MAN CITY INFO VIA THE ALPS "McVittee!" #281

DATE Monday 17th March 1997

Time constraints mean that I'll have to leave it up to the reader to find out what's in this issue!

This one reaches 1,404.

MATCH REPORT - 'LIVE'

GRIMSBY TOWN vs. MANCHESTER CITY, Saturday 15th March 1997

It's been a long time since I've seen the Blues play live (last one was some time in the eighties, probably a game against Hull City though my memory might be playing tricks) - after this game it might be a long time until the next one!

We four East Yorkshire Blues arrived in Grimsby after the short trip from Beverley with a bit of a thirst. Unfortunately, the welcome from the local "hostileries" suggested the Mariners had battened down the hatches and were preparing to repel boarders. Of the few pubs in the immediate area, one was marked 'Home Supporters Only' (dunno how they knew Mark, Craig and Kev weren't with their East Yorkshire accents - I suspect anyone actually from Manchester had no chance!), one had Man Mountain guarding the door and the other one had a mounted police guard. Anyway in the end, Craig deduced that as we had tickets for the John Smith's Stand, there was a fair chance of there being a bar inside, and so it was that we came to have a pre-match jar watching the Grimsby - Bradford video with the locals - with hindsight, a better game than the one we were about to watch.

In the upper tier of the stand, we had a fair view of the ground and the ships making their way up the 'Umber. Travelling Blues seemed to make up a large proportion of the 8,732 crowd (predictably the largest home gate of the season) and were in fine voice at the start - "You only sing when you're fishing!" going down well even with the Grimsby supporters around us. Our spirits were raised when Gio was spotted warming up; Ged Brannan was due for a début, but more surprisingly Kav was going to get on from the start as part of a much shuffled team due to suspension and injury.

City looked more composed in the early stages, but a swirling wind was making the play scrappy - Tommy Wright was having difficulty getting the ball clear of the penalty area let alone the halfway line. However, it was Grimsby who scored first on 16 minutes, with Appleton (playing his last game on loan from the Rags (aagh!) cutting in from the left and finishing well to put the ball beyond Wright in the far corner. Cue everyone around us standing up and we four sat there with the 'Here we go again' look. Still we felt it was only a matter of time, as their defence showed the composure that has lead to their conceding 66 goals to date. Uwe was putting himself about a fair bit, and on the half hour he made something from nothing on the right of the area, turned the defender and crossed for Kav to rise and head the ball into the roof of the net. Cue us four standing up (actually Kev was already standing up in the toilet at the time) and everyone else around us sat despairingly.

And that was about it really. The second half was a pretty scrappy affair, with the ball in the air too much. Gio was only in the game fitfully, taking a couple of free kicks that the wall dealt with, and on one occasion jinking down the left wing only to find there was nobody on the end of the cross. Uwe looked the most likely to cause them trouble; Kav became invisible and was replaced by Greenacre with about 20 minutes to go; Buzzer had a very quiet game and rarely took his man on. Defensively we weren't troubled much and I can't really comment on Brannan at this stage, but the consensus (us and the Grimsby supporters within earshot) was that Alan Kernaghan is a liability rather than an asset on this showing (Mark wouldn't let him in his pub Old Boys team).

A draw was probaby a fair result, though the local radio reporter seemed more complimentary about our performance than we were. I guess every point helps make Division 2 less and less likely, but there's work to be done next season if we're going to get sorted for promotion to the Premiership in the 97/98 season.

Final score: 1-1

MATCH REPORT - 'LIVE'

GRIMSBY TOWN vs. MANCHESTER CITY, Saturday 15th March 1997

Let's face it, this is a match we should have won if we had any serious thoughts of making the play-offs. Not only did we fail to win, we came quite close to losing it.

Grimsby are another side with plans to move to a new stadium so it's possible that this will have been City's last visit to Blundell Park. The stadium was packed, with Blues here, there and everywhere amongst the crowd of 8,732. I was behind the goal in the front row, which due to the camber of the pitch meant that my eyes were about level with the players' knees. Hence I can tell you about how City defended in the first half and how we attacked in the second half, but not much else.

Injuries, suspensions and the arrival of Ged Brannan resulted in a number of team changes. The best news was the return of Gio Kinkladze, though he wasn't firing on all cylinders which I put down to a lack of match practice. The same could no doubt be said of Alan Kernaghan and Mischa Kavelashvili (who made a rare start after impressing with the reserves and in training). Bob Brightwell was captain in the absence of the suspended Kit Symons. City lined up as follows:

                 Wright
  Brightwell   Kernaghan   Brannan
Summerbee  Lomas  McGoldrick  Horlock
               Kinkladze
         Rösler        Kavelashvili

Both sides had their chances early on, though none was particularly clear-cut. City's defence didn't look terribly solid and the Mariners saw three efforts whiz past the post in the first quarter of an hour. Big Al took a no-nonsense approach, smacking the ball away from the danger area whenever the ball came his way. This, coupled with City's current reluctance to play the ball out from defence, resulted in Grimsby gaining possession far too much IMHO. I really can't understand why Tommy Wright kicks the ball downfield every time he gets the ball instead of throwing it to a defender; even Alan Ball got that right.

The home side took the lead in the 17th minute when Mike Appleton, on loan from the Rags, collected the ball from a Mendonca back-heel and ambled towards goal. He turned inside Brightwell at the corner of the penalty area to make himself some space and then curled a shot past Tommy Wright into the bottom corner of the net. The wind probably helped it in but the lad deserves the credit for a very good strike.

City camped in the Grimsby half for a while after this and forced their 'keeper into a few decent saves (including one from a Kernaghan header at a corner) before grabbing a deserved equaliser. Rösler hit a low cross into the crowded penalty area from the right and Kavelashvili stooped to power home a header that the 'keeper got a touch to but couldn't keep out. All the reports I've read suggest that Kav had an excellent game but to be honest I couldn't tell much from the other end of the ground in the first half. City had the edge for the rest of the first half but could never be said to be "dominating" the game.

The second half continued with City being on top but creating little from open play. Kinkladze made a few runs but didn't get beyond the edge of the penalty area. He did get the ball in the net from a quickly-taken free kick but the referee ruled that it had been taken too quickly so it didn't count. The tiring Kavelashvili was replaced by Greenacre towards the end but the youngster hardly got a touch again as Grimsby had their best spell of the game in the last 15 minutes and looked the most likely winners in that period. Indeed, Steve Livingstone went very close just three minutes from the end. The poor finishing from opponents in the recent games against Oldham and Grimsby has brought us 4 points, points we'd not have won against Premiership opposition methinks.

Throughout the game City were content to kick and head the ball in the air, despite the protestations from the fans to keep it on the deck. The final whistle was greeted with boos from the assembled Blues and it seems Frank Clark was none too pleased either. At least it was an improvement on the last two matches though.

Brannan had a steady début but I suspect Frank Clark has him earmarked for a midfield rôle rather than filling in in defence. It'll be interesting to see what reaction he gets from the Tranmere fans on Tuesday.

NEWS - VAN BLERK DEAL OFF

City have given up in their attempt to sign Jason Van Blerk as he has been refused a work permit by the Home Office.

Alan Kernaghan and Gio Kinkladze are both in the squad for the Grimsby game but that's no guarantee that either will be playing.

NEWS - WIEKENS

Contrary to newspaper reports, Wiekens would not have been out of contract at the end of July this season, but at the end of next season. FC wanted him as soon as possible, but Veendam refused as it would have been impossible for them to have reached the play-offs without their captain.

NEWS - FC DISPLEASED!

As usual for this time of year, the incumbent City manager is promising a summer clear-out of players. However, with Frank Clark at the helm this time, I think it might actually happen. Clark was to say the least displeased with the performance on Saturday and said: "We played like a team who thought we were safe from relegation and could not reach the play-offs. We are not safe yet. We will be doing all we can to put it right, otherwise if we go on like this we may not win another game this season. Nothing falls in your lap in this game. You have to work very hard to achieve anything. There will be no cruising until the end of the season. Some of our players must realise they are playing for their futures."

City are reported to have agreed a loan deal with Fenerbache and are now just awaiting international clearance for Dalian Atkinson to play for the reserves at York on Wednesday.

Kit Symons and Neil Heaney will be available for the Tranmere game after serving their one-match suspensions. Nigel Clough is likely to return to Maine Road on Thursday and Coventry are still thought to be interested in signing Steve Lomas. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some transfer activity this week.

CHAIN MAIL

I have a copy of a chain mail that takes the chronic **ss out of the Rags. Anyone want a copy, e-mail me on the address below and I will be happy to forward it on to them.

NIKE FOR CITY?

I went into my local sports shop in Northwich to ask about the possible release date of the new City home kit (a bit premature I know). Anyway, the lad at the counter (a Rag) said he didn't know if they'd get any in, as City were with Nike now, and the shop is contracted to Umbro. Is this gospel, or is this Rag just building up my hopes of finally getting a decent top, only for Franny to announce that he knows a couple of old spinners in Bolton who made him an offer that, "for the good of Manchester City Football Club", he couldn't refuse? Please someone put my mind at ease.

LONDON BLUES

I am writing on behalf of Lisa Taffel, the associate producer of Do I Not Like That! - the topical football discussion programme hosted by Richard Littlejohn on Thursday evenings live from London.

She is looking for some London based Manchester City FC fans to come along and be part of the studio audience.

On their show on March 27th, they will be joined by Rodney Marsh.

If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in attending, please fax Lisa on 0171-827 7610 and be sure to put a daytime phone number.

OPINION - CLUB SITE

Far be it for me to malign the club's administration, but why is it when City try to do something they can never quite get it right first time? I've just taken a close look at the club's new web site and I have to say I'm not too impressed. If the club have paid for an outside agency to do this then, I hope they got a good deal, perhaps a swap deal for Immel. Now I don't like to get too techinical, but I am currently doing a PhD in web design, at the same time creating a large site for the Portman Group, and I am quite amazed at the elementary mistakes in this site: too many graphics, crap layout and (crime of crimes in web design!) flashing text. It really looks as if it has been thrown together in a hurry, having been made superficially attractive without any real thought. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

If you really want to see how good a City page can be then just take a look at Svenn Hanssen's site at: http://www.uit.no/mancity/ this is how it should be done, so come on City and do something right for once.

OPINION - DIBS

Already hacked off with the result of the Grimsby match - bloody Rags get everywhere, I decided to sit down to the 'Old Firm' match on Sunday as a means of therapy and in a desperate bid to witness Rangers losing to Celtic. Well! I had already read in the papers about Dibble going to Rangers, but I thought that it would result in him playing third choice, or the like, but no - First choice! Lordy, he looked even more like a fat Morrisey than usual (a future look-a-like on Chris 'Rag' Evans' show?). What was Walter Smith thinking?

What really annoyed me was the commentators on Scottish remarks about him. Comments like: "He's a top goalkeeper, I don't know why he hasn't had more international experience" made me wonder, is this the same Andy Dibble they are talking about? He didn't exactly (it hurts me to say) get much chance to show his so-called 'talents' on Sunday - no doubt the score would have been rather different otherwise...

As a final insult, after the match on radio Scotland or the like he went on about how much of a change it was to play in front of a large crowd, instead of what he was used to at City (clearly 30,000+ isn't 'enough' for some. Not that I'm bitter or anything!

OPINION - STUART HALL

Ooh Stuart Hall. I know he's not too fond (farewell?) of City, but I reckon he's a bit of a hero. Last year he had me laughing for days with his description of "Kinkladze, his skills crafted at the Georgian State School of Ballet."

While I'm on the subject of crap summarisers, what has happened to Tommy Jockerty, and is he still banned from Old Trafford?

OPINION - ALL SEATER STADIA AND SOCIAL CONTROL

Reading the outbursts of some on the Man City mailing list, it has occurred to me that all seater stadia have become a new weapon, to be utilised by the 'educated' "business class", for the purpose of social control i.e. the imposition of norms governing acceptable social behaviour in football stadia.

People on the mailing list, who object to the behaviour of fans, now have the opportunity to identify the 'culprits' by way of their seat number (the club, of course, having their name and address details, as a result of the ticket purchase being made). Demands can then be made to the club for lifetime bans or suspensions. Now, whilst some fans have genuine complaints (r.e.: racism, sexism, general harrassment), others are potentially trivial. Notably, the clientelle attending football matches is changing. Football is increasingly becoming the preserve of businessmen (and is now widely used as a form of corporate entertainment). Reflecting this, football is becoming increasingly ostracised from its traditional working class roots - the main reason for which can be located in the political imperative towards the development of all seater stadia and the subsequent inflation of admission prices. Now, racism, sexism and harrassment aside, I have heard and read of complaints from people regarding the drunken behaviour of some fans (which is seen to be offensive). However, alternative explanations could reside in the natural 'high spirits' of some of these fans (going to the match being one of the highlights of the week and a good excuse to meet friends and have a few drinks). Undoubtedly, such 'behaviour' also originates from the passion which these "badly behaved louts" have for the game and which they express, through differing emotions and to differing extents, according to the manner in which their team performs on the day.

There is a danger that this new business clientelle will use the weapon of identification to purge football of these harmless supporters - merely because their version of acceptable social etiquette (derived, no doubt, from the dinner party circuit, which bears no relation to the norms of acceptable behaviour which have predominated at football grounds for years) fails to coalesce with what true fans consider to be normal and acceptable standards of behaviour at football matches. Whoever complained about such behaviour in the days of terracing (when a sizable proportion of fans were in an intoxicated state before and throughout the game)? Football is not about polite hand clapping, as some ponces from the business class would like it to be, but about passion, which translates into shouting and screaming (at players from both sides), involving the occassional use of bad language.

If the new business class can't accept this, why don't they ***k off and give us our game back (unlikely I know) - or alternatively go and watch Arsenal? Anybody who has recently been to Highbury will offer testament as to how the increasing domination of football by the new business class has ruined the atmosphere at this particular stadium. In my opinion, we should all support the noises coming from within sections of the Labour party to replace all seater stadia with terracing on one side of the ground. Demanding our right to stand at football matches is not only an issue about claiming back our history. This would enable us to scream, shout, swear and, heaven forbid, show our passion again - and without being identified as a 'troublemaker' by some ponce in a tweed coat. This would give the game back to those who have supported it for years (but who have been financially disenfranchised as a result of the establishment of all seater stadia). It would also allow us to freely express ourselves without fear of being excluded (from grounds as a result of our behaviour), informally controlled (by our fear of transgressing normative standards of behaviour which have been imposed by other 'supporters') or formally controlled (by clubs who are becoming increasingly authoritarian in the way behaviour is now regulated by established rules of conduct, and increasingly draconian in the manner in which those who break these rules are now dealt with).

OPINION - MOAN AND GROAN!

Having just read Jimmy Greaves' article in The Sun (r.e. Taggart's wish to have control on the Scum's fixture list next year), I have a gut feeling that he will get his own way and only play easy home games after a European game - it would make you laugh if it wasn't so perverse! I have spent time wondering what element of the game "Nited" can try to control next. Following the stopwatch episode at Roker Park, selecting of referees for key games, and the pathetic allocation of tickets to away fans, why don't we just let them sod off and play in a European League with all their chums at UEFA?

With the signing of Brannan from Tranmere, I get the feeling that one of the bids for Lomas is likely to be accepted very soon - the consensus of opinion, especially on these pages, would appear to be that it wouldn't be too great a loss. What worries me slightly is that FC has gone on record as saying that the team isn't good enough to either go up or stay up; does this mean that he thinks that players like Wright, Horlock, Van Blerk (if he signs) and Brannan will be the men to takes us to the Premiership (next season) and keep us there? Lomie was one of my favourite players in that godawful season last year, and although his form has been lousy of late, wasn't Summerbee's before FC arrived?

It is a shame about Kavel having to leave; is FC now playing him in the hope that City can get his work permit renewed? The guy really hasn't had a proper run in the team but always puts in 100% when he does play. He has scored today which is something that Dickov hasn't managed in the games that Gio has missed. I've no complaints about Dickov - he has worked his backside off and helped Rösler out - but he doesn't really look like scoring. We can forget the play-offs now, we are almost completely safe from the drop, so maybe now is the time to give Greenacre a good run in the team - especially as we have now started to look like a winning team. It could save us a couple of million if he can get amongst the goals - with Creaney leaving, and probably Kavel too, you would expect FC to buy a striker in the close season (nobody truly knows how Atkinson is going to perform - he often blew hot and cold when at Villa).

Finally, if any City fans in the Birmingham area are interested in sharing lifts up to Maine Road especially for midweek games (Bolton, Grimsby etc.) then please send me an e-mail.

WHY BLUE?

This may seem like a strange "Why Blue?" because unlike so many others I never had to sneak off to Maine Road using a cover story, I wasn't in the record low crowd that day against Swindon and I was never dragged off to 'The Swamp' by some well meaning (but sadly misguided) Red relative.

I was born and raised in Gorton; my mother, my uncles (all 3 of them), my grandparents and my cousins were all Reds (though all but one uncle and his son were true Reds, i.e. never went near the ground but had comfy armchairs). Fortunately my father was a Blue and had no intention of taking me anywhere near Trafford Park.

I don't remember my first game in any detail, I can't remember who we played but I remember sitting in the open bit between the Main and North Stands (we always sat there for some reason that escapes me). I think this was around 1975 (I would have been about 7) and what I do remember was that I loved it.

The remainder of the 70's is a bit of a blur, I remember attending matches but none in any great detail. I idolised Peter Barnes and Dennis Tueart, admired big Dave Watson and Joe Corrigan and wished I'd seen Colin Bell before that unspeakable Red b*****d cut him down in his prime.

I continued going until 1979 when after the Maine Road derby (3-0 to them) I saw a young man stabbed in the leg. After this my father stopped taking me and I never asked to go again. The next 8 years were a football wilderness for me, I showed little or no interest in football of any type and certainly didn't attend any games. I watched the 1981 Cup Final and Replay and wanted City to win but the passion was gone. I didn't relate my lack of interest in football to the stabbing incident and still don't, it was just one of those things; if it hadn't happened I may have carried on going or may have just drifted away, another one of those 'What if ... ?' questions that will never be answered.

In 1987 I went to University in Liverpool, and while there a friend persuaded me to go along and watch, of all teams, Tranmere Rovers. All I remember of the game was that they played Bristol Rovers, they lost and it was crap. Despite this, I found myself considering a trip to Maine Road. I can't explain why, it was just an itch that needed to be scratched. On my next trip back to Manchester I organised to take my father along to see a game, we stood on the Kippax, City won and I was hooked all over again. That year I travelled to as many games as my grant would allow, much to the bemusement of my parents, after years of living in Manchester and showing no interest.

This continued until I finished University, got a job and could afford a season ticket. Even though my new job was in Gloucester (another hotbed of devoted, armchair owning Red morons) I managed every home game, and about half the away games, for the next 4 seasons. In 1994 I briefly moved jobs to Warrington to be closer to home (closer to Maine Road more like it), and then 6 months later accepted a job in Australia (not closer to Maine Road). Since then I have been back once taking in the first 4 games of the 95/96 season (1 draw, 3 losses including trips to QPR and Coventry). I tune in the radio in the early hours every Sunday morning to get the results "Live" and spend hours scouring the net for every piece of information on the Blues I can obtain.

It looks like I will soon be returning to England at the end of my contract and am already itching to get to a game, I don't care who we're playing I just want to be there. If watching City was like watching 'them', sterilized, faceless and without any soul, then it wouldn't have the same attraction. There tend to be more downs than ups, we're unpredictable, frustrating and sometimes you just want to bang your head (or preferably a player's head) against a brick wall, but that's what it is to be a Blue! It's about humour, belonging and the pure, unadulterated, bloody minded knowledge that we are fighting the good fight.

So "Why Blue"? Well I don't think it's something you choose, I think it's something that chooses you.

RESULTS

Sunday, March 16 1997

WEST BROMWICH ALBION    2-0    BIRMINGHAM CITY

Saturday, March 15 1997

CRYSTAL PALACE          2-0    NORWICH CITY
GRIMSBY TOWN            1-1    MANCHESTER CITY
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN       1-3    PORTSMOUTH
IPSWICH TOWN            0-1    BOLTON WANDERERS
OLDHAM ATHLETIC         3-2    WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
PORT VALE               2-0    CHARLTON ATHLETIC
READING                 0-0    BRADFORD CITY
SHEFFIELD UNITED        3-1    OXFORD UNITED
SOUTHEND UNITED         0-1    QUEENS PARK RANGERS
SWINDON TOWN            1-0    STOKE CITY
TRANMERE ROVERS         1-1    BARNSLEY

Team                  Played   Won Drawn Lost  For  Against   Points
Bolton Wanderers        38     22   12    4     81    46        78
Wolverhampton Wanderers 37     19    8   10     54    38        65
------------------------------------------------------------------
Barnsley                36     17   12    7     60    43        63
Sheffield United        37     17   10   10     64    43        61
Crystal Palace          36     15   11   10     67    38        56
Norwich City            38     15   10   13     55    58        55
------------------------------------------------------------------
Ipswich Town            37     14   13   10     51    45        55
Port Vale               38     13   15   10     46    43        54
Portsmouth              36     15    8   13     45    40        53
Swindon Town            38     15    7   16     51    54        52
Tranmere Rovers         36     14    9   13     49    47        51
Stoke City              36     14    9   13     43    46        51
Queens Park Rangers     38     13   11   14     48    50        50
Reading                 36     12   11   13     47    52        47
Oxford United           37     13    7   17     49    51        46
Manchester City         36     13    7   16     45    48        46
Charlton Athletic       36     13    7   16     43    52        46
Birmingham City         35     12   10   13     41    42        46
West Bromwich Albion    37     10   14   13     58    62        44
Huddersfield Town       38     11   11   16     42    55        44
Grimsby Town            36      8   11   17     48    67        35
------------------------------------------------------------------
Bradford City           37      8   11   18     38    60        35
Oldham Athletic         35      8   10   17     37    48        34
Southend United         38      7   12   19     35    69        33