Newsletter #1265

The main news of the week has been the over-reaction by certain sectors of the Everton support and of course the buffoons at the FA around Barton’s cheeky behaviour on Saturday. We have news and opinion on this tonight, as he is charged with “improper conduct”. Still, it’s good to know that freedom of speech and vitriolic abuse is allowed within Goodison Park.

Don brings us news tonight of international action, with call-ups and CoMS getting the nod for the UEFA Cup Final in 2008. We also have injury news – again – and a win for the reserves, 3-0 against Wigan.

Some excellent information on historical City sites from Gary James, views on the website and a dose of controversy for good measure.

Euan Bayliss has kindly stepped in to edit the next four issues of MCIVTA as I take a break. Keep your contributions coming to the regular editor address.

NEWS SUMMARY

General News

It’s a Bum Rap – On Two Counts: Poor Stuart Pearce must be wondering when the next visit from Mr. Plod will occur, but at least no further criminal action will be taken against the “Eastlands Two”, Ben Thatcher and Joey Barton. Let’s deal with the older case first. Thatcher has been told that Greater Manchester Police will not pursue criminal charges against him for the forearm smash that put Portsmouth midfielder Pedro Mendes in hospital last month. A statement read: “Officers from GMP have spoken to the relevant parties involved in an incident during the Manchester City versus Portsmouth match on August 23. In consultation with the injured player, the clubs and the Football Association, GMP have been informed the player would like to pursue a complaint and have asked for it to be dealt with by the FA, not the police. In light of this, GMP will not be investigating the incident further and consider the matter to be closed.” The more recent incident took place at Everton last Saturday. During the match Barton was subjected to taunting from those loveable Scouse scallies about Barton’s brother, currently in jail for a racist murder. After the game, Joey presented his shirt to a disabled City fan, but apparently the some elements in the home crowd were still verbally abusing Barton – who then dropped his shorts towards the Everton ranks. As an irate Everton fans website said the next day: “Police to Probe Barton’s Backside.” Luckily for all concerned, this won’t happen! Immediately after the game, SP said what he was unaware of the Barton incident. “The police approached me afterwards to make me aware of what had happened,” said Pearce. “I did not see it. But if anything did happen, we will look at it with an open mind and deal with it.” On Monday, having seen the video evidence (and it was touching to see that Sky Sports News pixellated out the offending area of Barton’s botty – Match of the Day had no such qualms), SP called for the authorities to show common sense. Pearce said: “Let’s get things into a little bit of perspective,” he said. “Maybe some of the things that were said to that player are a more serious matter but we are not going to rake that up. If things are serious and need to be addressed, fine. When I get home, I see exactly on television what happened. I see one of my players give his shirt to a disabled fan. As he’s walking off the pitch, he’s being sledged about things I’d prefer not to go into – but we know what we’re talking about. He kept a smile on his face throughout the whole incident, and he’s done something that at worst is a little bit childish. At best it’s a bit of comedy that everyone should laugh off, but I still have to deal with it several days later.” Sounds like a club fine might be on the way for JB. By Wednesday, Merseyside Police announced that no further investigation of the incident would take place. In a statement the police said: “Merseyside Police has been in consultation with the FA in relation to the [Barton] incident. The FA will now continue with their own investigation.” And true to that sentiment, the FA did act. This news just in… Barton’s been charged with improper conduct and bringing the game into disrepute. An FA statement said Barton had until Friday to respond to the charge and that a Disciplinary Commission would hear the case next Tuesday.

The Windy City: The view from the COMS will change dramatically before the end of 2007, as the club have been granted permission to build a wind turbine. This will provide power for the stadium and for local houses. The turbine was designed by Sir Norman Foster no less, and will be double the height of the rust encrusted sculpture known as the B of the Bang. A council spokesman described the development as “an iconic statement of Manchester’s commitment to renewable energy”. Pete Bradshaw, the club’s social responsibility manager, said: “The wind turbine provides an exciting opportunity to help the club and the city achieve significant carbon emission reductions.”

Samaras Slips in Greece Squad: That’s way too much about backsides and the wind – what is this, the Beano? Just to prove it’s not, here’s much less flatulent news item. With Georgios Samaras returning to goal-scoring form in recent weeks, Greece coach Otto Rehhagel has recalled Samaras for the Euro 2008 double-header later this month. Big George had been dropped for Greece’s first game of the qualifying campaign, a 1-0 win in Moldova. Three goals in two games have ensured Samaras is in the squad to face Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Beastly for Beasley: The good news from the Reserves fixture this week was that they won – Paul Marshall grabbed a second-half brace and with an own goal City ran out 3-0 winners against Wigan Athletic. The bad news was that DaMarcus Beasley only lasted 40 minutes, as he limped off with an ankle injury. It’s unclear whether Beasley will be fit for the Sheffield United game in a couple of weeks.
City: Hart, Breen, McGivern, Williamson, D’Laryea, Johnson, Williams, Marshall, Grimes, Clayton, Beasley (McDermott 40). Subs: Matthewson, Kay, Daly.

It’ll Be Great in 2008: European football is guaranteed at the COMS in a couple of years – UEFA have selected the Stadium to host the 2008 UEFA Cup final. UEFA decided to use it for the game after assessing certain criteria such as capacity, security, supporters’ facilities, access, transport and commercial potential. “It is terrific news, not only for us as a club, but for Manchester as a city,” said Manchester City head of communications Paul Tyrrell. “Everyone who has worked on making the stadium one of the best in the continent can be extremely proud of UEFA’s decision. It shows what a first class facility we have here and how it has matured as a supporter and player friendly ground since we moved. We also have a top-class playing surface.”

Transfer News and Gossip

Jairo Checks Out: It seems that Colombian international winger Jairo Pantino won’t be joining City after failing to impress Stuart Pearce during a trial spell. The 27-year-old is a free agent and out of contract with Argentine giants River Plate, and SP was running the rule over the right-sided midfielder in the hope he could provide some cover for Trevor Sinclair. Whether it was the player or his negotiating technique which put SP off, we’ll never know – but according to the Sunday People, Pearce was put off somewhat when 3 agents turned up to discuss the deal. (Thanks JWB)

Keeping Up with the Jones: According to my sources in Cheshire, City are keeping a close eye on Crewe’s 19-year old England Youth International Billy Jones. Since making his début as a 16-year old, Jones has been linked with numerous top flight clubs, but as Jones is out of contract in the summer, it’s felt Crewe might be tempted to get a fee for Jones in the January sales. Last season, Jones revelled in a central midfield rôle and was Crewe’s top scorer with 8 goals. The versatile boy has also played for the Alex in a variety of defensive rôles.

Ex-Blues’ News

Hort Caught Short: League Two strugglers Macclesfield have sacked Brian Horton. The Silkmen have endured a miserable start to the season and they are currently languishing at the bottom of the table. The City manager in the mid-1990’s admitted earlier this week he feared for his job and Saturday’s defeat at Hereford appears to be have been the last straw. “It is with regret that Macclesfield Town Football Club announces that manager Brian Horton has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect following the recent run of results,” read a club statement. “We would like place on record our thanks to Brian for his efforts and commitment during his two and a half years at the club, including Football League survival two years ago, and taking us into the play-offs and the Northern Area Final of the LDV Trophy in the following seasons.” Horton had been in charge at Moss Rose since April 2004.

Kevin Who? Remember last year when we were asking for sightings of the lesser spotted Keegan? KK had been quite reclusive after his departure from the COMS – but this week you couldn’t open a newspaper, watch a sports bulletin on TV or listen to the radio without hearing the musings of our former supremo. Mind you, he was trying to flog something to the masses. He has been devoting his time to Soccer Circus, an interactive indoor game (whatever that is) based in Glasgow. He’s not sure how quickly he’ll return to management, if at all. “You’ve always got to be careful about the saying of never say never,” Keegan said on Sky Sports News. “For me, at the moment, I’m 55 years of age and in the next four or five years, this is going to be my football team – Soccer Circus. I will be 60 then and if anyone is looking for an old 60-year-old who can manage something then you never know. My focus at the moment is Soccer Circus and I’m so involved in that now, just like I was when I went to Fulham and got involved, when I went to Newcastle obviously and Man City. You can’t help but do that. I will give it the same shot here and I hope to be successful.” He was asked for his thoughts on the recent allegations of corruption in the English game. He said: “I have been asked about bungs and I can honestly say that, in all my time in the game, I have never experienced it myself. When I heard about the Panorama programme, I thought ‘Right, I’ll watch this’ but, to be honest, there was not so much in there.”

Reactions and Comments

Sticking to It: Despite the “Battle of Barton’s Bum” stealing all the headlines, a football match did take place before the Blue Mooning, so let’s concentrate on that for a while shall we? Micah Richards scored with virtually the last kick of the game to earn City a point at Goodison Park. Andrew Johnson’s sixth goal of the season after 44 minutes looked to have given Everton the points, but Richards stole on to Bernardo Corradi’s flick in the fourth minute of injury time to equalise, just after Georgios Samaras struck the woodwork. Everton skipper Phil Neville said that the draw felt like a defeat, so the converse was true for the Manc Blues – it almost felt like a win. Everton boss David Moyes set the tone of the home side’s after-match reaction: “It was a game we should have won. We needed the second goal to kill them off and when we didn’t get it, it gave them the opportunity to do what they did to us in the last 10 minutes. It was difficult to break Manchester City down, but we scored at a good time. We had other opportunities but it was just one of those days and we end up losing a goal in the last seconds.” SP was naturally more upbeat, although he also had his reservations over some aspects of the City show. “I thought we stuck in the game, although I was disappointed with us in the first half. We didn’t get the ball high enough up the pitch to service our one forward, Georgios Samaras. When Georgios hit the post we thought our opportunity may have gone, but we got the goal and I thought we deserved something from the game. Our stickability today impressed me. And we needed that and with the goalkeeper making one or two crucial saves with my captain diving full stretch and stopping one with his chest [this was a reference to an astounding piece of defending by Dunnie, who somehow managed to clear a goal-bound effort off the line with his chest, while laying on the ground]- that’s the stickability you need to go up the other end and something out of matches. The players have got to come away from here and say ‘hey we got a decent result’. We’ve backed up a win at home last weekend with a decent point on the road. Timing is everything and scoring a goal at that period of the game where people think the game is lost is great. Once we set a tempo we looked a much, much better side.”

Squad News

The Needle and No Damage Done: The Evening News revealed this week that Paul Dickov has been suffering from a back problem, and is having it treated during the international break via an epidural. “Paul has been struggling with his back a little bit but credit to him he wants to play, he wants to train and he doesn’t pull out but that is Paul Dickov for you,” said the manager. “He wants to be involved with everything and this break has probably come just at the right time for him. We are hoping that with the injection and the rest over the next ten days will help free up the pain he is suffering. You can see it has been affecting him a little bit because it has been restricting his running on occasions but even so he has been great about the place as you would expect.” The break has also come at an opportune time for Hatem Trabelsi. Having lasted just over half an hour of his full début against Blackburn, SP is confident the Tunisian star will be fit and available in a couple of weeks. Pearce revealed that “Hatem trained with us for the best part of a week leading up to Everton, and I was trying to get him on the bench for Saturday but he felt he was not 100% fit. We had no defensive cover, because Matt Mills reported a foot problem leaving me with no substitute defender. But with the international break, it seemed folly to push Hatem for that extra day. We decided to sit tight on him for this week in the hope that he’s OK for Sheffield United, which I’m sure he will be. He’s had no problems with his injury, it was just that the time span was against him and I think the right decision was made last Friday.”

Giving Good Ned: Whatever happened to Nedum Onuoha, I hear you ask? Apparently he’s on the mend as well. Hopefully. Having missed the latter stages of last season through injury, Ned is now making good progress in his comeback from the hamstring injury he suffered in August. SP revealed that the club had consulted the English Institute of Sport in an attempt to improve Onouha’s recovery. Pearce says: “We had a meeting to get some fresh ideas, to see if we are missing anything with him. The upshot is that we are not, his injury is coming along very well but because he has had different injuries crop up, we are going to have to take things steadily and look at the way we train him. Over the close season he had a few injuries that are not from fatigue. He pulled his calf doing something minor, and then he pulled his hamstring at the very end of a training session. He’s not far away from full fitness now, so we have our fingers crossed that he comes through and gets a bank of matches behind him. I think he’s a very bright talent for this football club.”

