JULY

1 City spend £25,000 on Mansfield striker Jake Speight as pre-season begins.

2 Cheltenham’s long-serving defender Shane Duff becomes the sixth summer capture.

9 Luke Dean breaks his leg in the opening pre-season friendly at Eccleshill.

11 City are stunned to hear the news that Speight is in prison for assault.

13 Norwich midfielder Tom Adeyemi signs for City on a six-month loan.

16 Jake Speight is released from jail after appealing against his sentence.

17 Trialist Lee Morris scores two in a 5-1 win at North Ferriby.

21 Canvey Island inflict the only pre-season defeat.

23 Former striker Gavin Grant is jailed for murder.

31 Stoke youngster Louis Moult joins on a six-month loan.

QUOTES OF NOTE

“It’s ridiculous to say that I wouldn’t play for a club if I was under contract,” JAKE SPEIGHT hits back at Mansfield’s claims that he was refusing to play for them.

“I think he will come back to us more grown up,” Peter Taylor expects an extra-determined Jake Speight to emerge from jail.

“I did worry I’d blown it but it was a weird situation,” JAKE SPEIGHT says sorry to the club following his release.

AUGUST

7 City suffer an opening-day loss at Shrewsbury despite scoring first.

10 The Carling Cup jinx is broken with a battling extra-time win over Championship side Nottingham Forest.

14 The first home league game brings victory over Stevenage but it’s a grim affair.

21 Robbie Threlfall sees red early as the long trip to Torquay ends with nothing.

24 City’s cup run is sunk by an extra-time stunner from Preston winger Keith Treacy.

27 City’s poor league start continues with a dismal home defeat to Southend.

QUOTES OF NOTE

“I’d love to know how the people concerned think it can be beneficial to the team,” PETER TAYLOR lays into the Valley Parade boo-boys.

“There’s no point in smashing the panic button,” Defender SHANE DUFF sees no call for alarm because of City’s disappointing start to the season.

“The better you get, the more things are going to get picked out,” JON McLAUGHLIN takes his manager’s criticism on the chin.

SEPTEMBER

4 City sink to third from bottom after a fourth straight defeat against Port Vale.

11 David Syers notches his first league goal but Stockport hit back for a point.

17 Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie signs a short-term deal.

18 A stoppage-time winner earns City a dramatic home win over Gillingham.

25 City look woeful against a Northampton side still celebrating a cup giant-killing at Anfield.

28 A much better performance blunts free-scoring Rotherham at the Don Valley.

QUOTES OF NOTE

“That’s a load of old rubbish,” PETER TAYLOR hits out at rumours of a rift with joint-chairman Mark Lawn.

“I need that kick up the backside,” STEVE WILLIAMS acknowledges the managerial treatment he gets.

“James probably needs two kicks,” JAMES HANSON receives an even stronger warning from his boss.

“He destroyed me,” LEE HENDRIE won’t forgive Kevin Blackwell after being frozen out at Sheffield United.

“If they don’t improve, I’m going to draw up a transfer list and they’ll all be on it,” PETER TAYLOR issues an ultimatum to the players to buck up fast.

OCTOBER

2 City drop to second bottom and are booed off Valley Parade again.

5 There is no respite in the JPT as City fire another blank at Hartlepool.

9 Leon Osborne’s first-ever goal ends the scoring drought in a win at Barnet.

16 City turn on the style to make it back-to-back wins against Cheltenham.

23 The feelgood factor deflates with a 3-0 defeat at Burton.

30 Five goals and three red cards in an amazing second half as City thrash Oxford.

QUOTES OF NOTE

“It will be a big fight but I’m up for that,” PETER TAYLOR prepares for the scrap to salvage City’s season.

“This group of players is letting him down,” MICHAEL FLYNN says the team deserve the stick and not their manager.

“I looked up and saw the green bibs on the pitch and the gaffer going mad,” LEON OSBORNE’S goal at Barnet sparks wild reaction from the bench.

“It’s very unhealthy,” PETER TAYLOR is unhappy with the speculation surrounding his future.

“It felt like a training session,” DAVID SYERS reckons football is easy when the team are winning.

“He’s a young kid fighting a brain tumour and it really touched everyone,” Omar Daley dedicates his goals to brave youngster Jake Turton.

NOVEMBER

2 Omar Daley is spot-on with a penalty to help City shock high-flying Bury.

6 City exit the FA Cup with all guns blazing in a 4-3 thriller at League One Colchester.

13 Peter Taylor’s return to Wycombe is spoiled by a controversial late goal.

20 Home woe for City as Macclesfield win at Valley Parade again.

23 Jason Price breaks his goal duck to save a point against Accrington.

QUOTES OF NOTE

“This could be our season,” STEVE WILLIAMS senses the tables have turned after another City win.

“It’s mind-blowing,” PETER TAYLOR cannot believe how confidence levels suddenly dropped.

“I was warned that I might not come out of the operation,” SIMON RAMSDEN puts his current injury in perspective by recalling a ‘brush with death’ at Grimsby.

“I class myself as a local lad now,” OMAR DALEY closes in on his fourth year at the club.

DECEMBER

2 Zesh Rehman is stripped of the club captaincy for publicly criticising Taylor on the radio.

11 It’s hard work but City beat Hereford in their first game for 18 days.

14 David Wetherall’s youngsters stun highly-rated Southampton 9-8 in a Youth Cup penalty shoot-out.

20 Zesh Rehman reveals he has signed for Thailand champions Muangthong United.

QUOTES OF NOTE

“The players all know the rules and he broke them,” PETER TAYLOR takes a hardline stance against Zesh Rehman.

“I can handle the pressure of wearing them!” DAVID SYERS christens his new luminous yellow boots with a spectacular winner against Hereford.

“Other clubs out there may not have the strength of the squad we’ve got,” PETER TAYLOR looks on the bright side at the prospect of a glut of rearranged games.

“He’s leaving on good terms and has said he really wants to carry on ringing me up now and then for advice,” PETER TAYLOR says he and Thailand-bound Zesh Rehman parted on good terms.