Manchester City v Bury 1963/64

CITY 1 BURY 1

League Division 2

8th February 1964

Attendance 14,698

Scorers City Dowd Bury Bell

City Dowd, Betts, Sear, Kennedy, Wood, Oakes, Young, Pardoe, Gray, Kevan, Wagstaffe

Bury Harker, Gallagher, Threlfall, Turner, Bunner, Atherton, Alston, Bell, Yard, Jones, Bartley

The game was memorable for the two goalscorers. Bury gave a debut to a young 17 year old called Colin Bell and 'Nijinsky' as he was to be known to all City fans, scored to put the Shakers 1-0 up. City's custodian Harry Dowd, then broke a finger in a challenge and couldn't continue between the sticks. Blues forward Matt Gray replaced Harry in nets and Harry took up a Centre Forward position. Amazingly Dowd was the hero as he set Derek Kevan up for a shot which hit the bar, and then Harry, using his cat-like reactions pounced on the rebound to force the ball over the line for City's equaliser.

[one_sixth][/one_sixth][five_sixth_last]From COLIN BELL RELUCTANT HERO By Colin Bell with Ian Cheeseman My senior debut, ironically, was against Manchester City at Maine Road, I think City had expected an easy win because we were such a small club compared to them. They didn't have it all their own way though, and I scored the goal that gave us the lead. It was at the North Stand end and I remember being through on goal with just Harry Dowd to beat. City were hoping I was offside but I kept my nerve, rounded Harry and slotted it in from the angle. It gave me a real boost scoring that goal and I lived on it for quite a while. There were no substitutes in those days and Harry damaged his shoulder later in the game. I think he ended up with his arm in a sling but he had to carry on playing. He couldn't stay in goal, so they put him up front as a striker. He caused all sorts of problems, running around all over the place. He caused more panic in our defence than their normal strikers had done, scoring the equaliser, which took the shine off things from my point of view.[/five_sixth_last]