As an 1894 member (who did not write the post), I want to respond to this (especially concerning UEFA). I actually think you have raised some good points and would even say I agree in parts! However.....
I think you're unaware of the feelings amongst our fanbase currently. I don't need to go into the countless examples where UEFA have wronged City and, most importantly, our fans. But Istanbul strikes a real nerve.
In the days leading to the final, I received a call from an executive at City, who had been involved in a meeting with Ceferin earlier. He asked if we (1894) would 'tell' fans not to boo the anthem before the final. Ceferin had personally asked for it, and City, wanting to cosy up with UEFA, were supportive. Our response was that fans would do whatever they felt and that 1894 couldn't (and wouldn't) tell other fans what to do. We had already planned to try to make the atmosphere as positive as possible, and we pushed that (e.g., Nevizade Street the night before, which anyone who attended will tell you was a huge success). Fans still drowned out the Anthem as we expected.
If you were lucky enough to go to Istanbul, you don't need me to explain how much of a fuck up it was from a logistical point. I can't stress this enough... Some City fans were seriously injured due to the lack of planning and foresight on UEFA's part.
Going back to the build-up, I was involved in meetings with FansEurope AND UEFA execs as early as January 2021, where we discussed logistics and fan safety. It was a huge concern prior to that final being moved, just as it was a huge concern during the same meetings I was involved with in 2023.
UEFA knew how ridiculous it was to host a final at the Attaturk stadium but proceeded regardless. In these meetings, a FansEurope member (who is also a Liverpool fan) explained some of the issues they'd faced in 2005. UEFA promised these things wouldn't happen again. Most of these examples were not properly addressed.
Fans Europe had their conference in Manchester last summer, which we attended. We'd actually had a meeting organised with Ceferin to discuss what had happened in Istanbul. He cancelled at the last minute - more important things to do!
Alex and some of the other City Matters reps produced an astounding report about Istanbul. I'd urge anyone who hasn't already read it to do so. There are some horror stories. City and UEFA (who had read the report) refused to publicly apologise to fans. City is putting their ambivalent relationship with UEFA ahead of 'legacy fans'.
Given the lengths City has gone to with us fans to support UEFA, Ceferin's comments are a betrayal.
You say, 'What Ceferin said is hardly news', but in reality, it's huge news. It's made all the major papers and it's all over social media. It's either a huge misstep on his part (which he could publicly clear up and hasn't) or defamation. If anyone is trying to prejudice our case it's him! Maybe he is trying to help his friends out at Old Trafford and Anfield?
Why are City so spineless and placid with all this? You say it's a dignified silence, which isn't necessarily a bad approach, but the club constantly takes a different approach with us fans. There are numerous examples where the club calls fans out publicly, yet refuses to defend us publicly. It's a contradiction.
You say 'banning dissenters' is the wrong thing to do. However, we are not a despotic regime. We are a Football Club. It was something United felt they should do with the BBC under Ferguson. It's something Liverpool have done with The Sun. So why shouldn't we do it? Let's face it. Our image will ALWAYS be smeared because of these journalists and the fans of our bitter rivals so let's stop giving those journalists a free hit at us. Our reputation is being damaged, which could lead to a prejudiced trial -meaning it either gets thrown out and we are not afforded the opportunity to clear our club's great name, or worse, the trial goes ahead despite being prejudiced. How is that fair?
As for 'other fans wanting to see' City fans having a go at the club. Who cares? There are absolutely tons of negative things City does to us fans. We have a right to call it out. Sometimes we'll get it wrong and other times we'll get it right. Unfortunately, there isn't an organised Supporter's Trust who can do this. Just a bunch of us who are volunteering hours and hours of our free time to give City fans a voice.
I guess in conclusion, the anger internally in 1894 is that City are doing everything to support a person (Ceferin) behind the scenes, despite this person publicly slinging mud. It doesn't wash!
