Newsletter #926

After a 25 year wait for a competitive European game, our opponents were drawn on Friday, Total Network Solutions from Wales. The first leg is due to take place at home on 14 August, with the return on 28 August. We have some details on the Welsh club tonight, more opinion on David’s move, calls for new names, tunes and the share price information.

We also have an updated FAQ with thanks to David, which includes share price and other links.

Next game: tbc

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OPINION: SAINTS OPENER I

By one of those strange coincidences it seems that both our last competitive match at Maine Road and the first at The City of Manchester Stadium are to be against The Saints.

Try the following link for an explanation: http://www.saints-alive.co.uk/index.php

John Clancy (johnny@clancers.freeserve.co.uk)

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OPINION: SAINTS OPENER II

Just had a look at the home of Total Network Soloutions. Nice little ground, but a tad small for the Blue army. They were also the team that had talks with Gazza’s agents about him playing at TNS. Just in case fellow Blues are interested, their web site is at http://www.saints-alive.co.uk/treflan.htm

CTID, Salty (salty12@btinternet.com)

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OPINION: CELTIC CONNECTIONS

I’ve been reading the rumours about a Neil Lennon return and a Darren Huckerby departure to Parkhead. If a swap with Huckerby is on the cards, I think KK would be better taking Colin Healy off Celtic’s hands as he is younger and, in my opinion, a better player than Lennon. Or if not him, the centre half Crainey who seems unsettled in Glasgow.

Sandy Fraser (sandyfraser@btinternet.com)

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OPINION: LAST SEASON’S LOOK? I

Just a little concerned about the 80k? shirts which presumably have First Advice on them.

I along with, I expect, many others have pre-ordered the new home shirt for mid July and although I understand City have to ‘minimise their losses’, I will be mightily p****d off if my 2003-2005 sky blue shirt has an old sponsor on it or even one that only lasts of couple of months.

Does anyone out there have any more information? If so do I cancel my order and see what happens? So if you are in the know please share. Thanks.

Mick B (Koolfurmick@aol.com)

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OPINION: LAST SEASON’S LOOK? II

Does anyone know if the knock-down price for the new shirts on MCFC are “First Advice”? Is the club trying to get rid of their stock before issuing new ones once a new sponsor is named?

If so, you’ll be able to spot a season ticket holder at 500 yards, what with the 10% off!

Rodney Stephens (rodney.stephens@ntlworld.com)

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OPINION: NEW NAME NEEDED I

The time has come for us City fans to give the new stadium its name. The City of Manchester Stadium is far too long for songs etc. (we are City, super city from The City of Manchester Stadium is a bit of a mouthful).

My personal opinion is that the Bluecamp is the one. What does everyone else think?

CTID, Gordon Hindle (ghindle@btinternet.com)

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OPINION: NEW NAME NEEDED II

Can’t wait for the new season to start; reading McVittee is keeping me going though! I was looking at the pictures of our new home (what are we going to call it?) on the official website when something washed over me; not sure if it was artistic inspirations or just an alcoholic haze, I’ll leave you to decide!

When will the soil be at last green
In our new home, the finest we’ve seen
We shall not forget our time at Maine Road
But hope for our future will lighten our load
New chairman, new signings, will bring hope anew
But come fair or foul we’re forever sky blue

P.S. After my prediction that we would be signing Robbie Fowler (MCIVTA 812), I shall be looking into my crystal ball to see who may be on their way in the coming weeks. I’ll let everyone know once the ‘haze’ clears!

CTID, Colin Bateman (batemanc@allenovery.com)

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OPINION: MOVING ON I

I would like to start by thanking Heidi and the rest of the MCIVTA team on their fantastic effort week in and week out; its reassuring to know that I’m not the only sad b*****d that eats, drinks and sleeps City. It’s quite a while since I last contributed but I felt moved to put finger to keypad after driving past our truly magnificent new stadium today; it really is breathtaking, I cannot wait until our first home game vs. Pompey. I’m away for the Barça game and hope the 1st leg of the UEFA cup is away as I don’t get back in Manchester until Sunday 17th August (draw tomorrow).

I too have fond memories from the last 37 years at Maine Road, games such as the `Ballet on ice’, the 3-3 derby, King Colin’s comeback, Kinky’s goal against Southampton, the Wigan semi, the Goat’s 99th and 100th against the Rags and many more, but what made it so special was not the bricks and steelwork of the ground, because let’s get real, it wasn’t the greatest piece of architecture, but it was the people who went there and played there and cried and laughed together. This is what we have to take with us to the City of Manchester stadium.

I can understand David Mayor’s feeling of regret but come on, we are all City fans because we love City, I’ve not seen much glory over the last 27 years or more unless you want to call one League Cup glory! I think we should welcome the new season ticket holders with open arms and not be so judgemental of others; there have been years when I haven’t always been fortunate enough to have a season ticket and it didn’t mean that I stopped following City and supporting them in other ways. I’m sure that most of the other fans that will be filling the new stadium feel the same way that I do, so let’s take that atmosphere with us and really make it work; it’s down to us, nobody else so let’s do it, you only get a chance like this once in a lifetime and most fans of other teams will never get the same, they must be all pig sick with jealousy.

I don’t feel happy about some of the new names suggested for the new stadium. I really feel very strongly that we shouldn’t try and copy other famous clubs’ names such as the “Blue Camp”, we need to have our own identity, we are better than that. It might not roll off the tongue but I still find myself wanting to call it Maine Road so why not “New Maine Road” or something similar? We need more thought on this so come on with more suggestions please before we get stuck with something that we will soon get sick of like the Blue Camp (and anyway the Rags will only say that we are all `Camp’ if we use it, let’s face it, it does sound like a good name for a gay porn site).

Finally, does anybody know about the parking at the new stadium i.e. contract around the ground or other; I would be grateful for any help with this.

Let’s look forward to our new season and learn to be winners again but still keep our identity that keeps us so very different from the Rags.

Simon Challiner (simon@saramay.fsnet.co.uk)

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OPINION: MOVING ON II

We live in a democracy (ahem) and as such everyone is entitled to their opinion; MCIVTA should reflect all opinions and David Mayor is quite right to express his own feelings regarding City and the move to Comstad, Eastlands, North Openshaw or Blue Camp…

I think it was Prime Minister Benjamin Disrali who provided an apt quote to summise how I consider Mr Mayor’s feelings on the matter.

“Sir, I disagree with absolutely everything you have said but I shall defend to the death your absolute right to say it.”

Phil Lines (philipjlines@hotmail.com)

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OPINION: MOVING ON III

Nice one David Mayor Jnr in MCIVTA 924. I’m only just getting use to not going to MR ’cause that’s what it is really about. Will not miss the stadium, which has only the main stand tunnels that can be recognised from years ago – 48 in my case. Everyone relates to the surroundings – the journey, parking the car, pub, chippie, standing in the same place, surrounded by familiar faces. Magnificent stadium to go to but new routine to follow, not the same. In the dark days of the mid 60’s and early 80’s it seemed the attraction of being there was the main reason of going!

I don’t feel so much sadness at leaving but anger. How had a once great stadium been allowed to decline into the shambles of today. In the early 60’s the programme cover proudly boasted of ‘covered accommodation for 50,000’. Semi-finals and representative games were regularly staged, one of the first to be floodlit.

Then came the decline – for 30 years the club has been run by small-minded, small thinking directors. The Platt Lane development summed up the state of the club – too small – a great opportunity lost – corner shop mentality instead of supermarket. Within a couple of years the Taylor Report meant the Kippax had to be developed into all-seater and the reduced Platt Lane capacity resulted in the farcical ‘seated scaffold’ corners to achieve 35,000 capacity. No wonder Eastlands is so attractive to the club!

So I’m looking forward to walking down Grey Mare Lane instead of Claremont Road next season… onward and upward, and remember we are returning to within a couple of miles of where we used to play!

Graham Aldred (graham@aldred30.fsnet.co.uk)

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OPINION: MOVING ON IV

I felt I had to respond due to the volume of responses to my article concerning the move. Though I did expect responses that disagreed I didn’t anticipate quite the extent of controversy that the new season ticket holders comment provoked. I feel this was down to two things: 1. I didn’t word it particularly well. 2. On reading it many people all of a sudden decided I was saying things I simply wasn’t (e.g. “how dare he say the extra supporters we will have at the stadium are just there because of an upturn in the team’s fortunes” – Steve Cummings).

The point I was trying to make was that I thought some of the new season ticket holders would not have been inclined to purchase one had it not been for the move and the prospect of it bringing an upturn in the team’s fortunes. I base this on a few people I know who are in possession of a season ticket for the new stadium and showed little or no interest in going to watch City at Maine Road. It is not my intention to set “a purity standard at what constitutes a True Blue” (Paul Calder) but I do feel people should have the same desire to support any football team regardless of prestige and success.

I also know new season ticket holders for the new stadium who would have had one at Maine Road had they been available. I’m genuinely pleased for these people as I am for Michael Sayward, Andrew Keller and his girlfriend because I know how wonderful a feeling watching City can be. I also hope Steve Cummings has less trouble purchasing tickets for himself and his children. But from a personal point of view I’d be happier if these people had been able to purchase tickets for an increased capacity Maine Road.

I’m a little disappointed that this comment seems to have overshadowed the whole basis of the point as it is just one of my concerns. I should also state that I do hope I’m proved wrong with these concerns and the new stadium comes to earn the same amount of affection in my heart as the old one but at the moment I can’t really generate any enthusiasm for it.

I’m sorry about how I came across in that article as I should have been more careful in how I made my points but the basis of them remains.

David Mayor jnr (DMAYOR@ofsted.gov.uk)

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OPINION: ‘NEW’ FANS

I know of one new season ticket holder but I don’t know if she’s typical of the 12,000. She says she’s supports City but the only City song she knows the words to is Blue Moon. She didn’t watch them at all when we were in the 2nd Division, she only started going to see them in 2000 when we’d just been promoted to the Premiership (it was a choice between City or Liverpool – and City won because it was cheaper and more convenient). She still doesn’t know the names of all the players and her favourites are the more famous ones such as Schmeichel and Anelka (although if you press her on this, she’ll admit that her favourite player is really Michael Owen). She doesn’t know City’s history and she’s not interested in it. She doesn’t understand the finer points of the game, she barely knows the rules and is very hazy on the offside rule. She spends a lot of the time watching the crowd rather than the game and she’ll probably only go to about half the games next season.

Are there people that deserve that ticket more than her? Yes, certainly. Is she a glory-hunter? No. Does she get excited at the games? Yes. Does she confuse the pitch with Teletubbyland? Not any more. Is she a true Blue? No, not yet – but maybe one day she will be. She’s only 2 (3 next month), she’s been coming to the games since she was 6 weeks old – despite her dad being a Liverpool supporter and wanting her to be one too (at least we agree that she can’t be a United fan). I’m excited about the new stadium and thrilled that it means she can continue going to the games with me. I know that many of the new season tickets will not be renewed after this season – some people can’t afford it every season, some people only have the time to go to some matches each year, maybe my daughter will hate football in a year’s time – but I also know that some of them will be acquainting themselves with the seat that they’ll have for the rest of their lives.

David Mayor will probably be just as annoyed that the new stadium will be full of kids as he is about it being full of people that haven’t been going since they were kids but you can’t have it both ways.

Jo Johnson (j.johnson@adm.leeds.ac.uk)

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OPINION: CITY SHARES & PRICES

Share price easily found by going to http://www.ofex.com/ and entering Manchester City in the company name box. You have to register to see price. The price just now (Monday morning) was 13p per share, the lowest price for some time.

Sent in byLeon Black (leon.black@itc-wgt.fzk.de),Steve Parish (bloovee@ntlworld.com),Matt Bass (matt.bass@armoursoft.com)

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OPINION: NEW SONGS

(Tune – ‘No Matter Where’ from ‘Whistle Down The Wind’ sung to a faster march beat)

chorus:
We came to Eastlands from Maine Road
so now we’ve made the move
and we will still love City
We are Man. City Blues

Why do we love you City? – Why is it you we choose?
There’s only one Man. City – We Are Man. City Blues

No matter where we follow – No matter, win or lose
We’ll always love you City – We Are Man. City Blues

chorus:
We came to Eastlands from Maine Road
so now we’ve made the move
and we will still love City
We are Man. City Blues

Lyrics by Ken Hurstfield (HC block), music by Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

(exhibitions@displex.co.uk)

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REQUEST: TICKETS!

I will be over from Australia from mid-August to early September, which is when City have home games against Portsmouth and Arsenal. I am assuming that with the increased capacity it will be “slightly” easier to get hold of tickets than it has been on earlier trips back. Can anyone advise when tickets will be going on sale (the email address for the ticket office would help) for these games.

If anyone can help or give me some advice can you please contact me at the address below.

Andrew Ranson (aranson@barrick.com.au)

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MCIVTA FAQ [v0304.02]

[0] MCIVTA Addresses

 Articles (Heidi Pickup)          : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

 News/rumour (Don Barrie)         : 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

[1] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings.

[2] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters’ home page

http://www.uit.no/mancity/ 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.

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

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/

[4] What supporters’ clubs are there?

Manchester City FC recognises three supporters’ clubs: The “Official Supporters Club” (http://www.mancity.net/osc/); the “Centenary Supporters’ Association” (http://www.reddishblues.com/CSAWebsite/CSA.htm) and “The International Supporters’ Club” (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/extra/fanzone/isc.asp)

[5] Where can I find out about the fans’ committee?

The Fans’ Committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. It has its own website, http://www.mcfc-fans.com/ containing info about forthcoming meetings as well as minutes from previous gatherings.

[6] Where can I find information about our new stadium?

The latest information regarding the progress of our new home can be found at www.mcfc.co.uk/article.asp?article=111916&Title=Introduction&lid=New+Stadium

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

Live match commentaries and archives of games, reports and interviews can be found here: http://www.mcfc.co.uk/comment.asp. An alternate live commentary service, hosted by Yahoo, is located at: http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/foot/audio/live/schedule/index.html.

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

http://www.satfootball.com/pl.html provides a listing of Premiership games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. A good site for North American viewers is http://canadatvsoccer.tripod.com/Fixtures.htm.

[9] What’s the music the teams run out to?

The music we run out to at Maine Road is “Nightmare” by Brainbug and is available on the Positiva label.

[10] 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://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci213262,00.html

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

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.uit.no/mancity/players/

[12] Can I buy shares in the club?

Yes you can: Shares in Manchester City PLC are traded on OFEX. The latest prices can be on found the OFEX web site http://www.ofex.com/ (registration required) or in the business section of the Manchester Evening News.

[13] Acknowledgements

Thanks go to John Arnold for providing the match day music information, to Ian Bell for pointing out the alternate live match commentary service and to Damian Quinn, Stephen Webb and Roger Haigh for the Satellite TV info.

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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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Heidi Pickup, heidi@mcivta.freeserve.co.uk

Editor: