Newsletter #73

Well, it seems an eternity since our last game, a feeling no doubt reinforced by having to wait idly by whilst the relegation battle carries on without our participation. There have been some favourable results over the last 10 days but we really have to make a contribution ourselves if we want to escape the dreaded drop. Unfortunately, Tottenham, fresh out of a disappointing defeat, are not the most appetising of opponents. After today, it’s the Liverpool game on Friday followed by Blackburn on Monday so a happy Easter seems somewhat unlikely. Of course, City being City we might just be treated to something out of the ordinary.

There’s a few more hints on City’s financial plight and some discussion on how things could turn out in respect of Gaudino. If he goes then Lee really has to find money for a quality midfielder over the Summer if we are to make some sort of headway next season. Some have suggested he looks for other boardroom partners who are willing to sink some cash into the club and it certainly has its attractions as far as I’m concerned.

Please note that people attending the match today are trying to meet up in the Railway Tavern where members of the Spurs List will also be having a pint. Shaggy of the Palace list has suggested (in RSS) that opposition fans meeting up like this is a good way of demonstrating that the vast majority of football fans can get along and at the same time, it will be doing something to refute the media hype which would have everyone believe that we are all like the morons who were responsible for this weekend’s tragic news. If you can make it, go along and say hello.

Don’t forget the Player of the Year and Manager votes as well as to take a look at the MCIVTA T-shirts on the WWW page. Send email to Svenn Hanssen (svenn@hanssen.priv.no) to vote or with T-shirt designs.

Next game Tottenham Hotspur away, Tuesday 11th April 1995.

NEWS – VARIOUS

Firstly it was mentioned that City might face stiff competition in completing the signing of Gaudino from Leeds United. They are prepared to offer him the wages he wants (12K a week), because they see the transfer fee of 1.2 M as a bargain. Also in their favour would be re-uniting him with former Frankfurt teammate Yeboah. Also they stand on the edge of the UEFA cup places and could therefore offer him the chance to play in Europe again. So what chance do City have of completing the signing of Gaudino? If City had wanted him they should have signed him as soon as possible before the transfer deadline.

Also it became apparent that City are still paying Peter Reid although they sacked him 18 (?) months ago. As part of his severance package the club agreed to pay the remainder of his contract. So he’s earning 2k a week from City whilst being in the pay of Sunderland as their manager. City will continue to pay him until sometime in 1996, not bad for a sacked manager.

Now comes some depressing news. Tonight’s Evening News revealed that Peter Beagrie has been playing the last four months with a fractured shin. The fracture has almost healed itself but City have decided that Beagrie will not play against Spurs tomorrow. However, City haven’t ruled him out for the rest of the season. The injury only came to light when Beagrie complained of pains in his leg; the resulting x-ray revealed the fracture just below his knee. Now I’m glad he hasn’t scored too many goals; who knows, a Beagrie backflip could have broken his leg.

So with Beagrie out tomorrow and Ian Brightwell suffering with his hernia problem, City will be without two of their most influential players. What chance survival now?

NEWS – INJURIES ETC

Phelan has a swollen ankle and may not play tomorrow. However, in a radio interview he was “buzzing” and sounded eager to play.

Beagrie has had a hairline fracture in his leg since Christmas which has nearly healed now; he’s not expected to play against Spurs but should be OK for Liverpool.

In the wake of speculation that Leeds are interested in Gaudino, Francis Lee has said that he will do “everything in his power” to keep Dino at City.

John Deehan has stepped down as Norwich manager, Gary Megson taking over for now.

NEWS – PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Here’s the run-down of the PFA Player of the Year awards. It’s quite heartening to see that there isn’t a rag player in the top three of either Player of the Year or Young Player of the Year (why am I so bigoted to be happy about that ;-)) )

PFA Player of the Year Award

1. Alan Shearer
2. Matthew Le Tissier
3. Jürgen Klinsmann

PFA Young Player of the Year Award

1. Robbie Fowler
2. Nick Barmby
3. Chris Sutton

TEAM NEWS

BH is awaiting fitness tests before naming his team for tonight’s game against Spurs. He’s already resigned to losing Beagrie due to his shin fracture; TC (knee), Flitcroft (Foot injury) and Walsh (neck strain) will all play with their respective injuries, whilst Phelan (ankle) and Curle (back strain) will only play if they can overcome their injuries. So City could be facing Spurs with half the team carrying injuries. Hill and Edghill are pencilled in to replace either Curle or Phelan. So BH can pick his team from:

Coton, Foster, Edghill, Curle, Vonk, Kernaghan, Phelan, Summerbee, Gaudino, Flitcroft, Hill, Walsh, Rosler, Quinn, David Brightwell, Burridge

SPURS GAME

Tuesday 11 April. Anyone going, try to meet in The Railway, near White Hart Lane Station (turn left out of the station and it’s 20 yards on the left), around 7 O’Clock.

COMMENT & MEMORIES – HORTON AND LEE

I reckon BH should stay; the fella’s done well on his limited budget and made some pretty smart purchases (even if he hasn’t got Dino yet). I reckon Dino has delayed signing to see whether we stay in the top flight or not so as not to jeapordise his national squad place? Although other clubs have shown interest he hopefully will stay in the Moss. He has Uwe there and Yeboah only 60 miles across the Pennines, plus he shines at Maine Road and the fans love him.

I’m quite ashamed (also proud) to admit that I went to my first game for years a few weeks back against Chelsea at Maine Road. Being a born and bread Manc and being born in Longsight it is pretty shameful that I haven’t been for so long, the John Bond era actually, when I used to walk down to Maine Road with my buddy Lee who was a nutty ‘keeper and used to drag me into Alexander Sports to look at goalie gloves. We used to walk to reserve games but one match I remember with great joy was the demolition of Norwich and we were in the Kippax. I think it was 3-1 to us and Lee sugggested we go as the game was over and we could avoid the rush. We started walking up what looked like a bit of a stairway and halfway up heard this roar and thought oh sh** as City fans went mad all around us; we got bashed black and blue as we were only twelve at the time. We finally got outside only to hear another roar as we put another in. That evening on Match of the Day I saw myself on the wall in the corner which separated the Kippax and Platt Lane half way up waving each time we got a corner and I also remember the commentator saying the City fans were getting a bit carried away as we sang “We’re on our way to Wemberley”. That year we did get to Wembley, 1981, probably one of the most exciting finals ever. I watched it on TV and cried my eyes out when we lost the replay as I really thought we had it won. That was the year I had something to shout about and the next time was the Maine Road Massacre which I daren’t mention to my red mates in Manchester.

I’m still proud to be a Blue but wish we had something else to shout about rather than the worn out “We’re the only team in Manchester” and “Old Trafford Borough Un****”. We should keep BH and see if Franny does come up with the readies and see what he is capable of then?

While at Maine Road the other week we got there just as the team was running out onto the pitch with their names being read over the tannoy and the crowd cheering after each one. My mate and I entered the ground at pitch level of the Main stand, right near the players; what a buzz – I had goose bumps all over my body as the Kippax looked down on me. We had great seats in the Grandstand courtesy of Freddie Pye (as my mate used to work for him) just outside the sectioned-off box where Frannie and his chums sit. We went one up and I jumped up like a madman and once I had regained my composure, realised I wasn’t the only one. City really should have finished them with some great footballing moves but as we know, Chelsea took all six points. As the second of Chelsea’s went in, some plonker murmured “Horton out” and some bloke sat next to us jumped up and shouted “That little fat B****** wants to spend some money” and although I wouldn’t put it as bluntly as that as Frannie was in hearing distance, the youth had a very good point. There was a nasty, nervous atmosphere at the end of the match which could cut with a knife although it was nice to go, regardless of the result. All true Blues should back him as it reflects the geographic circumstance of all true born and bred Blues? Of course, I welcome others from different areas etc.

UTTERLY USELESS MCIVTA INFO!

We are now over the 220 mark and I’ve been forced to undertake some remedial organisation on the subscriber front to prevent a system operator crash in the near future! It seems, despite nearly 10 years in Switzerland, that I’ve failed miserably to take on board that ‘small town clerk’ mentality, so beloved of the Swiss which causes them to know where everything is, and more importantly, where it should be! I’ve now got an alphabetical address list which threw up the following worthless information:

The most common family name is, wait for it, surprise, surprise… Johnson with 4 subscribers, followed closely by Smith (3) though one is the Scandinavian version pronounced ‘smit’, the dyslexic H(o,a)w(a,o)rths (3) & Clark(e)s (3); in joint third the Bates, Browns, Davies, Floyds, Gormans, Harrisons, Humphreys, Maddoxes, Parsons and Walshes all with two apiece! Riveting stuff!

Most favoured Christian name amongst parents of Blues appears to be the inspired David (11) just in front of Andrew (10) and Mark (8)!

The only letters of the alphabet unrepresented (surnames) are Q, U & X, amazingly we have a subscriber whose last name begins with Z.

Someone shoot me now or give me a job outside Switzerland before it’s too late 8-))

SPORTSMAN’S DINNER

Went to Old Trafford this week.- no, I am not turning. There was a sportsman’s dinner in aid of Sale cricket club and Mike Summerbee was the guest speaker.

He related his life story from when he joined Swindon and to supplement his income, he hired out deckchairs in Torquay. He knew that Joe Mercer had followed his career since the days he managed Aston Villa. When Joe joined City, Summerbee decided that he was going to make the first move, and so phoned the manager up to ask if he fancied a classy winger. Joe invited him up to Manchester to discuss terms and on the drive up from Swindon, Mike worked out that he was going to skin City for as much as possible. at Swindon he was on