Newsletter #154

MCIVTA will get a bit erratic in the next two weeks due to the Xmas holidays. Many people only have access to e-mail at their place of study or work which basically means that the number of articles/contributions are drastically reduced and the number of readers as well. What I’ll do is try to write some match reports for the Chelsea, Blackburn and West Ham games and send them out together with anything else I get as mini MCIVTAs. Paul will also be able to get some match reports to me so at least we should have some news. The Monday/Thursday issuing will go out the window though and issues will just appear as and when I can get them out and depending on whether I’ve received anything or not. Normal service will be resumed in early January though.

This issue has one of Rob’s extensive match reports, some news, a Why Blue and a book review.

Meanwhile, I hope to meet many of you on Saturday, as long as I don’t have to drink all the pints I’ve been promised 8-)). To all of you who can’t make it, Merry Xmas and let’s hope we can get at least 6 points from 12 over the next week and a half.

Next game, Chelsea at home, Saturday 23rd December 1995.

MCIVTA MEET

1. Be at the MCFC social club front entrance behind the North Stand between 1300 and 1315.
2. Ask at the door to be guided to the 400 club I should have my MCIVTA tee shirt on so ought to be quite visible.
3. I have prepaid the entrance fee of a pound per head to save queuing, and will take up a collection inside.
4. Don’t worry if you are late, I will ensure the doorman is aware of the meet.

I look forward to meeting you all, and to three points and a goal from Kinky for his mum.

MATCH REPORT ‘LIVE’

MANCHESTER CITY vs. NOTTINGHAM FOREST, Monday 18th December 1995

FA Carling Premiership
Maine Road
Attendance: 25,660
Referee: Keith Burge (Tonypandy)

Manchester City

                      Immel
Brightwell Kernaghan (Brown 75) Symons Ingram
        Kinkladze Lomas Curle Summerbee
                  Rösler Quinn
[ UNUSED: Coton Creaney ]

Nottingham Forest

            Crossley
 Pearce Cooper Chettle Phillips
Woan Gemmill Bart-Williams Stone
        Lee Campbell (Silenzi 82)
[ UNUSED: Haaland Howe ]

The match started with quite a lot of pre-match entertainment. I had thought it was a 7:45 kick-off but it was 8 O’clock which allowed me to admire some warming up by Kinkladze and Lomas who appeared to be enjoying themselves and showing off.

JD Sports had commissioned some girls dressed in Santa Claus suits to come and feed the animals in the stands. You had to admire them; had it been me in those tights I would have been freezing. Being about 13 rows back from the front and at the risk of sounding sexist I would say “Nice legs, shame about their throwing arms!”

Finally, to top it all, Alan Ball received his Manager of the Month award for November. He thanked the supporters and that’s about all I could make out. Why can’t Maine Road get their PA system to work?!

Or should I say, finally to top it all I heard the team line-up. No Des Lyttle for Forest; he must be injured or suspended. Kernaghan, Curle and Symons all starting with Curle seemingly taking a position in the centre of midfield. Interesting was not a word I used at the time! To be honest, I think my reaction was “My God!”

• 01min: Pearce fouled by Summerbee. It was a fifty-fifty bouncing ball and Pearce had his leg high. I guess Nicky caught him just after the ball was despatched.
• 02min: Lee holds ball up in the City box set up chance for Stone to shoot, but he hesitates. I think he shot wide or else he was blocked. Sorry, can’t remember.
• 04min: City don’t look that interested. No-one seems to want the ball from the throw. Apathy!
• 05min: Curle and Brightwell combine at the back to clear the danger; they clear to Kinkladze who takes the ball on his chest well and almost releases Rösler – except for the fact that his pass is intercepted.
• 06min: Kinkladze interception outside the City box. Takes it upfield himself having ridden a challenge. Two defenders home in on the little Georgian. Kinkladze squares the ball to an unmarked Rösler who blasts the ball over the bar from the edge of the box when he should have hit the target. And it is still rising!
• 09min: Lomas cleans up at the City box before releasing Summerbee. Nicky’s pass catches Rösler just offside (although he seemed to curve his run he must have mis-timed it slightly).
• 10min: Lomas seems to be in fifth gear when Stone has the ball wide and closes him down (again). Steve wins possession and passes to Ingram who is near. Stone fouls Ingram.
• 11min: Kinkladze takes on Bart-Williams and wins the ball using his weight/strength!
• 12min: Lomas squares ball to Curle who passes straight to the feet of Quinn. Niall flicks it to Rösler but his shot is blocked.
• 14min: Immel seems to have collected the ball but it is kicked out of his hands by Campbell (in my opinion, others probably thought it was Symons including the ref). No free-kick! Kinkladze in a busy right side plays the ball square to the far touch-line where Ingram is unmarked. This is the third time so far in the game, Kinkladze has played Ingram into space; unfortunately it is third time unlucky as Stone intercepts and Forest break.
• 15min: Anyone for a Summerbee sandwich? No foul given. Rösler’s cross is deflected into a lob, Quinn does wonderfully well to get there and head it across the goal and Summerbee is just unable to get a touch.
• 16min: Quinn receives the ball and neatly plays it through the gap perfectly for Lomas to continue his run. Steve whips in his cross from the right early and finds Rösler who as quick as a flash seems to roll it under Crossley and into the net. One-Nil! Uwe is jubilant! Aren’t we all!
• 18min: Ingram has Lee on his tail. Pass back to Immel is blocked by Campbell. He looks like he is panicking and then neatly wins a throw off Lee.
• 20min: Neat build-up by City then Rösler finds Lomas whose through ball is just too strong for Summerbee. Crossley rushes off line to gather in front of Nicky’s feet.
• 21min: Lomas touches Stone and he drops like one. Woan chips into the box following free-kick. Easy for Immel, who keeps the ball in play. Linesman gets a huge cheer as he upends.
• 22min: Bart-Williams shot is deflected just past the post for a corner with Immel watching. This could have been nasty.
• 23min: Woan fouls Summerbee in my book. Not given. Huge mix-up in the box. Symons eventually clears the ball to the edge of the box. Kit gets there first in front of Woan and back-heals it to Brightwell (or Summerbee) through Woan’s legs.
• 26min: Kinkladze loses ball having been put under pressure on receiving ball. Lomas wins ball back and passes to Brightwell. Ian’s cross is too long. ‘Come on City’ is the cry from the young lad in front with the 20-a-day Woodbine voice.
• 29min: Plenty of nice square passing along the back until Immel receives ball back from Brightwell (I think). Eike hits it straight along the ground to Lee who is at the edge of the box (at an angle). Lee shoots. I hold my head in my hands. Immel saves gratefully. Lee did seem to place it but then hit it straight at Eike somehow!
• 30min: Lomas messing about on the edge of the Forest third. Chips the ball in. Quinn squares it up for Summerbee to blast over.
• 31min: It all happened so fast. From a corner I think. Quinn effort hits Gemmill at near post and then the near-post and then safety.
• 32min: Phillip’s cross is mis-kicked out for a throw by Kernaghan. Ball comes back in. Kernaghan just watches transfixed as Lee gets there first. Lee turns but at the same time knocks the ball away. Gemmill handles and the referee gives it (after three hand balls had been denied earlier)!
• 36min: Nice Forest passing near the City third. Curle finally gets in tackle/interception.
• 37min: Campbell plays in Stone but Curle is there to concede the corner.
• 38min: Bart-Williams shot appeared to be deflected by Campbell for a Forest corner!!!! Perhaps it was the defender who was right beside Campbell?
• 40min: Forest maintain the pressure whereas City seem to be losing the ball too easily with passing going astray.
• 41min: Ingram slips and Phillips delivers a great cross. Immel freezes. Campbell doesn’t get there. Defenders caught napping. Lee is there about 4 yards out. Only has to hit the target with Immel beaten. Lee glances it about a foot wide of the far post. Chance of the game.
• 42min: Woan shoots and Immel gathers comfortably after Kernaghan block had taken a lot of the power of it.
• 44min: Curle plays to Quinn who provide us with another of those deft flicks. Rösler is away and his marker loses his footing. Shot saved well by Crossley.

Half-time score: Manchester City 1 Nottingham Forest 0

Forest had undoubtedly had most of the pressure in the first half but less of the real chances I reckon by 4-2. The second half begins with me not in good humour. Some B**T**D has pinched my programme which as under my seat with me standing right beside it!!!

• 48min: City camped in their own half so far. Phillips’ cross is easy for Immel.
• 50min: Forest gain a corner. Ingram deflecting out Stone’s cross.
• 51min: Lomas clears danger. To Kinkladze who returns it to Lomas. Lomas chips it into box where Uwe with his back to goal chests it and Summerbee scoops the ball over the net. To be fair he was stretching.
• 52min: Kinkladze in full flow is body checked by Stone. City gain the free kick.
• 53min: Crossley makes a massive kick straight to the edge of the City box whereupon Lee climbs over Kernaghan. Curle seems to be playing in front of the back four. I cannot believe Ball was trying to protect a one goal lead.
• 56min: City are being stretched. The play is switched onto the right hand side where Pearce comes inside and cracks it. Immel beaten the ball comes back off the inside of the far post to Gemmill about 10 yards out. Gemmill obviously got his shooting boots from the City stores and hits it a couple of feet over the bar.
• 57min: Summerbee wins a throw and takes it quickly. Quinn receives it, turns and shoots. Oops! Miles away, Niall!
• 58min: Kernaghan transfixed again. Watches ball bounce. Whilst waiting for it to fall, a Forest foot intervenes. Ball falls for Campbell who also blasts over although Immel seems to have it covered.
• 60min: Rösler sprints back to attack Stone. Uwe wins throw but ref decides that Stone was fouled. It is good to see Uwe working so hard obviously inspired by the goal.
• 62min: Foul on Summerbee. Referee finally blows for challenge on Summerbee when Kinkladze is fouled.
• 65min: Lomas shot from outside box is easy for Crossley.
• 68min: Curle back-heel to Kinkladze, then to Lomas who plays his ball just too far in-front of Ingram. Forest gain possession. City regain possession outside their own box. Someone puts Lomas in trouble and he loses the ball. Forest want a free-kick for Steve’s high feet but City give away a corner and they are happy with that. Ball comes in. Headed onto far post where Pearce shoots and Immel tips over.
• 69min: There is a free for all at the edge of the City six yard box. Eventually with a scene resembling a collapsed scrum (from a different type of football) the referee awards a drop ball. City clear it but it comes straight back in. Another corner is conceded. The ball comes across and is not cleared. Lee heads it down and Campbell turns it in from all of two yards. One-One!
• 71min: Kinkladze gets crowded out in the Forest box.
• 74min: Good Forest build up ends with Gemmill’s cross going over Immel’s bar.
• 75min: Immel does nothing for my nerves playing a one-two with Brightwell before clearing.
• 77min: Kernaghan off and Brown on. Curle steps back into his normal rôle. Plus a substitute linesman as well. City were not exactly looking like they could win.
• 78min: Kinkladze shot is deflected to safety and Forest break.
• 79min: Brown clears following Gemmill’s shot. My neighbour tells me it was a “Cultured left foot there!”
• 81min: Pearce takes out Summerbee somewhere between the foot and the knee and earns the game’s only card (yellow of course!). City free-kick is headed out for a corner by Phillips.
• 83min: Kinkladze is adjudged to have body checked Stone and a free-kick is awarded.
• 84min: Brown’s cross is easy for Forest to clear.
• 85min: Quinn plays ball onto a chase between Cooper (number 4) and Rösler. Cooper wins.
• 86min: Phillips fouls Brown on the edge of the Forest box. It was just outside but Brown has cleverly his left marks on the pitch inside the box. The referee rightly in my opinion ignores his protest. Free kick is played back to Summerbee who blasts it into a range of legs in front of the Forest goal. Forest clear. Kinkladze handles the ball in the centre circle (unseen by the referee as he uses Stone as his shield). Kinkladze finds Lomas who plays it out to Brightwell. Ian’s cross is poor.
• 87min: Silenzi’s shot is blocked.
• 89min: Summerbee crosses to far post where Quinn heads well but misses target by a couple of feet.
• 90min: Kinkladze the ball-winner, takes the ball out of danger and plays to Uwe who is fouled by number 4. Free-kick. Kinkladze plays the ball in where Quinn’s dipping header just goes over the bar.

Final score: Manchester City 1 (Rösler 16), Nottingham Forest 1 (Campbell 69)

The match was dampened by the fact that in the second half I lost my programme and City lost the initiative completely. I don’t normally write up about each player but I think I will this time:

Immel: may be a brilliant shot stopper but doesn’t command his area very much.

Ingram: had a decent game. Had lots of help from Kinkladze and Lomas.

Kernaghan: steady as a rock most of the time. But seems to hesitate at some critical moments.

Symons: his normal very good performance

Brightwell: his worst game of the season. His position was poor. His vision was poor. His crossing was poor.

Summerbee: had a good game. The only midfielder that made much impression throughout the second half.

Lomas: Another good game but lost the ball outside the box once which made me nervous.

Kinkladze: Skilful and using his body more. Non-existent most of the second half (with Lomas) as the ball seemed to be booted up to Quinn and Rösler missing out the midfield completely.

Curle: Not bad in midfield. But only when Brown came on did he and City look comfortable.

Rösler: looking a bit more like the old days.

Quinn: another good game from the big Irishman.

Brown: definitely made a difference coming on. Only then did City really look like scoring in the second half. Had a couple of runs at Phillips.

I will be at the Chelsea game but will not be able to write a report before I leave for a holiday. I will also miss Michael Hughes’ return on New Year’s day. Next report will be the Coventry six-pointer. Merry Christmas!

NEWS – FLU!

It transpires that Curle and Lomas both played on Monday night whilst suffering with the ‘flu virus which has affected many squad members this week. Fortunately, most of them now seem to be over it. Buster Phillips has been training with the first team and is in contention for a place in the side on Saturday against Chelsea.

NEWS – THREE FOREIGNER RULE I

According to ceefax the EU Commission has now made the three foreigners rule illegal. They have said that any competitions held in the EU (this includes domestic and European competitions) which include this rule are illegal. However, the FA have said that for the time being we should still adopt the three foreigners rule until further notice.

I envisage that this rule will only apply to non EU players in the very near future. This ruling must be both bad and good. Good in the respect that we won’t be forced into Dutch Auctions e.g. Collymore etc. This should hopefully mean that cheaper talent will be available to more clubs e.g. we could have some EU players plus say three Georgians. Also Milan or Stretford could have possibly Boban, Stoichkov, Yeboah, and a squad full of EU players.

Anyway this is enough for me I’m sure we will discuss this to a greater extent some time or other.

NEWS – THREE FOREIGNER RULE II

Saw this morning (CEEFAX, 20/12) that the three foreigner restriction is staying for the moment. The English FA have instructed clubs that the rule is in place until further notice whilst they take legal advice. Meanwhile, an official of the EU has stated that such action by countries’ FAs is illegal!

NEWS – EKELUND HOLD UP!

Ronnie Ekelund is currently stranded in Spain awaiting the completion of his transfer documentation. City received a fax earlier this week but the loan period was only one month instead of the two months previously agreed. Francis Lee’s comment on “Cups for Cock-Ups” springs to mind!

It seems that several City players have gone down with a ‘flu bug but it is not being revealed which players have been affected.

NOVEMBER PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Here’s the result of the November MCIVTA Player of the Month vote. Thanks to the 17 people who voted; a convincing victory for Kinky, even before his wonder goal at Middlesbrough!

KINKLADZE 41% (39 votes)
QUINN     24% (23 votes)
IMMEL     13% (12 votes)
SYMONS     9% ( 9 votes)

Other players who received votes: Flitcroft, Curle, Summerbee & Rösler

REFLECTED GLORY

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuter) – Soccer fans flood the Internet when their team win to bask in reflected glory but stay quiet when it loses, researchers said on Wednesday. Eager to impress their friends and appear “digitally hip,” they hit the information superhighway for every available detail from electronic football fan magazines when the team triumphs.

But psychologists from Britain’s University of Hertfordshire concluded: “Downloading pictures of favourite players and reading match reports is limited to the good times.” Fans tend to use the pronoun “we” more frequently after a win and “they” when the team loses. After studying what happened after 76 Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City matches, they found: “The Internet provides an opportunity to bask in reflected glory.”

With an estimated 20 million people now using the Internet, the researchers said that “football fanzines” in which fans swap match and squad gossip were one of its fastest growing sectors.

Hmm! I’ve heard this somewhere before. One of our subscribers was involved in writing a similar thesis and I told him that defeats often got more bandwidth buzzing than victories. I distinctly remember the exchange of views after the unmentionable result last season; people needed to talk apparently! Then again, we are City fans!

KINKY INTERVIEW

After reading this I contacted the main switch at Maine Road who gave me Alan Ball’s secretary’s number at the training ground. (Julia, on 257 0160, fax 257 0162). She asked me to tell Mamuka that City do not have E-Mail facilities, but if he phones or faxes her, she’ll try and sort it for him.

I have E-mailed him with this info, plus a couple of words about Kinky at City.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

…to all City fans around the World. Let’s raise a glass to the boys and to a few wins over the festive season and a special “thank you” to all contributors over the last year – you don’t know how sane you have kept me!

PS: If anyone is going to the 400 club before the Chelsea game seek out a guy called Paul Davies – he is my mate from Tokyo and is over for the match. I have told him to buy everyone a drink – so make bloody well sure that he does!

BOOK REVIEW – FOOTBALL FAN’S GUIDE

TITLE           Football Fan's Guide
AUTHORS         Janet Williams and Mark Johnson
PUBLISHER       Collins Willow
ADDRESS
ISBN NUMBER
PRICE           £8.99

This book is what it says it is – a Football Fan’s Guide. It lists for each of the 92 league clubs –

• Map of the area and ground
• Directions on how to get there by car, bus and train
• Ground amenities including disabled facilities, ticket prices, toilet facilities, food and drink
• Pub and food guide in the area
• Miscellaneous section including fanzines, local radio

The research was performed by the 2 authors with the help of local fans, police, publicans and the clubs, 2 of whom (Barnsley and Burnley) refused to help as “the guide book is unofficial”. Each club was visited by the authors on matchdays and fans met for opinions and ideas. The book combines to be factual and informative as well as witty and amusing.

Some quotes from the book –

“Swansea – Toilets – Installed at least 2,000 years before the invention of hygiene”.

“Portsmouth – Toilets – Pokey building with an unfortunate slope, so bring galoshes for the unsavoury puddle in the corner”.

“Man. Untied – Food and Drink – The meat and potato pie (?1) was foul and the tea (80p) was worse”.

The front cover has a quote from Garth Crooks: “makes you wonder how you managed without it.” Totally agree. Excellent book.

I don’t know how generally available the book is, I had to order mine through my local bookshop. So, if your Aunt Maud sent you a book token for Christmas, go out and buy it. And if Aunt Maud didn’t send you a book token for Christmas, go out and buy it.

1996

Here are my wishes for 96

1. January – Johann Cruyff appointed manager of Ireland.
2. February – after Man Utd’s cup exit to another Endsleighteam, Alex Ferguson resigns and takes over as manager of Swansea.
3. March – He is followed to Swansea by Eric Cantona, who wassacked after round-housing Schmeichel. Cantona signs for Swansea after makingfamous “When ze seagulls follow ze ‘orsebox” speech.
4. April – St. Pat’s win league of Ireland. Rovers relegated.
5. May – Brian Kerr’s men do the double (beat Rovers in Cup Final).He is appointed U-21 manager of Ireland.Man City win the FA Cup with an Uwe hat-trick, he becomes the first Germanto score in a Wembley Cup Final since ’66; they also finish in arespectable mid-table position.
6. June – Ireland win their first competitive match under Cruyff.Euro ’96 passes off peacefully. Portugal beat Holland in the final 5-4 aet.
7. July – Eric signs for Irish Club Shelbourne, the latest of Ollie Byrne’spoached players.During Inter-toto cup against the Faroe wheelchair association, Eric issent off and jumps into the press box, tragically killing himself andcommentator George Hamilton in a bizarre incident.
8. September – City top the table in the Premiership. Kinky becomes thetarget for a £15 million move to Juventus. St. Pat’s beat Linfield in UEFAprelims. They then beat Benfica in front of 80,000 at the Stadium of Water.
9. Louis Kilcoyne is sentenced to jail for selling Landsdowne Road.He assumed it was his to sell and thought he’d have the backing of thepeople after his previous property transaction was so popular.
10. The National Stadium is opened. Ireland beat Romania with a VinnyArkins header. Apparently playing in England makes you good.
11. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Sean Rockall Dublin Bay Plough Lane SelhurstPark I-met-Hillary-Clinton Loftus welcomes Wimbledon to Dublin. Vinny Jonesreturns the complement and bites his ear off while shouting “Ahm fackin’Oirish”.

WHY BLUE?

“Watching Manchester City is like having your heart on the end of a yo-yo string. How do their supporters stand it?”
The Guardian 19/12/95

I’m afraid I can’t claim to have the necessary credentials to be ‘Blue through and through’. I’ve only ever been to watch them play on a handful of occasions; for long periods of my teenage years I tried hard to ignore them and I’ve only set foot in Manchester three or four times. I was born in Leicester but spent most of the first ten years of my life in North Oxfordshire. Who to support? Oxford United? Coventry City? I just wasn’t inspired. I flirted with Wolves for a while because my best friend supported them. My dad’s a Chelsea fan and the kids at school supported all sorts of different teams. I however, wanted to be different from all of them. I could have picked a name out of a hat but I wanted a reason to follow a team. On 19 April 1978 I got a reason and since then I have been a supporter of Manchester City FC. On that night, at the age eight, I sat down with my dad to watch my first ever football match. The venue was Wembley, the teams were England and Brazil and the score was 1-1.

I can’t remember what sort of a game it was. I know I was just as excited about seeing the Brazilians as I was the English players. I suspect it was a fairly unremarkable game but two players stood out. On the left wing was a young (20), blond-haired dazzler called Peter Barnes who really caught my eye. If anyone was searching for a footballing hero that night as I was, then the youthful Barnes, with his sharp skills and tremendous pace, certainly fitted the bill. The other player who had a profound affect on me was the big man in goal, Joe Corrigan. I don’t know that he did anything spectacular but I do remember being mightily impressed with his size and presence. He just looked the part – solid, reliable and unbeatable (years later I realised that Dave Watson was also playing in that game. Was this the last time three City players were in the same England team?). I didn’t know anything about their past glories, all I knew was that they both played for Manchester City. So I decided upon two things. Firstly I was going to be a goalkeeper, and secondly that I was going to support Manchester City.

Over the next few years I got the kit for my birthday, hat and scarf for Christmas and saved up for badges, stickers and a City Subbuteo team. It wasn’t until I moved to Sheffield as a student that I went to see them play. I have to say (and I’m sure most football fans would agree) that watching your team from the stand is a fairly hellish affair. Admittedly there’s little to beat the highs but the lows can be a little too intense for my liking. I tend to go and watch the likes of Rotherham, Chesterfield and Sheffield United where I can (fairly) impartially watch the football and other peoples’ misery.

So that’s why I started out as a City fan. I’ve continued because of a general sense of loyalty but also because their fortunes have always provided entertainment. It’s the knowledge that they will always do things the hard way or shoot themselves in the foot, that they will do the unexpected and display brilliance and ineptitude within minutes. It’s the quirkiness, the struggling in the face of adversity and the fact that Manchester City are not Manchester United and are therefore (if nothing else) always going to be the moral victors.

Thanks for all the hard work involved in puting MCIVTA together. It has kept me going through some dark times. The glory could (as ever) be just around the corner. Expect the unexpected!

RESULTS

No change.

WWW MANCHESTER CITY SUPPORTERS’ HOME PAGE:
http://www.uit.no/mancity/

MCIVTA ADDRESSES:
Contributions: mcivta@tollbar.u-net.com
Subscriptions: Adam.Houghton@sheffield.ac.uk

Thanks to Tony, James, David, Robert, John, Phil, Malcolm, The Mole, Paul (x2) & Tom.

DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in MCIVTA are entirely those of the subscribersand there is no intention to represent these opinions as being thoseof Manchester City Football Club, nor of any of the companies anduniversities by whom the subscribers are employed. It is not inany way whatsoever connected to the club or any other relatedorganisation and is simply a group of supporters using this mediumas a means of disseminating news and exchanging opinions.

Editor: