Yeah more and more people here recognize the badge when I am out and about in my various incarnations of City gear. Of course I always wear City gear when going to play old man footy here. My team has a lot of united supporters too so I relish it. We also have an Inter fan on the team from Italy, who doesn't like it at all when I wear the stuff. Wonder why that is...?;)
Now before the explosion of Premier League coverage here (or the EPL as they call it here...), my lovely American wife was labouring under the misapprehension that I supported a team from Manchester and the only one that she heard of was the shower from Trafford. Well she thought that she would get me a great Christmas gift one year. She traveled to the the North End in Boston, a well known Italian enclave who had the only soccer shop in the area at the time and brought me home a full (wanker) united kit and tracksuit to boot. I looked in the bag, and quietly gave it back to her. I said: "Thanks for the thought honey, but I will never ever wear that." And I explained - once again - that there was another team in the Manchester area; in fact the one that I support actually comes from the city of Manchester. She still really didn't get it. "b-but it's Manchester...etc."
And then the coverage just skyrocketed at the exact moment of City's ascension. Incredible timing. Now she gets it. So much so that she buys me City gear now. And posted a picture of me and my son right at the moment of the final whistle of the CL final.
Anyway, yes, we are big here now. Especially with the younger ones. Long may it continue.
