The date and time for City’s Carabao Cup third round tie with Watford has now been confirmed.

The Blues will host the Hornets on Tuesday, 24 September with a kick-off of 19:45 (UK).

The match will be sandwiched between two high-profile Premier League clashes.

City take on Arsenal on Sunday 22 September and will be back in action after our Carabao Cup match with a trip to Newcastle United on Saturday 28 September.

The full draw for Round 3 is:

Liverpool v West Ham United

Manchester City v Watford

Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers

Manchester United v Barnsley

Wycombe Wanderers v Aston Villa

Coventry City v Tottenham Hotspur

Walsall v Leicester City

Brentford v Leyton Orient

Blackpool v Sheffield Wednesday

Preston North End v Fulham

Everton v Southampton

Queens Park Rangers v Crystal Palace

Stoke City v Fleetwood Town

Brighton & Hove Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers

AFC Wimbledon v Newcastle United

Chelsea v Barrow

Mike Summerbee: Tony Book was the best signing in City’s glory years

Mike Summerbee says Tony Book was Manchester City’s best signing in the glory years of the late 1960s and early 1970s – and possibly our greatest-ever!

Book, who celebrates his 90th birthday today, is a revered and esteemed figure at City having captained us to four major trophies – the 1968 First Division, the 1969 FA Cup as well as the European Cup Winners Cup and League Cup both in 1970.

Summerbee played alongside Book – often in front of him – in those iconic playing days as City enjoyed a swaggering period of success.

And he hailed Book’s ability on the pitch and his leadership off it, stressing the reliable and durable right-back was the perfect candidate for captain when the role became vacant

The first time I met Tony Book was when I was at Swindon Town and we took on Bath City in a cup tie at Twerton Park,” Summerbee recalled.

“I played against Tony that day and he made quite an impression as he was quite fierce in the tackle and a great competitor.

“I played against him again when we later played Plymouth Argyle and he was impressive because he was fast and determined – not much got past him!

“A year or so later, he joined Manchester City, and I had recently also arrived, too, but Tony fitted in immediately.

“In fact, I’d go as far to say he was the best signing the club made during that era and one of the best of all time.

“We were in the Second Division under Joe Mercer and he was the perfect addition to the team.

“Johnny Crossan was the captain at the time, but when he moved on, Tony was the natural successor to become our captain and was soon nicknamed ‘Skip’ by one and all.

“There were a lot of big characters in the dressing room, but although Tony was a quiet man, he had the respect of everyone and when he spoke, everyone listened.

“He wasn’t afraid to say it like it was, but off the field he was quite shy and wasn’t one for having the spotlight on him.

“He led us to trophy after trophy and was voted the PFA Player of the Year – an award he shared with Dave Mackay if memory serves – and should have played for England.

“I know George Best thought Tony was one of his most difficult opponents and whenever we played United, George was often kept quiet by Tony which was quite a feat given George’s incredible talent.

“I think Tony was 30 when he joined City – Malcolm Allison had to lie to the board and say he was 28 to get the deal through, I believe!”

As Book becomes a nonagenarian today, Summerbee also praised his good friend’s service to City in the years following his retirement from playing in 1974, serving the Blues in a number of roles, including manager where he led us to the 1976 League Cup and youth team boss where he encouraged a talented squad featuring Ian Brightwell, Andy Hinchcliffe, Steve Redmond, David White and Paul Lake to FA Youth Cup glory in 1986.

“Tony would go on and play for eight years for us, before becoming an excellent manager,” added Summerbee.

“He’s fulfilled most roles at the club at one stage or another and always done with great dignity and to the best of his ability.

“Moreover, he’s one of the most respected figures in Manchester City’s history and a great personal friend.

“I’d just like to wish him a very happy 90th birthday – and hope there are many more to come!”

Peter Barnes recalls emotional phone call with Tony Book

Peter Barnes says Tony Book was a hard taskmaster as a manager but showed him a softer side when his famous father died.

Barnes is the son of legendary 1956 FA Cup hero Ken Barnes, who played every game in the run to City’s final victory over Birmingham City 3-1 at Wembley.

Much like Book, Barnes Senior continued his association with the Blues long after he retired from playing after 282 appearances and 19 goals, serving as chief scout for two decades, including during Book’s time at the helm managing both the first team and youth team.

Ken passed away in July 2010, aged 81, and the first person Peter heard from after the sad news of his dad’s passing was Book, who had given Barnes Junior his debut for City more than 35 years earlier.

“Tony is a lovely man as a person, a gentleman, very honest,” Peter said.

“He befriended my dad when he was alive. They’d go on holiday together so they were very close.

“And when I lost my dad in 2010, Tony was the first one to call me up crying on the phone when I’d just come out of Macclesfield General Hospital.

“He called me on the car phone and I just broke down, too.

“To have your boss ring you at such a difficult time meant an awful lot to me.

“He told me: ‘Your dad was a great man, he taught me everything about coaching and meant a lot to me’. To have him break down to me on the phone was very touching.”

Book gave Barnes Junior – a silky-smooth winger who had pace and grace – his debut as a 17-year-old, coming on for City at rivals Manchester United in a League Cup tie in October 1974.

It’s a moment Barnes will never forget as he pays tribute to Book today on his 90th birthday.

“Tony was a massive influence on my career,” he continued.

“I remember coming through the club and I was in the reserves and Tony was captain.

“Not many players played up until the age of 40 but he was so fit that he could – and he was a terrific full-back.

“When I first signed for the club, Joe Mercer was the manager when I was a young apprentice at 15 but Tony was the manager who gave me my debut at 17 when we played Manchester United away in the League Cup game.

“I was on the bench and there was only one sub in those days! I came on for Mike Doyle.

“We got beaten 1-0. Gerry Daly scored a penalty, it was a lucky handball given against Jeff Clarke.

“It was Old Trafford, 55,000+, the noise was incredible, the atmosphere was electric.

“I couldn’t believe when I got the pull from the bench to come on. He looked at me and said ‘come on Pete, get warmed up, you’re coming on’.

“There were about 20 minutes to go. I’ll always remember the noise, your ears felt like they’d burst, it was that loud.

“I went out on the left wing. Mike Summerbee was on the right wing. I think I beat one or two and played Mike through on the edge of the box and he blazed it over the crossbar.

“It was such a great feeling to come on, especially in a derby with so many City fans there to support us that day. Can you think of a bigger game?”

If that was the beginning for Barnes, the pinnacle came in the 1976 League Cup final as Book led City to glory, becoming in the process the first man to win the trophy as both player and manager, as the Blues saw off Newcastle 2-1 with the flying winger scoring the first goal of the day in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley.

“We stayed at Champney’s Health Farm in the week leading up to the final,” Barnes recalled.

“Can you imagine that? Using the trees in the garden as posts.

“But I can remember the coach journey to Wembley. We saw so many blue and white flags and scarves, people driving down on the motorway in their cars and we pulled up at Wembley with those big old gates.

“Helen Turner was there with a scarf around her neck and with the big bell that she used to ring. She was there to give big Joe Corrigan his lucky heather before the game.

“We stayed at Champney’s Health Farm in the week leading up to the final,” Barnes recalled.

“Can you imagine that? Using the trees in the garden as posts.

“Helen Turner was there with a scarf around her neck and with the big bell that she used to ring. She was there to give big Joe Corrigan his lucky heather before the game.

“Tony was the manager, of course. He was a very determined man. He trained us hard. He was a hard taskmaster. But he wanted you to do well – for yourself more than anything.

“He was forthright. He wanted you to play to your strengths. We had a good side then with Dennis Tueart and I on the wings, Colin Bell, Asa Hartford, Gary Owen – a good football team who obviously won the League Cup in 1976 and finished runners-up in the League in 1977 to Liverpool when we really should have won it that year.

“But he was all for playing attacking football. With Dennis and I on the wings, it was a 4-4-2 most weeks or a 4-3-3. He’d say ‘go and play your own game’ and ‘get at them!’.”