1999 Playoff Final: The game that saved City

In 1999, Manchester City football club achieved a historic win in the Division Two playoff final against Gillingham at Wembley Stadium.

The victory is regarded as one of the greatest moments in the club’s history and remains etched in the memory of City fans.

I am a huge Manchester City fan, and at 21, the club has been on a constant upward trajectory.

My Dad, Simon, has always told me to be grateful and appreciate what I witness each Saturday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

He often paints the picture to my sister and me about the miserable, dark days the club spent in the third tier of English football.

Aside from the club’s well-known financial boost in 2008, I always pondered how City went from such a low point to now being one of the European elite.

Next year marks the 25th anniversary of the Blues’ 1999 playoff final win. For many around the club, the victory was the true catalyst that sparked life back into the sleeping giant that is Manchester City.

The match was watched by over 76,000 fans at the original Wembley Stadium. Both teams were competing for promotion to Division One, and the stakes were high.

The club had players way beyond the quality of their division and had a stadium built for top-flight football.

The club captain at City, Andy Morrison, was one of the team’s key members and the man who lifted the playoff trophy.

The central defender signed for City from Huddersfield Town at the beginning of the campaign.

Morrison admitted, “If City had millions in the bank, they wouldn’t have bought me!”

Despite his tender fee, Morrison was precisely what the team needed, a natural leader who would give it his all for the cause.

“I led from the front, sort of chest out. I had a room with Kevin Horlock; he was a fantastic character around the place.”

To this day, the former City skipper looks back at his move to the club as “one of the best things that ever happened to me, football-wise.”

Former BBC journalist, radio host and City fan Ian Cheeseman looked back at his expectations going into the season.

“I think the expectations were that City would bounce straight back,” having no idea of the roller coaster they were in for during that campaign.

In the first months of the season, the Manchester club had found themselves in the hot seat of the league as they were adrift from the top of the table.

The season got off to a worrying start. Luckily, the Boys in Blue went on an impressive run post-Boxing Day, with only two defeats.

The fiery form led them to the previous Wembley Stadium, meeting with Gillingham. This was their chance to return to where the club belonged and, for the players, to cement themselves in City folklore forever.

“All the ingredients were there, and it just had to take the path that it did. It was a case of things couldn’t get any worse.”

“At the end of the season, I think only on reflection, do you look back and think of where it could have gone if City hadn’t gone up because financially, the club weren’t strong by any stretch of the imagination.

“The top players like, Nicky Weaver, Jeff and Michael Brown, who played a huge part in getting us out, would have been gone.”

“I don’t think we were aware of it. David Bernstein was the chairman. And again, only in years that followed did you hear people say how difficult it could have been.”

Despite the tough times, the fans stood behind their team, tallying up record attendances in the league, an accolade that still stands today.

“The fans kept the club going.” Broadcaster Cheeseman told me – alluding to the financial concerns that Morrison spoke of.

“They kept giving the players belief, and I think they played a part in getting us back out of the division”.

“It did not surprise me that the City fans stayed loyal because the sense of humour and the togetherness of the particular older school City fan has never been in doubt”.

“Two days before my A-Levels began, I queued for 12 hours to get tickets for the game,” an anonymous City supporter told me.

The same Day bitter rivals Manchester United completed a historic treble, thousands of City fans queued around Maine Road’s terraces for a playoff-final ticket.

“Coming out of the top steps at Wembley Park, the sight of the twin towers and Wembley Way was inspiring.”

“As for the game, unbelievable, unbearable tension, and I had an incredible view of Carl Asaba’s goal hitting the roof of the net and the sinking feeling in my stomach as it went in.”

However, City’s fortunes soon changed when they pulled one back through Kevin Horlock’s long-range effort.

Then, to City fans, the rest is history.

Up stepped or more literally slid, Paul Dickov, on his knees after bagging arguably one the most crucial goals in the club’s lifespan.

“That contrasted with the manic celebrations of Paul Dickov’s equaliser - not being aware of where you were - just screaming. And then obviously winning the penalty shootout and Nicky Weaver’s manic run around Wembley.”

Another City fan, Louise Slater, shared her playoff final tale.

“I think I’ve got a radio commentary recording of that 1999 playoff final somewhere”, read the tweet from Louise in response to my rally call to Blues supporters.

She took me back to when her late partner, Kevin Whelan, went to the final while she stayed home.

“I was on recording duty,” she told me.

“Those were the days when we never won at home, and we never won away!” referencing the well-known Manchester City chant, ‘MCFC OKAY’.

The package included another tape of the historical penalty shootouts, where Nicky Weaver’s heroics secured City’s promotion.

“When it got to penalties, we all thought it would be a disaster.”

“Listening to the commentary is quite funny in retrospect, you know. They said, oh, it’s an amazing day for Gillingham!” of course, before any of City’s last-minute valiant efforts.

“When we equalised and went to the penalty shootout, I thought I'm gonna need another tape! Because I only had one!”

Today, the 1999 playoff victory remains a significant moment in City’s history and is fondly remembered by fans.

The game showcased the fight till the end attitude that defines Manchester City’s footballing ethos.

1075 words.

In memoriam of lifelong City fan Kevin Whelan