Bill Might

Why Blue?

I am a USA based red, white and blue! –never even been to Great Britain let alone to the City ground for a match (yet!) I’ve become a City fan through a personal contact. We here in the colonies have something called “Soccer Camps” where coaches hold week-long training sessions at a variety of skill levels. One such organisation called “Great Britain Buckeye Soccer Clinics” holds such a clinic in my home town. I have two sons who are fully taken by the game and in July of ’93 they attended. Taking full advantage of the cultural exchange possibilities, we agreed to serve as a “host family”. This meant we opened our home to one of the coaches from England who lived with us for the week. As it turned out he happened to be Tony Coton’s brother-in-law, a delightful young man called John Dunning!! Needless to say, having someone that close to a “real” soccer player in our midst was a treat beyond the norm!! We all got on famously and we were pleased when John was chosen to make the 1994 trip as well. We encouraged John to stay on with us after the coaching season and he stayed ’til mid November of ’94. This was also the time I subscribed to this newsletter (I think number 48 or so)! We became avid followers and hung on John’s every bit of gossip which he returned to us from phone calls home. It was also during this time that Tony and Helen (John’s sister) had their daughter Beth. We felt compelled to celebrate in the time-honored fashion! John left in November and we have kept in touch. The jury is still out whether he will return this year. I am able to claim local bragging rights with the receipt of John’s recent gift. I am now the proud owner of a ’94-’95 team autographed football– a pair of TC’s autographed game gloves and many match programmes!!! Truly Big Stuff here in the Colonies!!

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #72 on