Mike Barry

Why Blue?

It started after the Cup Final of 1981. I was 9 at the time and I had previously supported Liverpool because my dad did and regularly took me to Anfield where I sat in the main stand in total awe of the Kop. I later discovered that this wasn’t actually just for the Kop but any huge bank of packed terraces. The actual match never interested me that much as Liverpool always seemed to win and do it with an air of arrogance that irritated me.

When Tommy Hutchinson headed in his now infamous own goal I found myself wanting City to win a contest that had previously been of no interest to me. In the replay Ricky Villa dribbled his way through City’s defence and in doing so cemented my support for City.

The only problem with supporting City was my location. Due to my father’s job we continually moved around the country. Up until I was 12 I had lived in at least 7 different towns, which meant that it was impossible for me to support my local team because I simply didn’t have one for long enough. In 1984 we finally settled in Wigan, a town renowned for its rugby rather than its football. It was here that I bought my first City strip and promptly got a kicking for wearing it during a games lesson by some United supporting colleagues from another class. This didn’t help my cause at all as my mum was convinced that every football match erupted into violence, which meant that I couldn’t go to watch City as she didn’t want me to go alone.

The following season my dad took me as a treat but we sat in the main stand. I clearly remember staring at the Kippax for the entire duration with a heavy sense of wanting to be amongst the singing masses. I can’t actually remember who we played. It might have been Huddersfield or Sheffield Wednesday, a Yorkshire team for sure, but the match didn’t actually stick that well in my memory. I remember we won 1-0 but got pissed on for the whole match which astounded me as everytime the opposition hit the bar or came close the noise from the Kippax was unbelievable as they tried to rouse the Blues to hold on.

The season after the Full Members Cup Final my sister who was now living in Moston met a lad from Manchester who just happened to be a season ticket holder. I remember the first conversation we had was about Wembley and losing 5-4. Of course I gave my seal of approval and they got married soon after. It was my brother-in-law who first took me to the Kippax. Before the game I was really worried about when to sing, how would I know the words and more importantly would I have to if I didn’t want to? I was terrified as I stood staring up the steps behind, as everybody seemed to know everybody else, and here was I, a Kippax virgin looking like a rabbit caught between oncoming headlights. I plucked up a bit of balls and bought myself a pint of dutch courage from the Denis Law bar/shed. It was here that my fears were realised and went. The bloke next to me started talking to me. Before I could answer my brother told him and what seemed like the whole world that it was my first time. The ground opened up, I went bright red and fell into a big chasm. After a couple of seconds though I realised that rather than ridiculing me this bloke was going to take me under his wing and tell me the best place to stand. I ended up at the front as he thought that the pushing when City scored might scare me and I had better take it slowly. The noise was fantastic and I remember wanting to sing but feeling a bit self conscious which just disappeared when I realised that the voice next to me was in fact my brother singing away without a care in the world.

Up until two years ago I had a season ticket for every season. Even at Uni here in Sunderland I still managed to get to all the home games and a couple of away games. When I finished last year I couldn’t afford a ticket and only managed a couple of games. I started to go to watch Sunderland when I found out that Reidy had taken over. Last season they gave me a bit of a lifeline because I needed to watch football every Saturday.

I got a job in the summer which doesn’t pay brilliantly but enough to pay for a ticket and my travel down to the game so this season was my first in the new seated Kippax which felt very strange. The atmosphere is still brilliant and it’s good to see that the famous sarcasm and impatience of us Blues is still in evidence.

On the subject of Franny Lee’s input into the club I don’t think that there can be any greater testimony to his commitment than the Kippax. Everybody will agree that standing terraces do create a better atmosphere but at the same time it is time that we were treated with the respect that we deserve. It seems to me that Franny realises that we are the club’s greatest asset and this is reflected in the atmosphere that the club gives off to its fans. Success can only be built on firm foundations. Blackburn are the living proof of this with a team that is only ever strengthened by big-money buys and a shit ground that is rarely full with an atmosphere that’s positively pathetic. Where are they this season? We have a ground that is going to be one of the best in the country, the best supporters anywhere and a youth policy that could in time prove to be a gold mine. Let’s hope that the Alan Ball’s style of play continues to reap rewards and maybe teams will begin to be wary of playing us again.

Proud to be blue…

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #152 on