What was the most toxic period at City?

[mayo31]

I remember hearing " we're shit and we're sick of it" at Maine Road and that hero running on the pitch and tearing his season ticket up in front of the Kippax. Bury. 1998?

I heard a different story

The lad threw his season ticket, it hit someone who contyavcted teh cluibto say he had fouind the ticket

The club gave him the address of the thrower and it was posted back with a note saying something along the lines of, if i have to go, so do you

 

[Cellarite]

The 115 era pisses this.

The toxicity, bile, jealousy and pure hatred from most of the country is without question the biggest sticking the boot in ever.

The impact on our supporters has been insane.

Look how many “what if this, this and this?” posts appear on here daily.

There are posters genuinely taking about relegations, stripping of titles and people going to jail. That’s how toxic it’s been to their mental health and rationality.

I have to admit that I struggle with the "empty seats" jibes. I've lived in East Yorkshire for 20-odd years since I was 21. Football fans around here are split into two camps - Hull City fans and plastic fans of usually United or Liverpool, but occasionally Leeds, Chelsea or Arsenal.

I get the same "jokes" from both sets about us not having fans or being unable to fill the Etihad. The problem I have is this comes from Hull City fans (whose average attendances have ranged from 13,000 to 22,000 over a five year period and play in a 25,500 capacity stadium), or "fans" of the red-shirts who at most, go to the legends games in the closed season.

If you respond in anyway, they see it as a win. A typical example would be this...

Them - "Kev, do you think Oasis will sell all their tickets because they're Man City fans and you lot can't sell anything out."

Me - "When was the last time you attended a match at Anfield/Old Trafford/Emirates?"

Them - "Oh he's biting! Don't get wound up!

 

[Hoghead]

The most toxic for the Etihad would be when Bradford Road gas works was operating.
Boom Boom

 

[paulchapo]

You could add Ian Bowyer who is alleged to have been forced out by the boo-boys. Then some bloke called Brian turned him into a European Cup winner.

I remember Ian Bowyer coming into the team as a young lad. He scored a fair few goals very quickly and was even being touted for a call up for the England squad. He was a forward for us and nicknamed "Spring heels" for his ability to jump high from a standing start to head the ball. After a promising start his form tailed off and he started to miss some absolute sitters leading to the fans turning on him. When he eventually ended up at Forest Clough turned him into a midfield player. He actually won a league cup and a cup winners cup medal with us.

 

[East Level 2]

Was that when it kicked off with the police

Yes. The police weren't happy seeing City fans starving on the concourse and forced them back to watch the match.
Can't remember the result but I doubt we won.

Edit: Pretty sure it was a 2-1 defeat in March 2000 in whatever the real second division was called in those days.

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

All about opinions!

Not defending Summerbee per se...just that I think he was often the first and easiest target. There's always a player first in the firing line. Doku, Sterling, Heath, Edghill, Morley, etc. For a variety of reasons, but once their status has been established they usually get the abuse before others even when they are not the worst on the pitch.

Remember Heath being booed on the pitch for his debut.
Keeping Clive Allen out of the team whilst not scoring didnt do much to improve his status with the fans.

 

[sktooblue]

Am I the only one who misses the carnage that seemed to always follow our last game of the season at Maine Road? The sight of thousands of angry & frustrated blues trying to storm the main entrance & being rebuffed by mounted police, it was much more organic than the orchestrated trophy ceremonies we have now!
Just as an aside & more about depressing than toxic, the FA cup run the year before the much mentioned Blackburn game was West Ham at home in another QF tie. Infinitely winnable with the prospect of a winnable semi against Middlesboro' awaiting the winners. Pearce rests Samaras' v Wigan the previous weekend to keep him fit but then decides to throw him on & he inevitably gets injured. So into the West Ham game we go without a striker..........and get beat 2-1. This was the first time all optimism left me & I realised than I'd probably never see us win another trophy!!! Roll on the Sheik!!!

 

[Cellarite]

Am I the only one who misses the carnage that seemed to always follow our last game of the season at Maine Road? The sight of thousands of angry & frustrated blues trying to storm the main entrance & being rebuffed by mounted police, it was much more organic than the orchestrated trophy ceremonies we have now!
Just as an aside & more about depressing than toxic, the FA cup run the year before the much mentioned Blackburn game was West Ham at home in another QF tie. Infinitely winnable with the prospect of a winnable semi against Middlesboro' awaiting the winners. Pearce rests Samaras' v Wigan the previous weekend to keep him fit but then decides to throw him on & he inevitably gets injured. So into the West Ham game we go without a striker..........and get beat 2-1. This was the first time all optimism left me & I realised than I'd probably never see us win another trophy!!! Roll on the Sheik!!!

That's exactly how I felt about that West Ham game. I went into it thinking "how are we going to fuck this up?" and had no confidence or belief that we might actually win the game. Wasn't it a replay after we'd drawn at Upton Park? I'm sure Nery Castillo made his debut in the first tie.

For toxic times, I have to agree with a lot on here that the Swales Out campaign from about 93 onwards was ferocious. The Candlelit Protest on a Monday night at home to Oldham with Paul Power marching up and down the Kippax handing candles out from a huge box, the post game demonstrations outside the Main Stand - I remember the game that Niall Quinn got his cruciate injury at home to Sheffield Wednesday, we lost 1-2 or 1-3. The game finished before 5 but I was still outside the Main Stand at quarter to 8. Sure someone had posters of the A-Z page where Swales lived and chants were going round - "He lives at number 10, he lives at number 10, Swales lives on Stanhope Road, he lives at number 10" and "Swales lives in Bowden, Swales lives in Bowdon, na na na na, na na na na!"

Just to finish off on a few players that have been mentioned who have had vitriol aimed at them. Nicky Summerbee was a lazy fucker who treated our fanbase with absolute disdain. After months of watching him lose the ball on the right wing and amble back without a care in the world, the North Stand snapped one afternoon and gave him both barrels. As he finished saunter back, he realised he was getting shit and casually put two fingers up at the North Stand. Couldn't fucking stand him and this was someone who was ridiculously excited about his signing after he ripped us a new one for Swindon Town a year or two earlier.

 

[danielwood5]

Football died for me that dark day when we ran out of chips at Eastlands, absolute rock bottom scenes on the terraces.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

Yes. The police weren't happy seeing City fans starving on the concourse and forced them back to watch the match.
Can't remember the result but I doubt we won.

Edit: Pretty sure it was a 2-1 defeat in March 2000 in whatever the real second division was called in those days.

That “hangry” term people use. Hungry and angry.