Open arms for new fans !

[MCFC 4 EVER]

American here, been a fan since around '02. This is extremely offensive. You are entitled to your opinion and that's fine, but wow. I am going to COMS (the etihad), as an american. I have had to sit alone for years, by myself, cheer by myself, drink by myself, be sad by myself. Watch the 8-1 by myself, watch almost every game over the last 10 years BY MYSELF. I am not looking for a pity party though. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when this club chose me and I will be damned to let you ruin my first experience. I know not everyone is like you, I have met some amazing people from Manchester on here and in person, that I shared great banter with, and they came out knowing I have been a fan for years. So when it comes time and I have the thousands of dollars saved to travel and pay to see the team I love, and I get my first experience in Manchester, do us both a favor and ignore me. Now if you want to get to know me, let's meet, and I'll buy you a pint or two, just don't be so quick to judge the new fans, some of them might now be so new...

I only have a problem with these new fans that we attract that didn't even know that we existed before the takeover, I have no problem whatsoever with fans who live abroad and don't attend games just as long as they are true fans and would still support us even if we lost all of our money.
And I sincerely apologise if I have caused you any offence

Decent of you to apologise, but regards the content of your post, you are still wrong.

You have to face facts that to be one of the world's very top teams you need to have income comparable to that of the world's other very top teams. This means attracting as many fans globally as you can.

In your dream head, these are all genuine would-be Mancunians who happen to live in Vietnam but nevertheless fell in love with City years ago when they saw us lose at Brighton.

In the real world, these people had never heard of us, and couldn't have given a shit if they did. Hell, half of them haven't heard of Manchester, or England even.

But we need them as new fans, simple as.

You might want it different mate, but you aint making the rules and the new order is the way it's going to be. ADUG haven't bought us for the indulgence of a few hard core mancunians. Suck it up and deal with it.

I know that we need these fans for the money and as I have already said they can buy as many shirts as like for all I care, but what really pisses me off is when these new fans get in the stadium ahead of some true lifelong blues who for financial reasons can't afford a season ticket
I get really wound up when I think of all the pain I have had supporting City over the years all the crap that I have had to put up with and these fans who haven't experienced any of that just roll in and rake in the rewards of being a City fan
I understand that we need the money from them and that Sheikh Mansour won't pour money in to us for the rest of time but it still annoys me

 

[Innsbruckblue]

Watched the game in my local in Leipzig. For years I've been the only Blue watching the City games there. I walk in last night and there are two Germans wearing City tops! And the whole pub (except the token Irish Red) cheered when Kompany's goal went in.
Had a walk in the park today with the girlfriend and another German lad walks past with a City shirt on!

I'd like to think that all my hard work in trying to educate the Germans to understand and follow the light has paid off. Probably not! I don't care tho, it now means I'm no longer the only one in Leipzig!

 

[paul.manc]

I couldn't care less if some twats in America wear our shirts and support us just as long as they don't get anywhere near COMS/Etihad

American here, been a fan since around '02. This is extremely offensive. You are entitled to your opinion and that's fine, but wow. I am going to COMS (the etihad), as an american. I have had to sit alone for years, by myself, cheer by myself, drink by myself, be sad by myself. Watch the 8-1 by myself, watch almost every game over the last 10 years BY MYSELF. I am not looking for a pity party though. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when this club chose me and I will be damned to let you ruin my first experience. I know not everyone is like you, I have met some amazing people from Manchester on here and in person, that I shared great banter with, and they came out knowing I have been a fan for years. So when it comes time and I have the thousands of dollars saved to travel and pay to see the team I love, and I get my first experience in Manchester, do us both a favor and ignore me. Now if you want to get to know me, let's meet, and I'll buy you a pint or two, just don't be so quick to judge the new fans, some of them might now be so new...

Do you mean 6-1 against United or when we lost 8-1 against Middlesborough :)

 

[green pennies]

I couldn't care less if some twats in America wear our shirts and support us just as long as they don't get anywhere near COMS/Etihad

why though? if I ever do get to a city match I will sing until I go into a lung-related coma.

me too. I'd give my left nut to be able to see the blues live.

it sucks when people say they don't want us anywhere near the stadium when for someone like me, seeing a City match is my number one dream.

Some of us did have to be introduced to the sport late and "pick" a club, but at least we picked right! I didn't have a club that I felt was truly mine for a long time, but from the time I started watching the prem, I always hated united, even though most people over here act like it's the only club that exists. City were rarely if ever on the tv here, so that made it even harder. The hard fact is, the club had to be a little successful for us to see them at all. You're not going to see many American kids going.. "yessir, it's burnley till I die!" just out of the blue. All I can say is I watched a bit of all the teams and City was the one I fell for.. yes it was after the club was bought and quality players started coming in, but it was before the madness of the last two seasons, and before I knew we would win a thing. I just needed a club to cheer for. It hasn't been long, but it's become my life. I don't think it's become that because City have done well, I think there's something extra special about City that is hard to quantify.. The wins are nice, but the pride is the real kicker.

I have the utmost respect for the lifers. your knowledge of the game and support for the club is an inspiration to us all. I don't pretend to be on your level. But you should welcome us because we love the same thing you do and we should have a beer together rather than worrying about who was looking for whose glory, etc.

I reckon when I do show up at the Etihad one day I won't stick out too badly. I know all the songs, I know all the players, I have tried extremely hard to learn the history, and I get enough joy out of this to not stop no matter the opinions of the foreigner-haters.

bad timing for this post after a win like that and all, but it's the truth. I'll never know what it was like in the third tier days, but I can report: this feels pretty god damned amazing.

 

[unlikelyfan19]

I couldn't care less if some twats in America wear our shirts and support us just as long as they don't get anywhere near COMS/Etihad

American here, been a fan since around '02. This is extremely offensive. You are entitled to your opinion and that's fine, but wow. I am going to COMS (the etihad), as an american. I have had to sit alone for years, by myself, cheer by myself, drink by myself, be sad by myself. Watch the 8-1 by myself, watch almost every game over the last 10 years BY MYSELF. I am not looking for a pity party though. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when this club chose me and I will be damned to let you ruin my first experience. I know not everyone is like you, I have met some amazing people from Manchester on here and in person, that I shared great banter with, and they came out knowing I have been a fan for years. So when it comes time and I have the thousands of dollars saved to travel and pay to see the team I love, and I get my first experience in Manchester, do us both a favor and ignore me. Now if you want to get to know me, let's meet, and I'll buy you a pint or two, just don't be so quick to judge the new fans, some of them might now be so new...

Do you mean 6-1 against United or when we lost 8-1 against Middlesborough :)

I'm talking Middlesborough. Beating the rags on M*nich day at the swamp. All that stuff.

 

[andrewmswift]

This and I live in England. Everywhere I go is full of Rags. I've had torment, but I care less as I'm the one laughing now. Be it on my own :( Thing is the rag twats have always been arrogant, which breeds arrogance in new fans. We aren't, so theoretically we should breed a class set of fans that respect the club.

Hopefully you are right mate

A little off-topic, but here is what being a city fan has taught me. I see people wearing Arsenal,Chelsea,United, or Liverpool shirts weekly here in the states. About 3 times a year I see someone wearing something different though. Like just this past weekend, my wife was running in a marathon in Nashville TN, and I see a man walk by wearing a Sunderland shirt. Seeing these things are like, massive breaths of fresh air, because I know engaging them in conversation will be productive. We were able to talk about MO and there recent turn of form, and just the league on the whole this season. But 9/10 (not all the time, but by far the majority) seeing someone wearing a "big 4" jersey, is a telling sign that they know nothing about football. You might as well wear a big sign that says, "Hey, I studied abroad in college and had no other way to advertise it other than to buy this jersey that I see everyone else wearing."

How do you know an american is a football fan? You don't.
How do you know an american has traveled abroad? They are wearing a soccer jersey. (I am calling it "soccer" for the sake of the joke.)

