Graham Jones

Why Blue?

As a newcomer to MCIVTA I have played it cool, assessing the articles, biding my time to contribute to this excellent way of keeping the best fans in the world updated with essential news such as “2nd year apprentices” etc. But then I can remember when we were regarded as one of ‘the big clubs’.

My association with the Academy started with my dad taking me to a ‘reserve game’ at the tender age of 2 years (now 46), the theory being the crush at the first team games would be too much for me to handle. This was a long apprenticeship in 2nd team football. My first recollections of the first team was in the early sixties. Remember such victories as the 6 we put past the great Spurs double winning team, and the Bert T sending off (stood in the Kippax Street corner next to the Platt Lane).

In those days, my dad usually got me there early to sit me on the tunnel wall in the Kippax (don’t know what happened in the Bert T match). Of course, the truly great years were to come late sixties/early seventies and alas in 1972 I went abroad on a ‘short term contract’ and only returned permanently in 1986. Many a Saturday was spent frantically fine tuning the BBC reception only for them to switch to another frequency in the middle of the matches.

I now live in Sandhurst and up until a couple of seasons ago I travelled regularly to most home and a few (when I could get a ticket) away dates. My infrequent visits to Maine Road surprisingly is nothing to do with recent performances (Oh Yeh! I hear you say). Work has been my downfall! But at least my kids (15 & 17) have been left a credible legacy with their allegiance to City undiminished. As previous contributors who live in the South have said, it’s difficult to take a 13-year-old and his dad at Tesco wearing Rag shirts, both with local accents.

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #407 on