What Paul Dickov did in 1999 and 2024 proves Man City have never been further ahead of United

The stakes were high as Manchester City fans dutifully travelled down to Wembley on May 30 1999. There was not just a much-needed promotion to win, but they had just put up with four days of jubilant Manchester United fans rubbing in their greatest achievement.

United had won the Champions League final in Barcelona to complete a historic treble, their 13th trophy in seven years. City had been relegated to the third tier and had to go through the play-offs to return to the First Division. When Carl Asaba and Robert Taylor scored in the final ten minutes for Gillingham, the Blues were facing a second successive season in the depths of the football league.

There had been the defeat at York, the trip to Macclesfield as an equal league side, and Walsall had earned automatic promotion ahead of them. Lincoln and Wycombe had beaten the Blues (the latter twice), neighbours Oldham Athletic had won at Maine Road, and a run of three wins in 15 between September and December was the low point.

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But Joe Royle's side had done enough to get to Wembley, beating Wigan in the play-off semi-final. Fans had left in their thousands when Gillingham looked to spoil the party, and then they were scrambling to get back in when Kevin Horlock pulled one back on 90 minutes.

No City fan will need reminding of Paul Dickov's thunderous strike and celebration in the 95th minute, and City would go on to win the penalty shoot-out and earn promotion in the most dramatic of ways. They would get back to the Premier League at the first time of asking in 2000 before another relegation and promotion in a rollercoaster few