City and Religion

[Wilf Wild 1937]

My understanding is that there was some sectarian bias in our predecessor clubs in Gorton & Ardwick in the 1880s.
This was mentioned in the 1884 thread where it was noted that Gorton Association selected players from all
Protestant denominations. In 1894 when the current club was formed I believe a conscious decision
was made to make the club fully inclusive to all. We were the first club to be called "Manchester"
and I believe that we shortlisted a number of names: "City", "United" and "Central".
"Central" was too parochial and "City" was chosen over "United" to emphasis that we represented
all the people of the "City" although "United" would have conveyed the same message.
Similarly when Newton Heath changed their name to "Manchester" they shortlisted a number
of names: "United","Central" and significantly "Celtic". I believe that they came close to selecting "Celtic"
but decided that this was a step too far as they already had a Protestant element within the club.
Clearly at that point neither club was really sectarian although the Catholic links at United appear to have been
strong. I suspect that City were seen to be the more inclusive club at that time and that possibly explains why
we were far better supported than United pre-war. Nowadays I don't think it's much of an issue and a lot of
barriers were clearly broken down after the war when United played at Maine Road. Any residual "divide"
is more to do with geography than actual religion. The fact that United play close to Salford which contains
a large Catholic population is probably the key factor in this apparent "divide"although the club itself seems
to have a very close relationship with Celtic and has at times promoted itself as a "Catholic club".
I believe that when Busby was on the board they tried to only recruit Catholic managers and Ron Atkinson was
the first Protestant since before Busby. CITY ARE NONE SECTARIAN AND HAVE BEEN SO SINCE 1894.

 

[lancs blue]

That green shirt does not look like any Celtic shirt from the 1980s. City/Rangers and City/Celtic ski hats were on sale from street vendors around Maine Road but not from the souvenir shop. I think the souvenir shop also sold Rangers match programmes

Both were sold in the souvenir shop at that time, quite definitely.

 

[Balti]

ancient history and only the usual suspects like those north of the border are interested in perpetuating sectarian bollox

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

 

[Skashion]

I come from Irish Catholic immigrant stock on my father's side, and my father who's now 57 and who chose to follow City as a young lad growing up in Hulme, says he has no recall of that association at all. So he's been following City for fifty years, living in Manchester and Trafford until his early 20s, he had a free choice of which side to follow as his own father couldn't give a toss about football, and at no point was he, born to practising Irish Catholics, put off by an alleged Protestant connection. As far as he's concerned there is no Catholic-Protestant divide between the Manchester clubs.

I think all there is to it is that the rags have had more of an Irish connection with their players than we do and so it happened by default, with a lot of Irish support for the rags coming from outside Manchester with plenty still in Ireland itself. I don't know if demographically speaking there might have been more Irish in red areas but that doesn't mean the Irish in the blue parts of Manchester were put off by that and wouldn't support City. There are plenty of poor Irish in blue inner-city areas who have a history of supporting City. Our two most famous fans for instance in the Gallaghers. I don't think we'd get as many people of Irish backgrounds (remembering that 35% of Manchester has Irish ancestry) supporting City if there was a well-established link. If there is any link it is extremely tenuous to the point of almost being meaningless save for a few sectarian nutjobs who make it their business to find these infinitesimal links and talk them up when no-one else gives a fuck.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

I come from Irish Catholic immigrant stock on my father's side, and my father who's now 57 and who chose to follow City as a young lad growing up in Hulme, says he has no recall of that association at all. So he's been following City for fifty years, living in Manchester and Trafford until his early 20s, he had a free choice of which side to follow as his own father couldn't give a toss about football, and at no point was he, born to practising Irish Catholics, put off by an alleged Protestant connection. As far as he's concerned there is no Catholic-Protestant divide between the Manchester clubs.

I think all there is to it is that the rags have had more of an Irish connection with their players than we do and so it happened by default, with a lot of Irish support for the rags coming from outside Manchester with plenty still in Ireland itself. I don't know if demographically speaking there might have been more Irish in red areas but that doesn't mean the Irish in the blue parts of Manchester were put off by that and wouldn't support City. There are plenty of poor Irish in blue inner-city areas who have a history of supporting City. Our two most famous fans for instance in the Gallaghers. I don't think we'd get as many people of Irish backgrounds (remembering that 35% of Manchester has Irish ancestry) supporting City if there was a well-established link. If there is any link it is extremely tenuous to the point of almost being meaningless save for a few sectarian nutjobs who make it their business to find these infinitesimal links and talk them up when no-one else gives a fuck.

The Smiths - four Mancunians with Irish parents.
Johnny Marr and Mike Joyce Blue
Morrissey and Andy Rourke rags

 

[Skashion]

Morrissey

My Dad went to school with Morrissey. He wasn't a fan though.