On this day, Manchester City experienced their lowest ever League attendance at Maine Road, with only 8,015 spectators present for their Second Division match against Swindon Town. The match ended in a 2-1 defeat for City, with Mike Summerbee scoring one of Swindon’s goals. Interestingly, Summerbee would later join Manchester City at the start of the following season, contributing significantly to the club’s fortunes. In the 1965/66 season, City won the Second Division title, with Maine Road hosting crowds exceeding 63,000 for cup ties. This marked the beginning of a successful period for the club, which saw them win the League title, FA Cup, League Cup, and European Cup-Winners Cup in subsequent seasons.
9th January 1971
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George Best, the Manchester United star known for his on-field brilliance and off-field antics, made headlines again on this day. Best was due to play in Manchester United’s first League match of the new year against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. However, he missed the train to London, resulting in his absence from the match, which was attended by 53,482 spectators. Instead of heading to Stamford Bridge, Best spent the weekend with Irish actress Sinead Cusack in Islington. This incident followed a disciplinary hearing earlier in the week, where Best had also missed his train, resulting in a suspended playing ban and a £250 fine. For missing the Chelsea match, Best received a two-week club ban.
9th January 1979
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In an unusual incident during an FA Cup Third Round tie, Charlton Athletic players Mick Flanagan and Derek Hales were both sent off for fighting each other. The match was against non-league side Maidstone United, and the altercation between teammates became a notable event in FA Cup history.
9th January 2007
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Liverpool faced Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the League Cup at Anfield, just four days after Arsenal had defeated them 3-1 in an FA Cup tie. Despite both teams making several changes to their line-ups, the match turned out to be a high-scoring affair, with Arsenal emerging victorious with a 6-3 win. This was the first time since the 1929/30 season that Liverpool had conceded six goals in a match at Anfield. Arsenal’s Julio Baptista, on loan from Real Madrid, scored four goals and missed a penalty, becoming the first visiting player to score four goals at Anfield since Dennis Westcott for Wolves in 1946.
The front page of the Sun newspaper on this day featured two different stories about footballers. Manchester United defender Chris Smalling was pictured at a fancy dress party dressed as a suicide bomber, a controversial choice given the tragic prevalence of suicide bombings at the time. Meanwhile, retired German footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger, who had played for Aston Villa, West Ham, and Everton, made headlines by becoming the first footballer to have played in the Premier League to come out as gay. This announcement was significant in an era when such declarations were not straightforward.