WE GO AGAIN...

THE POWER AND THE GLORY- THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL

KING OF THE KIPPAX COLUMN - AUGUST 2019

It’s a bit of a surreal feeling trying to write my article in the middle of July. I should’ve found some time to sit down just as the season ended, while my feelings were raw, but the truth is I’ve had a relentless few months, and this is the first bit of time I’ve had to gather my thoughts and put pen to paper. Even now, to turn black and white into colour, I’m currently sat 37,000 feet in the air on an Emirates a380 plane, somewhere between Dubai and Bangkok, heading to see my Dad. Free time is a rare thing with two young children, and with my youngest asleep next to me, I had to grab the opportunity with both hands to reminisce about that colossal season and to look forward and speculate as to how we remotely attempt to follow up both 100 points and treble-winning seasons.

I’ll talk about summer first, because as incredible as last season really was, it didn’t half take a hit on me, for many reasons. For the first time in my life, I have been glad of the summer break, and the past couple of months have been a breath of fresh air. We’ve enjoyed great amounts of family time together. We went on our annual holiday to Cornwall, and spent two weeks there building sandcastles, swimming in the sea, watching remarkable sunsets, eating fresh fish, drinking wine and beer and making memories for life. We got really lucky with the weather too, as we went mid May and all bar one day was wall-to-wall, glorious sunshine. It seemed that the majority of June was a complete and utter washout, so I’m relieved it didn’t rain on our parade.

But, despite the summer months not quite living up to the standard set weather-wise last summer, we’ve had a truly wonderful time together. My eldest, Vincent, has now finished nursery for good and is starting school in September, with my youngest, Noel, looking to start nursery at a similar time. It’ll be a huge period of change for us, so I’m just trying to make the most of the time we have together and savour it as much as possible, because once they start school, that’s it. I chose to have these early years with them both, I felt like I’d only live to regret it if I didn’t and I can’t imagine how bad a feeling that would be, as they already grow up far too quickly anyway without having looked back once it was too late at the what ifs. It’s also an exciting time for me, as it means that I can look at my options too and see which direction I’d like to go in once I’m ready to go back to work. We live our lives to live, and I really feel like we’ve squeezed the juice and are raising two very happy, sociable, smart little boys. I couldn’t be prouder: as much as I love City, of course they’re my priority and always will be.

So we’ve just enjoyed a couple of days in Dubai and are off to Thailand to spend a week in the sun with my Dad and his wife out there. He has a few different bases in the Far East: Shenzhen, Xiamen and Bangkok, the Chinese bases are for work and the Thai apartment is more for relaxation. The plan is to have a couple of nights in Bangkok, then head for the beach to soak up some rays and ride some jet-skis. Our youngest is with us, while my eldest is on his annual holiday with his Dad. I am lucky to enjoy a very amicable relationship with my ex, one thing I’m grateful for, and he sends me photos and regular updates during the one time a year he enjoys time away with his boy. These nuclear families are becoming more of the norm nowadays than the traditional ‘married with kids’ of past years, although it goes without saying that I wish they were just as common.

So far, I’ve really enjoyed the switch off from football and, apart from the transfer news I can honestly say the detox has done me the world of good. Time in the sun, having sand between my toes, the waves soaking my skin and the sound of my childrens’ laughter filling my ears has been exactly the kind of break that I didn’t really know how badly I needed it until it came around. I almost feel bad admitting it, I usually hate summers with no football. How brilliant was last summer with the World Cup?! But this season left me with a very different feeling, and I’m sure I’m not alone in it and I have no shame either in admitting it. I’ve needed the space to reset and clear my head after the stress that came with the run-in last season, but it won’t be long now before we’re getting ready to do it all again.

WE ARE LIVERPOOL. THIS MEANS MORE

Let’s go straight to the end and try and get to the root of explaining just why last season left me so shook.  A Carabao Cup final win against Chelsea, an FA Cup final mauling of Watford and a neck and neck Premier League-winning campaign meant that our beloved blues enjoyed a historic domestic treble win. Of course, the latter as we all well know, was much more of an endurance test. In fact it got to the point where my enjoyment was being replaced by an emotion I wasn’t really familiar with following my football team – dread.

The title race between us and Liverpool turned a bit into the stuff of nightmares for both sets of fans of the teams involved. A thriller for the neural undoubtedly, but as the weeks headed towards the business end of the season, we were constantly leapfrogging each other in the League. The battle became stressful, toxic and tedious.

Ever since the bus incident last season, when Liverpool fans battered the City team coach with bottles and bricks as it headed to Anfield for the Champions League quarter-final – our relationship with Liverpool fans on the whole has deteriorated significantly. Jibes on social media quickly turn into nasty and bitter arguments, with both sides trying to gain the upper hand with petty point-scoring and entirely unnecessary insults, which often turn personal. When the title race really heated up, so did the rivalry. Growing up I was used to watching the United – Liverpool rivalry from a safe distance, but with United favouring a sixth-place finish these days, it’s City that are embroiled with Klopp’s Reds in the bitterest of battles for top honours. City were pitted as the only team that could save everybody from a fate worse than death – Liverpool winning the Premier League for the first time ever. The celebrations would go on for eternity, they’d never let it be forgotten – nobody in the history of mankind could possibly let this happen. Could you imagine? Do you even want to contemplate what it would be like?

I should’ve loved every second season of last season. Watching Pep’s usual brand of brilliant, ingenuiative, ground-breaking football is always exhilarating, but towards the end I was just wishing it was over. I know how bad things have been with United over the years, but I don’t remember it being that toxic with them during the 2011/12 title run-in. I also don’t remember it being anywhere near as bad with Liverpool during the 2013/14 ‘Gerrard slip’ battle. For this season, most Liverpool fans did what all football fans would’ve never thought remotely possible – they became even more unbearable.

Let’s also give a mention to that ridiculous slogan of theirs – we are Liverpool, this means more. How on earth does anything mean more to you? What gives you the brass neck and audacity to say that your football club’s achievements mean more to you than mine? I will tell you for an absolute fact that they don’t. It’s yet more vitriolic bile from an arrogant club who actually believe that their accomplishments in football mean they’re better than any other team. Let me tell you something – they don’t. Even by winning the Champions League, they thought that was a bigger achievement than winning the domestic treble – it isn’t. I’m no fan of the Champions League: I think the fact two teams made the final , that haven’t been Champions in their own domestic League for many, many years makes a mockery of the whole value of the contest. It’s a UEFA corrupt cash cow and I have no personal desire as a fan to win the thing, although I’m well aware next season, it’ll probably have to be Pep’s main focus, seeing as it’s the only silverware to now allude him during his time at City.

I even saw a couple of Liverpool fans wildly suggest that their second place tally of 97 points was worthy of them being awarded a special trophy in itself. Let’s make this abundantly clear in the slim event of any doubt – in the words of ABBA, the winner takes it all. There are no prizes for second place, no matter how desperate you were to triumph. A point difference still equates to a point – and don’t forget, if you think you came close, United missed out back in 2011/12 on goal difference. So take it the way us City fans would’ve had to, on the chin, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but by acting up and spitting dummies out, it only serves to make you look a bit of a, well, a dickhead.

