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Despite already being an England Youth international, Romford-born Steve
MacKenzie was virtually unknown to City supporters when he arrived at
Maine Road on 27th July 1979. Still some four months short of his
eighteenth birthday and yet to play a League game, the fee for this
undoubtedly talented, but as yet unproven, midfielder was £250, 000, a
then record for a teenager. Ironically, MacKenzie's first game for the
Blues was against his former club Crystal Palace, a goalless draw at
Maine Road on August 18th. An injury sustained in the return game in
November restricted his League appearances for the season to just
nineteen. During this time he found the net twice, once in a 2-1 defeat
at Tottenham with his second coming in a 3-0 home win against Coventry.
MacKenzie's time at Maine Road coincided with one of the most turbulent
periods in the club's history, a fact typified by a disastrous FA Cup
defeat at Fourth Division Halifax, although to be fair to the player
himself, injury prevented him (fortunately) from making the trip across
the Pennines.
Under new manager John Bond, City's and MacKenzie's
fortunes improved greatly in the 1980/81 season. Not only did the Blues
League form improve, they also managed to reach the 100th FA Cup Final
and a clash with Tottenham. By the time that first game was played in
May, MacKenzie had established himself in midfield and missed just three
League matches all term. After a 1-1 draw on the Saturday, both sides
met again five days later where the exploits of a certain Ricardo Villa
seemingly forever outshone MacKenzie's superb equalising volley from the
edge of the penalty area. In August that same year, the young man
responsible for scoring one of Wembley's most spectacular FA Cup Final
goals of all time joined West Bromwich Albion for £650, 000, later
playing for Charlton Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday and Shrewsbury Town. (Ian Penney - author of The Legends of Manchester City)
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