Paul Power: Promotion in 1985 helped banish the spectre of Luton '83 | OneFootball

For Paul Power captaining Manchester City to promotion back to Division One 40 years ago today didn’t just give the defender a cause for rejoicing – it also served as a day of Maine Road redemption.

Saturday May 11, 1985 saw Power skipper City to a momentous 5-1 win against Charlton Athletic, in what served as one of the most memorable matches ever to be staged at our iconic former home.

Against a backdrop of a delirious 47,285 full house – with many more thousands unofficially thought to have squeezed into Maine Road – goals from David Phillips (2), Andy May, Jim Melrose and Paul Simpson ushered in the mother of all celebrations.

Victory not only secured third place for City in the old Division Two but also clinched promotion back to the top-flight for the Blues after a two-year absence.

And for Paul, a man who was City through and through, the joy of sealing promotion against the Addicks that magical May day was all the sweeter for what had gone before almost two years to the day previously,

Going into the Charlton blockbuster, captain Power - along with goalkeeper Alex Williams and Steve Kinsey - were the three survivors of the City team that had suffered the trauma of a shattering last-gasp 1-0 home defeat to Luton Town on the final day of the 1982/83 season.

A dramatic 86th minute goal from Raddy Antic saw the Hatters achieve the impossible by both securing their Division One status and, in the process, condemning City to the unthinkable nightmare of relegation out of the topflight.

WATCH: Classic highlights: City 5-1 Charlton – 1985

It served as one of City’s and Maine Road’s darkest days – and for Power – a man for whom City meant so much - the emotional scars of that heart-breaking experience took time to heal.

Reflecting today on that unforgettable afternoon against Charlton, Paul admits that aside from the sheer joy of playing his part in ensuring City secured a ticket back to the big time of Division One; victory and promotion also served to help banish that spectre of Luton ’83.

“Whenever I am asked about that Charlton game, you have to remember we’d had a similar situation in that Luton match two years earlier, which was just as important to try and maintain our first division status,” Paul points out today.

“And we failed in that one, so there was a little bit of anxiety about, with regards to all the pressure with it being the last game of the season and us needing to win.

“Nobody had any physical problems, but the mental and psychological aspects of football are probably sometimes more important than the physical side.

“Everyone was fit and raring to go, but it was sort of in the back of your mind that maybe our defenders might lunge into a tackle that normally we wouldn’t do as psychological difficulties cause players to make mistakes.

“I think that’s how it went in the Luton game, and we were desperate to make sure that it wouldn’t happen again.

“With both the Luton and Charlton games, we had not finished the season well.

“Before the Charlton game we’d lost at Notts County and drawn with Oldham, although we had won the previous two matches before that.

“But when we played Luton, I think we’d won only three out of the previous 20 games, so we weren’t in a good place at all, form-wise and psychologically.

“And against Luton we were fighting against relegation. It was a sort of negative psychologically, whereas against Charlton it was fighting to try and achieve something positive, to get promotion to the first division.

“So probably the whole approach of the team as a group was in a better state going into the Charlton game.

“Both games were at Maine Road and in front of big crowds. And we knew the atmosphere was going to be fantastic for the Charlton match given what was at stake.

“For the Luton game for about 80 odd minutes it was 0-0 and very nervy and tense and then they scored the goal late on and there was no coming back from that.

“Whereas against Charlton, two goals went in early for us from David Phillips and Andy May. That allowed everybody to relax a little bit, it got the crowd on our side and got them to relax as well.

“It just settled everybody down straight away and we were able to go and play our football with no pressure on us and players could do what they were good at.

“We had a lot of young players in the side then, with a real core of young Manchester lads.

“The likes of Alex Williams, Andy May, myself I’m a Manc, Clive Wilson, Steve Kinsey, Paul Simpson was from the Carlisle area but had been with City since being a very young lad.

“So, there was loads of Manchester pride in that squad, all desperate to do well for the City supporters.

“In terms of recruitment, our manager Billy McNeill tended to go for young Scottish players like Jim Melrose, Neil McNab, Gordon Smith and Jim Tolmie.

“So it was a bit Manc City and a little bit Mac City!”

The final whistle sparked scenes of utter jubilation as thousands of delirious City fans swarmed onto the Maine Road pitch to celebrate with the players and drink in the achievement of promotion.

It was no less momentous and memorable for Power and his colleagues – even if their immediate priority at the time was seeking to escape the throng of buoyant Blues and get to the sanctity of the dressing room in one piece!

Reflecting back on the day and the scale of what happened – Paul says the emotion was one of overriding pride in seeing the special connection between all sections of the Club firmly re-established that season.

“At full time for me it was a mixture of both relief and happiness!” Power recalls harking back to that special moment in time.

“Certainly, at the end of the game it was joy because everybody was running on the pitch, and the fans were all trying to hug you or shake your hand.

“It was a joyful occasion.

“It was a totally different feeling to what happened against Luton, a totally different day and connection with the supporters.

“The management, team and supporters were all in it together and enjoying the success. It was such a fantastic occasion.

“The season before we just missed out on promotion and for a club like City to be in the second tier of football wasn’t right

“So, it was do or die with that result against Charlton. It was so important to the Club and to the supporters and the players.

“You feel the frustration, the elation, the devastation. Whatever football supporters feel, you feel it twice as much when you’re involved with the Club.

“So, it was fantastic to enjoy that period afterwards as well.

“It was just a great time to be involved with City and one of my very happiest days with the Club.

“I just can’t believe it was 40 years ago!”