Oh No, Another Dabo Blow: And finally, in this section, which should really be called “Medical News” at the moment, Ousmane Dabo has been ruled out for six weeks after injuring knee ligaments in training. This is a further blow to the French midfielder, who’d only just completed his three match ban after his sending off at Reading. “He did his knee ligaments in training and will be out for around six weeks,” confirmed ‘Doctor’ Pearce. “He has just missed three games and has picked up an injury right on the back of that, which is very disappointing.”

OPINION: BARTON’S FA RAP

I am not a fan of Joey Barton. I think that he believes that he is a much better player than he really is. His behaviour, at times, is appalling.

Stubbing a cigar out in someone’s eye, fighting with colleagues on a tour, and demanding this and demanding that.

During the games he frequently ‘disappears’. He’s slow, tackles poorly, plays well when he feels like it, and if City could get some money for him, I would be glad to see the back of him.

However, this short dropping incident at Everton beggars belief at the reaction from some people.

Barton dropped his pants to the crease of the top of his leg and his backside in reaction to comments being hurled at him from some Everton supporters. He most certainly didn’t expose his genitals as one Everton fan claimed who had his 7 year old daughter with him and said that she was totally embarrassed at seeing such things dangling down. Absolute rubbish.

And I can’t believe that the FA are charging him.

Joey Barton is guilty of some pretty stupid things sometimes and occasionally, I feel like giving him a crack round the earhole. But this was just a bit of fun and I can’t believe that there are such t*****s out there that have complained about it.

One positive thing will come out of this. As it was such a harmless prank, I believe that Joey Barton will get a lot of sympathy from all the controversy and it will turn out to be good publicity this time.

OPINION: THE WEBSITE

John Nisbet wrote in MCIVTA 1264 that the new website looks much better. I’m glad he likes it, and he should thank his lucky stars it’s as good as it is.

I work as a software developer on large-scale web applications and a few months ago was asked to get involved in a project to develop a ‘feature’ for a Premiership club site (not City, alas). I have never before seen so many companies with so many restrictive contracts in any other part of the web development industry.

If you want to get into web development and improve your local Premiership club site, it would seem that you need to get through a half dozen companies, some of whom appear to have centrally negotiated contracts with ridiculous terms. The amount of money being asked of clubs is higher than the top-end commercial rate, and the results have been – as noted in the last issue – pretty awful.

I’m glad City’s site is better than it was before, and it would seem somebody, somewhere is getting a clue. However, if you consider what is available to sites for some US sports teams, we still have a way to go.

Where are the official blogs from the training ground and reserve games? Where are the ‘RSS’ news feeds? Where are the fan forums on the official site? Where are the detailed player/team stats breakdowns? Why can’t I get an official iCal feed of upcoming fixtures (the unofficial one works, but has problems)? Where are the official podcasts or pointers to fan podcasts? Why aren’t we seeing great quality writing similar to the better fanzines up there on a daily or weekly basis? Why is the whole site still so broken from an accessibility perspective?

Every time I see a feature the only question that seems to asked behind its creation is “How do we turn this into a way of getting money out of fans?” anybody for some ‘MCFC flowers’ or ringtones? It would be truly wonderful if that attitude somehow changed to ask instead “How do we turn this into a way of getting fans involved and excited?”

That said, any small improvement is better than what we had before. If anybody at City is reading this and wants a chat about what is possible for not very much money, feel free to get in touch!

OPINION: CITY HERITAGE

I read Marc’s comments on MCIVTA and can give you a bit more info on the mosaics, the City Gates, and the Joe Mercer mosaic.

As a lifelong fan I’ve shared the same interest and passion for City’s history as you and I came to work for City on a part-time freelance basis to set up the museum in August 2002 and continue to provide support etc. today. I’ve also written quite a lot on the Hyde Road Hotel (City Gates) and the mosaics in the past. Anyway, here’s a summary of what’s actually happened.

Hyde Road Hotel – The pub was renamed as the City Gates in 1983 when George Heslop became the landlord and the pub was decked out as a City shrine (sadly the real, authentic interior was ripped out to create a 1980s view of City, and therefore an opportunity was missed to create something truly special). The City Gates struggled financially for a few years, then in 1988 it closed for the last time. It rapidly disintegrated and was vandalised and had its few remaining fixtures and fittings ripped out. In the late 1980s I wrote a feature on it for City fanzine Blueprint, and various people at Blueprint (most notably Mike Kelly and Bill Borrows) tried to mount a campaign to save it. It was suggested by someone around this time that Peter Swales as City Chairman had been offered the pub for a £1 but whether that’s true or not I’ve never managed to find out.

Then Dave Scally got involved and by mid 1990s he’d created a website and been featured in the MEN etc. but sadly there wasn’t much interest. I also write to the BBC programme ‘One Foot in The Past’ and suggested a feature on Manchester’s football heritage with specific emphasis on the Hyde Road Hotel and the Imperial Hotel (the site where the PFA was founded and HQ of United in the early days). The BBC weren’t interested and the Imperial was demolished before the Hyde Road Hotel, so Manchester wasn’t bothered either.

In March 2001 I persuaded Richard Whitehead at the Times to feature the Hyde Road Hotel as one of football’s blue plaque sites – i.e. sites that had to be preserved to protect football’s heritage. Only two other Manchester sites were featured: the place where the Football League had its first meeting and the site of the 1893 FA Cup final, thus proving the importance of the location. No United location was mentioned.

Sadly, within 2 months of that article the pub was demolished. In 2002 when I arrived at City, Chris Bird (City’s MD at the time) told me that he had spent a lot of time talking with various people to save the pub but that he couldn’t save it, but what he did achieve was to purchase off the demolition contractors all the stonework for the building (not the bricks but the stonework was a substantial element of the building). I really do believe Chris did all he could to salvage the pub, he understood City’s history and heritage and would have tried his best. This stonework was stored at a City sponsor, and during 2003 this was moved to Carrington. I immediately wanted to incorporate this in the new museum. I also had various discussions with other fans who had shared that view, a guy called Pete Bulmer had submitted drawings of how it could be incorporated.

Again, for a variety of reasons it proved impractical to incorporate the building, but we do have some of the bricks on display in the museum and some of the stonework forms part of the memorial garden. It’s not the best solution as, like you, I would have liked to see the building reconstructed, but at least the club now for the first time in its history owns some of the building.

Mosaics: there were actually 3 mosaics at Maine Road. The 2 semi-circular ones and one above the main entrance. Of these the one above the main entrance was the one those of us involved with the history of the club wanted to save above all others. This was by far the most impressive when first made, however it became hidden during the 1970s when an advertising hoarding was placed over it, then in later years the front was re-clad. So, the plan was to dismantle the 2 semi-circular mosaics, then once Maine Road itself was being demolished the central mosaic would be demolished. Sadly, when the cladding was removed and the central mosaic revealed it was clear it couldn’t be salvaged. It had been smashed during the mid-70s when an air conditioning vent was smashed through it (so much for history!).

The 2 semi-circular mosaics were supposed to be removed piece by piece but the quality of the work in 1923 when they were first built was such that the mosaics could not be easily removed. Each time a tile was removed it became damaged. In addition the club had received a tip off that immediately after the last game of the season someone was planning to smash it up to either sell, vandalise, or to steal what they could, so it became absolutely necessary to remove them before Maine Road’s last game. After lots of consultation between various experts it became clear that only a more industrial method could be employed and so large chunks of the mosaic were removed. These were all then totally reusable. Once the move to the new stadium was complete City supporter Mark Kennedy (arguably Britain’s best mosaic artist) continued his excellent work and reconstructed one of the mosaics. It was an extremely difficult piece of work, but he finished it and it now forms part of the memorial garden. The material for the second mosaic is still safely locked in our archive and may at some point be reconstructed, but the key point to make is that this should not be rushed, nor should it be done without proper consideration for where it will ultimately be positioned.

Joe Mercer Mosaic: this was another piece of work performed by Mark Kennedy and, although you say it’s been done on the cheap, it was actually created to be something very special and much more in keeping with the Club’s heritage (the theme of mosaics for example ties back to 1923), and something that makes certain Joe Mercer is treated in a much more special way than the figures at other clubs. Norah Mercer (Joe’s widow) was consulted and her and the rest of her family are absolutely delighted with what’s been produced and they feel that the 2 Mercer mosaics capture Joe in a way that a statue couldn’t have.

The metalwork holding the mosaics up had to be fairly industrial in style because of the weight and position of the mosaics. Its position was also carefully thought out. The Mercer mosaics both appear on Joe Mercer Way and the height was carefully planned so that as supporters walked up Joe Mercer way from the northern car parks the first thing they would see would be Mercer rising high with the trophy. We spent ages walking up Joe Mercer Way trying to judge the angles etc.

Naturally, items like mosaics are all subjective, some people like them, some people don’t, but from my point of view the overriding factor has always been to ensure City’s history is preserved (sometimes we do face a difficult task, I find it particularly annoying that only 1 blue plaque mentions City in the whole of Manchester and that even that is incorrectly placed, while United have 2 correctly placed in East Manchester alone). The mosaic theme has continued with a Stuart Pearce mosaic at the museum entrance and one of the old City badge inside the museum. Also, earlier this summer we had members of the Steffanuti family (the original mosaic artist who developed the ones at Maine Road) here to look at the reconstructed mosaic. They were delighted that this had been reconstructed.

I know I’ve gone on a bit but I hope you can see from this mail that some ofus are interested and are absolutely determined to ensure City’s history andheritage is given the attention it truly deserves. That’s one of the reasonswhy I’m currently writing a book on the History of Football In Manchester. Iwant to make sure everyone understands the rôle City has played in makingManchester great.

If ever you have any queries on the mosaics or City’s heritage then please let me know and I’ll try to explain. I’m only here 3 days a week so I can’t guarantee everything City ever does preserves its history but I can assure you that while I’m involved I will do all I can to make sure both City and Manchester recognises City’s heritage.

OPINION: CONTROVERSIAL? I

In today’s PC atmosphere I guess you won’t be able to reprint the following email from my father, Max Ferguson, a City fan of 60 years standing and sitting regarding the Blue mooning; it certainly made me laugh.

What a good result. The Scousers were miffed when Joey mooned. It was sheer disappointment. They thought Rooney had returned. Which is the more offensive, Rooney’s face or Joey’s backside? The Roon should play in a “Joeys @rse” (c) mask.

I like to think it was a bit of fun and not a publicity ploy to attract more gay followers to football.

It certainly made me laugh.

I’ve added a t-shirt to the following: http://www.spreadshirt.net/shop.php?op=article&article_id=3710315

OPINION: CONTROVERSIAL? II

I have read Colin’s articles on the City finances with great interest but would like to ask Colin why he didn’t put this amount of effort to his Accountancy exams because he may have been a successful qualified accountant today!

REQUEST: HUDDERSFIELD FOOTAGE

Someone, I think from Australia, asked a couple of months ago if anyone had a video of the 1987 10-1 win over Huddersfield.

I found my copy. If he still needs it, perhaps he might like to contact me.

BLUE HUMOUR

Everyone must have noticed the United propaganda stickers all over the place. You know, the Love Utd, hate Glazer thing.

The final straw came when I saw one while on a weekend break in North Wales.

Any printers out there – I’ll contribute – what about Love City, Love Glazer, Hate Utd – I reckon a few thousand of them should do it!

RESULTS

2 October 2006

Watford               3 - 3  Fulham

League table to 04 October 2006 inclusive

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

MCIVTA FAQ [v0607.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

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[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.mcfcosc.com/); the “Centenary Supporters’ Association” (http://www.reddishblues.com/CSAWebsite/CSA.htm) and “The International Supporters’ Club”.

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

The Fans’ Committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. The Fans’ Committee has been relaunched as “Points of Blue”. It has appeared on the club website as a minor entry under “Fans Zone”.

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

The Radio Manchester (née GMR) pre and post match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/sport/manchester_city/index.shtml.

Live match commentaries and archives of games, reports and interviews can be found at http://mcfc.videoloungetv.com/do/preLogin?clubSiteCode=MCFC&CMP=AFC-003.

[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://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer, http://www.soccertv.com/, and http://www.livesoccertv.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 Plus Markets Group web site http://www.plusmarketsgroup.com/ 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] I hear there is a TV programme specifically about City?

InsideMCFC is broadcasted by ChannelM. It is available on the SkyDigital (ch.203) and NTL (ch.26) platforms as well as being transmittedtraditionally within the Manchester area (ch.39). In addition, theprogramme is available to watch via the web. More details and schedule:http://www.channelm.co.uk/features/city.html

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: