Blue Moon: Down Among The Dead Men With Manchester City

by Mark Hodkinson

This volume traces a season in the life of Manchester City. Not just any season, but 1998-99, when the club found itself down among the dead men of English football. This once-proud club, with two League Championships and four FA Cups to its name, was forced to battle with the likes of Macclesfield Town, Colchester United, and Wigan Athletic in English football's third flight. With the cooperation of the club itself, Mark Hodkinson was allowed to mingle with players, ex-players, directors, office staff, and fans, to conduct numerous interviews with the people who form the passionate community of Manchester City. Hodkinson was involved in every aspect of the club through a long, stirring season, constantly on the look-out for the unusual, the offbeat, the hopeful and the heartbreaking. Through it all, he sought to remain impartial, and resist the temptation of becoming another facet of the club's PR operation.

Genres: Nonfiction

223 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man City is the English Football Club that I follow. Way back in the 1998-1999 season, City had been relegated to the third tier of English football. This book follows the team, the Club, and the fans through that entire season. Originally commissioned as a weekly column for The Times, the journalist (Mark Hodkinson) took all those stories, compiled them… added some additional commentary… and the result is a yearbook that traces not just the ups and downs of the team, but the passion and fortitude of the fans who identify so strongly with the club. It truly shows how special it is to be a Man City fan… it’s this kind of mentality and attitude, which is why I chose City to be the club I follow. Overall, the ‘98-‘99 season was long and agonizing. I won’t spoil how it finished, but I will say the ending could not be more incredible!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Built around printed articles with shorter match reports, the author adds his own commentary after the season ended. Little anecdotes colour the story which also includes many interviews and profiles of significant Manchester City staff and fans.

It certainly feels odd to read given what the club have become in the decades since the season in question.

[Patrick Tarbox · Rating 4 out of 5]

The standard of books like this have risen so much in recent years (Pep Confidential still being the pinnacle of it) that one’s like this can seem underwhelming but for a book written in 1999 it has tremendous stories and access and flows very well.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, it definitely brought back memories of an interesting season for Manchester City. I was even emotional reading it throughout. :)

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book about City and its fans. A long way from the Etihad...

[Oscar Aparicio pedrosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to all football lovers, and of course city supoorters. Bring back memories about the 98/99 season.