Graham Mooney

Why Blue?

There were three reasons why I became a City fan:

1. My two elder brothers and my Dad were City supporters: if I hadn’t gone for City, I’d have either been sent to Coventry (but I didn’t like their brown away kit) or beaten up.
2. Despite the above, I wavered between City and United until I was seven (most of the other kids at school were United fans). Then one fateful 1976 night, whilst in the bath listening to a City vs. United commentary on the radio, I heard that donkey Martin Buchan had broken thoroughbred Colin Bell’s leg. Even my mum (a closet Red) was upset. I’ve supported City ever since.
3. (1) and (2) would never really have mattered if I’d known that because I’m actually from Manchester (and not Cornwall or London, or… well, anywhere except Manchester), it was pathologically impossible for me to become a United supporter.

(1) and (3) are slight exaggerations; (2) is certainly responsible for finally convincing me that City were the team to support. However, until I started to subscribe to MCITVA, I’d never really thought about the reasons why I support City: I just do. Anyway, with a team as great as City (tears and laughter in pretty much equal quantities), you don’t need a reason.

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #124 on