MAN CITY INFO VIA THE ALPS "McVittee!" #920

DATE Monday 2 June 2003

The main City news today is that we are back in Europe for the first time since 1979 courtesy of the English league gaining a place via the 'Fair Play' system. The fixtures are due out on 20th June, with the first game likely to be 14th August. Watch this space, and in the meantime get those passports and holiday entitlements checked!

Weekend saw the breaking news that the Amulet Group, who own our current sponsors First Advice, have been placed into administration with the loss of over 1,000 jobs. No doubt more information will emerge over the next few days.

The midfield debate continues, James and Ernie bemoan the lack of interesting links, we've a review of 'Sex and Man City' (not lurid revelations in the Sunday tabloids), plenty of requests for Blues worldwide and our latest Junior Blue from Australia.

Finally, details for the memorial service to be held at Maine Road this weekend thanks to Graham.

OPINION: FAIR PLAY

At long last, the Blues are back in Europe. Over the (Blue) moon in this family. Hopefully we can show the Red rags that City can be a force to be reckoned with.

OPINION: MEMORIAL SERVICE

A memorial service will take place in the main stand at 3pm on Saturday 7th June for relatives of all persons whose ashes have been scattered at Maine Road. The service will last 30-40 minutes and entry on the day from 2pm is free but by ticket only.

To obtain tickets ring Lorraine Firth direct at MCFC.

OPINION: LACKLUSTRE LINKS I

Is it just me or is anyone else worried? Last summer, on the back of demolishing the First Division, we entered the Premiership being linked with the likes of Davids, Anelka, Effenberg etc.; money seemed no object in order to secure these prize signings. All our major pre-season signings occurred not long after the end of the season.

Picture the scene now: we've finished in a comfortable 9th, having not lost to the League Champions all season, we're moving to a fantastic stadium and with possible European football gracing the new turf. Now the bit that worries me, Bernstein has left as chairman with rumours of KK wanting to go on a spending spree. We now find from Wardle that this spending spree is only £5 million. Now I know that (a) transfer prices have bottomed (unless you are MVF) and (b) this could all be a smoke screen, but in my book that's not much of a spending spree so I presume I can assume Bernie left for different reasons.

Anyhow, we're now being linked with Keith Gillespie and David Seaman - last summer I was really excited about possible signings, this season I'm praying that they don't come! Where are the big name signings? Has KK lost the allure that saw Anelka sign and Fowler do a U-turn? Am I just suffering from "end of season affective disorder"?

When does the season start again?

OPINION: LACKLUSTRE LINKS II

The silly season continues. On April 30th Matt Holland told Ipswich Town that he wanted to be transferred to a Premier League team. Since then Ipswich have been taken off administration by their creditors (still £35 million in debt), and the creditors have agreed to work out a plan. So now the Ipswich skipper says he wants to stay at Ipswich after rumours Spurs were interested. It was projected that Matt Holland's fee would be £4 Million (for the record).

Still no news on a new goalkeeper for City, which most of us feel is the most important position to be covered. So far these are the goalkeepers mentioned:

David Seaman    (Arsenal)       Fee = free
David James     (West Ham)      Projected fee = £3 million
Neil Sullivan   (Spurs)         Projected fee = £2 million
Paul Jones      (Southampton)   Projected fee = £1.5 million
Giorgi Lomala   (Loco. Tblisi)  Projected fee = £3 million
Paul Robinson   (Leeds United)  Projected fee = £8 million
Russel Hoult    (West Brom)     Projected fee = £2 million
Thomas Sorensen (Sunderland)    Projected fee = £3 million

Well City fans, who would be your choice, and if someone else says so, bear in mind value for money and ability. Will you guess right?

For the record I feel Carlo Nash is better than a couple of those named above. But I do feel we need a very good 'keeper, our last line of defence.

OPINION: SEX AND MAN CITY

Self confessed Man Utd fan Ali McG (Alastair McGowan) may have used his show as a great opportunity to stick the knife in on Man City big time by ripping it mercilessly out of us in his show. Au contraire!

I have seen three instalments now of Sex & Man City and have to confess:

• It's very funny
• The take off of KK is spot on
• It really puts us on the map (you have to remember this is a time slot and audience that for the most part that would not know about teams other than Man Utd & Arsenal; in PR terms it is good exposure and is taking a chance a bit with references to Anelka & Tiatto)

His impression of Kevin is well observed and is much understated and all the better for it and is the first time I have seen anyone take KK off without resorting to the rather pathetic Frank Spencer "Oooh Betty" type rendition of him saying "luv it luv it" etc.

The script is predictable in that Carrie (anyone with a wife and/or girlfriend who has forced us to watch the show has finally paid off) goes to find love in this place called Man City hoping it to be a romantic search for a City that is full of men. She tries to get off with KK while Charlotte tries to get off with Noel Gallagher and the girl from Chef plays Samantha who gets off with everyone including Rio Ferdinand who is at the M.E.N. awards of which Carrie assumes it's an award ceremony for best chaps.

It's full of "carry-on-esque" double entendres as KK is talking about football and Carrie think he's talking about sex.

Some of KKs quotes (licence here please).

"I need to get take you on the physio's couch right now" "You've got to admire anyone who can handle things that well in and around the box" "Do you prefer the long ball game" "I always prefer to take a deep penetrating position" "It's great when you come from behind"

Carrie of course swoons at all of the statements in the hope that KK will get to grips with her, but sadly for her, KK disappears to give a training session.

They are all in there. I am sure it will appear on a TV montage soon enough for all to see.

The person who came off worst was Rio Ferdinand, with an unfortunate and exaggerated stammer and a very thick manner. I've had so much stick from the crowd I've made a wicker basket.

[Agreed Phil, excellent viewing on a Friday evening - Ed]

OPINION: NEW SPONSOR?

It's sad to see any company have to go into administration, more so when it's the number one sponsor of City, First Advice.

Who will be the next sponsor of City? It's an exciting club for any sponsor that's for sure. What would be nice on the City shirts would be "Boddingtons the Cream of Manchester" but I expect that's not going to be possible, Boddingtons would want both Manchester teams to drink their product. Besides City already have John Smiths, Fosters, and Budweiser. Now if Budweiser would step up to be a main sponsor, they will not collapse, they are just too big. Budweiser always advertise through sports, and back sports.

Looking at the bright side, at least this happened during the off season, and before the new Reebok shirts came out, and we all had bought shirts that would have become redundant (but no doubt City would have helped their supporters on that issue).

Who would you like to see as City's next sponsor (remember it will be on the shirt some of us fans will proudly wear)?

OPINION: MIDFIELD MAESTROS I

• McManaman is in his prime.
• MVF is the footballers' footballer and the managers' player.
• Tiatto is an Aussie headless chicken... who, thankfully, was out for half a season.

What next?

• Let's get Lee Bradbury back,
• Get rid of that Anelka, and
• Bring in Brian Greenhoff as a defensive coach.

Absolute nonsense.

Do give it a rest Sarah. You're entitled to your opinion but do try and base it on something that those of us who have been going for more than three seasons can actually relate to.

OPINION: MIDFIELD MAESTROS II

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Just read MCIVTA and have to disagree...

'If Macca comes to City it will be to replace our playmaker - moaning Eyal Berkovic. A great player on his day but one who seems to have a mental as well as a physical problem with injuries'

To quote Sarah Ferguson.

Let's get one thing straight: Steve McManaman is not and never will be a playmaker at Real Madrid! He is a stop-gap defensive midfield player/holding rôle. At Liverpool he was a wide player...

And to quote 'He has won European Champions' League medals. He is a team player. Something that by your own admission you don't understand - hence your remark about MVF'

So maybe you understand that Macca is not a playmaker?

Most Manure fans admit to Berko's performance in the Swamp derby to be the finest they have seen from a Premiership player (opposing) for many a year. Macca definitely not a playmaker to replace Ali/Berko, holding player/wide player at best!

Marc V-Foe (who I rate, but not as much as Sarah!) has scored plenty, but only as he is the only player in the system that can break into the box late, when Anelka/Ali/Berko are wide. Also, Foe has left and at 90 percent certain he won't be coming back, he has already stated he wants to play Champions' League at Lyon!

For me we need more consistency in midfield, a box-box player to replace Foe would be a start. And keep Berko if we can, injuries or no injuries!

Back up for Barton and a gifted midfielder to back-up Ali/Berko, and we are doing fine, SWP is coming along leaps and bounds (second half of season!) Distin is the best natural defender I have seen at over 20 years at Maine Road, and hopefully has won Player Of The Year by a country mile!

OPINION: MIDFIELD MAESTROS III

I take Sarah Ferguson's point on Macca being younger fitter etc than Eyal, but from what I have ever seen of him, he puts his head down and runs at an obtuse angle across the pitch. He never looks up to give the killer pass that Eyal or Ali can do. Signing him would be a mistake.

MVF may well have scored 9 goals but most of these were against Sunderland. On a good day he can be great but is inconsistent and on a bad day he is woeful. True he breaks up play, but I'd rather have someone who only breaks up opposition play, not ours too as he gives the ball away far too often. Someone who can control the ball with their feet rather than mis-controlling it with their shins would be nice too.

OPINION: MIDFIELD MAESTROS IV

Just to say I think Ian Burgess was spot on with his opinion on Foe - in my opinion despite his freak goalscoring tally, he contributed little to the side. If you watched the games in which Joey Barton played in the defensive midfielder rôle, you could clearly see what Foe should have done all season. Our defence also looked far more secure when Barton came in, I think Foe's lack of positional sense was a factor in this.

Outside of the month of December when Foe did look like an international class player, he really disappointed. His inability to direct a header goalwards also cost us. I'm really disappointed KK hasn't totally pulled out of the deal for him - I'd much prefer a more active player like Michael Brown - although not Matt Holland; having watched him 30+ times for Ireland, he's very prone to vanishing from games, and really doesn't contribute enough going forward (with Roy Keane beside him he looked brilliant, without him he's looked distinctly average).

Siberieski sounds far more interesting, although I hope Eyal and KK haven't fallen out - I'd be very sad to see him go, especially to Portsmouth, it's a sad day when they're more appealing than City!

OPINION: MIDFIELD MAESTROS V

Sarah Ferguson missed the mark by a long way with her last email. OK, MVF got 9 goals but was in the team for his defensive, holding capabilities. His abandonment of this rôle was one of the reasons for our shoddy goals conceded column.

Danny Tiatto, along with the Goat, is one of the most loyal servants the club has seen in recent years and how you can dismiss him as 'an Aussie headless chicken' is outrageous. If Danny Tiatto had been in the side with MVF and Berkovic this season we would have been looking at Europe and not through the pathetic Fair Play League either.

In case you have forgotten, Danny Tiatto played in the vast majority of our best games this season (3-1 derby day anyone?). Look at the results of the games Tiatto has played in, check the stats... go on I'll wait.

OPINION: MIDFIELD MAESTROS VI

My daddy says Sarah Ferguson is dead right about MVF, 9 goals... and even I know that whilst everyone is entitled to their own opinion, they are not entitled to their own facts. When I've seen MVF play (on Fox (Sky) Sports) I've been quite impressed. At times he seems a bit loose, and I overheard my daddy telling my mom "he's a bit soft in the tackle I think"... but that was some months ago, and I haven't heard the like since.

An attacking midfielder (or two, or three) who actually scores pushes the defence back even before the game begins. The object of the exercise is to control space in the opponents' half, including the space between the uprights: goals are seldom scored from half-way. I know I am naïve, but in the words of the USMC, "speed kills." Whoever KK picks up this summer I hope my first full season is full of very fast Blues running very oblique angles.

God bless, CTID.

P.S. My "Why Blue" is DNA, 'nuff said.

OPINION: NEW STADIUM NAME I

We should push for Blue Camp -it's all there, our humour, our aspirations, and our status.

OPINION: NEW STADIUM NAME II

My name suggestion for the new stadium: The Citadel.

Looking forward to an exciting new beginning next season. And to receiving future editions of MCIVTA, being a life-long Blue exiled in New York, I truly appreciate the news and views expressed.

OPINION: NEW JUNIOR BLUE

Just to announce that our baby daugther has just been born. She was born on 31/05/03 at 1:18pm AEST and we have named her Charlotte.

All is well with mother and baby and Charlotte will be coming home in her "Baby blue" cottons sometime this week.

Another Blue to join the masses here in Australia!

OPINION: NEW STADIUM/THANKS

Thanks to all those who sent me instructions about getting to the new stadium - the name 'Blue Camp' is superb. I have forwarded on the directions to others who written to me and asked for details.

REQUEST: HAMPSHIRE BLUES

Now living in Hamble, Hampshire. Can anyone advise on my nearest supporters' club branch?

REQUEST: COSTA BLANCA BLUES

Costa Blanca branch of the OSC has been going for over 3 years now, members come from a large area stretching from Javia in the North to Torrevieja in the south.

In order to enable members to attend meetings, they are held every 2 months during the afternoon in the Benidorm or Torrevieja area.

The next meeting of the branch will be at the Three Lions Bar in Albir Tuesday 15 July, starting at 3pm. Albir is near Benidorm and any Manchester City supporter is welcome to join us.

For further details contact Bert Wilkinson (Chairman) on 96 587 3121 or Mark Bittner (Secretary) on 96 579 4709.

REQUEST: TOKYO BLUES

In the middle of June I'm migrating to Japan, where I'll be living in Fujisawa, close to Yokohama.

Are there any City fans in the locality who'd like to meet up occasionally for drinks, nights out and watching games (I assume there's some coverage there, what with Inamoto and Tado)? Please get in touch with me at the email address below.

REQUEST: NORTH CAROLINA BLUES

I've not managed to find a single Blue yet where I am living (North Carolina, USA) and was wondering if via MCIVTA any Blues in North Carolina could get in touch with me for a beer and chat about City?

Thanks again for all your efforts.

REQUEST: SOTON PROGRAMME

Anyone know where I can get hold of a couple of copies of the programme for the Southampton game - they were sold out by the time we got to Maine Road?

MCIVTA FAQ [v0203.10]

[0] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Heidi Pickup)          : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour (Don Barrie)         : news@mcivta.city-fan.org
Subscriptions (Madeleine Hawkins): subscriptions@mcivta.city-fan.org
Technical problems (Paul)        : paul@city-fan.org
FAQ (David Warburton)            : faq@mcivta.city-fan.org

[1] What are MCIVTA's publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings.

[2] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters' home page

http://www.uit.no/mancity/ is the unofficial Manchester City Supporters' home page. Created in 1994, it is the longest running of the Manchester City related web sites. Back issues of MCIVTA are also hosted on the site.

[3] What is the club's official web site?

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/

[4] What supporters' clubs are there?

Manchester City FC recognises three supporters' clubs: The "Official Supporters Club" (http://www.mancity.net/osc/index.html); the "Centenary Supporters' Association" (http://www.callnetuk.com/home/sef/) and "The International Supporters' Club" (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/extra/fanzone/isc.asp)

[5] Where can I find out about the fans' committee?

The Fans' Committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. It has its own website, http://www.mcfc-fans.com/ containing info about forthcoming meetings as well as minutes from previous gatherings.

[6] Where can I find information about our new stadium?

The latest information regarding the progress of our new home can be found at www.mcfc.co.uk/article.asp?article=111916&Title=Introduction&lid=New+Stadium

[7] What match day broadcasts are available on the web?

Live match commentaries and archives of games, reports and interviews can be found here: http://www.mcfc.co.uk/comment.asp. An alternate live commentary service, hosted by Yahoo, is located at: http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/foot/audio/live/schedule/index.html.

[8] Where can I find out if City are live on satellite TV?

http://www.satfootball.com/pl.html provides a listing of Premiership games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. A good site for North American viewers is http://canadatvsoccer.tripod.com/Fixtures.htm.

[9] What's the music the teams run out to?

The music we run out to at Maine Road is "Nightmare" by Brainbug and is available on the Positiva label.

[10] Do we have a Usenet newsgroup?

Yes we do: uk.sport.football.clubs.man-city is our home on usenet. If you are not familiar with usenet, a basic explanation is available here: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci213262,00.html

[11] Do any squad members have their own web pages?

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.uit.no/mancity/players/

[12] Acknowledgements

Thanks go to John Arnold for providing the match day music information, to Ian Bell for pointing out the alternate live match commentary service and to Damian Quinn, Stephen Webb and Roger Haigh for the Satellite TV info.

Heidi Pickup, heidi@mcivta.freeserve.co.uk