Page 33 - Bath City v Hungerford Town - Monday 28 December 2020 - VNLS

THE DAY WE PLAYED MANCHESTER CITY

We not only played them, but we
drew with them, an amazing ten-
goal game that ended 5-5.
The occasion was the Tony
Gough Testimonial Match on 10
May 1969, a mere 51 years
ago. Tony Who? Well may you
ask. Gough was in the second of
his three spells at Twerton, having
just completed 300 games for the Stars in Stripes.
So why the great Manchester City, fresh from winning
the FA Cup against Leicester? Two answers, the first
called Tony Book, the second Malcolm Allison. Both
Gough and Book had been coached at West Twerton
School by Fred Lease, a great teacher. Allison had
cut his teeth as a manager at Twerton in the early
1960s. He believed in training - four times a week for
part-timers. Unheard of! But it worked. After some 400
games for City, Book finally got his league chance
when Allison took him first to Plymouth and then to the
old Man City ground at Maine Road.

from the Popular Side, and secretary of the Supporters
Club in the 1950s.
As for Tony Gough, he scored 2 goals that Saturday
afternoon. It was an odd moment for a testimonial. The
midfield enforcer went on to clock up 505 games and
50 goals for City. And in between playing at Twerton,
he managed to captain Hereford in their famous
victory over Newcastle United. Not a bad career.

I saw him captain Man City to the old First Division title
on the last day of the 1968 season when City won at
Newcastle, while rivals United lost. Imagine the pride
I felt as a Bath boy - our Tony winning the League
and captain too. I made sure all the Geordies I was
standing with knew the significance of that day. Like
our current No 2, Joe Raynes, he was ‘One of Ours’. Tony Book with the FA Cup following the 1969 Wembley victory.
The programme that day in May at Twerton was an
oddity. It cost 2/-, two bob (shillings), or 10p, and
consisted mainly of the official Man City Players’ JOHN PAYNE
Souvenir of the Cup Final. But there was a message
from Bath Mayor, Roy Hiscocks, a lifelong supporter

33