And this season, in the first game in front of fans at The Den, Millwall fans booed their own players, and visiting Derby, for taking the knee in support of the fight against racism. It was the first of the 21-year-old winger’s 31 City goals, and marked the lift-off point for his fine career. The steward said it was just as bad in there, and she was right,” he said. “But we did move and were behind a family, whose young girl – maybe six to eight – started scratching under her arms and making monkey noises when Shaun Goater came over to our side.

The journalist and his daughter were so upset by the constant racial abuse being dished out to the City players that he asked a steward if they could leave their seats and go to the family stand.

I didn't cry... I only told the truth": The strange and confused day Manchester City signed 'the new Pele' But the drama was not over, and when the referee controversially decided Danny Tiatto had handled the ball, and gave the home side a penalty, City boss Keegan erupted. He wouldn't speak to me about it... and I wouldn't speak to him about it': Micah Richards on the dark side of the game he loves One of those fans was Sean Riley, a City fan who had not missed a game for 12 seasons and was desperate to keep his record intact. He managed to find a way in and continue an unbroken run of loyal support only broken by another fan ban – when he failed to get in to CSKA Moscow in 2014. Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City beats Ryan Green of Millwall to score the winning goal (Image: ALLSPORT)

City chairman David Bernstein also remembers the night well, as he was on the team bus as it made its way through south London, like a stagecoach with a cavalry escort rattling through Apache country. But he was undaunted and, together with wife Jane and two pals, they set about finding a way to see the game they weren't allowed to attend. If the City fans in the ground kept schtum, Radio Manchester reporter Ian Cheeseman, doing live commentary, had no choice but to raise his voice as he described the moment.

I knew a City fan who was a postman in south-east London, so he had the right postcode and was able to go to the ground and buy four over the counter. He sent them up by registered post. It was not going well. The Blues had lost six of their first 20 games and were seven points behind leaders Burnley – and defeat at The Den would have seen Millwall leapfrog them into fourth place, and City plummet to ninth. But what happened that night, as fans racially abused City players Shaun Wright-Phillips, Shaun Goater, Ali Benarbia and Eyal Berjovic, helped to cement the team together and spark a winning run which sent the Blues careering to the Football League title. It was my first goal but it was great to score there because of all the abuse they were giving our lads,” said Wright-Phillips. “So to put one past them, and for us to beat them at The Den was exceptional – it’s just a pity the City fans weren’t there.” The three points belonged to the Blues and, while they narrowly lost their next game, another exhausting trip to south London four days later, to play Crystal Palace, the Millwall result was crucial.

We tried to join in, just to avoid anyone looking at us – in the end we probably over-egged it a bit!” says Sean.A London-based City fan who also managed to get in, along with his 15-year-old daughter and a friend, was appalled at the levels of racist abuse. The first time we scored, there were people turning round and staring at me – some of them with F Troop masks on, trying to intimidate me.” They returned in triumph to the Premier League a year ahead of the vital move to the new City of Manchester stadium, now known as the Etihad.

Shaun Wright-Phillips got his first goal, we got a win, and that was a major result. There were others, of course, after that, but that was probably the turning point for me.” The striker finished neatly, and then set off for the empty away stand, where the City fans should have been.So when City’s team coach – guarded by a strong police presence - made its way through the tight south London streets to the Den, they knew they would not have the comfort of their loud away support. In fact, 30 to 40 City fans HAD managed to find their way into the ground, blending in with the locals, desperate not to miss a match which would prove to be a turning point in the season.