CITY DEFEATS THAT HURT THE MOST

[BLUETIT]

God, that brings back memories, I think Derek Showers scored for us. Still can’t remember how I got there as a 14 year old lad, must have been on the train but not a football special as a crowd of us City fans crossed London after the game and watched Chelsea beat Newcastle 2-0 on the Shed in the afternoon. “The Shed’s Got A Ball” was a chant that a few of us have reminisced over from that day. Charlton battered us and the Valley Slope is an everlasting memory of that Good Friday morning. Where have the years gone eh?

Remember it well Steve

You were taller than most of the 16/17 years olds

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I always remember cruising to victory against the Jack's down the vetch in easter 84 , boiling hot day

Pitch invasion

Crammed in behind the goal

Two early goals by smith and gordan owen

Jack's scored three in second half

I was only a youngster , I was devastated

[Moodybluebird]

FA Cup final. Granted I was 12, I remember having a little cry after it

Everything else has just been like water off a ducks back.

Strangely enough I didn't feel too downhearted at all when Pompey beat us. It felt such a privilege to actually watch my team playing in an FA Cup Final that I never let the defeat get to me. The only time I had pangs of 'what if' was the following day on the bus down to the bay to see the team. The screens were showing Pompey's victory parade and that did get to me a bit

[Hilts]

I always remember cruising to victory against the Jack's down the vetch in easter 84 , boiling hot day

Pitch invasion

Crammed in behind the goal

Two early goals by smith and gordan owen

Jack's scored three in second half

I was only a youngster , I was devastated

Thats the first away game I went to. I was a school kid. Asked my father for some money and announced on the way out i was catching a service bus to Swansea for the football. I cant believe he let me out.

It was absolutely mental all day. Travelling down there and travelling back.

I had such a buzz from the whole day even though I was gutted we lost the whole day was like nothing ive ever experienced before. I loved every minute of it.

I can still see that pitch invasion coming from the opposite end by our fans.

One of the most enjoyable days out ive had.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Thats the first away game I went to. I was a school kid. Asked my father for some money and announced on the way out i was catching a service bus to Swansea for the football. I cant believe he let me out.

It was absolutely mental all day. Travelling down there and travelling back.

I had such a buzz from the whole day even though I was gutted we lost the whole day was like nothing ive ever experienced before. I loved every minute of it.

I can still see that pitch invasion coming from the opposite end by our fans.

One of the most enjoyable days out ive had.

I got the X2 from bridgend

Arrived in swansea about midday lol

Walked through the quadrant centre with my mate , past hundreds of Jacks without a care in the world

Thought this is ok

Then our lot arrived by train and it was world war three

Total bedlam

Then the match started

[cardiff55]

I forgot to add Swansea , New Year's Day 1980 , lost 2-1 and I think Toshack and Giles scored for them.

Mind you there have been plenty of disappointments over my 52 years following City. \not match related but the departures of Toshack, Clark, Gibson, Tony Evans, John Buchanan, Nathan Blake, Peter Whitingham, and Bruno Manga al left me deflated.

And watching YouTube the other day of Dave Jones' team winning 4-3 at Sheff U and comparing to what we are watching this season (and the last few years) disappoints me too.

[insider]

The Luton 82 hurt the most because I was young I've grown a bit immune to it over the years.
But I must say the absolute anger I feel when we don't turn up against the white shite down west is excruciating.
I can't believe the players are not ripping heads off for me 😅😅

[StraightOuttaCanton]

Blackpool obviously because we had the most exciting team in the last 40 years and I think we’d have stayed up, but surprised we haven’t had a mention of Preston away that cost us the playoffs

[Veg1960]

Blackpool obviously because we had the most exciting team in the last 40 years and I think we’d have stayed up, but surprised we haven’t had a mention of Preston away that cost us the playoffs

Blackpool, by a mile.

Came out of the stadium feeling as if I'd been repeatedly kicked in the stomach, and ended up standing in the queue for the train behind Ann** and his merry band of racist idiots. Longest half hour of my life

[Heathblue]

Blackpool at Wembley, play off, hated that one.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

There's a few. Not in any order.

Blackpool - convinced we'd beat them, Jones drops a bollock by having no plan B in case Bothroyd couldn't last the game. Bothroyd was a risk on the day of the game. Etuhu was and never has been a target man. We scored 2 good goals in the first half, had the better of the second half but didn't have a cutting edge. The damage had been done in the first half when we were second best, but got 2 on the break.

Swansea at home when Emnes scored for them. We would have gone top with a win and 9 points clear of the Jacks. We'd won 6 out of 7, including a magical 4-0 win at Elland Road, 3-2 comeback win against the Wurzels and a good 3-1 win over promotion seeking Norwich. Swansea played us off the park, once again enjoying extra numbers in midfield. At one point before the goal Swansea had been camped inside our half for so long We had looked so good until that point in the season but were shocking that afternoon. Maybe the absence of the suspended Jay Bothroyd didn't help, but we were schooled big time that afternoon. That was the first time I thought we wouldn't go up that season. We lost 5 of the next 9 (November, there's a surprise) and never really recovered the situation. Thankfully, a pale imitation of that Swansea side turned up at the Liberty, when Bellamy made amends for missing a couple of chances in that first derby by smashing home a beauty late on.

0-3 against Middlesbrough. That 2010/11 season stuttered along after the Swansea defeat. We rarely showed any of the form of the early months. I recall Barnsley and Millwall getting late equalisers against us, but 16 points from 18 put us in with a chance. QPR had won the league but Norwich and Cardiff had evening games that could decide 2nd place. We went first against Boro. Win and we'd be 2 points clear with pressure on Norwich to get something at Portsmouth. We were 3 down after 21 minutes to a side in the bottom half. Game over early on. Rumours of players being on the piss the night before etc, it was absolutely gutting, but not unexpected. Once Bellamy went off injured in the first leg of the playoffs against Reading, I think there was a sense that the season was over. Dave Jones claimed that season he had the best squad he's ever had at the club. It wasn't. It appeared that Bellamy held things together and it stuttered along like a car with a broken cylinder, but that Boro defeat shattered the season. We'd grown reliant on poor loan signings to fill gaps and the whole Dave Jones project unravelled so rapidly. After the Reading game I tore off my City shirt, ripped it up and threw it in a bin in Canton. It was yet another season that a talented Cardiff side didn't win promotion. The sad thing is that I reckon any of Jones's teams could have done better in the PL than Mackay or Warnock, but it never happened and Jones rightly got sacked. Swansea, to rub salt into the wound, won promotion, and showed they were light years ahead of us.

FA Cup final. Left the game wonder what if Ramsey had started. Portsmouth weren't great. It was a crap game. We gave a reasonable account of ourselves without playing particularly well. I couldn't watch Portsmouth holding the trophy aloft, instead I was in tears in the concourse. The season that brought in Fowler and Hasselbaink and we ended up with Paul Parry as our most important striker. I chose not to go to the League Cup final against Liverpool. I'd done Wembley 3 times and it's a horrible feeling leaving there after you've lost. Even though we lost that on penalties, that ranks among my proudest moments.

I never made it to the Stoke playoff game unfortunately. I had to make do with Phil Suarez on the internet, his voice sadly suffering the effects of terminal lung cancer. That was gutting, simply due to the fantastic run we'd been on, we were invincible going into it, then bang.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Blackpool, by a mile.

Came out of the stadium feeling as if I'd been repeatedly kicked in the stomach, and ended up standing in the queue for the train behind Ann** and his merry band of racist idiots. Longest half hour of my life

Some of his followers are racist as feck , which is ironic given his background

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

The original poster mentions 1968/69 when we went on a terrible run of away results that cost us promotion. Two year later we lost at home to Watford ,0-1, when we were destined to go up and then had to go to Sheffield United and win, we lost 5-1, I think Gill Reece got two of them!

1974/5 drawing at home to Bristol Rovers 2-2, with a late equaliser from Welshman Frankie Prince which basically sent us down.

1981/82 to luton too 2-3 at Home, Andy Dibble's debut.

Other relations too but the Stoke and Blackpool games are up there too.

I also remember being very sad watching our first game in Division 4 in 1986. 0-0 v Rochdale I think.

Hartlepool away 0-0 first game Div4. I was there. Nice pint in Boilermakers club.
Spedger

[jeepster]

There's a few. Not in any order.

Blackpool - convinced we'd beat them, Jones drops a bollock by having no plan B in case Bothroyd couldn't last the game. Bothroyd was a risk on the day of the game. Etuhu was and never has been a target man. We scored 2 good goals in the first half, had the better of the second half but didn't have a cutting edge. The damage had been done in the first half when we were second best, but got 2 on the break.

Swansea at home when Emnes scored for them. We would have gone top with a win and 9 points clear of the Jacks. We'd won 6 out of 7, including a magical 4-0 win at Elland Road, 3-2 comeback win against the Wurzels and a good 3-1 win over promotion seeking Norwich. Swansea played us off the park, once again enjoying extra numbers in midfield. At one point before the goal Swansea had been camped inside our half for so long We had looked so good until that point in the season but were shocking that afternoon. Maybe the absence of the suspended Jay Bothroyd didn't help, but we were schooled big time that afternoon. That was the first time I thought we wouldn't go up that season. We lost 5 of the next 9 (November, there's a surprise) and never really recovered the situation. Thankfully, a pale imitation of that Swansea side turned up at the Liberty, when Bellamy made amends for missing a couple of chances in that first derby by smashing home a beauty late on.

0-3 against Middlesbrough. That 2010/11 season stuttered along after the Swansea defeat. We rarely showed any of the form of the early months. I recall Barnsley and Millwall getting late equalisers against us, but 16 points from 18 put us in with a chance. QPR had won the league but Norwich and Cardiff had evening games that could decide 2nd place. We went first against Boro. Win and we'd be 2 points clear with pressure on Norwich to get something at Portsmouth. We were 3 down after 21 minutes to a side in the bottom half. Game over early on. Rumours of players being on the piss the night before etc, it was absolutely gutting, but not unexpected. Once Bellamy went off injured in the first leg of the playoffs against Reading, I think there was a sense that the season was over. Dave Jones claimed that season he had the best squad he's ever had at the club. It wasn't. It appeared that Bellamy held things together and it stuttered along like a car with a broken cylinder, but that Boro defeat shattered the season. We'd grown reliant on poor loan signings to fill gaps and the whole Dave Jones project unravelled so rapidly. After the Reading game I tore off my City shirt, ripped it up and threw it in a bin in Canton. It was yet another season that a talented Cardiff side didn't win promotion. The sad thing is that I reckon any of Jones's teams could have done better in the PL than Mackay or Warnock, but it never happened and Jones rightly got sacked. Swansea, to rub salt into the wound, won promotion, and showed they were light years ahead of us.

FA Cup final. Left the game wonder what if Ramsey had started. Portsmouth weren't great. It was a crap game. We gave a reasonable account of ourselves without playing particularly well. I couldn't watch Portsmouth holding the trophy aloft, instead I was in tears in the concourse. The season that brought in Fowler and Hasselbaink and we ended up with Paul Parry as our most important striker. I chose not to go to the League Cup final against Liverpool. I'd done Wembley 3 times and it's a horrible feeling leaving there after you've lost. Even though we lost that on penalties, that ranks among my proudest moments.

I never made it to the Stoke playoff game unfortunately. I had to make do with Phil Suarez on the internet, his voice sadly suffering the effects of terminal lung cancer. That was gutting, simply due to the fantastic run we'd been on, we were invincible going into it, then bang.

What you said there was so true,but none more than about Phil Suarez what a top man

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Hartlepool away 0-0 first game Div4. I was there. Nice pint in Boilermakers club.
Spedger

Fighting in the grandstand

Not me , our lot

[Bald Barry Bastad]

Simple. Blackpool playoff final. Nothing else comes close.

[BlueArmy 86]

Carling cup Liverpool. After the pure elation of Ben turners equaliser, the come down I had on the tube was pretty desperate..

[dandywarhol]

Strangely enough I didn't feel too downhearted at all when Pompey beat us. It felt such a privilege to actually watch my team playing in an FA Cup Final that I never let the defeat get to me. The only time I had pangs of 'what if' was the following day on the bus down to the bay to see the team. The screens were showing Pompey's victory parade and that did get to me a bit

Leaving the stadium that day we were a bit down.This kid about 8 turns to his father and says we'll win it next year dad.
If you were that kid hold your hand up now

[Eric the Half a Bee]

What you said there was so true,but none more than about Phil Suarez what a top man

Wish I could have met the guy. Used to love listening to his commentaries. At one point I'd record them from the radio when I was at the games when he was at Real Radio (for a short while). As someone who didn't get to many home games for years due to age and distance, he was one of the reasons I fell in love with our football club.

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

Fighting in the grandstand

Not me , our lot

Correct Sludge. And Boro fans queuing outside for their game v Port Vale as we were leaving.
Spedger

[Former Labour leader]

FA Cup final. Granted I was 12, I remember having a little cry after it

Everything else has just been like water off a ducks back.

The 1925 one? That makes you 107 by my reckoning. Possibly our oldest supporter.
😀

[Former Labour leader]

The original poster mentions 1968/69 when we went on a terrible run of away results that cost us promotion. Two year later we lost at home to Watford ,0-1, when we were destined to go up and then had to go to Sheffield United and win, we lost 5-1, I think Gill Reece got two of them!

1974/5 drawing at home to Bristol Rovers 2-2, with a late equaliser from Welshman Frankie Prince which basically sent us down.

1981/82 to luton too 2-3 at Home, Andy Dibble's debut.

Other relations too but the Stoke and Blackpool games are up there too.

I also remember being very sad watching our first game in Division 4 in 1986. 0-0 v Rochdale I think.

There've been so many but that 5-1 v Sheff stands out. No radio coverage, was phoning from call box on Station Rd Llandaff to get updates. Gutted for days.

[Gofer Blue]

Blackpool was the worst. I remember my heart sinking when Bothroyd went off.

Portsmouth 2nd worst. What sticks in my mind was how quiet the City fans went after they scored. My son and myself continued shouting our encouragement but all around us were fair-weather fans - from the overheard conversations they couldn't name most of our players!

[delmbox]

Blackpool probably, but for sheer numb anguish afterwards, the Wolves game in our promotion season where we missed 2 pens in injury time will stay with me forever. I've never been in a stand filled with such disbelieving silence than I have at the end of that game, it looked like everybody had their hands on their heads.

[Moodybluebird]

There've been so many but that 5-1 v Sheff stands out. No radio coverage, was phoning from call box on Station Rd Llandaff to get updates. Gutted for days.

Yes that one really hurt. The crazy thing was they got promoted to the First Division, we drew them away in the FA Cup the following season and beat them 3-1. There was no fielding weakened teams at that time. The Cup really meant something to all those taking part, which made the result the previous season even more mystifying.