Arsenal fans over here are the absolute worst. They are just annoying as hell. Lots of Spurs fans too for whatever the fuck reason

 

[JohnMaddocksAxe]

Anyone who claims to support a team abroad who they have no connection with, have no connection with the place the team is set up to represent and do so knowing that if that team were in the third division they would not do so is - in football supporting terms (not in real life, obviously) - sad as fuck imo.

Does anyone on here admire the footballing style of Barcelona and the way they play loads more than I do? I doubt it. Does that qualify me as a Barca fan then? Does it fuck! I have nothing to do with them. They have nothing to do with me. I have no connection with the city, other than visiting it and me professing to be a fan of their's just because I watch a lot of them on TV and really admire them would be borderline mental illness.

Whatever happened to being able to like/admire/enjoy something without trying to latch on to some sort of sadcase reflective success and claim that you are 'part of' a team across the other side of the world? In fact, let me revise that, 'part of' a successful team across the the other side of the world. After all, whoever heard of The Hong Kong Rochdale AFC Fan Club?

Whether it is claiming to be a massive fan of City/United/Chelsea/Barca/Dallas Cowboys/Mars FC and deluding yourself that it really matters to you, doing so with no actual connection shows some sort of personality deficiency in my view.

I know people think that is a load of bollocks. After all, to insult the 'passion' of a football fan and to suggest that it is all bollocks has to be reacted to with anger and ire, it's the law. But that is only because to do otherwise would show the lie to the nonsense that is "loving" a sports club that has feck all to do with you.

I'd extend it to the likes of sad case Cockney Reds too. After all, what's the difference between them and their Malaysian counterparts. Most of them, just like the huge United fans in Sydney, have nothing to do with United or Trafford and will never see the team play, other than on TV. And if they happen to have the cash to fund the odd trip to Old Trafford, does their financial comfort make them any less sad?

If it were in any other field of life other than football/sport support, 99% of people would question the sanity of such people and call them shallow and sad. Because it is football people will excuse a lot of sad behaviour.

As for how it affects City, the more of these clowns start buying City tops the better. But don't expect me to suddenly offer them loads of respect or to see them as anything other than sad cases who can't enjoy football without pretending that they are part of it and boasting to others that they and 'their' team are the best.

 

[Anonymous]

I welcome proper city fans, who support us when were bad, good, average....
I dont like the thought that some rich bandwagon jumper can just come along and possibly take the place of a life long city fan who may be cant afford to go, and then dissapear if times get bad.

 

[Ezra]

Anyone who claims to support a team abroad who they have no connection with, have no connection with the place the team is set up to represent and do so knowing that if that team were in the third division they would not do so is - in football supporting terms (not in real life, obviously) - sad as fuck imo.

Does anyone on here admire the footballing style of Barcelona and the way they play loads more than I do? I doubt it. Does that qualify me as a Barca fan then? Does it fuck! I have nothing to do with them. They have nothing to do with me. I have no connection with the city, other than visiting it and me professing to be a fan of their's just because I watch a lot of them on TV and really admire them would be borderline mental illness.

Whatever happened to being able to like/admire/enjoy something without trying to latch on to some sort of sadcase reflective success and claim that you are 'part of' a team across the other side of the world? In fact, let me revise that, 'part of' a successful team across the the other side of the world. After all, whoever heard of The Hong Kong Rochdale AFC Fan Club?

Whether it is claiming to be a massive fan of City/United/Chelsea/Barca/Dallas Cowboys/Mars FC and deluding yourself that it really matters to you, doing so with no actual connection shows some sort of personality deficiency in my view.

I know people think that is a load of bollocks. After all, to insult the 'passion' of a football fan and to suggest that it is all bollocks has to be reacted to with anger and ire, it's the law. But that is only because to do otherwise would show the lie to the nonsense that is "loving" a sports club that has feck all to do with you.

I'd extend it to the likes of sad case Cockney Reds too. After all, what's the difference between them and their Malaysian counterparts. Most of them, just like the huge United fans in Sydney, have nothing to do with United or Trafford and will never see the team play, other than on TV. And if they happen to have the cash to fund the odd trip to Old Trafford, does their financial comfort make them any less sad?

If it were in any other field of life other than football/sport support, 99% of people would question the sanity of such people and call them shallow and sad. Because it is football people will excuse a lot of sad behaviour.

As for how it affects City, the more of these clowns start buying City tops the better. But don't expect me to suddenly offer them loads of respect or to see them as anything other than sad cases who can't enjoy football without pretending that they are part of it and boasting to others that they and 'their' team are the best.

Take it as a no then!

 

[JohnMaddocksAxe]

Some of us did have to be introduced to the sport late and "pick" a club, but at least we picked right! I didn't have a club that I felt was truly mine for a long time, but from the time I started watching the prem, I always hated united, even though most people over here act like it's the only club that exists. City were rarely if ever on the tv here, so that made it even harder.

Genuine question.

Why do you feel the need to 'pick a club'?

Especially when it is a totally unassociated 'choice' that won't have any true relation to your real life, where you are from and the people you know?

I know that sounds antagonistic but I just don't get it.

I watch every bit of American Football on TV but I've never wanted to 'choose a team'. I just don't get it. I like/love/whatever the game but, for me, saying that I support a team and therefore expecting it to therefore become automatically true would just be so shallow and I'd feel a little bit pathetic for doing so. It'd feel a little bit meaningless. So I just enjoy the game for what it is.

Sorry, I shouldn't address that to a single person as it seems like a personal attack, so please don't feel compelled to reply. It just sums up why I can't get my head around it though.

People just wouldn't act that way in any field other than sport - especially football.<br /><br />-- Tue May 01, 2012 8:06 pm --<br /><br />

Anyone who claims to support a team abroad who they have no connection with, have no connection with the place the team is set up to represent and do so knowing that if that team were in the third division they would not do so is - in football supporting terms (not in real life, obviously) - sad as fuck imo.

Does anyone on here admire the footballing style of Barcelona and the way they play loads more than I do? I doubt it. Does that qualify me as a Barca fan then? Does it fuck! I have nothing to do with them. They have nothing to do with me. I have no connection with the city, other than visiting it and me professing to be a fan of their's just because I watch a lot of them on TV and really admire them would be borderline mental illness.

Whatever happened to being able to like/admire/enjoy something without trying to latch on to some sort of sadcase reflective success and claim that you are 'part of' a team across the other side of the world? In fact, let me revise that, 'part of' a successful team across the the other side of the world. After all, whoever heard of The Hong Kong Rochdale AFC Fan Club?

Whether it is claiming to be a massive fan of City/United/Chelsea/Barca/Dallas Cowboys/Mars FC and deluding yourself that it really matters to you, doing so with no actual connection shows some sort of personality deficiency in my view.

I know people think that is a load of bollocks. After all, to insult the 'passion' of a football fan and to suggest that it is all bollocks has to be reacted to with anger and ire, it's the law. But that is only because to do otherwise would show the lie to the nonsense that is "loving" a sports club that has feck all to do with you.

I'd extend it to the likes of sad case Cockney Reds too. After all, what's the difference between them and their Malaysian counterparts. Most of them, just like the huge United fans in Sydney, have nothing to do with United or Trafford and will never see the team play, other than on TV. And if they happen to have the cash to fund the odd trip to Old Trafford, does their financial comfort make them any less sad?

If it were in any other field of life other than football/sport support, 99% of people would question the sanity of such people and call them shallow and sad. Because it is football people will excuse a lot of sad behaviour.

As for how it affects City, the more of these clowns start buying City tops the better. But don't expect me to suddenly offer them loads of respect or to see them as anything other than sad cases who can't enjoy football without pretending that they are part of it and boasting to others that they and 'their' team are the best.

Take it as a no then!

I know it sounds really harsh. But I can't get my head around the logic of it.

Obviously I can't (and wouldn't want to) do anything about it. It's none of my business. But, looking at it logically, it's just so shallow and meaningless and all a bit false. Why would you want to do it? Why do people have a need to have to attach themselves to something when that attachment amounts to nothing more than saying you 'love them'?

I find it bizarre. That's just my point of view and one I reckon, if people took the football glasses off, a lot more people would share if they considered the same phenomenon outside of the sport setting.