Newsletter #1770


Well this edition is dominated by one subject – the astonishing McVittee contribution made by our very own Heidi.

Heidi has been keeping us all connected now for over a decade – her first edition MCIVTA 728 came out on 19 July 2001!

Just amazing Heidi and there are some lovely warm comments for you to enjoy below.

Personally speaking I’m just hoping I live as long as you were editor and that I do at least half as good a job. A big heartfelt thank you from all of us, Heidi. Especially from me, for all your recent help.

This issue also has opinion on Tévez (no surprise there!), Mancini and Super Mario, plus, info for Manhattan and Midlands Blues and finishing with a little light banter.

No match reports though!

Anyway, here’s to the next 10 years… bring it on!

Next Game: Aston Villa (H) 15/10/2011 (3pm)

WE LOVE YOU HEIDI – WE DO!

Heidi, as one of those MCIVTA subscribers who’s been around since the 90s, I’d like to say a big thank you for putting in such an excellent shift as editor. I’ve chosen over the years to sit back and inwardly digest the latest news and views without contributing but I’m sure I’m among hundreds of other ‘silents’ who enjoy the regular bulletins and have always appreciated having a grown up, balanced fanzine without the vitriol and unpleasantness that I’ve seen in other publications. Well done, and all the very best with whatever comes next for you! (Geoff Andrew)

Fantastic job Heidi, it has been hugely appreciated over the years and your immense contribution has been brilliant for us far flung Blues. (Rich Williams)

Hi Heidi, thanks so much for all your efforts over the past decade… being in NZ and having some close to the heart comms like this is a great way to keep in touch! (Simon Wardle)

A very big thank you H from this old guy. Congratulations on a job well done and I wish you all the best in whatever you do in the future. (Jack Millington)

It would be very remiss of me if I didn’t give Heidi a huge thank you for all her long hard work on MCIVTA. It was the first City site I ever went on and I have always enjoyed it, through good and, now, much better times, and the amount of dedication and sheer hard work by the Editor must have been enormous. The tone on here has always been civil and friendly and it has become an item to delight in when I see it in my Inbox here in Calgary.

I wish Heidi every good thing in her “retirement” and hope that she can spend more time on her own interests now that leaving her job here allows it. She has been a wonderful editor and I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to say how much her labours have been appreciated over many years. She deserves a rest. I’m lucky enough to have met her twice when I was over in the UK, and I know that she is as pleasant in person as she is online.

And may I also wish the new regime (Ed: Regime?! More a gentle hand!) success in continuing to make MCIVTA a pleasure to read. Thanks Heidi.

P.S. To David Buxton – I have the same calendar and peeked ahead. Be ready for Jo and Santa Cruz next! (Chris Wiseman)

Thanks, Heidi, for being MCIVTA editor all these years! Take care. (Hock Yong, Singapore)

Hi Heidi. Just wanted to say ‘1041 thanks’ for MCIVTA. It has been excellent. Best wishes. (Stephen Moston, Canberra, Australia)

Thank-you and well done Heidi. Enjoy your “retirement” as much as I have enjoyed reading MCIVTA here in Canada.

As you say our Club isn’t the same as it used to be (I was first a Kippax stander then an H Block season ticket sitter until emigrating to this great country in 1973). Can anyone believe that my final Season Ticket cost me £15? In the words of “Mr. Littlechap”: “Stop the World I want to get off” Dennis Law’s transfer cost, I seem to remember, a scandalous £100,000.

Yes I’m a dinosaur, but I firmly believe the obscene salaries currently paid to “sportsmen” and, more especially their agents are sickening. We no longer have a sport; we have “Entertainment”.

How many “gentle readers” have put their body, mind or family on the line for total lifetime earnings of less than these individuals get paid per season? Thank goodness that I’m not in a position to face the moral dilemma of physically attending events. I can (hypocritically) sit here and enjoy the offerings of my local cable company.

End of rant.

Once again thank-you Heidi and also reasoned informed and fair contributors Phil Banerjee, Adrian Kenny et al. Also “good on yer” Adrian from Oz. Those are the stories that typify us, we are the Manchester Club though scattered far and wide. (Peter Murphy, Ottawa)

Firstly, many, many thanks to Heidi for all her work over the years. Blackburn was very disappointing and we could/should have won by more. At times we shut off and don’t go for the kill, but it’s not my place to criticize that. Think this year the CL is a step too far for us, there’s a lot of decent sides in it, and I think some fans were thinking we would steam-roll it, but it’s not the case as the first two games have taught us. Personally, I would rather concentrate on the League, which is there to win. Think there’s more to the Tévez story that has come out. And finally, never let an England rugby team go on tour, can’t keep out of trouble, can’t score tries, and can’t win the World Cup, and Mario needs to take the IRB members and introduce them to a few of his mafia mates. Thanks Heidi. (Kevin Williamson)

