The Man City website makes life difficult. Seems you have to be a member and I’m not paying forty quid for membership, to then perhaps visit the Etihad once this season. It makes no economic sense to me, but I’m sure it makes plenty of money for their well oiled (Qatari owned pun intended) corporate machine. So I keep an eye on when tickets will go on general sale in the away end. With an allocation of 6,000, I’m optimistic, and sure enough, I bag a pair within minutes of them going on sale to the hoi polloi over the Xmas period. We’re in the middle tier, level 2, as Man City put the top tier tickets on sale first. Suits us!
By the time the game comes round, it’s a sellout. I’ve not been to too many of them lately, though the front few rows on the top tier in the away end have been covered over, presumably to prevent visitors raining objects on the home fans below. We hop on a train at Slaithwaite, on the Hudds to Manchester line and expect it’ll be rammed, but fortunately there’s enough direct services that it’s empty enough that we get seats for the scenic journey (part of the ale trail...once the weather improves!)
We eschew the hostelries for brunch at Mackie Mayor, a former market hall revamped with various eateries around picnic tables. It’s lovely, close enough to the city centre that it’s not much of a walk, but far enough away that it doesn’t attract the wrong crowd (apart from us). There’s a few footie fans in, both Terriers and ‘Cityzens’ but there’s allsorts here. Cityzens? These marketing types...
It’s maybe the best part of half an hour’s walk to the ground, but a good portion of it is along the canal, and it’s a pleasant enough winter’s day. After mulling outside the Etihad, we head for the away end. Massive queues...but not to worry, they’re not as big as feared, as they’ve put a cordon around the stadium, about 20 yards from the turnstiles. We’re in, and raring to go.
Sadly, KdB is on the bench and it’s all Huddersfield...for the first 10 seconds. Thereafter, it was like watching rugby, as City went from one side to the other, trying to eke the Terriers out from their 11 man defence arched around the penalty area. I have to say, it was starting to get a bit tedious when the ball took a lucky deflection and Foden lashed in the loose ball. The Terriers had held out for 32 minutes and 4 mins later the game was all but over as Grealish miskicked an intended shot and Alvarez poked it home with his studs.
Before the hour, KdB entered the fray to an ovation from the City fans and it was three within a minute as it’s Bobb’s turn to be fortunate, his cross deflecting past the keeper for an own goal. For all their possession, the Gods have smiled on City. However, now KdB is on, he runs the show. He’s here, he’s there…Foden grabs an immaculate 4th from a short corner routine, before KdB assists the 5th for Doku. There’s 74 minutes on the clock but the introduction of random juniors (AKA future superstars) from the City bench slows the pace down somewhat, much to Huddersfield’s relief.
By now, there’s a semblance of an atmosphere too. The away fans have given up the game and are now attempting to bait City into some noise. ‘Where were you when you were s***?’ fabulously retorted with ‘scoring 10 when you were s***’. It was 1987, Manchester City 10 Huddersfield Town. 1. Barnsley played Hudds a week after. Two nil up, ‘we want 10’ rang round the away end. It finished two all.
So, the most boring 5 nil I’ve ever seen, 84% possession for Man City. The magic of the cup. I’ve seen 3 games at the Etihad and Man City have scored seventeen times. Staggering.
The Damage:
£22.50 ent
£4 prog
= £26.50
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