Helena Murtagh

Why Blue?

My family, being Irish catholics, is very large and growing up with 6 brothers, football and sport in general, was a part of my life. Every Sunday afternoon we would trudge over to Boggart Hole Clough (Where?!!) and “football” ’til we dropped. I remember supporting Liverpool at one point – but let me say in my defence – I am the youngest of 10, my mum used to call me “scrapings of the pot” – so maybe I had Irish stew for brains!!

My first visit to Maine Road was as a young girl with my sister and my uncle, who was over here on a visit from Ireland. We beat West Ham 2-0 and I recall sitting in the North Stand, but where they usually put the away fans now – where did they put them that day? (perhaps being southerners they felt more at home at OT?). I had a pie, my uncle threw me in the air when the Blues scored and my pie was never seen again!! I went again with my sister (same one), my brother-in-law and my nephew. Outside the ground a young lad asked if he could mind the car; my brother-in-law said “No, it’s alright, it has an alarm”, to which the young lad replied “Yeah, but does it put out fires?” We drew against Tottenham and my brother-in-law never went again!

Although I didn’t go again for a while myself, I followed City’s progress/demise every week. It was then that I met up with Tony and myself and Maine Road resumed our acquaintance. Why Blue? City remind me of an “old” friend of mine (sorry Ann-Maree!!) – we plan a night out weeks in advance, where we will go, what we will do and then bam! right at the last minute she phones to say she can’t make it. Disappointed, I put the phone down but I know that when we do get together we always have one hell of a night! Take the City vs. Geordies match, we go at it from the off and take the lead – they get one back. We do it all over again – they get one back – you all know the rest! But at the end of the match, you know, come hell or high water, Premier League or Conference League (OK – maybe not that extreme!!), we all have a bitch, a moan and maybe the occasional laugh, we’ll all be out there the week after shouting and supporting them all the more.

Before I go has anyone any spare tickets for the Bolton match? The ticket office says out of an allocation of 3,000 there are 1,000 left but can’t say when they go on open sale. Willing to pay face value. Contact Tony 247-1807 or Helen 247-1845 (daytime).

Stay True! Stay Blue!

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #177 on