Newsletter #1772

Well it’s nearly the weekend, can’t wait, and the return of the Premier League with Villa arriving for a 3pm kick off at Eastlands.

It’s also the return of our many internationals (crazy isn’t it, I remember the excitement when Keith Curle got called up to the England squad!). Some very notable performances too. At the forefront was David Silva’s dismantling of Scotland: 2 goals and a killer performance. Edin Dzeko also looked bright and scored the opener against France before a certain Samir Nasri equalised from the spot. Both Touré brothers were on target in a 2-1 win for Ivory Coast, making a total of 6 ‘City’ international goals!

Another returning wanderer, to less of a fanfare but significantly more press coverage, is Carlos. Talk of midnight talks with Mancini, impending disciplinary action and a number of potential suitors has dominated the back pages again.

A bumper edition again tonight. More thanks to Heidi, info on the latest KOTK, articles on Tévez, Silva, Keane (including a lovely ‘and finally’) plus debate around Liverpool’s TV manoeuvring.

So let’s hope for a great game tomorrow, looking forward to your views/reports on it.

HEIDI TRIBUTES III

My apologies for the late testament of thanks to Heidi. I became a fan of the Blues the fall afternoon in 1999 when I walked into the Welcome while searching for a place to live while attending University for a semester on loan from the US. I made the unfortunate mistake of returning home to Boston at the end of the year (aAlthough I have been fortunate in a sporting sense over the past decade) but quickly became a follower of McVittee as my main source of staying connected. Thank you very much for all of your efforts over the years and I wish you all the success in the world. I looked forward to every edition and will continue to do so thanks to your and everyone’s efforts.

BLUE INSTITUTIONS: KING OF THE KIPPAX

Firstly, good luck to Heidi in her new venture (I have e-mailed separately) and to Phil for taking on this daunting but enjoyable task, especially now we’ve got a decent team to drool over. I know, for us, doing KK monthly is like giving birth (Sue says) so to do two issues a week of MCIVTA over the years is quite some achievement, especially in this age of Facebook, Twitter and message boards etc., although we all have our place. Anyway, we are pleased to announce that King of The Kippax number 191 is at the printers and should be in the outlet at Aleef on the corner of Cross Street/Market Street on Friday afternoon, then on sale at the Villa and subsequent home and away games.

It’s a 48 page A4 issue with a front cover showing Mancini booting Tévez to the MCFC exit with a caption of “understand that?!”

It sells at just £2.50 and can also be purchased for £3.50 from (cheques to) King Of The Kippax, 25, Holdenbrook Close, Leigh, Lancs, WN7 2HL.

This issue contains a review of Mark Ward’s book, Garry Cook and Carlos Tévez debate, Everton, Munich, KOTK review, match previews and reviews, cartoons pics and comment on all things Blue, plus the odd pop at the dirty, filthy, despicable, nasty, lying, cheating, bullying Rags who we play next week.

ARTICLE: SILVA

Outstanding game against the Jocks from David Silva. His ability and vision was simply magic, and then I suddenly realised that he’s playing for us!

I’m only in my twenties, but the idea of one of the world’s best superstars lighting up Manchester week in week out brings a bit of joy in hard times. I’m used to looking for City’s players in the Scotland team or even warming the bench, rather than being the poster boy for the world champions. It’s a long time since I started following Switzerland just to give a bit of support for plucky Gelson Fernandes (who’s back with Sven at Leicester – Ed)! It also looks like City’s been good for Silva; he ran the attacking play from midfield rather than playing as a pure winger, which is where I remember him playing when he was at Valencia and in the World Cup.

Charlie Adam was a fish out of water in a hard-working Scottish side. He pulled off one shocking cross, smacking the ball from the touchline into the 6 yard box on the volley with brilliant skill. He’ll definitely be worth watching at the next match with the Scousers, he might finally give Barry a bit of a challenge.

Silva doesn’t have the physicality to play amongst defenders, but his feet and vision are as good if not better than Messi.

ARTICLE: ROY KEANE

Thanks to Kieran Daly for the Roy Keane article. As an Irishman and a City fan it would have been just sweet if someone had pushed him in!

One of the pics reminded me of Keane refusing to shake Big Niall’s hand: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalyhistory/6226544141/in/set-72157627853747552/

Still up to your old tricks Keano?

