CooperMcfcF/W
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This chapter is my view of events at O.T. last season. Its from my book that is out this summer called "Football For Life".
I don’t have to write about the events that occurred when the Munich Air Disaster happened in 1958, but what I do want to talk about is the rivalry and hatred that exists between the two Manchester club’s fans due to the use of this word.
I cannot speak or represent everyone’s feelings on this subject, as I do not represent every Manchester City fan. The only thing I can and want to do is give you my honest opinion and my truthful opinion.
No one in any book I have ever read has discussed this topic, maybe because of fear and the fact that it involves the loss of human life in a tragedy. After attending the Munich anniversary Derby I could not write this book without discussing it.
As a young lad in the kippax in the early 80’s anyone will tell you it did not need explaining to you what a “Munich†was. It was sang in nearly every song involving united and it was a reference that was used at city way before I started attending. City fans related it to united the club, and united the fans.
For an example of where I’m coming from it was like a word we use to describe Oldhamer’s from Failsworth. B.I.F.F.O.’s
Big Ignorant Fookers From Oldham.
It was a tag that was attached to United’s fans and its club before many city fans can remember. So it was installed already and everyone just used it because they new it really got united fans going, and got them pissed off.
Now before I go into it deeper I will start by telling you I have sung songs using the word and I have written songs using the word Munich, so let that be known. When I have sang those songs with many thousands of city fans we sang them in jest. Yes jest..to take try and take the piss out of united fans about them losing one of the best teams they ever had and get them going.
No excuse I hear you say, “it’s still sick and a disgrace to the memory of the members of the team and their families!â€
Well yes your correct it is no excuse and this is not one, but I want to go deeper. As you grow older and wiser and learn about life, and you realise how precious life is and what it means. At one stage in our lives we have all mocked death in jokes, all been told sick jokes and all had jokes about our mothers and sisters. Not exactly funny I know, but when you’re told one you just uuuuuhhh and know its not really meant to insult you personally.
I believe the mentality of city fans when they sing those songs is not directed at the families or the memories of that bunch of young lads. I believe its directed at the change it brought to Manchester United and the success that came with it, and I truly believe that.
Something happened at the Munich Anniversary Game that restored my faith in this theory and I will explain why in this short story.
I have not missed a City V United derby for over 16 years home and away, and due to me losing interest in watching the game and doing Saturday amateur football and now not attending a lot, this was going to be the first one I ever missed.
I remember being sat at home the day before the game, and all I had been reading about all week was the fact that both clubs were worried that the minute’s silence would be broken. Sky Sports would do a daily story on it every day, and I really believe that no one including our own MCFC had any faith in the fans doing it.
I was getting a gut feeling I had to go, I just had this weird feeling I had to go. It was doing my head In for hours, and it was like a voice in my head saying
“You can’t miss this, it’s going to be special…you got to goâ€
City tickets for the game were going for crazy money and united tickets were probably the same, so I had no chance of getting a ticket even if I wanted to go. The feeling just plagued me for hours and my head was pickled.
Finally I just picked up the phone, I spoke to “Rozzi†a lad from the bluewatch supporters group I had set up and he said I had no chance. I was a bit disappointed but I honestly did not expect to get one anyway.
Then I’m sat down and I get a text “Phone Paul, Baz isn’t going he’s got one spare†I was buzzing, my heart was pounding, as a football fan reading this you know exactly the feeling I’m talking about.
I phoned Paul straight away and he promised me he would save it me, so I drove to his house on the other side of Manchester and at 10pm at night I might as well of had the golden ticket for Willie Wonkers Chocolate factory in my hand.
A few of the old brigade got wind I had a ticket and were arranging to all travel together so as to not get sniped. A lot of City fans were expecting a big reception from united’s men in black, but I just was not interested.
Part of the bargain was I was to go shopping with the Mrs in the morning, so I did the deed. Mandy wanted to go to Oldham, but was really pushing the boat out in getting there on time. As we travelled up Oldham Road I saw a few city fans that I knew stood at the taxi rank.
“Pull over Mandyâ€
“Why†she replied
“Listen love you know this is the biggest game…I got to goâ€
She just put her head against the steering wheel.
“I swear I won’t get in any trouble. on my kids livesâ€
I pecked her on the cheek, and kissed the baby and bolted from the car. I waved at my mate Chris H and the other lads and jumped in their taxi. They just started laughing their heads off, I did not need to put in word’s to them what I had just done. They had just probably dome the same thing
We went for a few beers on Salford Quays with about 15 straight going city lads and I just decided to make my way on the ground. I was well known as being a city face by most of United’s lads and knew if I walked up Matt Busby Way the chance of one seeing me with 15 lads would provoke a row that I was no longer interested in. Plus the lads I was drinking with would cop for loads of shit they were not prepared for.
As soon as I got to the ground I was pulled aside off the police, searched and held. I could see a few united looking at all of the commotion as they asked me for my ticket.
I just played their game, and behaved normal, as any fan would do. I did not recognise any as football Intelligence and was confident I would get in.
As they let me walk to the turnstile one shouted at me
“Best behaviour Mr Cooper we will be watching you and the rest of your lot†Just shows you, I had not been an active lad for years, but coppers who I had never seen before recognised me, they now get briefed about every football lad!
I just ignored them and walked up to the turnstile to get in. Due to the commotion with the old bill the stewards made a point of searching me and being totally wankers, pulling me out of the queue and patting me down about three times. After five minutes I was in…. and I just sat on my seat which was at the back near the corporate boxes relieved I was finally there.
I picked up my blue and white scarf off the seat and read the note attached with it about Frank Swift and what the day was about.
After 5 minutes I decided to go down to the bar to get a pint, and bumped into a mate and had a chat with him. I will never forget the feeling amongst the city fans that day till I die. Lads were going around shouting to everyone…
“Lets show these bastards who we are…….were not scumâ€
“Lets do the minutes silence, prove everyone wrongâ€
It was weird I felt like every blue had the same gut feeling as me, something special was going to happen. You could feel an aura about the place, within the fans, and it was real as though you could touch it. I’ve never experienced anything like it at a football match in my life.
Shouts went up again
“If we do it we will win I just know it, trust meâ€
It was as if everyone was possessed or had become church preachers. These were city fans I had know and seen at the match for years, some had been fighting lads, some had been lads that I never ever thought would respect the minutes silence.
I knew then that there was a time and place for respect and this was it, and every city fan I know in that ground felt exactly the same way as me. It was a disaster that not only affected Manchester United and the player’s families, it affected Manchester.
As mancunians we live with fellow mancunians who are united fans. Most are friends from work, or in the pub and most neighbours, relations or family who we love. This is a FACT.
The munich songs in the past were sang, but today I knew all of Manchester was going to pay respect.
As I got to my seat I looked at all the united fans and you could feel them looking at the away end waiting to hear the first words of “Who’s that lying on the runway†or some similar song.
It wasn’t going to happen, I just prayed one idiot did not ruin it for everyone else during the silence.
A piper led the players on and it was surreal to see the full ground waving scarfs and the atmosphere reminded me of the derby’s in the 80’s and 90’s I felt I was going back in time. It was without doubt the best derby atmosphere at O.T. since the 1-1 game when Ian Brightwell “wellied in†an equaliser past Jim Leighton. City had 8000 that day, and it felt like 8000 this day.
The players took up their positions and stood around the centre circle after Sven and Ferguson laid their reefs on the kick off spot.
“ssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhâ€
“sssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhâ€
The tension was unreal,
“come on cityâ€
Blues encouraging blues to commit to just one minute in their life, while the announcer declared the minute’s silence.
The referee blew.
Can silence ever be heard when 76,000 people are stood next to each other in a 500 yard proximity?
I can’t put into words what I felt that day, I looked at the surviving players stood on the pitch.
Albert Scanlon who had worked with my grandmother at Colgate Palmolive on Ordsall Lane in Salford for years.
Bobby Charlton who I had met and talked to when I fitted a water meter at his accountant’s house.
These were people of Manchester who I knew and my family knew, some of my family idolised them. Yet I had mocked their mates death for years singing and writing songs about a plane crash killing a bunch of young lads and a city legend Frank Swift.
I was running Avro’s football team at the time and it ran threw my head in that minute how I would feel as their manager if it had been them. So young, with so much of their life to look forward to, some with kids.
Since I had been involved in amateur football I had be learning how passionate about the game you can become. It had taught me a lot and I felt I had an understanding of a 100th of what was going threw Bobby Charlton and Albert Scanlons hearts.
