City's Masonic origins Updated: June 9th, 2008
I came across a fascinating article in Masonic Quarterly magazine, which sheds some light on City’s early history.
The magazine claims that not only were many of City’s founders Freemasons, but they chose pale blue for the home kit because it is a colour closely associated with Masonry.
The article, written in 2002, quotes City’s life president and former director Sidney Rose, who is a member of the Old Mancunians’ Lodge:
“It’s always been my understanding that the real founders of the club became involved in 1894 when there was some sort of financial crisis, and that they were Masons, or certainly had close Masonic links.
“That was why they started playing in pale blue, the colours of Freemasonry. Until that time, the club had always played in red and black.”
The club that became City were founded in 1880 by the daughter of Rev Arthur Connell of St Mark’s Baptist church and were originally known as St Mark’s (West Gorton). After several changes of ground and two name changes the club moved to Hyde Road in 1887 and became Ardwick AFC.
The ground was quickly developed with investment by Chesters Brewery, and Ardwick - now known as the Brewerymen - soon became the biggest club in Manchester.
But in 1894 Ardwick fell into dispute with Hyde Road’s landlord, and the crisis resulted in the formation of a new club, Manchester City Football Club Limited, in April that year.
According to the article, some of City’s most famous players were Freemasons. Goalkeeping legends Frank Swift and Bert Trautmann were both members, as was Tony Book. Swift became a Mason during his playing days, while Trautmann joined a Stockport Lodge after retiring from the game in 1964.
And it was Rose, then a surgeon, who treated Trautmann’s neck injuries after the 1956 Cup final. Contrary to popular myth, Trautmann didn’t actually break his neck. The collision with Birmingham’s Peter Murphy caused the neck bone to fall out of alignment which pinched and crushed several nerves. “People say he had a broken neck, but he would have been paralysed if that happened,” Rose explained.
As well as captain Book, other members of the 1968 championship winning side were either at the time, or later became, Masons. Many of the backroom staff, such as trainer Johnny Hart, are also thought to have had Masonic connections.
Outside left Hughie Murray, who joined City as a 17-year-old apprentice in 1953 and became the Provincial Grand Tyler for the Province of East Lancashire, remembers a strong Masonic connection at the club even before the Mercer era:
“The scout came to sign me and I just remember him being made up that my father, like him, was a Mason. Obviously I was too young to be involved, but I think he was quite happy, as Les McDowall, the manager at the time, was also a Mason.”
“When I was at the club there were people with Masonic connections, but we never talked about it because it was nothing to do with football. Personally, I didn’t join [the Craft] until well after I stopped playing, and if a player was a Mason then that was his business.”
But it was in the boardroom that Masonic influence was strongest. When Sidney Rose joined the board in 1964, five out of the six directors were Masons.
According to Mark Hodkinson’s book Blue Moon, that came to an end in 1972, following a takeover battle organised by former director Chris Muir.
Muir, who described the then board as ‘very old-fashioned, a group of freemasons who has fallen behind the times’, paved the way for Peter Swales to become chairman, although the real power lay with double glazing tycoon Joe Smith.
But the Masonic link continues today. As well as life president Sidney Rose, City have eight honorary presidents. Three of those - Eric Alexander, Tony Book and Michael Horwich - are known to be Masons. It’s unclear whether any of the other five are.
~ According to this explanation at masonicworld.com, blue represents heaven in Masonic symbollism, and pale blue in particular represents prudence and goodness.
The Masonic origins of Manchester CityUpdated: March 3rd, 2007
I came across a fascinating article in Masonic Quarterly magazine, which sheds some light on City’s early history.
The magazine claims that not only were many of City’s founders Freemasons, but they chose pale blue for the home kit because it is a colour closely associated with Masonry.
The article, written in 2002, quotes City’s life president and former director Sidney Rose, who is a member of the Old Mancunians’ Lodge:
“It’s always been my understanding that the real founders of the club became involved in 1894 when there was some sort of financial crisis, and that they were Masons, or certainly had close Masonic links.
“That was why they started playing in pale blue, the colours of Freemasonry. Until that time, the club had always played in red and black.”
The club that became City were founded in 1880 by the daughter of Rev Arthur Connell of St Mark’s Baptist church and were originally known as St Mark’s (West Gorton). After several changes of ground and two name changes the club moved to Hyde Road in 1887 and became Ardwick AFC.
The ground was quickly developed with investment by Chesters Brewery, and Ardwick - now known as the Brewerymen - soon became the biggest club in Manchester.
But in 1894 Ardwick fell into dispute with Hyde Road’s landlord, and the crisis resulted in the formation of a new club, Manchester City Football Club Limited, in April that year.
According to the article, some of City’s most famous players were Freemasons. Goalkeeping legends Frank Swift and Bert Trautmann were both members, as was Tony Book. Swift became a Mason during his playing days, while Trautmann joined a Stockport Lodge after retiring from the game in 1964.
And it was Rose, then a surgeon, who treated Trautmann’s neck injuries after the 1956 Cup final. Contrary to popular myth, Trautmann didn’t actually break his neck. The collision with Birmingham’s Peter Murphy caused the neck bone to fall out of alignment which pinched and crushed several nerves. “People say he had a broken neck, but he would have been paralysed if that happened,” Rose explained.
As well as captain Book, other members of the 1968 championship winning side were either at the time, or later became, Masons. Many of the backroom staff, such as trainer Johnny Hart, are also thought to have had Masonic connections.
Outside left Hughie Murray, who joined City as a 17-year-old apprentice in 1953 and became the Provincial Grand Tyler for the Province of East Lancashire, remembers a strong Masonic connection at the club even before the Mercer era:
“The scout came to sign me and I just remember him being made up that my father, like him, was a Mason. Obviously I was too young to be involved, but I think he was quite happy, as Les McDowall, the manager at the time, was also a Mason.”
“When I was at the club there were people with Masonic connections, but we never talked about it because it was nothing to do with football. Personally, I didn’t join [the Craft] until well after I stopped playing, and if a player was a Mason then that was his business.”
But it was in the boardroom that Masonic influence was strongest. When Sidney Rose joined the board in 1964, five out of the six directors were Masons.
According to Mark Hodkinson’s book Blue Moon, that came to an end in 1972, following a takeover battle organised by former director Chris Muir.
Muir, who described the then board as ‘very old-fashioned, a group of freemasons who has fallen behind the times’, paved the way for Peter Swales to become chairman, although the real power lay with double glazing tycoon Joe Smith.
But the Masonic link continues today. As well as life president Sidney Rose, City have eight honorary presidents. Three of those - Eric Alexander, Tony Book and Michael Horwich - are known to be Masons. It’s unclear whether the other five are.
~ According to this explanation at masonicworld.com, blue represents heaven in Masonic symbollism, and pale blue in particular represents prudence and goodness.
News round-up
The signing of Egyptian striker Amr Zaki appears to be getting closer after The Sun reported he was waiting to arrange a medical on a £2m deal.
But judging from this story in Egypt’s Fil Balad, the situation is far from straightforward.
In February Zaki was signed by Lokomotiv Moscow from Egyptian club Zamarak for €1.7 million (around £1.15m) and given a three-year contract worth €500,000 (£340,000) a year. Due to a dispute over payments, Zaki never played a game for Locomotiv and remains at Zamarak, who appear to still own his registration.
But Locomotiv are now threatening to ban the player if a second instalment on his contract is not paid by Zamarak.
Although he’s Egypt’s leading league and international scorer, it’s still unclear exactly how good he is. David Pleat made this assessment of him in The Guardian while this video comparing him to Wayne Rooney appeared on YouTube a week ago. Though as the clips of him reveal nothing that outstanding, you have to wonder whether the video was put there by his agent.
Away from the playing side, the group attempting to establish a supporter’s trust at City finally got some coverage in the MEN (link).
The readers’ comments that go with that story are also well worth a read, particularly the ‘spot the City PR in disguise‘ game.
~ The MCFC Supporters Trust site can be found here.