Newsletter #133

I’m afraid this one is a little thin due to the absence of action over the weekend but we still have another match report from last week’s cup game, some opinion and a Why Blue.

So, the Rags are on Saturday and the City faithful will be able to watch it on the big screen at Maine Road. Flixton Red did just this last season at the Swamp and said that he certainly wouldn’t do it again as the atmosphere was completely flat and it wasn’t all that cheap either! If anyone is planning to watch the game at Maine Road please write in and let us have your thoughts on watching a big game this way. Hopefully, Flixton Red will do a report for us ‘live’ and up to his usual objective standards; it’ll be the only real ‘live’ one we get this time round!

I’ll send out an MCIVTA on Thursday providing that enough comes in to warrant one. Now would be an ideal time to do a Why Blue or that review of the Mercer biography or of any of the many videos which we haven’t reviewed so far. Failing that just let’s have your thoughts on the derby.

Next game, Manchester United away, Saturday 14th October 1995.

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MATCH REPORT ‘LIVE’

MANCHESTER CITY vs. WYCOMBE WANDERERS, CC Cup 2nd round, 2nd leg, Wednesday 4th October 1995.

City (2) 4 vs. Wycombe (0) 0
Att: 11,464
Team: Immel, Edghill (Margetson), Brightwell (I), Curle, Symons, Lomas, Flitcroft (Brown), Kinkladze (Summerbee), Beagrie, Rösler, Quinn.
Ref: Keith Burge

A very poor crowd were rewarded with City’s first win of the season. Where were we all? Only £8.00 to get in with programmes reduced to £1.00. I even persuaded my wife to go (a closet Oldham fan hoping for an upset). A change round in defence saw Edghill at left back and Brightwell on the right. With both Quinn and Rösler in the starting line up, the right wing was again vacant.

After a shaky opening, characteristic of our season, with Wycombe hitting the post through Williams, we settled down and started playing some good football. I was particularly impressed with Quinn early on. He was winning every ball in the air and laying off some good balls to Rösler who looked as sharp as ever.

Flitcroft looked to be struggling a little and certainly wasn’t as effective as usual. Although Lomas was getting through a lot of work, it was Kinky who ran the show. I can’t remember one ball wasted by him all night. The first goal came when Quinn laid the ball off to Lomas who made inroads into the box and squared it. The ‘keeper Hyde got in a mix up with one of his defenders and the ball slipped out to Rösler who tapped it in. You could almost see the relief oozing out of our pores and from the restart we started playing like the 1970’s Brazilians. Beagrie was getting some success down the left. Kinky was playing one-twos with anyone available, selling dummies, beating men at will, sending inch perfect passes through, one of which completely split their defence open with Rösler running onto it and calmly slotting home number two. Now we were definitely back. Rösler and Kinky celebrated by sliding to each other on their knees and I started wondering if my 4-1 prediction may have been a bit too pessimistic.

Just as our thoughts were flying high, they were shot down when Kinky looked to have taken a bad knock (twist?) as he flighted another cross in from the right wing. It took an age to get the stretcher on, with the men in yellow looking as if they were on Sunday afternoon strolls. He managed to limp over to the tunnel as the half time whistle went, but I was worried.

Euphoria returned to my state of mind when Kinky ran on as fresh as a daisy for the second half. Judging by the reception he got I wasn’t the only apprehensive one.

Were Wycombe any good? Well this was the team that set the lower reaches alight with Martin O’Neill and I’ve always thought Alan Smith to be a genuine, intelligent manager. They did seem a bit overawed by the occasion though. City were in no mood to show any mercy and when Rösler broke through on the right wing his low cross was rifled in by Quinn. Kinky carried on as he had left off and his close dribble into the box ended when he was unceremoniously brought down. I wanted Georgiou to take the penalty. Apparently Rösler fancied it, but Curle brushed all aside to impose his authority on the situation (4-0). Flipper was substituted after having a poor game, but seemed to limp off heavily. Kinky also went as AB obviously wanted him rested prior to him taking United apart. Edghill picked up a knock and with both outfield subs used, Margetson came on as one of our triple centre forwards. The crowd loved this and had a ‘Go West’ chant going with MM’s name and loudly cheering whenever he touched the ball (looked a lot like Gerry Creaney, I thought).

We were despatched home with a smile on our faces for once and rushed home to see it on the telly. The referee was excellent (anonymous for the most part). Brightwell’s booking was a little harsh but in retrospect he was lucky not to get sent off when he committed a carbon copy foul a few minutes later.

Ratings:

• Immel 6 (nothing to do)
• Edghill 6 (a few loose passes but infinitely better than against Middlesbrough)
• Brightwell 6 (Mr. 100% but mistimes too many tackles)
• Symons 7 (usual)
• Curle 7 (had the Wycombe attack for dinner)
• Flitcroft 5 (unfit?)
• Lomas 7 (did the most running on the park and lasted the full 90)
• Kinkladze 9 (had to be seen to be believed – only given 9 ’cause he’s definitely going to get better)
• Beagrie 7 (always threatened)
• Quinn 8 (Bally’s got to keep him in after this – at Creaney’s expense)
• Rösler 8 (Tireless running and looked happy with Quinn)

Ken Foster (kf737@vossnet.co.uk)

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NEWS – FLITCROFT

The Sunday Mirror was doing its best to make up a story so had a few paragraphs intimating that Flipper was up for sale at £4m in order to raise funs for team rebuilding. It also stated that Ball would be risking a fan-backlash if he did so. Sounds like total speculation to me.

Ashley

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NEWS – RÖSLER

Teletext this morning (Monday) reported that Uwe was about to sign a three year deal but this evening there is no report of him having done so so we’ll have to wait and see a little longer.

Ashley

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CHEER UP A RAG!

Sick of cruel jibes from your Rag workmates?

Why not turn the tables and show them a bit of generosity now they’ve been dumped out of 2 cups in a week. The poor mites must be feeling dis-oriented. The only reason they follow the Rags is for success.

So, be magnanimous. Buy them a bar of chocolate to cheer them up. Not just any bar of chocolate, mind. Only a tough macho YORKie bar will do.

Or for those of you are seriously rich, how about a brand spanking new (rotor) Volvo (grad) car to ease the blues of supporting the reds?

Go on, cheer up a Rag today!

James Nash (james59@mdx.ac.uk)

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OASIS PLEA!

One other thing… if Oasis are such big Blues, why not stump up £2m and let us get a midfielder for Kinky to play with? Surely that’s not too much for such a wannabe-loved as Noel? Or even give the gopher an interest-free 12 month loan?

Great update on the CC Cup. Good support too lads! The only problem is I see we’ve drawn the scousers. Maybe confidence will be higher now after that solid and stylish win, and with the crowd behind them (and every other supporter in the land/ether) after narrowly beating Stretford by 1.

Huw Thomas (huw.thomas@ac.com)

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WHY BLUE?

Having just subscribed today, I thought I would let everyone know why I became a Man City supporter.

I was on holiday in Blackpool with my family – mum, dad, one brother and two sisters – when I was seven or eight years old. I’m 34 now, so unknown to me at the time, City were a team feared by most. My football at the time was limited to matches involving Dundee or Dundee Utd. I was soon to become biased towards Dundee Utd. However, back to Blackpool. Mum and two sisters went one way – dad, brother and me went another way. Soon, knowing how keen on football my brother and me were, dad took us to a sports shop. Enough to keep us out of mischief for a couple of hours. Whilst in the shop my brother and me were fascinated by all the different football pennants. I think every English team was represented in pennant form. Knowing nothing about English football at the time, the most difficult decision we had was – which one would we like hanging on the wall above our beds? I chose Man City and he chose Huddersfield Town. Since then, until he got married 12 years ago, we would both be on the lookout for the results of Man City and Huddersfield Town every Saturday. I still look for the Man City result. I think my brother conceded with Huddersfield.

Andy McDevitt (mctarm@vaxd.dct.ac.uk)

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HUMOUR

The following was sent in by Nick Mills who got it from RSS (the soccer newsgroup). If you’re offended by strong language then read with your eyes shut! For those new to RSS, Chantelle is supposed to be 14 and a rabid Rag from Stoke. The posts are usually very funny, very anti-United and are written by a Leeds Utd supporter who works in Manchester, allegedly!

Ashley

fukkin ell. its bin a long time sinse ive been on RSS but sinse that ace golekeeper of owrs as bin banging goles in and its me birfday i fote ide rite a poim.

me birfday – by Chantelle (now aged 14)
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i pulld bak the kurtains in mi bedrume
owtside woz wet and gray
but i didunt give a fuk, becos
tuday woz mi birfday

me dad ad askd me wot i wonted
a dress? a CD ? a cycle ? (nokked off of corse)
but i sed “I want a yewnited shurt
– of gole masheen peter shhhmikel” (ees me new hero yu see)

“not a-fuckin-gen!” he sed
“chantelle, yu no weer poor”
but aftur id cried for a minnit or 2
we wer off to the megastore.
(it works evri fuckin time, the soft basturd)

me dad fownd the golees shurts in the shop
and tuk 1 from the rak
“thats no fukkin gud” i skremed at im
“is names not on the bak”

a ladi came akross and sed
“ile stik it on yore swetter
it’ll onli tek a likkel wile
– thats 80pee a letter”

me dad, ee it the fukin roof and sed
“are you tekkin the soddin michael?
I no ime krap at spellin but thers
neerli 5 kwids wurth in shmikel”!
(akchewally ther woz 8 kwid – is mafs is shit too)

ther woz silens in the kar goin ome
me dad woz deep in thote
ee kept on shekkin is grumpi face
at the golies shurt eed bote

“its all comin cleer” he sed at last
“on why pole ince woz sold
its coz is names onli 4 letters long
if the truf wer to be told”

“and wy they kept nokkin evertun bak
on ther summer transfur hunt
koz a fukkin name like kanshellskiss woz wurth
a pakket to them greedi cunts”!

and as i lay in me bed that nite
finking bowt wot he ad to say
i cunt for the life of me fink wy weed bote…
….david MAY !!!??!!

Chantelle, aged 14

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RESULTS

No Premier League games this Saturday due to this week’s international games.

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

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MCIVTA ADDRESSES:
Contributions: mcivta@tollbar.u-net.com
Subscriptions: Adam.Houghton@sheffield.ac.uk

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Thanks to Andy, Huw, Ken, James & Nick.

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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.

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Ashley Birch, mcivta@tollbar.u-net.com

Editor: