Arrests, pitch invasions and 300 fans thrown out - the day Man City were relegated into the third tier

Talk around the blue side of Manchester just now is of trebles and European glory. Rewind 25 years and it was of relegation to the third tier.

Instead of Real Madrid, City were preparing to face the likes of Macclesfield, Chesterfield and York. A quarter of a century ago this week, the Blues dropped into what was then Division Two. It was the first and only time in the club's history they played below the top two tiers.

The last day was seemingly a relegation shoot-out at Stoke, which ultimately conspired in both teams going down amid a day of drama on the pitch and off it. There were seven goals, multiple match stoppages, chaos in the stands, arrests and 300 fans thrown out. And the final whistle yielded relegation for both teams and tears all round.

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How had it come to this? Well, a dismal 1997-98 season saw City struggle from the off. Any hope of a push for promotion and a return to the Premier League was over before winter closed in. The Blues won just three of their opening 17 First Division fixtures and were embroiled in the battle at the bottom all term. City competed in pretty much every game, but they couldn't find enough wins.

They began the final day in the relegation zone, but even then there was hope of a great escape. City were playing Stoke - one of the two teams below them - and a win there would keep them up unless Portsmouth and Port Vale both won their final-day fixtures away at Bradford and Huddersfield Town respectively. City, who remarkably went down with a goal difference of only minus one (a better tally than every side outside the top nine), would have survived with a draw if one of Vale or Pompey lost.

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