MANCHESTER CITY
MEMORABILIA ITEM OF THE WEEK

UNFORTUNATELY THE SCANNER'S NOT BIG ENOUGH!!!

THIS TO THE LEFT IS MOST OF THE FRONT COVER OF THE CITY MAGAZINE "OUT OF THE BLUES".

THIS WAS ISSUE 1 (AUGUST) OF THE MAGAZINE WHICH RAN MONTHLY FOR NINE ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE 1968/69 SEASON.

EACH ISSUE WAS 12 PAGES EXCEPT THE LAST ISSUE (APRIL) WHICH WAS A 20 PAGE SPECIAL DUE TO CITY GETTING TO WEMBLEY.

EACH OF THE MAGAZINES WERE PACKED WITH INTERESTING CITY INFO OF THAT TIME WITH A LETTERS SECTION AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE PLAYING AND BACKROOM STAFF.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURE OPPOSITE IT’S A GREAT PICTURE OF THE CITY PLAYERS BEING PUT THROUGH THEIR PACES.

IT WAS A GREAT INNOVATION BY CITY TO PRODUCE THEIR OWN MAGAZINE AND IT WAS A SHAME THAT IT ONLY LASTED ONE SEASON UNTIL OF COURSE 1995/96 WHEN "CITY MAGAZINE" WAS PRODUCED AND IS STILL RUNNING NOW.

THE OLD ISSUES ARE BECOMING QUITE SCARCE NOW - OF THE NINE ISSUES THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE (NO 2) HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE HARDEST AND IF AVAILABLE WOULD BE PRICED AROUND £10 TO £15 EACH. IT’S A YEAR OR SO NOW SINCE I HAVE COME ACROSS ANY IN COLLECTIONS, BUT A GREAT ADDITION TO ANOTHER PIECE OF CITY HISTORY IF YOU HAVE THE SET OF NINE.

AS AN ADDITION ANOTHER KEEN COLLECTOR OF CITY PROGRAMMES AND MEMORABILIA - DAVE MASEY HAS SOME FURTHER INFO ON THE "OUT OF THE BLUES" MAGAZINE AS DAVE WAS AROUND WHEN THEY CAME OUT UNLIKE ME!! -

"AS A 10 YEAR OLD I LOVED THE MAGAZINE. I WAS PROMPTED TO RE-READ THE MAGAZINES AFTER READING YOUR PIECE AND I WAS SURPRISED HOW WELL IT STANDS UP TODAY." "IT WAS MILES BETTER THAN THE PROGRAMME OF THE DAY AND ANY OTHER CLUB BASED PUBLICATION OF THE ERA".

"UNFORTUNATELY THE CLUB MADE EVERY EFFORT TO KILL IT." "IT WAS BANNED FROM THE GROUND (INCLUDING CAR PARKS AND THE FORECOURT ETC)", TODAYS FANZINES HAVE IT EASY." "IT WAS SOLD IN THE SIDE STREETS OPPOSITE THE OLD SOCIAL CLUB AND IT WAS CONDEMNED BY CLUB OFFICIALS IN THE EVENING NEWS MANY TIMES AS IT WAS "UNOFFICIAL" AND "COULD HIT PROGRAMME SALES".

"I WAS TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE CLUB POLITICS BUT THE MAGAZINE RECEIVED STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE PLAYERS - POSSIBLY DUE TO SOME FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT IN IT". "FOR THE FIRST ISSUE SEVERAL PLAYERS WENT INTO THE STREETS OF MOSS SIDE TO BOOST SALES BEFORE KICK OFF!! - I GOT MY COPY SIGNED BY MIKE DOYLE AND TONY COLEMAN".

"I AM MISSING ONLY ISSUE 8, AS TIME WENT BY THE PLAYERS GAVE LESS VISIBLE SUPPORT AND THE NUMBER OF SHOPS SELLING THE MAGAZINE DIMINISHED, I WAS SURPRISED WHEN ISSUE 9 THE WEMBLEY SPECIAL APPEARED."

- THANKS VERY MUCH DAVE FOR YOUR FURTHER INFO ON THE BACKGROUND OF THE "OUT OF THE BLUES" MAGAZINE, AND IF ANYONE HAS A SPARE ISSUE OF NUMBER 8 OR IS WILLING TO SELL SEND ME A MAIL AND I'LL LET DAVE KNOW.