Newsletter #671

Welcome to the New Year! As I write this, City have just drawn away from home (1-1), a result which may mark an end to a dismal run, or which perhaps merely postpones what many people now openly fear? Saturday’s performance against a very ordinary Charlton side was abject indeed, and there was a palpable sense of déjà vu about the proceedings. At times I felt as though I was reliving some nightmare performance from the days of the high-pitched one: extensive head tennis; inability to string more than two passes together; players hiding; no-one running into space, comical goalkeeping errors etc. However, the biggest surge of déjà vu was the arrival of Huckerby, who was greeted as a saviour by the assembled masses – in an instant I was transported back to Bramhall Lane where I once witnessed a similar welcome for another would be saviour of a poor team – The Jarrow Arrow. Let’s hope Huckerby and the team don’t repeat any more history.

On the way home from the game, GMR had Paul Lake as the match expert. He was refreshingly honest and had many suggestions to make, unlike the anodyne and politically correct David White. There were the usual calls for JR’s head, but amongst the gut-reactions were a couple of thought-provoking calls with which I had much sympathy. The first was a request for the return of Andy Morrison; the caller felt that Haaland just wasn’t up to the job and that what the team needed was an aggressive, passionate nutter at the back who would physically intimidate the players who were shirking and hiding from the game. I personally think there’s a lot to be said for this, as on Saturday we looked utterly devoid of leadership. The second caller questioned JR’s tactics with respect to the right and left back positions. He wondered whether it was in any way a surprise that Edghill had been ‘hung’ and his much vaunted replacement now appeared to be heading down the same road. Could it possibly be that JR expects too much of these players? Charvet constantly had to play 40-yard balls because there was no-one with a country mile of him to pass forward to, either that or the player was simply stood behind a Charlton midfielder. He is also asked to push up like a wing back when he clearly isn’t that type of player, he’s an out and out full back. Time and time again we are caught because our full backs are way up field; it happens to Tiatto a lot but he’s flavour of the year so everyone ignores it. Any comments?

NEWS SUMMARY

Part I – Match Results and Reaction

Improved Display Earns Point at Coventry: Manchester City fielded a much-changed team at Coventry on New Year’s Day, with several surprise names in the line-up. And Joe Royle’s selection policy was vindicated as the Blues turned in an improved performance to earn a 1-1 draw. Royle made six changes from the team which started on Saturday against Charlton, with Ian Bishop deputising for the injured Kevin Horlock, and Wanchope, Huckerby, Granville, Morrison and Edghill replacing Goater, Dickov, Wiekens, Wright-Phillips and Charvet. And City were well worth a draw in a pulsating clash, with Paulo Wanchope’s 54th-minute strike being cancelled out by a 62nd-minute long-range effort from the home side’s full-back Marc Edworthy. City stay in 19th place following the New Year fixtures, with 20 points from 22 games.

Press Association Report Blames Weaver: Nicky Weaver is enduring his most difficult period since breaking into the Manchester City first-team. And the Press Association’s report on the Blues’ game at Coventry on Monday, released within 25 minutes of the final whistle, blames the England under-21 man for another costly error. City had taken the lead at Highfield Road through Paulo Wanchope, but saw Coventry full-back Marc Edworthy equalise 18 minutes from time with a thirty-yard shot. However, the PA’s man at the game felt that the City goalkeeper should have stopped Edworthy’s attempt comfortably – rather than allowing the ball to pass under his body and into the net. Joe Royle had blamed Weaver for a late Aston Villa equaliser against the Blues just over a fortnight ago, while the 21-year-old was also criticised for his contribution to the Ipswich leveller in the Worthington Cup quarter final four days later and Charlton’s second at Maine Road on Saturday.

Sorry City Thrashed by Addicks: Manchester City began the New Year in the Premiership relegation zone after a catastrophic defeat at home to Charlton on Saturday. For the second time in the season, the Blues were routed by the Londoners and ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline. City gifted the visitors two first-half goals, both scored by Finnish international Jonatan Johansson. And the Addicks doubled their advantage in the second period with a Graeme Stuart penalty and a freak strike when Steve Howey’s clearance rebounded off Claus Jensen and sailed over Nicky Weaver from long range. The Blues did finally get on the score sheet in the final minute, when new boy Darren Huckerby, on as a substitute, was fouled in the area and converted the spot kick himself. However, the goal was little consolation after a woeful City performance.

Royle Slams Display Against Charlton: Joe Royle will have been a relieved man after seeing his side produce an improved performance to draw at Coventry on Monday. The Blues’ boss had been dismayed by his team’s dismal efforts 48 hours earlier when losing to Charlton. City conceded four goals against the Londoners for the second time in four months, and Royle admitted his side’s efforts against the Addicks fell far short of the standards required in the Premiership. The City manager believes a lack of confidence is hampering his players, but recognises there can be no repeat of Saturday’s display. “There is a problem with confidence,” he admitted. “We are all desperately disappointed after this result. We have to make a big improvement.”

Part II – Transfer News and Rumour

Lomas “Set for Talks on Tuesday”: After completing the signing of Darren Huckerby last Friday, Manchester City could be set to spend again soon. The Blues have admitted an interest in old boy Steve Lomas and it’s reported in some quarters that a deal for the West Ham star is close. City’s official website confirmed on Friday that Joe Royle had spoken to his Upton Park counterpart Harry Redknapp about the Northern Ireland man. And it’s being claimed by some sources that the player will stay in Manchester after the Hammers’ league game at Old Trafford on Monday evening for talks at Maine Road on Tuesday. Lomas, who made his City début in September 1993, left the Blues to join West Ham in a £1.6 million deal in March 1997. The rumoured fee for the midfielder on this occasion is £3.5 million.

Injured Crooks Back at Maine Road: Lee Crooks’ hopes of making an impression during his loan spell at Northampton have been thwarted. The full-back has returned to Maine Road after sustaining an injury in the second game of his loan spell at Sixfields. Crooks joined the Cobblers just before Christmas and made a promising start to his stint with the Second Division side, featuring in a Boxing Day win over Bristol City on his début. But the 22-year-old suffered disappointment in the 2-2 home draw with Wycombe on Saturday, picking up a knock which has necessitated his return to Manchester for treatment.

More Links from Weekend Press: In the last few days, Manchester City have signed Darren Huckerby and shown an interest in Steve Lomas. And the Blues may soon make further moves in the transfer market – if the tabloid press is to be believed. One Sunday newspaper claims that Joe Royle is interested in adding to the already sizeable former Leeds contingent at Maine Road, with Elland Road full-back Danny Mills and Bradford’s ex-Leeds midfielder David Hopkin rated as potential targets. Meanwhile, ex-City star Andy Hinchcliffe is being touted for a return to the club where he first made his name. Sheffield Wednesday are said to be keen to unload one of their highest wage earners and hope that City might be tempted by the prospect of using Terry Cooke as a make-weight in any possible deal. The South Yorkshire outfit are keen to sign the on-loan winger permanently but have no hope of raising the funds for a straight cash transfer.

Part III – General News and Views

Joe – We Still Have Time to Turn Things Round: With only sixteen games of the season remaining, Manchester City are in nineteenth place in the Premiership. But Joe Royle is refusing to panic, saying that the Blues still have time to battle clear of the drop zone. Royle saw his side follow their abject surrender against Charlton with a better performance in Monday’s draw at Coventry. But City stayed in the bottom two in the table despite the point gained at Highfield Road. However, the Blues’ boss still believes in his side’s capacity to recover. “I am very sad to see us in the bottom three,” he reflected. “But we have time to get out of it. We’ve got to dig in now. We’ve done it before and we can do it again.”

Horlock Injury Blow Rocks City: Manchester City suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of Charlton on Saturday. And the scoreline wasn’t the only disappointment for the Blues arising out of the game. Midfielder Kevin Horlock was substituted in the first half against the Addicks with a broken bone in his ankle. And with the ex-Swindon man set to be in plaster for a month, his earliest realistic return date is the end of February. City have also lost Mark Kennedy recently, with the winger likely to be absent for at least another month. But Joe Royle will be hoping for better news of Paul Ritchie, who has resumed training after his groin injury, and Jeff Whitley, who missed the festive programme with a knee problem but could be back for next Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Birmingham.

Huckerby Looking Forward to First-Team Action: Darren Huckerby managed just eleven league starts in a season-and-a-half at Leeds. So the Manchester City new boy is hoping for more regular senior action during his time at Maine Road. Huckerby was an established Premiership front man during his time at Coventry. But after a big-money move to the Yorkshire outfit, the former Lincoln and Newcastle player never really established himself at Elland Road – meaning he’s desperate to get his career back on track under Joe Royle. “I remain confident in my own ability but it is time I started playing again,” he said after completing a £3 million move to the Blues. “It’s no good sitting in the stand. City are a big club and Joe Royle is a man I admire.” Royle, meanwhile, feels that the 24-year-old offers pace and versatility up front – and has the capacity to improve his game.

Haaland – Huck Will Make the Difference: Darren Huckerby has been signed by Manchester City to give the team additional firepower in the fight against relegation. And the striker’s former Leeds team-mate Alfie Haaland thinks the 24-year-old will prove a shrewd acquisition by Joe Royle. Huckerby never really had a chance to prove himself at Elland Road. But Haaland saw enough in training to be sure of the ex-Coventry man’s qualities. “I think he will do really well here,” said the Norwegian. “He likes the ball in front of him and with the right service he should get his fair share of goals. He is certainly one of the quickest players I have ever seen. He should link up well with one of the big guys, either Paulo Wanchope or Shaun Goater.”

MATCH REPORT – ‘LIVE’ I

MANCHESTER CITY vs. CHARLTON ATHLETIC, Saturday 30th December 2000

This has to have been our worst performance of the season. Right from the off we were outplayed by a team which came up with us at home. The lads played without confidence, poor little Shaun kept being passed the ball as he seemed the only one who wanted to do anything approaching football with it. It was that hump it up the park attitude, we didn’t get a good goal scoring oppurtunity once as far as I could see.

Two sloppy goals were given away in a dismal first half, which saw super Kev limp off in obvious pain to add to our worries. The first goal was one of those bobbling about in the box affairs, scored by Johannson. The second was a return to the ‘dark days’; Weaver kicked the ball out to a Charlton player on the half way line; he charged at the goal and swept it across to be hammered in at the far post.

New chap Huckerby came on in the second half. Not a début to remember though. However, we had a few shreds of luck, probably from the shreds of tinsel blown off the festive Kippax seagull – Charlton failed to score with four blokies against one defender. We gave away a penalty and a superb comedy goal – an attempted clearance ricocheted off a Charlton player on the half way line and it floated over Weaver in the net.

Sadly about half the stadium hurried off for something to warm the cockles, and missed all the fun and games at the end including Huckerby scoring on his début (albeit froim the penalty spot) and a bit of banter with the Charlton fans:

Charlton – it’s just like watching manyoo
City – Town full of Munichs etc.
Charlton – You what you what you what?
Me – Hang on if you don’t actually venture outside of the Charlton area of London and see all the Rags in the rest of London then how did you get to Manchester (sadly I’ll never become a great terrace songsmith will I)?
City – we are not we’re not really here
Me – Surely you are not really here?

F/T City 1-4 Charlton

City:

              Weaver
Charvet,  Dunne,  Howey,  Tiatto
Horlock, Wiekens, Haaland, Wright-Phillips
           Goater, Dickov

Subs – Darren Huckerby, Bishop, Granville

Weaver 5; Charvet 4; Dunne 5; Howey 6; Tiatto 8; Horlock 5; Wiekens 4; Haaland 4; SWP 7 (incidentally the only City player to wear gloves, though he does have the highest surface area to mass ratio in the squad so I think we should forgive him); Goater 5; Dickov 5

MATCH REPORT – ‘LIVE’ II

MANCHESTER CITY vs. CHARLTON ATHLETIC, Saturday 30th December 2000

From the kick off we were crap, we got progressively worse and gave away 2 silly first half goals without a shot for their goalkeeper to make all half. Laurent (no better than Edghill) Charvet was having a stinker and was replaced by new boy Huckerby with Haaland reverting to his better position of right back. We kicked off the second half thinking we can only get better; wrong, we got worse still and their goalkeeper still did not have a shot to save. We gave away a silly penalty and then I along with about 15,000 other fans could stand no more and walked out. City fans deserve better than this sort of humiliation. I feel sorry for the young kids dressed in their new City track suits, coats, bob hats and what have you. We need a good creative midfielder, a decent right back and I’m sorry but I don’t think Goater is Premiership quality; he relies on defenders making mistakes and then he pounces but it is not going to happen in the Premiership like it does in the 1st and 2nd Divisions. Sorry to go on and be so negative but I’m absolutely gutted after the Derby game and today’s and then finding out we are 2nd from bottom. Happy New Year to you all.

