 50 here.. and then tell us yours . The Mirror (UK). 9 August 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013. 33. ^ Reconstructing The Most Exciting Day In The History Of Soccer (And Maybe Sports, Period) . deadspin. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013. 34. ^ Barton blow as bad boy is told he must serve ban at new club Marseille . The Daily Mail. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2013. 35. ^ REVEALED: Bitter dressing room battles that sealed the fate of preening Mancini . The Daily Mail. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013. 36. ^ Club Statement . mcfc.co.uk. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013. 37. ^ Player power: Kompany, Hart and Silva threatened to quit Manchester City if Mancini didnt leave . The Mirror (UK). 18 May 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013. 38. ^ Ex-City boss Mancini reveals Soriano rift . Manchester Evening News. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013. 39. ^ Roberto Mancini: Man City exit because of poor relationships . BBC Sport. 14 May 2013. 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Premiership side set to change footballing attitudes by introducing gay- friendly policy. Homepage (London). Retrieved 27 August 2006. 66. ^ Sloan, Jenna (4 February 2011). Man City fans are doing the Poznan . London: thesun.co.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 67. ^ Pitt-Brooke, Jack (20 April 2011). Poles apart: how fans of Poznan inspired Citys unlikely dance craze . independent.co.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 68. ^ Manchester City plc . PLUS Markets Group . Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2007. 69. ^ Thaksin completes Man City buyout . BBC Sport. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2007. 70. ^ Taylor, Daniel (10 July 2008). Wardle quits City . The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 28 August 2008. 71. ^ MCFC Annual Group Accounts published . Manchester City plc. dmy. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008. 72. ^ Eriksson continues Man City spending . Reuters. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2008. 73. ^ Bojinov joins Man City . FIFA. 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Retrieved 19 September 2009. 83. ^ a b Up until 1992, the top division of English football was the Football League First Division; since then, it has been the FA Premier League. At the same time, the Second Division was renamed the First Division, and the Third Division was renamed the Second Division. 84. ^ a b James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 509 85. ^ a b James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 511 86. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p524 87. ^ a b James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 155 88. ^ James, The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame , p. 48. Some sources state 178 goals, as Brook scored a goal in the abandoned 1939–40 season, the matches of which are generally excluded from statistical records 89. ^ Clayton, Everything Under the Blue Moon , p. 112. 90. ^ Manchester City complete Sergio Aguero signing . 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Retrieved 4 June 2013. 99. ^ Swedish thumbs up as Djurgarden party at Manchester City today . tribalfootball. 111111. Retrieved 2013-01-11. 100. ^ Man City recommend Ghana U20 star to sign for Hacken . MTNfootball. 2012-06-06. Retrieved 2012-11-11. 101. ^ a b c SIF Håper på utvidet samarbeid med City [SIF hoping for greater cooperation with City] (in Norwegian). dt.no. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2010-12-20. External links Listen to this article ( info/dl ) This audio file was created from a revision of the Manchester City F.C. article dated 21 May 2007, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. 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