Wednesday, 9 September 2026

Golden goals: Ian Brightwell (1990)

"I just wellied it." Sometimes you can over complicate football. But in February 1990, Manchester City's Ian Brightwell told it how it was. As the ball rolled towards the midfielder in the 74th minute of a passionate Manchester derby there was only one thing on the mind of the 21-year-old. Just welly it.

Brightwell's goal meant so much on so many levels. A City supporter as a child, here was a product of the club's successful youth system scoring an equaliser at the home of their local rivals. But the importance of the goal stretched beyond this. Brightwell's moment resulted in City gaining a vital point in their relegation battle. Deliciously for City's fans, it also left United firmly in the mire