This date also saw the debut of Harry Dowd in goal for Manchester City, and although he would only make the one other appearance that season would go on to make 219 appearances in goal for City and even get on the score sheet in the process. Dowd wasn’t as interested in football early on, and it really was just a job for the local boy who had to be told when they played Arsenal that,‘they’re the ones in red’.
Like today, City have always had a good selection of goalkeepers. Costel Pantilimon last season and Willy Caballero this season have both had to wait to get his chance with Joe Hart in good form and the same was true of Dowd. With Dowd being an understudy to German legend Bert Trautmann he did well to even get a decent run in the side in the 1962-63 season. During that season he would make 27 league appearances and was in all but one of City’s cup games. That season City were relegated and manager McDowell was replaced with George Poyser.
It was in the Second Division when Dowd and Trautmann reversed their roles with Dowd making the majority of the starts and Trautmann just a handful before eventually leaving at the end of the season. On February 8, 1964 Harry Dowd broke his finger and was unable to continue his role between the posts. Back then there were no substitutions allowed in the game so he was forced to play the rest of the game up front. It was from there he scored the equalizing goal.
Dowd would go onto play into 1970, making his last appearance away to Sheffield Wednesday a year after being on the FA Cup winning side of 1969, so eventually Dowd had his medal. At this time a young goalkeeper by the name of Corrigan was making his way and the rest as they say is history.
Harry Dowd died on Tuesday 7th April, 2015 aged 76.
Jason is a Freelance Soccer Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @PACityboy and www.facebook.com/jasonbardwell1979
No comments:
Post a Comment