Why you supported our wonderful club

My favorite player when i first started playing football as a 6/7 yr old was Francis Lee. At the time i had a full Bolton Wanderers kit ( bought for me as a birthday present. He then transferred to City and my allegiance transferred. Success followed for City under Mercer and Allison and this cemented my loyalty. At the time all the kids at school or in my street were Bolton, Man Utd , or Everton. No one followed Liverpool. No one i grew up with followed City until a new lad came to our school.
 
Born into a family of thick, illiterate rags. Grew up surrounded by thick, illiterate rags (though some of my closest friends were and still are decent lads).

There was only ever going to be one outcome - I've never been one to conform.
 
Growing up and living on the south coast of Brighton, my generation only liked to support; Utd because they won everything (back then), Liverpool because they would be brainwashed about how good Liverpool were in the 80s (let it go), Chelsea, well they popped up all over the place when the cheque book came out. For me..... well, I loved the colour light blue and always been one not to follow suit and rebel. Then one day I saw this player score an absolute worldy, Jamie Pollock and full pelt, chipping it over 2 players (including one of his own team mates) and then lobbing the keeper with a header. It turned out to be one of the best own goals of all time but being only 6 or 7 at the time I thought to myself ‘Wow, if he can score like that in his own net, imagine what they can do against the other team’ And that for me was where it all began and 23 years later I still love this team and will do until the day I die!
 
Being a fan of lighting technology and in particular floodlights, I was drawn to the might towers that adorned Maine Road.

and the fact that I was dragged along at the age of 9 by my uncle to watch us lose to Aston Villa and then it kind of just became a habit.
 
At the age of 2 given the choice by my old man. City, your staying at home, United, your off to Barnardo's. With the first 35 years of my life should have gone down the Barnardo's route! Having witnessed the last 10 years just wish after his 50 plus years attending week in week out that he had been alive to witness what is happening before us.
 
My Grandad stood on Hyde Road before the first world war. My Dad followed on for 60 ofd years etc My lads are 4th generation.
 
Salford born and bred but it has always been City for our family, definitely 3rd generation maybe 4th, my granddad was a big blue, went to Wembley in 33 and 34, he was born in Archie Street in Ordsall ( the street Coronation Street was based on and where Eddie Colman, killed at Munich lived). Dad followed his lead back in the 40's and 50's yet only ever went to one game with him in 82; it was my Auntie who took me to my first game at Maine Road against Leeds in August 71.
My mum could take it or leave football but never liked United especially Crerand who once got sent off for spitting at someone, she thought that was the lowest of the low and summed up everything about them.
 
Growing up in Ireland, especially in Cork, everyone around me supported United or Liverpool with a few Arsenal and Leeds fans thrown in. (Leeds were good back then...;)) And of course, in Cork, red is the colour of the county shirt so for many, so it seemed a natural progression. But not for me. I hate red - even though I would grudgingly wear something red around All-Ireland time to support the county team as they were invariably involved in the latter stages of the All-Ireland back then. But I have always preferred blue. So on my eighth birthday, March 27, 1968, there was a certain derby at Old Trafford. I listened on the old scratchy radio to the BBC commentary. And the team in sky blue prevailed 3-1. And a new love was born.
I had no connection to Manchester at all, unlike most on here. But for some reason, I totally identified with all things City. I was pretty much the only City fan that I knew of back then. I took my lumps from all the other teams supporters. I ploughed a lone furrow - even though it was a pretty good time to be a City fan at the start: League 1967/68, FA Cup 1969, League Cup and ECWC Cup 1970. Maybe I was just a gloryhunter. I thought the fun would never stop. The near miss in '72 - even though Rodnee was my favourite player back then. (Yes, I know. He replaced the great Alan Oakes as my fave, to make it worse...) The heartbreak losing to Wolves in '74 and the joy of '76 with Tueart's overhead. And then all the barren years to follow.
But in May '99, it all changed. And changed more in May 2011. Both occasions had me blubbering.

I live in the US now and have done since 1989. I have only seen City twice in meaningful games although I have been to see them over here a few times; pretty much every time they have toured the US. Saw City at Maine Road in '74 after begging my uncle in Dublin to take me (1-0 over Stoke - Rodnee scored...;) and a God awful 0-0 with Blackburn in 2005 at the Etihad (CoMS) with Pearce in charge. However, at the latter game, I met so many great City fans from various forums that I still count as friends. (Some one here even...) Absolute salt of the earth folks that I am still in touch with and will see again soon I hope.

I sometimes get up at silly o' clock to watch us over here and am a member of the Boston MCFC Supporters Club. Quite a few Mancs in there too...and I happily posed with the PL trophy with my City-mad son last Saturday when NBCSN broadcasted from Boston. And met SWP too.

So yeah, I'm a plastic, armchair fan. As I said, I have no previous connection to Manchester at all. I envy but respect all of you that pay your hard-earned money to go and support this team, great as it is now. Many of the same folks did the same when we yo-yo'd through the divisions. I hear you especially at the away games, loud and proud. Even those who were actually not at York. Or Macclesfield even...I only wish I could have been there. Total respect and gratitude.

So call me a plastic, but I'm a Blue and have been for over 50 years now. And I'm fucking proud of it. Sorry for rambling but that's my story. Annnnd I will stick to it...;)
 
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