Rome Wasn't Built in a Day, Chapter 17; Bad Practices Elsewhere

From Manchester City & Shinawatra to Bury & Dale, as we near the present day in our story of football in England.

17. Bad practices elsewhere

Manchester City had a difficult time of things throughout the first decade and a half following the formation of the Premier League. Two relegations during the 1980s had tested the patience of supporters with the chairmanship of Peter Swales, and there was considerable celebration when he was finally removed from his position in 1994 thanks to a takeover headed by former City legend turned businessman Francis Lee, following a sustained campaign to remove him. But things didn’t work out well. By 1998 the club was on the brink of relegation to the third tier - they’d fallen from the Premier League two years earlier - and Lee was gone. Under David Bernstein, the club was back in the Premier League in 2000.

Bernstein left in 2003, but the changes put in place by the outgoing chairman would come to significantly benefit the club. The City of Manchester Stadium had been built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the city, and after that had ended it was converted from a 38,000 capacity arena to a 48,000 seat football stadium at a cost to the city council of £22m and to Manchester City of £20m. The club moved into its new home more or less just as Bernstein was making his exit from the club. This didn’t bring any immediate rewards. City finished their first season in their new home in 16th place in the Premier League, just eight points above the relegation places.