New fans/tourists are embarrassing

[DavidM]

I can kind of understand where JMA is coming from but...

Taking your point about geography and family, historically players were mainly sourced locally even up and til the late 70's. This ensured that most football clubs had a mainly local following.
In the UK around this time the need to find work started an internal population shift and football fans re-located around the country and began spreading the word about their clubs, they refused to change their allegiance to their "new" local club. Families grew and so did the out of town supporters. In more recent years players began roaming the planet looking for Clubs and as a consequence certain football Clubs now attract a very broad base of foreign "supporters". All this has help to dilute that "local" fan base.
In the historical classification of La Liga Athletic Bilbao are in 4th place and one of only three clubs which have never been relegated from La Liga (the others being Real Madrid and Barcelona). Athletic Bilbao had a policy of recruiting only Basque players. However during recent years they have had to relax this policy and start widening their circle and recruit non-Basque players in order to remain in La Liga's top division. In other words thay have had to adapt to survive.
In my own situation, since 1983 I have worked around the UK and have now made my home in Birmingham, my wife from West Bromwich has accompanied me through the lean years at City. She started attended City matches in 1993 and bought a season ticket in 1995. She has taken City to her heart and has felt the pain. She was there when we were shit, she made the effort to travel 170 miles to attend games against Lincoln, Macclesfield and the likes.
There was never a thought in my mind that I would take up supporting a Midlands club. I have lived more years away from Manchester/Stockport than I have lived there.
I therefore see and understand both sides of this debate, but I have decided that Manchester City is now a global brand and as such everyone is welcome, providing the contribute towards the "project".

 

[Danielmanc]

Everyone is a new supporter once.

For the right reasons though e.g. family

I can't stand United's plastics so can't stand the ones we're going to get/already have.

I wouldn't mind but hardly any of them have a fucking clue about football.

At least you all had one thing in common :)

PMSL

 

[uwe]

Everyone is a new supporter once.

couldn`t agree more,everyone has to have their first game. when i came to the mecca that was maine road for the first time i watched,listened and learned from the fans ,unfortunately some(probably a small minority) of new supporters have moaned about people standing even for a very short time,talking to people around them,singing or trying to sing etc.
i to my shame and embarrasment was intollerent with a lady and her kids when she complained about our loud singing after asking was it her first match and recieving a yes.we were both wrong her for not listening,learning etc and me for feeling superior that i had been for 30+ years.
a ramble i know but what i mean to say is lets all welcome new fans who will be the future of the club but also the new fans will hopefully learn,watch etc what it means to us ,talk to us if we are a bit over passionate or daft and not call the stewards andtry to get true fans ejected.we are all blues,everyone has to start somewhere

 

[45 years of gloryhunting]

i have laughed at plastic scum fans for years , and their shirt is now just a fashion accessory , unfortunately if we want to compete with madrid,barca etc we will also attract the tourists.

 

[bluemc]

JMA wrote: "Why would a sane, mature adult need to enhance their love of something by manufacturing an attachment or support for a previous totally unrelated entity? It can only be for reasons of self delusion and self-aggrandisement."

While much of JohnMaddocksAxe's post is interesting and measured (not inflammatory in the least), I don’t buy the above quote.

Look, I’m an American who started supporting City in 2004. I played, coached and reffed football as a teenager. I don’t know exactly how I “picked” City as my squad, but it had something to do with (a) I love the physical city of Manchester; (b) the 04 FA Cup replay v. Spurs was the greatest comeback I’ve seen in any sport; (c) I detest United, the New York Yankees of the game; and (d) I loved Richard Dunne. Maybe there were other reasons. But not family, not a geographical tie. I’m not “ethnically” City. But it’s NOT manufactured, either. It just happened. Why do you meet someone and fall in love?

I don’t see how passion of any sort can be discounted. I get up ridiculously early – sometimes at 4:30 am California time – to watch matches. I’ve flown the 5,100 miles to Manchester at least once a season since 06 with the air miles I accumulate for work to be there in person (Everton last month, e.g.). My 7-year-old son taught his friends the Balotelli song (we substitute “full of class” for “fuckin’ class” though). My 5-year-old daughter named our cat “Manchester Kitty” (sorry). I’m outnumbered 40-1 with United, Chelsea and Liverpool fans where I live, and 10,000-1 with “Who gives a shit about soccer?” fans. I remember biting my nails, knowing if City had gotten relegated under Pearce, I wouldn’t ever see a game on TV again until City got back to the Prem.

Axe is right about the deep local ties of clubs, and I’m an outsider. I get the picture on city and family, but let me turn that around: what irritated me about liam’s original post was that he doesn’t realize how lucky he is. I envy the majority of City fans who live within walking distance, a train ride or a car drive of Etihad. If you so choose to spend your ducats, you can be there every match. You can hang in the pub with your mates every night and talk football. You can read and hear endless commentary about City daily in the prints and on TV. City is all around you. You live and breathe it. You grew up with it. Yes, I know I am lucky too because I can make it out to northwest England once in a while to follow the club, but it certainly comes at a high price in dollars and time, and the nearest rabid City fan I know lives 18 miles away from me.

At the end of the day, I think the passion, humor, loyalty and (previous) stoic bitterness-mixed-with-hope nature of old-school, born and bred City fans is unmatched among U.S. sports fans. The long-suffering among you more than anyone deserve this club’s success. But that doesn't mean those of us not raised 500 yards from Maine Road with a City dad and granddad can't feel at least close to the same highs and lows. Not the same, granted, but close.

PS. Personally, the NFL bores the living shit out of me. I’m not going to go glom onto the San Francisco 49ers – a club tied to my city and family – because they opened the season 5-1, or for any reason.

Superbly put mate, great post.

 

[TCIB]

JMA wrote: "Why would a sane, mature adult need to enhance their love of something by manufacturing an attachment or support for a previous totally unrelated entity? It can only be for reasons of self delusion and self-aggrandisement."

While much of JohnMaddocksAxe's post is interesting and measured (not inflammatory in the least), I don’t buy the above quote.

Look, I’m an American who started supporting City in 2004. I played, coached and reffed football as a teenager. I don’t know exactly how I “picked” City as my squad, but it had something to do with (a) I love the physical city of Manchester; (b) the 04 FA Cup replay v. Spurs was the greatest comeback I’ve seen in any sport; (c) I detest United, the New York Yankees of the game; and (d) I loved Richard Dunne. Maybe there were other reasons. But not family, not a geographical tie. I’m not “ethnically” City. But it’s NOT manufactured, either. It just happened. Why do you meet someone and fall in love?

I don’t see how passion of any sort can be discounted. I get up ridiculously early – sometimes at 4:30 am California time – to watch matches. I’ve flown the 5,100 miles to Manchester at least once a season since 06 with the air miles I accumulate for work to be there in person (Everton last month, e.g.). My 7-year-old son taught his friends the Balotelli song (we substitute “full of class” for “fuckin’ class” though). My 5-year-old daughter named our cat “Manchester Kitty” (sorry). I’m outnumbered 40-1 with United, Chelsea and Liverpool fans where I live, and 10,000-1 with “Who gives a shit about soccer?” fans. I remember biting my nails, knowing if City had gotten relegated under Pearce, I wouldn’t ever see a game on TV again until City got back to the Prem.

Axe is right about the deep local ties of clubs, and I’m an outsider. I get the picture on city and family, but let me turn that around: what irritated me about liam’s original post was that he doesn’t realize how lucky he is. I envy the majority of City fans who live within walking distance, a train ride or a car drive of Etihad. If you so choose to spend your ducats, you can be there every match. You can hang in the pub with your mates every night and talk football. You can read and hear endless commentary about City daily in the prints and on TV. City is all around you. You live and breathe it. You grew up with it. Yes, I know I am lucky too because I can make it out to northwest England once in a while to follow the club, but it certainly comes at a high price in dollars and time, and the nearest rabid City fan I know lives 18 miles away from me.

At the end of the day, I think the passion, humor, loyalty and (previous) stoic bitterness-mixed-with-hope nature of old-school, born and bred City fans is unmatched among U.S. sports fans. The long-suffering among you more than anyone deserve this club’s success. But that doesn't mean those of us not raised 500 yards from Maine Road with a City dad and granddad can't feel at least close to the same highs and lows. Not the same, granted, but close.

PS. Personally, the NFL bores the living shit out of me. I’m not going to go glom onto the San Francisco 49ers – a club tied to my city and family – because they opened the season 5-1, or for any reason.

One of the great posts of our time.

 

[CTID_Stateside]

Again it seems like the only time i post is to post on subjects like this one. I am not a new supporter, but i haven't been there when we were shit, actually i know where i was when we were shit, watching boring ass throwball, waiting for a sport to come along and enthrall me. I picked the game up in the middle of the keegan/ pearce change over and i havent looked back, I choose this team particularly, because of the fans (you lot). The Nanners, bluemoon, the fun the atmosphere, the sense of humor and my complete hate for united & their supporters this is what i waited for for 20 years of my life, because it sure as well wasnt pearce beautiful football. But posts like this (OP), slagging off players consistently (tevez excluded, but seriously move-on), is just disgraceful, absolutely the complete opposite reason I support your city. In my opinion what the fuck happened to you the old fans, and not all of you of course just a slim majority, but embrace the new fans let them know why supporting city is a lifestyle not just a ride. I know i do with any neutral, get them a beer, and say listen choose any team you like but the moment you choose united i am going to screaming YA-YA YA-YA tooourrree, in your face for an hour an half, choose wisely. anyway that was off topic, but one new fan for us is one less united fan, evolve with the club or be left behind. CTID -> even in the blue square.

i realize this was a quick shit rant, but there is soo much more that i wanted to say, thanks for reading love it or hate it.

 

[Spiros]

Liam (and many others of your ilk); unlucky that you will never be as eloquent and articulate as FogBlueInSanFran. I used to live in the USA and could listen to what MCFC means to people like him/her over hundreds/thousands of 'priveledged' souls like yourself/myself who were 'fortunate' enough to have been born in such a place that the only thing they have in their lives is the parochial allegiance to a club they happen, by chance, to have born within jizzing distance of.

And then WHAT JOY to lord it over others that YOU YES YOU were lucky enough to have been born amongst the fetid streets of M14!

But then again, when I've had a few pints I can see it your way too

 

[yankblue]

JMA wrote: "Why would a sane, mature adult need to enhance their love of something by manufacturing an attachment or support for a previous totally unrelated entity? It can only be for reasons of self delusion and self-aggrandisement."

While much of JohnMaddocksAxe's post is interesting and measured (not inflammatory in the least), I don’t buy the above quote.

Look, I’m an American who started supporting City in 2004. I played, coached and reffed football as a teenager. I don’t know exactly how I “picked” City as my squad, but it had something to do with (a) I love the physical city of Manchester; (b) the 04 FA Cup replay v. Spurs was the greatest comeback I’ve seen in any sport; (c) I detest United, the New York Yankees of the game; and (d) I loved Richard Dunne. Maybe there were other reasons. But not family, not a geographical tie. I’m not “ethnically” City. But it’s NOT manufactured, either. It just happened. Why do you meet someone and fall in love?

I don’t see how passion of any sort can be discounted. I get up ridiculously early – sometimes at 4:30 am California time – to watch matches. I’ve flown the 5,100 miles to Manchester at least once a season since 06 with the air miles I accumulate for work to be there in person (Everton last month, e.g.). My 7-year-old son taught his friends the Balotelli song (we substitute “full of class” for “fuckin’ class” though). My 5-year-old daughter named our cat “Manchester Kitty” (sorry). I’m outnumbered 40-1 with United, Chelsea and Liverpool fans where I live, and 10,000-1 with “Who gives a shit about soccer?” fans. I remember biting my nails, knowing if City had gotten relegated under Pearce, I wouldn’t ever see a game on TV again until City got back to the Prem.

