1969 and 1970 remain times that can not be overlooked in the history of Manchester City. The Sky Blues marched onto the pitch of their opponents fearlessly and hungrily, claiming every victory they could with their bold new away strip. The strip grabbed victories at the 1969 FA Cup Final and the 1970 League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup finals, giving the players a firm place among all-time favourites of the fan base.
The vertical stripes of red and black were conceived by one of England’s most flamboyant and intriguing coaches, Malcolm Alexander Allison. ‘Big Mal’ adored the native stripes of Milan, ahich won a couple of trophies for them too, and decided his side would wear that too.
Allison’s panache, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature ironically earned him the legendary title and the players of Manchester City exhibited his art in grand style.
For 35 years before 2011, Manchester City went season after season without a trophy. A great number of City fans donned red and black scarves in a tribute to the late Neil Young, as they watched their side play out a 2-2 draw at Leicester City in the FA Cup’s third round tie. The Cityzens went on to win the trophy that year.
City’s subsequent first Premier League title after 44 years was also complementary to the iconic red and black striped away kit.
Most recently, Pep Guardiola’s side wore a red and black striped top in their warm up for the 2019 FA Cup Final against Watford at Wembley Stadium. A match which ended in a 6-1 victory and subsequently marked City’s 50th anniversary of a win vs Leicester City.
The red and black stripes have proven to be Man City’s good luck charm over the ages. As they go on to hunt for more silverware and possibly grab their first ever UEFA Champions League title, they will march onto opponent turf with their iconic charm.