The 1965–66 season was Manchester City F.C.'s seventy-fourth season of league football, and second consecutive season back in the Football League Second Division. The three-season stay in the Second Division was City's longest run of seasons outside the top flight since the 1890s, which would not be broken again until their four-season run from 1996 to 2000.
This season is widely believed to have been the start of Manchester City's golden era, a period largely concurrent with the reign of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison as managers at the club, and then of the aftermath of the break-up of the partnership. This season began City's highest concentration of silverware to seasons played - winning the Second Division for a record sixth time in this season, the club would claim the Football League First Division title, the FA Cup, the Football League Cup twice, the Charity Shield twice, and in European competition the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup all within the space of the ten seasons following.
This season also saw the club sign several players who would become iconic figures in Manchester City's history - Mike Summerbee, George Heslop, and Colin Bell were all signed near the start of the season. Not coincidentally, the season and the seasons following also saw the presence of some of the club's longest-serving players. Four of the club's ten players with the most appearances for the club played during this season - Bell, Summerbee, Alan Oakes, and Mike Doyle - and a further three of those ten - Joe Corrigan, Tommy Booth and Willie Donachie - would join within the following three seasons.
Team Kit
Football League Second Division
Results summary
Reports
DateOpponentsH / AVenueResult F – AScorersAttendance 21 August 1965 Middlesbrough A Ayresome Park 1 – 1 Murray 17,982 25 August 1965 Wolverhampton Wanderers H Maine Road 2 – 1 ? (o.g.) (2) 25,572 28 August 1965 Bristol City H Maine Road 2 – 2 Brand, ? (o.g.) 19,349 30 August 1965 Wolverhampton Wanderers A Molineux 4 – 2 Doyle, Crossan, Murray, ? (o.g.) 22,799 4 September 1965 Coventry City A Highfield Road 3 – 3 Young (2), Murray 29,403 8 September 1965 Norwich City H Maine Road Abandoned at half-timedue to flooding1 – 1 Young 13,235 11 September 1965 Carlisle United H Maine Road 2 – 1 Pardoe (2) 22,891 15 September 1965 Norwich City A Carrow Road 3 – 3 Pardoe (2), Crossan 16,381 18 September 1965 Cardiff City A Ninian Park 3 – 4 Murray, Pardoe, Gray 11,520 25 September 1965 Derby County H Maine Road 1 – 0 Murray 20,834 2 October 1965 Southampton A The Dell 1 – 0 Young 21,504 9 October 1965 Huddersfield Town A Leeds Road 0 – 0 31,876 16 October 1965 Crystal Palace H Maine Road 3 – 1 Pardoe (2), Young 24,765 23 October 1965 Preston North End A Deepdale 3 – 0 Young (2), Brand 25,117 27 October 1965 Norwich City H Maine Road 0 – 0 34,091 30 October 1965 Charlton Athletic H Maine Road 0 – 0 23,102 6 November 1965 Plymouth Argyle A Home Park 0 – 1 15,954 13 November 1965 Portsmouth H Maine Road 3 – 1 Murray (2), Pardoe 22,106 20 November 1965 Bolton Wanderers A Burnden Park 0 – 1 22,968 27 November 1965 Ipswich Town H Maine Road 2 – 1 Crossan (2) 19,416 4 December 1965 Birmingham City A St Andrews 1 – 3 Summerbee 10,442 11 December 1965 Leyton Orient H Maine Road 5 – 0 Young (3), Summerbee, Crossan 16,202 18 December 1965 Crystal Palace A Selhurst Park 2 – 0 Doyle (2) 12,847 1 January 1966 Huddersfield Town H Maine Road 2 – 0 Doyle, Crossan 47,171 8 January 1966 Portsmouth A Fratton Park 2 – 2 Doyle, Summerbee 17,352 12 January 1966 Rotherham United H Maine Road 3 – 1 Doyle (2), Crossan 25,526 15 January 1966 Preston North End H Maine Road 0 – 0 26,668 29 January 1966 Middlesbrough H Maine Road 3 – 1 Summerbee (2), Young 25,278 5 February 1966 Bristol City A Ashton Gate 1 – 1 Young 25,273 19 February 1966 Coventry City H Maine Road 1 – 0 Crossan 40,190 26 February 1966 Carlisle United A Brunton Park 2 – 1 Summerbee, Pardoe 9,000 12 March 1966 Cardiff City H Maine Road 2 – 2 Connor, Young 29,642 19 March 1966 Derby County A Baseball Ground 2 – 1 Bell, Young 22,533 2 April 1966 Plymouth Argyle H Maine Road 1 – 1 Crossan 24,087 8 April 1966 Bury H Maine Road 1 – 0 Summerbee 43,104 12 April 1966 Bury A Gigg Lane 1 – 2 Summerbee 21,437 16 April 1966 Bolton Wanderers H Maine Road 4 – 1 Kennedy, Sear, Crossan, Connor 29,459 23 April 1966 Ipswich Town A Portman Road 1 – 1 Crossan 15,995 30 April 1966 Birmingham City H Maine Road 3 – 1 Bell, Young, Crossan 28,409 4 May 1966 Rotherham United A Millmoor 1 – 0 Bell 11,376 7 May 1966 Leyton Orient A Brisbane Road 2 – 2 Bell, ? (o.g.) 6,109 13 May 1966 Charlton Athletic A The Valley 3 – 2 Oakes, Crossan, Connor 13,687 18 May 1966 Southampton H Maine Road 0 – 0 34,653
FA Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AVenueResult F – AScorersAttendance 22 January 1966 Third round Blackpool A Bloomfield Road 1 – 1 Crossan 23,937 24 January 1966 Third round replay Blackpool H Maine Road 3 – 1 Summerbee, Doyle, Crossan 52,661 12 February 1966 Fourth round Grimsby Town H Maine Road 2 – 0 Summerbee, ? (o.g.) 37,918 5 March 1966 Fifth round Leicester City H Maine Road 2 – 2 Young (2) 56,787 9 March 1966 Fifth round replay Leicester City A Filbert Street 1 – 0 Young 41,872 26 March 1966 Sixth round Everton H Maine Road 0 – 0 63,034 29 March 1966 Sixth round replay Everton A Goodison Park 0 – 0 60,349 4 April 1966 Sixth round second replay Everton N Molineux 0 – 2 27,948
League Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AVenueResult F – AScorersAttendance 22 September 1965 Second round Leicester City H Maine Road 3 – 1 Murray, Pardoe, ? (o.g.) 13,246 13 October 1965 Third round Coventry City H Maine Road 2 – 3 Crossan, Pardoe 18,213
Squad statistics
Squad Appearances for competitive matches only Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Harry Dowd38 (0) 0801047 (0)0GK Alan Ogley4 (0)000105 (0)0DF Dave Bacuzzi15 (1)0000015 (1)0DF David Connor29 (1)4800037 (1)4DF Mike Doyle19 (1)7710026 (1)8DF George Heslop34 (0)0801043 (0)0DF Glyn Pardoe41 (1)9802251 (1)11DF Cliff Sear19 (0)1302024 (0)1MF Colin Bell11 (0)4000011 (0)4MF Roy Cheetham12 (3)0201015 (3)0MF Stan Horne15 (0)0501021 (0)0MF Bobby Kennedy35 (0)1802045 (0)1MF Alan Oakes41 (0)1802051 (0)1FW Ralph Brand17 (0)2001018 (0)2FW Johnny Crossan40 (0)12821149 (0)15FW Matt Gray3 (3)100104 (3)1FW Jimmy Murray11 (0)7001112 (0)8FW Mike Summerbee42 (0)8822052 (0)10FW Alf Wood1 (1)000102 (1)0FW Neil Young35 (0)14732044 (0)17-- Vic Gomersall1 (0)000001 (0)0
Scorers
All ScorerGoals Neil Young17 Johnny Crossan15 Glyn Pardoe11 Mike Summerbee10 Mike Doyle8 Jimmy Murray Colin Bell4 David Connor Ralph Brand2 Matt Gray1 Bobby Kennedy Alan Oakes Cliff Sear
League ScorerGoals Neil Young14 Johnny Crossan12 Glyn Pardoe9 Mike Summerbee8 Mike Doyle7 Jimmy Murray Colin Bell4 David Connor Ralph Brand2 Matt Gray1 Bobby Kennedy Alan Oakes Cliff Sear
FA Cup ScorerGoals Neil Young3 Johnny Crossan2 Mike Summerbee Mike Doyle1
League Cup ScorerGoals Glyn Pardoe2 Johnny Crossan1 Jimmy Murray
Transfers
In Date Pos. Name From Fee August 1965 FW Ralph Brand Rangers £20,000 August 1965 FW Mike Summerbee Swindon Town £35,000 September 1965 DF George Heslop Everton £25,000 March 1966 MF Colin Bell Bury £42,500
Out Date Pos. Name From Fee August 1965 FW Derek Kevan Crystal Palace £22,000
See also Manchester City F.C. seasons
References
External links Extensive Manchester City statistics site