Newsletter #512

Well, my first MCIVTA got off to a ropey start with many unfortunate subscribers obliged to endure over-long download times and <BR>irritating<COL=Laz.Blue>HTML tags. Very sorry for that one.

In this issue you will find the fixture list for the forthcoming season, news of on-going transfer manoeuvres, some squad changes, words written in response to the request for a name for a gestating Junior Blue and more following Dave Lyons’ piece concerning ‘Munich chants’.

All of that, Blue Humour and once again the question Why Blue? is answered – as if we were ever in any true doubt!

Don’t forget to check out the notices bit!

NEWS SUMMARY

Transfer Latest

As expected, there’s been nothing concrete on the transfer front in the last 72 hours. However, there are reports (as yet awaiting confirmation) that Joe Royle has agreed a fee around the £1 million mark with his West Ham counterpart Harry Redknapp for Stan Lazaridis. The Australian winger, currently on his honeymoon, is reportedly thinking over City’s offer and it’s hoped he’ll sign on his return next week. Meanwhile, the latest name being connected with the Blues is Crewe centre back Dave Walton. The 26-year-old was formerly with Sheffield United and Shrewsbury.

Worthington Cup Draw

In Wednesday’s draw for the first round of the Worthington Cup, City landed a local derby against Burnley. At the same stage last season, the Blues thumped Notts County 7-1 to seal a 9-1 aggregate victory. Now we’ve a tie with the other side we managed to beat by a six-goal margin during our season’s exile in English football’s third tier. This time round, Burnley promise to be tougher opposition than on City’s visit to Turf Moor in March. The Clarets ended last season with an eleven-game unbeaten run to banish the spectre of relegation, and with new signings planned for the summer City’s progress won’t be a formality. That said, the Blues have lost only two of their last 27 matches against Division Two opposition so will be firm favourites to reach the second round. The first leg will be at Maine Road during the week commencing August 9, with the return a fortnight later. The pairing is one of the ties of the round, so there may also be a possibility of coverage on Sky TV. If so, let’s hope their cameras have the same effect as in last season’s opening round.

Four Juniors Shown the Door

The Blues have released four young players at the end of their two-year training periods. Striker Michael Julien, midfielders Adam Allcock and Ged O’Keefe and goalkeeper Lee Daly have all been shown the door. All four were members of City’s under-19 side last season, but have dropped in the pecking order behind members of the much more successful under-17 team. Julien, for instance, has little chance of making a first-team breakthrough when the likes of Leon Mike and Shaun Wright-Phillips are figuring prominently in the manager’s thinking, while Steve Hodgson is rated a better prospect than Daly. Joe Royle has, however, promised that the juniors who remain at the club stand every chance of progressing into the first team next season. The City boss is proud of his career record in bringing on youth players, and commented, “There are some exciting youngsters coming through. If it hadn’t been so crucial towards the end of the season, I might have pitched one or two of them into the action.” He also has high hopes of Nick Fenton and Gary Mason, who both faded into the background following the turn of the year after being blooded in the first half of last season. “They are both great prospects and I expect them to be much stronger next season,” he enthused.

Academy Coaches Take UEFA Test

City’s Academy Director Jim Cassell has been speaking about the strides the club’s youth set-up has made in the last year. Revealing that in the last couple of years some of the club’s best schoolboys, such as Leon Mike, were reluctant to commit to training at Maine Road, Cassell reflected, “The young players are infinitely better organised, better prepared and better coached than this time twelve months ago. If we can make the same level of improvement over the next year, I’ll be very happy.” One of the key planks of this strategy is that all of the Academy coaches have UEFA coaching qualifications, and even though Cassell now has a mainly administrative rôle he’s also undertaken a UEFA course. Hopefully the success of last year’s under-17 side coupled with some spectacular results at more junior levels point towards the return of the days when City were reckoned to be one of the country’s top breeding grounds for young talent.

Kit Latest

Latest word is that the launch of City’s new home kit will be put back from 11 July and may now be as late as the beginning of August. The reason is the late conclusion of the deal with the new sponsor, which means that sufficient shirts bearing the Eidos logo won’t be ready for the kit to go on sale on the date initially planned. As has been previously revealed, the home kit will comprise a laser blue shirt with a white stripe down the sleeve and the badge in the middle, white shorts and navy socks. The style of the white away shirt (which goes on sale in the autumn) will apparently mirror it. It’s also said that there will be a third kit incorporating a black and red striped shirt, which will be used “sparingly”. This will then be the first choice away strip for the 2000-2001 season.

MUNICH CHANTS (RE: MCIVTA 511)

Dave Lyons wrote: “The singing of so-called Munich chants is an insult and affront to all genuine City and Rag supporters. One of our greatest legends, Frank Swift, perished in the Munich air disaster.”

Whilst I’ve been watching Manchester City since the mid 50’s I never saw Big Swifty play (he retired the year I was born). But my granddad (who was a Blue) used to talk about him a great deal. By the time my granddad was taking me to Maine Road (though not trying to convert me to a Blue – he respected my dad too much for that) Bert was in goal. My granddad would liken Bert to Swifty in many ways; both big men with huge hands and wonderful positional sense. Until recent times Bert was the best goalkeeper I had ever seen (I am not convinced that that situation has changed as a matter of fact).

Anyway because of what my granddad said to me I felt a lot for Frank Swift and I was devastated when he perished, along with the other boys (my absolute hero Roger amongst them). That so-called fans of Manchester City can sing about that disaster is an absolute outrage. But then I am an old fart now and perhaps easily shocked. I thought what you wrote was spot on and I thank you for having the courage to write it.

About three weeks ago I was in a second-hand bookshop and came across ‘Football from the Goalmouth’ by Frank Swift. It was four pounds worth of absolute joy and I read it in a very short time. The way the book is written, using ‘old fashioned’ phrases and values, is a flash back to happier times as far as I’m concerned.

In his book, published in 1948, Swifty says (of Manchester)… “There is a very close link between ‘United’ and ‘City’ in Manchester, and not only because, through force of circumstances and Hitler’s bombers, the two clubs share the same ground. Each started in more or less the same way. Both were founded some sixty years ago as amateur sides in the suburbs of what, though much maligned owing to the rain everybody tells us we get, is a great city. The only real difference between the clubs is that they were started at opposite ends of the town”.

Also… “I, as an adopted Mancunian, like to think that the people who have come through the turnstiles, and who will in the future come to see either ‘United’ or ‘City’, are not so keen on club partisanship as to forget that they are watching Manchester play football”.

… “as to forget that they are watching MANCHESTER play football”… If only those values existed today.

MORE ON MUNICH CHANTS

I feel sorry for the lads who hate United so much it clouds their judgement of City. We are not about hating United, or any other team for that matter. We are a family, a great bunch, all ages all colours all creeds. City are like a microcosm of the world (wow this sounds heavy… smile). Sometimes we are up and lots of times we get s**t upon. But all the bad times are mitigated by our spirit and commitment. The alchemy of the the play-off final would have had the middle-age wizards drooling about what was really gold.

CITY DEVOTION – KEEP THE FAITH

All this ex-Rags business should now be forgot for the benefit of our beloved Blues. If the player can play and wants to play for the team them it shouldn’t matter about his dark past, surely his hunger for success would be greater to show the rabble that they have made a mistake by letting him go.

Obviously the last edition from some of the contributors were mere paragraph fillers but the true passion still shows through. We can do it this season and prove to the rest of the country that we have what it takes to help keep this great game of football the spectacle it is today.

Can’t wait to see the new shirts to show my passion for the most loyal set of fans I could ever know, thanks for all the years of devotion.

RE: UNITED PLAYERS PLAYING FOR CITY

Big Deal.

Denis Law.

Terry Cooke.

Now grow up.

NICKY BANGER – AN OPINION (IS THIS MAN A SAUSAGE?)

As a University student and a life long City fan I have ventured out to visit The Manor here in Oxford a few times during the last season. The main reason I have been is that a good mate is a devoted Oxford fan and I don’t get my regular fix of live matches as I used to back up North.

Nicky Banger or “sausage” as he is known down here, is probably not the sort of player JR would sign. I have seen him play a few times and the others he has remained on the subs’ bench, a place he has been for most of the season.

He ain’t too bad really, the movement he sometimes shows just behind the front two, Kevin Francis and Antrobus from Crewe now, is quite good but he has a real hard time scoring. Sometimes looking completely useless!

Nicky Banger, in my opinion, is not good enough to play in the third side at Maine Road let alone compete for a place in the first team!

My two pennies worth.

RAG KIDS

Dear Larry,

Consider yourself fortunate that you have managed to isolate the despicable disease at an early stage; you at least have some time to work with before the little “Angel” actually wants to join a football club and proudly don his club’s shirt to go to training and matches.

I had my eldest in City outfits from an early age, I made sure his kit was washed and pressed before allowing him to venture forth into the cruel world; at the time he was 18 months old and we lived in Australia. I brought him with us when we came back to the UK, charitable of me I thought, and made a point of enrolling him in the Junior Blues at the age of 5. Every year he would be given new City gear to wear as and when needed and when he joined a football club at 7, Juno United, Cheadle Hulme, he went to training and matches in his sky blue gear. When sides were picked for kick-abouts he was always on “City’s” side. Then I noticed that he was wearing less and less of his gear, he wasn’t asking for City coloured items, and he started playing on the other side in the kick-abouts. He said it was to see how the other side felt, but after 12 years I knew we were losing him. The more I tried to steer him back to City, the greater the fight he put up against me.

I could have understood if he wanted to follow Salford Rugby League, I like them myself, or Stockport County at a pinch, but to lose him to those who would love to be in Manchester but aren’t was a bitter blow. We moved to Ireland, hoping this would put it all in perspective but alas it did nothing to change his mind, I can only hope that you can bring Francis back to his senses because the consequences are dire to say the least.

May the force be with you.

NAMES FOR JUNIOR BLUES!

My wife is due to give birth in three weeks and I too am concerned for the future surrounded in southern land by scummy United s**ts! I have suggested the name Nicky after the main man`s heroics at Wembley (for boy or girl) and even Lee after my middle name (yep, my old girl refused Francis too) but my wife is only compromising on a middle name. Help one exiled Blue keep the tradition flying from the start (Gio was ruled out early and Dickov didn’t make first base!). Good on City for making Junior Blues eligible from aged 0. Still playing the Wembley tape and thank God I got that ticket! I work in a boarding school – it’s early bed if no City posters on boards. To future Blues everywhere…!

A LETTER TO SUBSCRIBERS

Hi Blues,

I am a Blue of a different hue, support Chelsea, but my dear sister is CTID and I get McVittee for her!

As we share a house we were watching telly the other evening when Janet and I see an advert for the ‘Triple Season’ of the Rags… the price £2.99; quick as a flash Janet turns to me and says, “I could afford to buy one just to burn it!” Says it all, I think.

We live in Nottingham and plan to go see the Blues at the Forest ground next season. We joined you all at Notts County last and loved the singing etc! We are also ice hockey freaks supporting the wonderful Nottingham Panthers and travel to Manchester quite a lot in hockey season. It is Janet’s ambition to watch a game at Maine Road, so perhaps we’ll get to meet some of you good people this coming winter!

Come on, City!

“Nobody can be un-cheered with a balloon.” (A.A. Milne)

NOTICES ETC.

I just read in the local newspaper that a new branch of the City Supporters’ Club is being launched in Bray County Wicklow; just 12 miles south of Dublin; for those of you who never heard of Bray. This is great news for me because apart from myself and my son; you do not come across too many sky blue jerseys here; unfortunately it’s nearly all red here. The first meeting is in Katie Gallagher’s on the seafront next Tuesday the 29th; I’m looking forward to it. Kindest regards to City fans all over the world.

Do you have a list of City’s Pre-Season friendlies and the dates?

If you do (or anyone else at MCIVTA) please could you E-Mail them to me as it would be a great help.

The following request is in this week’s Radio Times.

Are you a Round-the-World football addict? Do you listen to the World Service at ridiculous hours of the night to catch the latest news of your team? BBC Radio 5 Live is making a programme about being a football fan abroad. If you have a story to tell contact Fiona.

Fiona can be contacted by emailing: fiona.cotterill@bbc.co.uk

FIXTURES

The MCFC fixture list for 1999/2000 season is as follows:

Sun Aug  8 Wolverhampton Wanderers Home (Sky TV - Kick-off 1pm)
Wed Aug 11 Burnley                 Home Worthington Cup, 1st Round, 1st Leg
Sat Aug 14 Fulham                  Away
Sat Aug 21 Sheffield United        Home
Wed Aug 25 Burnley                 Away Worthington Cup, 1st Round, 2nd leg
Sat Aug 28 Bolton Wanderers        Away
Mon Aug 30 Nottingham Forest       Home
Sat Sep  4 Norwich City            Away
Sat Sep 11 Crystal Palace          Home
Wed Sep 15                              Worthington Cup, 2nd Round, 1st leg
Sat Sep 18 Walsall                 Away
Wed Sep 22                              Worthington Cup, 2nd Round, 2nd leg
Sun Sep 26 Ipswich Town            Away (Sky TV - Kick-off 1pm)
Sat Oct  2 Port Vale               Home
Sat Oct  9 Portsmouth              Home
Wed Oct 13                              Worthington Cup, 3rd Round
Sat Oct 16 Tranmere Rovers         Away
Tue Oct 19 Birmingham City         Away (Sky TV - Kick-off 8pm)
Sat Oct 23 Blackburn Rovers        Home
Tue Oct 22 Ipswich Town            Home
Sat Oct 30 Port Vale               Away
Sat Nov  6 QPR                     Away
Sat Nov 13 Stockport County        Home
Sat Nov 20 Charlton Athletic       Away
Tue Nov 23 Barnsley                Home
Sat Nov 27 Huddersfield Town       Home
Wed Dec  1                              Worthington Cup, 4th Round
Fri Dec  3 Wolverhampton Wanderers Away (Sky TV - Kick-off 7.45)
Sat Dec 11                              FA Cup 3rd Round
Wed Dec 15                              Worthington Cup 5th Round
Sat Dec 18 Swindon Town            Home
Sun Dec 26 WBA                     Away (Sky TV - Kick-off 12pm)
Tue Dec 28 Grimsby Town            Home
Mon Jan  3 Crewe Alexandra         Away
Sat Jan  8                              FA Cup 4th Round
Wed Jan 12                              Worthington Cup Semi-Final 1st leg
Sat Jan 15 Fulham                  Home
Sat Jan 22 Sheffield United        Away
Wed Jan 26                              Worthington Cup Semi-Final 2nd leg
Sat Jan 29 Bolton Wanderers        Home (or FA Cup 5th Round)
Sat Feb  5 Nottingham Forest       Away
Sat Feb 12 Norwich City            Home
Sat Feb 19 Huddersfield Town       Away (or FA Cup 6th Round)
Sat Feb 26 Walsall                 Home
Sun Feb 27                              Worthington Cup Final
Sat Mar  4 Crystal Palace          Away
Tue Mar  7 QPR                     Home
Sat Mar 11 Barnsley                Away
Sat Mar 18 Charlton Athletic       Home
Tue Mar 21 Stockport County        Away
Sat Mar 25 WBA                     Home
Sat Apr  1 Swindon Town            Away
Sat Apr  8 Crewe                   Home (or FA Cup Semi-Final)
Sat Apr 15 Grimsby Town            Away
Sat Apr 22 Tranmere Rovers         Home
Mon Apr 24 Portsmouth              Away
Sat Apr 29 Birmingham City         Home
Sun May  7 Blackburn Rovers        Away
Sat May 20 FA Cup Final

Ticket arrangements for the first games of the season will be forwarded as soon as known.

WHY BLUE?

Quite simply, I joined the supporters of Manchester City because of my dad. When he was younger, and Manchester United were supported by just about every glory hunter in the world (no change there then) he decided to be ironic, different from everyone else. So he supported Manchester City. He went to watch them a few times and when I was about 7 or 8 years of age, I began to get interested in football. I didn’t know which team to support, so I asked my dad. He said M.C.F.C. who were in the Premiership at the time, and so I followed in his footsteps in supporting the almighty City. I have supported them for the past ten years and seen them many times before myself, but I just try to imagine what life would be like if my dad hadn’t decided to support City. Would my life have been any different? I wonder.

WWW MANCHESTER CITY SUPPORTERS’ HOME PAGE:
http://www.uit.no/mancity/

MCIVTA ADDRESSES:
Contributions: Steve Biddick – sbiddick@cybercomm.nl
News & Rumours: Peter – brophy_peter@hotmail.com
Subscriptions & Club Questions: Steve Bolton – sbolton@buxtonrd.u-net.com
Technical Problems: Paul – paul@city-fan.org

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.

Steve Biddick, sbiddick@cybercomm.nl

Editor: