City and Religion

[pavelsrnicek]

I think that the religious undertones of football in Manchester are best tenuous leftovers. United have a huge Irish following which may have originally had religious roots but it’s now more generational inherited support. It was also an excuse for United/ Celtic crossover as a fair few fans supported both.

City have a decent following in Ireland now and the religious element isn’t really apparent as such mainly because both City and united tend to have fairly broad support across Manchester rather than sectarian links like Glasgow.

That said I was once asked by an England rugby international whether I was a Protestant because I supported City.

During the late 80s/early 90s City’s Irish scout was said to be uninterested in watching football south of the border so it probably helped fuel perceptions that City were a Protestant club.

Coming from Ireland I’ve never felt there was any religious connotations to City which is great. Let Glasgow keep all the 1690/ 1916 cosplayers.

 

[BrianW]

I think I've told this tale before but as a short-trousered kid, I had an uncle (cousin really, but older cousins were always treated as uncles and aunts back then) who firmly believed that his son did not get on at United because he wasn't an RC.

Even as a kid, I found this a stretch, but one did not contradict one's elders in those days. As the height of the said son's career was Stockport County Reserves* I feel I need say no more.

Nevertheless, it was a genuine belief even if it was clearly wrong. George Best did OK at the Rags, didn't he? He was a Protestant from NI.

* Not knocking it. It's much more than I ever achieved in football.

 

[M23 Citizen]

On the subject of politics and religion, I read recently that the IRA leader turned tout and M15 agent who then infiltrated the IRA, Freddie Scappaticci (stakeknife) was a City fan and attended games when he fled Northern Ireland and was living in Manchester

This is actually, true.

 

[M23 Citizen]

There's absolutely loads of us, that's why I can't stand some having a sneaky go at aligning us with the likes of Chelsea and Rangers - so far away in values from most of my City pals from school days. Don't get me wrong I was not in favor of half city / half Celtic hats that were going around in the 80's or flying the tricolor ..Although Dunney deserved that for his huge efforts for us yar after year. but..this right wing sh*te doesn't sit well with many

We definitely did have fan links with Rangers which weren’t just us lining us up with them. It was a proper fan link with fans of both clubs going to each others games through the 80s and 90s.

2011 and 2013 FA Cup finals, we had Rangers fans coming down with us on our coach to Wembley supporting City due to being mates with lads from our coach from years ago. City and Rangers teamed up to fight United fans a few times over the decades n’all. Always used to be a Rangers fan who lived in Manchester at every single City home and away game through the late 90s and 00s, not seen him for years though.

Rangers’ supporters clubs and pubs opened up for City fans when we played Celtic away in 2016.

Although the fan link has calmed down a lot in the last decade or so, a Rangers fan sat next to me at the Sparta Praha home game, came down to support City, sound lad. So it’s still there in some part.

I’m not a fan of either Rangers or Celtic, personally. I don’t like their fan cultures at all. I find the sectarianism absolutely pathetic and I also can’t stand the siding with Israel/Palestine stuff either, has fuck all to do with football, and imagine being a flag shagger of flags that aren’t even your own. But never minded Rangers fans coming down with us to games, had a good laugh with many and they can drink to City fan levels. They always kept it ‘City’ n’all, came down to follow us and weren’t just Rangers fans tagging along. Never even so much as sang a Rangers song even when pissed up.