Geoff Thomas may be a Crystal Palace legend but he’s a lifelong Manchester City fan.
In this week’s View from the Visitors, we speak to the former Eagles captain about his support of the Blues, his years playing at Selhurst Park as well as his thoughts on Pep Guardiola’s champions.
How did you come to support City?
It was in the blood, the family blood.
We all lived very close to Maine Road. My gran actually lived in Kippax Street under the shadow of the Main Stand.
We lived across the road. People of a certain age – my age – will remember The Croft next to the old ground and we lived on the street alongside there called Arnside Street.
What were your earliest memories following the Club?
The atmosphere of the place!
Because we lived so close, from a very young age I just remember thousands of people walking past our house going to the game.
Then really being old enough to go on my dad’s shoulders. What they used to do is open the big gates with about 20 minutes to go. My dad used to work on a Saturday so occasionally when he got home in time he’d take me to watch the last 20 minutes.
If the team was doing well, we’d get an easy route in. If they were doing badly, it was quite a task trying to get in.
Can you remember your first game as a fan?
There’s one game that really sticks out. It was the 1969/70 season at home to West Ham.
There was no grass on the pitch whatsoever. I’ve seen the game numerous times on TV in the years since and West Ham won 5-1.
That’s one of the first times I got to watch the full 90 minutes – and what a shocker it was!
It was freezing and a dismal game.
Which City player was your hero growing up?
I don’t even need to think about that one – Colin Bell!
He was just a quiet leader. He didn’t shout. He was just there, breaking up their midfield and then being dominant going forward, too.
He seemed to have everything for someone in that position.
And his fitness levels in the 1960s and 1970s were just amazing.
How would you compare the glory years of the 1960s and 1970s with the modern era under Pep Guardiola?
If I had to pick a Manchester City XI, I’d have include a mixture of players from both eras. (Editor's Note - He does, it's in Saturday's matchday programme!)
I have such fond memories of that team in the 1960s and 1970s.
And because I lived near Platt Fields where they used to train and my mum used to work in the club in one of the bars on matchday, she used to get me to watch the team train or prepare for games at the stadium.
I remember going in the physio room in the week and there was Tony Book and Colin Bell in there and I was in complete awe of them.
I remember asking Franny Lee for his autograph once and I remember it because he said: ‘Not until you wipe your snotty nose’.
I used to wait hours for the players to come out so I could get an ...
