TRUE BLUE STORIES

Ben McDermott

In a way, my mum and dad divorcing was the best thing that ever happened to me. All my dad's family are rags and my mum's are super blues. Naturally, if my father had been around when I was a kid, he would have brainwashed me into taking the rag shilling. I remember being taken to the Salford Rovers. It smelt bad, Dad said it was hotdogs. I'm not sure. There's even a picture of me about four wearing a rag t-shirt. Luckily, my grandad was on hand to ensure I was converted from goat worshipping.

Me and my mum were living down south and moved back to Manchester via Ibeza for four months (heh rock on!). It was a bit strange, being about five with a suntan in Manchester in Feb, to say the least. More peculiar things followed when my rag t-shirt mysteriously disappeared and next thing I knew I was traipsing off to Chorlton Park Jrn School swathed in a hand-knitted blue and white scarf. The next time I saw my dad I was City. Glad to say this has never been a big problem between us - apart from watching that derby on Sky when we dropped a two goal lead. He didn't believe that Rags were given the match on platter by Vonk's header. Similar with the cup match and the penalty?. Arrogant Rag!

My grandad owned a fish shop on Alexander Road (it was knocked down and council houses were built on the site) so he had to work Sats, so we ended up going to Wednesday night fixtures. First City memory was beating Blackpool (I think) 3-1 at home in 77/78. To avoid the crush we'd left early and City scored in the last minute. Next day at school no one believed I'd been to the match because I said it was 2-1. Leaving early we've missed some pretty good goals: Terry Phelan's last minute wonder against Spurs in the cup and Niall Quinn's second against West Ham 95/96.

Heroes were Dennis Tueart and Joe Corrigan, but I loved watching Brian Kidd and Kaziu Denya and Peter Barnes (who went out withone of my rellies! - what an honour). Big Joe's pre-match ritual of collecting lucky heather from Helen and kicking his posts always brought goosebumps out on my neck. A curling screamer from the right of the penalty area by Trevor Francis against Swansea is my favourite goal.

Nowadays, I live in Shepherd,s Bush, London, and really enjoy the QPR fixtures 'cause since I've been down here we've won 2, drawn 2, lost 1, which is a pretty good away record. Best pub - Bush Ranger, Goldhawk Road. I'm not at all upset about Palace going up, we've always played badly at Selhurst Park. Although I did see Richard Edghill's brilliant debut v. Wombles (What's Terry doing on the right? Hang look at his passing and tackling. Brilliant!?). Miss Chelsea, Spurs fixtures. Although the Arse is a dreadful ground to be blue. Have we ever won there? Don't get up to the Academy as much as I would like, but will be up for July 19. Watching City mostly away, has been pretty dreadful - even though the atmosphere has been great. But the Oxford match was just phenomenal. If Gio gives us a minute or ten of that a match, I'm sure that one day he will do for City what Maradona did for Napoli.

Forever blue