And it's no coincidence that every rag acquaintance we see or know or have seen or known over the years are gobshites and always the knobheads of the bunch but the city fans was always the quiet, reserved cool kid in the corner keeping themselves to themselves.I grew up in the last golden era of Manchester City, 1976 and the Tony Book side but City were massively outnumbered at my school even then and then came 3 decades of abject failure. The result was that City fans were the hard core loyalists. If you were a City fan, you were a loyal person, dogged and stubborn with good human qualities. There was always I felt a bond between City fans of shared experience that I don't think many football fans feel. I always feel a glow towards my fellow fans even to this day when I go to the game. I just like being with fellow city fans because I know what we have all been through. It's a shared experience that no one else has had.
Once I think we all felt damned. Bringing up your child to be a city fan was almost an act of cruelty and yet it turned into a blessing. We weren't damned at all, we were the blessed generation and we didn't know it. The ones who follow us are unlikely to experience the joys we felt. I think it's called catharsis. There are very few clubs or fanbases who have experienced this.
It was either James H Reeve, or James Stannage, two great radio presenters who I used to listen to after the game who described City as God's own football club. I think every fan thinks their football club is special but I look around at other clubs, and none has our history. And yet many other football fans regard city as plastic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not for the old generation anyway.
I've coached my son's football team for 11 years (they're U18 now) and when I started there were very few City shirts amongst the kids (other teams not just ours) on training nights but now there are many more. Not the majority yet (we're in Warrington so plenty of Liverpool and United shirts still, given we are midway between the two) but definitely a noticeable upward trend. The red-shirted teams didn't get millions of followers because they all had a deep connection with the North West of England, it's success pure and simple. They had success in the past and we are having it now. It takes time but the young fans we attract now will provide a generation of City supporters in the future.I presume we're roughly the same age, and having been born in 1964, I was never quite old enough to remember the 68-70 period with any clarity.
Where we differ slightly is that being educated in Marple in the mid 70s, my School Year (plus the one above and below) were predominantly City-biased (my form alone boasted 9 City fans and only 5 United fans)
In answer to your question from another post, the one thing I noticed whilst queueing at the swamp the other week, is the ageing demographic of the United support when compared with the hundreds of young kids at the ETIHAD.
These kids aren't scarred by memories of Cantona or the Class of 92. They're the future, and it's predominantly sky blue
Is that when the Sheikh gets bored and the oil runs out?Just enjoy it Blues, you can rest assured we will be discussed at length if we ever return to the dark days …
Those electric cars are gonna fuck it all up for us … :-(Is that when the Sheikh gets bored and the oil runs out?
I think we were regularly the third best supported club throughout the 1970s after the 2 red **** clubs. It is clear to me that the media will always pander to the huge support base of those 2 clubs, which means we will always be portrayed extremely negatively by the media, which in turn has significantly stunted the growth of our fan base. The only real change I see is at primary school and secondary school ages where our local Manchester area support is clearly growing, but not yet back to where it was when I was a kid when you used to see loads more City than rag shirts. The Ferguson era clearly changed that balance, and although it’s going our way locally I don’t see too much evidence of a national or international change
| Position | League | Avg. | Crwd Pos | High | Low | |
| 1990 | 14 | 1 | 27.975 | 5 | 43.246 | 23.350 |
| 1989 | 2 | 2 | 23.500 | 6 | 40.070 | 16.033 |
| 1988 | 9 | 2 | 19.472 | 12 | 30.153 | 15.172 |
| 1987 | 21 | 1 | 21.922 | 8 | 35.336 | 17.507 |
| 1986 | 15 | 1 | 24.229 | 4 | 48.773 | 18.899 |
| 1985 | 3 | 2 | 24.219 | 8 | 47.285 | 20.047 |
| 1984 | 4 | 2 | 25.604 | 6 | 41.862 | 19.147 |
| 1983 | 20 | 1 | 26.789 | 4 | 45.400 | 20.615 |
| 1982 | 10 | 1 | 34.063 | 4 | 52.037 | 24.443 |
| 1981 | 12 | 1 | 33.587 | 3 | 50.114 | 26.141 |
| 1980 | 17 | 1 | 35.272 | 3 | 50.067 | 27.664 |
| 1979 | 15 | 1 | 36.203 | 4 | 46.710 | 27.366 |
| 1978 | 4 | 1 | 41.687 | 3 | 50.856 | 32.412 |
| 1977 | 2 | 1 | 40.058 | 3 | 50.020 | 32.427 |
| 1976 | 8 | 1 | 34.280 | 4 | 50.439 | 27.256 |
| 1975 | 8 | 1 | 32.898 | 6 | 45.194 | 24.047 |
| 1974 | 14 | 1 | 30.756 | 7 | 51.331 | 21.590 |
| 1973 | 11 | 1 | 32.351 | 7 | 52.086 | 23.973 |
| 1972 | 4 | 1 | 38.573 | 6 | 63.326 | 25.677 |
| 1971 | 11 | 1 | 31.041 | 9 | 43.623 | 17.961 |
| 1970 | 10 | 1 | 33.930 | 10 | 63.013 | 22.006 |
| 1969 | 13 | 1 | 33.750 | 9 | 63.052 | 20.108 |
| 1968 | Champion | 1 | 37.223 | 6 | 62.942 | 22.002 |
Your best ever post Marvin, and there have been some very good ones, as well as some shit ones lol. Sums up City fans of that era very well indeed, and we did have that special bond, almost a togetherness and pride in our team’s shitness which was always at odds with the loyalty, humour and self deprecation of our wonderful fan base. It isn’t quite like that anymore, but most things aren’t I guess for us FOCs.I grew up in the last golden era of Manchester City, 1976 and the Tony Book side but City were massively outnumbered at my school even then and then came 3 decades of abject failure. The result was that City fans were the hard core loyalists. If you were a City fan, you were a loyal person, dogged and stubborn with good human qualities. There was always I felt a bond between City fans of shared experience that I don't think many football fans feel. I always feel a glow towards my fellow fans even to this day when I go to the game. I just like being with fellow city fans because I know what we have all been through. It's a shared experience that no one else has had.
Once I think we all felt damned. Bringing up your child to be a city fan was almost an act of cruelty and yet it turned into a blessing. We weren't damned at all, we were the blessed generation and we didn't know it. The ones who follow us are unlikely to experience the joys we felt. I think it's called catharsis. There are very few clubs or fanbases who have experienced this.
It was either James H Reeve, or James Stannage, two great radio presenters who I used to listen to after the game who described City as God's own football club. I think every fan thinks their football club is special but I look around at other clubs, and none has our history. And yet many other football fans regard city as plastic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not for the old generation anyway.
Typical City highs and lows in some of those yearsFor the 11 seasons from 75/76 to 85/86 we had either the 3rd or 4th highest average attendances in the country.
The 2 exceptions were 83/84 amd 84/85 when we were in the 2nd tier but still averaged the 6th and 8th highest attendance.
As far as TV audiences go the PL released figures about 18 months ago confirming we had moved into 3rd place behind United and Liverpool as the 3rd most watched team internationally on TV.
Position League Avg. Crwd Pos High Low 1990 14 1 27.975 5 43.246 23.350 1989 2 2 23.500 6 40.070 16.033 1988 9 2 19.472 12 30.153 15.172 1987 21 1 21.922 8 35.336 17.507 1986 15 1 24.229 4 48.773 18.899 1985 3 2 24.219 8 47.285 20.047 1984 4 2 25.604 6 41.862 19.147 1983 20 1 26.789 4 45.400 20.615 1982 10 1 34.063 4 52.037 24.443 1981 12 1 33.587 3 50.114 26.141 1980 17 1 35.272 3 50.067 27.664 1979 15 1 36.203 4 46.710 27.366 1978 4 1 41.687 3 50.856 32.412 1977 2 1 40.058 3 50.020 32.427 1976 8 1 34.280 4 50.439 27.256 1975 8 1 32.898 6 45.194 24.047 1974 14 1 30.756 7 51.331 21.590 1973 11 1 32.351 7 52.086 23.973 1972 4 1 38.573 6 63.326 25.677 1971 11 1 31.041 9 43.623 17.961 1970 10 1 33.930 10 63.013 22.006 1969 13 1 33.750 9 63.052 20.108 1968 Champion 1 37.223 6 62.942 22.002
Yep, always has been, go in any pub and it's always the gobby cnuts giving it large that are rags.And it's no coincidence that every rag acquaintance we see or know or have seen or known over the years are gobshites and always the knobheads of the bunch but the city fans was always the quiet, reserved cool kid in the corner keeping themselves to themselves.
Yep, always has been, go in any pub and it's always the gobby cnuts giving it large that are rags.
An utterly bizarre but depressingly predictable non-sequitir from the Guardian sports desk, a vile nest of City hating hypocrites and sexual deviants who still seem fit to hector others about ethics and morality.decent read but didn't really need the 6th paragraph.
Typical City highs and lows in some of those years
Also not forgetting my namesakes infamous reputation for alleged interference with attendance figuresYep but tbf same for most clubs back then.
Peak Liverpool 81-86 with 4 titles, 4 league cups and 2 European Cups still had lows for the league season in the range of 20,000 to 26,000.
lol I almost added that in my 1st post ;)Also not forgetting my namesakes infamous reputation for alleged interference with attendance figures
An utterly bizarre but depressing non-sequitir from the Guardian sports desk, a vile nest of City hating hypocrites and sexual deviants who still seem fit to hector others about ethics and morality.
Why start banging on about money in an article about a player who cost us nothing?
1985 highest attendance figure is hilarious. I was there at the Charlton game & it was rammed. I’d guess that figure is around 10,000 shortFor the 11 seasons from 75/76 to 85/86 we had either the 3rd or 4th highest average attendances in the country.
The 2 exceptions were 83/84 amd 84/85 when we were in the 2nd tier but still averaged the 6th and 8th highest attendance.
As far as TV audiences go the PL released figures about 18 months ago confirming we had moved into 3rd place behind United and Liverpool as the 3rd most watched team internationally on TV.
Position League Avg. Crwd Pos High Low 1990 14 1 27.975 5 43.246 23.350 1989 2 2 23.500 6 40.070 16.033 1988 9 2 19.472 12 30.153 15.172 1987 21 1 21.922 8 35.336 17.507 1986 15 1 24.229 4 48.773 18.899 1985 3 2 24.219 8 47.285 20.047 1984 4 2 25.604 6 41.862 19.147 1983 20 1 26.789 4 45.400 20.615 1982 10 1 34.063 4 52.037 24.443 1981 12 1 33.587 3 50.114 26.141 1980 17 1 35.272 3 50.067 27.664 1979 15 1 36.203 4 46.710 27.366 1978 4 1 41.687 3 50.856 32.412 1977 2 1 40.058 3 50.020 32.427 1976 8 1 34.280 4 50.439 27.256 1975 8 1 32.898 6 45.194 24.047 1974 14 1 30.756 7 51.331 21.590 1973 11 1 32.351 7 52.086 23.973 1972 4 1 38.573 6 63.326 25.677 1971 11 1 31.041 9 43.623 17.961 1970 10 1 33.930 10 63.013 22.006 1969 13 1 33.750 9 63.052 20.108 1968 Champion 1 37.223 6 62.942 22.002
Not a huge amount, I mean the plan of giving the Rags every decision is hardly a huge amount of planningNo. A huge amount of planning went into it.
I think the media frenzy over United and Poch suits us down to the ground. We will do our talking on the pitch....as usual.Is it City v PSG tomorrow or is Poch coming for a United interview or something? fkin crazy reporting on that club
Exept that Sheikh Mansour is one of the world's leading investors in renewables (as is Abu Dhabi itself) and the whole point of the CFG project is to move his business operation away from oil wealth. The "oil money" jibe has never really been true and nowadays it is even more absurd.Those electric cars are gonna fuck it all up for us … :-(
Nice find!This reminds me of the Paul Morley quote from 98....
Well our day came!!!
City of Lost Souls
To support Manchester City is to believe that God might have trouble running things on this planet, but he's in control of the next world. He has to be. The Devil rules this world and always will, because his team are Manchester United, and they are world famous and monolithic.
Manchester City, who's name travels the world about as well as Gracie Fields or Pulp, are on the side of the angels; the poor, sapped, unfortunate angels who still believe in quaint antiquated notions of earthly good. To support Manchester City is to accept with heroic willingness the dead-flat that the universe is cold and hostile, and nothing good will become of it. To support City is to tackle head on the crushing pointlessness of existence and to attempt to make something of it. It is hard work. So why do it? Because somehow this seems ultimately more dignified and fulfilling than taking the easy way out and supporting the lulling and obnoxious United.
To support United is too easy. It's convenience supporting. It makes life too easy. There is no challenge. It is a cowardly form of escapism, a sell-out to the forces of evil. United fans have no soul and will spend their eternity neck deep in boiling vomit. City fans retain their soul and will spend their eternity forever reliving the moment their team beat Newcastle 4-3 away from home to win the League Championship in 1968, beating United into second place. Surely we will have such eternal bliss again, for why do we spend so much time suffering in this life watching our team climb to the summit only so that we can watch them dive, dive, dive to their pitiless bottom of the heap while United, of Manchester, but nothing really to do with it, float every more triumphantly skywards?
Heartless United are the incarnation of shamelessness and to support them is heroism in a can. Cavalier City, however awry their football, however dire their straits, glow with something mystical and transcendental. City have soul. United do not.
When they are great again, City will have shown that they are worth their extraordinary fans. To this day these fans will walk a million miles for one of Joe Mercer's smiles. They'll sing a million songs waiting for some new Mercer-like magic. Because they are City, and Christ do they know they're born.
Paul Morley
November 1998
Astonishing; and looks as though it has been inserted from a previous, unconnected harangue by an editor who believes that every article involving City must include something about morality and money. For those who can't be arsed reading it, in an article about home-grown Foden, the following, incongrous, sentence appears from nowhere;
"Discomfort at where the money comes from is reasonable, and there probably should be a moral reckoning"