S.A.F.E. – ACTION FOR CITY FANS

Standing Areas For Eastlands
Spokesperson Phill Gatenby.
P.O. Box 37 Rossendale Lancs BB4 8GN
Tel: 07887 884 653 e-mail: safestanding@hotmail.com
http://www.footballsupporter.net/safe/

27th December 2000

The campaign is hotting up now, with the media covering the issue of safe standing areas extensively since Kate Hoey’s appearance on Weekend Watchdog.

City’s response, however, has been disappointing, with Chris Bird stating the following in the MEN Friday 22nd December: ‘We have said all along that unless Government legislation changed it is not for us to say what standing there should be or shouldn’t be.’

Firstly, there is no Government legislation on this issue – just a regulation that only needs a Minister to announce changes in the Commons for the ruling to be overturned. Secondly, unless people / organisations voice opinions, then opinion will never be changed. If City do want standing areas then they must come out and say so (equally if they don’t want it). Charlton Athletic have come out and stated they want it – as did the chairman of Leicester City (and new boss of Wembley too). Other clubs have privately stated their support, but this private support needs to be channelled into the open, so those at the Premier League (for example, who slapped Charlton’s wrists for daring to voice an opinion), will realise the strength of support the campaign has within clubs.

So, I ask all individual City fans and branches of both Supporters’ Associations not only to support the campaign but to write to Chris Bird outlining your support and asking the club to discuss the issue at a forthcoming directors’ meeting and issue a statement on the outcome.

Chris Bird has said time and time again, how at Eastlands, the club is keen to consult with fans, generate an atmosphere, keep admission costs down and attract more supporters. With safe standing areas behind each goal, the capacity could easily be 58,000 (10,000 more than if all seated) resulting in all of the above comments from Chris Bird being catered for. The club has praised City’s fans for years and has always said they are prepared to listen to the views of fans. Now is the time to let the club know how we feel on this issue.

Please write now.Don’t be apathetic and assume someone else will do it. If you want to standup at Eastlands then help pave the way by writing to Chris Bird with your support for the campaign. Please let me know of any responses you receive. Thanks.

CITY CALENDAR

Having nothing better to do, I’ve taken up a new hobby of sorts. Here’s some dates in City’s history that folk might remember.

This week:

January 1st
In 1987 Imre Varadi scored in the 1-1 draw at Watford in Division 1.
In 1920 Olympic gold medalist Max Woosnam made his début for City at centre-half vs. Bradford.

January 2nd
In 1978 Gary Owen scored the winner as City won 1-0 at Leicester.
In 1956 Bobby Johnstone scored 3 in the 4-1 win over Portsmouth.

January 3rd
6-0 win over Hartlepool in the F.A. Cup 1978. Dennis Tueart scored 2.
In 1953 Dave Ewing’s first game for City in the 1-1 draw vs. United.

January 4th
In 1947 20,000 saw City win at Chesterfield.

January 5th
In 1980 City were beaten in the third round of the cup at lowly Halifax.

January 6th
In 1970 Francis Lee scored as City drew 1-1 at Burnley.

January 7th
Billy Meredith’s goal beat Stoke in 1905.

January 8th
In 1972 City got a point at Tottenham, Wyn Davies scoring.

Also, with City’s cup match vs. Birmingham coming up, remember that City have twice before played the Brummies in the cup in the first week of January, losing 1-4 in 1927, and 0-2 in 1951 – but both those were away from home.

WHAT’S THE OPPOSITE OF ROSE COLOURED SPECS?

If you were a cynic (not like me of course, who said that?), you could look at City’s few wins this season in a different light, maybe as follows:

• Sunderland 4-2 – First home Premier League game euphoria?
• Leeds 2-1 – A complete aberration, a one-off.
• Bradford 2-0 – The only team in the Premier League worse than us!
• Southampton 2-0 – Two breakaway goals?
• Everton 5-0 – Everton played like amateurs on the day, missed several chances.

Apart from that, there’s no denying the rest of the results, and many performances this season have been awful. It’s time to stop the self-congratulatory “we’ve got enough quality players to stay up” back-slapping and get real. At the moment we are just not good enough and thoroughly deserve to be where we are.

We’re down at the bottom now and have got a fight on our hands to finish 15th, let alone much higher. The (2nd) surrender to Charlton will only be acceptable on one condition – that it defines the absolute low point of the season.

If we don’t improve from here then we’re dead in the water. Showing the right levels of commitment, concentration, organisation and skill against Coventry would be a welcome start (obviously I’m writing this before Jan 1st!).

I can be a lot more depressing than this if I want to you know … come on City, cheer me up.

OPINION – HUCKERBY

A rather interesting day. I wonder if we won’t look back on today as the day we overpaid by £1 million for the wrong striker?

Some background first. I don’t hate Man Utd. Sorry, if this makes me a lesser Man City fan then so be it. I enjoy good football and will sit and watch a Liverpool drubbing of Arsenal quite happily. Or Sunderland knocking four past Chelsea in one half – great game was that. Yes, I’d prefer Utd to lose, but ask me who the greatest English player of all time was and I’ll tell you Duncan Edwards. Ask me who is the best pure passer in the game today and I’ll reply Beckham. I’ll argue that England’s midfield should be built around Frank Lampard jr. rather than Beckham, not because I “hate” a Man Utd player but because I truly believe that Lampard is better suited to that rôle.

I say all this because I feel we needlessly denigrate Utd players. I want the best possible team on the field for City and if that meant having Wes Brown, Paul Scholes and David Beckham on the team (anyone got a spare 35 million quid?) I’d say yes in a heartbeat. Right now, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Leeds Utd all have something in common. Each is a major club and the pressure of winning is so great that they bring in talent from outside the club rather than allowing their youngsters to mature. Of course there are exceptions, Alan Smith at Leeds for example, but in general the path to the Premiership is blocked for the high quality youngsters that these major teams have in their reserves (Man Utd weren’t winning every blasted thing in sight when they had to blood their youngsters).

So at each of these clubs are excellent players who are blocked by a world class player. This is where I feel City should be harvesting a number of players to supplement the hoped for infusion from our own youth system. One such player is David Healy at Manchester Utd. Or should I say he was at Man Utd because Preston North End in a fit of brilliance not usually associated with that club just snapped him up for 1.5 million quid. Healy is a very, very promising striker whose path at Utd has been blocked for 2 years by Utd’s top 4 strikers. Yet he has performed at the International level already and shown excellent form.

Why oh why didn’t we go after Healy? £1.5 million for a gifted goalscorer who has already shown international pedigree should have been a no-brainer. And yet I wonder if the reaction of the fans wasn’t taken into account rather than a pure footballing decision?

Now to Huckerby. I actually like this move and the price is reasonable. Royle and Co. have been doing this now for a while, picking players up who haven’t fit, Cooke, Kennedy, Howey, Prior, Granville, Grant etc. Sure, not every one works, but I’d rather see a 50% rate of return on players in the £1-3 million range than a couple of 5 million pound duds – or more, see Middlesbrough…

And as I’ve said before I don’t care if Cooke is ex Utd and turns completely useless. If not for him we don’t get out of the 2nd Division at the first attempt.

Will Huckerby be a success? I’m not sure. I have a sneaking suspicion that if used correctly his speed will open up defences that will enable the team as a whole to more productive rather than necessarily having Huckerby score a hat full of goals. Healy, on the other hand, is going to be one that scores goals for a long time.

What I would like to know about Huckerby was whether Middlesbrough were interested. Venables is reknowned for getting the best out of players and his recent tactical decisions such as pulling his strikers out wide to allow his wing backs to run inside have gained Boro 7 points out of a possible 9. I’d feel more comfortable about Huckerby if Venables was after him. Boro are going to escape relegation I’m sure so the issue is which teams above City are going to fall back to us.

And one more thing. I still don’t like Royle. I said it when he got us promoted twice and I’ll say it now. I’m just not a fan. I tip my hat to the man and thank him for all that he has done. But I honestly believe that we can and will be better with another manager. Obviously I’m a fan of Venables, Walker too. You can denigrate Ferguson all you want but his youth programmes at St. Mirren, Aberdeen and Man Utd have all paid dividends. We need a manager who also has the club humming from top to bottom and I just don’t get that impression with Royle.

So no, I’m not a secret Red. I just won’t “rag” on them for no good reason. And in Healy I think we just missed a golden opportunity…

OPINION – NICKY WEAVER

Although he’s been great for two years I think Joe should have a long, hard think about giving Nicky a rest. He’s come so far so quickly and of all the players we’ve had over the past 2 years, he’s one of a handful who have made the transition from Second Division to the Premiership. However, some of his performances this season in my opinion have underlined his lack of experience at Premiership level. Nicky is still a great prospect but I think he needs to be out of the spotlight for a while in order to regain some obvious lost confidence. In Saturday’s game against Charlton, his ludicrous ball which led to the second Charlton goal was the icing on the cake for me. During the last few games his positioning has been questionable, he has spilled shots which should have been comfortable and has not even made a save when it was perfectly savable preferring instead to either not move or make a ridiculous and futile diving attempt. Charlton’s fourth goal was unlucky but look how far out Nicky was. Tommy Wright did well against Newcastle so maybe it’s time he stepped in for a few games to give Nicky a well earned rest. As long as he’s on the field I’ll cheer him as loud as anyone but in my view he needs a breather!

OPINION – KEEP THE FAITH

I am a City supporter living in Southampton. I have followed City for about 38 years. Can you imagine the s**t I have to listen to on Mondays, when I am at work? But do I let it get me down – no! We will see who is taking the p#ss out of who come the end of the season. Joe will get it right, of that I am certain. So, don’t give up. Keep the faith!

OPINION – JOE ROYLE

I heard the boo boys wailing on GMR (over the Internet) on Saturday after the match and was very disappointed to hear people calling for Joe and his staff to be sacked. Now it is often said that the manager should always carry the can when the team doesn’t perform – but in this case I beg to differ. I believe that the combination of Joe and the Chairman has saved the club from an ignominious slide to the bottom of the league pile (Division 3). I strongly believe that these two are worth more than the majority of players at the club. After saying that I don’t wish to imply that I think that everything they do is correct (I have big issues with the tactics we play – particularly the way we expose our right back, be he Edgy or Charvet), but I do believe that given time Joe and the Chairman will sort out the issues. I don’t know if we will suffer relegation this year – that would be a major disappointment – but to lose Royle to the boo boys – that would be a tragedy. In the long run Joe is the best man for the job. Does any sane person want to return to the spectacle of three years ago when we were such a joke about our revolving door to the Manager’s office?

OPINION – CAPTAIN

Does anyone share the view that we need a new captain? That is, someone who can show some leadership on the pitch (which we had when Pollock and later Andy Morrison were captain). Haaland seems to have a ‘hang-dog’ look about him and never seems to be geeing the other players on. I know it sounds retrograde but I’d like to see Andy Morrison back for just a few games. Further, why is it that we seem to send our own players who can pass the ball out on loan and continue to use players who seem unable to distribute the ball to their teammates? I understand Tony Grant is doing well at WBA – while enough has been said about Terry Cooke on these pages (JR will never pick him again, which in my view is a shame). I fear for our chances of survival if Royle doesn’t do something about the midfield – especially now Horlock is out for a couple of months. Incidentally, did anyone hear Peter Barnes’ comments on Radio Manchester after the game against Derby? He was surprised at how bad the passing was; especially given the wages paid.

PREDICTIONS LEAGUE

As at December 30th (23:00) the Essex & Suffolk CSA predictions league looks like this…

PLAYER            SCORE
Dove Juniors        42
Ken Sinclair        40
Christopher Patrick 38
Duncan Madden-Ross  37
Wayne Prior         34
Micheal Hornibrook  34
Neil Sinclair       34
Mark Evans          34
Gary Osman          34
Derrick Saddler     33
Lee Dixie           31
Will Pritchard      30
Tony Dove           30
Marie Saffill       29
Cliff Shelley       27
Tom Robertson       27
Paul Gallagher      26
Steve Marriott      26
Dominic Flint       25
Desmond Moran       25
Sean Curley         23
Jackie Nugent       23
Neil Paterson       22
Perry Walsh         22
Dave Ellison        21
Colin Little        20
Graham Locker       19
Angie Masters       19
Bev & Dist CSA      18
Ian Reeves          17
Julie Myers         15

OFFER – BIRMINGHAM TICKET

I have a ticket for the Birmingham match which I am unable to use. This is in the Main Stand (A-block) and cost £19. I can guarantee a good view since the ticket is for my own seat. Unfortunately I can’t go but the ticket is on offer at the price I have paid. Anyone interested should e-mail me straight away so I can post the ticket on. I must be contacted by Wednesday – I’m unavailable after that. Interested parties can phone me on Jan 2nd at work (0117 928 6551, ask for Dr Burgess) or e-mail me with your address.

I hope someone can use the ticket and that we win (for a change!).

Thanks.

RESULTS

Doesn’t include today’s results.

Recent results to 30 December 2000 inclusive.

30 December 2000

Arsenal               2 - 2  Sunderland            38,026
Ipswich Town          3 - 0  Tottenham Hotspur     22,234
Manchester City       1 - 4  Charlton Athletic     33,280
Middlesbrough         1 - 1  Coventry City         30,499
Newcastle United      1 - 1  Manchester United     52,134
Southampton           1 - 0  Derby County          15,075

27 December 2000

Southampton           2 - 0  Tottenham Hotspur     15,237

26 December 2000

Arsenal               6 - 1  Leicester City        38,007
Aston Villa           0 - 1  Manchester United     40,889
Bradford City         1 - 4  Sunderland            20,370
Everton               1 - 2  Coventry City         35,704
Ipswich Town          2 - 2  Chelsea               22,237
Manchester City       0 - 0  Derby County          34,321
Middlesbrough         1 - 0  Liverpool             34,696
Newcastle United      2 - 1  Leeds United          52,118
West Ham United       5 - 0  Charlton Athletic     26,046

23 December 2000

Charlton Athletic     1 - 0  Everton               20,043
Chelsea               3 - 0  Bradford City         33,377
Derby County          2 - 0  Newcastle United      29,978
Leeds United          1 - 2  Aston Villa           39,714
Leicester City        2 - 1  West Ham United       21,524
Liverpool             4 - 0  Arsenal               44,144
Manchester United     2 - 0  Ipswich Town          67,597
Sunderland            1 - 0  Manchester City       47,475
Tottenham Hotspur     0 - 0  Middlesbrough         35,638

22 December 2000

Coventry City         1 - 1  Southampton           18,090

18 December 2000

Tottenham Hotspur     1 - 1  Arsenal               36,062

League table to 30 December 2000 inclusive.

                             HOME          AWAY        OVERALL
                    P  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  GD Pts
 1 Manchester Utd  21  8  1  1 28  5  6  4  1 20 10 14  5  2 48 15  33  47
 2 Arsenal         21  9  2  0 30  7  2  4  4  8 14 11  6  4 38 21  17  39
 3 Ipswich Town    21  5  4  2 17 10  6  0  4 15 12 11  4  6 32 22  10  37
 4 Sunderland      21  7  3  0 12  4  3  3  5 13 17 10  6  5 25 21   4  36
 5 Leicester City  20  6  3  1 15 10  4  2  4  8 11 10  5  5 23 21   2  35
 6 Liverpool       20  8  1  1 23  7  2  2  6 14 18 10  3  7 37 25  12  33
 7 Newcastle Utd   21  6  2  3 15 11  3  2  5  8 15  9  4  8 23 26  -3  31
 8 West Ham United 20  4  4  2 17  9  3  4  3 13 12  7  8  5 30 21   9  29
 9 Aston Villa     19  4  4  1 14  7  3  4  3  9 11  7  8  4 23 18   5  29
10 Charlton Ath.   21  6  3  1 17  7  2  1  8 13 29  8  4  9 30 36  -6  28
11 Chelsea         20  7  2  1 28 10  0  4  6  9 17  7  6  7 37 27  10  27
12 Southampton     21  6  1  4 18 15  1  5  4  9 17  7  6  8 27 32  -5  27
13 Tottenham H.    21  7  3  0 18  7  0  2  9  8 25  7  5  9 26 32  -6  26
14 Leeds United    19  6  0  4 19 14  1  4  4  7 13  7  4  8 26 27  -1  25
15 Everton         20  3  3  4 13 14  3  1  6  8 18  6  4 10 21 32 -11  22
16 Derby County    21  3  5  2 13 15  1  3  7 10 21  4  8  9 23 36 -13  20
17 Coventry City   21  2  3  5  7 14  3  2  6 13 22  5  5 11 20 36 -16  20
18 Middlesbrough   21  2  4  5 10 16  2  3  5 12 13  4  7 10 22 29  -7  19
19 Manchester City 21  3  2  6 16 15  2  2  6 10 22  5  4 12 26 37 -11  19
20 Bradford City   20  2  4  4 10 14  0  2  8  4 23  2  6 12 14 37 -23  12

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http://www.uit.no/mancity/

MCIVTA ADDRESSES:
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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.

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

Editor: