Tueart: I signed for City but arrived at United! | OneFootball

City legend Dennis Tueart is the subject of our latest official podcast.

The former England winger enjoyed two wonderful spells with the Blues, making a total of 276 appearances and scoring 109 goals over a nine-year period.

In what is a fascinating interview, Tueart reveals how he was kept in the dark about joining the Blues – and how his poor sense of direction led him first to Old Trafford rather than Maine Road!

“I needed to leave Sunderland, and the club had agreed to let me move on, so I arrived at Roker Park and my team-mate Micky Horswill was also there as well and the club secretary who then asked us both to get in his car,” said Tueart.

“I asked where we were going and he said, ‘I’m not telling you!’ Imagine that!

“So he drove to Wetherby, and we walked into a hotel reception to see Peter Swales, Ron Saunders, Tony Book and Tony Towers.

“It didn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that it was Manchester City that wanted to sign us, so we sat down and talked before agreeing that Micky and I would be signing for City, and Tony Towers would be moving the other way.

“Tony Book asked if I could get over the following day to get started and I told him of course – but also asked for directions to Manchester as I’d never driven there before!

“I had a car but had never been that far, so Tony explained the best route he could and I ended up going across the M62, turning left at the signs for Manchester and eventually ending up at Old Trafford! I had to get new directions!

“I met Ron Saunders later that day and he said he was thinking of playing me on Wednesday.

“I said, ‘OK, who are we playing?’ and he told me it was Manchester United at Maine Road! It was quite an introduction.

“I arrived on the day of the game and went up to the main entrance only to be told by a commissionaire that I couldn’t get in without a ticket!

“I told him I was a player, but he just said I wasn’t getting in without a ticket until a club official came over and explained who I was and that I needed to go in the players’ entrance to the side of the main entrance.

“I got in eventually and prepared for the game. I walked out onto the pitch before kick-off and Maine Road was packed – the match began and as I ran down the left the wing I heard a voice from behind shout, ‘break his bleeping leg!’

“I looked where it had come from and it was Tommy Docherty, the United manager!

“Then, Mike Doyle and Lou Macari squared up to each other, which was pretty normal in a game like that. But the referee – Clive Thomas - who was extra fussy – came over and just said ‘off, off, off!’

“Mike and Lou just sort of laughed it off, but he was serious – he was sending them both off.

“They stood complaining and so the ref took both teams off the field and refused to restart the game until Mike and Lou accepted their dismissal.

“It had been an interesting start to life at City to say the least!”

The full Dennis Tueart podcast will be launched at 18:00 (UK) on CITY+.