MAN CITY INFO VIA THE ALPS "McVittee!" #503

DATE Monday 24th May 1999

Firstly, let me assure Ashley and all of you, that I am not 'that' GRAEME Jones, but GRAHAM Jones a bona fide City supporter for 45 years. Furthermore, I would never have hit the bar from six yards as I pride myself on being a 'clinical' finisher.

This edition is pretty lengthy, due to the number of submissions in a very special week for the Club. If this causes any reception problems for any of you, please let me know.

Obviously, the edition is swelled by issues such as ticket requests, gripes and opinion on the only matter that occupies our thoughts at this time. However, there is still room for a bit of humour. You'll see that the contribution from Leo the Rag is in this section for obvious reasons. I've included the MUTV contribution, despite the fact that I don't agree with Munich jibes. Sorry that's just the way I am, despite a healthy loathing of the Rags. There's a Why Blue? from South Africa, where I worked and met my lovely other half.

TICKET REQUESTS, GRIPES & ALL THAT STUFF

Wembley Ticket Exchange

We are hoping we can help City fans obtain tickets at cost price for Wembley on Sunday.

We have a page that can put fans in touch with each other. http://www.mancity.net/tickets/tickets.html

If you want to include your message on this page please email us at tickets@mancity.net

HELP URGENTLY NEEDED!

Can anyone help me please? I normally go to City with my disabled brother who is a season ticket holder in the Kippax. Due to the limited amount of tickets received by City for the disabled viewing area we have been unsuccessful in the draw for tickets. Can anyone help with two tickets? Preferably one disabled and one helper. Trying to explain to a eighteen year old boy who has been to many away games and home games that he can't go to the biggest game of the season is so difficult. If you can help please contact me on clairequinn@hotmail.com or 07930315357 and ask for Claire.

THE ANORAKS GUIDE TO HIS WEMBLEY TICKET NIGHTMARE

Well this season I've been to 11 home games and 3 away games and my daughters have been to 4 games - yet will I be able to get 3 tickets for Wembley? The way things are going, the answer is not a chance - and I am really p****d off.

First of all, Gillingham get an allocation of 34,442 and City get an initial allocation of 37,000 (possibly rising to 40,000). Is this a joke played by some Rag at the Lytham St Annes H.Q. of the Football League? To give them four times their average attendance compared to six fifths of ours is an absolute joke. I can just see the touts queuing up at Gillingham (where I am told by a work aquaintance who lives there) that applicants will be able to buy upto 6 tickets by just turning up to the ticket office (how true this is I don't know - but I can believe it)! So much for segregation.

Second, I'm away on business on Tuesday so I can't get to Manchester to present my 9 ticket stubs (from 3 games). So I can kiss goodbye any chance of getting Wembley tickets from City!

Third, even if I could be in Manchester I could only get two tickets. Now that will go down well with one of my daughters as they fight over who should go with me. I would have to bring another body with me to get the third ticket.

Fourth, I live in Stourbridge (West Midlands) so I have to come up North in person to get the tickets. Now don't get me wrong - I am a Mancunian and locals should get at least 75% of the tickets, but this isn't the 1970's. The ticket office has details of the tickets I purchased by phone - why can't I ring them and book a place in some sort of priority queue (the more tickets you've bought, the higher up the queue you get - even members who buy tickets in person, by presenting their membership card, could be recognised in this way). No the ticket office insists on us queuing in the open air like cattle, like we've always done. We're a captive audience and we put up with it coz we love our team - but why should we?

Fifth, I tried ringing the club / ticket office today to explain my predicament. What a bloody farce. Every phone line was engaged all day. So much for the ticket office upgrade that the club have been harping on about for the last year. They could have employed a company (e.g. BT) to supply extra phones lines and staff to deal with peoples queries - but did they? (You guessed it, no they didn't).

It really is a f*****g joke. If my company worked in the same way as the City ticket office do, then they would have gone out of business years ago. They treat us like s***e yet still expect us to pay their wages.

A lot of you may feel I should have bought three season tickets and I wouldn't have this problem. Well that's true, but it would be a complete waste of money - there is no way I can get to run-of-the-mill midweek league games (5+ a season), and I have to work some weekends (which means I miss another 8 or so games a season) - so it really is totally uneconomic. Last year, I asked what about block buying tickets for 12 or so games at the start of the season (and getting next in the 'Wembley' ticket queue after season ticket holders - a half season ticket if you like). Well, the standard letter I got back from Mr. Halford was something to behold (basically the administration would cost too much) - what the hell do they use computers for - playing games?

And that brings me to my major gripe with tickets at City. A few years ago (when I had a season ticket) I tried to bring my daughters with me to occasional games. Have you ever tried to do this? Guess what? You have to buy yourself another ticket to sit with them! Are they trying to encourage regulars to bring their kids to games and get them hooked or what?

I guess I'll try to get my tickets from Gillingham, I'll probably have more chance.

PLEASE DON'T LAUGH!

I am trying to get a ticket for the Wembley game. Many people will chortle by saying "ah... he works at Sky and can't get a ticket." I can... except it will be an OB ticket which is for crew, technical staff etc. I don't want to be stuck in a poxy part of Wembley with our Sports staff. I am currently trying everything to get a ticket so I can savour the victory on the terraces. I haven't yet ruled out parachuting into the ground or an escape to victory style dig under the Wembley walls. I have only seen a handful of games this season and I am not a season ticket holder. Here's the deal... I live in South Ealing which is sunny, green and has lots of great pubs. South Ealing tube is just outside my house which makes getting to Wembley a whole lot easier. I can put up some fellow Blues at my gaff for the weekend (whether you have a spare ticket or not).

If anyone has a spare ticket... give it to me please... aarrgh!

DESPERATE!

Don't suppose I have any chance but if someone does have 2 tickets out there and mails you, please get them to get in touch.

Me and my father couldn't take anymore and got rid of our season tickets. Please no "end of season bandwaggon jumper" flame replies.

SATURDAY NIGHT?

Any Blues heading to Wembley have anything planned for the Saturday night? I could be heading to London from Belfast (haven't yet made up my mind whether to travel ticketless and take a chance or whether just to stay here), and was just wondering if anyone had plans for a pre play off final party?

TICKET REQUEST!

I know there will be a lot of stories over the next few weeks, but I'd appreciate it if you could put this in the next issue: Request - tickets: I've been a City fan for 16 years, I've supported the Blues in the bad times... and that's it. Now, it's my first chance to see something that I'm proud of, and now I've been told by the ticket office I won't probably get a ticket. It's like going to the gates of heaven and St. Peter telling you that because you didn't confess when you called your teacher something, you can't go to heaven. You cannot imagine my utter pain at not being allowed to go to Wembley, you have no idea how much I want to go; it's alright for the people who've had something to shout about over the years, but I haven't. So, if anyone is able to get a few tickets for Wembley, could you email me? I'm willing to pay the full price, and maybe a bit more... please email me if you can, and you might be able to save my faith.

P.S. To all of you who gave me something to write to Joe Royle, he replied on Wednesday, and says thanks for your support! To me that means nothing if I can't get to Wembley.

WEMBLEY TICKETS

How does a New Yorker get tickets for Wembley? If anyone can help I would be most grateful. I know my chances are slim but after supporting City for more than 30 years this is my first chance to get to see them at Wembley. Please e-mail me if you can help. Thanks.

WEMBLEY

I'm a Blue exiled in the West Midlands, Short Heath Willenhall to be exact. I'm driving to Wembley on Sunday morning and coming back straight after the match, so if anyone would like a lift please get in touch.

WEMBLEY MATCH FOR FREE...

Please, please, please can someone be kind enough to get me a City ticket for the Wembley match!

In return for someone doing me this enormous favour, then I'm willing to additionally reimburse them the cost of their own ticket too (thus meaning they'll be going to the match for free!).

Please get in contact if someone has (or can get) one extra ticket.

REQUEST - TICKET HELP

I bet there'll be a few hundred posts like mine in tonight's MCIVTA, no thanks to bl@@dy Gillingham...

Anyway, I've been a Blue for over fifteen years, from when I first got into footie in Singapore, but am now stuck down south in Oxford, and, what's worst, I'm in the middle of sitting for my Final examinations now... otherwise I would have railed up to Manchester pronto to join the Piccadilly queue. What's more, a Gillie end ticket isn't much use because the only time I've seen City lose live is the only time I went undercover in the opposing side's stand... yes, that dreadful Wycombe night. If anyone could help me get a ticket I'd really, really appreciate it, and would stand him/her drinks both before and after the match as well. I'm desperate!

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - OZ BLUES

Do any Blues from Oz know of any way of watching the Wembley game in Australia? Is it on any Sky or Cable channels? - I don't think I could stand the tension of listening to it on the radio!

If anyone can help me, please email me on the following address:

5000 MILES!

Any chance of sticking a desperate plea in your next issue, please please!

I will be unlucky(?) enough to be working away in Los Angeles on 30th May - just about the worst time possible. I'm sure there must be some Blues out there who get MCIVTA and might be able to help me find out where I can watch/listen to the match.

Since it will be about 7:00 in the morning I think I will struggle so please let me know about a 24hr sports bar in Santa Monica (or anywhere in California - I will drive 200 miles if need be!) and save me a hefty phone bill!

Obviously, the beers will be on me.

TO ALL THE SUBSCRIBERS TO MCVITTEE IN OZ...

As you may or may not know the game is not, at the moment anyway, being televised in Australia. A few of us have started a campaign by phoning the holders of the TV rights for the Nationwide League, Optusvision, twice a day asking if the game was being televised and if not, why not and making sure that our enquires/demands/rants are being recorded. If you would like to do the same, which I know you would, then get onto Optus on 13 33 99 and let them know! Even fax them on (02) 9775 9000 and let them know! Look on their web page at: www.optusvision.com.au and let them know!

I reckon there could even be a couple of thousand other Blues out there who could get onto Optus's web page and send them a little e-mail.

Even Sky in the UK have been contacted but as yet no reply.

If you know any Gillingham fans get them in on the act, even your neighbours, the local copper, the chip shop man, anybody, we are desperate.

Back to the nail-biting.

PLAY OFF TICKET DISTRIBUTION

Thank You For Your Most Loyal Support

What a laugh - treated like animals.

My family have four season tickets and two members of our group (my sister and my niece went down to Maine Road on Saturday and queued for 12 hours (not 7 as Bernard Halford said was the maximum on GMR); he said it could not be avoided. What was wrong with direct debit or season ticket holders automatically getting sent their tickets, or the system that is used all year i.e. regular season ticket holders first and then 4th, 3rd, 2nd and lst. Bernard Halford said that there were people queuing up to 14 hours before the office opened. How can old people, children and women queue in Moss Side all night without any facilities whatsoever, you tell me.

If there are approximately 15,000 season ticket holders then if everybody is allowed one ticket, as detailed in the handout given to fans at the 2nd leg match against Wigan, then everybody that wants a good ticket i.e. £32 should be able to get one - not the case. Mr Halford in his wisdom decides at the last minute to allow season ticket holders with stubs an extra ticket for every two stubs, so fans were going with handfuls of stubs and buying numerous tickets, these extra tickets no doubt being given to non season ticket holders. By the time my sister got to the front of the queue there were only £22 and £20 tickets left (these are in the 'gods').

There were old people and children queuing for many hours. This included 3 hours in what could only be described as a tunnel in the back of the North Stand strewn with litter, people smoking and the doors and the fire extinguishers were padlocked. If that is not a recipe for disaster I don't know what is! My niece was trapped in a fire a few years back and therefore this experience brought back memories and she became very claustrophobic and panicky.

Stories going around included the night worker who had worked Friday night, gone straight to the ground, waited for 12 hours and was late for his night shift on Saturday night, all this and no sleep. A fan who had driven down from Whitby and wanted to be informed whether he was likely to get sold a ticket that day because he did not want to be turned away only having to drive home and back down on Sunday, no information was forthcoming. An old man in his 70's who has been a fan for 40 years and to ask him to stand for all that time is sheer cruelty.

One woman on GMR said that she drove up from Crewe on Saturday with her family and when they eventually got served they could not have children's tickets unless they had family stand season tickets, even though they had children's season tickets.

The main complaint here besides the amount of time is that Bernard Halford allowed people with stubs to have tickets. This policy was changed apparently on Sunday. So what is the point in paying out for a season ticket if it does not give you priority? I was annoyed on Friday to learn that Supporters' Clubs get their tickets before they go on sale, this is whether or not their members are season ticket holders or not, so perhaps it is better to pay a couple of pounds to join a Supporters' Club and forget about a season ticket.

We have e-mailed the club, and suggest that as many people as possible do the same.

Finally, we went on Blue View late on Saturday and to add insult to injury there were Gillingham fans offering to sell tickets to City fans and then on Sunday there were Millwall fans saying they had bought tickets from Gillingham and they were going to carry on where they left off at Maine Road earlier in the season - thanks Football League for a job well done!

SCANDALOUS!

I've just waited 12 hours (12 hours) (sic) to get 2 Wembley tickets costing £22 each. The £32 tickets had sold out many hours earlier.

Behind me in the queue was a lady in her 70's who was queueing for her son. She too waited 12 hours outside Maine Road with no toilet facilites, no food or drink and no information about whether we would actually ever be served. Her knees buckled and she crumpled to the floor as she shuffled the last few feet to the ticket window - a sight I will never forget.

Truly and wholly scandalous.

Naturally, I have written the stiffest possible letter to the Ticket Office administrators. Any pressure your excellent service could bring to bear on the MCFC authorities would be brilliant.

TV IN FRANCE

Having pretty much excepted that it is most unlikely that I'll get a ticket for Sunday, and imagining that the match will be on Sky, anyone know anywhere around Rennes in Brittany that will show the match?

NEWS SUMMARY

Ticket Disappointment

Most of the last few days' news has surrounded the scramble for Wembley tickets - at least for City fans. While Gillingham, whose average attendance is less than 6,500 received 34,400 tickets for next Sunday's game, the Blues received an initial 37,000 (since increased by 2,000) despite an average home crowd of over 28,000. Football League spokesman Chris Hull defended the decision on the basis that "it's Gillingham's day as well" and Gills' chairman Paul Scally had claimed his club would sell the entire allocation. He was as good as his word, too, with the Kent club announcing on Sunday lunchtime that they'd sold all tickets they received. There's no way they've sold them all to committed supporters, of course, because there simply aren't that many. So the question is - who's bought all those tickets?

Fans Worried

Gillingham's masterfully controlled ticket distribution plan involved providing eight tickets to season ticket holders and four tickets to any individual who could prove residence at an address with a Kent postal code. Now, apart from knowing already of several Blues who will be in the Gillingham end next Sunday and apart from hearing from good sources that ticket "agencies" are already advertising their plentiful supplies of tickets available at a hefty mark-up, this also seems an open invitation to anyone who wants to cause trouble. Don Price of the Prestwich & Whitefield branch of the CSA voiced his fear that the size and method of distribution of the Gillingham allocation would prove, "a licence to every tout, hooligan or nutcase" and it's hard to disagree.

As of Monday afternoon, Teamtalk was reporting that fears of Millwall fans getting their hands on tickets had "so far proved unfounded" but how will they know until the day? Or, for that matter (and so as not to be accused of pandering to a stereotype), if City fans intent on causing bother decide they fancy some fun and games right among the Gillingham contingent. It's ironic when the safety of fans is meant to be the prime consideration that it seems to have played no rôle whatsoever in the League's thinking. League commercial co-ordinator Peter Rowe has claimed that fans in the wrong area of the ground will be denied entry or, if they sneak in, ejected. However, one has to wonder whether there will be simply too many instances to make this threat viable.

Fans Slam Club

Meanwhile, the club has been the target of criticism from fans for the manner of its distribution of Wembley tickets. This has received extensive airings in the local media, with a BBC North West film crew even dispatched to the ground on Monday. The mood was described by one BVer as "very tense with fighting and violence towards ticket office". Bernard Halford defended his handling of the situation, claiming that he set up "a scheme to reward our most loyal fans", but fans angry at having to queue for up to twelve hours have not been calmed by his assertions.

Club Protests to League

Meanwhile, the club is as unhappy as the rest of us at the Football League's handling of the whole affair. Joe Royle labelled the final split "absurd", while chairman David Bernstein said in a statement to the Manchester Evening News, "Given the enormous difference in the size of support base between Gillingham and ourselves, we are disappointed with our initial allocation." The phrase "master of understatement" springs to mind.

The Game on TV

I understand that in the UK, the game will be live on Sky. Obviously, this doesn't help overseas Blues. However, those of you in the US, Canada and the Caribbean might have an answer. Phil Lines has e-mailed Seamus Rourke at Setanta Sport (srourke@setanta.com) to ask him to show the City vs. Gills game. I'm told this tactic worked a couple of years ago when they showed the City vs. West Ham cup game. It's then down to you to get your local sports bar to join the fun and show the game.

City Set For Sponsor Controversy?

City may be set for controversy if they secure a sponsorship from French Connection. City chairman David Bernstein is also non-executive chairman of the clothing company, and it's being claimed that the logo FCUK could be appearing on the Blues' shirts next term. It's reckoned that City are keen on the idea, which was also greeted with enthusiasm when floated on Blue View some time back. The main problem appears to be that replica kits are very popular amongst the junior age groups and some parents may be unhappy purchasing shirts carrying this logo.

Transfer Rumours

No doubt speculation will intensify next week as to possible targets to improve next season's squad - especially if promotion is secured on Sunday. However, the odd name has been aired so far. As already reported, there are claims City could be interested in Mark Hughes, while over the weekend, further names have entered the ring. Andy Sinton, who's on a free from Spurs and fits the bill if Royle is, as he's mused before, seeking a left-winger, is the most prominent. Also featuring in the rumours are former City striker Mike Sheron, now at Barnsley, and Everton duo Michael Branch (who was at Maine Road on loan six months ago, of course) and Tony Grant. Time will tell.

Colin Shindler

Colin Shindler has asked me to point out that his surname is spelt "Shindler", without a 'c'. While it's a mistake I'm sure he meets frequently, it would be nice if he didn't see it in MCIVTA when among his own.

HEADS IN THE SAND TIME, BOYS!

(By Noel Bayley - editor of Bert Trautmann's Ticket Stubs)

Surprised by the latest ticket allocation/ticket office fiasco? I'm not and neither should you be. The combination of Manchester City and the Football League is hardly a winning one. For years, City haven't been able to organise a p***-up in a brewery. Ditto the League. Queuing up for Wigan tickets a few weeks ago, one Supporters' Club official confided in me that the League had asked City how many tickets they'd need should they get to Wembley. Apparently, Frank Horrocks asked for 40,000 when we all thought 50,000 should have been the minimum. However, should we get Gillingham, we were told, we could expect a few more. Well, we have got Gillingham and we've actually been given less!

The League's spokesman, Chris Hull, has made me laugh with his head-in-the-sand stance. Seems to me that he went straight to Gillingham first and asked them how many tickets they'd like, knowing they could sell the residue to us. How he must have been shocked when their chairman - aptly named Scally - asked for 35,000, although his shock couldn't have been as great as ours. According to Hull, there's been a lot of interest in Kent - a veritable footballing hotbed if never there was one! In fact, there's been so much interest in the Garden Of England that many of the tickets that were so eagerly bought in Kent have found their way up to Manchester, no doubt sold on by Gillingham's hitherto dormant 29,000 fan base who know a ruse when they see one.

Already the harbingers of doom are forecasting trouble in the Gills' end, only there won't be a Gills' end. However, there will be another City end. with a few Gillingham fans in it! Ten years after Hillsborough you'd have thought the footballing authorities might have finally learnt a lesson. Obviously not and neither have City. Over the years I've turned the various ticket office shambles into a personal crusade and to no avail. The club want to bring money in understandably, but they are not prepared to invest any money in an efficient ticket office. It's woefully small and cannot cope. On occasion, I've spoken to Peter Swales, Francis Lee, the Fans' Committee and the ticket office manager, Duncan Thomas. All to no avail. After this season's major problems wouldn't you think they'd be determined to sort it out for next year? I would, but I doubt they will, although come Sunday, hopefully all will go to plan, everyone who wants to see the match will get in to see it and there won't be any bother. If only!

THE LIFEBOATS OF THE TITANIC OR HEYSEL TO HAPPEN YET AGAIN?

First of all, I do not want to criticise Man City FC. I believe they have been let down by the Football League. Giving priority to season ticket holders seems a good idea by City - I know S/T holders have been queuing up for ages, but we only have a small ticket office so it is no use criticising them, even though a more modern way of handling things must be found sooner rather than later.

But again I get the feeling that nobody knows anything when it comes to planning and information about ticket sales. It is impossible to get an answer about the ticket situation for fans living in Manchester, never mind us foreign Blues supporting City.

From what I can gather some S/T holders have been able to get an extra ticket, even though the instructions say one ticket per season ticket, and no sales until Tuesday with membership cards and stubs.

Being the Secretary of the Scandinavian Branch (553 members and it is our 25th anniversary this season), I have ordered match tickets for 98 members. I will get to know if we receive any, possibly on Tuesday night or Wednesday. We have already booked our plane tickets and hotel; total cost of somewhere near £400 is the average we have to pay up to get to London. Our plane tickets cannot be cancelled, and at the moment it seems very much like we will have to support the population of Kent and and touts from London to be able to get a ticket. Which will also mean a non-dress party otherwise we will be shown the door. I wonder how many empty seats there will be in the Gillingham end?

We have absolutely no chance of queuing up for tickets, I know I speak on behalf of my members when I say we don`t mind queuing up for 10-12 hours for a ticket, after all most of us do that by travelling to the nearest airport. So we are depending on Manchester City FC to give us tickets through the Official Supporters' Club. We feel we should get tickets because since we were formed 25 ago we have contributed to:

• Most of us are over once or twice a season, the cost of travelling once is more than the price of a season ticket.
• Members travelling on this trip have been doing so for many years (80% of us travelling this time have been more than once this season already).
• About 40 who are going this time have also paid up for the membership card, but we can`t queue on Tuesday. Mine, by the way, registered as No. 702063 (even if we have a strong support, I don`t think this is my actual number in the queue).
• Most of us hold the match mag, the monthly mag and buy the souvenirs big style when we are over (might be silly I know and a free choice, but it still pays the players' wages).
• We are extremely loyal to the cause, our Branch has helped Man City FC on a few occasions with getting opponnents and contracts sorted out for pre-season training in Scandinavia. We were there when needed, where are you today?
• Supporting next year's Youth Academy team by sponsoring them.
• Various Sponsorship dinners (such as Tony Coton's Barnardo's etc.) attended by us in the past.

As I said earlier about the ticket situation I feel Manchester City's season tickets holders obviously should get first choice. I am not too sure whether they should get 2 tickets each, but I believe they are worth having that, considering their loyalty to City, even in the Second Division. I just hope some of you/them spare other true Blues a thought in the situation we are in just now.

Furthermore I think the Official Branches and City fans with membership cards should get told an allocation beforehand of the tickets we are about to receive. I understand we can`t get unlimited numbers, but I feel we should get told how many we are getting so we get a fair chance to plan things beforehand. After all we are playing a team with a very low average crowd. If it had been a proper final against a Premier League side, you would not find me complaining. Then it would have been a matter of 20,000 tickets to each side, which I fully respect and I would have to buy a season ticket to get a chance to see City. Fair play!

I believe a lot of you MCIVTA`s who are living far away are basically in the same boat as us. For those of you who think our Branch only go for the big games, then I am afraid you are wrong, which can be proved by a lot of Mancs we have met in any kind of weather or walks of life, Reading away 0-3, and Huddersfield 0-1 at home being some of our Branch trips in the past two seasons.

My point is that I will hold the Football League adminstration responsible for what will happen when/if we have to get our own match tickets through people from South England wanting to sell their spare tickets for beer money to us in London. I must say I am worried to what will happen to a person offering us such a choice. And what will happen inside the ground I don`t dare to think of. It is not our nature to cause trouble, but why, oh why don`t the Football League administration listen to supporters before they make decisions like this?

Taking the average football crowd into this perspective, Gillingham taking 20,000 and City 50,000 would still be unfair to City fans, but probably cover a true football supporter's needs. The season average being 28,000 divided by 7,000 is 4 which should be the formula in use. But 50,000 divided by 20,000 is 2,5 and that does cause trouble, can you see my point? (If the standard of living for the population of Gillingham and London touts is very poor I rather pay them separately for their daily struggle), but we are football fans and we want to go with our supporters. But if it is trouble the Football League wants, then I think they will certainly get it by sorting things out the way they have done.

If any true Blues out there have got a spare ticket please e-mail me, and I promise you a good price for it from our members. After all we have already spent £400 on getting there, so most of us are willing to pay up extra to get a ticket in the City area. It is sad, but now a likely situation if we after all have not been looked after by Man City FC and the Supporters' Club.

Is this the price for being a loyal Official Supporters' Club for 25 years?

TICKET INFO, TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION ISSUES

Hotel Recommendation

I did a bit of scouting around and the best deal seems to be The Mail Coach Inn, a football friendly pub with a very healthy drinking culture. It's next to Shepherds Bush underground and handy for Wembley and Central London. Prices 4 bed room £68 per night, triple = £51, double or twin = £45. Tel. 0181 749 3455. Let me know if I can be of any help.

Where to get a drink from 11am Sunday at Wembley

As the Chairman of Wembley football club is a very good friend of mine he has said all City fans are welcome from 11am on Sunday, kids are welcome. The address is Wembley football club, off Watford Road, Sudbury, Middlesex. Coming from Manchester on the M40 stay on A40 until Hanger Lane, do a left onto A4005 into Sudbury, just stay on that road, at big roundabout straight on, next roundabout straight on then next right; you will see the entrance on the right, plenty of parking around. The nearest tube is Sudbury Town, ten minutes' walk. Wembley Stadium is less than 2 miles from Wembley football club and there won't be problems getting taxis. Also you can follow signs to Fantasy Island - it is next door. See you there.

Park and Ride to Wembley, from stations near the Motorways

Silverlink services (normally Birmingham - Euston) start from Rugby that Sunday. Times past each hour at each station (and sample day return fares - see bargain below):

49 Rugby                   (£13.90 "Daytripper")
59 Long Buckby             (£14.30 day return)
20 Northampton             (£14.30)
33 Wolverton
37 Milton Keynes Central   (£11.20)
41 Bletchley
49 Leighton Buzzard
00 Berkhamsted
04 Hemel Hempstead          (£4.60)
12 Watford Junction
18 Harrow and Wealdstone

Then local train or tube from Harrow (24 past) to Wembley Central (32 past)

E.g. 10 49 from Rugby would be 12 32 at Wembley.

There are slower trains starting from Northampton at 50 minutes past the hour calling at all stations. After the match, every few minutes Wembley to Harrow, then every half-hour to Northampton (22/52 from Harrow), every hour (52) to Rugby.

N.B. Silverlink may stop some of the Rugby/Northampton trains at Wembley before and after the match, avoiding the change at Harrow.

Bargain Silverlink have a special fare of £28 on this route for up to four people day return travelling together.

Chiltern Trains run near the M40:

30 past Birmingham Snow Hill  (£21.50 day return)
33 past Birmingham Moor St
45 past Solihull
04 Warwick
08 Leamington Spa
30 Banbury
45 Bicester North   (£12.50)
16 High Wycombe     (£6.70)
22 Beaconsfield
40 Wembley Stadium  (right next to the stadium)

E.g. 09 30 from Birmingham, 11 40 at Stadium

Return from Stadium at 54 past the hour (also at 27 past to Beaconsfield & High Wycombe)

London Transport to Wembley Park.

From Stanmore (2 miles from M1 jn 4, onto A41 then right on A410); every 7 minutes, 10 mins journey; £1.20 single, £2.40 return, or £4.50 for a Travelcard for unlimited travel on the tube all day.

From Hillingdon (just off the A40, first exit after the end of the M40); every 15 mins, 25 mins journey; £1.60 single, £3.20 return, £4.50 Travelcard.

OPINION, SOUNDING OFF

Club Sponsors

In response to Brian Morrison's article in the last edition, he says that it would good for Manchester City council to be next club sponsors to replace Brother. His theory behind this is that we are well in bed with the council due to the stadium deal.

Can I just say on this matter, firstly, what stadium? Oh you mean that Eastlands stadium that not one brick has been laid for yet. That stadium that does not have all the funding. That stadium that is only being built (if it gets built) on two sides. That stadium that's designed for Athletics viewing. OK assuming all goes to plan with this stadium, which is doubtful, I think you will find many clubs digging us due to the fact that it is council owned, and not owned by the club. The last thing we want on top of that is for our team to be running round with Manchester City Council all over their shirts! No thanks.

There are enough money wasters within Councils as it is, and I could not possibly see any benefit in Manchester council wasting more money on a football club sponsorship (but it would not surprise me). MCC, forget footy club sponsorship, do what you're best at, be over staffed, over paid, and keep the holes in Manchester's roads!

WEMBLEY AGAIN!

I'm going to Wembley again on Sunday! Seems only a few minutes since the Full Members' Cup Final! My daughter lives in London and I want to meet her somewhere near a tube station, a stop or two from Wembley, leave the car and have a beer. I lived in the sarf many years ago and my memories of "beer" are not good. Is there any local knowledge out there with regard to pubs that actually sell drinkable beer and are in areas where the car may still be parked when I return? If any other Blues have similar plans, let me know.

I did a "Why Blue" a couple of months ago and bemoaned the fact that I had never seen a programme dedicated to King Colin. I had some response to this and it seems I'm not the only one who would like to see this. There must be someone out there in telly land who has access to the archives and who could do such a programme?

CAN CITY FANS TAKE A LOSS ON SUNDAY?

I've been a City fan for over 20 years (almost all my life), and I can't remember as big a game as City face on Sunday. No United derby or Wembley final in the last 20 years can compare to the importance of this final. Even with the 81' final heartbreak against Spurs will not compare to the feeling of a loss on Sunday, the thought of another year in the 2nd Division is beyond comprehension. With the prize of playing the likes of Blackburn and Forest next season, the pressure on the City players will be at its highest level. City fans have tolerated so much disappointment over the years and surely deserve to be celebrating come late Sunday afternoon but how many of us confident of another spectacular performance and a convincing win? Of course we all are... we are after all City fans and win or loss on Sunday we'll all be back next season.

Surely something must come of the fall to rock bottom? We have no individual superstars, no highly paid under-achievers, what we have is a team of players who want to win and want to lead Manchester City back to the top stage. Hopefully with Royle at the helm and David B. behind the scenes we have the leadership and the backing to take us all the way.

I only saw one live game this season, being 5,000 miles from Maine Road it's not often I get to see a game but thanks to MCITVA, Blue View, etc... I still get to participate in the joy and sorrow every Saturday.

DUBLIN PUB?

I am away in Dublin on Wembley day; anyone know a pub that will screen the match? Here's hoping.

DEFINITELY (MAYBE)... TRAFALGAR SQUARE HERE WE COME

We were always going to make it to Wembley this year. Definitely. Well Definitely Maybe. I had a horrible feeling when I left behind the Blues at Millwall away, along with my half used season ticket (in the safe hands of my best mate Ricky), that my decision to travel the world, and live in Australia for a few years would correspond with something special. Typical City!

We'd been planning to travel for a few years, and at times under Horton and Ball it really couldn't come soon enough. However, the longer we put it off, and the worse City got, the more obsessed me and Rick became. It became a matter of honour to travel the four hours up the motorway for the visit of illustrious teams such as Walsall or Bury. The reasoning was that if we weren't at the crap games we didn't deserve to go to the big games.

For us Mancs in exile, every home game was a real trek (though plenty of away games were a breeze), but every moment spent on the road was worth it because we were doing it for the Blues, and to show the majority of our mates who follow the Dark Side, that City fans are without a doubt the most loyal. We might make our feelings known, and not always in the side's best interests, but the one thing that we will never do is desert our team.

It's often quoted by Reds who aren't in the know that Nited were still the best followed team in the seventies when they were in (the old) Division 2. What they forget is that in those days there was nothing else to do on a Saturday afternoon, and it cost about 30p to stand on the terraces. No multiplexes, no Arndale, no Lakeside Shopping Centre or Millennium Dome Experience (for the majority of Reds), no other major sporting events to take the attention away from football and no need to spend an arm and a leg to take the family. When you talk about loyalty at the lowest point in our history, then City fans can never be beaten.

Every City fan who has attended this season and the two (or is it ten) particularly crap seasons prior to this one deserves a massive pat on the back. In times of such adversity the truly strong show their mettle, and it only happens with City, not Newcastle (check out their attendances four years ago), not Chelsea, and no not Nited (the days of Fergie out chants and low attendances for Wimbledon and Sheffield Wednesday at the Swamp are not as far away as they make out).

For me being twelve thousand miles away for the past eight months, the main source of pride has been the attendance figures, and no one I tell about our plight and our fans can quite believe it.

I really felt that even though we were playing so badly we would end up at Wembley because this is the first year in seven when I won't be a nice easy tube ride from it. When we got Wimbledon in the Cup I took that as an omen, as me and Rick could've left my house at 2.30, had a couple of beers and still been in the ground by 3.00. One year we did it (against Palace) we were two down in the first fifteen minutes, but at least we had the consolation of a taxi home rather than the horrendous trip back to our beloved Manchester. The trip from the Cook Islands where I was at the time of the latest Dons game would not have been so smooth, and the result of course would not have been any consolation.

Still my thoughts of Wembley still beckoned and due to work commitments if we reached the play offs, the only way I could do it is to fly from Melbourne on Saturday morning, and after a 24 hour flight would arrive on Saturday afternoon (only 12 hours later) in Heathrow. Duly jetlagged and time to party in Trafalgar Square in the evening before the big day.

My slight problem was that to get this flight meant I had to pay in full in April (with no refunds if your team don't get there), when we were looking like either not getting in the play offs or (heaven forbid) going up automatically! That was the longest six weeks of my entire life!

I got no sleep on the night of the game and then despite getting up at 3am (6pm at Maine Road) couldn't get through on the Net so was sweating on the result without being able to hear any of it! How could I have ever doubted you my Blue Shirted Heroes? A trip to Wembley was in the bag the minute I put down the deposit on April 4th! Never in question... never in doubt (maybe). Bottle going for six weeks? Not I!

So 12,000 miles and 2,000 Aussie dollars later and I'm into Heathrow at 3.30 on Saturday 29th. Timing is everything! The West End should be full of Blues that night, as from what I've heard it's not going to be a one nighter. Thank God for Bank Holiday weekends. If you're there see you in Trafalgar Square late on Saturday night... this is going to be the weekend that sees the first truly Mancunian invasion of London for what seems like an eternity.

Here's to many more! If you see a drunken shambling mess in the West End of London, or the Fountains in the Square make sure you say hello... you'll know it's me because I'll have the worst tiger design hawaiian shirt you've ever seen. I've never been turned away from a club in it (as the bouncers always p**s themselves laughing), so it's a necessity in London, with my face.

Have one ####### great weekend Blues.

P.S. No right minded person in the free thinking world can want anything other than a double of our own: Promotion for us and a big win for our second favourite team Bayern Munich. What a return to Manchester that will be.

PROUD AND BLUE

If I was to send this message addressed to Joe Royle it would probably be filed in the positive in-tray and he would never get to see it. I don't mean that in any detriment to him or the club but I couldn't expect him to personally deal with my letter because I'm sure he'll be inundated with well wishing correspondence. However, it goes something like this:

Dear Joe,

I would personally like to thank you, your assistant and the Chairman for completely rebuilding the confidence and hopes of both the players, supporters and fans of Manchester City Football Club. City are heading back in the right direction and this is just the start of it. Even if we fail at Wembley and have to do another season in the Second Division this year must be regarded as a success. If anyone out there thinks it will be deemed a failure if we don't win at Wembley then I suggest you put the previous three seasons into perspective.

I believe that if we fail we will be stronger next year and get automatic promotion, if we win at Wembley then we will make an impact in the First Division and probably go up to the Premier the following year.

Whatever happens we are on our way back.

Proud and Blue.

HUMOUR

Just a little note to confirm the fact that most of the MU fans here have an IQ comparable to that of a garden slug.

Arsenal were in Kuala Lumpur to play a friendly match against the national side. One radio show had their listeners call-in to talk about their 'favourite' football team. Which was obviously supposed to be Arsenal in this case.

One lady called in and after a few minutes of chatting with the DJ, was asked who her favourite player in the team was. Her reply - 'David Beckham'

And it didn't end there. Another DJ from the same station said that he was going to somehow get Peter Schmeichel's autograph when he gets a chance to meet the team.

CONGRATLUATIONS

Congrats to Man City and all you fans on the play off results Í hope you have a great day out and the right result at the end of the game. I will be in Australia (Grace Hotel in Sydney) for the next 10 days or so, so if anyone there is aware of a good place to watch the game I would really appreciate a call. Incidentally I will be flying during the FA Cup final so will miss that game, but just hope that it's a precursor to a Manchester double. It's one more step to both our teams back in the Premier division which is as it should be for Manchester (OK Noel, Manchester and Salford!). Every best wish.

MUTV

Manchester United TV launched their exciting new season's listings yesterday: here are the first day's programmes.

7am: Quiz WIPEOUT - a sentimental re-run of the Munich air disaster.
9am: LOST IN SPACE - a medical documentary attempting to look at what actually goes on in the minds of an average United supporter.
11:30am: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - the quest continues to find a Man Utd supporter who actually comes from the Manchester area.
12:30pm: EVERY SECOND COUNTS - quiz with Alex Ferguson and his famous stopwatch.
1:30pm: NEIGHBOURS - a look at cross-town rivals City (comedy).
2:30pm: THE GREAT ANTIQUES HUNT - Bryan Robson explains what possessed him to sign Gary Pallister.
3:30pm: ANIMAL HOSPITAL - Rolf Harris looks at how the surgeons helped Roy Keane back to full fitness.
4pm: CHANGING ROOMS - David Beckham talks about the one he sat in for most of the second half against Argentina.
5pm: ONE MAN AND HIS DOG - David Beckham and his wife Victoria discuss married life.
5:30pm: WESTCOUNTRY LIVE - one half of United's traditional fan base have their say.
6pm: THE BIG FILM "SCUM" - an in-depth profile of the average Man Utd supporter.
8:29pm: BLANKETY-BLANK - an inside look at Teddy Sheringham's medal collection.
8:30pm: THE LONDON SHOW - the other half of United's fan base have their say.
9pm: RED DWARF - the Paul Scholes story.
9:30pm: MUSIC "THE STAND UP SHOW" - 99% of the country rise to the number one terrace song "Stand up if you hate MAN U".
10pm: QUESTION TIME WITH ALEX FERGUSON
10:01pm: WINNER TAKES ALL - a big-hearted tribute to Arsenal's 1998-99 season.
11pm: RED NOSE DAY SPECIAL - more laughs with Peter Schmeichel.
11:30pm: BLIND DATE - Gary Neville attempts to pull a bird for the first time in his life.

The Teddy gibe a bit out of date now?

WHY BLUE?

I can't say my reasons for choosing City are the noblest in the world. I read 'Why Blue' stories, about young lads being taken to see their first City game on their 6th Birthday by their dad. Or maybe they were born into 3 generations of Rags and rebelled by choosing City. I feel a pang of jealousy when I read such passionate stories. My story is about as mundane as it gets.

I first chose City when I was 8. I come from a family who opted out of sports. All sports. And football in particular. We liked chess. Sad but true. One day my mum bought my 2 elder brothers a football mug. One had United and one had City. The only reason my football-hating siblings asked for the mugs was because they recognised the goading potential of choosing rival teams. Then my mum turned to me and asked which one I wanted, something I hadn't until then, given a moment's thought. So I had to choose between my two brothers. I chose City.

I spent my schooldays fully aware that an arbitrary mug selection process was in no way supporting a team. But I still said I supported City. Somebody told me a report about how someone during a Manchester derby was attacked with a pair of nutcrackers, in an unspeakable way. Maybe I was gullible or maybe just a plain coward, but it put me off going to a football match for 15 years, though I often wanted to.

One day when I was in my twenties a friend told me he was off to a City match and asked me if I wanted to come. I said yes. Just like that. It was the late 80's and football violence was a thing of the past. I chose to go to my first City game just as I had chosen to give blood and as I had made my first parachute jump, because I wasn't doing anything better at the time. The painful similarity of supporting City to giving blood and free-falling only became apparent a number of years later.

So there I was walking to the game thinking about how well behaved everybody was when someone jumped on my back and tried to wrestle me to the ground. During the tussle I thought I am amongst thousands I am the only victim of crowd trouble! After a few seconds I discovered the laughing assailant was a colleague and he was messing. 'Mike, I didn't know you were a City supporter!' So that was it, for the first time I actually felt like a supporter.

When I walked into the ground for the first time and I emerged at the top of the Kippax and felt the atmosphere, I put my arms in the air and thought, this is it, I have come home.

Alas I can't remember whom we were playing or what the score was.

Graham Jones, citizen.search@virgin.net