City and Religion

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Irish catholic here. I started to follow City when they had 3 Irish internationals in the team - Quinn, Phelan and Kernaghan.
I was the only City fan in my school. 70% were United I'd say.
People here don't start to follow English teams based on religion or politics though. If they want that they follow a Scottish team

You started to support City because of Alan Kernaghan! Ha!

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

You started to support City because of Alan Kernaghan! Ha!

LOL mainly Quinn

and a hatred for United fans

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

a minority chanted celtic/ rangers on the kippax back in the day but then we sang all sorts of shit that would not be acceptable today lol

It was more than a minority

 

[BongoBlue]

Irish catholic here. I started to follow City when they had 3 Irish internationals in the team - Quinn, Phelan and Kernaghan.
I was the only City fan in my school. 70% were United I'd say.
People here don't start to follow English teams based on religion or politics though. If they want that they follow a Scottish team

I too am an Irish catholic and I started following City in 1968 for two reasons: they wore sky blue which was my favourite colour and they beat man united in a derby on my eighth birthday. Even back then, I had an irrational hatred of all things united. And of course, like yourself, I went to school as the only City fan too, although the other boys loyalties were pretty evenly split between united, Liverpool, Arsenal and Leeds - who were probably the best team in England at that time - early 70's. And I went to a Catholic boys school. No-one gave a shit about religion when it came to what English team you supported.

(When I think back on it, if that had been Coventry City that beat united in that match, I may have started to support them. They wore sky blue also...)

Phew!

 

[philiph20]

You started to support City because of Alan Kernaghan! Ha!

I did remember him scoring a wonder goal at the North stand end one game back in the day and that's the only positive i can remember.

 

[M23 Citizen]

You started to support City because of Alan Kernaghan! Ha!

That’s a true Bert!

 

[failsworthblueboy]

I remember the Rangers Celtic thing in the 70's, I also remember a small group of small minded NF blues who hated Catholics, to be fair they hated everyone that wasn't in there little click.

 

[mexico1970]

I had an irrational hatred of all things united.

Nothing irrational about that mate.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I think I’ve mentioned this before but a quick look at the names on the Man City Face Value Tickets and Travel page tells you we have a very large number of catholic supporters. Very few Blues care about political bigotry / sectarianism.

 

[dobingsdobber]

It's important to remember how much the world has changed. Sectarianism has not been a thing in Manchester for a very long time, but it used to exist. My mother used to talk about the hostility between Protestants and Catholics when she was young.

But this is pretty much outside living memory. The first office I ever worked in (1971) included a lad from Langley who was both a City fan and a Catholic.

But not completely outside.I was born to CofE parents and grandparents and as a nipper I wasn't allowed to play with Irish or Catholic Kids.
Eventually got my own back by marrying into a large Irish Catholic family.My three kids are all Catholic Blues.