I looked around more as the seconds ticked away, would we make it to 60 seconds with no songs or no snide remark. I thought to myself, is the ref going to risk the full 60 seconds or what?
I watched as 76000 scarf’s were held aloft in the air, united fans nervously stood in disbelief, we were doing it.
They were staring at us we were staring back, I was going, I was getting a lump in my throat??
Yes me the “munich†singer for 20 years plus, the lad who had fought united fans toe to toe for years, who had hurled abuse at them over terraces, spat on them, punched them, fought them.
Come on…Come on.. blow the fucking whistle I was saying in my head, what are you doing ref.
It seemed like an eternity….
“COME ON CIIIIITYâ€
Exactly at the moment the whistle blew, a city fan shouted. His timing was fucking perfect. He must have had a stopwatch, no doubt about it. The whole ground clapped, city fans went mad like they had just won the league, I just looked at Chris Harrop who was stood behind me.. I shouted to him
“I knew it…I fucking knew we would do itâ€
I was full of emotion, and waved my fist in the air.
Alex Ferguson, the Munich Survivors, the city players and even the united players clapped towards the city fans. Even uniteds fans were clapping towards us, I don’t care what anyone says, the media, the clubs, the players, nobody believed we would do it. Even I had my doubt’s, you know the saying in Manchester
“There’s always one isn’t thereâ€
Well on this occasion not one, not one city fan made a sound.
The game is irrelevant in this story, but we won and got 6 points for the first time in many years. It was the first time I had ever seen us win at O.T. and the city fans that day were unreal, the atmosphere was electric. Strangely though United fans were not there usual self and it was a really strange feeling.
I don’t believe they thought we could do it, and it defiantly affected the fans, which I believe affected the players. United did not play crap that day, it was just that city’s players had an extra zip about them and I believe that came from the minutes silence and the fans.
At the final whistle we all went mad, and it turned out to be a perfect day and one that changed my outlook on life.
When I say football is powerful, this is exactly what I mean. That day it changed me and I believe 75,000 football fans for the better. It was something that we need to learn from and try and bottle and use again. I’ve described football as a tool in this book and you may get an idea where I am coming from when you have read the book in full.
Cheers
CAM ON CITY!!!!
I don’t have to write about the events that occurred when the Munich Air Disaster happened in 1958, but what I do want to talk about is the rivalry and hatred that exists between the two Manchester club’s fans due to the use of this word.
I cannot speak or represent everyone’s feelings on this subject, as I do not represent every Manchester City fan. The only thing I can and want to do is give you my honest opinion and my truthful opinion.
No one in any book I have ever read has discussed this topic, maybe because of fear and the fact that it involves the loss of human life in a tragedy. After attending the Munich anniversary Derby I could not write this book without discussing it.
As a young lad in the kippax in the early 80’s anyone will tell you it did not need explaining to you what a “Munich†was. It was sang in nearly every song involving united and it was a reference that was used at city way before I started attending. City fans related it to united the club, and united the fans.
For an example of where I’m coming from it was like a word we use to describe Oldhamer’s from Failsworth. B.I.F.F.O.’s
Big Ignorant Fookers From Oldham.
It was a tag that was attached to United’s fans and its club before many city fans can remember. So it was installed already and everyone just used it because they new it really got united fans going, and got them pissed off.
Now before I go into it deeper I will start by telling you I have sung songs using the word and I have written songs using the word Munich, so let that be known. When I have sang those songs with many thousands of city fans we sang them in jest. Yes jest..to take try and take the piss out of united fans about them losing one of the best teams they ever had and get them going.
No excuse I hear you say, “it’s still sick and a disgrace to the memory of the members of the team and their families!â€
Well yes your correct it is no excuse and this is not one, but I want to go deeper. As you grow older and wiser and learn about life, and you realise how precious life is and what it means. At one stage in our lives we have all mocked death in jokes, all been told sick jokes and all had jokes about our mothers and sisters. Not exactly funny I know, but when you’re told one you just uuuuuhhh and know its not really meant to insult you personally.
I believe the mentality of city fans when they sing those songs is not directed at the families or the memories of that bunch of young lads. I believe its directed at the change it brought to Manchester United and the success that came with it, and I truly believe that.
Something happened at the Munich Anniversary Game that restored my faith in this theory and I will explain why in this short story.
I have not missed a City V United derby for over 16 years home and away, and due to me losing interest in watching the game and doing Saturday amateur football and now not attending a lot, this was going to be the first one I ever missed.
I remember being sat at home the day before the game, and all I had been reading about all week was the fact that both clubs were worried that the minute’s silence would be broken. Sky Sports would do a daily story on it every day, and I really believe that no one including our own MCFC had any faith in the fans doing it.
I was getting a gut feeling I had to go, I just had this weird feeling I had to go. It was doing my head In for hours, and it was like a voice in my head saying
“You can’t miss this, it’s going to be special…you got to goâ€
City tickets for the game were going for crazy money and united tickets were probably the same, so I had no chance of getting a ticket even if I wanted to go. The feeling just plagued me for hours and my head was pickled.
Finally I just picked up the phone, I spoke to “Rozzi†a lad from the bluewatch supporters group I had set up and he said I had no chance. I was a bit disappointed but I honestly did not expect to get one anyway.
Then I’m sat down and I get a text “Phone Paul, Baz isn’t going he’s got one spare†I was buzzing, my heart was pounding, as a football fan reading this you know exactly the feeling I’m talking about.
I phoned Paul straight away and he promised me he would save it me, so I drove to his house on the other side of Manchester and at 10pm at night I might as well of had the golden ticket for Willie Wonkers Chocolate factory in my hand.
A few of the old brigade got wind I had a ticket and were arranging to all travel together so as to not get sniped. A lot of City fans were expecting a big reception from united’s men in black, but I just was not interested.
Part of the bargain was I was to go shopping with the Mrs in the morning, so I did the deed. Mandy wanted to go to Oldham, but was really pushing the boat out in getting there on time. As we travelled up Oldham Road I saw a few city fans that I knew stood at the taxi rank.
“Pull over Mandyâ€
“Why†she replied
“Listen love you know this is the biggest game…I got to goâ€
She just put her head against the steering wheel.
“I swear I won’t get in any trouble. on my kids livesâ€
I pecked her on the cheek, and kissed the baby and bolted from the car. I waved at my mate Chris H and the other lads and jumped in their taxi. They just started laughing their heads off, I did not need to put in word’s to them what I had just done. They had just probably dome the same thing
We went for a few beers on Salford Quays with about 15 straight going city lads and I just decided to make my way on the ground. I was well known as being a city face by most of United’s lads and knew if I walked up Matt Busby Way the chance of one seeing me with 15 lads would provoke a row that I was no longer interested in. Plus the lads I was drinking with would cop for loads of shit they were not prepared for.
As soon as I got to the ground I was pulled aside off the police, searched and held. I could see a few united looking at all of the commotion as they asked me for my ticket.
I just played their game, and behaved normal, as any fan would do. I did not recognise any as football Intelligence and was confident I would get in.
As they let me walk to the turnstile one shouted at me
“Best behaviour Mr Cooper we will be watching you and the rest of your lot†Just shows you, I had not been an active lad for years, but coppers who I had never seen before recognised me, they now get briefed about every football lad!
I just ignored them and walked up to the turnstile to get in. Due to the commotion with the old bill the stewards made a point of searching me and being totally wankers, pulling me out of the queue and patting me down about three times. After five minutes I was in…. and I just sat on my seat which was at the back near the corporate boxes relieved I was finally there.
I picked up my blue and white scarf off the seat and read the note attached with it about Frank Swift and what the day was about.
After 5 minutes I decided to go down to the bar to get a pint, and bumped into a mate and had a chat with him. I will never forget the feeling amongst the city fans that day till I die. Lads were going around shouting to everyone…
“Lets show these bastards who we are…….were not scumâ€
“Lets do the minutes silence, prove everyone wrongâ€
It was weird I felt like every blue had the same gut feeling as me, something special was going to happen. You could feel an aura about the place, within the fans, and it was real as though you could touch it. I’ve never experienced anything like it at a football match in my life.
Shouts went up again
“If we do it we will win I just know it, trust meâ€
It was as if everyone was possessed or had become church preachers. These were city fans I had know and seen at the match for years, some had been fighting lads, some had been lads that I never ever thought would respect the minutes silence.
I knew then that there was a time and place for respect and this was it, and every city fan I know in that ground felt exactly the same way as me. It was a disaster that not only affected Manchester United and the player’s families, it affected Manchester.
As mancunians we live with fellow mancunians who are united fans. Most are friends from work, or in the pub and most neighbours, relations or family who we love. This is a FACT.
The munich songs in the past were sang, but today I knew all of Manchester was going to pay respect.
As I got to my seat I looked at all the united fans and you could feel them looking at the away end waiting to hear the first words of “Who’s that lying on the runway†or some similar song.
It wasn’t going to happen, I just prayed one idiot did not ruin it for everyone else during the silence.
A piper led the players on and it was surreal to see the full ground waving scarfs and the atmosphere reminded me of the derby’s in the 80’s and 90’s I felt I was going back in time. It was without doubt the best derby atmosphere at O.T. since the 1-1 game when Ian Brightwell “wellied in†an equaliser past Jim Leighton. City had 8000 that day, and it felt like 8000 this day.
The players took up their positions and stood around the centre circle after Sven and Ferguson laid their reefs on the kick off spot.
“ssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhâ€
“sssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhâ€
The tension was unreal,
“come on cityâ€
Blues encouraging blues to commit to just one minute in their life, while the announcer declared the minute’s silence.
The referee blew.
Can silence ever be heard when 76,000 people are stood next to each other in a 500 yard proximity?
I can’t put into words what I felt that day, I looked at the surviving players stood on the pitch.
Albert Scanlon who had worked with my grandmother at Colgate Palmolive on Ordsall Lane in Salford for years.
Bobby Charlton who I had met and talked to when I fitted a water meter at his accountant’s house.
These were people of Manchester who I knew and my family knew, some of my family idolised them. Yet I had mocked their mates death for years singing and writing songs about a plane crash killing a bunch of young lads and a city legend Frank Swift.
I was running Avro’s football team at the time and it ran threw my head in that minute how I would feel as their manager if it had been them. So young, with so much of their life to look forward to, some with kids.
Since I had been involved in amateur football I had be learning how passionate about the game you can become. It had taught me a lot and I felt I had an understanding of a 100th of what was going threw Bobby Charlton and Albert Scanlons hearts.
I looked around more as the seconds ticked away, would we make it to 60 seconds with no songs or no snide remark. I thought to myself, is the ref going to risk the full 60 seconds or what?
I watched as 76000 scarf’s were held aloft in the air, united fans nervously stood in disbelief, we were doing it.
They were staring at us we were staring back, I was going, I was getting a lump in my throat??
Yes me the “munich†singer for 20 years plus, the lad who had fought united fans toe to toe for years, who had hurled abuse at them over terraces, spat on them, punched them, fought them.
Come on…Come on.. blow the fucking whistle I was saying in my head, what are you doing ref.
It seemed like an eternity….
“COME ON CIIIIITYâ€
Exactly at the moment the whistle blew, a city fan shouted. His timing was fucking perfect. He must have had a stopwatch, no doubt about it. The whole ground clapped, city fans went mad like they had just won the league, I just looked at Chris Harrop who was stood behind me.. I shouted to him
“I knew it…I fucking knew we would do itâ€
I was full of emotion, and waved my fist in the air.
Alex Ferguson, the Munich Survivors, the city players and even the united players clapped towards the city fans. Even uniteds fans were clapping towards us, I don’t care what anyone says, the media, the clubs, the players, nobody believed we would do it. Even I had my doubt’s, you know the saying in Manchester
“There’s always one isn’t thereâ€
Well on this occasion not one, not one city fan made a sound.
The game is irrelevant in this story, but we won and got 6 points for the first time in many years. It was the first time I had ever seen us win at O.T. and the city fans that day were unreal, the atmosphere was electric. Strangely though United fans were not there usual self and it was a really strange feeling.
I don’t believe they thought we could do it, and it defiantly affected the fans, which I believe affected the players. United did not play crap that day, it was just that city’s players had an extra zip about them and I believe that came from the minutes silence and the fans.
At the final whistle we all went mad, and it turned out to be a perfect day and one that changed my outlook on life.
When I say football is powerful, this is exactly what I mean. That day it changed me and I believe 75,000 football fans for the better. It was something that we need to learn from and try and bottle and use again. I’ve described football as a tool in this book and you may get an idea where I am coming from when you have read the book in full.
Cheers
CAM ON CITY!!!!