David Scally

Why Blue?

My name’s David, and I’m a… City fan, I have supported City all my life. I remember the first time I saw Maine Road, my brother had passed his driving test and took me and my sister for a drive around Manchester! I was 7 and ever since I saw that unique roof on the Main Stand, I was obsessed by City, most roofs don’t have that effect on people, but by God this one did. My first City match was memorable as well. My brother (he was my main inspiration for being a Blue) bought the tickets and took me and my sister to Maine Road. I can’t remember any of the match, I spent the whole game looking around, mesmerised. By brother told me off for not watching the game, but I could hardly see over the people in front. I spent most of the match staring at other fans, and gazing over at the other stands. After that, I longed to go again, and that I did. Although I didn’t go that often, I still kept up to date with the happenings at the club.

My brother had a City calendar, and used to test me on all the players’ names, he was really chuffed when his 8-year-old brother could recite the entire first team, from memory. I started to get more involved at City as I got older. I went to more matches, I watched them when they used to be on TV, and in primary school, I could talk about City with other people. And when we used to charge around the playground, chanting football songs and competing with the Rags and a Liverpool fan, I knew a few songs to sing at the United fans.

Then City got worse; as I moved into secondary school, I realised there were only about 10 City fans in the whole of the school, out of 900. This made me more loyal as I had to fly the flag now, no matter what anyone said, I was a Blue, and proud of it. Then of course, at that Liverpool match, it happened. United were champions, City were relegated, and my heart sank. It was during summer of that year that I contemplated giving up on football, I couldn’t support United, and City were no longer the club I grew up with. But after thinking about it, I decided that from now on, I’m City Till I Die. I went to more matches, scraping money from anywhere, and trying to go as often as I could. My brother moved to university in Sunderland, my dad couldn’t be bothered, and I couldn’t find any City fans at school, so for the past few years, my attendance at Maine Road has been nothing more than disgraceful. However, it’s getting better, my support’s never been so strong. My room is like a shrine to the club, I breathe, eat and live Manchester City, and most of all, I’m proud to wear my City shirt in public. No matter what anyone says, I support Manchester City, and I’m proud of it. Whatever league we’re in, whatever the circumstances, I will always support City. Why? Because I know that City supporters are the best bunch of humans to walk this planet. We are unique. We mock ourselves when we’re doing badly. We make jokes when we play terribly, and we have more faith than flipping Islam and Christianity put together. So that’s why I’m Blue. And even though I have never seen any glory, although I have never been to Wembley (I doubt I will this century, no thanks to bad ticket selling for the play-offs), or ever seen our team lift a trophy. I am a Blue forever.

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #505 on