Newsletter #1321

A disappointing performance at struggling Watford on Saturday when the players looked disinterested, lethargic and played to match the rather lowly standard of Vicarage Road. However, we came away with a point and Vassell is obviously getting his scoring boots ready for next weekend’s clash with Villa.

The biggest news about the game came after the match when Barton came out with one of his rants live on radio. Whether this was from the heart and with passion is under debate (shame the players can’t display that on the pitch all the time) and he has to look at himself for some of the criticisms levelled. More interesting is the news just now that the club have decided not to take any disciplinary action for this outburst, which makes one wonder whether it was sanctioned.

Meanwhile, the race to invest/takeover MCFC seems to be hotting up as the ex-Thai PM (most recently heard of trying to launch a lottery in his home country to buy Liverpool FC) is now rumoured with a £92 million bid for the club, which appears to grossly over-value the net worth, alongside the mystery Americans and AN Other.

We have a match report, plenty of opinion on investment, JB et al tonight.

MATCH REPORT ‘LIVE’: WFC 1 MCFC 1

Watford’s Premiership life depended on this game as anything less than a win meant they were relegated. So it was fair to surmise they would come out fighting. It was my first visit to Vicarage Road and without wishing to be cruel to a very homely club it wouldn’t look out of place in League 1. A large part of the main stand is condemned and therefore unusable but they were still well short of capacity as the game kicked off. The biggest excitement of the first few minutes was the late arrival of Noel Gallagher and his mates. City put out the same team as against Arsenal, with Hamann in front of the back four and Sun on the right flank.

The game was frankly awful, with the ball spending a lot of time in the air, aimless hoofing out of defence and no real quality in any area of either team. If this was Watford fighting for their lives then they were clearly dead already.

The first real moment of on-field excitement came after 15 minutes, when the Watford goalkeeper, Foster, miskicked but Beasley slipped when chasing it down. Then it was City’s turn to have an attack of the jitters five minutes later. A ball into the area from the Watford right was horribly missed by Distin. Isaksson was taken by surprise and flapped at it but the ball cleared him and went to the far side of the box. Fortunately, there was no Watford forward that could take advantage.

On 25 minutes Joey Barton fashioned a shot but dear oh dear, it was horrendously off target. Isaksson had another mad moment just before the half-hour mark with a poor clearance but, again, Watford wasted the opportunity. Vassell got a shot closer to the target a few minutes later as the game seemed to be going City’s way a little.

Beasley had to go off on 35 minutes, replaced by Ishmael Miller. There was an amusing moment after this as the Watford fans who had been none too impressed with some of referee Rob Styles’ decisions, got a free-kick, throw in and corner in quick succession. They gave the referee a standing ovation and loud cheer. Clearly they haven’t seen Graham Poll down there (as he is Hertfordshire based).

Just to prove City don’t have a monopoly on doing rubbish free-kicks, Watford took a free kick in a dangerous position just outside the left side of City area. The ball was laid back to a player in a more central position who leant back and delivered a shot that was more worthy of a conversion from their rugby union, ground-share partners, Saracens. And so the first half ended, with the teams all square. If the scoreline stayed the same then the hosts were down.

However, they showed no more ability in the second half and Sun Jihai did well to carve out an opportunity on the right hand side but then put over… well, was it a cross or was it a shot? Either way, it was an appalling finish to spoil a great bit of work. However, just to prove that the sloppiness wasn’t just one-sided, Foster took a back pass and clearly intended to play it to a defender in the clear. However, he completely misjudged it and only succeeded in presenting it to Vassell. He had the easiest chance he will ever have (apart from the one that Stuart Taylor gave him against Villa at CoMS last season) and duly slotted it past the despairing, out-of-position Foster. Another chapter in the glorious history of gift goals from United players!

It seemed Watford had effectively relegated themselves and City looked certain to add to the tally when Barton broke forward but their defence managed to get back to cover. However, with 15 minutes left, a simple forward ball into the City box caught Distin out of position and his attempted interception was more akin to the “You put your right leg in…” bit of the Hokey Cokey and Priskin took the resulting chance well to give Watford a little bit of a lifeline.

The substitute Miller was himself replaced by Samaras soon afterwards. Then Barton took a corner, where he was obviously determined to clear the first man for once. He succeeded in this but managed to clear everyone as well and the ball nearly went straight out for a throw-in. Sun Jihai did well again to carve out some space in the area but made a hash of the killer ball. Soon afterwards he was replaced by Ireland for the last few minutes.

Johnson then did well to power forward and Vassell got in a good cross. Samaras got his head to it but it was woefully misdirected, bringing back memories of French Tony’s 50p-shaped forehead. In the final few minutes, Watford carved out a final chance as Marlon King had a free header but fortunately he put it wide.

The final whistle went a few minutes later and that was it for Watford’s Premiership existence. However, we hadn’t shown we had any more right to be there. The general consensus among the people I was with was that this was a not dissimilar standard to a pub-game. This was unfair – The Red Lion on Vicarage Road playing Mary D’s could have given us more skill and entertainment.

Performances:
Isaksson 5. A very nervous display.
Onuoha 6. Did OK but never tested.
Dunne 7. Typically solid display.
Distin 5. Sylvain went mental walkabout again today and cost us a goal.
Ball 6. Again OK but an easy afternoon generally.
Sun 6. Another curate’s egg of a display from him.
Barton 6. Passion a-plenty but this was a game he should have really dominated.
Hamann 7. Did well enough in the holding rôle.
Johnson 6. Quiet mostly.
Beasley 5. Says it all when I really had to think hard who our eleventh man was.
Vassell 6. Took goal well but player of his class should have tormented Watford.
Subs:
Miller 5. Not effective at all.
Samaras 5. Ditto. SP’s frustration was evident when he threw a water bottle at him.
Ireland 5. Only had a few minutes and did nothing much in those.

Overall Out-Of-The-Seat Factor – 1. This was a frankly dreadful game. Even our goal was the result of a bad mistake from the Watford ‘keeper.

OPINION: US INVESTMENT

Here’s my two penn’orth about the pending? sale of our club (and several others) to US investors. I have lived on this side of the World for almost 30 years now and so I feel qualified enough in the ways of North Americans to have some insights.

First off, I believe it will be the single worst possible event that could ever hit our club. More than Swales, 3rd Division, forces of darkness across the way etc. Absolutely nothing good can come of this. And that goes for all the clubs, Liverpool, the Arsenal, Villa, Trafford, all the clubs either owned or looking to be owned by Americans.

In the short term maybe some much needed finance will come in but they will have their pound of flesh, and then some, in the long term. Fact is, “they” are not like “us”. Oh, there are similarities but fundamentally they grew up differently. You have to ask yourself, why now? Why all of a sudden have a whole pile of American billionaires suddenly “found soccer”? Have they all suddenly been struck by a bolt of lightning and become passionate football fans? Of course not.

They haven’t got a clue about the game or more importantly the history and culture of football. How people identify with their clubs and especially small clubs in small towns. They can never know that kind of bond. They support sports teams and some are even fanatical but they still aren’t like us. Owners often own an ice hockey team in one city and a basketball team or another sport in another. They like hockey and they like basketball but they are not in it because it is a passion and/or a hobby and they don’t mind spending a few million bucks to indulge themselves.

No, it’s a business to them and they will make money from it because that’s what they do, even though they are worth billions.

We like football, but we love City. It doesn’t hurt deep down for them. After a loss it’s ‘oh well, it’s just a game’. For “us” it’s different. Even after 30 years away we still get worked up with great passion and City is still very much a focal point for us. We plan trips back home based on games and so on. I am sure most all of the ex-pats will agree and feel the same. It’s not just a game. It’s a way of life to us. We all get fed up sometimes but we will never turn our back on our club, it is just in ‘yer bones.

The Americans are different. All the owners of NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB clubs obviously have a passion for their teams but it is still fundamentally a business to them. Some of them will sustain losses for a few years for whatever reason but after a while they will make changes to start making money again. This may be moving the club to another city, changing the rules of the game to make it more pleasing, changing contracts and agreements or whatever is needed to make money again (selling players will be a big one) but make money they will because that is why they are in it in the first place.

Compare that against our own chairman John Wardle. He is not in it for the money. In fact he has put lots and lots of his own into the club and may or may not get some or all of it back. He and David Makin are fans. Blue born, dyed-in-the-wool City fans, who just happen to have a few extra quid knocking about and so have put large amounts of it into the club. No American would ever do this. That is why Chelski are in a different boat to all the other clubs. Abramovich is a fan, a European and he doesn’t mind spending a few roubles on his hobby, his passion. The American psyche just doesn’t allow this. There has to be money in it. The only reason these Yanks are sniffing around all the English clubs is because they see money in it for them.

So ask yourself this. If there is money in it for them, where will it come from? There is already enough money flowing out of the game through agents etc. We don’t need to see more leave in profits and dividends. Initially it all looks good for the clubs already bought, Liverpool and Villa, because they are putting money in. Wait awhile. Then you will see the money flow out.

Does anyone truly believe the Glazers are benevolent, passionate fans who just want to see their team succeed no matter how much it costs them? So, whoever is looking at us will be just the same.

Please, please, please John and David do not sell to the Americans. If we need the investment so badly find someone closer to home who will be in it for the right reasons. All Blues make it be known we are not interested in investment at any cost.

OPINION: SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL

So the latest player to come out with his well thought-out comments is Barton. What is going on at our club – the PR department allowing this to happen is a joke. We are once again back to being a laughing stock – out of control on the pitch and off it. Players should not be coming out and saying such things on live radio, and we all know they’re never allowed to talk without being given permission or prompts by the club.

Former players are known to speak out with their ridiculous excuses, we have had Sibierski and Thatcher recently – and didn’t they achieve a lot here. I imagine Hamann will be next because he’s hardly pulling up trees. Oh then Distin will clear off and say how his ambition didn’t match the club’s yet he was unable to get the performances out of his team mates when captain. If only these players showed the same passion on the pitch as they do for mouthing-off off of it.

Where Barton was right is that the club has no direction, and had The Joker been a City fan he might have said “this club needs an enema” to clear out from top to bottom.

Investment stories, well the club put a neat spin on things in time for a difficult AGM and since then where are we? Rumours, counter rumours, stalling tactics and no communication coming from the club to its fans and shareholders. If there’s a bid or likely takeover, should they be reporting it to the relevant authorities, I’m sure the FSA or whoever would have something to say about this.

According to whichever side of the fence (or press) you’re on it is either some no-name Yanks nobody has ever heard about wanting to buy Wardle and Makin’s shares, the strange Thai bidder who was going round Liverpool last year, or Ray Ranson who’s suddenly rediscovered his loyalty for City after wanting to buy Aston Villa. We truly are a joke.

Finally, I learn from my branch that the Player of the Year celebration is next Monday 30 April. Two weeks before the end of season, with players the fans don’t care about, and fans the players don’t care about. No doubt it will be as successful as last year’s sanitised signing event attended by under 100 people. I’m big enough and old enough to remember the good old days, when players and club were prepared to be there for the fans and actually appreciated us. Oh well, I’m sure people will enjoy the signing of photos and don’t talk to them approach thoroughly.

OPINION: BLUES TUNES AND SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOUR

In MCIVTA 1320, Philip van Gass was wondering where “Blue Moon” came from. We nicked it from Crewe Alexandra, it’s as simple as that.

Also in MCIVTA 1320 Dave Clinton despaired about the behaviour of some of our “fans” at the Arsenal game. I was at the game too and totally agree with him. The obscene chants from a (thankfully) small number were appalling and it’s a shame the stewards and police never seem to do anything about this behaviour.

