Kevin Williamson

Why Blue?

Back in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1965 my best friend and I, both soccer mad, first took an interest in English football. He picked West Ham, his younger brother picked our Red neighbours, and I ended up with Manchester City. In those days (late 60’s – 70’s), Bell, Doyle, Lee, Summerbee and company ruled the roost. Oh for those days again! I often wonder how Colin Bell and Mick Doyle would go today? Then mediocrity set in, inconsistency, then we never stayed in the one division long enough to catch our breath.

After last season’s performance I was quite optimistic about this season, the signings looked good, but then looks can be deceiving! A bunch of highly paid players who don’t performance (with a few exceptions) and the ones that would ‘die’ for the shirt have been sold or are about to be released.

Some of these players don’t know how lucky they are, they play the greatest game and being so well paid that some people wouldn’t earn in a year or two, what they earn in a week! Money has killed the game, contracts mean nothing and the only people that are loyal are the fans. So where do we go to from here? The silly thing about it is we will still be supporting Manchester City when all these players have long gone. I’m glad we have signed James and van Buyten, they might bring a bit of solidity at the back. Hopefully James will give his defence a serve as Peter the Great did last year, even when he made a mistake!

We need to bring the pride back into City, like the fans that wear the blue shirt in the street.

Well I’m off to play in a Masters soccer tournament; at 55 you’d think I would have learned by now. It’s the same with me supporting City!

[The fans are always proud to wear the shirt, Kevin, just wish some of the players were! – Ed]

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #989 on