With the upcoming season’s curtain-raising Community Shield being against them, I fear somehow the battle may have only just begun. We were both light years ahead of the rest of the Premier League last year, and I personally don’t believe any other team has done enough to convince me over the course of the summer through signings that the gap will be closed by anybody else. But, with VAR being introduced next season, it will be interesting to see how that affects all teams – particularly Liverpool, who some might say got more than their fair rub of the green last season when it came to penalty decisions going their way. Even with VAR – and we all know the drama that brings with it (Spurs and Raheem Sterling, anyone?), I still think Liverpool will be there or thereabouts – but I think we will be better, more so than last season, particularly as prayers have finally been answered and we have Fernandinho’s rotation partner/successor, Rodri.

PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW

Something else that happened last season that took away from my enjoyment of it all was the news of Vincent Kompany’s departure from the club. I know it wasn’t necessarily a surprise for most concerned, but the news, coming on the morning after the FA Cup win that sealed our treble triumph, took me from flying to forlorn in a nanosecond. I think it’s affected me more than it should and I’ve spent the time since his announcement trying to rationalise why that could be.

I tried to put this into words on one of Ian Cheeseman’s Forever Blue podcasts and it left me very emotional. Like most people, City have always served to be the one constant in my life. No matter what I’m going through, I have always relied on City as a distraction or even to a certain extent, a purpose in life. City have always provided me with a sense of belonging, even when I’ve felt unsure and lost about which direction to turn, decisions to make or what to do. When Kompany joined City back in August 2008, I was still at university studying my degree in Sport Journalism. Throughout his time at the club I have: graduated, got engaged, travelled around the world, got my dream job, found out it really wasn’t my dream job, split up with my fiancé, got pregnant, been a single Mum, met somebody new, been with him for almost five years and had a second child. That’s without mentioning every single phenomenal moment that I’ve been through with City: all the trips to Wembley, the Aguero moment, the 100 point season, THAT Kompany goal.

Not only have City been my constant through all of those indescribable moments, but so has Kompany. I’ve put the Belgian on a pedestal pretty much ever since his arrival at the Club. I’ve had faith in him even when the vast majority wrote him off and told him to call it a day, ‘if he would’ve been a horse he would’ve been shot by now.’ I’ve fought his corner time and time again: I’ve believed in his abilities, his vision and backed his determination because he’s been there in my life at a time where I was low too. He’s led City to some of their biggest triumphs and been a figurehead and role model for many throughout that. It isn’t just because I named my eldest after him! Without even knowing about it, Kompany’s qualities and moral compass has inspired me to be a better person when times were hard and I needed a sense of direction. What would Vinnie do? He’d never give up, never give in, that’s what he’d do. So neither will I.

I almost feel like it’s a real coming of age moment for me, despite already being 37 and middle-aged. I’ve settled down with my partner, we have two beautiful children and we continue to support City together and encourage our children to follow suit. Without really knowing it, I feel like Kompany was my stabilisers in life and now it’s time for me to close a certain chapter and look forward to what the future may hold in a different aspect and new chapter of my life. A lot of life can be psychological and we often bottle up how we feel about certain things and put on a brave face. I feel like I can now finally let go of certain elements of my past and move forward in earnest. Although initially I couldn’t really imagine a City without Kompany: as a captain, he’s been there through some of the club’s most pivotal moments. He’s led us to victories through grit, guts and determination and dragged us through important wins. I know that no one player is bigger than the club – I am a huge advocate of that. But as a captain and human being, he’s utterly irreplaceable.

But he still has plenty of personal ambition and dreams yet to fulfil and I commend and admire him for that. He couldn’t have left on a bigger high. Our loss is Anderlecht’s gain and I’m sure every blue will be following his progress with a vested interest. Now David Silva has announced that this will be his last season at City and we all know who will be next…Mr 93:20™. All good things must come to an end: it’s the changing of the old guard and the beginning of another exciting era at City, we have to be nothing but grateful and thankful for the part these players have played in the history of our beloved club and the imprint on its history they’ve left. It’s just this one, Vincent Kompany, played a part in a way in a way I never thought possible, and the testimonial game – well, I’ll probably need a full box of tissues to even stand a chance of coping.

A LITTLE RESPECT

I realise that it probably sounds ludicrous to have such a negative tone to an article that essentially should be all about celebrating City’s historic domestic treble (the club can call them Fourmidables™ all they want, but does anybody really count the Community Shield?) It’s not only been the battle with Liverpool fans that has been tiresome, but the media too. Hell-bent on tarnishing City by any means possible, they have done all they can to try and discredit the Blues’ achievements.

It’s nothing new; it’s been going on for seasons now. Thankfully, Raheem Sterling had the intelligence and guile to call the media out for the part they’ve played in constantly harassing and bullying him with their ridiculous non-stories of him shopping in Primark or Poundland, but it’s the tip of the iceberg. Last season, it was constant articles claiming ‘exclusives’ about City’s apparent FFP wrong-doings and foul play – which, depressingly, didn’t even stop after our 6-1 FA Cup victory.

I shouldn’t take the bait anymore. I am slowly becoming immune to it after becoming accustomed to the obligatory negative media takes after something positive happens to City – it’s as predictable as Liverpool fans are unbearable. But it’s time to take a stand. Everybody wondered how City could possibly follow on from that truly remarkable 100 point season – how could we top a campaign where we were head and shoulders in front of the rest of the teams in the Premier League? Where records tumbled and teams were swept aside by a Pep side so majestic, so delightful, with a brand of football that could only possibly be admired and adored?

We topped it by retaining our League title and completing a domestic treble – the first ever club to do so. By winning the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League, we became history makers and record breakers yet again. But for me, it was the manner in which we won the League that should truly be applauded and demands nothing by the utmost respect for anybody worth their salt who understands and watches sport.

For a team to win the last 14 games of a season in a row, to still be competing in all competitions as seriously as possible by using positive squad rotation (and not sacrificing a Cup like Fergie used to do) until our Champions League quarter final VAR knock-out, is nothing short of astounding. To deal with that level of pressure and to be aware that the finest of margins in any situation or alternation during every 90 minute battle could result in possible defeat and the advantage being given to Liverpool, is something only the finest of sportsmen with the strongest of mentalities can cope with. How I’d love to pull up the minority of City fans who actually threw the title towel in during December – try keeping the faith eh boys and girls?

The title race became a bare knuckle brawl, with the final few games, be it Liverpool or City playing, all nerve-shredding and massively anxiety-inducing. I’ve never hoped for an opponent to at least take a point off a team before, just to try and alleviate the pressure even a tiny bit. It became suffocating and stressful. Eventually you realise that it’s best to just try and focus solely on what your team are doing – after the 1-0 win against Liverpool at the Etihad stadium, the title was always ours to lose. But to have the focus, resilience and determination to win every single point available to us throughout those 14 games is what has impressed me by far the most out of anything we achieved last season. If that was any other team, the media and critics would be fawning at the outcome. A slip, a mistimed tackle, a shot off target instead of on – as displayed with the John Stones goal-line clearance against Liverpool and the Sergio Aguero goal against Burnley – it was a title race of the finest margins – but to come out on top after being placed under such immense tension and to hold their collective nerves – makes me proud beyond belief.

It took a while for our triumphs to sink in, probably because the final few weeks of the season were so busy for me. BBC Radio Five Live kept asking me to go in the studio to discuss the title run-in, more often than not opposite a Liverpool fan, to try and invoke some form of ‘radio banter’ between us. But, as it happened, Lizzi Doyle turns out to be in the minority of being an unquestionably and thoroughly decent Liverpool fan, so it was hard to be pitted as a rival in her company, when all we could do is respect each other and say just how badly we both wanted the Premier League title win. I understand that they’re yet to win it, but just because we have - doesn’t make it any less special.

In fact, this season’s win is right up there for me with being the sweetest title win yet. The Aguero moment stands alone in Premier League history for being quite possibly the biggest adrenaline rush I’ve had in my life (giving birth is a very different feeling, a different kind of adrenaline, so don’t come at me for that!), and I’m not sure that will ever be beaten – although the Kompany goal against Leicester probably comes second to that. At the time I’ll admit, the rush I felt did feel 93:20-esque, that dizzying euphoric, taking-you-to-the-strastosphere hysteria that can only come when a hugely important goal is scored. When the ball hit the net for that goal, and everybody in the stadium realised a) what they’d just had the privilege of witnessing and b) what an important goal it was in our push for the title, the roof came off the place. Let’s not get me started on Komps again, I can’t. But - what a goal.

The phone calls continued and I found myself on BBC Radio Five Live – to my complete surprise I might add – quite regularly. My poor Mum was coming round at 6am on a Monday morning to mind the boys, who were both still snoring, while I was jumping in my car at the crack of dawn to beat the traffic to Salford Quays to go live on air. Then BBC Radio Manchester started to ask for me too and, by the end of the season, I was on BBC Radio One too. It became really busy and really crazy and completely unexpected too might I add. I was doing this alongside Ian Cheeseman’s Forever Blue podcast too. The final day climax was the day after we’d won the League: I did Five Live, Radio Manchester - then back down a floor to Five Live for the rest of the show. This was all with the worst hangover I have had in a long, long time. The decision to watch the City-Brighton game at City Square in the sunshine with a load of mates and far too much beer seemed a good one at the time – although I’m sure I only drank that much to try and calm my nerves. It had definitely been that kind of a season.

The work didn’t stop there. We have our annual holiday to Cornwall every year at the same time in May – which meant missing the FA Cup final. We watched it down there of course, and celebrated with the boys on the beach afterwards, but the media requests kept coming in. I managed to do phone interviews while I was down there, I even did one for BBC Radio One while sat on Fistral beach, which was quite surreal. The last one I did, for BBC Radio Manchester, involved me jumping out of the car the day after the parade, to talk about what made me proud of Manchester. Of course, it was City and their incredible achievements. I’m at a point in my life now where I am starting to think about what I might do with my life once my children start school and nursery respectively, and it’s given me food for thought. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d ever be able to go back to my media career after having children: I’m not sure why, maybe it’s a confidence thing. But, since doing podcasting for the past couple of years, this has given me a bit more self-belief when it comes to whether I’m good enough to put myself out there and speak passionately about the team, and sport, I love. It felt quite ridiculous, little old me, sat opposite Nicky Campbell and Rachel Burden, discussing City. Needless to say, it made my parents very proud!

But because I was so, so busy during those weeks, then away on holiday, then the FA Cup final, Kompany’s revelation and the parade, it honestly took a while for me to digest the magnitude of City’s triumphs. I almost needed to take a big step back from everything, from life, to just sit and take a few moments, to process it all. It was hugely overwhelming. The stress of the run-in had taken over in a big way, I’d even been struggling to sleep (I’m sure I’m not the only one) with it all, so for it to all reach a dramatic conclusion and be resolved in such a remarkable way, it did take a while to come back down to earth again. But it’s been nice to be able to enjoy much less stressful weekends: drives out to the seaside, where doses of Vitamin D make your endorphins dance and sleep is welcomed back like a baby lying on fresh sheets. It’s been the most perfect, blissful summer. I’m just not sure if I’m ready to do it all again just yet…

As usual, the only person I’m trying to kid here is myself. I’ll be there with bells on ready to do it all over again. But let’s take a second to think about what life would be like if it would’ve gone the other way…

Do they even have internet in Timbuktu?

Emily Brobyn

@kippaxgirlemily

THERE WE WERE, NOW HERE WE ARE

‘THAT’S IT, THAT’S GAME OVER’

 THERE WE WERE, NOW HERE WE ARE. AN ODE TO CITY, TO LOYALTY AND TO KING OF THE KIPPAX.

KING OF THE KIPPAX 250th EDITION SPECIAL

We’re not really here.

The fans of the invisible man – we’re not really here.

I wrote an article back in 2010 trying to explain what the definition of ‘we’re not really here’ was to me. Back then, eight years ago, I said it’s a representation that I can’t quite believe I’m here compared to where I’ve been in the past as a City fan. It seems an appropriate time to bring that article back to life and up to date – a lot has happened in those eight years after all.

There could be no more fitting tribute to Dave and Sue in the 250^th issue of the best fanzine in the land (and all the world) to indulge myself and the readers in a journey that was once more tragedy than triumph. It’s also a cracking way to put those loyalty doubters at bay, particularly after last month’s silliness.

So here’s to Dave and Sue. With King of the Kippax first on sale on 24^th September 1988 at Oakwell, when I was just six years old, it’s a credit to the talent, dedication, hard work and quality of them both and the team around them as to the longevity of the much-loved fanzine. Where others have been and gone, Dave and Sue have persevered to bring us a superb monthly publication full of quips, satire, facts and top drawer writing. We thank you for your dedication to the cause as we embark on a journey so incredible, so phenomenal, only us blues could ever believe it would happen – because we lived and breathed every moment.

My City journey began in the late 1980s. I was always close to my older brother, Simon, so when he started following a football team called Manchester City, I made like most easily-influenced siblings and did the same. I’d skip into primary school and stand talking to the boys about football instead of playing with all the other girls. The love affair started when I was about nine – and is still just as passionate 25 years later.

Although my fandom began at a similar time to when King of the Kippax originated, my first match came a few years later. Simon had been allowed to go to games for years: me being the delicate flower I was (a girl – unheard of now!), I wasn’t allowed to go until I was old enough. I was living and breathing City; going into school wearing my precious Umbro jacket, talking tactics with the only other blue in my years, Adam Barratt, being mocked by the glory fans in my class, but desperate to experience the beautiful game for real.

After nagging my Mum and Dad for seasons, they finally relented, and my first game came on a school night. Wednesday 15^th March 1995 was the date: I was 12 years old and City played Everton away. We bought our tickets for £12 in a portakabin outside Goodison Park. City drew 1-1: Terry Phelan was sent off, Mauritzio Gaudino scored but David Unsworth equalised with a penalty late on. That was it. Going to a game only served to fuel my love for City.

Almost bizarrely, my love for City flourished at a time when the Blues were floundering on the pitch. I wasn’t in it for the glory like most of the Liverpool and United fans at my school. Going to a football match was an alien concept to them. I was in it for City – and was in over my head. I think at one point it really did become an obsession: my walls were covered in pictures of the players at the time. Most girls would have boy bands or a hunky pin-up on their walls, but not me. I had Peter Beagrie, Nicky Summerbee, Niall Quinn and Paul Walsh. There was hardly an inch of the wallpaper in my bedroom that wasn’t covered with photos of the players (and that lasted for a good eight years).

But it took a year to then persuade my Mum and Dad to let me venture to Maine Road. The landmark date was Saturday 13^th April 1996 – three days before my 14^th birthday. It was Sheffield Wednesday at home. I loved Maine Road: I know none of the stands matched, it was in the heart of Moss Side where gangland shootings were popular at the time and it was a bit of a shithole, but it was our shithole. It was where most of my memories were made – for better or for worse (mostly the latter). On that day of my first game sat in the Kippax, an Uwe Rosler strike was enough to give City a 1-0 win, but was far from the saving grace in a season that saw the Blues relegated from the Premier League.

The tears flowed but it only stemmed to make me ask to go to more games. So I did – and it was March 1997 when I sent in my first contributions to King of the Kippax. I’d written a match report for the 0-0 draw against Sheffield United and an article about ‘Premier Passions’: a BBC show that had followed Peter Reid during some of his time at Sunderland. Dave and Sue had very kindly obliged me and published both pieces – I was still at high school, but had a huge passion for creative writing, so this was massively encouraging for me.

It was around this time that City were at the peak of their decline. The 1996/97 season we had been to quite a lot of games. Simon had passed his driving test, so we could go to games more regularly, so when the 1997/98 season came round, we took the plunge and got our first season tickets. I was also the club mascot for City. On Saturday 7^th March 1998, City played Oxford United at Maine Road. I led the team out at the tender age of 15 (!) and felt a sense of great pride as I applauded all four stands (five if you include the Gene Kelly!). But, amazingly, the rot had well and truly set in. That day, City got beat 2-0. By Oxford United. At the end of the season, we were relegated to Division Two.

It’s hard to put into words what those ‘dark days’ really felt like. We’d go to Maine Road always expecting a defeat. Anything else was a bonus. Relegation was like being drop-kicked in the stomach: a cold, desolate feeling that swept over you, leaving you limp and numb. We were the laughing stock of football. The butt of everybody’s jokes. As United continued to dominate, we were left to commiserate. Constant humiliation – it’s all we ever knew.

But we stood in solidarity. We renewed our season tickets and went to more away games. We watched us play Northampton Town, Walsall, Macclesfield Town and Colchester United. We watched Millwall rip up seats and throw them at the North Stand while the helicopters circled overheard during a 3-0 City win. We watched Stockport County beat us at home 2-1. We sat through thousands of minutes of scrappy, scruffy, shitty football – and watched us finish third in the League – facing the possibility of promotion only via the Play-Offs.

After running on the pitch when we beat Wigan to get to the final at Wembley, I had no idea what to expect. City were favourites, but we knew anything could happen. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. The emotions resonate with me even now. 2-0 down and we didn’t look like scoring. Commentator and ex-manager Brian Horton screaming, ‘that’s it, that’s game over.’ Then Kevin Horlock and Paul Dickov somehow took it to extra time. The penalty shoot-out: words can’t describe the roller-coaster of that day. From facing Division Two exile head-on to Nicky Weaver’s mazy run as we all went wild. City were back.

That’s when the fun really started. For seasons, we went go home and away following City. Planning my life around the fixture list is all I’ve ever known. Travelling the length and breadth of the country following the Blues was a pleasure and a privilege: from the Riverside, St James Park and the Stadium of Light to Oakwell, Valley Parade and Elland Road. From Highbury to Hillsborough, Prenton Park to Pride Park, we had the time of our lives with our disposable income following City.

When Joe Royle left, it was time for a new era and Kevin Keegan brought with him his trademark ‘we’ll just score more goals than we’ll concede’ approach. At that point, the football we played was more than we could’ve possibly dreamed of. Scoring over 100 goals in a season, beating United 3-1 and watching Eyal Berkovic and Ali Benarbia play in our midfield was an absolute joy. Players like Paulo Wanchope and Nicolas Anelka playing for our club, getting pissed up and down the country watching City. For me, that was living the dream. It may have been the best of times, it may have been the worst, but up until leaving Maine Road, I’d cherished every minute of the highs and the lows.

It’s all part of ‘we’re not really here’ for me. When I think back to Maine Road, the memories begin with parking up on a side road with Simon in Moss Side, to be greeted by an exuberant child asking if ‘they mind the car please.’ After advising them we would pay up post-match if the car was still intact, we would head into the Beehive pub for a couple of pre-match drinks before setting off for the ground. We’d often turn down the man selling jerk chicken outside Bunty’s off licence for sausage, chips and gravy from the Blue Moon chip shop on the corner of Maine Road instead.

Recollections of queuing up to get in the club on match day, walking around the back of the North Stand, past the away support to the Kippax turnstile, guessing which number game it would be out of my season-ticket book along the way. Once inside, we headed up the concrete steps to my seat in Kippax CC Lower and read the match day programme while the teams warmed up on the pitch.

The clock ticked down and before you knew it, it was 3pm (yes, Saturday at 3pm, those were the days!). The teams emerged from the tunnel at the Main Stand to the guitar introduction of Oasis’ ‘Roll With It’ and a mighty cheer went up. Whether it’s Horton or Joe Royle on the touchline, Tony Coton or Eike Immel in goal, the loyalty never wavers, refuses to falter. The Kippax seagull blows wildly in the breeze and Helen’s bell rings consistently. The minority that occupy the ‘Gene Kelly’ stand shiver in the rain as the Kippax tannoy states that Mr Banks is on Level One. Chants from the North Stand urge the Platt Lane stand to give them a song and an almighty roar engulfs the ground as Uwe Rosler volleys home. The scoreboard still says 0-0 but the City faithful knows they’re ahead. Some things never change.

A vast multitude of moments drench the memory banks. Too many to distinguish between: Uwe Rosler chipping Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford after a sublime through-ball by Georgi Kinkladze. The Georgian’s tears on that dark day against Liverpool in 1996 but his unequivocal brilliance and ingenuity lighting up my match tickets single-handedly. Steve Lomas, Garry Flitcroft, Peter Beagrie, Niall Quinn, Tony Coton and Paul Walsh. Gerry Creaney’s last minute winner against Charlton, a disastrous own-goal by Tranmere at Prenton Park handing us a point from nowhere and watching Bolton win the First Division title on our own turf (horrific). Barry Conlon getting a standing ovation during a 6-0 demolition of Swindon Town, a 28,000 set of collective tears during Lakey’s testimonial and being forced to leave St. Andrews early after Murtaz Shelia scored only to find out on the M6 that we lost the game. Richard Edghill, Kit Symons, John Burridge, Martin Buster Phillips (the first £10 million player, allegedly) and Kevin Horlock.

Leading the team out as a mascot at Maine Road in March 1998 against Oxford United at home only for the Blues to lose 2-0. Jamie Pollock’s own goal adding to Vinnie Jones’ post-match celebrations for Queens Park Rangers as storm-clouds literally gathered after a penultimate ominous result. Relegation to Division Two (gulp). Playing Blackpool the first day of the season in Division Two to a sell-out crowd of unbelievable believers and getting soaked to the bone at Springfield Park when the Goat scored the winner against Wigan. Watching Millwalll tear the North stand apart while police helicopters circled in the sky. Jeff Whitley, Andy Morrison, Paul Dickov, Nicky Weaver, Michael Branch and Terry Cooke. Taking to my seat in the Kippax to watch the play-off screening at Wigan only for City to concede within the first couple of minutes then witnessing the hand of Goat before running onto the pitch in sheer ecstasy having reached Wembley during the second leg.

Going to the Twin Towers, Wembley, and singing Blue Moon at the top of my voice. Feeling the disappointment, anguish, agony, amazement then utter disbelief and seeing Dickov sliding on his knees. Holding my head in my hands when every penalty was taken, crying throughout. Watching Weaver do his unpredictable run. Jumping on my seat and bouncing to M People’s ‘Moving On Up’, realising the great escape really was possible. Only a season later, Ewood Park full of City fans celebrating back-to-back promotions.

Travelling to Gillingham in the hot sunshine for a pre-season friendly with my mate Spenny hanging out of the car window while we played ‘Blue Moon’ excessively over Tower Bridge, a Gerald Wiekens wonder volley giving City three points at Elland Road and substitute Shaun Goater earning a standing ovation when replacing the substituted George Weah. The Ipswich Town Cup game postponed due to a waterlogged pitch after a sporadic ten minute spell of torrential rain, being affected by smog inhalation after visiting the Riverside and being spat on from the tier above at Anfield. Carlo Nash’s first four touches of a game being picking the ball out of his own net four times against Arsenal at home.

The Goat’s hat-trick being almost marred by Spenny getting head-butted outside Turf Moor, coming back from the Hawthorns depressed after a 4-0 drubbing and travelling to Highfield Road to be impressed by a new signing called Ali Benarbia. Making the journey across the Pennines with six thousand other Blues to watch an incredible team performance during a 6-2 away victory, only for City to lose 4-0 against Wimbledon at Maine Road the next week (the joys of the Kevin Keegan era). Paulo Wanchope, Eyal Berkovic, Stuart Pearce, Lucian Mettomo and Steve Howey.

Travelling to Oakwell on Hallowe’en to get stuck in terrible traffic on the M62 and arrive at half-time, having missed all three of City’s goals. Darren Huckerby applauding an empty away stand at Millwall, New Year’s Day hungover at Bramhall Lane. Topping the First Division, signing a French player by the name of Nicolas Anelka to partner the Goat upfront then going to Villa Park only to reach Hilton Park service station and realise we’d lost our four match tickets. Going to Highbury and leaving empty-handed but leaving St. Andrews with all three points. Driving to Gresty Road with no ticket and sitting outside listening to the cheers only for the City team coach driver to invite me aboard to listen to the game with him.

Wigan fans coming up to me after their Cup victory at the then-JJB Stadium claiming revenge for the ‘Hand of Goat’ incident. Being knocked out by Wigan only for Gary Neville to feed the Goat in a 3-1 final derby at Maine Road victory and watching the Bermudan hero equalising at Old Trafford during the return fixture. Having to pay a tenner for two drinks in a pub outside Stamford Bridge before witnessing Chelsea’s 5-0 drubbing of City after four hours of driving, then encountering a horrific eight hour drive back from St. Marys after Southampton beat us 2-0. The final game at Maine Road against Southampton, with City typically getting beat 1-0. As if the end of an era wasn’t hard enough to stomach, the horrific and unexpected tragic passing of Marc Vivien Foe on June 26^th 2003.

Witnessing Michael Tarnat’s wonderful free kick at Ewood Park before embarking on the epic journey to Lokeren via Luton, Heathrow and Brussels. Upon arrival, enjoying a two hour taxi journey to the ground and Spenny’s luggage only turning up when we checked in for the flight back to England. Sitting in the home end in Deepdale and getting ejected for singing Blue Moon and having missiles thrown at me. Sylvain Distin, Mark Bosvelt, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Darius Vassell and Andrew Cole.

Stuart Pearce taking charge of the club; playing goalkeeper David James upfront during a 1-1 home draw against Middlesbrough in May 2005, missing out on UEFA Cup football through a Robbie Fowler missed penalty. Only scoring 10 goals at home throughout the 2006/07 season, with Joey Barton being our top goal scorer - netting six goals. Bernardo Corradi, Georgios Samaras and Emile Mpenza. Sven Goran Eriksson replacing Pearce and City getting beat 8-1 to Middlesbrough at the Riverside. Thaksin Shinawatra buying the club for £21.5 million in June 2007 despite having been charged with corruption in Thailand and having his $2 billion assets seized. The City directors knew this and still approved the sale – knowing Thaksin had zero funds. Mark Hughes being appointed as manager – and then came the best deadline day we’ve ever known.

It’s the collective, eclectic and stupendous array of memories that have helped define my personal ‘we’re not really here’ stance. It’s being aware of the past when I dare to dream in the present and for the future of the football club I support. More memories will be created along the way, but for now I’ll treasure the ones I have in the hope that my heart remains intact along with my sanity. It’s never been easy but then nobody said it would be when I pledged my sky blue allegiance all those years ago.

We went to the brink a couple of times. The Swales era. Who knows what could’ve happened if Kevin Horlock wouldn’t have scored that goal back in 1999. Or Paul Dickov. God only knows what might’ve happened had Sheikh Mansour not chosen City: at one point the club was borrowing money from the bank against television money that hadn’t yet been paid to City, just to pay the bills. City even asked former shareholder John Wardle if he could lend them money to pay the players. Thaksin was a fugitive on the run and nobody at the club really had much of an idea a) where he was and b) what was going to happen. The club was in a state – then came 4^th August 2008. Sheikh Mansour – the seismic shift in the order of Manchester City Football Club. A defining date in the stature and future of the club.

I’ve just come back from my 10^th trip to Wembley watching City. I’ve seen them win there seven times, with three losses. I’ve watched them win the FA Cup, the League Cup three times, the Community Shield and the Premier League twice – soon to be three times. How I wish I could go back in time and tell my 15 year old self – it’ll all be worth it. Everything will be alright. The loyalty you’ve shown - that never wavered and only strengthened through the relegations and humiliation - will pay off in the most flamboyant and elaborate way. One day the football club you support will be the envy of not only rival supporters, but other clubs and have the critics who really know their football salt, fawning and adoring.

When Mansour bought the club, his open letter to the fans stated, ‘we intend to build a team capable of sustaining a presence in the top four of the Premier League and winning European honours.’ The papers screamed the headlines FANTASY FOOTBALL: Manchester City, now rich beyond their wildest dreams, plan of handpicking the best players in the world to build a legacy the likes never seen before in the world football. No player is out of reach. Names were banded about – the word ‘project’ has never been so overused. It was an exciting time – but we never really believed how far it would go and just how these ambitions would come to fruition.

Those bad days, the really bad days, will never be forgotten. They’ll only serve to make sure I really appreciate and savour the best football I’ve ever watched at my football club. In a way, they affect how critical I am of the football we play now. It’s hard to be harsh when you’ve sat through half of the rubbish I have. Thousands of minutes of absolute tosh; football that bad it was hard to see the light back then. These are the heady, glory days I never thought I’d ever witness nor enjoy at Manchester City.

The Mancini era was as good as I thought we would get. Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli, Yaya Toure, Joleon Lescott, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri, Gareth Barry and David Silva. The 6-1 derby win. The win at Newcastle: absolute bladdered, celebrating with a load of Geordies who hated United almost as much as we do. 93:20 – quite possibly the single best ever moment we will enjoy as City fans because it involved not only winning the Premier League, but denying United of that in the final minute of the game. The FA Cup win bringing the banner down. The Mancini years laid the foundations for the club to build on towards an exciting era, the likes most Blues have never seen before. Manuel Pellegrini continued this, adding two League Cups and a Premier League trophy to the tally, but with the greatest of respect, it was more of an interim move until a certain Spaniard was available.

The here and now is this: Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are playing the best football ever seen in the Premier League. It’s inventive, creative and innovative. It’s hard work on the ball and even harder work off it. It’s probing, pressing and passing. It’s delightful, mesmeric and magical. Superlatives barely do it justice. Some of the old guard still play their huge part in it – Silva, Aguero and Kompany – but the new generation of recruits are having a huge say and playing their way into the history books. Leroy Sane, Bernardo Silva, Ederson, Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker, Danilo, Phil Foden, Brahim Diaz, Tosin Adarabioyo and Lukas Nmecha. 

But perhaps most impressive of all has been the improvements Pep has made to players he inherited. Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones (post injury slump aside), Nicolas Otamendi and Fabian Delph. Even Aguero, whose work rate has improved massively under Pep’s reign. Otamendi is now the best centre back we have at the club and one of the best in Europe. De Bruyne – what can possibly be said that hasn’t already? He’s a remarkable box-to-box midfielder, who works tirelessly creating opportunities, with stunning vision, movement and passing. Sterling giving Aguero a run for his money with the amount of goals he’s scored this season. Fernandinho, possibly the most underrated player in the Premier League, he plays such a crucial role as our main defensive midfielder.

City are now a global brand. Gone are the days where I used to go on holiday and people used to ask who the football shirt I wore belonged to. When people used to believe there was only one football team in Manchester.  I used to have to explain who I supported – that’s crazy. Supporting City used to be greeted with either laughter or the sympathetic head tilt.

‘Awwww, little City.’ Yes, I got that a lot.

Despite all the trophies, I think the moment that the change has hit me was only a couple of weeks ago. Going to Wembley, for the 10^th time, and beating Arsenal 3-0 in the League Cup final, only to play them again just a few days later in the League and beat them again 3-0, is nothing short of astonishing. That’s a mark of how far we have come. I will never forget watching the Arsenal invincibles and being in awe of that team. Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira. They used to beat us – hammer us – consistently.

This time in particular was Wednesday 11^th April 2001. I mentioned it before. Arsenal were apparently under strength – and they still scored four goals against us in the first 35 minutes of the game. Carlo Nash resigned to just picking the ball out of the net. We were hopeless: Arsenal were on a different level to us and we just chased shadows for 90 minutes. All we could do as fans was applaud the travelling side – at that point, they were the team I aspired to. That was the kind of football I wanted my team to play. Unforgiving, punishing, full throttle, captivating football. It would never happen.

But it has. Oh how it has. Goosebumps football. Standing ovation football. Imaginative, defining football - the likes never seen before in the history of English football. Beating Arsenal twice in a few days so easily, whether they are a shade of the team they once were, sent a psychological shockwave to me. This is what you wanted Emily. This is the football you could only ever dream about, being played by your football team, beating the opposition team you once applauded off the pitch instead of applauding your own team.

But it is hard to believe that’s my football team. Arrogance will never happen; we are all in awe of what is happening at City and accepting this is still a struggle for me. Surely not. Really? We are the best team in English football. Even saying it is weird!

How is it possible? I watched City get beat by Stockport County, Wycombe, Lincoln City, Blackpool, Wimbledon, Oxford United and Bury. I turned up and sat through the lot.

So don’t tell me I haven’t paid my dues and that I’m not loyal. I’ve visited 52 away grounds (I know that may not seem a lot, finances dictate that) singing Blue Moon at the top of my voice. Now we have people supporting us for the glory – one day the thought of that would’ve been laughable! My eldest, Vincent, has never seen City get beat. Out of all the games he has been too so far, including two cup finals at Wembley, he’s yet to see them get beat. How do I even begin to explain to him what we went through? I’ll show him the photos, the videos and the programmes. But you only truly know if you lived through it yourself. The pleasure off the pitch and the pain on it. The days of singing at the Platt Lane from the Kippax to try and keep us entertained throughout 90 minutes of dross. Those days may be gone, but for me will live forever.

I am an optimistic realist. I’m absolutely loving every single second of supporting the most dominant force in English football at the moment. It takes a bit of getting used to following the team that everybody wants to beat. It’s uncomfortable and doesn’t come naturally, but to hell with the haters. Two fingers to the green-eyed types that cite money as our biggest success. They only wish it would happen to their club.

But it happened to ours. Pep came to ours. It’s our football club breaking the records and wowing football fans with spellbinding play. It’s us that are blessed to watch it week in, week out. To watch Silva weaving his magic through midfield, De Bruyne floating a pinpoint ball in for Aguero, Ederson assisting from a goal kick and Sane dancing down the left wing. They play in sky blue, for Manchester City, in 2018. For us to admire, adore and applaud. Never has loyalty been so richly rewarded, so unequivocally deserved. Long may it continue. Long may we enjoy. If it all ends one day? At least it happened. We’ll be here no matter what. It’s all I’ve ever known.

We’re not really here - but we should be really, really glad that we are.

To Dave and Sue – thanks for the memories. In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, a huge part of this club and the humour that helped us fans through it all. Thank you.

Emily Brobyn

@kippaxgirlemily

WE NEVER WIN AT HOME & WE NEVER WIN AT ANFIELD...

YOU CAN’T WIN THEM ALL – BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY TRY

KING OF THE KIPPAX COLUMN - MARCH 2018

Well the Watford game feels like so long ago now, but the first game of 2018 saw Pep keen to prove a point. After the draw at Selhurst Park, Pep went full strength – and the 3-1 win set City on their way again. Burnley next in the FA Cup, and despite the early goal, a superstar innings from Sergio Aguero saw the Blues sail through to face Cardiff with a 4-1 victory.

Another Cup game, this time against Bristol City, and Pep rotated but still managed to secure a slender 2-1 advantage to take to the return leg at Ashton Gate. Then came Liverpool.

I am never confident about going to Anfield. I don’t think I’ve met any City fan that is. But this season, I just felt that if we ever had a chance to get the win there, it was now. It’s been the season for breaking many records, so why not? They play open, probing football, which suits us to a tee, so why couldn’t we go there and get the win?

Much like water is wet and grass is green, the 4-3 defeat brought to an end our unbeaten run and chance of being ‘invincible’ this season. Did anybody actually really believe that would happen though? It was a crazy 10 minute period in the second half that saw City fall apart and Liverpool capitalise on uncharacteristic errors. I’m trying to brush over it and not be too harsh because, of course, at the time of going to press, we are still 12 points clear after a phenomenal season.

Newcastle next and the 3-1 win was convincing enough to put us back to winning ways, with a hat trick from Aguero. The returning leg of the Carabao Cup Semi Final saw City secure a place in the final against Arsenal with a 3-2 triumph, and a 2-0 win against a filthy Cardiff City side just days later sent us into the fifth round of the FA Cup to face our old foes Wigan at the DW Stadium.

So overall another fantastic month for City and it’s easy to underestimate just how difficult January can be. These games are coming thick and fast – the price you pay for cup run success. But it’s almost time for the Champions League knock-out games against Basel, and a very tough couple of weeks for the Blues with Arsenal in the Cup Final, in the League and Chelsea in the League all coming in the space of a week towards the end of February/early March.

It’s hard to believe that yet again we’re all talking about how a disgustingly reckless tackle has escaped without the punishment it deserved. Cardiff City’s Joe Bennett’s tackle on Leroy Sane was that brutal, the German’s leg practically bent as he went in studs up. The referee, Lee Mason, deemed the tackle only worthy of a yellow card. We now live in a football world where a tackle that horrific, which he seen Sane sidelined with ankle ligament damage, receives the same punishment as taking your shirt off does. How is that fair? It’s not. Something desperately needs to be done; it’s been a familiar sight so far this season and it’s continuing without many batting an eyelid.

But it’s been fantastic to see Aguero back in a run of form – despite the persistent whispers surrounding his potential departure this summer – and I’m gutted to see Sane sidelined for what looks like (at the time of going to press) the foreseeable future. Kevin De Bruyne has been up to his usual sublime tricks – that free kick against Cardiff City being a cracking example. Behave Kev! Good to see Bernardo Silva too putting in some exemplary performances of late too and really showing there are two Silvas at the club who can be just as magical. Excited to welcome Laporte on board and see what he has to offer – young and full of potential.

There have been a few question marks hanging over John Stones and his recent run of form; after coming back from his injury he’s made quite a few big, sloppy errors that have cost us goals. It’s so frustrating to see, because before he was out he was in a stupendous run of form and looked solid at the back next to Otamendi. I don’t like singling players out and I’m sure he’ll find his way back to that form, it’s just been slightly concerning to watch of late.

MAN LIKE DAVID

When everybody saw the team sheet for the Spurs game and realised David Silva was missing due to ‘personal reasons’, the rumour mill went into overdrive. Some of the rumours bordered on ludicrous, some were much more sinister.

In his own time, Silva came out himself and addressed the rumours. He thanked the club, his team mates and Pep for their understanding in the matter, and the fans for their well wishes. He then went on to explain that his son, Mateo, was born prematurely, and is fighting a daily battle to survive.

When I read this, I was gobsmacked. How he could even get on a plane to England in the first instance id beyond me. But to fly over and put in the kind of performance he did vs. Watford is nothing short of phenomenal. He must be in utter turmoil: people often think football is a matter of life and death, but a good dose of perspective can tell us otherwise. Football must be the absolute last thing on his mind. Being with his son and partner every precious moment and minute would absolutely be his priority.

I admire the way the club and Pep have handled Silva’s situation – but it doesn’t surprise me. When I worked at the club, I suffered a miscarriage. The club couldn’t have been more supportive. I don’t think they were to know just quite the extent it affected me – for years afterwards – but as an employer they were extremely sympathetic and sensitive to my situation and for that, I’ll always be grateful. It’s good to hear that stance is consistent throughout the club – from top to bottom.

He’s missed games to be with his family – and rightfully so. The club will always be here no matter what, that goes without saying. But amongst Silva’s trauma, he’s still managed to remain a consummate professional. He’s been travelling between Manchester and Spain to support both his team and his family and not once has he delivered a sub-standard performance during that time. It’s utterly remarkable. We all knew we were lucky to have a player of his calibre and trickery at OUR club, but through all his heartache to remain so dedicated to his work too, well, makes his really worth his weight in gold.

The vast majority of blues during his silence remained respectful to his privacy and need for time. The handful who speculated that he had cancer? Well, it beggars belief doesn’t it. Mindless idiots.

CITY WATCH PODCAST

It’s been another eventful month for the City Watch Podcast. I’ve actually missed the past couple due to being struck down with this horrendous flu that’s been doing the rounds – try cleaning shitty nappies and entertaining two under three year olds while suffering from that! It’s been a really rough couple of weeks, but I’m finally coming out of the other side now thankfully.

But before that we had our television debut at the Podcast. I’ve done bits and bobs of TV work in the past: I was asked to present a package on City once for North West Tonight a few years ago and it’s not exactly a medium I feel particularly comfortable with. Like most women, I am very paranoid about my looks. It stems back from being bullied at high school and needing a six hour operation on my jaw. So, despite my selfies, I am very insecure and feel much more comfortable behind a microphone or a keyboard.

So imagine our surprise when Liverpool Football Club TV got in touch with City Watch and Ian asking if they could come and film the Podcast and do a few interviews with us as a feature for LFCTV ahead of the big match? Ian, Jordan, Adam, Stuart and I headed to the XS Manchester Studios in Spinningfields in Manchester to conduct a ‘faux podcast’; basically we had to pretend to record our podcast while they filmed us. The two guys that came from LFCTV, Paul and Miles, were fantastic and we all had a really good laugh with them.

Despite feeling completely both out of my depth and my comfort zone, the final product was a delightful five minute package of the growing popularity of podcasts, along with a preview of the Liverpool-City game. If you missed it, the links to it are on both my Twitter and the @City_Watch Twitter account. What a great experience to be involved in though – and all of this, along with my contributions to the City Watch Podcast, have stemmed from writing for King of the Kippax again. I’m forever grateful to Dave and Sue for including my ramblings/rants/anecdotes and musings in their much-adored publication. I will always try and do them justice!

THE MANCHESTER/TRAFFORD POWER STRUGGLE

It feels like every month I’m talking about that lot next door. You know, the ones with the gobby Portuguese manager and the fans who mock us for having empty seats but can never be arsed to run up anymore because they’re stopped winning trophies? Oh, THAT lot. The ones who belittle us for the amount of money we spend on players despite playing £89m for Pogba (a former player of theirs – doh!), £90m for Lukaku and £450,000 a week for their latest acquisition, Alexis Sanchez.

But the hypocrisy that seems to run through the veins of everybody linked with that club is quite outstanding. Take Gary Neville for example. I (obviously) used to despise him when he played for United and when he became a pundit for Sky Sports I like others joked about cancelling my subscription. But he proved me wrong: he came across as a fair and balanced pundit, actually capable of giving praise to City and criticism to United when rightfully deserved.

But this season, it seems like the mask has slipped and true colours are shining through. For some reason, Gary seems to be sniping more towards City, with comments loaded with resent and jealousy. Perhaps he’s upset Pep chose City and they got lumbered with Mourinho? Perhaps he’s suffering from amnesia and fails to remember that United have long been the pioneers of spending big on players?

Or perhaps, like many United fans and other fans and pundits this season, he’s suffering from City Flu. In Gary’s case, symptoms include: harping on about how many trophies your club used to win, pointing fingers about spending money despite your club paying £450,000 a week to a new signing who was desperate to sign for your rivals and picking fault in a manager’s way of setting his team up to play, despite having been sacked from your one and only job as head team coach.

As if Martin Tyler’s commentary vs. Liverpool wasn’t bad enough; actually saying that Mane’s goal was ‘justice’ because of the red card he had received at the Etihad? The red card he had in fact rightfully been given due to his high boot ripping Ederson’s face apart. Neil Custis seems to be on a daily crusade to spread his anti-City nonsense to anybody stupid enough to listen, a la Duncan Castles and Matt Law from The Telegraph questioning the essence of Financial Fair Play because we want to pay Athletic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte’s buyout clause (at the time of writing this, we just have). Yet, no similar questions asked to Liverpool when they paid £75m for Virgil Van Dyke? People think we’re paranoid, but the anti-City media agenda has never been stronger and more apparent.

But back to United and their ways. They simply can’t handle the fact that City are the better team and have no idea how to cope and deal with it. As I mentioned last month, they were used to being showered in success and trophies; they don’t like being forced to watch such uninspiring, average football.

It isn’t me being arrogant, of course. We couldn’t be arrogant if we tried. It’s the current Manchester-Trafford power struggle. The Sanchez saga: Sanchez wanted City, City wanted Sanchez. United want what City want and offered an unjustifiable amount of money for him. City rightfully stuck to their guns and morals and let Sanchez go to a team that are used to throwing money at problems. A club whose supporters, pundits and manager have the guile, stupidity and hypocrisy to mock us for spending despite their recent transfer endeavours.

There’s one thing money can’t buy. Class. Integrity. Respect. The past is yours, the future is ours.

A WALK DOWN WEMBLEY WAY

Once upon a time, I remember watching Joe Royle’s Everton play United in the FA Cup Final at Wembley. It was 1995: I was a 13 year old girl watching City play, well, not quite the most attractive football I’ve ever seen us play (am I being too polite?!) Although I was understandably thrilled to see Everton beat that lot 1-0 and lift the Cup, I was also hit with a bit of the green eye.

‘I’ll never get to see my team play at Wembley,’ I lamented. ‘I’ll never get to experience what it’s like to go and watch City play in a Cup Final, let alone win it.’

Then, four years later, I found myself watching my team at Wembley for the Division Two Play-Off Final against Gillingham. A day so overwhelming , so full of emotion and so important in the club’s history, I find it quite difficult to put into words quite how I feel about that day (I’m welling up just thinking about it).

Although it technically wasn’t a Cup Final in the traditional sense, it was monumentally crucial to City and the future of the club.

Fast forward 19 years and it’s almost astonishing to believe that I’m now planning my 10^th trip to Wembley. Double figures. I’m not sure how I’ve gone from dreaming of a Wembley Cup Final to getting to visit the place 10 times – it’s unbelievable and we are so lucky to get to watch our team, play there so often (no Spurs no, that doesn’t count!).

What about all the memories we have made along the way?

That Manchester United Semi Final, which was on my birthday no less. Potentially the best birthday ever, one spent getting absolutely legless in the Green Man pub for the first time, following by more drinking on the roundabout and some very drunk tears at the final whistle. The FA Cup Final that subsequently followed against Stoke – the solitary goal from the big man Yaya Toure bringing the banner down after 35 years – and all the Jagerbombs that followed. All the celebrations in a drunken stupor, swinging off the bars on the Tube on the way back to our hotel singing ‘Oh Adam Johnson’ (!!!!) over and over again.

It was back down to Wembley just a few months later, in August, to face United again in the Community Shield – my first experience of defeat there. Say no more.

But we didn’t have to wait too long to go back again to play Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi Final. That meant more drinking at the Euston Tap, more cans on the roundabout and a 2-1 win, sending us through to the final – against Wigan.

How weird was that looking back? We had gone down for it with my good friend at the time, Mike, who was a huge Wigan fan. We had been mates for years – and teased each other over the ‘hand of Goat’ goal that helped City beat Wigan to the Play-Off Final back in 1999. To go from that to playing each other in the FA Cup Final, for us, was just baffling.

We stood on Wembley Way together just gobsmacked. It was a really surreal moment. All those years ago, joking to each other about Shaun Goater and Stuart Barlow and now, here we were, about to watch our teams face off in one of the biggest games of the year. Some blues even laughed seeing our rival shirts together and chanted ‘you’ll never be her husband’ (I was there with my fiancé at the time too, who was a blue). We even took Mike on the roundabout – he was the only Latic on there. We had such a laugh. But that was before the game.

Well, as for the match? Rumours afterwards were rife that Mancini had lost the dressing room and that was the players’ revolt. It was such a sickener though. When the heavens opened and that Ben Watson header went in just as we were all preparing for extra time – it was a gut wrenching moment. But I was genuinely happy for Mike. When we met him afterwards, he was crying his eyes out with happiness. We did Jagerbombs with him and had a great night. That was a horrific result though, there’s no mistaking that. Coming out of Wembley was awful. It still haunts me to this day (even though we’ve seen much worse!).

It was Sunderland next in the Capital One Cup Final in 2014. I had just split with my fiancé, who I had not only my season ticket with,  but lived with and had just found out I was expecting a baby with. It was a bit awkward at the time because we had a lot of mutual City mates, but this Wembley trip was very different because being pregnant of course meant that I couldn’t drink.

I drove down on the day with my brother. We went and met up with some friends near the roundabout and I saw said ex-fiance getting drunk on his own – what mixed memories these Wembley experiences are bringing back! But two absolutely incredible goals from both Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure meant my brother was spinning me in the air with delight and the League Cup was ours. I decided there was no better way to announce my pregnancy than at Wembley with a pre-written handmade sign, so at the final whistle that was unveiled and the news was met with much bittersweet happiness from my friends and family.

A couple of years later and we faced Liverpool in the Capital One Cup Final. What a difference that time had made personally – I was heading down to Wembley for the ninth time with my boyfriend, Adam, and my then 18 month old son, Vincent. It was quite possibly the proudest moment I’ve felt; walking down Wembley Way carrying my little boy, having been there just two years previously with him in my tummy. I’d gone from going to Wembley on the piss with my mates, to going there and experiencing a family day out.

We had the most fantastic day. Vincent couldn’t quite walk, so we booked a hotel next to Wembley and took him round in the buggy at first (we even ventured near one of the allocated drinking establishments, The Crystal, although the less said about that place, the better!), but then as kick-off approached, we ditched the wheels and carried him round. We bumped into so many of our friends too, who all got to be a part of Vincent’s first Wembley experience. The game? Well, it was all about Willy. The goalkeeper that everybody had baulked at starting ahead of Joe Hart turned out to be the penalty shoot-out hero. Winning on penalties with Yaya Toure blasting the final one home was a dramatic end to a very emotional day – and walking out with my family at the end under the blue arch with another trophy was everything I’d dreamed of and so much more.

The most recent trip to Wembley came last year, in the FA Cup Semi Final. By this time, we had welcomed a brother for Vincent, Noel Sergio. But we decided that Noel was definitely too young to take and Vincent was with his Dad that weekend, so we opted for a weekend on the booze. We stayed at the same hotel again and went down on the Saturday, which confused many Chelsea and Spurs fans as we walked down to our hotel in our shirts on the day of their game. We met up that night with some of our City friends and went for a night into the capital, for food and cocktails. Oh what a night. There were some very sore heads the next day as we headed to the Green Man.

Drinking the day of the game was a struggle, but we graced the Green Man and the roundabout with our presence and reminisced about the times we’d been there before. This time there was no final: Arsenal beat us 2-1 after extra time with the deciding goal coming from none other than that man, Sanchez. But the controversial decision by the linesman to disallow a goal for City that should’ve stood, with the linesman claiming the ball had gone out of play when in fact it hadn’t, left many City fans feeling robbed.

I remember spotting a couple of men back at our hotel wearing FA blazers, so I took the opportunity to voice my disapproval. They were both Brighton fans, so excited at the prospect of facing us in the League next season, and while one of them seemed to dismiss us and walk away, the other actually took the time to have a talk to us. He was sympathetic to our cause (although that doesn’t give us the Final place we deserved), and admitted that the decision was wrong. He said the FA were implementing the use of VAR next season (this current season) as a trial to see how and if it works. He said obviously had it been in place that day, the goal would’ve stood and we would’ve been through to the final. Too little, too late.

Many memories made and many more to come no doubt. What a time it is to be a blue and what a journey we’ve had throughout the years. This time round, we will be going to Wembley with Vincent again, as Noel is too fidgety to take just yet. He wouldn’t sit still. This time Vincent will be able to walk down Wembley Way himself and sing City songs he’s learned by going to the Etihad. But there will come a time when we will all go together as a family, and hopefully a time too when my boys will go together with their friends and, eventually, their own family too.

For me, these Wembley trips represent significant points in my life. They each come with their own unique stories, much like everybody’s journeys down there. As long as City keep performing the way they do on the pitch, these trips will continue to grace our lives and live long in the hearts and minds of us all. My Wembley record stands at: played nine, won six and lost three. I’m hoping that perfect 10 gives Pep his first trophy of many as City boss – would be nice to see my Vincent watch his namesake lifting silverware again in a stadium that holds so much sentimentality for us all.

Hope you all have a fantastic time down at Wembley or wherever you will be watching the game. February is a reasonably favourable month for us at the moment: a trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley followed by Leicester at home in the League. Basel in the Champions League followed by Wigan away in the FA Cup rounded up with the trip to Wembley to face Arsenal in the League Cup. It’s definitely not a bed of roses, but it does feel like the calm before the storm if you look at March’s fixtures…

One thing is for certain – they’ll be plenty to talk about next month.

Same place, same time?

Emily Brobyn

@kippaxgirlemily