107-539: Almondvale Stadium , also known as The Home of the Set Fare Arena for sponsorship purposes, but commonly referred to as 'The Spaghettihad' (alluding to Manchester City 's Etihad Stadium ), is a football stadium, located in the Almondvale area of Livingston, West Lothian , Scotland. It has been the home ground of Scottish Championship club Livingston since 1995, and has an all-seater capacity of 9,713. The stadium
214-527: A heraldic badge was granted by the College of Arms to the English Football League for use by City. The badge consisted of the familiar ship above a red rose but on a circular device instead of a shield (blazoned as " A roundel per fess azure and argent in chief a three masted ship sails set pennons flying or in base a rose gules barbed and seeded proper "). On occasions when Manchester City played in
321-527: A neutral venue , usually one that is geographically close or equidistant to where the clubs contesting the match are based. As of 2024, eleven different venues have hosted the final. Fir Park in Motherwell was the first, in 1990 , and has since hosted four more finals, the last in 2017 . McDiarmid Park in Perth has been the most frequent venue, staging it ten times between 1994 and 2018 . Other venues to host
428-486: A notable rivalry with Liverpool , currently considered one of the biggest in association football. Though the two clubs had been involved in a title race in the 1976–77 season , Liverpool and City's modern rivalry began in the 2010s, with the Blues beating Liverpool to the 2013–14 title by just two points on the final day of the season. In the final of the 2015–16 League Cup , City defeated Liverpool on penalties after
535-524: A 1–1 draw. The two clubs met in European competition for the first time in the 2017–18 Champions League quarter-finals, where Liverpool won 5–1 on aggregate , ultimately reaching the final and then winning the competition a year later. In the 2018–19 season , City again won the title on the final day, with the Blues' 98 points and Liverpool's 97 being the third- and fourth-highest Premier League points totals ever. The following season , Liverpool clinched
642-703: A British-based holding company valued at £3.73 ($ 4.8) billion in November 2019 and majority-owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group . 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
749-532: 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 . 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
856-599: A backheel to give City a 1–0 win at Old Trafford and confirm the relegation of their rivals. The final trophy of the club's most successful period of the 20th century 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 several unsuccessful signings, such as Steve Daley . A succession of managers then followed – seven in
963-513: A consequence. Selected games have been broadcast live on the Scottish Gaelic language television channel BBC Alba since 2008, which is run jointly by former sponsor MG Alba and the BBC . Every final since the 2008 final has been broadcast live on the channel and the arrangement was extended for three more years in 2012 despite the end of MG Alba's sponsorship of the competition in 2011. With
1070-544: A crowd of 5,345. Over the years it has also been chosen to host Scotland under-21 , under-19 and under-17 matches. The stadium has hosted the 2012 and the 2013 Challenge Cup finals. On 27 May 2012, the stadium hosted the 2012 Scottish Junior Cup Final . Hibernian Reserves also used the Stadium. The town of Livingston is situated in the central belt of Scotland , approximately 18 miles west of Edinburgh and 33 miles east of Glasgow , and easily accessible from
1177-604: A financially precarious position. Thaksin Shinawatra had taken control of the club the year before, but his political travails saw his assets frozen. Then, in August 2008, City were 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. There
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#17328761814151284-406: A frequent sight in the 1988–89 season , as the craze spread to other clubs (inflatable fish were seen at Grimsby Town ), with the craze reaching its peak at City's match at Stoke City on 26 December 1988, a game declared by fanzines as a fancy dress party. In 2010, Manchester City supporters adopted an exuberant dance, dubbed The Poznań , from fans of Polish club Lech Poznań that they played in
1391-809: A golden eagle was added to the city's badge in 1958 (but had since been removed), representing the growing aviation industry. The shield featured a ship on its upper half representing the Manchester Ship Canal , and three diagonal stripes in the lower half symbolised the city's three rivers – the Irwell , the Irk and the Medlock . The bottom of the badge bore the motto " Superbia in Proelio ", which translates as "Pride in Battle" in Latin . Above
1498-458: A major cup final, the club wore shirts bearing the City of Manchester coat of arms, as a symbol of pride in representing the city at a major event. This practice originated from a time when the players' shirts did not normally bear a badge of any kind. The club has since abandoned the practice; for the 2011 FA Cup final , its first in the 21st century, City used the usual badge with a special legend, but