ARTICLE: TÉVEZ

Carlos Tévez… thank you very much – by forcing yourself out of the line-up you have made Roberto Mancini’s team selection process so much easier. Now, in any game, he can accommodate Agüero, Silva, Nasri, Balotelli, Dzeko and Johnson by playing three and pulling the other three from the bench if needed. The player who stands to benefit most is Super Mario and, based on his performances against both Blackburn and Birmingham, give this kid a few games to build his confidence and he could be a major spark plug in the attack. One major plus in the absence of Tévez is we can now have a reliable penalty taker. Balotelli, Barry and Milner are all proficient spot kick takers and we also have Joe Hart as a secret weapon. With de Jong back in the line-up, I would have Lescott back with Kompany for future European Cup games. Overall, City have never looked better.

ARTICLE: LIVERPOOL WALK ALONE

You may recall the Managing Director at Liverpool, Ian Ayre, bleating this summer that UEFA should look at City’s Etihad Campus deal under the so-called “Fair Play” regulations. He told us how Liverpool had the “history” and “heritage” in a manner that suggested that the “history” and “heritage” were/are the sole domain of the “big four” cartel of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and the Rags.

Well this hypocrite has surpassed himself this week with his public declaration that Liverpool should be able to sell their own TV rights abroad and scrap the existing collective agreement which lets all the 20 Premier League Clubs have an equal slice of the revenue. So on one hand he whinges about City’s sponsorship deal (because he is scared of our impact and potential dominance) all in the name of “fair play”, and on the other he seeks to make football less competitive with his self-centred proposal to deny every club an equal share of revenue. Hardly “fair play” is it, Mr Ayre? City get a lot of criticism for being rich (and daring to compete), but unlike Ian Ayre is proposing here, nothing in our Etihad sponsorship deal means taking away money from anyone else. It is new money in the game.

Why not let clubs like Bolton or Stoke have equal money from TV overseas? Why should the smaller clubs be disadvantaged by the greed of anyone else? Why should it be the monopoly of Liverpool FC? Why should Liverpool be given even more money? It might be argued that they’d only waste the money on more average players like Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson but that’s not the point. It’s important to retain some level of competition. I have nothing against Liverpool traditionally, and admired their brilliance in the 70s and 80s, but isn’t it great that a so-called smaller club like Stoke can come out of the 2nd Division and regularly beat the likes of Liverpool?

In Spain the fact that Real and Barcelona can negotiate their own TV deals has ruined La Liga as a competition, rendering it a two horse race every season. Clubs like Deportivo La Coruna, Valencia, Villarreal, and Athletico Madrid can no longer compete with the top two because of it. In fact Deportivo got themselves relegated in financial ruin, having failed to keep up. If Ayre wants to make some more money, and he is so fond of “history”, why doesn’t he buy The History Channel, and stick footage of all their glory days on there? That would be very appropriate because you have to go well back into “history” to find a Liverpool Championship-winning side! I’m sure it would go down well in Stavanger, Singapore and Milton Keynes. Judging by Liverpool’s match ticket prices, and the demographic of people who can afford to attend Anfield, many people on Merseyside may struggle to cough up the subs though.

Ayre’s arrogant, self-centred stance ignores the fact that football is a game for everybody, not just the narrow self-interest of any one club. It takes two teams to make a match and more teams to make up a league. Ian Ayre and Liverpool FC have an attitude of stuff everybody else.

I was heartened though to read more than half of the Liverpool fans commenting on this story on the Liverpool Echo website were against Ayre’s selfish stance.

Most clubs including our own are against changing the current collective agreement. Even the Glazers are against Liverpool’s idea because they think it would ruin the Premier League as a competition (not that a Bolton or a Norwich or even a Villa can compete for the title). They are not taking that response for altruistic reasons. They see the collapse of the Premier League as a competition as a threat to their guaranteed revenue, and naturally they are rather twitchy where losing money is concerned.

Any change to the Premier League’s rules need 14 of the 20 clubs to vote in favour, and given the indifferent and at times hostile response to Ayre’s proposal, so far, it looks like Ayre’s Liverpool is in a minority of one! The Premier League is already too much about money already. How much have City had to spend to even compete with the “big four” cartel?

Liverpool FC used to be a great, great club once with some degree of a social conscience. Now it is as bad as any club gets, if not worse, when it comes to greed. What would the great Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley have made of this? They must be spinning in their graves.

REQUEST: VIENNA VIEWING

I started watching City at a time when the fans were chanting “Sack Mac, sack Mac”. They were talking about Les McDowall, not only City’s longest serving manager but also the leader of the team where Don Revie, Bobby Johnstone, Ken Barnes, Dave Ewing, Roy Paul, Joe Hayes and Bert Trautmann got to two Cup finals in 1955 and 1956.

Now at least from what I hear on the television, our manager has the support of our fans (for the time being). It is important to realise that fans are forever and employees (managers, players and owners) are just passing through. This has always been so, never more than in this present time. There are always exceptions to the rule, but clubs treat the players with little real respect and if you lose form or a new trainer comes in you’re out the door in no time.

The knife cuts both ways: paying someone a fortune every week is not the same as respect, because you pay everyone a fortune and no one can buy respect, you have to earn it. Having been through the long period of miserable results and football, I am happy that the team are playing good, sometimes brilliant football and (it is City after all) now and again rubbish.

They are getting results and if at the end of the season we haven’t made progress then you can ask if the manager is the right man at the right time and place.

I will be in Vienna on the 2nd of November. Are there Blues in Vienna? Does anyone know of a good place to see the match against Villarreal? Here’s hoping for a good result and a great season.

TRAVEL: VILLARREAL, WEDNESDAY 2ND NOVEMBER 2011

We would just like to bring you up to speed with the options available for the above game.

Option 3 (1 night stay) – we have only 20 places left
Option 4 (Day Trip) – only 10 places left

AND FINALLY…

In reference to Kieran’s article on Roy Keane attending his kiddie’s local swim club, I feel I must point out what appears to be a glaring error.

‘He hadn’t been booked’ … Roy Keane not being booked, surely a mistake?!?

MCIVTA FAQ [v1112.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Philip Alcock)         : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour                      : news@mcivta.city-fan.org
Subscriptions (Madeleine Hawkins): subscriptions@mcivta.city-fan.org
Technical problems (Paul)        : paul@city-fan.org
FAQ (David Warburton)            : faq@mcivta.city-fan.org

[2] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings by email. Unfortunately we cannot accept email attachments.

[3] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters’ home page/Twitter

http://www.mcivta.com/ is the unofficial Manchester City Supporters’ home page. Created in 1994, it is the longest running of the Manchester City related web sites. Back issues of MCIVTA are also hosted on the site. You can also follow on www.twitter.com/mcivta to get the latest updates.

[4] What is the club’s official web site?

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/ and the official club Twitter page at www.twitter.com/mcfc. The club also has a facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mcfcofficial

[5] What supporters’ clubs are there?

The Official Supporters’ Club and the Centenary Supporters’ Association have merged to become the Manchester City Supporters’ Club (http://www.mcfcsupportersclub.com/). The club also recognise the Manchester City Disabled Supporters’ Association (http://www.mcdsa.co.uk/).

[6] Where can I find out about Points of Blue?

The committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. Points of Blue appears on the club website under the “Fans” heading (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Fans).

[7] What match day broadcasts are available on the web?

Live match commentary can be found on the club website. The Radio Manchester pre- and post-match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/manchester/.

[8] Where can I find out if City are live on satellite TV?

http://www.satfootball.com/ provides a listing of Premier League games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. A useful site for North American viewers is http://msn.foxsports.com/.

[9] Do we have a Usenet newsgroup?

Yes we do: uk.sport.football.clubs.man-city is our home on usenet. If you are not familiar with Usenet, a basic explanation is available here: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Usenet

[10] Do any squad members have their own web pages?

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.mcivta.com/players/

[11] Do any squad members have their own Twitter accounts?

A list of genuine player accounts is maintained at http://twitter.com/#!/MCFC/players

[12] Where can I find match statistics?

Statistics for the current season are available from the club site, but for a more in-depth historical analysis try http://www.mcfcstats.com/.

DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in MCIVTA are entirely those of the subscribersand there is no intention to represent these opinions as being thoseof Manchester City Football Club, nor of any of the companies anduniversities by whom the subscribers are employed. It is not inany way whatsoever connected to the club or any other relatedorganisation and is simply a group of supporters using this mediumas a means of disseminating news and exchanging opinions.

Philip Alcock, editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

Editor: