Hard to think of it happening now, with much more glamorous and money-spinning concerns on offer to the footballing elite come the summer break. Yet in grey old 1992 at Carlisle United this is exactly what happened, and for one evening Brunton Park had a welcome departure from its status of hosting the poorest football in the land, and welcomed top-flight household names.
City’s campaign in the last season of the old First Division had just come to an end, Peter Reid’s side finishing fifth in the top flight with players such as Niall Quinn, David White, Keith Curle, Steve McMahon, Tony Coton and Adrian Heath.
Not, perhaps, Haaland, Rodri and company in all cases. But still very much players of high significance in the English and in some cases international game. The reason they were Brunton bound in early May 1992 was through an ITV Telethon appeal in aid of disability charities, organised in Cumbria by Border TV.
Peter Reid, left, was Man City's player-boss at the time of their visit to Brunton Park in 1992 (Image: PA)
Player-manager Peter Reid, ahead of the visit, said: “We are delighted to be taking part in the match. I will be bringing a full squad.
“I played against Carlisle for Bolton when I was young, and we agreed to take part, knowing it was such a worthy cause.”
A number of initiatives surrounded the fixture, with Man City’s players booked in to coach a selection of Carlisle school children. A Q&A session on the eve of the match, involving some of the visiting stars plus World Cup referee Neil Midgley, was also arranged at the city’s Swallow Hilltop Hotel.
As a footballing event in itself it was a welcome distraction from the hardship that had gripped Carlisle during 1991/92. The club had been put up for sale amid ever tougher financial times, while on the pitch things had hit a miserable low.
When Aidan McCaffery’s team signed off the Fourth Division campaign with a 4-0 defeat at Scunthorpe United – who were managed by Blues top-flight legend Bill Green – Carlisle finished bottom of the entire heap. They were spared a demise into the Conference by the implosion of Aldershot, as English football also prepared to rearrange itself for the onset of the new Premier League that summer.
United’s stay of execution in 93rd position out of the remaining 93 in the Football League felt temporary given that, late in 1991/92, the idea of employing part-time players at the club had also been floated.
Some of the Manchester City players with Cumbrian schoolkids who took part in training sessions around the charity game (Image: News & Star)
If there was hope, it came from the club’s youth set-up. During the build-up to the charity game, Carlisle confirmed the signings of YTS players Craig Potts and Tony Caig on professional deals. Potts had been involved with the first team on occasions already, while west Cumbrian Caig was regarded as a bright goalkeeping prospect. “Whether they can take the next step and become first-team regulars we will have to wait and see,” said McCaffery.
The wider picture, though, remained concerning, with the Evening News & Star raising the “unthinkable” prospect that Cumbria could “lose the last of its big-time football clubs” in the not-too-distant future.
Into this post-season environment came Manchester City. “The players should go out and enjoy it as an end of season game,” said McCaffery. “They should try and entertain the crowd and score a few goals.” While there was good news on the calibre of player City were set to send, Carlisle were without one or two from their rather thinner ranks; injury had cost Tony Fyfe and Jeff Thorpe, for instance, the chance to face the top-flight guests.
United looked to entice fans to Brunton Park with ticket prices ranging between £2.50 and £6. It was also an exciting prospect for the aspiring young footballers from Carlisle, with one or two future familiar names taking on City in a half-time penalty shoot-out against visiting keeper Martyn Margetson.
England midfielder Steve McMahon, right, puts some local youngsters through their paces (Image: News & Star)
Simon Tucker, the eventual winner, was joined by Gary Thwaites and Ross Broad among the youngsters involved, while a trio from Inglewood School – Mark Boyd, Grant Holt and Brett Swift were also selected to take part by Border TV.
As for the game itself – 2,529 supporters were on the terraces and in the stands to watch McCaffery’s strugglers give a creditable effort against Reid and his illustrious team.
Carlisle's Jason Prins, right, puts United ahead in the charity game against Man City (Image: News & Star)
Carlisle in fact started the game brightly and even took the lead. With a number of United’s up-and-coming players getting outings, one teenager – 17-year-old Jason Prins, from Cockermouth – had a moment to remember when, late in the first 45, he opened the scoring, turning the ball home from close range after Andy Barnsley and John Holliday had helped on a corner.
City, though, dealt with any potential for embarrassment by turning the screw before and after the half-time break. Shortly ahead of the interval the First Division team levelled when Republic of Ireland star Quinn curled a low drive inside the far post and beyond United No1 Kelham O’Hanlon.
In the second half, they pulled clear, and two well-taken goals from frontman Mike Sheron asserted City’s quality. There were late Carlisle outings for such as Caig, other prospects like Potts and Darren Edmondson having started the game, while David Wilkes, whose playing days were largely at an end as he moved further into youth coaching at the club, also got a run-out from the bench in United's 3-1 defeat.
Man City stars including Fitzroy Simpson and Steve McMahon give Cumbrian youngsters some heading practice at Brunton Park (Image: News & Star)
A pitch invasion also met the full-time whistle, an entirely good-natured one it should be said as young fans chased City autographs. A positive occasion it had been, adding to the Telethon coffers in the process, before Man City returned to the rarefied world of the new Premier League, and Carlisle to their daily struggles much lower down.
TEAMS
Carlisle: O'Hanlon (Caig), Walsh (Nevin), Edmondson, Barnsley, Holliday, Thomas (Wilkes), Prins, Armstrong, Walling, Watson, Potts.
Man City: Margetson, Hill (Quigley), Limber, Simpson, Redmond, Vonk, White, Sheron, Quinn, Hughes, McMahon (Edgehill).