Add Vim or Gin & Tonic? (The below is from my blog post)
Vimto & Maine Road (Manchester City’s former home ground) have an unusual connection:
Vimto. In 1851, the U.S. state of Maine was the first to outlaw alcoholic beverages. Manchester City Football Club’s then owners named the new ground’s road after this U.S. state. Temperance was quite a popular social campaign, much like Twitter campaigns like Jake Parker’s
Inktober. That temperance movement made Vimto popular in the U.K. and gave Vimto a gateway to the world. The Middle East embraced Vimto long before Manchester City were heard of. The Saudi company,
Abdulla Aujan & Brothers, had the sole rights in 1920s – and in a place with
no letter V in their alphabet. A strong movement of division that brought about togetherness in a way…
Any other sources (pun there somewhere) for Vimto and City's Maine Road naming connection?
Maine Road was originally called Dog Kennel Lane. That could have been a whole different story. Good for being sent to the doghouse mind. Cityzens could have branded Doggystyle and we could have had a whole different identity.
Sources:
Ramadan piece
James, Gary (2009).
The Big Book of City. James Ward. ISBN 978-0-9558127-2-9.
Collins, Nick (28 January 2011).
"The temperance movement".
The Telegraph.
Band on The Wall
On a side note the MEN ran this article quoting Boris Johnson:
"I was nourished on Ribena and I can't deny it" says the PM in what many are joking could be a vote loser in the city
