Colin Lemin

Why Blue?

Just thought it was time to finally contribute to MCIVTA and share my hopes with you.

Background: a 50 year old fan who has carried the burden of being a City fan since watching them at Wembley as a 9 year old in 1969. Living in the Midlands then, I spent my formative years on a train platform waiting for some god-awful rickety carriage to take me to wherever that Saturday’s game happened to be, home or away.

Bad weather, poor results, jeering, misery at Cambridge, Charlton or Notts County, back of beyond places, we all did it and that apprenticeship hardened us all for what City would do to us over the years. 1981 Wembley was a blip in the depression but it seems like only yesterday. Marriage, children and mortgages, where have the years gone?

Now exiled in North Wales, when diagnosed with the Big C in 2001 only three things mattered: to see my children grow up, see England win something and for City to end the heartache and take their place at the top of world football. The children have grown up and are the apple of my eye, England to win something (well that was far fetched), City to sparkle, surely now is the time? Unlike some, I don’t care what it is, yes the Champions’ League awaits and maybe soon even the Premier League, but I want the FA Cup, back to 1969, the glory, the May Day passion we all felt when Cup Final Day came and we sat by the telly all day watching events unfold from dawn to dusk.

Despite the bad years I am still here (CTID); no chance of a ticket to Wembley these days but I will be there in spirit, a lump in my throat at Abide with Me, cheering the names that have the honour to wear the shirt, kicking every ball, remembering the history.

To those of you there live, raise a glass for the rest of us, shout a little louder, clap a little harder and when that moment comes and we lift the trophy high, remember where we have come from…

With Luck and Love

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #1728 on