Newsletter #1064

A 4-3 goalfest at SJP on Sunday in which Mr Keegan spoke for team and fans alike when he suggested the referee was a “homer”. The game also leaves us with yet more injuries as Anelka and Macken succumbed. We have views tonight on video evidence, some of the squad, plenty of requests, Dave puts the record straight, and a tribute to a departed Blue.

OPINION: PLAYERS, RESULTS, CUPS, THE WORLD

After a hideous Sunday afternoon, I thought I would jot down a few thoughts and views on a couple of things I have read.

I was driving back to York from seeing friends in Sussex and Kent over the weekend, looking forward to listening to a load of footie on R5 Live, including a home defeat for ‘the other lot’. I had no great hopes for City at Newcastle as we do usually struggle there, but there is always faint optimism due to our unpredictability! As it transpired, it was very painful. A goal-less first half, then 2-0 down just at the time my rear tyre exploded on the A1 just south of Peterborough.

My language was unprintable, for both reasons. An hour later, back in the car, limping home on a bright yellow tyre at 50mph, the Blues cheered me greatly, at 3-3. And then disaster, a late loss, the goals looked slack on the TV later, and I look forward to reading learned opinions in MCIVTA later this week. I even got home too late to see the first half of the Milan derby on Eurosport! And The Scum won. Hopefully we can beat the Gooners’ youth team on Wednesday by way of compensation!

I am interested to read other people’s views on recent performances by Macken and Bosvelt. I have felt that Bosvelt is a calming experienced head in midfield, others think he is simply slow and past it! Similarly I am appalled at times by Macken’s clumsy and laboured efforts, though he does not lack in commitment and has good control as a target man.

I heard recently that van Buyten has been struggling badly at international level; apparently he had a nightmare against Spain, so would be interested to hear if his club performances in the Bundesliga have been any better. I like Dunne greatly, and Distin seems improved of late, but I would still like to see a more imposing figure in there. Bischoff has not set Wolves on fire.

November should be interesting. We must surely see Delia’s dumplings off next Monday, though knowing City a Huckerby goal is practically guaranteed! Then the Derby, mmm, but then a series of games we really can win.

Hopefully a good draw in the 4th Round of the League Cup, too!

OPINION: VIDEO EVIDENCE AND WOR KEV

It’s time that the FA started using TV video playback for controversial decisions by referees. With today’s technology it would not hold up the game long, and it would help some referees stay honest with their decisions; one would think that most referees would be in favour of it.

So as not to have too many hold ups, the managers could only be allowed no more than two challenges in each half, and have to be for certain offences as laid down by the FA.

With the referees knowing that TV Video replay was in use could only help them make the right decisions on the field of play, and they too could use it when in doubt. It’s frustrating that a manager and players have to go along with a referee’s decision when wrong; all we want is fair play. Some wrong decisions by referees can cost some clubs dearly. TV Video replay would have to have rules so that it is not over used, to hold up the game any longer than necessary.

Meanwhile, Kevin Keegan has made a statement that we have heard him say several times: He will “finish his contract” with Manchester City in 19 months’ time. I must admit that I always hoped that he would change his mind, as far as I am concerned he is an excellent manager, and I still hope that he will have a change of heart.

Maybe Jean Keegan needs an Assistant Manager with her horses? If that’s his choice, I can only wish him well. In the meantime, there’s a long way to go, but please reconsider; you have time to think about it.

OPINION: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Thanks to whoever posted representing the Atmosphere Action Group describing me as a ‘top bloke’. But, just for the record, may I respond to the ‘always on Sky’ bit? Despite what many seem to think, I never put myself forward to SkyTV, or any other branch of the media. They always contact me. I have no idea why, and I don’t always agree to appear – often directing them elsewhere for a quote or ‘soundbite’. However, others are reluctant to respond, probably after seeing the sort of adverse reaction I frequently have to ‘suffer’. My most recent comments caused incredibly vitriolic reactions on some websites – not so much for what I said, I can cope with reasoned argument, but just because they seemed to resent me offering an opinion at all!

Perhaps journos contact me because my phone number is in the fanzine, and has been from day one – sixteen years ago this month. I’ve never used a PO Box number, or a pseudonym. I’ve never reckoned to speak on behalf of anybody else, although some hacks have given the impression that I have. I’ve been asked my opinion, and I’ve given it. The fanzine I edit contains many opinions, not all of which are the same as my own.

Good luck to the AAG, I shall follow developments with interest and look forward to receiving more information that I can pass on to readers of King of the Kippax.

Oh, and thanks, but I don’t want to be a spokesperson, chairman, or whatever. I’ve done my bit with the FSA and as Fan on the Board (a thankless task if ever there was one!), and I’m happy to take part in the Fans’ Committee, a democratic forum that is currently being revived, thanks to the ‘kiss of life’ from Steve Parish.

OPINION: TICKET PRICING

Here’s the link to the article that appeared in this weekend’s press, featuring a well-known personality on these pages:

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1334980,00.html

OPINION: A BIG THANK YOU

To Kevin Parker, Kevin Cummins and Marc Starr for their help in sorting out items from the last game at Maine Road vs. Southampton but in particular a mega thank you to Ian Atherton who now lives in Freedom, New Hampshire who has let me have his ticket stub.

You’ve all made a young boy very happy indeed! Thanks once again!

OPINION: A TRIBUTE

Henry O’Neill

It was with great sadness we learned of the sudden and untimely death of Henry aged 52. Henry`s love affair with City started with him as a child and remained true. In a part of the world (Northern Ireland) that is saturated with United supporters, Henry`s devotion to City shone like a beacon. This was clearly illustrated by the vast collection of books, programmes and memorabilia he collected through the years. In fact it did not surprise many that he choose Manchester to study for his rôle as a teacher. He used to say it brought him closer to his spiritual home at Maine Road. There was rarely a weekend that didn’t pass without a healthy debate on the passions and loyalties of football. Henry never wavered.

However, the nature of Henry – he was one of life’s true gentlemen – meant that all banter was given and received in the right spirit. On one occasion a busload of us visited a friend in the Rep. of Ireland, who just happened to own a pub. The visit coincided with a Manchester derby, to be televised live. Before setting off, Henry commandeered the bus and planted a large City flag in the windscreen. The only way the hordes of United would get on was with the aid of a blindfold. You can only imagine Henry and his wife Lori’s (another City stalwart) joy when on arrival they discovered a group of City supporters in the pub. They had come over for a friend’s birthday party two weeks earlier and never got round to going back home! As you all know it ended for Henry. City won the match easily. Before heading home one of our party, a die-hard Red, for some strange reason (alcohol played no part) swapped his Ulster rugby shirt for a 1960`s one. He then paraded it on the bus before presenting it to Henry. The image of Henry wearing the shirt, quite a number of sizes too small, leading the neutrals in rousing versions of Blue Moon and Feed the Goat will always bring a smile to my face.

While the pain of losing Henry is massive, I know he has gone to a better place. He will have an excellent view from above of all City games, home and away, and if there isn’t one already a new and exclusive City Supporters’ Club will be formed in Heaven.

May he rest in peace.

REQUEST: NORWICH TICKETS AVAILABLE

I have 2 Spare tickets for the Norwich home game next Monday evening in the South stand. 1 Adult and 1 Junior. The Junior ticket I can upgrade if required.

If interested email me.

REQUEST: TICKETS FOR SALE

We have a pair of season tickets for the North Stand. Having just had our first child, it has become increasingly difficult for one or both of us to get to the game. In truth I normally go, leaving the wife at home!

It means we regularly have one ticket free. I aim to sell this ticket for around £20 every time it’s spare. I’m not looking to make money, just recoup some expenditure.

If interested please send me your email address – I will then set up a distribution list and operate it on a first reply basis. We’ll work it out from there.

We have both of the tickets spare for the Norwich game so get in touch if you are interested.

REQUEST: FANS’ COMMITTEE REVIVAL

The Fans’ Committee meets at the stadium on Thursday 11 November, at. 7.15p.m. (report to main entrance in the Colin Bell stand). It’s open to anyone who wants to attend. It was previously co-ordinated by Stephen Knott, but he’s now employed by the club and it’s generally thought better for it to be organised by the fans. The Committee meets in an evening, then sends a small delegation to meet club officials.

The club often wants to test opinion (last year, they asked for and got views on season ticket prices – and prices probably did reflect the feedback), as well as fans wanting to let the club know what’s working and what isn’t, regarding ticketing, smoking policy, etc. How the Committee should be organised/coordinated will be the only fixed agenda item; the rest of the agenda will be up to those attending.

REQUEST: BIRMINGHAM/WARWICK BLUES

Planning to move to the Warwick area in the next few months but residing just outside Solihull in the interim with no Sky Sports at the in-laws! Does anyone know of any boozers around the area that have a Blue presence?

REQUEST: SWINTON BLUES’ MEETING

Nice to meet several MCIVTA readers at our last meeting. Our next meeting is on Thursday 28th October, 8-00pm k.o. at the Folly Social Club, Station Road, Swinton.

Our guests are City legend Neil Young, who will be signing copies of his book, which is released on Wednesday 27th October. Neil will be accompanied by top City pundit Fred Eyre. All City fans are welcome, you don’t have to be a member. Anybody wanting further information can contact myself on 0161-281-7517.

REQUEST: WARRINGTON BLUES’ MEETING

City legend Andy Hinchliffe will be special guest at the next meeting of Warrington OSC on 4th November at the King & Queen in Padgate, 8.30pm. All welcome.

RESULTS

24 October 2004

Southampton           0 - 0  Birmingham City       27,568
Middlesbrough         1 - 1  Portsmouth            30,964
Newcastle United      4 - 3  Manchester City       52,316
Manchester United     2 - 0  Arsenal               67,862

23 October 2004

Norwich City          2 - 3  Everton               23,871
Aston Villa           2 - 0  Fulham                34,460
Chelsea               4 - 0  Blackburn Rovers      41,546
Crystal Palace        3 - 0  West Bromwich Albion  22,922
Tottenham Hotspur     1 - 2  Bolton Wanderers      36,025
Liverpool             2 - 0  Charlton Athletic     41,625

League table to 24 October 2004 inclusive

                             HOME          AWAY        OVERALL
                    P  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F   A   GD Pts
 1 Arsenal         10  4  1  0 17  6  4  0  1 12  4  8  1  1  29  10  19  25
 2 Chelsea         10  4  1  0  8  1  3  1  1  4  1  7  2  1  12   2  10  23
 3 Everton         10  3  0  2  5  6  4  1  0  8  3  7  1  2  13   9   4  22
 4 Bolton Wndrs    10  3  2  0  9  4  2  1  2  7  8  5  3  2  16  12   4  18
 5 Manchester Utd  10  3  2  0  7  3  1  3  1  4  4  4  5  1  11   7   4  17
 6 Liverpool        9  4  0  0 10  1  1  1  3  6  7  5  1  3  16   8   8  16
 7 Newcastle Utd   10  3  1  1 12  7  1  3  1  9 10  4  4  2  21  17   4  16
 8 Middlesbrough   10  2  2  1  7  6  2  1  2 10  7  4  3  3  17  13   4  15
 9 Aston Villa     10  3  2  0  9  3  0  3  2  4  9  3  5  2  13  12   1  14
10 Tottenham H.    10  1  2  2  3  4  2  2  1  3  2  3  4  3   6   6   0  13
11 Portsmouth       9  3  1  1  9  6  0  2  2  4  6  3  3  3  13  12   1  12
12 Charlton Ath.   10  3  2  0  7  2  0  1  4  2 15  3  3  4   9  17  -8  12
13 Manchester City 10  2  1  2  6  3  1  1  3  6  8  3  2  5  12  11   1  11
14 Birmingham City 10  1  3  1  4  4  0  3  2  3  5  1  6  3   7   9  -2   9
15 Crystal Palace  10  2  0  3  7  7  0  2  3  4  8  2  2  6  11  15  -4   8
16 West Brom A.    10  1  4  0  5  4  0  1  4  3 12  1  5  4   8  16  -8   8
17 Fulham          10  2  0  3  5  9  0  2  3  5 10  2  2  6  10  19  -9   8
18 Southampton     10  1  2  2  5  6  0  1  4  1  6  1  3  6   6  12  -6   6
19 Norwich City    10  0  3  2  6 10  0  3  2  3  7  0  6  4   9  17  -8   6
20 Blackburn R.    10  1  3  1  5  8  0  0  5  2 14  1  3  6   7  22 -15   6

MCIVTA FAQ [v0405.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Heidi Pickup)          : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour (Don Barrie)         : news@mcivta.city-fan.org
Subscriptions (Madeleine Hawkins): subscriptions@mcivta.city-fan.org
Technical problems (Paul)        : paul@city-fan.org
FAQ (David Warburton)            : faq@mcivta.city-fan.org

[2] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings bu email. Unfortunately we cannot accept email attachments.

[3] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters’ home page

http://www.uit.no/mancity/ is the unofficial Manchester City Supporters’ home page. Created in 1994, it is the longest running of the Manchester City related web sites. Back issues of MCIVTA are also hosted on the site.

[4] What is the club’s official web site?

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/

[5] What supporters’ clubs are there?

Manchester City FC recognises three supporters’ clubs: The “Official Supporters Club” (http://www.mancity.net/osc/); the “Centenary Supporters’ Association” (http://www.reddishblues.com/CSAWebsite/CSA.htm) and “The International Supporters’ Club” (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/article.asp?article=111845&Title=International+Supporters+Club&lid=Membership).

[6] Where can I find out about the fans’ committee?

The Fans’ Committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. It has its own website, http://www.mcfc-fans.com/ containing info about forthcoming meetings as well as minutes from previous gatherings.

[7] What match day broadcasts are available on the web?

The GMR pre and post match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/gmr/sport_intro.shtml.

Live match commentaries and archives of games, reports and interviews can be found at http://www.mcfctv.com/.

[8] Where can I find out if City are live on satellite TV?

http://www.satfootball.com/pl.html provides a listing of Premiership games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. Useful sites for North American viewers are http://canadatvsoccer.tripod.com/Fixtures.htm, http://www.foxsportsworld.com/named/FSW/Index/Soccer, and http://www.soccertv.com/.

[9] Do we have a Usenet newsgroup?

Yes we do: uk.sport.football.clubs.man-city is our home on usenet. If you are not familiar with usenet, a basic explanation is available here: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci213262,00.html

[10] Do any squad members have their own web pages?

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.uit.no/mancity/players/

[11] Can I buy shares in the club?

Yes you can: Shares in Manchester City PLC are traded on OFEX. The latest prices can be on found the OFEX web site http://www.ofex.com/ (registration required) or in the business section of the Manchester Evening News.

[12] Where can I find match statistics?

Statistics for the current season are available from the club site, but for a more in-depth analysis try http://www.mcfcstats.com/.

[13] Where can I find a list of City-related websites?

Try Wookie’s Lair: http://www.wookieslair.com/modules.php?name=Web_Links

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.

Heidi Pickup, editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

Editor: