Newsletter #626
City started off their pre-season tour with a fairly comfortable 4-0 win against Linfield – without Alfie Haaland, who is with his wife who is expecting a baby. As usual in these sorts of games, everyone bar Mr Bernstein got a run out, making it very difficult to judge the performance as a whole; however, it has to be said that it doesn’t seem all that long ago since we used to struggle mightily to avoid defeat in these fixtures. Meanwhile, it seems that City are still pursuing the Ehiogu deal, though this is now touted as being dependent on whether a compromise can be reached between Villa and WBA over the latter’s sell-on clause.
This issue has a match report from the Linfield game; a plea for some justice for a player remembered fondly by many – Neil Young; much discussion of music at games, opinion, humour and a Why Blue.
Once again, I’d like to make an appeal to anyone who is attending the pre-match friendlies and has access to a computer to consider writing a match report. There is virtually no reporting of the score, let alone a view of the game in the UK press, so any first-hand reporting is a real bonus.
This one reaches 3,332.
Next game: Monday 24th July 2000, Drogheda awayNEWS SUMMARY
City Ease to Friendly Win
Manchester City began their pre-season build-up with a 4-0 win over Linfield on Saturday. Shaun Goater gave the Blues an early lead at Windsor Park, before Mark Kennedy, Kevin Horlock and Robert Taylor rounded off the scoring after the break. City made nine substitutions at the break and eased home comfortably against opponents who had been in European action only three days earlier. The one disappointment for the Blues came in the form of an injury to last season’s top scorer Goater, who alarmed the City management by sustaining further damage to a knee injury which had flared up in training the previous week. “I had a scan before we came to Ireland which revealed a slight tear in my cartilage,” said the 29-year-old. “The doctors thought I should go on tour anyway and see if the cartilage held up during a match but obviously it hasn’t.”
Goater Could be Out for Weeks
The Blues have suffered their first injury setback of the new campaign – four weeks before the season’s opener at Charlton. The Bermudian front man has already flown back from the club’s short tour of Ireland and will undergo exploratory surgery as doctors bid to identify the extent of the damage. “Hopefully it is nothing more serious than a cartilage injury and he will be back in training in a matter of weeks rather than months,” explained Joe Royle, who refused to be drawn on initial reports suggesting that Goater is unlikely to be fit for the start of the season.
City Optimistic Over Ehiogu Deal
Monday’s Manchester Evening News claims that Aston Villa have rejected the Blues’ first two offers for Ugo Ehiogu – the second in excess of £7 million. But Joe Royle is optimistic that the defender will be in the City line up when the new season starts. David Bernstein had earlier hinted that the club is prepared to increase its big for Ehiogu, with the City chairman saying he’s prepared to be “flexible” in the negotiations with the Midlands club. Royle is still hoping to land the 27-year-old, and Bernstein is also optimistic that a deal will be closed. “We are keeping a watching brief,” he said. “We are waiting for Aston Villa to make a decision but we would like to know fairly soon. Having said that there is no question about the player’s fitness.”
Villa in Ehiogu Sell-On Bid
West Bromwich Albion’s sell-on clause could still scupper Manchester City’s bid for Ugo Ehiogu. The Baggies have refused a £1 million offer from Aston Villa to buy out the entitlement. Villa are reluctant to sell the player if they’d have to pay over half the cash and boss John Gregory claims that Albion are damaging their own interests by refusing to take 50% of any fee. “It’s a simple equation,” said Gregory. “Albion can get some money for Ugo now, or finish up empty-handed in a couple of years when he can get a Bosman free transfer and go for nothing.” Meanwhile, Sunderland, rumoured rivals to the Blues for Ehiogu’s signature, may instead sign £1 million-rated Slovak defender Stanislav Varga, who has impressed on trial.
Ehiogu Wants to Talk to City
City target Ugo Ehiogu is desperate to leave Aston Villa. And the defender says he’d be keen to talk to any club who can agree a fee with the Midlands outfit. Ehiogu recognises that the sell-on clause benefitting his former club West Brom means any buyer will have to pay an inflated price. But the 27-year-old is hoping that an opportunity will arise for him to move on – even though Villa manager John Gergory insists he’d like the player to stay. “I want to have a new challenge,” said the London-born star. “I want to be able to talk to anyone who makes a bid, and then make the right decision for me and my career.”
Royle Denies Kitson Link
Several media sources over the weekend linked Manchester City with striker Paul Kitson. But Joe Royle has denied any interest in the West Ham player. The 29-year-old is available after the Upton Park arrivals of Frederic Kanoute and Davor Suker. And several reports claimed that the Blues could be set to clinch a £1 million deal for the ex-Leicester, Derby and Newcastle forward. However, Royle has laughed off the speculation, and the search for a new striker will focus elsewhere. Newcastle’s Paul Robinson had also been touted as a possible City signing but has joined Wimbledon for £1.5 million.
Cooke Left at Home
Terry Cooke hasn’t travelled with the senior City squad to Ireland. The former Manchester United player instead remained at Maine Road to work on his fitness. Cooke’s omission from the travelling party will inevitably lead to rumours that the winger’s days at Maine Road are numbered – even though he came off the transfer list earlier in the summer. But Joe Royle has moved to play down such talk, saying, “People shouldn’t read too much into the fact that I have left Terry out of the squad. I simply feel that he will benefit more by staying at home and getting in some extra training while we are away.” Meanwhile, youngsters Shaun Wright-Phillips and Nick Fenton were boosted by their own selection for the Ireland trip, with Royle saying both players’ sharpness in training had earned them the nod.
Royle Not Expecting A Struggle
Many pundits feel Manchester City are in for a struggle next season. But the man in charge at Maine Road is confident in his side’s ability to spring a surprise. Many experts claim that avoiding relegation will in itself be an achievement, but Royle is setting his sights higher – and claims his ambitions are shared throughout the club. “Survival isn’t our main objective. No one here thinks we’re in danger of going down at the end of our first season,” he says. “My target for the coming season is just to finish as high up the table as we can. I’m really not concerned with thoughts of relegation battles.”
Book Tells of Swales’ Last Days
The Manchester Evening News last week reported on points of interest arising from the forthcoming book ‘Blue Moon Rising’, by BBC GMR’s Richard Burgess and Andy Buckley. And after focusing on the reign of Francis Lee earlier in the week, the paper concentrated on Friday on the final days of the Peter Swales regime. Brenda Swales, wife of the late City chairman, reflects in one extract on the toll the protracted takeover battle took on her husband, while former director Chris Muir is more forthright, saying the episode killed his long-time friend. Meanwhile, Muir also reveals that Steve Morrison, the man responsible for the Oscar winning film ‘My Left Foot’ and later Chief Executive of the Granada Media Group, was approached to succeed Swales as City chairman but had to refuse due to other commitments. Morrison’s decision allegedly caused Swales to resign himself to allowing the Lee regime to take charge.
City Second in NW Masters’ Challenge
Viewers of satellite channel Sky Sports One and a healthy crowd in the MEN Arena, Manchester saw the North West Masters’ Challenge involving players over 35 last Wednesday. And the Blues reached the final of the tournament before bowing out to Liverpool. City won two of their three group games, losing 1-0 to Everton but beating Liverpool 2-1 and Manchester United 6-3. But in the final, the Merseyside Reds made a mockery of the earlier scoreline with a 5-1 win. City’s squad Alex Williams, Asa Hartford, Willie Donachie, Paul Walsh, Peter Barnes, Paul Power, Wayne Biggins, Paul Stewart, Andy May and Nigel Gleghorn.
Peter Brophy (peterbrophy@mancity.net)MATCH REPORT – ‘LIVE’
LINFIELD vs. MANCHESTER CITY, Saturday 22nd July 2000
I know it’s an over used phrase but this game was truly a match of 2 halves. In the first half we seemed very disjointed, but then again Joe did send out quite a few players who had something to prove with the up and coming season, Dickov and Wright-Phillips both running after every ball/cause. I do wish Dickov, who is 110% committed, would channel more of his energies into playing the game rather than appealing to the referee every time he loses the ball.