The pond life I had the misfortune to be sitting near had obviously been drinking all day and it seems the bigger games attract scum like this (Blackburn away also springs to mind). As for the IRA chants; I didn’t hear any of that last Tuesday but there was a small group who started singing it at Boro, and credit is due to the bewildered Blues who told them to shut up.

The first time I heard the dreadful “no surrender” chant was on the pre-season Scottish tour in ’97. The next time was walking through Lokeren town square when I was ashamed to witness a couple of hundred Blues joining in. Let’s stamp it out. We’ve had enough problems over the last couple of years without having our reputation ruined by people who aren’t fit to call themselves Blues.

OPINION: SEASON TICKETS

It doesn’t matter what MCFC do re. season ticket prices – they will always be wrong in the eyes of some fans.

Next season is our 4th season at Eastlands. Our season ticket prices haven’t increased throughout this period – if you pay before the (admittedly very early) deadline.

The price restructuring for tickets for U21s makes it affordable for most people. Under 16s can buy a ticket anywhere in the ground for £95. That’s £5 per match. This is comparable to adult prices in the early 80s (West Ham seats were £5 in 1982 – with no reductions for kids). As far as I’m aware juniors can sit with other juniors. They don’t have to be accompanied by an adult – as they do at most grounds.

The major problem for clubs like City is to keep their existing season ticket holders happy. I think that they should seriously consider a loyalty discount for existing ST holders. It doesn’t have to be much – although it can be if they like…

We all know that a lot of fans feel disenfranchised. Ludicrous kick-off times, with many changed at short-notice (combined with the worst and most expensive public transport system in western Europe – this, although nothing to do with MCFC, should be a matter for consideration when agreeing to play Portsmouth at 5.15 on a Saturday evening for example) has eventually defeated many of us.

Combine this with the less than attractive football on offer and the lack of competition in the Premiership and it’s not really offering us much in return or our loyalty (and money).

So, how about offering a discount on the ST price for every 10 years you’ve held one. After 25 years, you get it for half price in perpetuity.

If we knew the club valued us as supporters (rather than as customers) we would be more inclined to keep faith with them. I think it’d stop a lot of the older fans packing it in completely. However, I speak as someone who’s held a season ticket for the past 36 years – and renewed again already – despite only seeing five home games this season.

With bitter regret, I realise I’m exactly the kind of idiotic ‘customer’ the club knows it has – and the reason why they’ll be reluctant to adopt this loyalty discount idea.

OPINION: BARTON’S RANT

I’m not Joey Barton’s biggest fan but he’s made some comments that may be worthy of reply. So from a non-JB fan, my comments are in CAPS

Joey Barton has urged Manchester City to sign quality players in the summer to take the club onto the next level. AGREED.

Though results have picked up in recent weeks, the plain-spoken Barton insists the club can not keep gambling on budget buys. AGREED.

“There is no way Reading have spent more than us and no way Everton have either, but they seem to have over-achieved,” Barton told BBC Radio Manchester. AGREED.

“Bolton have not spent big either. I know they paid a lot of money for Nicolas Anelka, but we paid a lot for Georgios Samaras.” AGREED.

“You have to face facts. We have not brought quality in. One or two have done all right, but not enough to take them onto the next level.” AGREED.

“There has to be a plan. Everyone seems to have one in place, but at the moment it just feels this club is praying to get the right players in the summer.” AGREED.

“We can’t gamble on players who have scored six goals in six games in the Pontins League or in Belgium.” TOTALLY AGREE.

And, with the team failing to score a Premiership goal at The City of Manchester Stadium since New Year’s Day, Barton accepts home fans have not got value for money this season. AGREED.

He added: “I have to be brutally honest, if I was a fan I wouldn’t have paid to watch us at home this season.” AGREED.

“I know a lot of the supporters are umming and ahhing about whether to buy their season tickets.” NO WONDER.

“They go out and work hard. It is a lot of money to buy a season ticket at our place and they are not getting value for money.” AGREED.

Chufin eck, does that mean I’m now a fan of Joey Barton?

OPINION: CORRADI’S 15 MINUTES OF FAME

For those of you who would like to have a laugh at Corradi, have a look at this video (in Italian) from a national tv show at http://www.video.mediaset.it/video.html?sito=iene&data=2007/04/16&id=2850&categoria=puntata&from=iene

You’ll see three comedians (click on “Trio Medusa”) wondering how our Bernie is the slowest in the team (even slower than injury plagued Weaver) and why his goalscoring skills have disappeared. Feeling he’s embarrassing the whole nation they decide to pay him a visit, give him extra training, put him on a diet but fail to bring him good luck. Since then though, City started their climb to safety. So after all they go back home having accomplished their mission.

Then there’s a final call to him when they ask him how many goals he’s scored since their visit… “well” they say “we bring good luck but… we don’t make miracles!” I’ll let you guess his final say…

OPINION: MANCHESTER CITY SUPPORTERS’ TRUST UPDATE

The big news is that the Trust is now up and running. The application was processed in record time by the Financial Services Authority, at the request of Supporters’ Direct, due to the fact that we may have needed to react quickly if anything developed on the potential takeover/investor. The Trust is an Industrial & Provident Society, similar to a mutual building society or co-operative.

So what happens now? First, we had to re-organise ourselves to cope with the fact that we are effectively a company and needed an appropriate structure instead of the very informal way of working we had adopted previously. We now have a small board, with a further half a dozen people involved in a steering committee. We are also in the process of setting up an advisory group of well-connected City supporters and hope to have some interesting names lined up for that. At the time of writing, one MP is definitely on board for this group. This board will have no formal rôle within the trust but will be an invaluable source of advice and contacts.

We have four sub-committees looking at various issues. One is responsible for Finance (plus any issues to do with shares). This involves setting up the trust bank account and investigating raising finance for various projects.

A second sub-committee is responsible for Membership and is sorting out details of the various Membership packages that we will be offering and how we process new members. The first membership applications have already gone out to our newsletter subscribers.

Another sub-committee is looking at the overall approach to PR and the media and we have a very interesting contact list building up, from local free-sheets, the MEN and Radio Manchester all the way to the national papers, the BBC and Sky.

The final sub-committee is looking at the all-important Launch Party. Details of this are still being finalised but it will probably be early next season so again, keep your eyes open. It will undoubtedly be an event not to be missed.

Longer term, we will, of course, be involving the Trust in supporting various community projects. We would ideally like to tackle a mix of local and international projects as well as having some financial input to the Academy. This latter possibility will be subject to discussions with the club but we would certainly be looking to gain the support of the club in the two other areas as well.

Just to make things clear, as there is often some confusion, becoming a member of the Trust will give you a share in the Trust. This is different to a Manchester City plc share. You can only ever have one trust share and it entitles you to one vote at the trust AGM.

We are looking at ways in which Trust members can use any shares they own in Manchester City for the benefit of the Trust. One method is simply to donate the shares, where people wish to do that. However, we recognise that people won’t always want to do that so we are working on a method whereby people can “proxy” their shares to the Trust. This means that the Trust’s representatives can use them to vote at an AGM but that the holder of the shares can still attend.

As we have said all along, we will also be looking to acquire MCFC plc shares for the Trust and therefore for the benefit of the fans of Manchester City. We have financial backing in place that will enable us to do that and although our initial aim is to acquire a 3% stake, we hope to get significantly more than this. These shares, plus the backing we hope to get from numerous small shareholders, will ensure that Manchester City fans will be able to play a significant rôle in the future of our club. This will make us unique in the Premiership.

This will have repercussions beyond these shores, if we manage it, as UEFA are actively looking at adopting the Supporters’ Trust model across European football clubs. Most of you already know that Barcelona and Real Madrid are supporter-owned but many German clubs are also majority owned by their communities. However, UEFA feel that the trust model is the best and most sustainable method for supporter involvement.

Finally, we are looking to move from the current “blog” (http://www.mcfcsupporters.blogspot.com/) to a proper web-site. Discussions on this are underway and we’ve had some interesting offers of help. We’ve spoken to fans and it’s clear that the Internet is the key medium for the majority these days. However, we won’t neglect those that aren’t “wired”. So keep your eyes on the blog and the local media as there will be plenty going on over the next few weeks.

REQUEST: CITY MEMORABILIA AVAILABLE

I’m having a clearout due to a change in job/house/country and have the following to sell. I would like the goods to go to a collector/supporter if anyone wants them. E-mail me with an offer if you want any of the following:

CITY magazine – Issues 1-12 Volume 1
CITY magazine – Issue 11 Volume 2
City v United FA Youth Cup final second leg programme.
City Are Back (1998/99) video.
The Maine Men – Keegan’s revolution video.

I’m currently living in Spain so it has to be worth my while bringing them back to UK. I’m back for the derby and can meet someone near the ground.

RESULTS

22 April 2007

Aston Villa           0 - 0  Portsmouth            31,745
Newcastle United      0 - 0  Chelsea               52,056

21 April 2007

Bolton Wanderers      1 - 3  Reading               23,533
Charlton Athletic     1 - 1  Sheffield United      27,111
Fulham                1 - 1  Blackburn Rovers      23,652
Liverpool             2 - 0  Wigan Athletic        44,003
Manchester United     1 - 1  Middlesbrough         75,967
Tottenham Hotspur     2 - 2  Arsenal               36,050
Watford               1 - 1  Manchester City       18,537
West Ham United       1 - 0  Everton               34,945

League table to 22 April 2007 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  34 15  2  1 46 11 11  2  3 32 13 26  4  4  78  24  54  82
 2 Chelsea         34 12  4  0 34  8 12  3  3 26 12 24  7  3  60  20  40  79
 3 Liverpool       35 14  3  1 37  5  6  4  7 17 17 20  7  8  54  22  32  67
 4 Arsenal         35 11  5  1 39 14  7  4  7 20 19 18  9  8  59  33  26  63
 5 Everton         35 10  4  3 28 13  4  8  6 18 18 14 12  9  46  31  15  54
 6 Bolton Wndrs    35  9  4  5 24 18  7  2  8 18 27 16  6 13  42  45  -3  54
 7 Reading         35 10  2  5 28 18  5  4  9 20 24 15  6 14  48  42   6  51
 8 Portsmouth      35 10  4  3 26 14  3  7  8 17 24 13 11 11  43  38   5  50
 9 Tottenham H.    34 11  2  4 31 20  3  6  8 18 30 14  8 12  49  50  -1  50
10 Blackburn R.    34  8  2  7 24 21  5  3  9 18 28 13  5 16  42  49  -7  44
11 Aston Villa     35  6  8  4 17 14  3  8  6 19 25  9 16 10  36  39  -3  43
12 Newcastle Utd   35  7  7  4 23 18  4  2 11 14 25 11  9 15  37  43  -6  42
13 Manchester City 35  5  6  6 10 13  6  3  9 18 26 11  9 15  28  39 -11  42
14 Middlesbrough   35  9  3  5 26 20  1  7 10 12 25 10 10 15  38  45  -7  40
15 Fulham          35  6  7  5 17 18  1  8  8 18 36  7 15 13  35  54 -19  36
16 Wigan Athletic  35  5  4  8 18 26  4  4 10 17 28  9  8 18  35  54 -19  35
17 Sheff. United   35  6  6  5 22 19  3  2 13  8 31  9  8 18  30  50 -20  35
18 Charlton Ath.   35  7  5  6 19 18  1  4 12 12 34  8  9 18  31  52 -21  33
19 West Ham United 35  7  2  9 21 25  2  3 12  7 33  9  5 21  28  58 -30  32
20 Watford         35  3  8  7 18 24  1  4 12  8 33  4 12 19  26  57 -31  24

MCIVTA FAQ [v0607.01]

[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.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: