Newsletter #764

Firstly a big McV welcome to Don Barrie who is joining us to provide the news summary since Mike’s departure due to work commitments. Don will be providing a Thursday round-up of the week’s events and any news/rumours/etc. can be sent to him directly. Thank you Don, and welcome aboard!

This issue also has a belated Pompey match report, plenty of opinion on our international line-up, reports of another imminent signing, the whereabouts of Moonchester, requests and Ernie’s Blue humour.

Little else happening apart from our current player of the year travelling out for the Australian’s 2002 qualifying game against Uruguay only to be told that his suspension was still in force!

A visit this Saturday from Shaun Goater’s former team and Division 1 new boys Rotherham. No scoreline predictions for obvious reasons.

NEWS

General News / Announcements

Fazackerley Joins as Coach: On Tuesday, in the least surprising appointment of Kevin Keegan’s tenure as manager, City appointed Derek Fazackerley as first team coach, replacing Willie Doncahie who left to last week to join Sheffield Wednesday. Fazackerley has worked with Keegan before, at Newcastle United and with England. The former Blackburn Rovers defender was initially thought to be battling with Paul Bracewell for the vacant position at City but he emerged as the firm favourite to join Keegan’s staff after the City manager confirmed his interest in a more defence-minded coach. Keegan said: ‘I am delighted that Derek is able to join Manchester City. We have always worked well together, especially during our time at Newcastle. He is a great organiser, and during his playing career he was a top-class defender whose experience will complement the attacking skills we also have at the club.’ Fazackerley fortunately did not claim that we were a massive club or a sleeping giant, adding instead: ‘I am delighted to be working with Kevin, especially at such an exciting time for Manchester City.’

No Need for Tiatto’s World Tour: Danny Tiatto has become a victim of bureaucratic bungling, courtesy of FIFA and Soccer Australia. The City midfielder was sent-off in the first leg of the World Cup play-off clash with New Zealand back in June, so incurring a three-match ban. He missed the second leg against New Zealand, then the two friendlies against Japan and then France, believing that he would be eligible for both matches against Uruguay. However, FIFA have since confirmed that he was banned for the next two competitive games, as friendly games cannot be included as part of the suspension. This has resulted in a pointless Round-the-World trip for Danny, and meant that he could also have played for City at Portsmouth. Tiatto is due to fly back to England on Tuesday, November 27, a day before City go to Blackburn in the Worthington Cup, so his participation in that game must be in severe doubt.

Change in Reserve Fixture Dates: There has been a change in dates for the home and away fixtures against Newcastle Reserves. In effect there has been a switch in dates, so Newcastle will travel to Hyde United’s ground on Thursday, December 13 (7pm) instead of Tuesday, March 19 next year. The return game now takes place on Monday, March 18, 2002 (7pm) and not Monday, December 10.

Bernstein’s Sympathy for Fans: City fans will have noticed the how kick-off times have varied alarmingly from week to week recently – City have had to travel to Nottingham Forest for a 6.15pm kick-off on a Sunday before facing Portsmouth at 12.30pm last Saturday lunchtime. Our chairman is sympathetic, but feels that clubs are powerless to in the face of the TV companies. He said: “I agree that we have had all kinds of issues over kick-off times, but we have no say in this. Unfortunately we are bound contractually by agreements with the Football League or indeed the Premier League. We have fought hard on occasions, but we have to comply with the arrangements that we have with the leagues. Playing at 12.15 or 6.15 isn’t what we want. We would love nothing better than to play at 3pm every Saturday, but unfortunately it’s out of our hands.”

Tribute at West Brom Game: The club has announced plans to hold a minute’s silence before Boxing Day’s game with West Brom at Maine Road for all the former City players who have died this year. Some fans had expressed displeasure that the club had failed to honour Bobby Johnstone earlier this season. Chairman David Bernstein said: “The question of tributes to deceased players is a very difficult one. Bobby Johnstone was obviously a great player for the club and it’s a difficult issue because if you do it for one player, it’s only right that you should do it for all players. It can be difficult to distinguish between a player who played one game and a player who played 100 games. We took the decision that we could not do it, but what we are going to do is stage a minute’s silence before one of the Christmas fixtures to pay tribute to all the players who have died through the last year. We think that this is the best way of reconciling these kind of sensitivities.”

Transfer News and Gossip

Sheffield Wednesday Want our Reserves!: The inevitable speculation has now begun, linking Sheffield Wednesday with just about any City player not currently in the team. It seems Willie Donachie may be interested in getting a number of Blues on loan. The likely lads for a trip across t’Pennines; Terry Cooke, Andy Morrison, and Paul Dickov, while youngsters like Terry Dunfield may also be targeted by Wednesday as the new management team try to introduce fresh faces.

Kilmarnock Interested in Dickov: Another story has emerged this week involving Wembley legend Paul Dickov – there is talk of a potential move to Scottish Premier league strugglers Kilmarnock. He’s recently been linked with moves to Stockport and Oldham, but neither deal took place (presumably because Dickov was injured). He’s now fourth in line for a striker’s spot in the team, so his chances of first team football at Maine Road are limited (yet this seems to have been said about Dicky for the last three years!).

Jarni – Will He? Won’t He?: Confusion has reigned all week over the potential signing of Croatia’s captain, 33-year old Robert Jarni. It was reported earlier in the week that his long running contractual dispute with his current club Las Palmas had been settled. Next came news from the Spanish FA that City had requested international clearance to sign the player. All these moves have now been denied by City, Kevin Keegan has admitted that although he nearly signed the left-sided defensive midfielder a few weeks ago, he does not intend to pursue the matter.

City Look at Non-League Talent: It’s reported that both City and Everton have been checking out the progress of highly-rated Barnet strikers Wayne Purser and Ben Strevens. Reports over the weekend had linked City with a move for Purser and Barnet have confirmed that both Everton and City had been watching the pair, but that no official offer had been made. “Strevens has been in superb form this season and he scored a hat-trick last Tuesday and we were told that scouts from Manchester City and Everton have been watching both players”. Purser once scored three goals in four minutes in the cup and he has a good pedigree. “He is a former England schoolboy and was in the same squad as Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Michael Ball and Wes Brown”, said a Barnet spokesman.

Striker Link Resurfaces: Stories are emerging once more of a possible bid by Kevin Keegan for his former Fulham player, striker Geoff Horsfield. Horsfield is supposed to be unsettled at his current club Birmingham, who bought the player from Keegan’s former side Fulham for £2 million. It is to be hoped that City have to pay nothing like this amount for Horsfield, who was also linked with a move to City soon after Keegan’s appointment last May.

Ex-Blues’ News

Old Boy Handed Owls Trial: Remember Jamie Pollock? Flapped his arms at his team mates a lot, scored the own goal in 1998 that ensured QPR stayed up in Division One while virtually relegating City? Clearly Willie Donachie remembers him fondly – it seems he’s being given a chance to work his magic again at Sheffield Wednesday. He has been given a trial at Wednesday having been frozen out for most of the season at his current club Crystal Palace.

Reactions and Comments

Keegan Unhappy after Portsmouth Defeat: Kevin Keegan has clearly been employing his own version of the “hair dryer” treatment after last weeks capitulation to Portsmouth at Fratton Park. The quote from Keegan runs as follows: “The losing mentality at this club is frightening. It was the same at Newcastle when I first went. The team seemed content that they had played well. But when you play well you win. When you play averagely you win and when you play badly you win. That’s what championship-winning teams are made of and we are nowhere near that. I’ve told them how disappointed I am. We should never have lost.”

Boss Disappointed at Loss of Weatherall: Kevin Keegan has been quoted this week expressing his regret that Bradford defender David Weatherall did not become his third signing of the week. City had agreed to pay £1.2 million but the deal collapsed when he failed his medical. “I am very disappointed for the lad because he came here and was very impressed with the place, including the training ground which is better than most. He liked the medical set up, the gym, and the training we put on but then he failed the medical and we are all upset about that. I rang him up and spoke to him for around 20 minutes and I told him we will monitor the situation. We felt it was too big a risk to pay that sort of money and play him straight away. We felt he needed a bit more time to recuperate.” Weatherall is likely to be out for six weeks with a groin problem.

