The 1971/72 season was the year of 'Lee One Pen' and a campaign in which
City missed out on the Championship by a single point to Brian Clough's
Derby County. Once again injury forced Corrigan to miss the run in:
this time a back injury caused him to miss seven of the last eight
League games. He was back on duty for the very last game, ironically
against the Champions elect and witnessed Rodney Marsh and Francis Lee
give the Blues a 2-0 win. The following season season was the last for
the time being when Corrigan could almost guarantee himself a regular
first team position.
Although youngster Ronnie Healey had begun to press
him hard for the number one jersey, Corrigan once again proved his
worth even though his 38 appearances in all competitions was one less
than 1971/72 and seven less than 1970/71. In October 1973, Keith MacRae
arrived from Motherwell, a signing that restricted Corrigan to 17 games
and forced him to miss the League Cup Final defeat by Wolves some six
months later. After nine games of 1973/74, the injured MacRae was back
to full fitness and the ever-dependable Corrigan was again temporarily
returned to number two duties. He took part in just 16 games of 1974/75,
but as August 1975 loomed into view, Joe, always hugely popular with
the fans, was back in his rightful place. City drew 2-2 with Sheffield
United at Bramall Lane on November 1st 1975. It was the one and only
game of City's 53 that season in which Joe Corrigan was not in goal.
In
March 1976 he was once again a Wembley winner as Dennis Tueart's
spectacular overhead kick clinched the League Cup against Newcastle.
Even though the Blues finished 8th in Division One (the same position as
last time out), City's goals against column was bettered by just two
teams, Liverpool and Queens Park Rangers, and they finished first and
second respectively. In two further FA Cup and nine League Cup matches,
Corrigan was beaten just nine times as his team-mates plundered 31 at
the other end of the field. By now Corrigan was at the height of his
game and his performances had at last come to the attention of then
England boss Don Revie. In the US Bicentennial Tournament in May 1976,
Revie gave goalkeeping debuts to both Arsenal's Jimmy Rimmer and City's
Joe Corrigan in a 3-2 win against Italy in New York.
It was the first of
nine caps for City's custodian, a figure that would surely have been
bettered had it not been for the impressive figures of Peter Shilton and
Ray Clemence waiting in the wings. Of those nine games, Corrigan was to
be on the losing side just once, a 0-1 reversal against Scotland at
Wembley in May 1981. So City began 1976/77 with a fully-fledged
international goalkeeper and embarked on a wonderful season that once
again saw them narrowly miss out on the Championship. This time
Liverpool were the victorious team: again the margin was a solitary
point. Corrigan's contribution was to play in all 42 League and seven
cup ties, keeping 24 clean sheets along the way. (Ian Penney - author of
The Legends of Manchester City)
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