We started well with a well-headed goal by Goater after just a couple of minutes. Thoughts of a whitewash soon disappeared as Linfield made a few good chances and we ended the first half with just the one-goal lead. The second half started with about 7 changes including a player called Day wearing the number 32 shirt. Does anyone know who he is? Our attacks were a lot more threatening as well as a lot more regular and we scored 3 more goals, one for Kennedy, whose shot hit the post, then the back of their ‘keeper and then into the net! This was followed by Horlock latching onto an awful back pass from a Linfield player halfway inside their half, putting it under the ‘keeper and passing it into the net with no one around. The final goal was our best. A good move down the left, a very fast cross from Kennedy to Bob Taylor who directed the header past their ‘keeper, who was just a spectator as it whipped into the net.
Overall a very comfortable win, although our back four were very square for the whole of the second half and several offside decisions were given in our favour which looked very, very close and should one of those go against us in the coming season there are lots of players who will capitalise on them. It was also good to see Tommy Wright in goal for the whole game as this was where he started his football career. Finally, the best part of my journey from Dorset and back was to be booked onto the same flight as the whole City team to Belfast. One thing I did ask was about the song they sing in the changing room after the Blackburn game. It is aimed at Tony Grant and the Tramp reference is due to his dress sense, being from Liverpool!
CTID, Peter J. Timperley (peter.timperley@UnitedAdvertising.co.uk)NEIL YOUNG… LEST WE FORGET
I was at a bit of a loose end the other evening and ended up watching an interview programme on Sky Sports 3. The programme was presented by Brian Moore and he was interviewing City old boy, Neil Young. I remember Neil from the early days of my supporting the Blues but I was really surprised to hear that he actually played at Maine Road for a total of eleven years as a professional and two more as an amateur. I went back and checked the records and found that he made an incredible 409 appearances from 1961 to 1972 and scored a fantastic 107 goals including two in the game against Newcastle that saw City take the League title in 1968. I was shocked though to hear during the programme that Neil never got a testimonial game despite the fact that, according to Young, Malcolm Allison promised him one if he went on a loan period to Preston. Subsequent changes in management took place and somehow Young’s benefit match got forgotten.
This probably isn’t news to many of you but, what I found most sad was the fact that over the years there have been several attempts by fans to get the club to honour Neil’s achievements, the last as recently as 1995, and that, sadly, none of them has ever been successful. We all talk about the great achievements of Bell, Summerbee and Lee but here was a guy playing alongside them whose contribution was no less crucial or decisive in City’s best ever period in our history. Indeed, his goals secured City two of the trophies that we won in the period of 67-72 and his actions set up the winner in one other. The club owes Neil Young a great deal, the fans owe Neil the same debt.
In this day and age of big football money it isn’t fashionable to talk about doing something just because it is a morally right thing to do, but I honestly believe that Neil should have his day. In the interview it came over quite clearly that Neil knows he was short-changed but he tried, unsuccessfully, to put a brave face on things. Neil loved City and the object of his love spurned him at the end. It would be interesting to get a comment from the club themselves on this issue. I don’t know if anyone from the current management reads McVittee, but there are certainly some of us in here who have very close contacts with the current management so, come on you people, ask the questions! It is probably a bit late in the day for a full testimonial match but certainly some lifetime achievement award could be made. City have always had a reputation for generosity verging on the reckless with its players, it would be good to see that demonstrated once more for this deserving case.
David Cash (Vanda_David@tesco.net)MUSIC
All this talk of music to frighten the opposition when City run out on to the pitch – whatever happened to the Beswick Prize Band?
David Buxton (dbb@forres26.freeserve.co.uk)MILTON KEYNES & DISTRICT SUPPORTERS’ CLUB
Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, July 27th, at the Enigma Tavern, Bletchley. Meetings usually start around 19:45. If you’re in the area on Thursday please come along!
For anyone needing directions, please get in touch with me at the address below.
Kevin Duffy (kevin@duffy30.freeserve.co.uk)MILTON KEYNES SUPPORTERS’ CLUB – TRIP TO CORBY
The Milton Keynes & District branch are planning a trip to the reserves’ friendly at Corby on Friday, July 28th. The plan is to meet up at The George in Brixworth, rendezvous time 18:00-18:30. If you’re in the area why not come along and join us?
If you want to find out any more information about the trip (or about the MK Supporters’ Club branch) then please get in touch with me.
Steve Maclean (stm1@stm1.freeserve.co.uk)STOCKPORT BLUES WHERE ARE YOU?
A few weeks ago a group of City fans from Stockport were on holiday in Guernsey. While on the island they went to the Guernsey Bowl and made contact with the manager, Derek. As the Bowl is the meeting place of the recently set up City Supporters’ Club (Guernsey branch) it wasn’t long before we found out they had been there. On the 23rd of August six of us Guernsey Blues will be coming to Manchester to take in the Sunderland and Coventry games. We will be staying in Stockport for the duration of our trip and would like to make contact with the guys that were in Guernsey and take them for a drink. If any of you read MCIVTA could you make contact with me so we can arrange pubs and times, it would be great to meet you all. By the way, the guys sent Derek a City scarf and pennant which now hang proudly over the bar. This is really good as there are no other teams represented in the bar, especially good as the Rags also use the Bowl for their meeting, having been turfed out of their previous watering hole. Any City fans travelling to Guernsey will be sure of a warm welcome here and if you contact me we can arrange some entertainment (this will mainly involve a lot of drinking, though some ten pin bowling may also take place). Hope to see ya soon.
Geoff Collins (geoffco@totalise.co.uk)MUSIC… WHY I’M NOT A DJ!
Hi all. Well I guess you can’t please all the people all of the time and on this occasion it looks like my suggestion didn’t please any of the people for even a fraction of a second. Ok, so I withdraw Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ from the list of possible rabble-rousing anthems we could put out over the old Alba Dancette on match days for the laser blues to run out to. Shame really because when I saw Queen at Maine Road in the 1985 or was it 86 it certainly got the crowd going that day.
Being the wrong side of 40, I’m not entirely au-fait with all this new fangled DJ driven remixing but I have got to say that if Mr Fat Boy Slim’s choice of music is anything like his choice in women then I’ll bow to the FBS pressure group and go with the flow!
Personally speaking I liked the suggestion of Gustav Holst’s ‘Mars… The Bringer of War’ (told you I was the wrong side of 40) but even more intense if your a classics fan is Saen Saint’s ‘Finale from the Symphony Number 3 for Orchestra and Organ’ sad to say, but that really gets the hairs on my neck doing a rumba. Staying with this theme though how about the main theme from Elgar’s ‘IX Enigma Variation (Nimrod)’? I suppose the classics aren’t everyone’s cup of tea so no doubt whatever the choice of the fans it’s going to end up a really heavy artery twitching rock anthem. I quite like ‘Waterfront’ by Simple Minds or even the intro to ‘Are You Gonna go My Way’ by Lenny Kravitz. Just to show that I’m not stuck completely in the mid-eighties, how about the intro to ‘Treat Infamy’ by Rest Assured? Ok so it’s a rip off of the Verve but at least it’s upbeat. You will probably have gathered by now why I chose chemistry as a career and didn’t become a DJ. I’m going to leave this one right now to better, younger minds than mine. Pass me the Battenburg please!
Dave Cash (Vanda_David@tesco.net)DIVERS
All I remember is, the day we signed Rodney Marsh, my Rag brother saying to me “Kinnel you’ve now got the best 2 divers in the business.”
Mick Sheeran (Mick_Sheeran@hotmail.com)ASHES
As they have been scattered (as opposed to buried) there is no way of recovering cremated remains. If we assume that the desire was to have their “last resting place” at the place where they watched the Blues, then, whatever happens to the ground, that wish has been respected.
Historically, one of the aims of those who first advocated cremation in this country was to leave no earthly remains, but that runs counter to many relatives’ desire to have an identifiable place of burial and remembrance. So, in practice, buried cremated remains are now treated in law much the same as bodies. But scattering means they are dispersed and cannot be recovered.
A recent TV series on death and memorials showed cremated remains being buried, not scattered, at Stamford Bridge, but that really would raise awkward questions if ever Chelsea moved home.
Steve Parish (SParish@bloovee.freeserve.co.uk)DUST 2…
In reply to Richard Mottershead’s question (Ashes), I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings but by now these Ashes will have had sh!t on them in the form of both fertiliser and some dodgy teams and will have been spat on several million times by phlegm-filled footballers.
Who, does he imagine, is going to volunteer to collect these ashes, assuming of course, that it isn’t an incey wincey bit tricky to locate them?
Simon Fink – CEWID – City, even when I die (simon.fink@virgin.net)ARE THEY RELATED?
Well, I was going to write in saying – anyone else know it’s Cathal after about 6 words – and it turns out to be “Simon Curtis”. Are they related?
John Riley a.k.a. Hong Kong Bluey (hongkongbluey@hotmail.com)OPINION – JAN KOLLER
I don’t know how JR can say £6 million is too much for Jan Koller. When I saw him score twice against Ireland in March I immediately wondered why he wasn’t with a bigger side than Anderlecht. He was also impressive in Euro 2000 – giving Jaap Stam the runaround. I think it shows a lack of ambition by City for not being willing to pay the going rate for decent strikers – look at Chris Sutton and Nicky Barmby – if they’re worth £6 million, than Koller must be worth 12! With Koller and Goater up front we would have been comfortable next season. It worries me to see Charlton spending £4 million and City still not buying players, or making many firm offers.
P J Carey (pj_carey@hotmail.com)OPINION – CLIFF SEAR
So very sad to hear of Cliff Sear’s death. I even had a premonition. I was talking to my son (he’s 20) about the old days and told him how we called Cliff ‘The sliding tackle’. He always showed the winger (every one had wingers in those days) down the line and would always slide-tackle them and always get the ball. Cliff, was and still is, for supporters of my generation, typical of ‘stars’ of yesteryear. I remember coming from town to Wythenshawe around 1960 and going via Maine Road (to get some tickets for my softy uncles for the main stand … the only seated part of the ground, hence the need for tickets). Cliff was on the bus to go training. I was overawed and couldn’t get any words out but he was brilliant. Imagine Ginola, Beckham et al on a bus nowadays <smile>. Anyway a slight fault with your Wrexham guy: he didn’t displace Little, he played with him. Roy Little went to right back after Jimmy Meadows got finished after Wembley ’55. Then it was Trautmann (a slightly talented ‘keeper), Sear, Ewing, Paul, Little (mostly for a couple of seasons).
Jack Millington (jackblue@ntlworld.com)OPINION – OPENING MUSIC/ANTHEMS
I don’t normally get involved in debates but feel moved by some of the suggestions for this season (we will rock you – Urrrgh).
I’m with Simon Curtis, last season’s Fat Boy Slim, Right Here, Right Now makes me tingle just thinking about it. I also agree that the possibilities of the away team coming out to a deafening crescendo of ‘Roll with it’ complete with the laser show makes me a bit giddy.
I can hear both tunes already, interspersed with ‘ladies and gentlemen, a big Maine Road welcome to… manchester united… AND MANCHESTERRRRR CITYYYYYYYY’.
Roll on November 18th.
CTID, Dave Ball (David.F.Ball@unilever.com)OPINION – CRY FOUL, OR DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER?
Before starting this I should explain for non Manc. readers of MCIVTA that Blues call our local evening paper the M.U.E.N. The U being a reference to that lot from out of town and the disproportionate amount of favourable coverage they receive. Well the local Rag, that’s the paper not a fan from the Swamp, have just excelled themselves. On Thursday 20th July they had a full centre spread in the Sports section serialising, in ‘two parts’, a new book, ‘Blue Moon Rising’. According to the M.U.E.N. the book is “an account of Manchester City’s fall from and rise back to the Premiership.” Now my apologies are offered here as I will probably sound as thick as two short planks, but, if you serialise something in two parts you would expect part one to be about our three disastrous years as we swapped managers in the same way a 15-year-old swops spit. Part two would then cover our turn around with Wembley, Blackburn and our unswerving loyalty getting special mentions. Sadly no, this is after all the paper that struggles to print anything decent about us, so instead we got – Part 1, this was devoted almost exclusively to Francis Lee whinging on about he wasn’t a failure but everyone else was and a short aside about Kinkladze. Part Two highlighted the Swales years(?) under the huge headline, “The Takeover Killed Him”; we are now going further back into our decline rather than forward. There was also an article about how Brian Kidd could have been our manager. Pardon, I thought this was about us; and finally a bit about some bloke that could have been the Chairman instead of Lee. Not one mention of the last two fantastic seasons when Messers Bernstein, Royle and Donachie, ably supported by 15 our so players and thirty thousand plus fans re-floated the Titanic that is Manchester City.
I presume the book they were supposed to be serialising is better and does in fact cover our ‘rise’ but as one of the writers is an ex-M.U.E.N. reporter I somehow doubt it. Perhaps I am naïve to think that the fantastic achievements of our team are worthy of mention in our local paper despite their obvious bias. If anyone else read the articles I would be interested in their thoughts. Perhaps just to make me feel better, I’ve just launched an e-mail at the paper although I don’t think for one moment it will do any good as the biased reporting has gone on for years.
Nigel Pickles (pickles@brooklands312.freeserve.co.uk)OPINION – FRANNIE LEE
How Francis Lee can say he didn’t fail I do not know. I for one am not bitter towards him one bit, he gave his best on the field and tried but failed to do his best off the pitch. Despite what he says. Many people will have differing views on where he failed but I think he failed initially in the way Brian Horton was sacked, sacked for keeping the team in the Premiership with no funds available to buy players. Second mistake was the now infamous Alan Ball appointment, how he cannot accept blame and failure for this I do not know. To me it is simple. I run my own business, and whenever anything goes wrong, ultimately the buck stops with me, and I accept any errors. Furthermore, I will defend my staff to the hilt (even if privately I felt they were in the wrong) and accept any blame myself; the reason for this is simple: I employed the staff therefore unless I dismissed them early in their contract once I found out their credentials weren’t up to it, then I made the mistake, not them. Therefore blasting Frank Clark for buying Bradbury is wrong. It was a bad buy, but surely Frank didn’t have the cheque book? Surely Lee should have been there to motivate his staff and boost morale where it was lacking, for one I don’t think he did. As for his off-field successes, I do not call a low-priced scrip issue that cost the club £5m or thereabouts a success. Nor do I call a slump in the share price from 175p to the low of 85p when we were relegated a success, in fact in light of our anticipated move to a bigger stadium, was the Kippax street a success at around £11m to build? Didn’t Bolton buy an entire stadium for just a couple of million more? somehow I think Mr Lee is suffering from selective memory disorder or amnesia, or is it just downright arrogance? Whatever it is someone should inform him that he is welcome at Maine Road anytime for his performances on the field, but off the field he should hope people quickly forget.
James Talbot (JT@lmdweb.com)OPINION – MUSIC AT MATCHES
Well done, Simon Curtis – a brilliant contribution on music at matches! The only problem with this sort of debate is that you have to be familiar with the tunes! I must admit that I found the booming version of “We will rock you” at Maine Road really worked for getting the atmosphere going. But, at the end of the day it is only a Queen song. For me, proper intimidation of the opposition rquires something stronger. How about Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries”, used so effectively as background music to the helicopter attacks in “Apocalypse Now”? Or Holst’s “Mars, the Bringer of War” is as baleful a piece of music as you are ever likely to hear. As a curtain raiser to either of those two, you could have Ron Goodwin’s theme from “633 Squadron” – as rousing and as British as the Blitz and the Queen Mum. If we really must have rock’n’roll, how about my all-time favourite – the Kinks’ “You really Got Me” – great guitar riff – and pretty appropriate words!
Anthony O’Leary (AOLEARY@bge.ie)OPINION – EHIOGO DEAL
As things stand today Monday, the Ugo deal appears to be pending on what happens with West Brom; as most of us are aware W.B.A. have a 50% clause in the contract when they transfered Ugo to Villa.
An update is Villa have offered £1 million to West Brom, stating that Villa developed Ugo, with an attitude of take the £1 million, or 50% of nothing is nothing. Of course West Brom say a contract is a contract, but sounds like West Brom should take what they can now, or lose everything. Let’s hope the whole thing goes through and Ugo plays for City! I do think that Ugo would be a great player for City, just what the Doctor Royle ordered.
Ernie Barrow, CTID (BarrowLoyalBlue@aol.com)OPINION – MUSIC
Well, I have to agree that after the amazing end to Wembley ’99, the Quo rubbish was not what I would have requested, had we been given a choice. How about… eeerr… yeh why not?… to the Andy Pandy tune… Man City are coming to play… tra la la la la la, Man City are coming to play tra la la la la! Should make the away supporters show tons of respect.
Or anything by the Ramones? Or Tommy Steele: Singing the Blues… not! Slade: Cum on feel the noize; Simple Minds: Kick it in; AC-DC: For those about to rock (we salute you); The Clash: Blue riot (slightly edited!); The Alarm: The chant has just begun; Black Sabbath: Never say die; Iron Maiden: Be quick or be dead; Steppenwolf: Born to be wild; Showaddywaddy: Blue moon? Nah! The Who: Let’s see action; Thin Lizzy: The boys are back (in town)… which is my favourite.
Hate to say it, but, Queen have some good tracks too. Perhaps at the end of a win we could play Another one bites the dust? Or is that too Walsall-Northampton?
Mark Redgrave (citytilidiemazza@talk21.com)OPINION – OPENING THEMES
Interesting discussion. Whatever we choose it has to be loud and full of bass and intense.
I regularly get castigated by all and sundry for my eclectic taste in music so please feel free to ignore or laugh at my suggestions. I would hate to see/hear any middle of the road tripe being played. That really discounts most chart music over the last decade. I would also knock Fat Boy Slim into touch on the grounds of marrying that Rag loving muppet.
So how about some Chemical Brothers or Prodigy. “Block Rocking Beats” or “Elektrobank” from the former or from Prodigy “Diesel Power”. A theme that makes the hair stand on the back of my neck is the opening except of “The Firebird Suite” which is what Yes have come out on stage to over the last 30 years, composed by Stravinsky. It sets you up for over two hours of what I consider to be the best rock music ever written/performed.
Failing all that Chumbawumba “I get knocked down…” has been mentioned before and I’m surprised not more often because if any song describes the feelings and emotions of a Blue it’s that song.
Jonathan Tod a.k.a. Bury Blue (Jonathan_M_Tod@sbphrd.com)REQUEST – QUEENSLAND BLUES
I recently (5th May 2000!) came over to OZ for a year or two… and would love to make contact with any other Blues in the Queensland area. Please contact me via email.
Many thanks, Tony Lingard – City fan from 1958 to ? (tonylingard@optusnet.com.au)REQUEST – CITYCARD INFO
Has anyone received their Citycards yet? I’ve noticed my payment has been taken but haven’t received anything so far…
Dan Nunn (thenunns@hotmail.com)REQUEST – SOUTH AMERICAN CONTACT?
Due to very poor planning, I’m going to miss the opening 3 games of the season. Does anyone know of any places in Lima, Cusco and La Paz where a Blue can keep his sanity and find out scores etc.
M Joyce (mjoyce@talk21.com)REQUEST – NEW DELHI BLUES!
Anyone out there live in New Delhi? Great timing on my behalf – I’m moving there with work in October. So I’ll just have to get the satellite TV all set up. Any other Blues out there eager to watch City games/highlights – or know of any bars/hotels where you can watch it?
Matt Jowett (mjowett@bigfoot.com)REQUEST – GERMAN MCFC FAN
Greetings from Sebbi from Germany. I’m so glad that we are back in Premier League. Thanks to the team for the great season 1999/00. The best club from world is back in Premier League. I’m looking forward to the next season, especially to the derby against United. By the way thanks to the English squad for beating Germany 1:0 in Euro 2000. A great moment in history. So we’ve had two times to get drunken. I’ve seen many games in England, but never MCFC. So I hope I can see Man. City this season live at Maine Road. I would be happy if I can get contact to Manchester City supporters from all over the world. Sorry for my English but I’m very drunken. If you’re interested in a german Man. City supporter whose heart is beating for England and MCFC please call me at my address: Sorry but I have no E-Mail address because I’m writing from a friend. My address is:
Sebastian Striemer (24 years) Hormeckestr. 4 57368 Lennestadt – Elspe Germany
OFFER – PROGRAMMES FOR SALE
I have the 1933 FA Cup Final vs. Everton in near mint condition up for sale. I will consider any offers and I will make a decision on the offers I receive.
I also have every programme from the 1967-68 season home and away up for sale. As this is the last time we won the league I am looking for offers that begin at £150.
If you are interested then please e-mail me.
Chris Craddock CTID (craddy_99@hotmail.com)HUMOUR
In 2017 Posh and Becks are hounded out of the UK and set off to California to buy a ranch. Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble.
Years of designer clothes and Brooklyn’s drug habit has taken its toll. In order to keep the bank from repossessing the ranch, they need to purchase a bull so that they can breed their own stock.
Posh looks at the bank balance then takes their last $600 out west to another ranch where a man has a prize bull for sale. Upon leaving, she tells David “When I get there, if I decide to buy the bull, I’ll contact you to drive out after me and bring it home.”
Posh arrives at the man’s ranch, inspects the bull, and decides she wants to buy it. The man tells her that he can sell it for $599, no less.
After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send David a telegram to tell him the news.
She walks into the telegraph office, and says, “I want to send a telegram to David Beckham telling him that I’ve bought a bull for our ranch. I need him to hitch the trailer to our pick-up truck and drive out here so we can take it home.”
The telegraph operator explains that he’ll be glad to help her, then adds, “It’s just 99 cents a word.” Well, after paying for the bull, Posh only has $1 left. She realises that she’ll only be able to send David one word.
After thinking for a few minutes, she nods, and says, “I want you to send him the word ‘comfortable’.”
The telegraph operator shakes his head. “How is he ever going to know that you want him to hitch the trailer to your pick-up truck and drive out here to haul that bull back to your ranch if you send him the word, ‘comfortable’?”
Posh explains, “David’s not such a good reader. He’ll read it slow!”
(Origin unknown – received by e-mail)
CTID, Cathal Whelehan (wheelie@mancity.net)WHY BLUE?
My City connection goes back to 1984. Still a teenager and along with the other members of a band I was in, I relocated from my home town of Dundee to Manchester. The objective was pretty simple; to make it in the music biz! Manchester was in the infancy of what became something of a golden age of in terms of its contribution to UK popular culture, and was increasingly viewed as the place to be. Three out the four of us were die-hard Dundee FC fans, and without any particular club allegiance beyond Scotland, we naturally looked forward to seeing the big English games at both grounds. Remember, this was in days of turn up at five-to-three and pay-at-the-gate. Then, corporate hospitality meant a welcome greeting from a receptionist in an office block!
Unfortunately, most of the bigger games tended to take place ‘elsewhere’ in the city at that time, and consequently I frequented OT more than MR. However, although the games there tended to be decent I found the OT crowd contributed nothing but dissent and petulance to the atmosphere, seemingly bound by a collective vendetta against their own team! By contrast, the Maine Road experience became increasingly more enjoyable, with the club’s considerable toils paradoxically creating a unity and spirit in the City Faithful which I would speculate is unsurpassed at club level in the UK.
The City clincher came for me at OT, when they had arguably the best club midfield in Europe, featuring Robson, Strachan and Olsen. Everton had the upper hand, and the bile which met the occasional poor piece of control or slightly wayward pass verged on unabashed hatred which I couldn’t reconcile with what I believed supporting your team was all about. “We need a new midfield” was the consensus! I walked out, my neutrality transformed into City allegiance for life. In retrospect, it could only have ever been City for me because, despite the lack of success, managerial flops and unworthy players, it feels right.
Support in the One Blue Faith is only strengthened by what happens across the city, which is something my glory-hunting friends in both Dundee and Edinburgh fail to understand. Perhaps it’s been for the best that City had to end the years of mediocrity by finally levelling out, albeit at a division lower than we could’ve imagined, and re-building (quite literally, if the move to the new stadium proceeds). The price of success will continue to be home sell-outs which unfortunately deny thousands the chance to see City, including far-flung devotees like myself. However, the Blue touch-paper will be lit here at every terrestrial, cable and satellite opportunity.
Now married, with a wee boy and girl (plus no. 3 on the way), I’d be confident that a free-will choice would reveal a genetic pre-disposition to City. But in order to dilute media U-hype-ted, I’ll stack the odds with some subliminal indoctrination to ensure the City enclave in this part of Edinburgh will soon be quadrupled.
Colin Judge (Colin.Judge@scotland.gov.uk)WWW MANCHESTER CITY SUPPORTERS’ HOME PAGE:
http://www.uit.no/mancity/
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