1605-761: A manager". In September 2019, Klopp hailed Guardiola for being his 'greatest rival ever', after both were nominated for the FIFA Men's Coach of the Year award in 2019, which Klopp ultimately won. In a 2019 survey, City fans answered that Liverpool, and not Manchester United, are the club's biggest rivals. Manchester City also have long established local rivalries with Bolton Wanderers , Oldham Athletic , and Stockport County , and more recent competitive Premier League rivalries with Tottenham Hotspur , Chelsea and Arsenal . Scottish Challenge Cup The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup , commonly known as
1712-615: A merger of two existing organisations in 2010: the Official Supporters Club (OSC) and the Centenary Supporters Association (CSA). 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". Events that fans regard as "typical City" include
1819-651: A new era of unprecedented success, with the club winning the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League in 2012 , both their first since the 1960s, followed by another league title in 2014 . Under the management of Pep Guardiola , Manchester City won the Premier League in 2018 , becoming the only team in the competition history to attain 100 points in a single season. In 2018–19 , they won four trophies , completing an unprecedented sweep of all domestic titles in England and becoming
1926-462: A new stadium, of slightly smaller design, a mile away. However, nothing came of these rumours. Almondvale is a 9,713 capacity all-seater ground. It has four stands which are all roughly of the same height and two corners of the ground are filled with covered seating. There is an open corner on one side of the West Stand and there is also the 5-storey stadium house in the other corner of the ground which
2033-647: A new version which would be designed in the style of the older, circular variants. A design purporting to be the new badge was unintentionally leaked two days early prior to the official unveiling on 26 December 2015 by the IPO when the design was trademarked on 22 December. The new badge was officially unveiled at Manchester City's home match against Sunderland on 26 December. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The following players have previously made appearances or have appeared on
2140-477: A realistic opportunity of winning a trophy due to the absence of top-tier clubs from the tournament. When Stenhousemuir won the final in 1995 it was regarded as the club's greatest achievement in its 111-year history. Attendances at matches in the earlier rounds of the tournament are not dissimilar to average home attendances in league competition but as the competition reaches the latter stages they generally increase; Annan Athletic's record attendance of 1,575
2247-497: A rivalry between Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola , the managers of Liverpool and Manchester City, with the two previously having been the respective managers of Der Klassiker rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga . At the end of the 2018–19 season, Guardiola described his relationship with Klopp as a "beautiful rivalry" and called Klopp's Liverpool team "the strongest opponents I have faced in my career as
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#17328761814152354-530: A rule change introduced by the SPFL ahead of 2018–19 competition. The 2018–19 final also saw Connah's Quay Nomads become the first non-Scottish side to play in the final. The COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland had a significant impact on the competition. The 2019–20 final , between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers , was originally scheduled for 28 March 2020 but was postponed and later cancelled, with
2461-525: A sixth-round FA Cup tie against Stoke City – a record which stood until 2016. 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. 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
2568-441: A surprise victory at the same venue. Despite having most of the ball possession and creating 23 attempts at goal, City were made to rue wasteful chances while their opponent on the day converted their chances clinically. Manchester City's 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 colours have been used. The origins of
2675-407: A team two divisions lower. In the late 1980s, City fans started a craze of bringing inflatable objects to matches, primarily oversized bananas. One disputed explanation for the phenomenon 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
2782-524: A three-year naming rights deal in May 2010. In June 2013, it was renamed again for sponsorship reasons to 'Energy Assets Arena'. In September 2015, it was renamed again for sponsorship reasons to its current name of ' Tony Macaroni Arena'. The club announced the end of the sponsorship deal in March 2024. On 7 April 2011, there were rumours that the stadium could be sold off to a supermarket development, and in turn finance
2889-403: Is primarily used for conferences and offices. All the stands are one tier high and the stadium has four large floodlights, one situated at each corner of the ground. The stadium is covered and shielded from the weather elements by the roof and the windshields at the side of the stands. Almondvale also has a red blaes pitch and fully operational under-soil heating. In August 1997, Almondvale hosted
2996-642: Is the City of Manchester Stadium , currently known as the Etihad Stadium in east Manchester, to which they moved in 2003, having played at Maine Road since 1923. Manchester City adopted their sky blue home shirts in 1894, the first season with the current name. Over the course of its history, the club has won ten league titles , seven FA Cups , eight League Cups , seven FA Community Shields , one UEFA Champions League , one European Cup Winners' Cup , one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup . The club joined
3103-645: 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: Last updated: 30 March 2011. Source: list of SFM Hall of Fame inductees The following former Manchester City players have been inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame , and are listed according to the year of their induction: Source: Since moving to
3210-550: The 2018–19 season , City completed an unprecedented domestic treble of English men's titles. Apart from winning all three of the major English football tournaments, they also won the Community Shield , the first time any team has ever held all four of England's primary football trophies at the same time. On the continental stage, the club achieved breakthrough in 2020–21 , reaching their first-ever Champions League final . In an all-English affair, City lost 0–1 to Chelsea at
3317-676: The Estádio do Dragão in Porto . The 2022–23 season turned out to be the greatest in the club's history, as Manchester City won their third consecutive Premier League title, the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester United, and their maiden Champions League title at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul against Inter Milan , thereby assembling a rare feat – the continental treble . The road to
Almondvale Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-762: The Europa League . In 2022, Manchester City proposed the release of the Connected Scarf , that would contain a sensor tracking physiological and emotional data of the wearer, for supporters in 2023. Manchester City's 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
3531-618: The FA Cup ; the Blues narrowly missed out on a League and Cup double that season after finishing runners-up in the league campaign , but they still became the first club in Manchester to win a major honour. 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 . A fire at Hyde Road destroyed
3638-456: The FA Cup final for the second straight year but lost in a rematch to rivals Manchester United. Manchester City's era of sustained competitive excellence coincided with charges of breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. In 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that sanctions placed on the club by UEFA were not justified, overturning City's two-year European ban. In 2023,
3745-434: The FA Cup final in 2011, their first major final in over 30 years, after defeating derby rivals Manchester United in the semi-finals, the first time they had knocked their rival out of a cup competition since 1975. The Blues defeated Stoke City 1–0 in the final, securing their fifth FA Cup and the club's first major trophy since winning the 1976 League Cup. On the last day of the 2010–11 season , City beat out Arsenal for
3852-499: The Football League in 1892 , and won their first major honour, the FA Cup , in 1904 . Manchester City had its first major period of success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning the league title, FA Cup , League Cup , and European Cup Winners Cup under the management of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison . After losing the 1981 FA Cup final , Manchester City went through a period of decline, culminating in relegation to
3959-805: The Highland and Lowland Leagues and eight entrants from outside Scottish football – two each from the NIFL Premiership in Northern Ireland, the National League in England, League of Ireland and the Welsh Premier League in Wales, until 2021 when the decision was made to only have the Scottish clubs participating due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Teams are seeded to enter the competition over any of
4066-581: The League Cup and regained the Premier League title on the last matchday of the season. The team's league form then slowly declined over the next couple of years, as the Blues finished second in 2014–15 and then dropped to fourth in 2015–16 , although the 2015–16 season would see City win another League Cup title and reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time. Pep Guardiola , former head coach of Barcelona and Bayern Munich ,
4173-454: The League of Ireland were included in the competition for the 2017–18 season. From 2018–19 , the competition was further expanded with the two highest ranked teams still remaining in England's National League to take part from the second round. The first English teams to compete were Sutton United and Boreham Wood . The age level was raised for colts teams from under-20 to under-21 in
4280-518: The M8 motorway . The stadium is located at the centre of the town, in the Almondvale district, near the shopping centre and situated by the River Almond . The ground is signposted reasonably well around the town for the convenience of road traffic. Parking spaces are abundantly found in close proximity to the stadium, either near the shopping centre or at the stadium. There are two railway stations in reach of
4387-607: The Premier League Hall of Fame . Inaugurated in 2020, but delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Hall of Fame is intended to recognise and honour players that have achieved great success and made a significant contribution to the league since its founding in 1992 . Last updated: 22 April 2024. Source: list of PL Hall of Fame inductees The following former Manchester City players and managers have been inducted into
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4494-740: The Scotland – England women's international match. In 2001, Almondvale was named the Scottish Football Association 's centre for women's football. It hosted the Scottish Women's Cup final and the national team's matches from 2001 to 2004 . The stadium has become the home ground of Hibernian W.F.C. in 2021–22 . In 2008, Gretna played one match in the stadium, a 3–0 loss against Celtic , when their temporary home ( Fir Park ) had problems with its pitch. In 2013, Albion Rovers played their cup tie against Rangers at Almondvale in front of
4601-556: The Scottish Championship (second tier) in the same season to the Scottish Premiership (first tier), the club becomes ineligible to compete in the tournament. This has happened to Falkirk twice, Inverness Caledonian Thistle , St Mirren , Rangers and Ross County . Most winners and finalists have been from the second tier, while only four teams have won the competition from below this division. Stenhousemuir became
4708-737: The Scottish League Challenge Cup or Scottish Challenge Cup , and currently known as the SPFL Trust Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an association football knock-out cup competition run by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). It is recognised as the third most prestigious knockout trophy in Scottish football, after the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup . The competition
4815-544: The 100th anniversary of the formation of the Scottish Football League in 1890 . It was intended to run for only one season but continued due to its popularity. This was reflected in high attendances at matches in the later rounds of the tournament including a full capacity crowd of 11,500 at Fir Park in the first final. The cup was sponsored by DIY retail company B&Q and named the B&;Q Centenary Cup for
4922-519: The 1930s, they lost the first one, to Newcastle United , and won the second. The 1956 final, in which the Blues defeated Birmingham City 3–1, saw City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann continuing to play on after unknowingly breaking his neck. After being relegated 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. In
5029-451: 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 under Mel Machin . Howard Kendall guided the club to top flight safety in 1990 and the club finished fifth in 1991 and 1992 under the management of active player Peter Reid . However, this
5136-507: The 2010–11 competition the two highest ranked clubs from the Highland Football League with a Scottish Football Association licence were invited to compete, in order to bring the number of competitors to 32. Before the change in 2010, several clubs received a random bye in the first round in order to even out the number of fixtures. The Challenge Cup continued under the auspices of the Scottish Professional Football League after
5243-665: The 2014–15 season, with the two additional places going to the Highland League champion ( Brora Rangers ) and the Lowland League champion ( Spartans ). From 2016 to 2017 the competition has been further expanded with the addition of Scottish Premiership Under-20 teams , additional places for the Highland and Lowland Leagues, which now have four representatives each, as well as the top two teams from Northern Ireland and Wales. The top two teams not to qualify for European competition from
5350-399: The 2019–20 season. The first winner of the tournament was Dundee , who defeated Ayr United . Falkirk are the most successful team in the tournament with four wins, most recently in 2012 . The current holders are Airdrieonians , who defeated The New Saints in the 2024 Final. The Challenge Cup is a knock-out tournament . Within a regionalised format, clubs are paired at random and
5457-554: The Champions League victory included wins over European giants Bayern Munich, who were defeated 4–1 on aggregate, and Real Madrid, who suffered a 1–5 aggregate loss at the hands of City. The following season saw considerably less success for the Blues, as they won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup for the first time and became the first English men's club to win four consecutive league titles. City also advanced to
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#17328761814155564-458: The City of Manchester Stadium, the club's average attendances have been in the top six in England, usually in excess of 40,000. Even in the late 1990s, when City were relegated twice in three seasons and playing in the third tier of English football (then the Second Division , now the EFL League One ), home attendances were in the region of 30,000, compared to an average of fewer than 8,000 for
5671-544: The First Division and four different permanent managers, Lee resigned from his role as chairman midway through the 1998 season, although remained as a shareholder, as City fell to the lowest point in their history, becoming the second ever European trophy winners to be relegated to their country's third-tier league after 1. FC Magdeburg of Germany. After relegation, the club underwent off-the-field upheaval, with new chairman David Bernstein introducing greater fiscal discipline. Under manager Joe Royle , City were promoted at
5778-422: The Manchester coat of arms was included as a small monochrome logo in the numbers on the back of players' shirts. A new club badge was adopted in 1997, as a result of the previous badge being ineligible for registration as a trademark. This badge was based on the arms of the city of Manchester , and consisted of a shield in front of a golden eagle . The eagle is an old heraldic symbol of the city of Manchester;
5885-461: The Premier League announced its own investigation of the allegations levied against Manchester City, charging the club with 115 breaches of its FFP rules up to the 2017–18 season. On 24 November 2024 in the 2024-25 season , City lost 0-4 to Tottenham Hotspur that marked the end of their 52-game unbeaten streak at home. It was the Citizen's first home defeat since November 2022 when Brentford claimed
5992-413: The Scottish Football League merged with the Scottish Premier League in 2013. One change at this time was that the two invitational places were split, with only one place filled by a Highland League club (with a valid SFA club licence) and the other place going to the winner of a preliminary round tie between clubs from the East of Scotland League and the South of Scotland League . This was simplified in
6099-403: The South winning twice and losing thrice. Three clubs have reached the final in successive seasons; Ayr United did so in the first two years of the tournament but lost both. The only teams to have successfully defended their title are Hamilton Academical and the original Airdrieonians . It is possible for the winner of the tournament to be unable to defend their title; if a club is promoted from
6206-427: The change in ownership but was originally retained by the new board – was replaced as manager by Roberto Mancini . City finished the season in fifth position in the Premier League , narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League but qualifying for the UEFA Europa League . Continued investment in players followed in successive seasons, and results began to match the upturn in player quality. City reached
6313-470: The close 2003–04 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 club's first foreign manager when appointed in 2007 . After a bright start, performances faded in the second half of the season, and Eriksson was sacked on 2 June 2008; he was replaced by Mark Hughes two days later. By 2008, Manchester City were in
6420-401: The club 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 ), or the more recent example where Manchester City were the only team to beat Chelsea in the latter's record-breaking 2004–05 Premier League season , yet in the same season City were knocked out of the FA Cup by Oldham Athletic ,
6527-434: The club continue to call the stadium Almondvale or the 'Vale. It was previously officially titled the City Stadium in the early 2000s due to a sponsorship deal with the City group. It had also been called the West Lothian Courier Stadium before that. However, after the club were taken over by the Lionheart Consortium in 2005, it reverted to its original name, Almondvale Stadium. It was renamed 'Braidwood Motor Company Stadium' in
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#17328761814156634-437: The club won the 2001–02 First Division championship , breaking club records for the number of points gained and goals scored in a single season in the process. The 2002–03 season was the last at Maine Road and included a 3–1 derby victory over rivals Manchester United, ending a 13-year run without a derby win. Additionally, City qualified for European competition for the first time in 25 years via UEFA fair play ranking . In
6741-551: The club's 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 club's origins as a church side. The infrequent yet recurrent use of red and black away colours comes from former assistant manager Malcolm Allison 's belief that adopting
6848-421: The colours of AC Milan would inspire City to glory. Allison's theory seemingly took effect, with City winning the 1969 FA Cup final , 1970 League Cup final , and 1970 Cup Winners' Cup final in red and black stripes as opposed to the club's home kit of sky blue. City had previously worn three other badges on their shirts, prior to their current badge being implemented in 2016. The first, introduced in 1970,
6955-430: The division. Research carried out by Manchester City in 2005 estimated 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 City's recent achievements, that figure has since ballooned to many times that size. Manchester City's officially recognised supporters club is the Manchester City F.C. Supporters Club (1949), formed by
7062-437: The divisions of Scottish football, and the stadium was expanded to meet Scottish Premier League (SPL) standards in time for the club's promotion to the top flight in 2001. The record attendance for a Livingston match at Almondvale is 10,112 and was set during that first season in the SPL, for a match against Rangers on 27 October 2001. The stadium has changed names several times due to sponsorship deals. However, supporters of
7169-422: The eagle and shield were the three stars, added for decorative purposes. On 15 October 2015, following years of criticism from the fans over the design of the 1997 badge, the club announced they intended to carry out a fan consultation on whether to discontinue the current badge and institute a new design. After the consultation, the club announced in late November 2015 the badge would be replaced in due course by
7276-523: 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 United's 29%), there were more United season ticket holders,
7383-428: The final day of the season with a 4–3 victory at Newcastle United. Further trophies followed: City won the FA Cup in 1969 and a year later triumphed in the European Cup Winners' Cup , defeating Górnik Zabrze 2–1 in the 1970 final . This was the club's only European honour until their triumph in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League . The Blues also won the League Cup that year, becoming the second English team to win
7490-411: The final more than once are Broadwood Stadium ( Cumbernauld ), Excelsior Stadium ( Airdrie ), Almondvale Stadium ( Livingston ) and Falkirk Stadium ( Falkirk ). The 2016 final was held at Hampden Park , the national stadium in Glasgow , due to the large support of eventual winners Rangers ; that final drew the competition's record attendance of over 48,000. A total of 27 clubs have reached
7597-464: The final, of whom 17 have won the competition. The first winners were Dundee in 1990 . The most successful club is Falkirk with four wins from four final appearances. Ross County , Inverness Caledonian Thistle , Queen of the South and Hamilton Academical are the only four clubs to have reached the final five times, Ross County and Hamilton Academical winning on three occasions, Inverness Caledonian Thistle winning two and sharing one and Queen of
7704-399: The first English men's team to win the domestic treble . This was followed by four consecutive Premier League titles in 2020–21 , 2021–22 , 2022–23 and 2023–24 , as well as the club's first Champions League final in 2021 , which they lost to Chelsea . The 2022–23 season saw Manchester City win their maiden European Cup and complete the continental treble in the process, becoming
7811-460: The first attempt, achieved in dramatic fashion in the Second Division play-off final 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 replaced Royle as manager in the close season, and achieved an immediate return to the top division as
7918-424: The first club drawn listed as the home team . The winner of each match progresses to the next round and the loser is eliminated from the tournament. Every match, including the final, is a one-legged tie that lasts 90 minutes plus any additional stoppage time . If no clear winner has been determined after 90 minutes of normal time, 30 minutes of extra time is played. If the score is still level after extra time then
8025-452: The first four rounds, after which eight teams will remain to contest the quarter-finals. The final is played at a neutral venue. In May 2024, it was announced the Cup would return to being Scottish-only for the 2024-25 season, with more Highland and Lowland League teams taking the place of the invited Northern Irish and Welsh clubs. The competition was created in the 1990–91 season to celebrate
8132-547: The first team to do so in 1995 , followed by Stranraer a year later in 1996 and Alloa Athletic in 1999 . The most recent club to win from below the second tier was Queen of the South , in 2013 . All winners and runners-up from below the second tier have been from the third tier . In 2019, Connah's Quay Nomads of Wales were the first non-Scottish side to reach the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup; despite taking
8239-425: The first team to win the Premier League on goal difference alone. The following season , City were unable to replicate the previous year's success. After finishing second in the league , eleven points behind Manchester United, and losing the FA Cup final 0–1 to relegated Wigan Athletic , Mancini was sacked. He was replaced by Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini . In Pellegrini's first year in charge, City won
8346-447: The first year and continued as the B&Q Cup for four seasons afterwards. The competition was run for three seasons without a sponsor due to the league covering the tournament costs and prize money, but was unsustainable and resulted in it being cancelled for one season in 1998–99 before being re-established in 1999 with a new sponsor. Although it is not as popular as competitions like the Scottish Cup , it provides smaller clubs with
8453-405: The fixtures are drawn; the first club drawn in a fixture is named the home team and chooses the venue for the match, usually its own home ground . The venue may be switched to that of the away team or changed to a neutral venue for security reasons such as being unable to host a club with a large travelling fan base or the venue being unavailable. The final match of the tournament is played at
8560-407: The ground. Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club (or simply Man City F.C. ) is a professional football club based in Manchester , England, that competes in the Premier League , the top flight of English football . Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's (West Gorton) , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894. The club's home ground
8667-422: The ground; Livingston North and Livingston South . The North station is served by trains from Edinburgh and Glasgow and is about a 30-minute walk away from the ground. The South station also receives trains from both Edinburgh and Glasgow and is about a 40-minute walk away from the stadium. In addition to the train stations, the central bus terminal at Livingston is located on Almondvale Avenue, 5 minutes walk from
8774-652: The lead in the 21st minute, they eventually lost 3–1. The winner of the tournament is decided by a final elimination match which lasts 90 minutes plus any additional stoppage time . If the score is level and a winner has not been determined after 90 minutes of normal time, 30 minutes of extra time is played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the score is still level. Eight finals have gone to extra time, with two being decided in this period of play. The further six have been decided by penalty shoot-out. Clubs shown in italics are no longer in existence. The Scottish Challenge Cup has been sponsored several times since it
8881-536: The league system were added in 2011–12 , and guest teams from outside Scotland in 2016–17 . For the 2019–20 edition there were 58 teams: 30 from the SPFL; the twelve Under-21 teams of the Scottish Premiership clubs; four each from the Highland League and Lowland League ; and two guest teams from each of the NIFL Premiership , Cymru Premier , English National League , and League of Ireland Premier Division up until
8988-447: The lower percentage being due to United's higher overall number of season ticket holders (27,667 compared to City's 16,481). 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 United's ground and City's move to the City of Manchester Stadium have caused season ticket sales to increase further. Over the last few years, Manchester City has also developed
9095-490: The main stand in 1920, and in 1923 the club moved to their new purpose-built stadium at Maine Road in Moss Side . 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 . During the 1934 run, the club broke the record for the highest home attendance of any club in English football history, as 84,569 fans packed Maine Road for
9202-575: The members of the Manchester City Official Supporters Club have voted by ballot to choose the player on the team they feel is the most worthy of recognition for his performances during that season. The following table lists the recipients of this award since 2000. Sources: The following former Manchester City players and managers have been inducted into the Manchester City F.C. Hall of Fame , and are listed according to
9309-601: The second English club to do so. The club is ranked first in the UEFA coefficient standings as of 2023. Manchester City topped the Deloitte Football Money League at the end of the 2021–22 season, making it the football club with the highest revenue in the world, approximated at € 731 million. In 2022, Forbes estimated the club was the sixth-most valuable in the world, worth $ 4.250 billion. Manchester City are owned by City Football Group Limited ,
9416-420: The space of four games, while City began a run of successive wins which saw both teams level on points with two games to go. Despite the Blues only needing a home win against Queens Park Rangers , a team in the relegation zone, they fell 1–2 behind by the end of normal time. However, two goals in injury time – the second by Sergio Agüero in the fourth added minute – settled the title in City's favour, making them
9523-435: The substitutes bench for the first team. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Since 2003, Manchester City have not issued the squad number 23. It was retired in memory of Marc-Vivien Foé , who
9630-502: The summer of 1965, the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison was appointed. In the first season under Mercer, Manchester City won the Second Division title and made important signings in Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell . Two seasons later, in 1967–68 , City claimed the league championship for the second time, beating their close neighbours Manchester United to the title on
9737-409: The team on the pitch when the club captain is not playing or not available. Some players have been made captain on a one-off basis to celebrate or commemorate an event, e.g. Oleksandr Zinchenko captained the team in their 2021–22 FA Cup fifth round tie at Peterborough United in support of his country during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Each season since the end of the 1966–67 season ,
9844-465: The teams sharing the title. Continuing restrictions on fans entering stadiums meant that the competition was unviable for most SPFL clubs, and the scheduled 2020–21 edition was cancelled in October 2020. It was announced in May 2021, that only Scottish clubs would participate in 2021–22 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the rounds before the final, the venue of each match is determined when
9951-522: The third place, thereby securing qualification directly into the Champions League group stage. Strong performances continued to follow in the 2011–12 season , including a 5–1 victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane and a record-equalling 6–1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford , but a poor run of form in the second half of the season left City in second place, eight points behind United with only six games left to play. At this point, United suffered their own loss of form, dropping eight points in
10058-492: The third tier of English football for the only time in their history in 1998 . They since regained promotion to the top tier in 2001–02 and have remained a fixture in the Premier League since 2002–03 . Manchester City received considerable financial investment both in playing staff and facilities following its takeover by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan through the Abu Dhabi United Group in August 2008. This started
10165-411: The title, recording 99 points (the second-highest Premier League total ever after Manchester City's 100 in 2017–18 ) to finish 18 points above runners-up City. The Blues then regained the title in 2020–21 and outgunned Liverpool in another closely-fought title race in 2021–22 , to finish with 93 points to Liverpool's 92. The success of the two teams in the 2010s and 2020s has led to the development of
10272-445: The way. This would prove to be the start of a period of unprecedented success for Manchester City under Guardiola. Between the 2017–18 and 2023–24 Premier League seasons, City won six out of possible seven league titles, only finishing second behind Liverpool in the 2019–20 season . Guardiola also guided the Blues to silverware in domestic cup competitions, highlighted by four consecutive League Cup triumphs in 2018– 2021 . During
10379-473: The winner is decided by a penalty shoot-out . Beginning with the 2016–17 season , the competition has been expanded to 58 entrants. All Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs will participate, with the thirty clubs from the Championship , League One and League Two now joined by Under-20 teams from the twelve Premiership clubs. Also participating by invitation will be four teams each from
10486-577: The year of their induction: The following former Manchester City players and managers have been inducted into 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: Last updated: 21 July 2021. Source: list of NFM Hall of Fame inductees The following former Manchester City players have been inducted into
10593-415: 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 present badge (including a ship, based on the City of Manchester coat of arms ), 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. In 1976,
10700-494: Was confirmed to become Manchester City's new manager on 1 February 2016, with the announcement having been made several months before Manuel Pellegrini left his position. Guardiola's first season in Manchester would end trophyless, with the Blues placing third in the league standings, but the following season proved far more successful, as City won the Premier League title with the highest points total in history and broke numerous other club and English league records along
10807-578: Was constructed in 1995 as a joint venture between Edinburgh football club Meadowbank Thistle F.C. and the Livingston Development Corporation (LDC). Part of the deal involved the relocation of Meadowbank Thistle to the town and a name change to Livingston. When the LDC was wound up, ownership of the Stadium was transferred to West Lothian Council . It is hired by Livingston from West Lothian Council every year. Livingston initially rapidly moved up
10914-505: Was first held during the 1990–91 season as the B&;Q Centenary Cup to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Scottish Football League (SFL). It was intended to be a one-off competition but was continued due to its popularity. It was originally contested by SFL (SPFL since 2013) teams below the top level of the Scottish football league system ; select teams from lower levels of
11021-412: Was introduced in 1990 . The sponsor has been able to determine the name of the competition. There have been four sponsors since the competition's formation as well as several name changes within the duration of each sponsorship. The competition relies on revenue earned from sponsorship although it has been able to run without a sponsor over two periods but had to be suspended for one season in 1998–99 as
11128-577: Was not a huge improvement in performance compared to 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 Tevez , and Joleon Lescott . In December 2009, Mark Hughes – who had been hired shortly before
11235-442: Was on loan to the club from Lyon at the time of his death on the field of play while playing for Cameroon in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup . Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. This is a list of City's official club captains , who are currently appointed via a vote of players and staff. Other players ( vice-captains ) have led
11342-580: Was only a temporary respite, and following Reid's departure Manchester City's 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, Peter Swales , club chairman since 1973, was replaced by club legend Francis Lee in February 1994 in a movement supported by fans. Despite this, they endured three years of struggle under Brian Horton and Alan Ball Jr. before being relegated in dramatic fashion in 1996 . After two seasons in
11449-451: Was set in a semi-final match against Falkirk in 2011. The number of competitors has varied in relation to the number of clubs with Scottish Football League membership. The first tournament featured the 28 clubs in the First and Second Divisions which reduced to 26 until 1994 when the league was expanded and restructured into three divisions; increasing the number of eligible clubs to 30. In
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