Newsletter #1051

Plenty of opinion and news tonight on team members, given the vilification of James in the British media, Macca’s declaration on his preference of Spanish football, international action and returns. There is also promotion for Mackintosh, views on the international games, Kev’s thoughts on SWP and the usual requests.

NEWS SUMMARY

General News

Reserves Lose Again: City fielded a young side for their Reserve fixture away to Birmingham City this week, and suffered their second straight defeat in the Barclays Premiership Reserve League North. City lost to a single goal, scored by the home side’s young striker Andrew Barrowman, after 38 minutes. It had been expected that trialist Bernard Diomede would be given a run out, but his international clearance had not come through. City’s team: Schmeichel, Bischoff, Onuoha, Jordan, N D’Laryea, Negouai, J D’Laryea, Croft, Laird (Collins 70), B Wright-Phillips, Ireland. Subs Not Used: Matthewson, Murphy, Warrender, Bermingham.

Mackintosh: Alistair Mackintosh has been appointed City’s Chief Executive, reported the M.E.N. on Tuesday. Mackintosh is quoted as saying: “The ultimate privilege and the ultimate job. In the past it would have been fantastic to meet people like our manager Kevin Keegan, never mind do business with them.” He joined City’s board in 1999, and later became joint Managing Director with Chris Bird. Once Bird left, he assumed sole responsibility for the rôle. The paper claims that at 34, he is youngest in the footballing world to rise to that position.

Relocation Relocation Relocation: The Sunday Express carried a report this week suggesting that KK is selling up his “luxury home” in Durham and his apartment in Hale. The Boss Man is supposedly looking at purchasing a property in Hampshire’s New Forest. Sounds like a nice place to retire in 2006, considering his love of horses and his previous sojourn in the area as a player. The newspaper naturally got all frothed up about a possible managerial move by Keegan to nearby Southampton (thanks JWB). The Express Newspaper group must have it in for da Boss, because today’s Daily Express exclusive is – unless City get 4 points from their next two games then KK’s for the chop. Step forward West Brom’s Gary Megson as his replacement. Apparently.

Transfer News and Gossip

Jordan’s Not Posh Yet: Peterborough United have failed in their efforts to take defender Stephen Jordan to London Road on loan. KK had agreed to the deal but the player decided the move was not right for him. “I spoke to Kevin at Manchester City on Wednesday and he agreed to let me have Stephen Jordan on loan,” said Posh boss Barry Fry on the club’s official site. “But speaking to Stephen in the afternoon he told me he wants to stay at City as he believes he is close to breaking into the first team. Stephen wants to give it another month before coming out on loan. I was disappointed, but I accept his reasoning.” Jordan made two substitute appearances for City last season and penned a new one-year deal in the summer.

Ex-Blues’ News

No Reunion for Tony: City play Barnsley in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, September 21, but suspension to Barnsley’s captain means that one ex-Blue will not be renewing old acquaintances. Tony Vaughan has been handed a three-game ban following his dismissal for serious foul play in the draw at Hartlepool over the weekend. Vaughan is ruled out of next Saturday’s home match against Tranmere and the Yorkshire derby at Huddersfield the week after, as well as the trip to the COMS. Vaughan played 72 times for City between 1997 and 1999, including an appearance as substitute in the Division Two play-off final against Gillingham.

International Blues’ News

Making a Racket Over a Ricket: It was not the happiest of weeks for the City players in the England squad. Shaun Wright-Phillips, despite his star showing as a substitute against the Ukraine recently, languished on the bench during the away ties with Austria and Poland. David James probably wished he’d been there for both games. England lost a two goal lead in Vienna on Saturday evening, with Austria’s equaliser coming from an error from Jammo. City’s number one was still man enough to face the press afterwards, saying: “I know what the headlines will be. It is a sickening feeling when a goal goes in like that. Before it is gone in, you think ‘it is not going in.’ As soon as it is in the net, you are thinking ‘s***’. I’m one of 50,000 in the stadium but I’m on my own. It is very lonely. Very cold. The guy hit a half decent shot that took a deflection and caught me in an uneasy position, if you like, and that’s why it has gone in. But I should have been saving it. I am an international ‘keeper.” Eriksson was quick to give James a vote of confidence after the game and stressed he would still be between the posts in Katowice. Back home, KK sprung to the defence of James. “I think in the past when he was at Liverpool he was not a strong character. He certainly is now. He is 34, he can handle the ups, and he has had plenty of those and he can handle the downs and he has had some of those. I have no worries about him at all. We judge him on what he does for us and we know he is an absolute top notcher. We also know as with every ‘keeper who has ever been at Manchester City in my time and a long time before they are going to make mistakes. But you make a mistake for England and everything is exaggerated. For us he has been outstanding. He will come back from international duty and will be ready for Everton on Saturday. He is a good professional.” Ahead of the Poland fixture last night, the British press launched into overdrive, culminating in the Sun having a poll along the lines of “who should keep goal for England – David James or Mavis the Mule?” Please note, Sun scribes – mules can only be male, but hey let’s not let facts ruin the fun, eh? Here is a flavour of the coverage in that august organ. “SUN readers have voted by a massive majority to replace bungling goalie David James – with a donkey. Anticipating the poll result, we arranged for The Sun’s Mavis the mule to travel to Poland for tonight’s crucial World Cup qualifier. Yesterday we asked you who should be in goal after Calamity James’s ‘mare’ against Austria. And a whopping 95 PER CENT selected the Sun’s ass to kick-off in Katowice.” And you could show your support for England by cutting out a pair of donkey ears to wear whilst watching the game. Nice. We may never know whether this coverage affected Eriksson’s decision, but DJ was dropped for the Poland game. The players certainly weren’t too impressed by the pre-match coverage. They refused to speak to the ‘gentlemen’ of the press after England’s 2-1 victory.

In Time for the Scrap: Despite his best efforts to join the Wales squad in Azerbaijan last week, Ben Thatcher was not required in the 1-1 draw last Saturday. Thatcher did however play in the explosive 2-2 draw with Northern Ireland last night, which saw three players sent off in the first half. Elsewhere, Claudio Reyna was named Man of the Match as the USA beat El Salvador 2-0 in their World Cup qualifier. The City midfielder was in inspirational form, helping his side gain maximum points in what was an ugly encounter at times. Paddy McCarthy played in both of Ireland’s under-21 fixtures this week. The first was a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Cyprus in Kilkenny, but the second saw Ireland lose a 13 match unbeaten run with a 4-2 loss away to Switzerland. The fourth Swiss goal was a McCarthy own goal.

“I’ll Be Back”! Richard Dunne was reported to be “furious” at not making Ireland’s squad for the double-header fixtures with Cyprus and Switzerland – although his comments don’t seem quite that strong. “I suppose my initial reaction to not being in was more disappointment than shock or anger,” he said. “I believe I have been playing to a good standard for some time now. I felt that most of last season was reasonably successful for me and that I had stared this season quite well so to not even be in the squad is a blow. I have to try and get it out of my head and not worry about it or otherwise every month or so I will be thinking ‘will I be in or will I be out?’ The only thing I can do is keep plugging away for City and hope the team is doing well. If we are high up the table and keeping clean sheets it can’t do me any harm. I feel I am at the top of my game so I will have to keep going. It’s not as though I am missing out on big games because it doesn’t get much bigger than the Premiership.” Irish boss Brian Kerr reassured Dunnie that he still has an international future. “I don’t know what Richard has said, but I’d be surprised if he was too critical,” commented Kerr. “I’ve known the lad for a long time now having worked with him with the under-age teams. Richard is a good player and I haven’t forgotten about him. But you can only pick so many defenders when you name a squad and he was unlucky to miss out on this occasion. We have about 28 players in or around the squad now and some will obviously miss out. But Richard could certainly be back in the squad before too long because I haven’t given up on him.”

Squad News

Given the Boot: Steve McManaman said this week that he prefers life in Spain, where players are judged purely on football. “Spanish people treat me differently,” McManaman told The Daily Telegraph. “My perception in Spain is very different to here. People realise what I have achieved at Madrid. Past players at Real are always revered. Over here, there is a plethora of things I have to contend with; rumours that I mess about, that I don’t take the game seriously. A few years ago, I came back from Spain and wasn’t due to meet with England until the Wednesday so I went out with some friends and family in Liverpool. The press printed a picture of me in a restaurant having a couple of drinks. It was ridiculous. So bloody what? It was five days before the game yet there was a public outcry. In Spain, players are judged on football.” Before City fans start a collection to fund his air fare – next day it was confirmed that Macca had been given the boot – a special one to help correct an Achilles tendon injury, which will see the loquacious Scouser sidelined for at least three matches. “Macca is wearing a special boot at the moment as he has got a little problem with his Achilles. We have had a chat about it. He can train with it and probably get away with it, but he can’t do everything all the time with the injury. Warming up, for example takes him, an extra ten or fifteen minutes, so when we had a chat, we decided that he should rest it. With the internationals, he didn’t miss anything last weekend and it won’t take a lot to get him fit again. He will miss the match with Everton on Saturday and probably the next two games as well against Crystal Palace and Barnsley. But after that, he will be available and it is not as if we are short of midfielder players.” McManaman joined City just over a year ago and has made 31 appearances for City to date.

Somm Set for Return: David Sommeil is set to make an imminent return for the Blues. The French defender hasn’t played yet this season due to a calf injury. But now the 30-year-old is fit and KK is welcoming him with open arms. Keegan said: “David did very well in France and it is not like he has come back to a strange club. He likes it here and didn’t ask to go. It was just a deal that stacked up for everybody at that time. It is a big boost having David back because we haven’t got the biggest squad. It was a shame how the injury occurred in pre-season and stopped him pressing his claims. That’s football for you but he may well get his chance because something like that could happen to someone else. We know David well and he has never let us down. He has never done outstandingly well while he has been here because the team hasn’t. David has produced some very good performances so there is still something there for him to aim for.” Sommeil is scheduled for a return to action with the Reserves next week – he has been pencilled in for an outing against Nottingham Forest’s second string next Wednesday.

Ron’s Not Here For Fun: You can always tell when it’s a quiet week for City news – the papers start lifting bits from the official City magazine. So why should we be any different… There’s an interview with City’s third goalkeeper signed this calendar year, namely Ronald Waterreus. “I was thinking of moving to England or Spain and also the USA at a later date but in today’s football there is nothing guaranteed and you just have to wait until the right move comes along,” Waterreus said. “I had a few offers from a few other countries but nothing along the lines I was really looking for. I’ve played football for 15 years now and I felt it was time to find a new challenge and playing in The Premiership is just that. The deal suits me fine. I have to keep my options open and so do the club. Obviously David James is first choice here and is the England number one too [Hmm, not too sure about that now, Ronnie!] so it’s not going to be easy to dislodge him but I’m here to challenge him so let’s just wait and see how things develop. I’m really looking forward to finding my own way and see what happens as I go along.” Elsewhere, goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers is pleased with the progress made by Waterreus. “Ronnie has come over here after ten years with PSV and experience with the Dutch national squad so he has bundles of experience,” said Mrs. News Editor’s favourite ex-goalie. “At thirty four he is physically in good condition. He knows the game well and can kick well with both feet, which is important in today’s game. I don’t think there was any doubt that he was the best option for us and of course he was available to join us. He is a super lad and has worked very hard in training since he came here and made his début for the reserves against Blackburn when he made some super saves. The reserves have another game on Tuesday when he may play again and there is no doubt if anything did happen to David James I would have the confidence to put him in.”

Battling Bischoff: And in other City mag related “news”. Mikkel Bischoff has been talking about his struggle to establish himself in the first team, having had two injury plagued seasons so far with the Blues. “I have two years left on my contract and I’ve got to make up for lost time,” he says. “I was on the bench at Birmingham and, of course, I was disappointed not to start because you want to play every time when you are fit. Richard Dunne was suspended but the manager went for experience and there is nothing you can do about that except stay fit and hope other chances will come along. If you are good enough, chances will definitely come. Sylvain Distin has helped me a lot and told me I’m good enough to play at first team level and that it is just a question of keeping fit. That helped me mentally because your focus can drift when you are out for a while but little words of encouragement like that really help a lot. It’s difficult to force your way into the side. You can do your best on the training ground but there are the likes of Richard and Sylvain who are the preferred choice. Then there is David Sommeil along with Paddy McCarthy, Stephen Jordan and myself fighting for any other place that comes up. If one of us gets a chance due to injury or suspension to the lads ahead of us, we just have to play well and stay in the team. You can show good mentality on the training ground but it’s in the team where you can prove yourself even more. The only thing I’d like to say is that I’m desperate for my chance but I have to wait until the manager picks me. I hope they continue to have patience with the younger players because it’s not easy when you break into the first team.”

OPINION: BIG CLUBS AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Oh Kevin, I really do despair sometimes.

I’m talking about your comments about our own SWeeP. Saying that you accept that one day he will want to move to a “bigger” club (at least you have learned not to say a “big” club now!).

We all know that in this game money talks, and if the right multi-million pound offer came along, the board would not be able to speak for all the saliva coming out of their little corporate gobs, but don’t you think your comments are a little bit like hanging Shauny out in the butcher’s window? Or is that the plan? Are we touting our little gem to the highest bidders? Was the only reason to getting him to sign a new contract so that we could get mega millions for him rather than the 30 bob that Spurs offered for him?

At least play the game Kevin, tell us that you want to build a team around one of the most exciting young players that this country has seen for a very long time rather than offer him out as being “almost available”. Sell Shauny for £20 million, lose £20 million when we are relegated because we don’t have him, I’ll leave you to work out the maths.

OPINION: ATMOSPHERE

In reply to my good friend Vanes Marzaroli’s contribution on the atmosphere at the new ground, may I offer my own thoughts on the same subject.

Like Vanes I’m surprised at the number of fans leaving early. I belong to the old school that believes in the old adage ‘it ain’t over till the fat lady sings’. In all my years of watching City with just one exception many years ago I’ve never left the ground before the final whistle. At our last home game against Charlton thousands were streaming out well before the end of the game. Perhaps I’m naïve but I would have assumed all true Blues would have been happy to hang on and celebrate our first 3 points of the season and a resounding victory. The early exodus spoilt what was otherwise a good day at the office for me; I wonder what KK and the players made of it?

Vanes states that ‘nothing is done by the club’ and refers to an earlier suggestion of his for a ‘dedicated stand’. I strongly believe there is no need for a dedicated stand or for the club to do anything other than to provide a winning team. During all my years of attending games at Maine Road I don’t recall anybody deciding that the old Kippax RIP should be the source of most noise and original songs or that the North stand should be the most vocal once we went all-seater; it just happened. Now we are all a bit more familiar with the new ground whatever its name is (I’m b****ckest if I know if I’m at Comstad, Eastlands or Sportcity). I’m sure the fans themselves will create the best or noisiest part of the ground without any outside help or interference. Last year even a group of supporters attempted to organise us but has anybody else noticed the deafening silence recently from the Atmosphere Action Group AAG or is it just me?

I currently sit at the back of the first tier of the Colin Bell stand. It’s a great view but if somebody could have told me beforehand that it would be like being stuck in the front of the local church each Sunday or the old main stand at Maine road I’d have opted for elsewhere. My point is it just happened that way.

One final point or opinion I would like to make is that the atmosphere at most grounds has been seriously affected by the introduction of all-seater stadiums. I congratulate Phill Gatenby for his efforts to have safe standing areas at the new ground and elsewhere and I’m sure that if he had been listened to we would all enjoy a better atmosphere.

OPINION: JAMES

So yet again Sven has allowed the media to pick his team for him. David James did make a bad mistake in the Austria game, but had the strikers converted the gilt-edged opportunities that were presented to them, and had the rest of the team taken the game seriously instead of laughing between themselves at 2-0 up, it’s probable that this situation wouldn’t have arisen.

I would appeal to everyone who’s attending the game on Saturday against Everton to reserve a special cheer for David James, and show him that if Sven and the media don’t appreciate him, then we certainly do.

I’m sure there will be plenty of people who disagree with my opinion, but our differing opinions should count for nothing when he wears the City badge; leave the talking for before and after the game, but during it, show him our support.

OPINION: EL MACCA I

Just a quick one folks, didn’t have a clue Macca was thinking of returning to Spain, but I did see him at the Real Mallorca vs. Real Madrid match with ketchup up his back!

If a Spanish club comes in for him let them have him!

OPINION: EL MACCA II

Just wanted to comment on Ian Burgess’s contribution to MCIVTA 1050. Ian, if that is the sort of ‘support’ you gave City’s players when you did used to bother to come to home games, I’d just like to say thanks very much indeed for not renewing your season ticket and spending your Saturday afternoons shopping in Bristol.

OPINION: EL MACCA III

Whilst I agree with the obvious frustration and disappointment shown by Ian Burgess at the woeful performances by the so called freeloaders in the team/squad, surely it is the manager who is culpable because he has brought these players in. After all, who wouldn’t sign on for a million quid if it is offered whether they believe they are worth it or not?

Personally, I am unhappy at the whole process whereby ageing has-beens and over-rated mercenaries are signed, usually at over-inflated wages, especially when they are so enduringly identified with another football club whence they first came to prominence.

OPINION: INTERNATIONALS

Did nobody in the English press notice the wicked deflection the ball took when James misjudged it for England last week? I thought the focused criticism was really harsh.

As an outsider I reckon that as long as I’ve been a City fan anyone lucky enough to be in the England squad has been treated shabbily – Curle played at full back, White not given a decent chance, James scapegoated, and SWP a makeweight (Carragher replacing Gerrard etc.).

And Dunne being overlooked by Ireland… Anelka with France. It must be catching! Gives them the chance to concentrate on the club we hope!

OPINION: SWEEP’S ENGLAND CALL-UP

Check out the photo of SweeP in the warm-up, featured in Der Spiegel Magazin – scroll right down to “Fotostrecken” and then click on “WM-Qualifikation”. This starts a slide show. Check out the second picture!

http://www.spiegel.de/extra/0,1518,fotostrecken,00.html

REQUEST: THE METRO LINK

I don’t think I’ve seen any reference to this but I think City fans ought to have their say:

The government have put a stop to plans to extend the Manchester Metrolink system to Oldham and Rochdale, South Manchester and Ashton. How does this affect City fans? This has stopped the plan to bring the Metrolink past the City of Manchester Stadium, which would have provided links for City fans throughout the Northwest.

The Manchester Evening News and Manchester Online are campaigning for a massive expansion to the Metrolink tram network – and are demanding the government delivers the £520 million it has promised.

The move comes after the announcement that Alistair Darling had blocked the “Big Bang” scheme to build three new lines to Oldham and Rochdale, South Manchester and Ashton.

What can we do to help? Get everyone who has any interest in Manchester to print off the coupon on this website http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/124/124617_campaign_to_rekindle_big_bang_tram_plans.html and register your support for the Metrolink extensions. Manchester Council are pushing the boat out to try to reverse this decision.

There is also a demonstration in Manchester city centre: On Thursday 16th September there will be a mass rally in Albert Square in support of the Metrolink campaign. The rally will feature a variety of speakers, celebrities, stalls and musical entertainment.

The Town Hall bells will be rung at 13:00. We would like to encourage as many people as possible to attend this rally in order to truly show the Government just how strongly Manchester wants the phase 3 extensions.

Please take the time to register your support.

REQUEST: PALACE TICKETS

Desperately seeking 2 tickets for Palace game. Please call 07899 998 997 or 0207 150 8020 or email.

REQUEST: PALACE BOX

We have a hospitality box available at Crystal Palace for the fixture against Manchester City on Saturday 18th September, details as follows:

Private Glass Fronted Hospitality Box, Balcony Seating, Morning Coffee, Three-Course Luncheon, Fully Stocked Bar (Chargeable), Television Monitors, Match Programmes, Guest Document Wallets.

Cost: £2,750 + VAT

REQUEST: FLORIDA BLUES

Hello all, welcome to a new season and good luck to ya’s all. I`m not normally one for going away once the football season is on but my girlfriend has just won a holiday to Orlando so not one to decline an offer… I`m looking for any Blues etc. that are holidaying, living out there, or on the run who want to meet up for a beer and maybe if possible watch a game. We are landing on the 21st September and return to Blighty on the 7th October, should be in Orlando for the first week then Sarasota for the second.

REQUEST: SWINTON BLUES

John Wardle plus A.N. Other from the club are confirmed guests of the Swinton branch for our next meeting on Thursday 16th September at the Folly Social club on Station Road, Swinton. Other confirmed guests are Mark Halsey FIFA referee, Peter Harrold GMP appointed Liaison Officer between fans and the police, Chris Lea Football intelligence officer and the local manager of Thomas Cook to explain what they can do for us.

This is an ideal opportunity for fans to meet the chairman, ask questions or put points of view forward to the chairman and others. All City supporters are invited and welcome to come along and join us. If you intend to join us and require any further information please call me on 0161-281-7517.

RESULTS

League table to 07 September 2004 inclusive

                             HOME          AWAY        OVERALL
                    P  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F   A   GD Pts
 1 Arsenal          4  2  0  0  8  3  2  0  0  8  2  4  0  0  16   5  11  12
 2 Chelsea          4  2  0  0  3  1  2  0  0  3  0  4  0  0   6   1   5  12
 3 Bolton Wndrs     4  2  0  0  5  1  1  0  1  2  3  3  0  1   7   4   3   9
 4 Tottenham H.     4  1  1  0  2  1  1  1  0  2  1  2  2  0   4   2   2   8
 5 Middlesbrough    4  1  1  0  4  3  1  0  1  5  5  2  1  1   9   8   1   7
 6 Aston Villa      4  2  0  0  6  2  0  1  1  1  4  2  1  1   7   6   1   7
 7 Everton          4  1  0  1  3  5  1  1  0  3  1  2  1  1   6   6   0   7
 8 Charlton Ath.    4  2  0  0  5  1  0  0  2  1  8  2  0  2   6   9  -3   6
 9 Manchester Utd   4  1  1  0  2  1  0  1  1  1  2  1  2  1   3   3   0   5
10 Manchester City  4  1  1  0  5  1  0  0  2  1  3  1  1  2   6   4   2   4
11 Portsmouth       3  1  1  0  5  4  0  0  1  1  2  1  1  1   6   6   0   4
12 Liverpool        3  1  0  0  2  1  0  1  1  1  2  1  1  1   3   3   0   4
13 Fulham           4  1  0  1  2  2  0  1  1  4  5  1  1  2   6   7  -1   4
14 Birmingham City  4  1  0  1  1  1  0  1  1  1  2  1  1  2   2   3  -1   4
15 West Brom A.     4  0  2  0  2  2  0  1  1  2  3  0  3  1   4   5  -1   3
16 Southampton      4  1  0  1  4  4  0  0  2  1  4  1  0  3   5   8  -3   3
17 Newcastle Utd    4  0  1  1  2  3  0  1  1  4  6  0  2  2   6   9  -3   2
18 Norwich City     4  0  1  1  2  5  0  1  1  3  4  0  2  2   5   9  -4   2
19 Blackburn R.     4  0  2  0  2  2  0  0  2  2  6  0  2  2   4   8  -4   2
20 Crystal Palace   4  0  0  2  1  5  0  1  1  2  3  0  1  3   3   8  -5   1

MCIVTA FAQ [v0405.01]

[1] 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

[2] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

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

[3] 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.

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

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

[5] 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/article.asp?article=111845&Title=International+Supporters+Club&lid=Membership).

[6] 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.

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

The GMR pre and post match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/gmr/sport_intro.shtml.

Live match commentaries and archives of games, reports and interviews can be found at http://www.mcfctv.com/.

[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. Useful sites for North American viewers are http://canadatvsoccer.tripod.com/Fixtures.htm, http://www.foxsportsworld.com/named/FSW/Index/Soccer, and http://www.soccertv.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://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci213262,00.html

[10] 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/

[11] 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.

[12] Where can I find match statistics?

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

[13] Where can I find a list of City-related websites?

Try Wookie’s Lair: http://www.wookieslair.com/modules.php?name=Web_Links

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.

Heidi Pickup, editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

Editor: