BLUE VIEWS

So there is no domestic football this weekend because of international break so i thought I'd write a blog about my History with Manchester City and my memories through the years. I started supporting Manchester City because of my brother. I was 9 years old when he went off to Wembley to watch us play Spurs in the FA cup final in 1981. Up until then I'd rather play football than watch it so hadn't really decided to follow a team back then. I did like certain players though. Peter Withe, who at that time was playing for Aston Villa was one that a liked, along with Gary shaw, they scored a lot of goals. Glenn Hoddle was another player that caught the eye also. But it was seeing my brother come back from Wembley disappointed, not once but twice made me realise that i wanted to be passionate about a club like that, so why not follow the same team as him and have something in common with him, so that's how it started.

It was 1996 - 97 though before i went to my very first City game at Maine road and we played Blackburn Rovers who had won the title the year before so we were playing the champions. The first goal I saw scored was scored by Alan Shearer to put us 1-0 down, the second goal i saw scored and the first scored by a city player was the equalizer scored by Steve Lomas. A goal he celebrated right in front of me in the north stand. This got my picture in the city magazine and the program becasue there i was in the background as he celebrated, this also started my love with the north stand, but the thing i took away from that game the most was My admiration for the amazing little player I'd just seen, none other than Gio Kinkladze.

Brought to the club by Alan Ball, Kinkladze rapidly became my Favourite City player. The way he ran at speed with the ball, the passing, the dribbling, the guy was magical to watch and some of the goals he scored were amazing, none better than the one On the 16th March 1996 at Maine road vs Southampton. Kinkladze beat five players before chipping the ball over Southampton goalkeeper Dave Beasant and i was there to see it. My favourite player to ever wear a city shirt providing me with my Favourite ever memory also. Kinkladze's brilliance in our side was not enough to save us from relegation and unfortunately he moved on. But my love for City never ended and i continued to go to matches as and when i could afford to, even when relegated again into the third tear of English football i never stopped supporting my Team.

Obviously there have been ups and downs supporting City, More downs if I'm honest and a lot of Bad memories to boot, but these are the memories that make us who we are, these are the things that make us love the club all that much more, and those who have stood by us through the dark days are now beginning ti enjoy the pay off now the money has come rolling in and the long long wait for a trophy finally ended. Who would have thought 10 years ago we'd be in the champions league, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Bayern Munich.

Anyway, you all probably have your own memories good and bad, and your favourite players through the years. We all have our "BLUE VIEWS"

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