Axe is right about the deep local ties of clubs, and I’m an outsider. I get the picture on city and family, but let me turn that around: what irritated me about liam’s original post was that he doesn’t realize how lucky he is. I envy the majority of City fans who live within walking distance, a train ride or a car drive of Etihad. If you so choose to spend your ducats, you can be there every match. You can hang in the pub with your mates every night and talk football. You can read and hear endless commentary about City daily in the prints and on TV. City is all around you. You live and breathe it. You grew up with it. Yes, I know I am lucky too because I can make it out to northwest England once in a while to follow the club, but it certainly comes at a high price in dollars and time, and the nearest rabid City fan I know lives 18 miles away from me.

At the end of the day, I think the passion, humor, loyalty and (previous) stoic bitterness-mixed-with-hope nature of old-school, born and bred City fans is unmatched among U.S. sports fans. The long-suffering among you more than anyone deserve this club’s success. But that doesn't mean those of us not raised 500 yards from Maine Road with a City dad and granddad can't feel at least close to the same highs and lows. Not the same, granted, but close.

PS. Personally, the NFL bores the living shit out of me. I’m not going to go glom onto the San Francisco 49ers – a club tied to my city and family – because they opened the season 5-1, or for any reason.

great post, couldn't have said it better myself and i'm in the same situation as you...guess i should apologize ahead of time for any embarrassment i bring to the club when i take the 1,500 dollar, 4,000 mile trip over this january ;)

 

[york away to this!]

JMA wrote: "Why would a sane, mature adult need to enhance their love of something by manufacturing an attachment or support for a previous totally unrelated entity? It can only be for reasons of self delusion and self-aggrandisement."

While much of JohnMaddocksAxe's post is interesting and measured (not inflammatory in the least), I don’t buy the above quote.

Look, I’m an American who started supporting City in 2004. I played, coached and reffed football as a teenager. I don’t know exactly how I “picked” City as my squad, but it had something to do with (a) I love the physical city of Manchester; (b) the 04 FA Cup replay v. Spurs was the greatest comeback I’ve seen in any sport; (c) I detest United, the New York Yankees of the game; and (d) I loved Richard Dunne. Maybe there were other reasons. But not family, not a geographical tie. I’m not “ethnically” City. But it’s NOT manufactured, either. It just happened. Why do you meet someone and fall in love?

I don’t see how passion of any sort can be discounted. I get up ridiculously early – sometimes at 4:30 am California time – to watch matches. I’ve flown the 5,100 miles to Manchester at least once a season since 06 with the air miles I accumulate for work to be there in person (Everton last month, e.g.). My 7-year-old son taught his friends the Balotelli song (we substitute “full of class” for “fuckin’ class” though). My 5-year-old daughter named our cat “Manchester Kitty” (sorry). I’m outnumbered 40-1 with United, Chelsea and Liverpool fans where I live, and 10,000-1 with “Who gives a shit about soccer?” fans. I remember biting my nails, knowing if City had gotten relegated under Pearce, I wouldn’t ever see a game on TV again until City got back to the Prem.

Axe is right about the deep local ties of clubs, and I’m an outsider. I get the picture on city and family, but let me turn that around: what irritated me about liam’s original post was that he doesn’t realize how lucky he is. I envy the majority of City fans who live within walking distance, a train ride or a car drive of Etihad. If you so choose to spend your ducats, you can be there every match. You can hang in the pub with your mates every night and talk football. You can read and hear endless commentary about City daily in the prints and on TV. City is all around you. You live and breathe it. You grew up with it. Yes, I know I am lucky too because I can make it out to northwest England once in a while to follow the club, but it certainly comes at a high price in dollars and time, and the nearest rabid City fan I know lives 18 miles away from me.

At the end of the day, I think the passion, humor, loyalty and (previous) stoic bitterness-mixed-with-hope nature of old-school, born and bred City fans is unmatched among U.S. sports fans. The long-suffering among you more than anyone deserve this club’s success. But that doesn't mean those of us not raised 500 yards from Maine Road with a City dad and granddad can't feel at least close to the same highs and lows. Not the same, granted, but close.

PS. Personally, the NFL bores the living shit out of me. I’m not going to go glom onto the San Francisco 49ers – a club tied to my city and family – because they opened the season 5-1, or for any reason.

very eloquently put, well said.

now keep your nose out of our business, you pesky yank!