I am devastated I am not there, I have seen some pics, my cousins sent me a vid, some mates posted pics of them on the way and I am sat at home. I have been going to games since 1968 and seen us on 115 grounds in 9 countries, I have watched City home games at 5 different grounds. I am not trying to claim I am a big blue btw, the reason why I am not there is because I can't go, I am a carer for my mum and I can't leave her alone whilst I fuck off on the piss to Porto for a game. To be honest I have never loved the CL, I have loved the away games and places I have been like Kharkiv, Milan and Zagreb, I have also loved seeing us at Southend and Halifax, because being with fellow Blues is the best feeling in the world. I am gutted I am not there in Porto, but hope the Blues over there have the best time ever because those memories will stay with them for ever just as the memories of being stuck in the mud at Halifax away watching us lose in the FA Cup have always stayed with me, the memories of the 99 play off final, the memories of Tommy Hutch in 81, of Kazi Deyna and of the King in his pomp, a boring 0-0 draw at Southend's Roots Hall on a Monday night in the league cup, of being nervous as fuck at the Boleyn when our end was full of West Ham, if travelling to Watford for postponed FA Cup games, going to Brighton's old ground for the 1st half as I had to be back for my parents special anniversary dinner, the ferry to the IOW so we could have a beer at 7am in Southampton. Being on the midnight with Millwall's firm and jibbing through Euston with them. The Full Members Cup, Arthur Albiston, Mick Doyle, Great Yarmouth weekend when we are at Norwich, the memories and many more memories all last forever. Such is the power of this great club of ours to bring us together.
Town turned Blue for the parade when we first won the PL, sitting on the Kippa in tears after Antic scored, sitting on the Kippax in tears again when it was the final days standing. The last day at Maine Road, the pubs, dogshit alley, the Cypress, beating Charlton to win promotion, the 10-1 , the 5-1, losing to County.
These are days to remember, these are days why I am a blue, not that I had a choice, my grandad took me before i knew what football was, he had seen the King at Hyde Road, the Cup finals in the 30s, Bert, he loved City with all his heart. My nanna and me City songs to get me to sleep, who said City couldnt play,
Tomorrow, we enter another chapter, another page of our story, a page I will never read, a page I will not remember, a page that I will maybe tear from the book of City memories I have in head. I do not begrudge anyone who is there, because every Blue deserves to be there for the years of passion and love we have shown for our beautiful club. It wasn't meant to be for me this time, I have my mum to care for, but it hurts that I am missing out on what could be one of our greatest days and the memories that will forever be associated with it.
I want us to win tomorrow for every Blue in the world, I want us to win for those who are fortunate to be there, but I want us to win more for those who cannot be there.
Have a great day Blues wherever you are, lets hope we can add Champions of Europe to Champions of England and the memories stay with you all like my memories have stayed with me.
CTID.
