MANCHESTER UNITED 1 CITY 1
Barclays League Division 1
7th April 1992
Attendance 46,781
Scorers
City Curle(62 pen)
United Giggs(20)
Ref J Worrall
City Coton, Hill, Pointon, Brennan, Vonk, Curle, White, Sheron, Quinn, Simpson, McMahon – Subs I Brightwell(63), Reid(75)
From DAVID WHITE, SHADES OF BLUE By David White with Joanne Lake…My wife ended up being induced at Warrington General Hospital the same day as the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. I remember nervously clock watching as I sat in the maternity ward, my stress levels soaring as the kick off loomed ever closer.
“C’mon White junior” I remember thinking, “your daddy wants to play in the derby”.
Leanne had gone into labour at 9 o-clock in the morning but, having made slow progress, found herself undergoing a traumatic emergency Caesarean section six hours later. At 3.30pm our amazing son Sam was born and, after spending an hour or so gazing down in wonderment at him… I battled through the rush hour traffic to join up with the squad at the Copthorne Hotel. I arrived just in time for a quick cuppa before the coach made the short trip to Old Trafford.
… The match started at a frenetic pace, with 18 year old Ryan Giggs opening the scoring with a low, left footed strike. Shortly afterwards I made a break down the right flank, showing Steve Bruce a clean pair of heels and tempting him into a foul in the box. Keith Curle duly converted the penalty to equalize.
The TV cameras captured me giving Brucey some serious stick, shouting and swearing at him as he lay spreadeagled on the deck. I was bang out of order, and watching the footage afterwards made me cringe with embarrassment. Who on earth was I to hurl abuse at such an honest and honoured professional.
… In the closing minutes I had a golden chance to score the winner and seal my perfect day, but I totally fluffed my lines with a disastrous volley. A City fan gave me grief about it as I boarded te coach after the game, but I just ignored him.
No knobhead’s going to tarnish one of the happiest days of my life, I thought to myself as we headed back to the Copthorne.