Newsletter #150

There’s more news on the Xmas meet, which should enable people to decide whether they want to turn up or not. Currently 38 intend to go for a couple of pints and a chat. All are welcome who wish to come but mail Malcolm to let him know.

There have been a few suggestions recently concerning making MCIVTA an official supporters’ club and/or getting an honorary president. Although I understand the sentiments behind these ideas I must say that I’m not really convinced about them. MCIVTA was always meant to be a way of spreading the news and getting Blues in touch with each other, initially overseas Blues. MCIVTA is now far bigger than I ever imagined it would get but I still feel that the same reasons which brought it into existence are valid today, one year down the line, albeit that it’s become a newsletter for all Blues, wherever they are. Going official would mean creating a link to the club, which might just constrain contributors in what they want to say. Some of the things which came in during Horton’s losing streak were severely critical of the club; is that something which we’d want to lose (would we have to lose it)? Additionally, looking at it in the cold light of day, exactly what would such a relationship add to the newsletter? Perhaps we could get more access to press releases but this is something that we’d hope to do anyway. There’s also the less than harmonious recent history of the OSAs and ISA’s and their relationship with the club. A president is however, something else, but would anyone really want to be president of something they knew nothing about or something that didn’t really crave representation?

To sum up, in a sense it would be gratifying to be official but I’m unconvinced of the actual benefits and have my own opinions on the potential disadvantages. We could have a voice I suppose but do we really want a voice? If anyone wants to add to this debate then please send your views in. I’m open to persuasion!

Next game, Middlesbrough away, Saturday 9th December 1995.

NEWS – F.A. CUP DRAW

FA Cup 3rd Round draw;
Leicester City vs. MCFC

NEWS – TICKET SALES

City’s improved form has led to a massive increase in ticket sales. Saturday’s game at Middlesbrough is sold out and with an allocation of only 2,500 tickets for the Cup match at Leicester, anybody intending to go to the game should get their ticket as soon as possible after they go on sale in order to avoid disappointment.

Sorry if I sound like a salesman!

NEWS – INJURIES

John Foster will have an operation to pin his shoulder tomorrow (Friday) which should prevent it dislocating again. The recovery time from this operation is quite long, so it may be towards the end of the season before he is available again. Richard Edghill will have an exploratory operation on his knee (also tomorrow) to try to determine the extent of the damage suffered during the game at Leeds on Saturday. Peter Beagrie has an inflamed achilles tendon.

NEWS – TEAM

Rae Ingram is set to take over the left back spot from Richard Edghill at Middlesbrough on Saturday. Lee Crooks and Michael Brown have also been added to the squad, presumably as cover for the suspended Garry Flitcroft.

NEWS – TRANSFER SPECULATION

SkyText links City with Crewe midfielder Neil Lennon, who was on City’s books in the late eighties and was transferred to Crewe in Auguest 1990. Although a right back during his time at City (he made one appearance in April 1988 at Birmingham), he has converted to a midfield role and is a current Northern Ireland international.

NEWS – CHRISTIANSEN

Hi Ashley, think this might be of interest. I looked at the Barca page and e-mailed the lad who runs one of their pages on the web. I asked about Christiansen and he has very kindly replied. It looks as if Christiansen may be going to Spain after all.

Take care, thought that I would just mention that I haven’t sent any info from GMR for some time because the reception that I can receive differs on the weather and if someone farts in the surrounding area.

The Christiansen deal has gone very silent which indicates that it is probably off. Another snippet of news comes from Adam Houghton who says that Sheffield Wednesday have put in a swap bid for Paul Walsh, this involves Mark Bright and another player going the other way.

NEWS – LOANS

Jim Bentley and John Sharpe have gone on a month’s loan to Exeter City. Dave Brightwell is now on his third loan spell of the season, this time at Shrewsbury Town.

MCIVTA XMAS MEET – LATEST

Would all those coming please go to the front door of the Manchester City Social Club, which is next to the new souvenir shop behind the North Stand. For those who can remember that is the end of the ground that had the old scoreboard, no roof and great atmosphere when it rained!

I think 1300hrs (one o’clock in old money) would be the best time to arrive.

I have made arrangements for door passes to be made available and to settle up for the one pound a head entrance fee which is a requirement of the social club later.

Say you are there for a meeting of the Internet Blues in the 400 Club with Malcolm, Hilda’s brother (Hilda is the chairman of the club’s committee, and well known around the place). Lawrence is usually the doorman. He is the tall one, can croon like Frank Sinatra and has an endless repertoire of jokes.

The 400 club is the upstairs lounge on the far side of the main function room. The main function room is entered by the doors to the left inside the foyer just past the snack bar. Programmes are available on the right in the games room past the entrance.

I will hang around the door for about 15 minutes or so to shepherd folk in.

The 400 club has been shut for some time, but I will arrange for a barman to be in attendance and pay him direct in the manner that casual labour of this nature expects (he’s my nephew Barry, Hilda’s son). The range of beers and drinks may not be as extensive as the cognoscenti might like, but it is a first bash.

I am waiting on final numbers before I can make a judgement on catering, but new caterers have been installed on match days for the last few months and usually put on a chilli or curry which is OK according to my son, and reasonably priced, available in the snack bar inside to the left of the entrance.

I’ll probably just splash out on a few nuts and crisps around the place for folk to pick over.

Once we’re all in I will pass the hat around for the one pound entrance fee (kids under 15 free) and any other contributions for the bar staff. I think two quid a head would cover the costs. If more than 35 turn up then I propose to hand over any surplus funds to Ashley as a contribution to his telephone bills.

Because I’m an administrator I can’t help thinking we should have a record of who turns up, and to this end perhaps each attendee could drop a note with name and internet address on in the hat at the same time.

I have booked the room until 1500hrs.

Any specific queries to Malcolm@plaiter.demon.co.uk but remember I generally only pick up my messages at the weekend.

Midweek if necessary is mplaiter@wcohamuk1.wimpey.co.uk

I will give an update on numbers attending next week.

MCIVTA REACHES OUT TO OLD NICK!

I have made contact with Mr John Koh, the lawyer for Nick Leeson, and he was very amused that I actually wanted to mail copies of MCIVTA to poor old Nick. I had to explain to him at length the sort of information that is provided in each issue of MCIVTA. He will speak to Nick regarding this and will get back to me later in the week.

I told him that I will hand-deliver a copy soon, which will explain what these mails are. I would appreciate if you (Ashley) could write a short introduction in the next MCIVTA to welcome Mr Leeson. Also, anyone who would like to drop a word to Nicky can do so, too. I hope this will make him feel welcomed and he will be interested to receive subsequent copies.

I’ll write a welcome in Monday’s issue and if anyone else wants to add something then send it in. Thanks go to Nizam for his efforts.

CARLINGNET

PremierNet (on the WWW) has relaunched itself as CarlingNet and now appears to be as originally envisaged with plenty of links up and running and looking pretty slick. Merchandise can now be ordered although in the case of the Blues this is at present limited to replica kits. The URL is as follows:

http://www.fa-carling.com/

Thanks to Paul for drawing my attention to this.

OFFICIALDOM?

Why not put your e-mail address on the list in WSC as a fanzine? I’m sure it counts as one. We should also try to download magazines and stuff for the overseas readers. I think we should get Liam Gallagher to be our honorary chairman, but Paul Calf’s worth a try.

~:) (Bobby Charlton in a high wind)

NEW STADIUM

In MCIVTA 148, Jesse McClure asked why City would have spent so much money on Maine Road if they intended to move into the new Manchester stadium. The simple answer is that after the end of the 1993/94 season, the old Kippax terrace could not be used due to the rules regarding implementation of the Taylor Report. Some clubs (those recently promoted and one or two other exceptions) were allowed to retain terracing a little longer but City were not granted an exemption.

If the Kippax had not been redeveloped, the capacity of Maine Road would now be around 22,000, which would severely limit the club’s revenue. With one side of the ground closed too, the atmosphere at matches would be greatly diminished also.

If City do decide to move, it is likely that Maine Road will be leased out to local Rugby clubs. With the recent change to allow professionalism in Rugby Union and the advent of a super-league for Rugby League, clubs of both codes may be looking for a bigger arena in which to display their talents.

Regarding clubs moving, you may be interested to hear that Wimbledon are supposed to be considering moving to Dublin and renaming the club Dublin City. However, there will probably be opposition from FIFA if they try to go ahead and I think it’s just a way of putting pressure on Merton council to sort out planning permission for a new ground in the club’s real home.

BLUE XMAS

As I’m off to New Zealand for a month of holidays in the South Pacific sun I’d just like to wish all the MCIVTA’ers out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Special thanks to Ashley, Paul, Martin etc., and the Platt Lane Mole, who have all done a hell of a lot of good work over the year. Also a big thanks to all the folks who sent me some information on my beloved Mt. Wellington Utd. F.C, I’ll be sure to reacquaint myself with the team when I get home! Cheers, and let’s hope the Blues keep the good run going!!

OPINION – CHANGED FORTUNES

Well well well, what a difference a month makes! Whilst I didn’t call for Ball’s head when things started off as badly as they did, I must confess that if Franny had got shut of him and brought in someone who was genuinely better I would not have complained. Come to think of it if someone with serious money had come in and bought Franny out I wouldn’t have complained either as the club was sliding into oblivion and so little seemed to be going on to stop it.

So where do we stand now? Fifteenth in the table and recording a modest profit, still a long way short of the Newcastles of this world but I think we’re on the way now. Everything that the board has done can only serve to bring in more money, which can only mean that our muscle in the transfer market can only increase.

I remember Alan Hansen saying that you can judge the strength of a team by looking at it’s centre. Who’ve we got? TC and Immel in goal (excellent), Curle and Symons in defence (not bad at all), Kinky in midfield (my uncle, who’s a bit long in the tooth reckons that he’s the best player City have ever had: Enough said there 8-)) and Rösler up front (I’m sure it’s a matter of time before he’s back on song). All in all, whilst the above is not the best there is, it’s certainly not the heart of a team doomed to the First Division, particularly when you think of the improved form of Flitcroft, Lomas, Summerbee, Quinn etc.

My only worry is if we suffer a lot of injuries then the squad is painfully thin. Now it would be easy to go out and spend lots on average players (look at the state of Wolves now everyone… and in a weaker division too). Clearly anyone who is brought in must be as good or better than those named above. Bally has got rid of the dead wood (although I’d have liked Walsh to still be in the squad, perhaps as supersub?) and there can’t be any complaints about those he’s brought in and the form of Summerbee in particular has been revitalised by Ball’s coaching as Ball said it would, if you recall.

It’s interesting to see City at the moment almost playing with a formation similar to some South American teams: Solid at the back, one gem surrounded by players of verying levels of creativity in midfield, and two up front. The result: lots of 1-0 wins.

Strengthening the team: We need someone up front, whilst Quinn, Uwe and Gerry are good on their day I’m not sure that the blend’s quite right. I’d rather see one of them paired with someone truiy fearsome: Imagine Kinky and LeTissier in the same team (Even better: imagine what they’d do to Bruce and Pallister!!!) I know we’ve not got the money to buy someone like that, but there’s a gem out there waiting to be unearthed (probably somewhere in Eastern Europe). Perverse as it sounds given the number of clean sheets, I’m not entirely happy with the quality of full backs either.

That’s my thoughts I’m sure people have theirs, but it’s nice to write in an optimistic frame of mind 🙂

P.S: Anyone know where I can get a Georgia shirt?

OPINION – MIDFIELD OPTIONS

As Flipper is banned for the next 3 matches, I was wondering what Ball will do to replace him? I’d like to see Beagrie return to the left flank, with Lomas playing in the middle with Kinky and Buzzer on the right. Does anyone know if Beagrie is fit? Has he trained recently? I hope Ball doesn’t decide to play Creaney in midfield.

On a different subject, I’d like to agree with Paul Howarth’s comments, that although we are playing well and winning these days, we don’t score enough goals. I’d love to see Uwe return to his previous form – then we really would be a good side! Maybe his short hair is to blame for his poor form. Ryan Giggs cut his hair short last season and his form dipped almost immediately. His form seems to have returned this seasons, along with his stupid long locks.

OPINION – NEXT FEW FIXTURES

Now that City has accelerated out of the bottom of the table, it’s time to shift gears and move to the middle of the pack. The next four matches are against numbers 6, 11, 10 & 14. IMHO, if City are truly serious about moving into respectability, they have to take at least 6 out of 12 possible points. Otherwise, recent form will be merely an aberration from the beginning of the season, and City will be back below the dotted line.

WHY BLUE?

As a true born Mancunian, the choice of football team to follow was obviously restricted to Blue or Red. As all of my family were life long City fans, a certain jumped up 5 year old, who always wanted to be different, decided to support the Reds (please forgive me, it was merely a folly of youthfulness).

Having then been uprooted from God’s favourite city at a tender age (six) to move to the foreign parts of Staffordshire the local support at that time, about 1972, was for Wolves.

Along came the League Cup final, and a certain ‘Ex-Red’ decided that there may be some mileage in supporting City when they won, thus giving an excellent opportunity to take the rise out of all the Molineux faithful, after all they couldn’t get beat could they !!!

The game came and went, the disappointment of the occasion has stayed with me ever since; however, so has the desire to see City !1976 apart I’m still waiting for the success that so many false dawns have promised, I suppose I’ll just have to join the queue with the rest of us).

Perhaps the latest dawn will deliver the long overdue success that our club deserves; it would certainly appear to be based on a sound financial basis, with a managerial staff who seem to be committed to football the way it should be played.

I look forward to a brighter tommorrow, maybe even the chance to stuff Wolves in a cup match!!

HUMOUR – CANTONA

Have we had this already; it rings a bell, but I suspect it was in one of the multifarious footy mags that litter our house. Came via the BCFC list (which I lurk out of duty).

Cantonian Rhapsody (sort of fits into the Bohemian Rhapsody tune)

Is this the Moss Side? Or is it fantasy?
Taught by the lies from Matt Busby’s Theatre of Dreams
Open your eyes, look right through the lies and see
He’s just a french git
deserving no sympathy
Because he’s hit them high
hit them low
Karate kick or body blow
Anyway the sod goes doesn’t really matter to me
to me.

Mamma, just kicked a man
put my studs in his chest
Then I slapped him round the head
My career had only just begun
But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away.
Mama, je suis merde, didn’t mean to blow my top
If I piss off to Spain some time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on, ‘cos ze Mancs don’t really matter.

Lately I have done wrong
Thats what I tell the press.
But I really couldn’t care less
Goodbye everybody, I’m due in court
But by the start of October I’ll be back

Mama ooooooo
I don’t wanna sign
I sometimes wish I’d never left
France at all.

I see a little leather jacket on a man
Sacre bleu! Sacre bleu! I will kick his ****ing head in!
Adidas and Nike might take all those ads off me

Manchestero (Manchestero)
Manchestero (Manchestero)
Manchestero, I’ve got to go (so pay me moooooooooore)

I’m just a french boy, nobody loves me
(He’s just a french boy from a french family, can’t blame the parents
for this monstrosity)
Easy come, easy go – a red card you will show
Referee? NOOO!
You must not send me off! (send him off)
Referee?
He’s going to send me off (send him off)
Referee? He’s gone and sent me off (sent him off)
I’ll have my early bath (early bath)
Another early bath (early bath)
NON! NON! NON! NON! NON! NON! NON!
Man United Man United Man United will not let me go
Dementio has a pay rise put aside for me, for me, for meeeeee

yes I think I can kick them and spit in their eye
Yes I know they hate me and I don’t care why
Oh baby, I would like to join AC
I’d like to sign, I’d like to sign for Milano

Nothing really matters, anyone can see
None of all this matters, nothing really matters to me.

Anywhere that pays well…

RESULTS

Monday, December 4 1995

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY   4-3    COVENTRY CITY          16,229

Mon 04 Dec

Team                Played   Won Drawn Lost  For  Against   Points
Newcastle United      16     12    3    1     36    14        39
Manchester United     16     10    4    2     33    15        34
Arsenal               16      8    5    3     22    11        29
Aston Villa           16      8    4    4     20    12        28
Tottenham Hotspur     16      7    6    3     22    17        27
Middlesbrough         16      7    6    3     15    10        27
Nottingham Forest     15      6    8    1     25    22        26
Liverpool             16      7    4    5     28    15        25
Leeds United          15      7    3    5     20    17        24
Blackburn Rovers      16      6    3    7     27    19        21
Chelsea               16      5    6    5     15    18        21
Everton               16      5    5    6     19    19        20
West Ham United       16      5    5    6     17    20        20
Sheffield Wednesday   16      4    5    7     18    23        17
Southampton           16      4    4    8     16    26        16
Manchester City       16      4    3    9      8    22        15
Wimbledon             16      3    4    9     22    36        13
Queens Park Rangers   16      3    3   10     12    24        12
Bolton Wanderers      16      2    3   11     15    31         9
Coventry City         16      1    6    9     17    36         9

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

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

Thanks to Nizam, David (x2), Jeremy, R.S, Heather, Charles, Malcolm, Jesse, Tony, Paul, The Mole & Roger.

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.

Editor: