20 YEARS AGO

--HISTORY--

“MANCHESTER CITY: DUA PULUH TAHUN LALU”

Sebelum semuanya seperti sekarang, kami mengingat apa yang terjadi sekitar 20 tahun silam.

(mancitysquare)

Mungkin sebagian fans mengenal Manchester City sejak pengambil-alihan konsorsium Abu Dhabi, perekrutan mahal, kompetisi tertinggi Eropa, dan papan atas klasemen. Mari mengingat sebentar, dan silahkan terkejut.

Musim 2005/2006 dibawah Stuart Pearce, City memang berhasil lolos dari relegasi, setelah sebelumnya terjun bebas. Hanya meraih 5 kemenangan dari Natal ke pekan akhir kompetisi ternyata tidaklah cukup untuk menghindari penurunan ke divisi dibawahnya, ataupun menyelamatkan karir mantan defender timnas Inggris tersebut.

Selain musim 2004/05 dan 2002/03 City tidak pernah finish di 10 besar klasemen akhir. Kecuali di era awal Premier League 1992/93.

Bagi kebanyakan fans City saat itu, mereka berharap bisa mengamankan lagi tempat di Liga musim berikutnya. Terkadang mudah, terkandg butuh lebih banyak perjuangan. Kegetiran yang hanya dirasakan fans lama yang lebih tua.

Sama seperti saat ayah sayamenceritakan bahagianya memenangkan Piala Liga di era 1960’an dan 70’an. Sedangkan di era 1990’an dan awal 2000’an kami akrab dengan zona relegasi.

Kembali ke masa sulit 20 tahun lalu. Memenangkan lawatan ke Stoke City 5-2 tampaknya belum cukup mengamankan City dari relegasi. Kesulitan dari bertahan untuk tetap bertahan, bahkan bukan di kasta tertinggi Liga Inggris!

Mendekati akhir musim City bahkan mengganti pelatih Frank Clark dengan Joe Royle, namun kesulitan gagal dilewati. Pada akhir musim Uwe Rosler dan Georgi Kinkladze meninggalkan Klub. Mirip seperti situasi yang dihadapi Sunderland sekarang, klub ini butuh untuk segera bangkit.

Kekuatan finansial City saat itu bahkan pas-pasan untuk satu musim saja. Ini juga kali pertama City mengguanakan logo klub burung elang. Yang jelas sejarah mencatat kami memang berhasil kembali selamat musim berikutnya, tapi itu tidaklah mudah.

Saya bertanya pada Jim Whitley, gelandang yang membela City saat itu. Tidak ada yang menjamin City kembali. Kerja keras, kebersamaan, adalah hal yang paling dibutuhkan. Akhir musim itu City pertama kali turun sepanjang sejarah ke Divisi ketiga.

(ENGLISH)

With the season Manchester City are having, it is hard to believe it hasn’t always been like this. Fans who have only known the club since the takeover, will only know big money signings, European football and being at the top half of the table. Head back a little further though, and they would be in for a shock.

2005/06, under Stuart Pearce, City did just avoid relegation, despite being in free fall. Only five  wins from Christmas to the final game wasn’t enough to see us drop down a division, nor was it enough to see the ex England defender lose his job!

That was because even that was an improvement on previous seasons. Other than 2004/05 and 2002/03, Manchester City had never finished in the top ten of the Premier League. Well, except the inaugural EPL season of 1992/93.

Certainly, for most City fans, the pre season hopes were that the side would secure their Premier League safety for another season. Some seasons that was done with ease, while others took a little longer. It is an alien feeling for some of the younger fans, who only know of it through older family members.

I suppose it is similar to my Father telling me of the cup wins and League wins of the 1960’s and 70’s. Certainly in the 1990’s and early 2000’s that was as alien to me as relegation must be to the new breed of blues.

With that in mind I’m not sure what they’d make of the events of 20 years ago on this day. Heading to Stoke City in the final game of the season, a 5-2 win wasn’t enough to save the Cityzens from relegation. Not from the Premier League to the second tier, but second to third!

Frank Clark had been replaced by Joe Royle, but he couldn’t stop the rot. At the end of the season, Uwe Rosler and Georgi Kinkladze left the club. Much like the situation Sunderland now find themselves in, City too needed to bounce straight back.

Finances meant that not much more than a season could be endured by the club. It was also the first season of the Eagle badge. Not sure if that had anything to do with it. Of course, history will show that we did make it back at the first attempt, but it wasn’t easy.

Recently I spoke to Jim Whitley, who was at the club at the time. There was no promise that the Blues would be automatically back. Hard work, and team work, was needed.

♣♦JONI KEMPET♥♠