TRUE BLUE STORIES

Two Tonys

Well, it's time I think to let you know why I'm a Blue. One or two of you may have had the misfortune of reading some of my rants over the years, may have wondered if I was a blue or not at times !!

Well, like so many of you, my blueness is genetic. My Grandfather (my Mother's Dad) was a blue from the days when we played at Hyde Road. Well, my Granddad never took to me and when things started to get bad (when I was approx 6-7) may Mum would tell me about when her and her dad would go to the match. This was in way of showing me that he wasn't all bad (PUT THAT TISSUE DOWN NOW !!!) so to try and get on the right side of him I told my mum that I was a blue. Not the most romantic way I know, no particular game, or old flame to turn me blue, but pure and simple self-gratification. Make my granddad like me and that would make my mum happy... at 6 there is not much more you want in life, but to make your mum and dad happy is there?

Well, things did not change much between us, except now and then he would talk to my mum about the old days, knowing I would sit and listen; I did not know then, but know now that the stories were for me and not for her. That was the start, but my old man was, at that time not into football much, but when he would watch M.o.t.D. with us (which wasn't much as he worked shifts at McVitties, yes the real chocky maker, I was brought us on Penguins, Captain Scarlets and Yo-Yos and for those who have seen me you now know how I got my wonderful body!!) he would follow Liverpool, why I don't know!

This then started what would become a lifetime of defending my blues from remarks like "just look at that pass, your lot cannot do that can they ?" Which would be met with the best six-year-old satire and the line "I don't care they don't come from Manchester ". Then came the time to go to school and the first time I started to understand what supporting a team meant, at that age it meant not much more than I had a whole lot of new friends and I got to play on the best team at dinners time, which meant 30 to 40 lads running around after a tennis ball and score line of 20 - 25, or 30 - 15!!!

Then came a turning point for me, I had seen City on M.o.t.D. , but a friend of my dad who had come down from Wolves for work had just got a COLOUR TV!!! and had asked if me and my dad wanted to watch the cup final of City v Wolves. Well, I could not sleep the night before, then came the big day, we travelled up to my dad's friend's house (10 doors down Peacock Street, Gorton) for the big kick off. I was under instructions: no showing him up and no crying when we lost, lost! - lost! no way! I told my dad we were going to win !!! Well you've guessed it, we lost and dads being what dads are like after drinking a can or two wound me up; my dad's friend wound me up so I did one ! Up the road I went home and to bed. The next day my dad asked me who I was going to support now as City were no good and the Rags were cheats (even in those days they would win via the "odd" pen). I told him I would stay with City !!

The next turning point for me was of course my first game, the noise, the colour ! Who we played I've no idea as I spent most if not all of the game looking around me trying to take it all in (thanks Uncle Jimmy for talking my mum and dad around).

Well, from that day on I've been hooked. I've not seen them as much as some of you, but in my own little way I've kept the blue flag flying.

Highs:

My first derby match at Maine Road; being there the night Colin Bell played for the first time after his leg break and singing through tears along with almost everyone that night for approx 20 mins "We'll drink a drink to Colin the King"; being at Villa when Paul Power hit THAT free kick and singing "walk on" for 1/2 hr; seeing the first away goal by Trevor Francis; every time we come back up (not this season I think) getting my City tattoos; taking my girlfriend to her first game and getting her hooked on going.

Lows - and there has been to many to print - but here are a few:

Every time we go down; my first away match ever was at Leeds, this was in the times when the away fans had to walk all the way from the coach park up Elland Rd pass the home fans to the away end, I got battered 3 times in that short walk!! Going to the FA cup v T.H.F.C. both times and missing my coach home after the second one (thanks to the blues from Blackley for letting me on their coach a supplying me with beer). That was another time when I got home I went to bed, but that's a story on it's own. The end of Colin Bell's and Paul Lake's careers (God how we need players like that now); the day we sold Garry Owen I loved that man!! The many times I've been to nowhere places like Halifax, Shrewsbury and alike to see us knocked out of the cup again, the Oxford match recently, I could go on and on and on.

It's time I came to an end before you all fall asleep or this gets set as a GCSE exam paper. Why still Blue? was the question and here is the answer.... The fans, yes I've seen some teams at Maine Road that have made me want to spend my money, but it has always been the fans. There is something different about every single one of us that sets us apart for every other teams fans. The wit, the colour (who we forget the bananas, the blues brothers the sheep etc in a hurry) and the fact that we love football and the team (well some of the team... well ok we like the colour blue), the fact that we are all in this together, it must be like being in the A.A. (something I will find out if we carry on playing like this) the fact that once a blue always a blue is true. I know that we are fans not because it is a fashion statement, or because we are glory hunters we are here for each other and because Prestwich Asylum is full.

I'm blue because there is no other way to be.