How do you feel about our success - Old Blues?

I guess I'm an 'older Blue' who was lucky enough to see the great teams and successes of the late 60's and early 70's.

Buying success is all relative to the time. The 'holy trinity' of Bell, Lee Summerbee were all bought players with King Colin being a record price for a teenager at that time. We had the right manager and players in place at that time pretty much like we have today. Money does not guarantee success nor does forking out a fortune for players ie Leeds United. It seems Chelsea are now on the wane and how much have they spent in recent years.

I can't deny money is more essential now and we'll never see a team win the league with mainly home grown players again let alone a team full of English men.

I obviously hope we win the league this year but can't deny it wont seem the same as 1968, perhaps it's age or other factors. What is for sure is football and all around it is different 40 odd years on. The main difference being the money factor whether it comes from TV, foreign investors etc.

The other big difference to me is the number of foreign players in our teams. Whilst I welcome all the world class players we have it can never be the same as 1968 and the following years when we had many Mancunians and born blues playing for our team.

Money is the big factor but the main factor is still the right management and the right players; we have that. Enjoy success 21st century style and keep the even happier memories of success 1960s and 70s style.
 
I first went to watch City with my Dad in April 1959, the last day of the season against Leicester and City had to win to stay in the old 1st Div.
They did, but only after coming from behind to win 3-1.
That started the pattern of my life as a City Supporter, lows and highs, highs and lows.

To those who accuse us of buying the title I always remind them that the guy who started it all was Ferguson, as early as buying the likes of Pallister, Ince and Wallace. £6m for those 3 was a LOT of money in 1989 - how we enjoyed stuffing 5 goals past that team !

Further large purchases followed as they steamrollered their way to winning everything in front of them - the likes of Veron, Ferdinand, Rooney, Berbatov and many others. All big money signings. No one could compete with the Rags when it came down to marquee signings.

Chelsea and Liverpool have also thrown money at it of course, as did Blackburn at one time. In relative terms, and bearing in mind the way that player's values have increased in recent years, the money City have spent isn't really that much different, if at all.

No, I don't feel any different now about City than I did in the Mercer/Allison era, nor in the dark days of Div 2. I've always felt the same about my beloved Blues and I don't want to go back to us being everyone's rubbing rag. I'm just so pleased that my Club, OUR Club, is fortunate enough to be able to compete on a level playing field once again. I'm so pleased that my son will be able to enjoy with me years of success, just as I did in the late 60's and into the 70's.

When we win the title they'll still have to scrape me off the ceiling, just as they did in 1968.
 
Im 24 so I was at school when we were really bad, had to put up with shit from the united fans non stop, somehow i always managed to argue we were better but i dont know how. I remember saying to my dad "it is impossible for us to ever win the league in my lifetime, we just dont have the money or the players that the top clubs have" then sure enough our prayers were answered a few years later and we were bought out. I'm more than happy to spend and achieve success, you simply have to do it, there is no other option!

I know im not old but really people in their 20's and 30's are the ones who have suffered most, not the oldies! We'd never seen city win anything until last season and we'd supported them through the bad and the worse!
 
I do understand how you feel to some extent. I'm relatively young (just short of 40) but for me, this is arguably the hardest time to be City supporter in one way... at Maine Road in the 80's it was relatively easy even without anything to really cheer about. Neutrals and most visiting fans actually liked you. No-one ever doubted that you were a proper fan and all the other City fans accepted your passion without question.

Now? There's all sorts of sniping. In a huge moment of irony I was referred to as a glory hunter by a Polish lad (of all people) wearing a rag shirt working in a London branch of Sports Direct when buying my daughter a baby City kit.
It's not just external. In the last year I've been referred to as a glory hunter by fellow blues on this forum (the "West London" location seems to irk some who can't absorb that people move for work). Success seems to make even some blues paranoid.

So yeah, I can understand where you're coming from, the snipers are out, not just from other teams but even from within our own circles... it seems everyone's on a witch hunt to root out Johnny come latelys, and there's not really a lot you can do about it. What do you do, carry around your programmes from the 1987/88 season?

The arguments against "buying success" here are all valid, comfort yourself with that. No team of paupers and home growns has ever won a title, it's always been a club that has had plenty to spend. Blackburn, rags, Chelski, they've all done it. Usually they're the most vocal about complaining too. Ironic eh?
 
Don't beat yourself up about it. Football is, like it or not, a business. Every business requires investment, and looks around for an investor. We have one.
If we had spent money and ended up with a crap product, then that is worth worrying about. But the stuff we produce is magical, and as one who has been a supporter since before you (1946), I can assure you that even our best sides (1954-56, 1967-71, 75-78) could not hold a candle to what we see now. We shall in the fullness of time be self-financing and saddoes who point the finger will be forced to wind their necks in.
Jealousy.
 
Like myself and many others you will have invested thousands watching the blues over the years. Consider it a well deserved return on your investment and enjoy the benefits.
 
I don't think money spent ever enters my mind when City take the field All I want and ever wanted was for City to win Perhaps our generation was spoiled (b1946) after years of mediocrity late 50's and early 60's the usual depths interspersed with the odd moment of absolute joy. Suddenly we had a team and without the millstone of a mortgage and family was able to go to almost every game,our first steps in Europe etc The relegation of 1983 was a blow we really have never recovered from and heralded some dark times we now emerging from.
I have 2 sons both in thier 30's who until last season had never seen City win anything of note So when I get told we are buying the title what always stops them in their tracks is my reply
'yes we are and I hope we buy many more'
I don't care how much it costs I want to see us win the league again at least once before I shuffle off this mortal coil
CTID
 
It's a strange one, i am 46 and loving what is happening to us, but my son is 6 and will never (unless we really fuck this up) know what it is like to support your team no matter what.

We will lose games and finals, but he will not know what it is like to worry about relegation or beating Stockport, the character building stuff.

I just hope he and other young blues do not end up like that lot from Trafford.
 
Big Swifty said:
Don't beat yourself up about it. Football is, like it or not, a business. Every business requires investment, and looks around for an investor. We have one.
If we had spent money and ended up with a crap product, then that is worth worrying about. But the stuff we produce is magical, and as one who has been a supporter since before you (1946), I can assure you that even our best sides (1954-56, 1967-71, 75-78) could not hold a candle to what we see now. We shall in the fullness of time be self-financing and saddoes who point the finger will be forced to wind their necks in.
Jealousy.
Click to expand...


You're right Big Swifty. I only remember the 1954/56 team vaguely as a young kid and even then that was limited to the 2 Cup Finals on TV. Football was much different then in any case, with the heavier ball and players who mostly could only loosely be described as athletes.
The football City are playing now is often out of this world and as good as the Mercer/Allison team was it didn't compare with the passing game that this team plays. For all generations of Blues these should be the 'days of our lives'.
 
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