Ian Howarth

Why Blue?

My earliest memory of being interested in football of any description goes back to 1978 or so (when I was about 7). Myself and two lads, one called Philip, the other whose name I can’t recall, would kick a ball about at the bottom of the street or in the field at the back of our house.

I will admit that my allegiances at this time were towards United (I even have incriminating photographs of myself in a scum away kit) but I couldn’t really explain why I had Red leanings – kids just do until they “see the light” don’t they?

My friend Philip who was a Blue, said “you don’t want to follow them do you?”, and he started talking about Colin Bell, Dennis Tueart and other great City players. My brother Paul had also talked in hushed tones about these revered players, only telling me that I wasn’t allowed to be a Blue because it was just copying off him. The persuasive powers of Philip were beginning to work though; the event that clinched it was a televised home win against Norwich City (nothing changes there!). The match was unremarkable, sometime in the 1978/79 season I think, though from that moment I was hooked – True Blue for life.

I didn’t particularly care if people at school took the mickey (living up in Rossendale there weren’t many other City fans around) – I would defend the Blue cause to anyone. I was a Blue and nobody was going to tell me or persuade me otherwise.

The earliest memory of attending a match dates back to the 1983/84 season, going to watch the boys play Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park. From then on I would attend a few matches with my brother and my dad, until the 1986/87 season when I got my first season ticket. The rest as they say, is history. Home or away, I’ll be a Blue forever.

I still have to defend the Blues – my boss is a Red though to be fair he’s a dyed-in- the-wool Salford Red. He knows I was a Red in my youth and when he asked me why I’m a Blue I said “the truest supporters are the converted.”

Keep Blue, here’s to a better future – it will come to us – I’ve never felt so optimistic about City.

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #213 on