David Wilson (1988/89 UEFA Cup, Man Utd)
Scottish midfielder David Wilson made a handful of appearances for Manchester United during the late 1980s. He was part of the squad when United qualified for the 1988–89 UEFA Cup, yet the lingering ban on English teams meant Wilson had no opportunity to sample European football during his time at Old Trafford. It’s unlikely he would have played, but he was robbed of the chance.
He joined City under Allan Clarke for a month on loan, after making his United debut. He was never coming full time, and after a spell at Bristol Rovers, he moved to Finland.
Gary Crosby (1988/89, 1989/90 UEFA Cup, Nottingham Forest)
Winger Gary Crosby was an emerging talent with Nottingham Forest during their strong late-80s campaigns. Despite the club’s qualification for the UEFA Cup in both 1988–89 and 1989–90, Crosby was unable to take part in either due to UEFA’s extended ban on English sides in the wake of the Heysel tragedy.
He was on the bench for my first-ever game against Hartlepool, but he didn’t make it at City. A spell at Grantham took him to Forest, where he reached the top of the English game.