Squad News

Leon Mike’s Worries for the Future: Leon Mike expressed his concern that he may have blown his chance to feature in Kevin Keegan’s future first team plans. “The manager said I had to grab my opportunity with both hands and I feel, maybe, he thinks that I didn’t seize my moment,” Mike said. “Playing for the Reserves you do not get the sense of the big and hostile crowd and the extra adrenalin that the atmosphere creates. I suppose I did reasonably but I am a striker and I will be rated on goals. I had a great chance just after I had come on with virtually my first touch. I hit it well but the ‘keeper made a good save,” he recalled. “Despite the defeat I thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely want more of it. The fact that my contract is up at the end of the season has to be put out of my mind.” Shaun Goater, who came off injured at Portsmouth to be replaced by Mike, was full of support for the débutant. “I felt and was upset for Leon that he didn’t score because he has seen a lot of people come and go and waited patiently for his chance. He is a young lad, who was understandably nervous, and he has probably not taken the opportunities with the same conviction that he might in training or in the Reserves. Hopefully next time he will do that and show people what an accomplished finisher he can be.”

Injury Update

Bad news for Paul Ritchie, who had hoped to play in Thursday’s reserve team match with the Rags. This will not now take place, as Ritchie is suffering with a groin strain. Better news for two other long term injury casualties – Alfie Haaland and Paul Dickov are due to play in the game at Ewen Fields. Meanwhile, reports that Paulo Wanchope might be ready to play against Blackburn in the Worthington Cup next week are unfounded, according to Kevin Keegan. The player is on target for a return before Christmas. “Paulo is on target,” stressed Kevin Keegan, “but the target we are looking at is still two or three weeks.”

MATCH REPORT: PORTSMOUTH 2 MCFC 1

I wasn’t going to go. I went to the PNE match and it rained and we lost and the view was awful but then I’m spoilt with a nice, central seat in the Main Stand for home matches. Anyway, I’d arranged with my mate the Barnsley fan to go down to the local Sports Bar and watch it on their TVs with a couple or three lunchtime pints. Sorted. Then an email arrives from our kid in Bordon. She’s got two tickets and as Portsmouth’s only 30 miles down the road from her place how do I fancy coming down to see the match and stopping the night? She Who Must Be Obeyed says ‘why not, you don’t see your sister that often’ so Saturday morning sees me leaving Kendal at 5.30 am with a 300 mile journey ahead.

To cut a long story short, after an uneventful trip I arrive at her front door at 10 am and by 11.15 am we’re turning off the A3 onto the dual carriageway that leads to the ground, just 3 miles away. Thirty minutes later, we’re turning left at the Good Companions looking for a parking place. I thought Princess Parkway could be bad on a match day but that was bl**dy ridiculous. Ten minute stroll and we’re at the ground. Two Blues in front of us ask an obliging policeman where the away fans’ stand is and he directs them down the street so we follow. Five minutes later we’re back 50 yards from where we started as PC Plod has sent us an unnecessary quarter of a mile round the block.

We gave up on the slow, shuffling queue for the snack bar, or tin shed on breeze blocks as it turned out to be. There was only one person manning it but to be fair, any more weight would have had the breeze blocks crumbling and the whole shebang tumbling down the terracing.

Taking our seats, we were treated to sight of the lads warming up in our quarter of the field. If appearances were anything to go by, we’d won the match already as they certainly looked the part compared with what appeared to be the Bash Street Kids in the far corner.

About 12.33 pm the match duly gets under way and so does the PE. I haven’t stood up and sat down so many times in an afternoon since we played musical chairs at my 7th birthday party in 1960. First it’s the late arrivals, then everyone notices that the queue for the pies has gone down. Then some action in the far corner. Momentarily, everything settles down so some wag has to sing Stand Up If You Love City. This is doubly frustrating as a lad in front of us thinks it’s a game of Simon Says and doesn’t get the hint he can sit down again until our kid starts singing One Person Standing, There’s Only One Person Standing…

No point in telling you what happened, you were either there, or saw it better than I did on TV or read about it on Sunday, but in short, we turned a one goal lead at half time into a one goal deficit by full time and we only had ourselves to blame, although I can see why Paulo Di Canio felt driven to send this particular referee staggering backwards in comic fashion. Kev was absolutely right. You can’t win matches if you don’t convert your scoring opportunities, and although I think he was a little harsh on Leon Mike in his first appearance, Darren Huckerby should be scoring more from the chances he gets. His technique seems to be either to aim so far from the ‘keeper that he misses the net altogether or to blast the ball as hard as possible straight at him in the hope that he’ll not have time to react or see sense and dodge out of the way. Well, their feisty little Japanese ‘keeper was not for ducking and he stopped anything that came near him, but given his diminutive stature, there surely must have been plenty of empty net to aim at?

The final whistle went too soon and as the Goliaths trudged wearily off the pitch the Davids took their bows. Which reminds me, correct me if I’m wrong, but Portsmouth must be by far the furthest away fixture we have in this division, and the crowd was the largest of their season so far, no little thanks to the City faithful. A little more appreciation of the support would have been appreciated, given the long haul home that the majority had ahead of them. For my part, it was back to Bordon for several long drinks and an excellent dinner before settling down to FA Cup action in MOTD. Best of luck to Whitby Town in their replay!

OPINION: LINE-UP I

I want to respond to Colin Benbow’s concerns about City signing another non-English/British player in the shape of young goalkeeper Kevin Ellegard. I understand he’s supposedly named after KK himself (does anyone else think this sounds like a bit of ‘spin’ like George Weah being a City supporter as a kiddy, and look what happened there).

Anyway, it’s not so much the ‘keeper I’m interested in, but the idea that my team should pay over the odds for a young British ‘keeper (or sign a weaker one for the same money) simply to help keep the home nation national sides well fed with young talent. Well I’m sorry Colin, but with us not even in promotion position in Division 1, I’m not interested in improving England’s chances over City’s. It’d be great to think there wasn’t a compromise here, and that we could field a wholly British squad and be the best, but until the FA and our politicians restrict non-UK players I’ll happily back the Goat, Kinky, Ali B and KK as he searches out our Blues of the future, whichever country they play for.

OPINION: LINE-UP II

I’d like to echo the opinion of Colin Benbow in his concern at the increasing reliance of foreign players within the City ranks. O.K. I know I’m gradually becoming an old fart, and the last time I visited the Kippax terraces regularly we had a diet of Oakes, Pardoe, Corrigan, Booth and Doyle. Where are their modern day counterparts? I even derived a quiet pride in our acquiring the services of Kidd, at the time, preferring to think he’d served his apprenticeship elsewhere before ending up at the place where he should have started anyway! Is the local (Greater Manchester) talent really so poor, and are we so impatient to nurture it? I’m aware it’s not just City’s problem, but football always had its base of local talent supplemented by outsiders. Nowadays it’s the complete reverse. We’re aping the antics of various Premier League set-ups, and we’ll give ourselves an occasional pat on the back when we unearth the odd local talent [Worry not, there’s plenty of young talent coming through the ranks, see Stuart’s updated squad list below – Ed].

A recent contributor presented a Int’l XI and an English XI and upon seeing the list I seriously doubted whether the international team were all that much better?

P.S. Are we going to allow ourselves the luxury of three ‘keepers? How’re the bets running and what are the current odds on Nash and Weaver remaining?

OPINION: GOAT’S GENEROSITY

In reply to Joe Coogan’s ‘Goater unselfishness’, I have the highlights on video. You are right, Goater was only inches away and quite probably could have scored if he had wanted, maybe he was thinking about SWP. I can’t wait for the boy to score, he is definitely earning his (w)right to play at present.

I was at the game and thought we had a good first half but dropped off a bit second half – no surprises there then! When I watched the game on tape that evening, I was so chuffed with the way that the team played, as a team, I can’t seem to record over it. Goater’s 3rd was, personal opinion of course, brilliant build up play from a team that on that form really should not be where we are. Even the commentator was ecstatic every time City threatened or scored, comments like ‘City are so good’ and ‘That was a goal sent from the top drawer of the Premiership’ made you feel proud again, only then came Portsmouth! Not really much comment, watched the game on TV, ref cr@p, SWP good again but did not go right; it was one of those occasions that I think we may be missing Wanchope.

Upward and forward, life is full of mistakes, let’s hope the players learn from it.

OPINION: REPORTED NEW SIGNING

Having been at Bloomfield for the Hapo’el Tel-Aviv vs. Chelsea game a month ago, and just seen the Hapoel vs. Locomotive Moscow game on TV, I think this could be a great buy for City. This article appears in today’s (Thursday’s) Ma’ariv newspaper:

“According to the Slovenian striker, this is the best personal offer he has received, it is the only one which will pay 5 million Marks. Osterc’s contract ends this season, thus Hapo’el’s interest to sell him in the near future.”

“Milan Osterc agreed all personal details with Manchester City, and should move to Maine Road as early as this season. Thus spoke the Hapo’el striker in an interview which was published in a prominent, widespread Slovenian newspaper today. Osterc admitted that the two clubs had yet to come to an agreement, saying ‘I have been talking to Manchester City for a long time now, and they have discovered I have talent in the four times they have seen me play. This was in the game vs. Romania, and in the home games vs. Chelsea and vs. Locomotive Moscow. They are convinced that they want me and the are the only team who have offered to pay 5 million Marks, the amount that Hapo’el demands. They have also offered me the best contract. I have received offer from Germany, Italy and the Premier League, but I am in no rush to go anywhere. Everything depends on my agent, Mila Cicic.'”

Best wishes to Blues everywhere.

OPINION: LATEST SQUAD

Latest Changes:
Christian Negouai joined from Charleroi

Nick Weaver
Brian Murphy
Carlo Nash
Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard
Gerard Wiekens
Richard Edghill
Rhys Day
Danny Granville
Danny Tiatto
Andy Morrison
Steve Howey
Steven Jordan
Paul Ritchie
Laurent Charvet
Richard Dunne
Stuart Pearce
Simon Colosimo
Tyrone Mears
Steven Paisley
Paddy McCarthy
Lucien Mettomo
Joe Barton
Kevin Horlock
Terry Dunfield
Christopher Shuker
Terry Cooke
Jeff Whitley
Alfie Haaland
Dixon Etuhu
Eyal Berkovic
Ali Benarbia
Glenn Whelan
Christian Negouai
Paul Dickov
Shaun Goater
Shaun Wright-Philips
Leon Mike
Christopher Killen (On loan at Port Vale)
Paulo Wanchope
Darren Huckerby
Alioune Toure
Gary Browne

This Year’s U-19’s

Gary Furnival (defender)
Barry Hogan (defender)
Damian Joyce  (midfield)
Andrew Tunnicliffe (forward)
David Hodgson (goalkeeper)
James Almond (forward)
Phil Gilder (midfield)
Stephen Elliot (midfield)
Daniel McTaggert
Adie Orr (forward)
Ciaron Kilheeny (midfield)
Mark Egerton
Ryan McDowall

This years U-17’s

Willo Flood
Lee Croft
Doryl Prophett
Shaun Cartwright
Richard Crawford
Adam James
Ryan McDowell
David Tickle
Quigley (goalkeeper)
Bennett
Craig Smith
Murphy
Bradley Wright-Philips
Jamie Tandy
Richard Harris
Danny Douglas-Pringle
Ireland
Nathan D'Laryea
Brindle
Logan
Karl Bermingham

OPINION: BUNGLING SUSPENSIONS

Danny Tiatto’s time with the Aussie squad has been unceremoniously cut short by FIFA’s bureaucratic bungling. Danny got himself a red card (surprise, surprise) in the match against New Zealand some months back and was given a three match suspension. As a result he missed the friendlies against Japan and France and was set to miss the first World Cup Play-off match against Uruguay. He would, however, have been available for the return match in Montevideo on Sunday.

But in a sharp about face, and in true FIFA style, those fumbling idiots in Geneva suddenly declared that Australia’s games against Japan and France didn’t count towards Tiatto’s suspension. This effectively rules Danny out of Australia’s remaining qualifiers and last I heard he was described as ‘gutted’ and on a plane bound for Maine Road.

Administrators out here weren’t so much upset at the suspension but at the short notice given. Why did FIFA not respond earlier? Their indecision wasted Danny’s time, the Aussies time and robbed City of a key player in a match they subsequently lost. Who knows, he may have made the difference at Portsmouth?

As it happened Australia won without Danny and we now take a 1-0 lead to Montevideo courtesy of a 79th minute penalty convereted by Wolves’ hard man, Kevin Muscat. Muscat aimed his kick directly at the Uruguayan ‘keeper, who courteously dived to his right to avoid the easy save. I’m hoping Australia can sneak a draw or even an away goal in Uruguay to enable Danny to join Paolo Wanchope’s Costa Rica in South Korea/Japan for the 2002 WC.

With Eire, Costa Rica and (touch wood) Australia all making the WC, City should be well represented.

OPINION: MOONCHESTER

In reply to Mike Brown’s request for information on our furry friend from the Blue Moon (MCIVTA 760), I thought the following might be of some use:

Up until 12 months ago the custodian of the costume was a certain George Madden. George was dedicated to the rôle and he more than anybody else developed Moonie into the character we all grew to love with his goal celebrations and heroics during the half time penalty shoot-out between the younger supporters of City and their opponents of the day. George under the guise of Moonchester also devoted much of his time and efforts visiting many of the Supporters’ Branches, children in hospital and many other worthwhile causes. Sadly, George who is Blue through and through, had a fall out with the club about this time last year and moved on to other things.

The current rôle of Moonchester is shared by 2 different individuals with a height difference of about 6 inches and, with absolutely no disrespect to either, not quite the same persona as George. However, George was not the original Moonie, that honour belongs to a certain Chris Siever who had previously plied his trade as Frank Sidebottom. Frank can still be seen entertaining the Blue troops from time to time at various venues and recently has been seen on TV disguising himself as Bob the Builder. All the custodians of our favourite alien from outer space can be described as real true Blues but the real character of Moonchester has to be attributed to George Madden.

Anybody wishing to contact Moonie can do so through Liz Douglas at the Junior Blues’ office.

OPINION: WHY BLUE RESPONSES

I have just returned from a pretty frenzied 3 weeks in the UK, away from my computer and much access to cyber-cafes. I have received nearly 50 e-mails about my long 3-part Why Blue? which appeared last month in these “pages,” and, although I’ve replied to some of you in person, I haven’t yet had chance to reply to others. I hope to in the next week. So I wanted to use this opportunity to thank everyone who wrote to me. Writing it was a bit of a marathon, though I look at my notes now and see that I included only about half of what I had jotted down! Some other time perhaps – but don’t worry; it won’t be soon!

I was fascinated with the ages – 20s to 60s – of those who wrote, and with the far-flung nature of City’s support. I had mail from England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the US, France, Holland, Switzerland, the Turks and Caicos Islands and probably other places I can’t recall as I type this. I loved some of the memories I was sent, and the fact that my piece had moved some people quite a bit – made it all worthwhile. What a great forum McVittie is for such pieces, and how generous of Heidi to give me that sort of space.

I was pleased to see that I had added to/revived the badge debate. I detest the current one – it’s silly, pretentious, and the old one (which graces the coffee-mug, car-transfer, pennant and shield in my house) was fine. If it was good enough for the great City teams of the past, I reckon we should be proud of it. The cringe-making Latin, the gold “Bird” (phoenix? we’re past needing that!), the loss of the clear, colourful, recognised design with the red rose – all are embarrassing and I won’t, for one, buy any City merchandise with this new abortion on it. The idea of the city of Manchester badge is worth exploring. Who owns the copyright of the old club badge? It’d be worth an enquiry or two, I’d think. If we reverted to our real badge, just think of the money/rarity value of the present monstrosity in a few years! And I’m pleased that some want us back, as I do, in sky blue.

But I digress. I thank everyone who replied, and especially those who have offered to help me get a ticket if I need one in future, write an article, contribute to a book, have my photo taken at Maine Road, etc. I didn’t write my piece for such generous responses, but I thank you very much. I’m more proud than ever, having read these e-mails, to be a member of the City family.

I hope to write to everyone individually soon. It’s been a great experience being in contact with so many from so many places and backgrounds. Thanks for taking the time.

One asked me to sum up the City-Un*ited difference in one sentence! I thought about that and would reply with a rhetorical question, containing in it, I hope, all that needs to be said. Can you imagine the gentle, genial Joe Mercer managing Un*ted at Old Trafford, or the red-faced, braggart Taggart managing City at Maine Road? Of such total impossibilities are differences emphasised. Though I did greatly appreciate the warm e-mail from an (English!) season-ticket holder at Old Trafford.

Again my thanks to everyone who wrote. Oh, the 382 in my e-address, to the 2 who asked, was the number of the house I lived in on Slade Lane!

OPINION: BLUE WINE

Interested to see the recent ongoing correspondence on wine. I’m a lifelong Blue who, like Hsien Min Toh also shares a passion for wine: I run one of the UK’s leading independent wine websites (http://www.wineanorak.com/). If you click on the ‘about me’ link on the front page, you’ll see me proudly wearing my City shirt. As for the club wine, I think it should be European Union wine-lake plonk at £1.50 a litre. Why? Because when you’re watching City, you really need to drink a hell of a lot of it.

RESPONSE: PUB LOCATOR

As requested, this is the link to the pubs showing ITV Digital:

http://www.itv-digital.co.uk/company/home/publocator/locator.html

I have as good as given up watching the Blues on ITV – why does it always get scheduled alongside some “big” Premiership game? Sadly in Norwich, most locals aren’t too keen on watching Manchester City, and haven’t turned over for little old me, as yet. Come back Sky, please? Never thought I’d say that!

Wouldn’t it be nice of one season we finished mid-table (in the Premiership of course) – just how many up or down seasons do us poor old Blues have to take? And is our recent relegation/promotion run a record (assuming that we go up, this will be the sixth on the trot, I think) – some statistician should know that one.

Come on Blues, we know you’re good enough to win at least 4-0 every week!

REQUEST: EAST YORKSHIRE BRANCH CSA

The Supporters’ Association will be meeting at their usual watering hole, the Beaver pub near Saturday Market Place in Beverley, at 8pm on Monday 26th November.

Any Blues in the area who didn’t know we existed are welcome to come along for a chat and a drink (possibly even a few sandwiches if we remind the landlord we’re coming!). We’ve got a hard core of regulars so you won’t be on your own. Get in touch if you need more info.

REQUEST: LEEDS BLUES

Just wondering which pub tends to gather the most Blues in the Headingley/city centre area? I found myself alone upstairs in the Royal Park last weekend (the Mexican wave I started went down well though). The Oak’s usually a better bet but they said they didn’t have it on.

I asked this question last season but can’t remember the outcome (sorry).

BLEU HUMOUR

City’s French contingent are settling in well and getting to grips with the language and the culture according to this report from Our Man in Cheshire:

Malade Comme Un Perroquet

It is Saturday night in the Lounge Bar of the Bird and Bottle, ye olde English pubbe nestling in a leafy Cheshire lane somewhere between Alderley Edge and Bowdon. Five young men in blazers bearing the same naff chicken-festooned badge are enjoying a quiet glass of wine. As anyone can tell from the apr