Hi Heidi just noted you are moving on from the rôle. Wish you all the best and you have done a great job for the past 10 years. Must be rewarding after all this time to see your team fighting for serious honours now. Take care and every best wish from the Red that edited the site many years ago. Wythenshawe Exile. (Leo Fewtrell)

Hi Heidi, Thanks for your efforts over the years and the assistance with getting tickets! Best wishes. (Neil Adshead)

Hello Heidi, I’ve not contributed for some time but I am still an avid reader. I’d just like to say thank you ever so much for the wonderful service you have provided over the last ten years. Quite a stint! (John Clancy)

I would just like to contribute my thanks to Heidi for all the fabulous work she has done over the years for MCIVTA. I have been a subscriber for many years and long before all the City forums sprung up on the web and this was the one reliable source of news and interaction with other exiled and home based City fans.

So thank you Heidi, well done and enjoy whatever it is that you are planning to do with your time.

I would also like to point out to Adrian Kenny (MCIVTA 1769) although I am sure others may have already done it, there is no “home leg” in the Champions’ League, it’s a league, the clue is in the name, whoever gets the most points after all the league games are over (2 teams) qualifies for the knock-out stages. We still have a good chance if Bayern stuff Napoli home and away and we get our act together in our remaining games; beating Bayern at the Etihad wouldn’t hurt either. (Steve Oatway)

Just to say thanks Heidi for your selfless endeavours ensuring MCIVTA dropped into my email box for the last decade. Decade?! I enjoyed every one of your 1041 editions! Best of luck. (Gibby Zobel)

Thank You! For good times or bad, it’s been delightful reading the newsletter so thanks for a job well done Heidi! All the best. (Joachim Leksell)

Sorry to hear you are giving up. You’ve been brilliant. Many Thanks and best wishes for your future. (Alan Newton)


TÉVEZ SAGA I

I’m sure that I won’t be the first to point out (MCIVTA 1769, Adrian and Mark) that having played versus Napoli, Carlos was already cup-tied.

Dave Wallace <dw001e8104(at)blueyonder.co.uk>

TÉVEZ SAGA II

While Tévez’ behaviour makes me sick, let’s not work ourselves into a tizzy over implied or misreported sleights. In MCIVTA 1768 Steve Burrows says: “if you type ‘Carlos Tévez laughs about Man City departure on Argentinian TV’ into YouTube you will see that, as I have always suspected, he has no respect for the club, the fans, the manager or even the other players.”

I did just as Steve suggested and watched the YT clip in question. The ‘translation’ in subtitles bears absolutely no relation to what he is saying. He makes no comment whatsoever about Manchester, City or his team-mates. He talks about his lack of knowledge of English and how he bought four grapefruits by mistake because of his lack of language skills. I know it’s tempting to see the devil in all his actions, but let’s demonize him for the bad things he has done and said, not for those that he hasn’t.

Andrew Lowrey, Granada, Spain <andlowrey(at)hotmail.com>

GLASS ALWAYS EMPTY

LOL Chris Duxbury’s opinion of Mancini and City has given me the biggest laugh in a long time. I would imagine that no manager in the universe could ever please him. Just think:

  • Joint best defence in the league
  • 2nd top scorers in the league (by one goal)
  • A lower standard deviation than the Rags – therefore over the season we should acquire a point or so more than them

Just what does Chris want?

Richard Mottershead <richardjohnm(at)hotmail.com>

SUPER MARIO

Watching the wonderful Tarantino film Jackie Brown last night, it occurred to me that there can only be one star to play Super Mario in the “Mario Balotelli Story” – and that is Samuel L Jackson. Even if he is 40 years older than Mario!

Very amused catching MOTD to note the commentator on our game nothing that Agüero’s injury was a major problem with us, with games piling up. In fact, we don’t have another game for two Saturdays. Sergio’s estimated recovery time – two weeks.

Fantastic to see the team kick on since Bayern. And to all those commentators who say there is no team spirit at City – ~#@'<>*& to you.

Jeremy Poynton <j.poynton(at)blueyonder.co.uk>

CALLING MIDLANDS BLUES

Apologies for troubling you with perhaps a very strange request, but I couldn’t find any branch of MCFC Supporters’ Club nearby, on the website list, to where I live (near Kidderminster – about a dozen miles outside of Birmingham)…

Following the news story below from this morning, I imagine quite a number of pubs will now start screening more and more Saturday afternoon live Premier League matches and I was just trying to find out whether you knew of any Blues’ supporter pockets in or around the West Midlands or Birmingham areas – who I could perhaps contact to try to find out if there are any pubs in this area who have MCFC-friendly landlords who may show the odd game live?

Here’s hoping you could perhaps point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. Blue Moon!

Ian Powick <Ian.Powick(at)Diageo.com>

DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN

In response to Michael Donaldson’s request. I was in Manhattan a couple of weeks ago and visited the “Mad Hatter Saloon” on 360 3rd Avenue at the corner of 26th Street, which is a great City pub. I gave them a ring first to check the match was being televised – 212-696-2122. Good luck.

Jim Kearns <KearnsJim(at)aol.com>

BAD LUCK BANTER

Bad luck David Buxton (MCIVTA 1769). You should have got a City Legends calendar. No duds there.

Steve Higginbottom <steve.higginbottom(at)slattery.com.au>

RESULTS AND TABLE

League table to 5 October 2011 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  4  0  0 16  3  2  1  0  8  2  6  1  0  24   5  19  19
 2 Manchester City  7  3  0  0  9  0  3  1  0 14  5  6  1  0  23   5  18  19
 3 Chelsea          7  3  0  0  9  3  2  1  1  8  5  5  1  1  17   8   9  16
 4 Newcastle Utd    7  2  1  0  5  2  2  2  0  4  2  4  3  0   9   4   5  15
 5 Liverpool        7  2  1  0  6  3  2  0  2  4  5  4  1  2  10   8   2  13
 6 Tottenham H.     6  2  0  1  7  6  2  0  1  4  4  4  0  2  11  10   1  12
 7 Aston Villa      7  2  2  0  6  2  0  3  0  3  3  2  5  0   9   5   4  11
 8 Stoke City       7  1  2  0  2  1  1  1  2  2  7  2  3  2   4   8  -4   9
 9 Norwich City     7  1  1  1  3  3  1  1  2  4  7  2  2  3   7  10  -3   8
10 Swansea City     7  2  2  0  5  0  0  0  3  1  9  2  2  3   6   9  -3   8
11 QPR              7  0  2  1  1  5  2  0  2  4  8  2  2  3   5  13  -8   8
12 Fulham           7  1  3  0  9  3  0  1  2  1  4  1  4  2  10   7   3   7
13 Everton          6  1  1  2  5  6  1  0  1  1  2  2  1  3   6   8  -2   7
14 Wolves           7  1  0  3  3  7  1  1  1  3  3  2  1  4   6  10  -4   7
15 Arsenal          7  2  0  1  4  2  0  1  3  6 14  2  1  4  10  16  -6   7
16 Sunderland       7  1  1  2  7  5  0  2  1  2  3  1  3  3   9   8   1   6
17 West Brom A.     7  0  1  2  1  3  1  1  2  4  7  1  2  4   5  10  -5   5
18 Wigan Athletic   7  1  1  1  4  3  0  1  3  1  8  1  2  4   5  11  -6   5
19 Blackburn R.     7  1  0  3  5 10  0  1  2  3  7  1  1  5   8  17  -9   4
20 Bolton Wndrs     7  0  0  4  4 15  1  0  2  5  6  1  0  6   9  21 -12   3

With thanks to Football 365

MCIVTA FAQ [v1112.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Philip Alcock)         : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour                      : 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 by email. Unfortunately we cannot accept email attachments.

[3] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters’ home page/Twitter

http://www.mcivta.com/ 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. You can also follow on www.twitter.com/mcivta to get the latest updates.

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

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/ and the official club Twitter page at www.twitter.com/mcfc. The club also has a facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mcfcofficial

[5] What supporters’ clubs are there?

The Official Supporters’ Club and the Centenary Supporters’ Association have merged to become the Manchester City Supporters’ Club (http://www.mcfcsupportersclub.com/). The club also recognise the Manchester City Disabled Supporters’ Association (http://www.mcdsa.co.uk/).

[6] Where can I find out about Points of Blue?

The committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. Points of Blue appears on the club website under the “Fans” heading (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Fans).

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

Live match commentary can be found on the club website. The Radio Manchester pre- and post-match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/manchester/.

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

http://www.satfootball.com/ provides a listing of Premier League games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. A useful site for North American viewers is http://msn.foxsports.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://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Usenet

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

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.mcivta.com/players/

[11] Do any squad members have their own Twitter accounts?

A list of genuine player accounts is maintained at http://twitter.com/#!/MCFC/players

[12] Where can I find match statistics?

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


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.


[Valid3.2]Philip Alcock, editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

Newsletter #1770

2011/10/06

Editor: