TRUE BLUE STORIES

Tim Edmondson

Why indeed? Born in Ethiopia back in 1961 (folks out there teaching) we returned to England in about 1965 to live in Cheadle Hulme. nr Stockport; time for me to decide which team to support. Well, it wasn't difficult, my elder bother supported the Rags, I hated him, best way to annoy the pants off him, support Man City - simple.

Good on the old fellow, a red but decent and didn't force me to support them and top marks to the old Queen who decided to support City to even out the numbers.

Between the regular fighting and taunting which drove my dad crazy "no football talk over tea or I'll thrash you and send you to bed" my brother and I found a common ground in hating Leeds Utd. We would get our footy albums, rip out pictures of Clarke, Giles, Jones and flush them down the loo adding our lubrication to send them on the way (I'm better now).

A crucial moment in cementing my young support was one Christmas when my gran had promised to knit us both scarves as presents. When the day came and when we duly opened the packages out came red and white rag and then to my horror I received a NAVY blue and white thing - tears rocketed out and mum had to unstitch and re-sew the whole thing - sky blue or nothing for me.

So it's off to primary school to find I had mates that supported both sides. That was friendly enough but secondary school was open warfare. The big irony was that everyone had mates who supported the other team yet they were still your friends - you just hated the club they supported. Transferring across teams was a no no and those who tried were rejected by both sets of supporters.

The first recollection of attending a game was a Derby when both sets of fans still stood together. The lad I went with was butted by a young yob so his dad had to step in. The score? Who knows, I was waiting to get butted.

Then I started to go regularly to home games, so a junior season ticket was in order. I am going mad but could the price really have been as little as 3.00 stlg or was it 7.00 stlg back in 1975? Anyway, the real scam was that you could re-apply for a junior ticket every year, even when you were having to be careful not to catch your beard on the turnstile on the way through.

Embarrassing moment - answered an ad offering a free ticket in the North Stand every week if you would chaperone a young female supporter. I applied, was accepted and then given the boot a few weeks later for not 'making a pass' at the young girl. It was a kind of find-a-boyfriend exercise and I was far too innocent for all that.

Memorable moments:

• The night we beat Schalke 04 in the semi of the Cup Winners Cup, with my scum bag brother trying to convince me that if Schalke scored they would win on away goals when we were about 16-2 ahead on aggregate. Then winning the final.
• Avoiding the footy results (70's) all evening to watch the thrashing of the rags on telly in the League Cup and the injury to Colin that would curtail a great career.
• His return for that mid-week game against Newcastle. The reception, the atmosphere, the result. Can't remember what the crowd was that night but every Blue in the world was at that game.
• Beating Leeds in the cup a few weeks later at Elland Rd (2-1 Barnes and Tueart ?) with their fans storming the pitch trying to get the game cancelled. Bell was hobbling all game and yet he ran the midfield. Then an industrial dispute stopped the BBC from showing the game in MOTD that evening. Got a kick on the way out from a friendly Tyke, but it was worth it - just.
• Peter Barnes' goal straight from the kick off against Bristol City, beat about 6 men, dummied a shot and chipped the keeper, Gio must have been shown a video of it before the Southampton game.
• Tueart's overhead.

Worst moments:

• King Colin's injury
• Paul Lake's injury
• Raddy Antic
• Losing 2-3 to them after Niall had given us a 2 goal lead several seasons ago. I just went upstairs to a darkened room and lay down depressed for hours. The ex came up to nag me to grow up and act just as emotionally in our relationship - that's why she is the ex.

I could add so much more drivel but you've probably stopped reading by now, so I'll bring things up to date. Currently with those of you exiled in London and therefore can be seen in despair at all Southern games. Still got a northern accent and no where near as enlightened as the old man, i.e. if I have any kids they'll be Blues or they'll be locked in a cupboard.

This is our worst ever period but supporting City has taken a perverse streak and you learn to laugh through all the problems and just keep going along hoping that this week Summerbee has been dropped and somebody scores.

Forever Blue