"We Hate You, City, We Do!"

[Groke]

Not sure who had a soft spot for us anyway - in my time following city in the 2nd and 3rd divisions we were hated (Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds, Millwall, Stoke, Stockport, Middlesbrough...etc,etc) and I can't think of too many love-ins with teams in the top division either e.g. Spurs, Everton, Scum

 

[Gary James]

It's obvious why teams like Arsenal have taken a dislike to City - we're now a threat. However, I'm not convinced City are as hated as the media make out.

If City stand a serious chance of winning the League in May I would guess that many fans of teams without a chance will be supporting us. No one truly wants Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and er Liverpool (?) to win everything all the time.

When Chelsea won their first title since the money flooded in the majority of fans (excluding Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea's usual rivals) were happy for them.

I am convinced City will gain positive support from other clubs' fans if City disrupt Utd, Arsenal & Chelsea's plans.

With all due respect, Mr James, the truth of what you may want to say about the media may be hampered by the fact that you get to represent us on TV, from time to time!!

We'd love it if you gave 'em both barrels, here and there, but...


We still love ya, anyway!!

Sorry, but I always try to be open and honest about what I think of the media and to the best of my knowledge I have never represented 'us' on TV. I was interviewed for that Cantona derby programme about "Manchester football" (not purely City) but in the end none of what I said was shown in the UK (and only a few seconds were shown in France).

I researched, wrote and produced "The History Of Football" for Channel M but again that was about all of Manchester football and I was talking about the history of the game.

Other than those 2 programmes all my appearances on TV and radio have been to talk specifically about a book I've written (most appearances connected with my Joe Mercer biog or "Manchester A Football History").

I have written a few articles for The Times (in 2001-2003 on general football history) and one for the MEN (free of charge to balance up the newspaper's coverage of what the Munich disaster meant to Mancunians including City fans), plus odd bits for When Saturday Comes (on Manchester Central and to balance up the story of the Spurs pitch invasion in 93) and other footy mags & fanzines over the years.

I was also on the Radio 4 Woman's Hour programme when I tried to explain the truth of City's birth but they didn't use many of the 'facts' I gave them, so it's an experience I am not happy with.

I have only ever been asked to appear on radio/TV to talk about City (and not a new book) on a couple of other occasions and on each occasion I turned it down because I was highly suspicious of their angle. Once was when they wanted me to talk about Wayne Rooney (about him 'staying' at Utd and how gutted City fans would be!) and the other when they wanted to stick the knife into one of today's City execs and incorrectly thought that I'd be supportive (how wrong they were! Actually I received several calls for this with some supposedly supportive journos hoping I'd be highly critical!).

It has been suggested to me in the past that one of the reasons my books don't get the national coverage (or even regional) that some other City books get is because I won't appear on TV/radio criticising the Club/its personnel or offering an opinion on the smallest of stories. Some authors do, but I won't. And I certainly would never appear in the media and claim that I represent City fans - we have such a large and diverse support that no one person can accurately reflect the views of all fans. They can give their own view but no one can, or should, ever claim to represent all the fans.

When I spoke against Swales in the 1993 AGM I did it because it was something I felt I had to do and the environment was right. I didn't claim to represent all fans or anything.

Sorry for going off on one, but I'm quite passionate about fair-play, justice, equality and so on and anyone who reads my books or my posts on Bluemoon (particularly those connected with City's portrayal in the media towards the end of last season) will see that I try to correct the wrongs and the myths. That's probably why I don't get asked to appear on TV/radio to talk about City.

Incidentally, I will be on Radio Manchester this Friday morning but not to talk about City/football. I'll be on Heather Stott's Coffee Club. That environment will be right (I hope!).

 

[allan harper]

"We Hate You, City, We Do!"

For a fucking long time I hated City to !

 

[Bigga]

With all due respect, Mr James, the truth of what you may want to say about the media may be hampered by the fact that you get to represent us on TV, from time to time!!

We'd love it if you gave 'em both barrels, here and there, but...


We still love ya, anyway!!

Sorry, but I always try to be open and honest about what I think of the media and to the best of my knowledge I have never represented 'us' on TV. I was interviewed for that Cantona derby programme about "Manchester football" (not purely City) but in the end none of what I said was shown in the UK (and only a few seconds were shown in France).

I researched, wrote and produced "The History Of Football" for Channel M but again that was about all of Manchester football and I was talking about the history of the game.

Other than those 2 programmes all my appearances on TV and radio have been to talk specifically about a book I've written (most appearances connected with my Joe Mercer biog or "Manchester A Football History").

I have written a few articles for The Times (in 2001-2003 on general football history) and one for the MEN (free of charge to balance up the newspaper's coverage of what the Munich disaster meant to Mancunians including City fans), plus odd bits for When Saturday Comes (on Manchester Central and to balance up the story of the Spurs pitch invasion in 93) and other footy mags & fanzines over the years.

I was also on the Radio 4 Woman's Hour programme when I tried to explain the truth of City's birth but they didn't use many of the 'facts' I gave them, so it's an experience I am not happy with.

I have only ever been asked to appear on radio/TV to talk about City (and not a new book) on a couple of other occasions and on each occasion I turned it down because I was highly suspicious of their angle. Once was when they wanted me to talk about Wayne Rooney (about him 'staying' at Utd and how gutted City fans would be!) and the other when they wanted to stick the knife into one of today's City execs and incorrectly thought that I'd be supportive (how wrong they were! Actually I received several calls for this with some supposedly supportive journos hoping I'd be highly critical!).

It has been suggested to me in the past that one of the reasons my books don't get the national coverage (or even regional) that some other City books get is because I won't appear on TV/radio criticising the Club/its personnel or offering an opinion on the smallest of stories. Some authors do, but I won't. And I certainly would never appear in the media and claim that I represent City fans - we have such a large and diverse support that no one person can accurately reflect the views of all fans. They can give their own view but no one can, or should, ever claim to represent all the fans.

When I spoke against Swales in the 1993 AGM I did it because it was something I felt I had to do and the environment was right. I didn't claim to represent all fans or anything.

Sorry for going off on one, but I'm quite passionate about fair-play, justice, equality and so on and anyone who reads my books or my posts on Bluemoon (particularly those connected with City's portrayal in the media towards the end of last season) will see that I try to correct the wrongs and the myths. That's probably why I don't get asked to appear on TV/radio to talk about City.

Incidentally, I will be on Radio Manchester this Friday morning but not to talk about City/football. I'll be on Heather Stott's Coffee Club. That environment will be right (I hope!).

Forgive me, but I'm a bit confused! You, clearly, speak about us in the 'royal we' terms, on here, but you don't go on TV representing 'us', the club or fans, that's fine. So, why do you think you're asked to speak on Man City topics (aside from being a historian)?

I'm honestly curious.

 

[ArizonaBlue]

no one should care what others think of the club and it's supporters. The only thing I care about are those that are going over the web saying we will buy the league or what not due to now having the money.

If all supporters are modest as they have always been even during the down times then it will just be down to just jealousy by the other club's supporters and who cares about that.

 

[ArizonaBlue]

In a very short period of time we've gone from a club that many other supporters had a soft spot for, to becoming everyone's most hated team.

And the same goes for the vast majority of the media.

Does it really worry you? It's nice to be loved, isn't it?

Perhaps we should do a Millwall and get T-shirts printed with:

"No-one likes us, We don't care"!!

I've never been a person who has needed that praise and approval of others to make me feel good. I've never liked following the majority or the norm. I went to school in Trafford and a huge majority were Rags, but I preferred being a Blue because it was cooler and more underground to be. I like underground techno/house and hate commercial music, I don't listen to any commercial radio stations or music at all, I couldn't tell you who is number one in the charts. Even though very few people I know like the same music as me, I'd hate to just follow everyone else like a faceless sheep and listen to absolute shit from the likes if the awful Black Eyed Peas or Rihanna. I don't follow fashion trends because everyone else does, I make my own mind up on things which look good. I would absolutely hate it if I turned up to the CoMS and had some Cockney, Irish, Scandinavian or far eastern bangwagoner sat next to me singing the wrong words to Blue Moon because he's seen the magical "City dream" in Enlgish newspapers and on television. I want City to be hated, I want us to stay more underground. So I welcome all the bad press! Many will point out the wrongs in that but that's just the way I am!

I hate to tell you but City isn't underground. There are indeed supporters, not bandwagoners, that live outside of the UK.

 

[Gary James]

Sorry, but I always try to be open and honest about what I think of the media and to the best of my knowledge I have never represented 'us' on TV. I was interviewed for that Cantona derby programme about "Manchester football" (not purely City) but in the end none of what I said was shown in the UK (and only a few seconds were shown in France).

I researched, wrote and produced "The History Of Football" for Channel M but again that was about all of Manchester football and I was talking about the history of the game.

Other than those 2 programmes all my appearances on TV and radio have been to talk specifically about a book I've written (most appearances connected with my Joe Mercer biog or "Manchester A Football History").

I have written a few articles for The Times (in 2001-2003 on general football history) and one for the MEN (free of charge to balance up the newspaper's coverage of what the Munich disaster meant to Mancunians including City fans), plus odd bits for When Saturday Comes (on Manchester Central and to balance up the story of the Spurs pitch invasion in 93) and other footy mags & fanzines over the years.

I was also on the Radio 4 Woman's Hour programme when I tried to explain the truth of City's birth but they didn't use many of the 'facts' I gave them, so it's an experience I am not happy with.

I have only ever been asked to appear on radio/TV to talk about City (and not a new book) on a couple of other occasions and on each occasion I turned it down because I was highly suspicious of their angle. Once was when they wanted me to talk about Wayne Rooney (about him 'staying' at Utd and how gutted City fans would be!) and the other when they wanted to stick the knife into one of today's City execs and incorrectly thought that I'd be supportive (how wrong they were! Actually I received several calls for this with some supposedly supportive journos hoping I'd be highly critical!).

It has been suggested to me in the past that one of the reasons my books don't get the national coverage (or even regional) that some other City books get is because I won't appear on TV/radio criticising the Club/its personnel or offering an opinion on the smallest of stories. Some authors do, but I won't. And I certainly would never appear in the media and claim that I represent City fans - we have such a large and diverse support that no one person can accurately reflect the views of all fans. They can give their own view but no one can, or should, ever claim to represent all the fans.

When I spoke against Swales in the 1993 AGM I did it because it was something I felt I had to do and the environment was right. I didn't claim to represent all fans or anything.

Sorry for going off on one, but I'm quite passionate about fair-play, justice, equality and so on and anyone who reads my books or my posts on Bluemoon (particularly those connected with City's portrayal in the media towards the end of last season) will see that I try to correct the wrongs and the myths. That's probably why I don't get asked to appear on TV/radio to talk about City.

Incidentally, I will be on Radio Manchester this Friday morning but not to talk about City/football. I'll be on Heather Stott's Coffee Club. That environment will be right (I hope!).

Forgive me, but I'm a bit confused! You, clearly, speak about us in the 'royal we' terms, on here, but you don't go on TV representing 'us', the club or fans, that's fine. So, why do you think you're asked to speak on Man City topics (aside from being a historian)?

I'm honestly curious.

I'm not asked apart from the occasions I mentioned above. I've seen/heard Kevin Parker (rightly representing the Supporters Club), Dave Wallace (KotK), Colin Shindler but I don't get called by the media other than what I've said above. The publicity for the books and the "History Of Football" Channel M series all came from suggestions from me.

On here I will talk about 'us' meaning City/our community because it's within our community so it seems appropriate.

 

[mancityvstoke]

I've never been a person who has needed that praise and approval of others to make me feel good. I've never liked following the majority or the norm. I went to school in Trafford and a huge majority were Rags, but I preferred being a Blue because it was cooler and more underground to be. I like underground techno/house and hate commercial music, I don't listen to any commercial radio stations or music at all, I couldn't tell you who is number one in the charts. Even though very few people I know like the same music as me, I'd hate to just follow everyone else like a faceless sheep and listen to absolute shit from the likes if the awful Black Eyed Peas or Rihanna. I don't follow fashion trends because everyone else does, I make my own mind up on things which look good. I would absolutely hate it if I turned up to the CoMS and had some Cockney, Irish, Scandinavian or far eastern bangwagoner sat next to me singing the wrong words to Blue Moon because he's seen the magical "City dream" in Enlgish newspapers and on television. I want City to be hated, I want us to stay more underground. So I welcome all the bad press! Many will point out the wrongs in that but that's just the way I am!

I hate to tell you but City isn't underground. There are indeed supporters, not bandwagoners, that live outside of the UK.

I have family in Arizona! Tuscon to be precise.

 

[johnmc]

I see value in a siege mentality

 

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

People liked us because they thought we were funny - Cup for cock-ups, top of the League at Christmas, relegated the next year, etc - which our fans accepted with good grace.

Other fans admired our unshakeable loyalty in supporting what they viewed to be a comedy Club (you've only got to look at the scousers - flaking because they're team is in 12th place in the Premier League, and deciding they're going to become Barca fans/start watching Darts instead - to see how half-baked a large number of football fans actually are), and our self-deprecating humour throughout the dark times.

They also knew we were never going to challenge for anything whilst the Club was being run so badly, so it was safe to like City and call us their 'Second Team'.

Now we're extremely well run both on and off the pitch, fiercely ambitious, and are not only challenging a lot of the teams that those fans support, but brushing them aside and pushing on right to the top.

There's nothing to find comical or endearing about that. In fact, there's a lot to fear and be jealous of, and that's exactly what we're seeing at the moment.

Should we care as fans that we're not an object of fun for the wider footballing fraternity? Should we bollocks.

Although this is an adjustment some City fans are finding hard to make - used as they are to walking into work to a patronising back-slap from their colleagues for another weekend of abject, well-supported failure, they can't cope with being attacked for their allegiance.

However we should all take solace in the fact that all we are seeing is fear and jealousy because we're finally getting it right, and surely that's what we've always wanted as fans of God's Own Club.