Lokeren 16yrs today!!

[liamctid]

It was more special to be a City fan then. If you were a City fan then you were one for the pure reason of being a loyal fucking nut case with the thickest skin going.

You’d go on your Summer holidays and see another family of Blues and hit it off with them chatting about pubs you’ve been in in each other’s areas.

Now it’s not special being a City fan. Loads of mates have been priced out since then, plus any old **** just seems to turn up and say they’re a City fan. We’re just another fan base like United and Liverpool’s.

When we were shit I used to love telling people that I was a City fan because it felt like it defined you as a character, don't really feel like that anymore. Part of our character was we were nothing like the others, not sure if that's still the case. I still feel like you shouldn't really support City unless you've got a connection from within the M60 but I guess others will see that as a small minded view, unable to embrace Manchester City the global brand.

Really enjoyed this thread and the stories I've read, not sure if there's ever been a thread purely for European away stories but I love reading them, keep them coming. I was only 15 when the Lokeren game happened so it was a bit before my time, Schalke in 2008 was my first Euro away.

 

[Tom H Conwy exile]

I was in that bar in Brussels when those mongs from Hattersley set the fire alarm off. We all ended up covered in white powder it was mental! It was a great trip. When we were walking across the main square to the match the empty cans and bottles were up to our calves and we had to wade through it. I can’t remember a thing about the game, the whole stand was shit faced on strong Belgian beer!

 

[meeesh]

We stayed in Gent for this one, I remember a large Irish pub in the main square call the Celtic Tower or something like that. It was an excellent pub and the Irish owner/manager gave us good advice on the various ways of getting to Lockeren. On the day of the match I had a fair few in Gent, then in the main square in Lockeren. As we entered the stand I noticed the fence was open at the front so I decided to watch the match with the photographers in front of our fans. All was well, and the stewards didnt seem to mind. However 20 minutes into the game one steward asked me what I was doing so I told him, watching the match. He told me I couldnt watch the match there, and escorted me to the main stand behind the City dug out. Funny thing is a couple of weeks later we played Bolton at home, and I got a text from a friend at the match, he said check out page 4 of the programme, and there I am, sat behind the goal infront of all the City fans. Great trip

Me and the two lads I went with went in that pub also,when we got back after the match we had some Irish soup and a big piece of soda bread,starving we were,never charged us as it was so packed,so we went in following day before we came home to pay up ,good lads owned that place

 

[Maccblue]

We stayed in Gent for this one, I remember a large Irish pub in the main square call the Celtic Tower or something like that. It was an excellent pub and the Irish owner/manager gave us good advice on the various ways of getting to Lockeren. On the day of the match I had a fair few in Gent, then in the main square in Lockeren. As we entered the stand I noticed the fence was open at the front so I decided to watch the match with the photographers in front of our fans. All was well, and the stewards didnt seem to mind. However 20 minutes into the game one steward asked me what I was doing so I told him, watching the match. He told me I couldnt watch the match there, and escorted me to the main stand behind the City dug out. Funny thing is a couple of weeks later we played Bolton at home, and I got a text from a friend at the match, he said check out page 4 of the programme, and there I am, sat behind the goal infront of all the City fans. Great trip

Bolton was the following Saturday 6-2 on the 18th missed Lokeren and Bolton as Wife was due to give birth and he waited until the lunchtime of the Bolton game. 16 today
We’re both off to Palace in the morning

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

jeez, blast from the past.

 

[Alex - City Matters]

Too early for me this one - was only four (!) at the time. Dad always says this and Groclin were one of his favourites. Santander was my first in 2008.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

When we were shit I used to love telling people that I was a City fan because it felt like it defined you as a character, don't really feel like that anymore. Part of our character was we were nothing like the others, not sure if that's still the case. I still feel like you shouldn't really support City unless you've got a connection from within the M60 but I guess others will see that as a small minded view, unable to embrace Manchester City the global brand.

Really enjoyed this thread and the stories I've read, not sure if there's ever been a thread purely for European away stories but I love reading them, keep them coming. I was only 15 when the Lokeren game happened so it was a bit before my time, Schalke in 2008 was my first Euro away.

Indeed.

If I’m in a situation where I’m with people from different places, I hope that the conversation of football doesn’t come up these days. I never wear any City gear outside my own living room when I’m lounging about (or the first home game of the season, actually). Just doesn’t feel special to be a City fan and only really want to talk football with fellow Blues.

Whereas back in the day, in any situation, I’d start the football conversation and be the proudest person in the room about saying who my club was, no matter how shit we were (or how good we were at times, of course, it wasn’t always shit!) and I’d almost always at least have a City pin badge on.

That view you say is narrow minded is held by loads of Blues, including me. For me, the club team you support represents you as a person more than your country does. So where you were born, grew up, live, or where your family connection is from your parent(s), is where you follow your football team.

A little bit of my dies inside every time I see the bandwagoners at City, the half’n’half scarves, the smart phones out filming Pogba and Salah as much as any City player, the chunks of our away sections where groups of non-City fans have taken tickets from proper Blues... I genuinely hate it and it’s why it’s half embarrassing saying you’re a City fan these days and why that specialness has disappeared.

What’s special about City these days is watching special football, and it’s absolutely fantastic, don’t get me wrong, I just wish we still had that specialness to our fanbase n’all and that bandwagoners weren’t a feature.

 

[peoffrey]

100% this. I won’t even watch the Palace match tonight. It’ll be on the radio in the background and I’ll watch the highlights tonight on MOTD.

There’s too many jumped up Southerners at City now. They won’t let on or, if they do, talk down to you.

Club football with success is bollocks now.

 

[awest]

Very drunk on that trip, drank until dawn. Remember ending up in a bar with Stan Collymore at some stage, don't know what he was doin there. Can't even remember the town we were in, possibly Gent. Euroblur. Great days.

 

[Mills hill blue]

Anybody here in the Celtica bar in Brussels the night after? Or was it the night before?

Flight out with the railway on my 40th birthday never been as pissed in my life remember pat Godfrey had a whip round in the Celtica bar pint pot full of euros I was asleep next to the bouncer at the front door mad trip