Newsletter #407

The only news of note is that we now know who we’ll be playing on the opening day of the season: unfortunately we’re not off to the seaside straightaway, in fact the seaside is coming to us with the visit of Blackpool.

Season ticket sales seem to be doing very well according to reports, and to back this up, I was accosted at a school fayre on Saturday by a Blue who’d been down to Maine Road and come back again as he could not be bothered with the massive queue!

We have a review of the latest issue of CITY magazine, some more on WorldNet, opinion and a Why Blue.

Lastly, I’ll be away on a trip this week, so depending on how things pan out, there is a possibility that the next issue (Thursday’s) will either be late (Friday), or even held over ’til Monday if there are not enough articles.

This one reaches 2,100.

Next game, Sunderland at home, Saturday 18th July 1998 (Brightwell)

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NEWS – OPENING FIXTURES

City will be at home to Blackpool on the opening day of the new Nationwide Second Division season on Saturday, August 8th. City’s first away game of the campaign will be against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, August 15th. The Blues are back at Maine Road on Saturday, August 22nd, when Wrexham are the visitors and then City visit last season’s Third Division champions Notts County at Meadow Lane on Saturday, August 29th.

Paul Howarth (paul@city-fan.org)

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NEWS – SEASON TICKET SALES

One bit of encouraging news – or perhaps it just proves that we’re all mad.

I renewed my season ticket by telephone on Saturday 30th May – having tried to pretend to myself that I had had enough and wasn’t going to bother. I asked the person in the ticket office how sales were going … “11,000 so far, compared to 13,000 at the same time last year. Mind you there’s a massive queue outside the office, so we’re not doing too bad. Just think what it would be like if we had a decent team.” Quite.

Apparently total season ticket sales last year amounted to 17,000, with quite a few being sold in August and September. So if we start off well the attendances should be reasonable. Mind you I think that this coming season is the last chance and supporters will start to lose hope if we don’t bounce back (which of course we will).

Jeff Smith (jsmith.ir.mh@gtnet.gov.uk)

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OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS’ CLUB WEB SITE

For those of you who don’t know the OSC Web site is at http://www.mancity.net/osc/.

I have just redesigned the site to make it easier to navigate so please take a look. New features are:-

1. News from the Branches
2. Branch details
3. Fans’ Committee Minutes
4. Fixtures
5. Guide to Division 2 grounds
6. Links to City and other Soccer Sites

I would also like to put together a ‘Lonely Hearts’ page for Blues who live in far flung regions of the Blue Empire. This page would detail Blues who want to make contact with fellow fans. I know there are a lot of exiles who read MCIVTA and who may want to meet up for the odd drink to celebrate another victory!

If you would like to be included on the page please email me at the address below.

Andy Birkin (A_J_Birkin@Email.msn.com)

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REVIEW – CITY MAGAZINE June 1998 Vol 3 Issue 10

“I was very surprised to win Player of the Year”, says cover star Browny. (you were surprised, Michael…). The poor man’s Roy Keane is back on form this issue, caught on camera applying stud to Middlesbrough flesh and denying that he has a problem identifying the ball.

There are reminders in this “World Cup Special” that athough it sometimes seems that way, we haven’t always been s***e: France ’98 is the first tournament sans Bleu since ’66. Following a recent thread in McVittee, there’s a feature on City’s World Cup heroes – and McIlroy, Kernaghan, and Phelan – but no mention of current employee, goalkeeping coach Alex Stepney, who was England’s third choice for Mexico ’70 (I’ll speak with the author). And twenty years on there’s an interview with Asa on his part in Ally Mcleod’s great delusion that was Argentina ’78.

Posters: Pollock squeezes into the centre pages; Dickov is lost in his dad’s replica kit (remember Norman Wisdom on the pitch in Reidy’s shorts?); and the other Kit (erm…why?). Georgi’s gone and the pictures prompt thoughts of when his hair was shorter, his ego quieter and his talent louder; interviews with future contenders Weaver and Fenton (N), both of whom played in the colourful but dire Jamaican match which is also featured here.

There’s a question-but-no-answer session with Chairman Bernstein: “I don’t subscribe to the cancer theory… there is a feeling that there was a lack of teamwork in the past and we are committed to working together with a fresh approach.” Still trying to be upbeat, in the face of the fear and loathing of Division 2, there are Reasons To Be Cheerful (for relegation to the Third Division). Sample: “We can get our passports out as we cross over the Welsh border when we go to Wrexham.” And the result of the magazine’s Fantasy Football League is announced. It was won by a 9-year-old, whose team included Symons, Wiekens and Vaughan.

David Butler (david.butler5@virgin.net)

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FLAGSHIP!

Whilst looking for a decent image to use as a background on the computer, I decided to ‘wallpaper’ the logo from www.mcfc.co.uk. Then I saw something that I’d missed for all these years. It would seem strange that, in these times when everyone and everything should be pulling together, Why are the flags on the ship flying in opposite directions? (I’m writing this before I can get home to sift through the shirts, so it may have always been like this).

If they had to change the logo (old one was better), why not correct it?

P.S. I’ll reserve judgement until I see the new away kit, but Blue and Yellow stripes? Doesn’t sound too exciting, but I bet I buy one anyway.

Stuart Wells (wellss@flight-ref.com)

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WORLDNET ODDS

Here’s the latest odds for all teams playing at the WorldNet tournament in Reading on the 18th/19th July. Anyone who wants to have a bet let me know and I’ll tell you how – money not won goes to charity.

QPR 4/1
WEST HAM 5/1
CELTIC 6/1
LEEDS 8/1
WATFORD 8/1
BRADFORD CITY 8/1
BRUM 9/1
VILLA 10/1
BORO 12/1
SWINDON 12/1
RANGERS 12/1
S’TON 12/1
FOREST 14/1
COLCHESTER 16/1
MAN UTD 16/1
ARSENAL 16/1
COVENTRY 16/1
SPURS 16/1
WBA 16/1
LIVERPOOL 16/1
CREWE 20/1
DERBY 25/1
GILLINGHAM 25/1
SHEFF WED 25/1
AEK 25/1
HUDD’FIELD 25/1
MOTHERWELL 33/1
STOCKPORT 33/1
NEWCASTLE 33/1
CHELSEA 40/1
MAN CITY 50/1
WOLVES 50/1
IPSWICH 50/1
NOTTS COUNTY 50/1
LEICESTER 100/1
READING 100/1
PORTSMOUTH 100/1

Dave Barker – Man City 50/1 outsider (dave@moonfish.demon.co.uk)

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Just one addition to the where are they now files on Peter Barnes. Basically Peter is involved almost full time in the game to quite a large extent. He has his fingers in at least five irons at the moment:

1. Makes occasional scouting trips to Norway on behalf of MCFC
2. Acts as agent for said Norwegian players on transfers to English clubs (MCFC are yet to take up any)
3. Works on Sky’s Spanish Football programmes
4. Commentates for GMR
5. Helps with MCFC’s Youth Academy training

Joel Adams (100534.715@compuserve.com)

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OPINION – HUGHES

I’m from Denmark and have been a City-supporter for the last 20 years. My English isn’t very well, so you have to live with my mistakes.

I have a comment about Mark Hughes. After my point of view, he is a brilliant player, who could play in a large number of Premier League clubs. And I believe he will do so. We have to remember that Man City now is going to play in the 2nd Division and I don’t think it is realistic to sign up a player like Mark Hughes. We just have to live with the fact that the club – for the moment – (hopefully) don’t belong to the top.

Lars-Henrik Lindberg (lhli@glostruphosp.dk)

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REQUEST – HELEN’S BELLS

Can anybody tell me how I can contact Helen “the Bell”? I know she has been ill, but I would like to speak to her.

Steve Kay (stevemcfc@aol.com)

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WHY BLUE?

As a newcomer to MCIVTA I have played it cool, assessing the articles, biding my time to contribute to this excellent way of keeping the best fans in the world updated with essential news such as “2nd year apprentices” etc. But then I can remember when we were regarded as one of ‘the big clubs’.

My association with the Academy started with my dad taking me to a ‘reserve game’ at the tender age of 2 years (now 46), the theory being the crush at the first team games would be too much for me to handle. This was a long apprenticeship in 2nd team football. My first recollections of the first team was in the early sixties. Remember such victories as the 6 we put past the great Spurs double winning team, and the Bert T sending off (stood in the Kippax Street corner next to the Platt Lane).

In those days, my dad usually got me there early to sit me on the tunnel wall in the Kippax (don’t know what happened in the Bert T match). Of course, the truly great years were to come late sixties/early seventies and alas in 1972 I went abroad on a ‘short term contract’ and only returned permanently in 1986. Many a Saturday was spent frantically fine tuning the BBC reception only for them to switch to another frequency in the middle of the matches.

I now live in Sandhurst and up until a couple of seasons ago I travelled regularly to most home and a few (when I could get a ticket) away dates. My infrequent visits to Maine Road surprisingly is nothing to do with recent performances (Oh Yeh! I hear you say). Work has been my downfall! But at least my kids (15 & 17) have been left a credible legacy with their allegiance to City undiminished. As previous contributors who live in the South have said, it’s difficult to take a 13-year-old and his dad at Tesco wearing Rag shirts, both with local accents.

Graham Jones, MCTIGI – Manchester City till I go Insane (citizen.search@virgin.net)

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

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MCIVTA ADDRESSES:
Contributions: Ashley – mcivta@tollbar.u-net.com
Subscriptions & Club Questions: Steve – sbolton@buxtonrd.u-net.com
Technical Problems: Paul – paul@city-fan.org

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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.

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Ashley Birch, mcivta@tollbar.u-net.com

Editor: