The Blue Moon is covered with tartan! Famous Scots who have achieved legendary status with Man City

It is still almost 4 weeks until Arsenal take on Manchester City at Wembley in the semi final of the FA Cup. The match will be the 16^th and penultimate stop on The Road to Wembley from Scotland. Regular readers will know that it is usually at about this time in the build to the match that I explore the Scottish connections of my ‘new’ team. I have previously reported on Arsenal’s strong links with Bella Caledonia and I can now also state that Manchester City too have a rich Scots heritage. In their ’50 top City players of all time list’ there are 4 Scots listed – namely Dave Ewing, Willie Donnachie, Denis Law and Asa Hartford. Also worthy of special mention is the journeyman player but cult hero Andy Morrison.

Dave Ewing from Perthshire played for City for a full decade between 1952 and 1962 making 279 appearances and scoring one goal. The uncompromising defender was one Scotsman who did not need to wear a ginger wig as he sported a striking shock of red hair.

No ginger wig needed. FA Cup winner red haired Dave Ewing City stalwart in the 50s

Dave was selected mostly at centre half and is remembered for his vocal encouragement to team mates and was regarded as a tough tackler. He played in two FA Cup finals in the mid fifties and claimed an FA Cup winners medal when City beat Birmingham 3-1 in the final best remembered as the final where City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann broke his neck. With no substitutes allowed in those days Trautmann played on and ended up on the winning team! At the end of this playing days Ewing moved into coaching and after being employed as a coach at Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford City and Crystal Palace he was appointed manager of Hibs for the 1970-71 season. His spell at Easter Road was not successful and he returned to his first love, Manchester City, to manage the reserve team. He is credited with overseeing the development of many promising City youngsters who subsequently progressed to the first team. Dave settled in Lancashire and later the ginger haired Ewing owned a hardware store in the appropriately named town Reddish. Dave Ewing sadly passed away in 1999 at the age of 70.

Glaswegian Willie Donnachie served Man City with great distinction throughout the 1970s. He played for City 351 times and the full back scored two goals. In 1976 he helped Man City win the League Cup and this was his only medal while playing for Man City.

Willie Donnachie: Maine Road hero of the seventies

Donnachie was something of a fitness fanatic and his regime helped him to play professional football until the age of 39. After leaving City in 1980 at the age of 29 he had a spell in US soccer with Portland Timbers and then spells with Norwich City and Burnley. Then in 1984 he signed for Oldham Athletic and went on to play for them for the next six years. Donnachie also played 35 times for Scotland and although he had some great games in famous dark blue jersey he is best remembered for scoring a calamitous own goal in a match against Wales. Donnachie is now 65 years old and having worked as a coach for Newcastle United from 2011-14 he has settled in the north east of England.

When I went through the list of the ’50 greatest ever City players’ I was very surprised to find the name of Denis Law. The Lawman was certainly a Rolls-Royce of a footballer but the Aberdonian is much better known for his playing days at Manchester United where he helped the Red Devils win the European Cup in 1968. Law played for Man City as a youngster in the 1960-61 season and then as a veteran in the 1973-74 season. In total he played 68 times for City and scored 30 goals. In between times he played for the great Manchester United team of the 1960s and was part of the Best, Law and Charlton triumvirate. His most famous goal for City was when he scored a cheeky back heel in the final league game of the 73-74 season – against Manchester United. The goal has achieved notoriety because Law refused to celebrate and because the impudent strike was instrumental in confirming Manchester United’s relegation to Division Two.

Oh no I have scored! Denis Law (no 10) scores 'that goal' for City against United

Denis Law to this day still regrets scoring that goal against Manchester United. When interviewed by the Scotsman two years ago he said “I just felt depressed, and that wasn’t like me. After 19 years of trying my hardest to score goals, here was one that I almost wished hadn’t actually gone in. I was inconsolable. I didn’t want it to happen. How long did the feeling last? How long ago was the game? Thirty-odd years. There is your answer. The subject always crops up. It’s one of those things. It’s always there and I am always remembered for it. That’s a shame.”

A distraught Law is consoled by his City team mates after scoring 'that goal'

As well as representing both Manchester clubs Law also played for Scotland on 55 occasions and scored 30 goals for the national team. Still going strong at the age of 77 the Lawman was awarded the CBE last year and this year is to receive the ‘Freedom of the City of Aberdeen’.

Asa Hartford is a Glaswegian former midfielder who built his reputation as a talented youngster with West Bromwich Albion. After making his debut for the Baggies in 1967 he progressed well and his progress was noted by the all conquering Leeds United who moved to sign him in a high profile transfer in November 1971. The deal was all but done when it was discovered during the medical that he had a heart condition that was described at the time as a ‘hole in the heart’. He returned to West Brom where he continued to play at a high level. One night on Match of the Day commentator David Coleman, noted as the inspiration for Colemanballs, blurted “this lad was diagnosed with a hole in the heart but the way he is playing today you can see he is a whole-hearted player!”. Asa’s dream move to a top team did come along eventually when Manchester City signed him in 1974

Scots City legend Asa Hartford: A whole-hearted player!

In his first spell at Maine Road Asa Hartford played 185 times for City scoring 22 goals. He also helped Man City win the League Cup in 1976. In 1979 he moved on to Nottingham Forest and then on to Everton. He returned to Man City in 1981 and played for City for a further 3 years and added another 75 appearances and 7 goals to his tallies. When in his prime Asa was capped by Scotland on 50 occasions scoring 5 goals for the national team. He continued playing into forties turning out for Norwich City, Bolton Wanderers, Stockport County, Oldham Athletic and Shrewsbury in his dotage. An impressively long career for a man with an alleged heart defect. Asa Hartford is now 66 years old and is still gainfully employed in football as he provides scouting services for Norwich City.

My final homage to famous Scots who have worn the sky blue colours is to Andy Morrison. Andy is a favourite of the Scots Man City twitter feed @thegingerwigmcfc. Unlike the other ‘legends’ quoted in this post, highlander Morrison was not capped by Scotland. In fact the rugged defender spent most of his career in the lower echelons of English football.

Good, Mad, Ugly and Fat! Cult hero Andy Morrison

When Man City were languishing in the third tier of English football, Morrison was the captain who steered them back towards respectability. He was the rock at the heart of the defence when Man City were promoted back to the second tier in 1999. His cult status with the City faithful owes much to his determination, will to win and his eccentric aggressive style of play. My beloved Hearts could do with an Andy Morrison in their team right now! Madman Morrison is now 46 years old and is the manager of Welsh Premier League team Connahs Quay. He combines that role with his duties as an official fan ambassador at Manchester City.

There are no doubt other Scots who are fondly remembered by the City fans and I may well update this ‘City Scots’ post later in the blog. For now I need to turn my attention back to trying to get a ticket for the FA Cup semi final between City and Arsenal. I still don’t have a ticket yet. I have a number of feelers out and a number of pals are making enquiries on my behalf. Hence, at this stage, I am still holding off paying out an inflated price to one of the dodgy ticket web sites.

I note also this week that Arsene Wenger continues to attract negative coverage from the media. Despite this the Professor is hanging on in there as manager of Arsenal. This weekend the Gunners take on City in a Premier League match that will also serve as a dress rehearsal for their meeting in the FA Cup semi final. I will be back later in the week with some of the build up to that match and also with an update on the plight of my old pal Arsene. Who knows, I may also have news on a ticket for the semi final when I post later this week. Come back here for more just before the weekend .. and … keep reading.