English football sold it's soul in 1992
Football clubs around the world sold their souls when they were bought out by billionaires
Manchester City FC sold it's tradition when the owners dropped the 'FC' from the name
It's a capitalist society - Shit like this happens every day around the world. Winners and losers.
As football fans,what have we actually 'lost'? - Answer, in real terms, a lot less than we will 'gain' in the long term.
Traditional football died in 1992, so what are we crying about now...? The loss of an old friend? I think not.
I'm a traditionalist. I've loved football through the 60s to the present day. I've just loved it a bit less every few years, as it became more and more of a business than a sport. Same with a lot of things in life. The departures of traditional football men like Wardle and Bernstein signalled the beginning end for me, but even so, I still kept buying my seasoncards.
The world of 'entertainment' moves forward - What is happening is outside our control. We can stamp our feet and type long messages on social media etc, but at the end of the day, it's someone else's ball, and they make the rules. We can either keep going to games, or look for something else to entertain us. I wouldn't blame anyone who doesn't go again.
I said years ago that I did not trust overseas owners involved in English football, and later expressed serious doubt over the long-term intention of Sheikh Mansour?ADUG in relation to the club. I felt at the time that we were getting in bed with the wrong people, and was criticised for even daring to question Mansour and Co.
Billionaires are billionaires because they're ruthless bastards - They don't give a shit about the 'little people' paying a couple of thousand or so a year towatch football. For every one who leaves, there are 20 tourists waiting to buy their ticket.
I look back to 2008 and remember celebrating the takeover. At the time, a rag mate (an early member of the FC United movement) said to me; "be careful what you wish for... You just might get it".
This is us 'getting it' now. The owners are heartless bastards who have never actually given a shit about the fans, tradition etc. It was all lip-service, keeping ex-players like Summerbee etc around to provide fans a tentative link to the past... It's a sham.
I'll probably still go to games in a Super League, just like I'd still go to games if we were in the Conference. It's a tough habit to break after 60 years.
One thing I do know for sure though... Manchester City died yesterday when they put Glazer's message on the website... If Mansour and Co, Pep, and all the players f*cked off tomorrow, I wouldn't shed a single tear about it. It's just killed off a bit more of my love for the game.
