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CONTENTS PAGE 10
PAGE 12
CITY MARCH ON TO WEMBLEY - PAGE 4 Words: CoulsonTom, http://alltoplayfor.co.uk
KIT HISTORY- PAGE 10 Words: Nick Durham, http://bluemoon-mcfc.com
FA CUP SINCE 1981 - PAGE 12 Words: Danny Pugsley, http://www.bitterandblue.com
DERBY DAY - PAGE 14 PAGE 22
Words: Ryan Corless, http://www.mcfcforum.com
BEHIND ENEMY LINES- PAGE 16 Words: Stuart Yearsley, http://nowwerenolongeralone.blogspot.com
STAND UP - PAGE 18 Words: Simon Curtis, http://downthekippaxsteps.blogspot.com
OH! I DO HATE THAT...- PAGE 21 Words: Richard Tucker, http://rtfract.com
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A PRICE TO PLAY - PAGE 22 Words: Tripp, http://mcfcforum.com
WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY - PAGE 24 Words: David Hall, http://kickballchange.com
GOODBYE EUROPA- PAGE 26 Words: Matt Hill, http://mcfcforum.com
HEROES AND VILLIANS- PAGE 28 TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 3 Words: Pete Cummings, http://mancityblog.com
PAGE 28
WELCOME Email: topicalcity@gmail.com Website: http://www.topicalcity.co.uk
Once again City have endured a mixed month crashing out of the Europa League to Shevchenko’s Dynamo Kyiv, a blessing in disguise? Well Matt Hill seems to think so as explained in his piece. The news of a Manchester Derby as the semi-final of the FA Cup has however dominated much of this months talk on message boards.. Danny Pugsley has covered City’s progress, or lack of, since our last appearance at Wembley in the FA Cup. Whilst Stuart Yearsley has chanced his luck, by going beyond the enemy lines to gauge the opinion of our fierce rivals. Meanwhile, City have pottered along in the league picking up six points from a possible nine after falling short against an indifferent Chelsea. Whilst off the pitch City have been somewhat rocked by the news of former captain Kolo Toure’s suspension by the club for testing positive in a routine drugs test, all of which is covered in Tom Coulson’s fine monthly round-up.
Editor: Clarkey ALL TO PLAY FOR Website: http://www.alltoplayfor.co.uk
Tom Coulson BITTER & BLUE Website: http://www.bitterandblue.com/
Danny Pugsley BLUEMOON Website: http://www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk
Nick Durham DOWN THE KIPPAX STEPS Website: http://downthekippaxsteps.blogspot.com/
Simon Curtis KICK BALL CHANGE Website: http://www.kickballchange.co.uk
David Hall MAN CITY BLOG Website: http://mancityblog.com/
Pete Cummings MCFCFORUM Website: http://www.mcfcforum.com/
Matt Hill Ryan Corless
We are pleased to welcome two new contributors this month with David Hall and Nick Durham posting fine articles on transfer flops and iconic kits respectively.
Tripp
Once again for those of you who are of the social networking inclination, I urge you join our Facebook group - just search ‘Topical City’. We currently don’t have a Twitter account, but you can always follow me on @Clarkey311 to stay up-to-date will all things Topical City.
RTFRACT
NOW WE’RE NO LONGER ALONE Website: http://nowwerenolongeralone.blogspot.com/
Stuart Yearsley
Website: http://rtfract.com/
Richard Tucker
Clarkey
4 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect Topical City. All images are sourced through publically available search engines and are used under a creative commons license, should this violate your terms please contact us.
RICHARDS SCORES DECISIVE GOAL IN FA
TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 5
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CITY MARCHON TOWEMBLEY t‟s been another topsy-turvy month in the life of a City fan, victories, defeats, abject performances, cup exits, red cards, injuries, bust-ups and drug bans. Words: CoulsonTom, http://www.alltoplayfor.co.uk
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t’s been another topsy-turvy month in the life of a City fan, victories, defeats, abject performances, cup exits, red cards, injuries, bust-ups and drug bans. A month, that for any other club, would be extraordinary but for City, par for the course. Albeit, Kolo Toure’s doping case is hardly customary and there is great hope amongst the fans with an FA Cup semi-final against neighbours United to look forward to. The month began with an FA Cup 5th Round clash against Aston Villa at home where the Blues ran out comfortable winners due in part to Gerard Houllier’s prematch waving of the white flag, resting 8 first-team players. Nevertheless, City still had to finish the job off, which they did in style, in particular the second goal, which came courtesy of the enigmatic Mario Balotelli. Before the game, Roberto Mancini criticised the striker: “He scored a fantastic goal on Sunday but after this he should have continued to play for the team. It is important that all the players work in the defensive phase when we lose the ball.” Mancini wanted more
6 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
from Balotelli, and he got it with an elegant half-volley from Yaya Toure’s through-ball. Despite his eccentricity, the Italian has phenomenal natural talent, greater even than Carlos Tevez. Aged just 20, he has time on his side and Roberto Mancini, who is slowly coaxing extra beads of sweat out of him: “I thought it was a risk to play Mario alone up front, but he played very well and scored a fantastic goal.” In the aftermath of the emphatic victory over Villa, news emerged that Kolo Toure had been suspended pending an investigation into a positive ‘A-sample’ that is rumoured to have been provided following the derby defeat to United at Old Trafford. City released the following statement: “Manchester City confirm that the FA has informed Kolo Toure that an ‘A-sample’ provided by him has tested positive for a specified substance. As result of this, he has been suspended from participating in all first team and non-first team matches pending the outcome of the legal process. There will be no further comment from the football club at this stage.” It has emerged
that Toure had taken one of his wife’s diet pills without realising that it contained a banned substance. There are several questions raised by this revelation. Why did Toure not check whether the pills contained a banned substance? I’m firmly in the “innocent mistake” camp, but the player knows that he has to be very careful and shouldn’t have been so clumsy. Why is the punishment for such an offence not set in stone? Toure could face a punishment as weak as a warning or as harsh as a 2-year ban. How can it be fair that players face different punishments for the same offence. The outcome of the issue could take some time but it seems unlikely that Toure will escape without at least a 3 month ban and by the time of his return next season, he could likely have been replaced. City returned to league action against Wigan Athletic, stabilising our hold on 4th place by virtue of Ali Al Habsi’s dreadful goalkeeping, letting a tame David Silva shot slip through his fingers. This was a poor performance from the City team who were fac-
“The problem is that we are playing every three or four days. It is very difficult, but this is how it is for a top team,” Roberto Mancini ing a new challenge being in the shakeup for several competitions at the ‘business-end’ of the season. Tired legs and an injury list longer than a Sri Lankan fisherman have contributed to drab performances lacking in energy and purpose. Meanwhile, at United, the worst squad in Ferguson’s reign has managed to force result after result. Whilst it’s painful to admit, there is a winning mentality at United that means they somehow manage to pull off results when they need them, when having a bad game. It will help if we win a trophy this season and the belief will develop that we cannot lose and maybe, eventually teams will stop being (unnecessarily) scared of United. Big news arrived just a few days after
Kolo Toure’s doping investigation; FIFA had put a ban on snoods, from the 1st of July. Despite vociferous calls for goal -line technology to be discussed, FIFA instead confronted the “dangerous” snood and also insisted that undergarments be of the same colour as the shirt/shorts. Despite the fact that FIFA placed an implementation date of July 1st on the ban, ever egotistical referee’s have already prevented players from wearing snoods. At least, football is now much safer: “It can be like hanging somebody,” Sepp Blatter on snoods. Ahead of City’s tricky last 16 Europa League away tie with Dynamo Kiev, Edin Dzeko revealed that Andrey Shevchenko was his boyhood idol and Dzeko’s memory was renewed when
Shevchenko fired Kiev into the lead against City and Kiev went on to record a 2-0 victory which left Mancini with a difficult task to overcome in the return at Eastlands. A 3 goal winning margin was required, meaning a Kiev goal would have deemed it necessary for City to score 4 goals which seemed unlikely given City’s record of just 5 goals in the 4 games previous. "In football, anything can happen and though losing 2-0 is not a good result, we will do our best in the second leg," said Mancini. The story of the night once again revolved around Balotelli who developed a rash on his face following an allergic reaction to the pitch. He returned for the second-half almost one minute late and having not managing to overcome the inflammation and following a yellow card, he was withdrawn. Mario was treated with maximum strength antihistamine tablets but has encountered TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 7
ALLTOPLAYFOR
problems with certain types of grass – cold grass – several times at City and former club Inter Milan. Clearly the antidote didn’t work, as 7 days later, “Super-Mario” was at it again needlessly raising his foot high and down onto the knee of Kiev’s Popov and Turkish lieutenant, sorry referee Cuneyt Cakir had no choice but to show him the red card. Balotelli effectively ended the team’s chances of getting back into the tie and apart from an Aleksandar Kolarov goal from a freekick, City lacked a creative spark and finished 2-1 losers on aggregate. Having initially declined to comment on the incident, Mancini opened up about his frustration with Balotelli: “It is difficult in this moment to say anything. Am I disappointed? What do you think? A stupid red card is something we could not afford. When Mario gets sent off he makes things difficult for me, for him 8 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
and for the team. I will look at the incident later.” Balotelli issued a staged apology via the official website: “It was not a good way to repay the manager who has shown so much faith in me or the owners and fans who have made me so welcome since I arrived from Italy.”
Carvalho is another instance. No matter how much the media paints a picture of Balotelli being a reckless individual with no moral compass, he will never be alone. It’s very likely Balotelli will sin again, give him that transgression, he has the talent to eventually hit the bull’s-eye.
Many City fans will have lost faith in the Italian and many will want him shipped out in the summer. There are still factors that give good reason for patience with the 20-year old, yes 20. Balotelli’s red card brought back memories of Didier Drogba in the Champions League final in 2008 where he received a red card for pushing Nemanja Vidic in the face and Chelsea went on to subsequently lose in the penalty shoot-out after John Terry slipped, which would have been avoided had Drogba kept his cool. Wayne Rooney in the 2006 World Cup, where he stamped on Ricardo
Prior to their Europa League exit, City were in action in the quarter-final of the FA Cup at home to Reading who had stubbornly disposed of Everton in the previous round with a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park. This time it was City who earned victory by a 1 goal margin thanks to the head of Micah Richards, who leaped highest at David Silva’s corner to power the ball past the goalkeeper. It was a trademark exhibition of February’s player of the month’s ability following on from newspaper reports of a bust-up between Mancini and the player, which was confirmed by the
club. “One or two tempers flared up in the dressing room in Kiev but that was it really,” Richards said. “It wasn’t a case of him blaming me for the second goal. He was just talking about the defence in general, saying we should have got rid of the ball. It was a fair point he made and we have to take the criticism. Everyone is happy and you could see that from the celebration *against Reading+. We’re all with the manager. We’re so used to winning that when we lose tempers are going to flare.” Richards epitomises the marked improvement that City have shown this season, there’s a greater level of maturity. Richards smile is still there, but there is a show of disappointment after a poor piece of defending or a miscued shot on goal.
The reward for victory was known before kick-off thanks to the greater influence of broadcasters over the com-
petition itself, a Wembley semi-final derby against United, who are without Alex Ferguson, who is serving a 5match touchline ban for comments about match official Martin Atkinson. City will be without Micah Richards for the clash having picked up a hamstring injury in Under-21 duty, eligible despite being 22: “I felt sick when I was told. Of all the games to miss a Wembley date with United is the last one any player would choose,” Richards said. Frankly, he should not have been playing this game. Having been called up to the senior squad previously and being a regular first team player in the Premier League for over 6 years, he should now either be in the full squad or not at all. Not least, by selecting Richards, Stuart Pearce is hampering the progress of fresh talent. On the back of the defeat to Kiev, City faced a trip to Stamford Bridge home
of Premier League champions Chelsea who despite not reaching the heights of last season or early this season, had re-discovered their form and had strengthened in January with the signings of David Luiz and Fernando Torres. It was the former who secured victory for Chelsea, winning a free-kick after the slightest of touches from Richards and the Brazilian headed home from Drogba’s pin-point delivery, who had not long replaced the struggling Torres. It was disappointing to see player of the season contender Richards show naivety in conceding the free-kick, having shown vast development this season under Mancini’s tutelage. However, the greater frustration lay with Kolarov, who rather than attempt to head the ball clear, grappled onto Luiz, giving him free reign to head the ball into the back of the net. An £18million summer signing, Kolarov has been the TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 9
most disappointing player of the season. We will see what happens. We are ready for big days - Spurs, The Serbian is slow at retreating to defence, is easily turned, and hasn’t deliv- United, everything that comes after this. We are more solid as a ered the attacking flair to match the team and I don't think that we will be fazed by the importance of hype that had Jose Mourinho interested the game.” - Vincent Kompany in the player last summer. trips to the South Pole, and an FA Cup highest ever Premier League finish and Defensive errors cost City a valuable semi-final to look forward to; the team add an FA Cup to the trophy cabinet and point in the quest for Champions League know exactly what they need to do to his job will be safe, for a couple of football, and hopes of a victory were achieve 4th place plus a trophy – the weeks at least. dashed even before kick-off when news aim before game 1. The fixture list has emerged that Carlos Tevez wasn’t fit to Finally, this column would like to pass aptly drawn up a potential repeat of last take part. The team missed his workon their thoughts to Pablo Zabaleta and season’s “4th place play-off” against rate, tenacity, strength and skill, and his family. The defender has spent alSpurs on 10th May, the 3rd last league Edin Dzeko delivered on none of these most three weeks by the bedside of his game of the season. Given our poor counts. Mancini said defiantly: “Carlos is father who was involved in a serious car record against Spurs, we have every a good player, but so are Dzeko.” Clearcrash in Argentina. Zabaleta’s father has right to be nervous, but Vincent Kompaly, Dzeko is a good player, not that we now left intensive care and the defendny is confident about beating whoever have seen it yet, but Tevez is a great er has returned to the club. His commitstands between us and 4th place: “In player, who without, “negative tactics” ment to the club’s cause is second to football, nothing is certain, but one accusations would be evermore justinone and he has expressed that he thing that is certain, is that the last 9 fied. “owes the club and the fans for their games, hopefully 10, will decide support”. He is wrong, he owes us nothThe end of the season is now clear, with Mancini’s future. Achieve the clubs ing. 8 league fixtures, no Thursday night
“
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KIT HISTORY - KAPPA 97-99 HOME STRIP
Words: Nick Durham, http://www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk
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o those football fans whose relationship with football kits can be firmly marked „obsessive‟, there is no need to convince of the symbolism that a shirt carries. Contained in polyester, cotton, or other apparently space-age fabrics are all kinds of cultural markers of a shirt‟s time and place. A kit can reflect wider footballing fashions, echo experimental trends, yet at the same time connect strongly with tradition. Particular designs might initially polarise supporters, only to vault into the forefront of the mind when later recalling a memorable campaign. Sometimes, due to a combination of design, on-field and off-field events a shirt might attain iconic status; sometimes this status is afforded almost instantly. One strip of recent times that deserves this status is Kappa’s sole contribution to the City fashion catalogue. City’s 97-99 home kit makes for interesting discussion for many, many reasons. To start with it’s best to look at the gestation of the kit. As most Blues will know, Kappa’s association with City brought to a close the link with current suppliers Umbro, which until that date had continued unbroken since the 1930s, a connection which as Gary James notes in Manchester: The Greatest City, ‘was acclaimed as the longest sports sponsorship in the world.’ But in spite of this fine historical record, many City fans were not displeased with the cessation of the partnership, given that Umbro ap-
peared to be channelling more of their resources in the direction of our muchreviled neighbours. Indeed, as James states, ‘many fans were simply reluctant to purchase goods that would perhaps indirectly line the pockets of their biggest rivals.’ From this perspective, the Kappa sponsorship represented a fresh start for the impending new millennium; something alluded to by the official club press release. It also brought union with a stylish foreign company, and association with, amongst others, Barcelona and Juventus, two of the world’s biggest clubs. But quite apart from the change of supplier, the new strip appeared to take a stylistic turn away from the past. In stark contrast to the previous kit, Kappa’s first offering even today seems a bright, bold and striking number, an exercise in order and symmetry that seems to beckon professionalism. And in reading said press release, it’s clear that the club hoped that the new badge and kit might herald a much-needed
transformation that would restore the club to former glories. Of the kit itself, the club and manufacturer were looking at both past and future. City’s merchandising manager at the time, Michael Peek, said that the blue was ‘more in keeping with the shade of blue that players like Rodney Marsh and Francis Lee wore in the early 1970s’, while chief executive Michael Turner noted that when looking at City strips of the past, ‘you can see that the shade of blue is constantly changing’ - perhaps justifying the bold departure the colour shift to ‘lazer blue’ represented. Whatever your view of the brief Kappa era now, it’s worth remembering that a great many Blues were happy with the new home strip, and welcomed the darker, bolder shade of blue. But in any case, the kit did not devolve itself completely from history. It was, after all, the first home strip to feature traditional City secondary colour maroon (or zinfandel, as Umbro would currently have it!) since 1972, the colTopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 11
our most visibly represented by a small patch at the front of the collar. Elsewhere, navy blue socks, a staple of the late 80s/early 90s period as well as the pre-war era, also reflected City strips of the past. Interestingly, the kit resembled City strips of the 70s in another, inadvertent sense. The patterned trim, known as ‘taping’, visible on most Umbro and Admiral strips of the mid-70s - early 80s period, is seen as synonymous with that era, reflects John Devlin, author of football kit books True Colours 1 & 2. Kappa’s own version of the taping effect was a current stylistic flourish in 1997, and was duly incorporated into City’s new look, bringing symmetry with other stable mates like Barcelona. Aside from the air of the exotic by dint of association with some of European football’s heavyweights, the addition of a new badge lent the strip further continental feel, a view shared by Devlin and many Blues’ supporters. With a mind to wider kit trends, the attire of most UK clubs at that time now strike as prosaic; the baggy, shapeless fit then in vogue seems with hindsight dated. As many Blues’ have pointed out, next to City’s lower division opponents this style contrast was especially pronounced! Yet with the help of Devlin we can see that City were not the only English club with an eye to Europe, as Premier League Leeds United’s new Puma strip announced a year later. Like City, it featured a new ‘‘European’ style badge’ and
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patterned taping trim, and though more understated it echoed City’s strip while hinting at an exoticism perhaps lacking from the football kit industry in the UK, generated by its shared design with Italian high-flyers Lazio.
BITTER & BLUE BITTER & BLUE
Perhaps now, as City enjoy the position of being arguably the biggest club side in Umbro’s stable, we can reflect on the changes that have occurred since this partnership took hiatus in 1997. Seemingly, multiple decade’s worth of change, condensed into just over one. Sartorially speaking, City strips have come full circle – the current efforts are largely simple, modern yet historical efforts that draw a strong link to the past. Yet to this correspondent, the Kappa home strip of the 97-99 seasons brings heady recall of the remarkable turbulence of those times. For the 97-98 campaign, defeats ranging from the bizarre to dire, to just plain disastrous; a seemingly endless rotating/ expanding cast of players to wear it – and a club marching inexorably to the percussive beat of failure. It’s not all bad though; for the next term, the impressive run that brought the climb out of the third tier represented the best run of results in this just-turned-13year-old’s City-supporting life! Mostly, from its launch and throughout the duration of its lifespan, the Kappa ensemble presented a glimpse into a brighter future that only now is glorious reality. Lofty? Not to a kit-geek!
1997-99 Home Kit
FA CUP SINCE 1981
Words: Danny Pugsley, http://www.bitterandblue.com
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he footage may be dating and fashions ageing, but the moment that Paul Power stepped up and arrowed a free-kick beyond Paul Cooper in front of the contingent of City fans in the Holte End still remains clear to this day. That goal, well into extra-time, was enough to send City into the FA Cup final – an appearance that would prove to be their last for some three decades. With a mouth watering clash against United on the horizon it is a timely reminder of quite how futile the record has been since heading to Wembley back in 1981. For the large part, the record in the FA Cup has been mixed: As opposed to galvanizing the side to go one better and win the FA Cup, defeat in the 1981 final appeared to herald a particularly futile run of performances in the competition and the remainder of the decade saw just one instance of the side progressing beyond even the fourth round stage: in 1988 when a largely young side was overwhelmed by Liver-
pool who were still at the top of the pile and what has been noticeable when looking back is frustration at the quarter-final stage. Against Liverpool there was no real sense of belief that the side would triumph, but the three other exits at that stage were all games where there was huge expectation, but ultimately disappointment. Tottenham at home in 1993 was a season where many pundits were tipping City to go all the way. The game became infamous of course for the pitch invasion that followed Terry Phelan’s goal, but after taking an early lead through Mike Sheron it was a game that City collapsed in and it was a very real opportunity missed for a side that was the most talented since 1981.
Stuart Pearce’s time in charge will largely be remembered for a side that was functional at best, primarily as a result of the lack of funds meaning Pearce was shopping for bargain basement pick-ups. League results were such that there were battles against relegation but both in 2006 and 2007 there was a very real opportunity of progression to the final. However, home disappointment was followed at home to West Ham (played just fortyeight hours following a league game against Wigan) and the dismal showing at Ewood Park were the side tamely succumbed when a semi-final place at their grasp. It was an FA Cup defeat at Boundary Park in 2005 that may well have signaled Pearce’s time at the helm with a TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 13
Results since 1981
forlorn looking Kevin Keegan walking away shortly after a third round exit at the hands of Oldham, and as much as there was disappointment at exits with glory at their grasp, City’s FA Cup record since 1981 has been punctuated by early exits – with dreams of Wembley yet to really be formed. Of the 30 ties since 1981, City have exited 18 times at either round three or round four with away journeys at the first hurdle a particular graveyard for travelling Blues. Those of a certain age well remembering trips to Blackpool, Brentford, Cardiff and Oldham that resulted in City returning with their tails between their legs – in stark contrast to home form against lower league opposition where just one defeat (Nottingham Forest in 2009) was experienced. There has also been a fair share of misfortune along the way: Imre Varadi’s disallowed goal against United in 1987, 14 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
the phantom penalty at Old Trafford in 1996 after Uwe Rosler had put City ahead and the assist from the ballon at Bramhall Lane during Sven-Goran Eriksson’s season in 2008. Not to mention too, plucky defeats when the side was at its lowest ebb in terms of League position, with exits in consecutive seasons to Wimbledon and Leeds; how times have changed. As shown, the quarter-final stage has been the stumbling block for City (also in the League Cup in its various guises too) – seemingly a monkey they couldn’t quite get off their backs. Having navigated what was a fairly comfortable path beyond that stage in 2011, could it be the year that City go all the way and finally return to a final – something that those who witnessed Power’s strike all those years ago would surely not have believed would not have taken so long?
1982 - 4th round. Coventry (h) 1-3 1983 - 4th round. Brighton (a) 0-4 1984 - 3rd round. Blackpool (a) 1-2 1985 - 3rd round. Coventry (a) 1-2 1986 - 4th round*. Watford (h) 1-3 1987 - 3rd round. United (a) 0-1 1988 - Q/Final. Liverpool (h) 0-4 1989 - 4th round. Brentford (a) 1-3 1990 - 3rd round*. Millwall (a) 1-3 1991 - 5th round. Notts County (a) 0-1 1992 - 3rd round. Boro(a) 1-2 1993 - Q/Final. Tottenham (h) 2-4 1994 - 4th round. Cardiff (a) 0-1 1995 - 5th round. Newcastle (a) 1-3 1996 - 5th round. United (a) 1-2 1997 - 5th round. Boro (a) 0-1 1998 - 4th round. West Ham (h) 1-2 1999 - 3rd round. Wimbledon (a) 0-1 2000 - 4th round. Leeds (h) 2-5 2001- 5th round. Liverpool (a) 2-4 2002 - 5th round. Newcastle (a) 0-1 2003 - 3rd round. Liverpool (h) 0-1 2004 - 5th round. United (a) 2-4 2005 - 3rd round. Oldham (a) 0-1 2006 – Q/Final. West Ham (h) 1-3 2007 – Q/Final. Blackburn (a) 0-2 2008 – 4th round. Sheffield Utd (a) 1-2 2009 – 3rd round. Forest (h) 0-3 2010 – 4th round*. Stoke (a) 1-3 2011 – S/Final. Manchester United (still to be played) * denotes replay.
Overall, the breakdown per round is as follows: Round 3: 9 Round 4: 9 Round 5: 7 Q/Final: 4 S/Final: 1
DERBY DAY
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Words: Ryan Corless, http://www.mcfcforum.com
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pril 16th sees City take on United in one of the most eagerly anticipated derbies in decades. After last season‟s semi-final defeat in injury-time, the Blues will be desperately looking for some revenge against the old enemy. It is clear for all to see when we consider the concrete implications for winning this monumental match-up, first and foremost, a place in our first F.A cup final since 1981. But as any City or United fan will tell you, it is maybe not so much the points you gain or cup game you win that makes the thought of winning this fixture so appealing, it’s all the other little perks you get with winning a derby. The last couple of years or so have been terrible in terms of playing United, despite our influx of cold, hard cash; we actually fared better in the derbies before Sheikh Mansour invested his time, money and effort into Manchester City football club. Under Sven we completed a dreamy league double over the Reds, under Pearce we snatched a win and a draw in four meetings and under Keegan we managed to get a couple of sucker punches over those from across the way, most notably that ‘last ever derby at Maine Road’ (although the 4-1 at Eastlands the following season was nothing to be overlooked!). When the fixture list is released in June let’s be honest, there’s a couple of key dates we look out for, and playing United home and away are two of them. It’s a huge game in the city, despite what our red neighbours claim about the rivalry. As a young lad who’s been born and bred in Manchester, I can assure anybody reading that this game means a lot to United, just as much as it means to us. Yes, they’ll tell you they have bigger games in the season to look out for, maybe they’re right, but it doesn’t change the fact that United hate the thought of losing to ‘little City’. They resent that thought now more than ever, because it’s no longer a case of ‘beat United and finish 15th’, it’s a case of ‘beat United and we’re in a major cup final’. Manchester is a city united by football, most people adopt a team, and it’s 16 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
usually one of the two Manchester clubs. Say what you like about no United fans being from Manchester, I’m not really having that, because I guarantee you, come to Manchester a couple of weeks before any derby, and the colours are out, and the banter begins. It’s something I personally quite enjoy, banter is fine so long as you don’t lose friends or sleep over it. I live a stone’s throw from Old Trafford and like a lot of the people who read this I’m sure, I was one of the only Blues in the classroom when I was younger. It made winning a derby that bit more satisfying, but losing one that little bit more devastating. City fans will tell you that United fans are armchair fans who’ve never seen Old Trafford in their lifetime, United fans will tell you that City are a small club who haven’t won a trophy in 35 years. But the fact that both sets of supporters have so much to say about each other shows what this epic encounter means to both red and blue segments across the City. As exciting as the prospect of winning this battle to end all battles is, nerves are going to start taking over in the next fortnight or so. The ‘scenario stage’ will kick in, and you all know what I’m talking about when I say that. Whenever you think about the game, they’ll be a new one. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from Tevez scoring a last minute penalty to Rooney scoring four and us crashing out embarrassingly. Day-dreaming about these potentially moodthreatening moments fills you with either optimism or pessimism. You suddenly get excited at the prospect of knocking United out of a cup semifinal, but you can also taste the despair of being knocked out at the last hurdle before a final for the second year running. Last season’s semi-final match-up was slightly different to this one for a few reasons, reasons that contributed to it
not being as unbearable as the thought of losing this year’s fixture. For one, it was over the course of two legs, after the pure ecstasy of seeing King Carlos single-handedly disassemble the Reds at Eastlands, you had time to prepare yourself for the worst, with the return leg at Old Trafford coming over a week later. This time round, you’re going to experience ninety minutes of the most exhilarating emotions available, potential joy, inevitable anguish, downright excitement with a sprinkle of unbearable nervousness. Last year Wayne Rooney’s header crushed a lot of City dreams, but at least it was only in Manchester, for a lot of City fans, the drive home (or even walk home in my case) wasn’t that long, and it wasn’t a physically soul-destroying amount of time to go over and over what had just happened, soon, most of us were tucked up in bed, trying to pretend that it’d never happened. This time, we storm the capital with an army of 35,000 or so expectant Blues, dreaming of another trip to London in May, and if we lose, the journey home for most Blues will be a lot longer. And believe me three hours on a coach after losing to the enemy yet again is not something I want to have to experience, not now, not ever. To be honest Blues, the horrible thing about this game in particular is knowing that there has to be a winner. We can’t sit on the security of a well fought 0-0 draw, we must go for United, or they’ll watch us perish yet again. This game means more than just a place in the final of the cup, it’s about pride, it’s about going into work, school or even the pub that next week with your shirt and scarf on and knowing that no-one can say a bad word against you or your team. It’s the Manchester derby to end all derbies, but whether good or evil prevails on the day… well we’ll just have to wait and see.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES W
ith the semi final getting ever closer and with it arguably our biggest game for 35 years, I caught up with Justin Mottershead; United season ticket holder and editor of online magazine „Red Flag flying High‟ to gain an insight into the mind of a United fan. Words: Stuart Yearsley, http://www.nowwerenolongeralone.blogspot.com
Stuart Yearsley: With Alex Ferguson claiming that one trophy is enough this year to qualify as a successful season, Realistically, what are your ambitions for this season? Justin Mottershead: It’s ‘Sir Alex Ferguson’ to you mate. Realistically winning the League and FA Cup should be achievable the season. I think when you look at our position in the league and our recent record against City then you have to think they’re both well within our grasp. I can’t see anyone stopping Barcelona winning the Champions League if I’m completely honest. SY: Do you think your current squad is capable of achieving the double then? JM: Absolutely. I think our strike force is the best in the world, and while much has been made about our central midfield lacking a real ‘superstar’ there’s enough class in defence, attack and on the wings to make up for this. SY: That’s certainly a bold claim, would you choose your four forwards above the forwards from any team in the world?
JM: I think it’ll be close and tentative especially with Roberto Mancini’s negative tactics for any big game. I expect United to win 1-0 with maybe an unlikely hero stepping up in the last minute.
United win four trophies in two years has got to be your main threat. If he can get the proper service maybe off Yaya Toure through the middle or Adam Johnson he’s going to be a handful. If Rio’s not fit I’d stick Smalling on him as he’s got the pace to deal with him.
SY: What team do you think United will start with?
SY: What about the prospect of facing Mario Balotelli?
JM: A lot depends on who we’ve got fit in defence as we’ve had so many injuries in that department lately it’s a bit of a joke.
JM: Balotelli is overrated and I’ll be amazed if he gets a whiff of a goal against us. Why you’ve bought him is beyond me and I fully expect to see him at the San Siro next season. I know he’s talented but his ego’s too big for a player who’s yet to prove himself on the really big stage. The whole ‘bib’ debacle was hilarious.
I’ll go with VDS, Fabio, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Park, Rooney, Berbatov, Giggs. SY: Who will be your main threat? JM: I think the wide men of Nani and Valencia will cause you lot problems, Nani’s been brilliant this season and Valencia’s looking great since he came back from injury, especially with the way he’s helped Rooney stay among the goals. SY: Do you personally see any weaknesses in the City team?
JM: When you say four forwards I’m assuming you’re talking about Nani, Berbatov, Rooney and Chicharito. The only players I’d take over any of them are Messi and Ronaldo. I genuinely mean it. That may sound like nonsense but I think each one of them is absolute world class and other than perhaps Rooney, have exceeded all expectations this season.
JM: The main weaknesses I see with City are your lack of battlers when the going gets tough, You have people like De Jong and Tevez who will give their all, but sometimes when I’ve watched you, there seems to be an air of resignation among some of the players when thing aren’t going their way.
SY: What are your predictions for the semi-final?
JM: No prizes for guessing but the little Argentinean gentlemen who helped
SY: What and who will United identify as City’s main threat?
SY: What do you make of City’s season so far? JM: I think you’ve done okay but not exactly progressed a lot. I know you’re in the Champions League places, but I read somewhere although if I’m wrong forgive me, that you’ve got the same points as you had this time last season. I’m not just saying this to stick the knife in but I’ve been surprised at how negative City have looked at times this season. When United played you at Eastlands it was almost as though you were happy with a draw, which was a bit of a shock to me as I thought you’d really get at us. The same at the Emirates, Arsenal are always there for the taking against some of the big clubs yet City seemed content with a nil-nil. If you win the FA Cup and make the Champions League, then I’ll have to admit that’s a great season for you. TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 17
SY: Sitting three points behind second placed Arsenal I think many City fans will disagree? JM: You may be sitting three points behind Arsenal but be honest your season wouldn’t be that great if you failed to win a trophy and United beat you at Wembley. I understand that now you’ve got your eye on second place and fair enough, but I know quite a few City fans who’ll consider the season a disappointment if it becomes 36 years without a trophy. SY: Who do you consider your main rivals? 18 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
JM: If you mean in the league then its obviously Chelsea and Arsenal, as we’ve still got to play them both so despite the point difference its not over yet. Historically our main rivals -at least since I’ve been supporting United since the mid 80’s have always been the bin dippers. The fact we’ve caught them up in league titles and could actually overtake them this season is amazing. SY: Do you consider the young players in the squad good enough to step into the shoes of Giggs, Scholes and Van Der Sar when they come to retire? JM: I’ve advocated giving some of the youngsters a chance. I think the likes
of Paul Pogba Ravel Morrison and Tom Cleverley could do a job in midfield. The only problem would be replacing VDS as I don’t think Anders Lindegaard’s quite ready just yet, so we may need to buy a ‘keeper. SY: Who do you see as Alex Ferguson’s successor? JM: Mourinho, Mourinho Mourinho!! He’s the only man with an ego big enough- and the talent to match it- to possibly succeed Sir Alex. Topical City would like to thank Justin Mottershead for taking the time to participate in the above interview.
STAND UP
Words: Simon Curtis, http://downthekippaxsteps.blogspot.com/
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hose old enough to remember through the mists of time passed by the olden days of standing on an uneven, rain-swept, litter-strewn section of rough concrete terracing will probably harbour some affection for those bygone days of discomfort and angst. Being told to sit down and shut up by a man with a flask and a tartan rug stretched over his knees was still a wicked pleasure many years away in the future. Getting to the match and planting yourself in a warm plastic bowl with a mars bar strapped underneath had not yet seriously been considered as part of a possible match-day thrill. The fun of the half time wander across the steps to talk to mates, the swift shift in place just before kick-off to get a better spec, the edging up towards the Kippax barriers to get a sniff of the opposition and see just how many brave Oxford United supporters had made it through the rabbit warren, the wander down to the front fence to read the programme and watch catch a sniff of the freshly arranged turf, or, as I did at Sheffield United once, a meander down to the back of the subs bench to have a
quick word with Tony Book. “Alright, Tony, heard the first team score from Watford?” I ventured as we enjoyed a brief rest from the glamorous thudding and bumping of a City reserve game at Bramall Lane. He ignored me of course, as any self-respecting half time orange merchant would. You just don’t get to do these life-changing things anymore. In a week where safe standing has once again been a semi-hot topic, let us meander nonchalantly back across the great terrace in the sky for some great City standing moments: The Leppings Lane End at Hillsborough will forever be a name to haunt the people of Britain, much as Huntingdon, Lockerbie and Soham have become place names that conjure much more than just the village they represent. In 1985 this was still a damp piece of concrete waiting to make a name for itself.
City visited Sheffield for a Christmas fixture and as the teams slogged out a classic up and at ‘em winter game, players sliding in the mud, chugging bodies steaming in the cold, the elements began to take on a character of their own. With the dark forbidding mass of the Pennines not far away, the dirtiest weather imaginable began to slide down off the moors. As we stood huddled on that narrow, low-down terrace, craning our necks for a half-decent view of a slip-slidy Neil McNab and a mudspattered Paul Simpson, we got gradually wetter and wetter until we all looked walk-on parts in a Cousteau movie “30,000 Canon Leagues Under the Sea”. The funny thing was, the wetter it got, the better it got, as City and Wednesday tore into each other in a slippery classic. By the end City had been defeated 2-3, but had delivered so TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 19
many chances to the legendary Gordon Mudpat Davies to have won three consecutive games. He missed the lot, most of them right in front of us with his spoon shaped right foot, his anvil shaped left foot and his Sheriff’s badge head. Only his moustache came out of it unscathed. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Most people’s idea of heaven might be similar to lying lazily on a sun-lounger looking out on the white sands of Montego Bay, a gently inebriated Wynona Ryder serving giant cocktails in a polka dot nun’s outfit that somehow got caught on a gorse bush as she shimmied down the beach carrying your bowl of pistachio nuts. No, it does nothing for me, either. Sooner be on The Kippax, May 1984 waiting for Charlton Athletic to turn up with a 17 year old debutant keeper for the promotion decider of the season. 47,000 hardy souls in the ground that day, including me and a set of mates on the giant throbbing slope of the Kippax. Within fifteen minutes, City had surprisingly surged into a 2-goal lead that looked, if not exactly water resistant, then surely as if it might not leak too much acid onto our Ellesse trainers. The bedlam on the steps that afternoon was a thing to behold. I lost my companions, who in turn lost their clothing. With each goal –and there were five- our weedy mate from West Ham, along for the ride, the beer, the fun, got progressively further away, dragged this way and that by the great tide of humanity doing the fandango all at the same time. It was like watching helplessly as your pet spaniel gradually gets sucked under after falling in the duck pond. We could see him, from time to time we could hear his little Cockney yelps, but we were powerless against the waves of arms and legs, the thundering, juddering mass of northern meat hammering him down the terraces like an empty chip carton. We found him later and treated him to several pick-me-up pints in Yates Wine Lodge, 20 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
where quite a party was coming to the boil. If ever there was a day when supporting City could have been said to be 100% fun, that sunny afternoon in 1984 was it. How the old ground survived the thundering mass of celebrating bodies, we will never really know. On the Holte End, three years earlier, April 1981 to be exact, a different day had enfolded. Neutral territory but the identical nerves and doubts, the need for the numbing aid of alcohol, the believer’s voice that said “we’re going to do it”. Paul Power’s free kick sailed in to the Ipswich net and a huge mass of sky blue clad humans attempted to scale the fences as one. We were going to an FA Cup final, the centenary FA Cup final and one of our stalwarts had just stroked a delicious curling winner in injury time against the favourites. The power and the volume of the celebration at that moment may well have outdone even that of the Charlton game. What a throbbing, ecstatic mass of people and just the other side of the red wire fence running vertically down that great sweeping terrace, stood 11,000 silent Ipswich fans. If you had been standing on the centre spot looking at the Holte End at half past five that Saturday afternoon, you would have seen a sight to make your eyes water. The stillness of a funeral on one side, a volcanic quatermass experiment on the other. Meadow Lane holds different memories for obvious reasons. Again the City faithful were asked to travel in numbers at the culmination of yet another heartstopping campaign, this time to get out of the second division. The season would finish with the aforementioned jubilation of the Charlton game at Maine Road, but first we could seal it all in the East Midlands. I joined the charabanc to the East Midlands with 13,000 fellow believers and sinners. The old away end at Notts County was not a pretty sight, especially when the away contingent began to empty their heavy
bladders just before kick off. It had been a heavier than usual lunchtime session in the myriad pubs of Nottingham and the place resembled the Zambeze in serious flood. Standing there with wet feet in the blistering sunshine, hammering out the City songs of joy and faith, the ticker tape flying from a thousand ripped up programmes, the buzz of expectation, the corked enthusiasm of thirteen thousand inebriated souls, you felt like you could move the walls. Some tried, as City went down to a demoralising and oh-so typical defeat. Carnage ensued, police horses on the field, City fans in the changing rooms, Jimmy Sirrel and Billy Mac with a loud hailer in front of those of us still occupying the away terrace shouting “Keep oot” and “get off the damn pitch”. Young Manchester scallies hung from the front of the fencing, we sang and we hooted our derision. No way could you have got a move on like that from a bank of orderly seats! Most Maine Road regulars will have tried different parts of the ground as they grew up. With your dad in the North Stand, family day in the Main Stand, school-mates on the Platt Lane benches, before graduating to the Kippax, down the front to start with, then further back, then in towards the away fans to the singing hardcore by the big blue fences. Windy Corner was a section that some chose but many avoided. One of the only bits – even in those presuper stadia days- that did not have any cover, it gained its reputation and name from being open to the wildest elements Manchester could throw at it. For some reason known only to myself, I stood there in 1994 to watch Southampton in a dreadful 1-1 draw, lightened only by Terry Phelan’s impudent equaliser. The view from Windy Corner was by far its best feature: an all-round panoramic sweep of the ground; here the vast length of the Kippax really came into perspective. The noise of the North Stand to your right was ap-
parent too and the dear old higgledypiggledy Main Stand roof, a creation as uneven and unsightly as the frazzled hairpiece sat atop Peter Swales’ oblong bonce. Cold Blow Lane, Millwall. This was not just an old-fashioned football terrace, but an all-round old-fashioned football experience. The Den in those days was as intimidating a place as you could wish to visit. Dark alleyways and dead ends surrounded the ramshackle old ground. Once inside, it had the lopsided, terrace-only feel of a ground unchanged since the 30s. Three sides standing, all on haphazardly shaped
terraces, which sloped away to nothing at one end, disappeared into a maze of barbed wire or, as was the case of the somewhat bizarre home end, had the players tunnel coming out half way along it, to the side of one of the goals. We were there twice that season, 1989, for league and cup adventures. The second replay of a 3rd round FA cup tie was one dark Wednesday night, rain teeming down, away end packed with the usual hardy optimists. We went out that night, but survived to tell the tale and I had the happy luck of being right plumb in line with a majestic Paul Lake volley into the top corner at our end. The best goal I ever saw Lakey score.
These days of terrace folklore are long behind us now, but leave a trail of happy memories etched into the mind’s eye. They were halcyon days, but their type will never return, even with the possible advent of safe standing areas in the future. We will never again see the likes of the 25,000 capacity Kippax, the Kop, the Stretford End, The Holte End, the Hillsborough Kop, the North Bank and their giant crumbling ilk that could hold such vast congregations. They were really something, as was the experience of being part of a teeming mass that made up an old fashioned football crowd, proud, loud and packed in like sardines. Happy days.
TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 21
OH! I DO HATE THAT…
Words: Richard Tucker, http://www.rtfract.com
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ne of my pet hates involves the changes to the offside law. Supposedly brought in to produce more goals, attacking play and less stoppages it has only brought more problems for referees and their assistants. It’s bad enough for the linesman – sorry - referees assistant to judge precisely the position of an attacking player in relation to the second last defender at the exact moment the ball is played by another attacker let alone decide whether the ‘offside’ player is deemed ‘active’!. Remember they have to make a decision without the benefit of slow motion video replays. There have been more than a few instances where ‘active’ errors of judgement by the officials have cost teams valuable points. For supporters it is very frustrating to see a player well offside run on without the sight of an upheld flag and then a few seconds later when he touches the ball a belated flag is lifted and we get a whistle from the referee. Of course that is the straightforward situation. It does get a little more complicated when that offside player does not touch the ball immediately. Play can go on for several seconds before he gets possession. Then up goes the flag leaving annoyed defenders, and spectators. So who are the winners – perhaps the TV pundits in an indirect way as they have something to talk about! The original offside law caused many arguments in the 1860’s and was very different to the present one. After the early chaos when there were no limitations as to the number of defenders the decision to make it three defenders between the attacker and the goal pre22 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
vented many farcical situations. The major change came in 1925 – reducing the number of players from three to two. This improved the number of goals scored. From 4700 in season 1924-25 to 6373 in the 1925-26 season. Tactics changed and defenders played nearer their own goal and the long ball was used more by attackers. During the 1987-88 season there was a experiment in the GM Vauxhall Conference League. They deemed a player could not be offside from a free-kick. Surprise, surprise it did not work as players stood in front of the keeper and packed the penalty area! Back in the middle 50’s when I officiated in the Hong Kong First Division the small group of officials were in the middle one week and on the line the next so it was an excellent way to get to know the difficulties of the job in hand. At ground level it is often difficult to tell when a player is actually interfering with play if he on the far side of the field. Mind you one could say that he should not be on the field if he is not actively involved in play. Another pet hate is the pathetic rolling around of supposedly injured players in order to get opponents a red or yellow card or even to prevent themselves from being punished. There were several instances of this by Dynamo Kiev players in the recent game against City.
I cannot remember many occasions when a player guilty of exaggerating pain or injuries eventually got a yellow card. It is certainly deception and worthy of inclusion in the ungentlemanly conduct slot. Referees however might be loath to bring out the card as they might be accused of ignoring the pain! Ouch! Perhaps if the player had to stay off the field for 5 minutes after treatment this might reduce the number of players trying to take advantage. On the other hand I find it a little unfair that when a player who has had treatment on the field of play after being fouled cannot stay on the field. He has to leave the field and wait for the referees’ permission to return. If he is a key player it gives a slight unfair advantage to the other side. It is not the easiest of situations but there will be players trying to take advantage. I wonder whether we will ever see an orange card in action! There is a vast difference between the offence of a mistimed tackle and the taking off of a shirt in a goal celebration. Yet both ‘offences’ are likely to deserve a yellow card. I don’t know whether there are any instances of a player being sent off for taking his shirt off twice in a game! He would be pretty stupid if he did. Perhaps we might see in the future a yellow card for lesser offences and an orange one for ones that just quite warrant a red!
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Words: Tripp, http://www.mcfcforum.com
hen Mario Balotelli arrived this summer for 24 million pounds, Roberto Mancini, better than any of us, knew what he had spent his money on. At a mere twenty years old, Balotelli had already established himself as one of the most promising and talented players in the world, but with a massive catch; the striker has a history of misbehavior as long as his arm. Whilst at Internazionale, where Mancini gave him his first chance at the first team, he so angered Jose Mourinho with his inflammatory antics towards the fans and lack of work ethic that he was banned from the first team. He appeared on television in the uniform of Inter's hated rivals, A.C. Milan, and showed the Inter shirt disrespect by throwing it to the ground after being booed off during Inter's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. He was also the target of massive racist abuse from opposition supporters, most notably those of Juventus, on several occasions. It was not what one would call a happy situation. So, in the second week of August, he came to Manchester City. He started off brilliantly, scoring the winner against FC TimiĹ&#x;oara in the Europa League, but in the process was injured and kept out for a number of weeks. He returned as a substitute against Arsenal, and made his full debut against Wolves. After these, he found his feet against West Brom, scoring a brace for his first Premier League goals as the team won. However, his first misstep occurred shortly thereafter; in the course of that game he was sent off for violent conduct against West Brom player Youssuf Mulumbu. He continued to score, and even won the Golden Boy award in December. But recently, his bad attitude has reared its head once
more. He was sent off for a poor tackle on Goran Popov during the second leg of the Europa League tie against Dynamo Kyiv, and was blamed by Mancini for City's failure to go through. And just recently, he was caught throwing darts at youth players because he was “bored.� This is not behavior becoming of a professional football player. The fact is, however, that he has scored ten goals in eighteen appearances, second only to captain Carlos Tevez. He is a wonderful asset to have, given these kind of statistics, but given his disruptive behavior, Mancini must be asking himself whether his skill on the pitch is worth the liability. Frankly, I am not sure, and I do not think the answer will come to us anytime in the near future. There can be absolutely no question that Balotelli has phenomenal talent; anyone who has seen him score goals knows that when he wants to, he makes it look incredibly easy. He is a natural with a ball at his feet. When he won the Golden Boy award, he created some controversy when he claimed that the only player who had won the award before that was better than him was Lionel Messi. It is a big claim, no question, another example of the striker's grand view of himself, but there is more than a grain of truth to his claim, I think. As a club on the up, it seems to be irresponsible to just throw away
this kind of potential. But, and there is always a but when talking about City, his attitude is an enormous obstacle to his being mentioned in the same breath as Messi without titters from the press. One of the massive reasons why the Argentinean is the best player in the world is his approach to the game. When he gets knocked down, he does not moan about the tackle or look for a foul: he gets up and goes tearing back after the ball. When he is on the pitch, his only concern is the success of his team, not the success of himself. This is the distinction that Balotelli needs to understand. At the moment, Mario only plays for himself, if at all; sometimes, while watching him, especially his morose reactions to scoring, I wonder if he is only on the pitch because he is good at playing, not because he enjoys it. In order to become a legend like Messi, he needs to find the love that drives the game's greats. And, like some other players in the Manchester City squad, he needs to start believing in the shirt and not his paycheck. Once this happens, we will have a hell of a player on our hands. But they are big obstacles. I believe it is worth, at least for a while, giving him time to mature. But the clock is ticking, and neither the fans nor the club's executives will tolerate his antics for much longer.
TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 23
A PRICE TO PAY
24 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY
Words: David Hall, http://www.kickballchange.co.uk
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anchester City have not been shy of throwing a few bob or two in the transfer market in the past, and especially under the ownership of the ADUG and Sheik Mansour, some have been invaluable. Players like Shaun Goater, we paid out £400,000 for his services. He repaid that back and more with his 101 goals. But we have signed some right stinkers in the past, and here are a collection of the worst. You will see a recurring theme. Steve McManaman 'McMoneyman' joined City in the summer of 2003 on a free transfer, so how was this a waste of money? Wages, and he was on a fat one. His City career started off well (as they always do) with a man-of-the-match performance in the 4-1 victory over Aston Villa. His performances and fitness deteriorated from then on, with niggling injuries restricting him to 44 appearances over 2 season. In his second season the fans had fully turned on him, booing him off the pitch in a game against Norwich City. His time at City was also controversial, being involved in a sex scandal story with Robbie Fowler (more on him later). Gerry Creaney Gerry had been banging the goals in for Portsmouth before Alan Ball gave his former club £1.5m and Paul Walsh to secure his services in 1995. He scored on his debut in the 3-1 defeat
against Newcastle United. He only added another 3 goals in the next 3 years. In them 3 years he only made 21 appearances, and was loaned out to Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town, Burnley, and Chesterfield before joining St. Mirren on a free transfer. Giorgios Samaras Stuart Pearce paid out 6 million pounds for the Greek after impressing in the Eredivisie for Heerenveen. Like many a striker at the club he had a promising start before an ankle injury hampered his progression. Giorgios struggled to regain his early form, with the relegation battle of 2006/2007 Samaras, along with the rest of the side struggled to score goals. He managed 7 appearances under Sven-Göran Eriksson before moving the move north to Celtic in January 2008. Wayne Bridge
Mark Hughes in January 2009 to solve the left side problem, Hughes gave Chelsea a reported 10 million pounds to bring him to the club, some might say he shouldn't have bothered. After a string of average performances, Roberto Mancini brought in Aleksandar Kolarov and Bridge saw his game time reduced. He has since moved on loan to West Ham United. Lee Bradbury It is hard for my brain to compute the fact that Lee Bradbury was our record transfer until the arrival of Paulo Wanchope. Frank Clark paid Portsmouth 3 million pounds for his services. He struggled under the pressure of leading the City front line, combined with a relegation battle. The following season 'Lee Badbuy' was sold on for half of what City paid out for him, with Crystal Palace signing him up.
The Chelsea left back was signed by TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 25
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Robbie Fowler
Kevin Keegan paid out 3.5 million pounds for the then 20-year-old Argentinian, a player who he had never seen in person and signed him off the back of some impressive video footage sent by him. He didn't manage a single minute of first team action for the club, and promptly loaned back to the Americas, with Santos Laguna taking him on loan. They took the player on permanently the season after.
Kevin Keegan (again) brought another striker to the club, paying Leeds United an initial 3 million pounds, with another 3 million pounds based on appearances. The transfer was thrown into doubt after a dispute with Keegan and now FA Chairman David Bernstein, doubts over his medical condition. Bernstein left the club over the dispute. His fitness was not up to scratch, and after scoring only three times in the 2002/2003 season, he only managed to complete 90 minutes 9 times the following season. This was the season the sex scandal with McManaman happened, as well as being snapped in London drunk a night before a game.
He made headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2006 when it emerged he had money stolen from his bank account shortly after leaving City. Daniel Van Buyten and Djamel Belmadi were also victims.
The following season he was joint top scorer with 11 goals, the 2004/2005 season was his best. Injuries struck Robbie again and in January 2006 he was allowed to re-join Liverpool on a free transfer.
Vicente Matias Vuoso
26 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
Before leaving the club SvenG枚ran Eriksson had secured the signing of Jo from CSKA Moscow for 6 million with add-ons taking it up to a potential 18 million pounds. Under Mark Hughes he managed 3 goals in 15 appearances before being loaned out breaking the Brazilian trio along with Robinho and Elano. Everton was his first destination. He managed to score 7 goals in a year, over 2 different spells before a dispute saw him back at City, he was immediately loaned back out this time to Turkish giants Galatasaray, managing only 3 goals in 15 appearances. Mancini offered him a fresh start at City, in 21 appearances he has scored 3 goals, he is far from a fans favourite and the butt of jokes on the stands. With many questioning why he is given so much playing time. It works out at 1 million pounds a goal. We have had our fair share of bad strikers, with nearly 20 million pounds wasted on strikers on this page alone. Hopefully the current crop (excluding J么) won't be appearing on a list like this any time soon.
GOODBYE EUROPA NOW IT‟S TIME TO FOCUS CITY
TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 27
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Words: Matt Hill, http://www.mcfcforum.com
t was billed pre-match as the “second Hamburg”, with the official website posting a number of famous City comebacks in what they clearly hoped would inspire fans to be the 12th man and get the ground rocking. It was a valiant effort on behalf of the club but the ridiculously early kick-off time and the fact that many fans simply cannot afford to attend all cup games, meant that the attendance was a miserly 27,000 and the ground, at times, resembled a morgue rather than a stadium. You can see why it was said to be the “second Hamburg” (the night that perhaps saw the best atmosphere at Eastlands to date) after all, City had to overturn a 2-0 deficit or face being knocked out of the competition, City had played poorly in the first leg and had a mountain to climb. A description almost reminiscent of the Blues' trip to Kiev. The game however, turned out to be somewhat of an anti-climax. The ground was not rocking like it was for Hamburg because Manchester City no longer plays Mark Hughes’ style of football. The City youth players were not evenly spread along the side-lines acting as ball boys in order to keep a fast tempo. The team did not throw caution to the wind and go all out attack for 90 minutes searching for the required three goals. The team did however have the brilliant yet petulant Mario Balotelli, whose disgraceful stamp after half an hour meant the Blues had to play the remaining 60 minutes with ten men, a huge feat given the time-wasting tactics of Dynamo Kiev – tactics that went largely unpunished by the abysmal referee. Instead of attacking them from the start, something which the fans so desperately desired, Mancini adopted a "patient" approach to the game, preferring to 28 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk
dominate possession and patiently wait to spot Kiev's weaknesses before pouncing. Unfortunately, despite a brave attempt, the Blues' profligacy ensured that they would crash out of the competition before the quarter final stage. It was a disappointment for the players, whose tiresome efforts after Balotelli's stupid sending off were worthy of qualification, the staff and the fans whose hopes of seeing City win a trophy now solely lie with the FA Cup. The Europa League, though competitive in its own right, is not a patch on the Champions League when it comes to prestige, glory and the pure talent and class on the field. The teams involved are on another level making the Europa League look almost ridiculous. Manchester City were favourites from the start to win it, yet fell short before the quarter final stage against Kiev. It was a result which led to some fans, and commentators, questioning Mancini and his men. But is it that much of a disappointment? Yes, it is true that a trophy is a trophy, and after a thirty-five year drought it would have been greatly received, but there were no guarantees that it would have been City’s to hold come the middle of May anyway. With an FA Cup semi final against local rivals Manchester United to come – a game which, incidentally, would have occurred just three days after a Europa League fixture ( versus Portuguese side Braga) – and a nail-biting conclusion to the Premier League season the Europa League seems somewhat of an unnecessary distraction (to me
anyway). Going into the Sunderland game on the 3rd April, City had played sixteen more games than Sunderland because of their progress in the FA Cup and Europa League. And whilst it is true to say that City have a large squad, it has been proved that it is not blessed with the quality people initially thought. Add to the fact that City have an injury-hit squad, the strength in depth clearly is not enough to warrant a serious challenge on all fronts. Something had to give; thankfully it was the Europa League. If you ask any City fan had they the choice between winning the FA Cup or the Europa League I’m sure the answer would be the FA Cup. To beat Manchester United and potentially set up a final between Bolton or Stoke would put the Blues as huge favourites for the trophy and send them one step closer to tearing down the banner that drapes from the Stretford End, mocking United’s hapless neighbours. Based on the quality of the team and the money injected into building the squad, City should finish in the top four and should, providing they can get past United, bring the FA Cup home too. The Blues no longer have to be concerned about playing a game every three days and can now fully concentrate on the FA Cup and the Premier League. Whilst the Europa League offers some European experience for City, it isn’t a patch on the Holy Grail that is the Champions League and that is what the club are ultimately aiming for.
HEROES AND VILLIANS Words: Pete Cummings, http://www.mancityblog.com
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f ever a footballer was the epitome of having blue blood in their veins, it would most surely come in the shape of Mike Doyle. The big, no-nonsense defender‟s combative nature on the pitch, together with his hatred of United off it, saw him idolised by the City fans during the club‟s glorious period under Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison. As a kid Doyle wrote to his local paper telling about his ambition to become a professional football player. This was spotted by Manchester City Chief Scout Harry Godwin, who later realised that the boy who had sent the letter was the very same lad that was impressing him as he watched a Stockport Boys game. After making the connection, Godwin made sure the young Doyle was signed by City in 1964, despite interest from Wolves and Stoke, with the latter so determined to sign the big defender they even went as far as offering Doyle’s family a washing machine in order to secure his signature. But Doyle’s father, a big City fan himself, persuaded Doyle to join the blues instead. Like all stars of that time, began life at Maine Road as part of the groundstaff, clearing the pitch and getting the training gear ready, but Doyle was also selected for a special job; cleaning the boots of the legendary Bert Trautmann. And it was the big German keeper who brought a cocky Doyle down to earth. Following an 8-1 thrashing at Wolves, Doyle asked the keeper how his back was following the weekend. The big German responded by gently lifting the youngster against a wall by the collar and asking him quite politely to keep his mouth closed. If that wasn’t bad enough, Doyle was then assigned to wash Trautmann’s car for the remainder of the summer. In March 1965, Doyle finally made his debut for City against Cardiff and so
began the blues quest for dominance. It soon became evident that Doyle was destined to be part of the great team, and alongside other greats such as Glyn Pardoe, Colin Bell and Neil Young, Doyle helped form a backbone to the side that was to be the best team in English football. Doyle was a certain starter, forming an effective partnership with Tommy Booth. Between the 67/68 and the 75/76, Doyle was played in 363 out of 378 league games. Doyle seemed like an unorthodox defender and was often challenging for the ball in the opposition penalty area, which resulted in him scoring 40 goals during his time with the blues. Off the pitch, Doyle was a colourful character and was on friendly terms with many of the United players. However, after being slammed in the press by George Best, he turned on his former friends, which ultimately turned into a local war between Doyle and the red half of Manchester. Despite the broken car windows and death threats, Doyle refused to back down and his hatred for United as an institution grew, however he played a huge part in bringing former red Brian Kidd to the club, from Arsenal in 1976. Undoubtedly one of Doyle’s greatest moments came in 1976 at Wembley. The defender had been made captain by manager Tony Book and Doyle set up the opening goal, heading a corner back across goal for Peter Barnes to
score the opener. And he became the last City player to lift a trophy after Dennis Tueart’s overhead kick settled the game. Just two years later, Doyle left the blues to finally join Stoke. Doyle’s departure was the beginning of the end of the greatest ever City team. A year later, Malcolm Allison arrived at Maine Road and took the remainder of the squad apart. In the 1982/83 season, injury forced Doyle to finally retire form the game after a spell playing alongside future City boss Peter Reid. As part of the team that swept aside all before them, Doyle was a no-nonsense, tough tackling defender who didn’t only earn, but deserve his legendary status with the club. From no-nonsense to Mr Nonsense. Who wears red and white but has blue blood in his veins? That was the joke at the end of the 1991/92 season when Brian Gayle, who then played for Sheffield United, scored against his own team which helped Leeds United win the First Division title from under the noses of Manchester United. It was probably the only point in his career that he became a City hero. Gayle arrived at Maine Road in 1988 as part of manager Mel Machin’s rebuilding plan to turn City from a mid table, second division side into a force capable of challenging for promotion. Machin had money to spend following the £1.7m sale Of striker Paul Stewart to Spurs and saw the Wimbledon defender, who had TopicalCity.co.uk April 2011 29
been part of Wimbledon’s successful FA cup run the previous season, as the perfect partner for youngster Steve Redmond in the heart of City’s defence. Machin subsequently paid the princely sum of £325,000 for Gayle but within weeks, was probably regretting that decision. City’s solid defence was breached five times in the opening two games as Hull City (1-0) and Oldham Athletic (4-1) inflicted successive defeats on the blues. And when newly promoted Walsall walked away with a 2-2 draw at Maine Road, City fans must have been wondering what made Machin pay so much for Gayle. The defender was being caught out of position several times in those first two games but it was the Walsall game that fans turned on him. After City dragged themselves back from a goal down, Gayle went to pass the ball back to keeper Andy Dibble, but sold the keeper short. Walsall took the chance, retook the lead and the supporters had seen enough. Three games later at Chelsea and Gayle was almost destroying City’s chances again. Losing 1-0 at an almost empty Stamford Bridge, Gayle attempted to make a clearance but completely mis-kicked his clearance which went straight to John Bumstead. Fortunately for Gayle and City, Dibble was equal to the Chelsea man’s header and kept the score at 1-0. One of the funniest things that Gayle managed in a blue shirt came against Oxford United in November 1988. City were again a goal down going into the last minute but Trevor Morley’s overhead kick looked to have saved a point for City. However, Steve Redmond had the final say with an injury time winner, causing Gayle to do some kind of strange dance on the penalty spot in front of the North Stand. Apart from promotion that year, probably what was Gayle’s proudest moment in a blue shirt was leading the team out at Maine Road on September 23rd 1989. The match, of course, was against United when the blues won 5-1 and Gayle played his part in keeping United’s multi million pound men at bay. But his short City career was soon to end. Machin finally realised that his defence wasn’t up to the job and bought Colin Hendry from Blackburn Rovers. Hendry took over the number five shirt from Gayle for the 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest and, although he featured in the next two games against Coventry and Charlton, Gayle made his final appearance for City in a 3-2 Full Members Cup defeat at Forest. Gayle moved to Ipswich for a year before settling at Sheffield United, where his goal finally earned him hero status at Maine Road, two years after leaving. Gayle’s City career started and ended in defeat and the defender never fully reached the full potential he had shown in the Wimbledon side that had so spectacularly won the FA Cup in 1988. Pity really but at least Gayle was unique; he is probably the only player in City history to achieve hero status playing for another club.
30 April 2011 TopicalCity.co.uk