There are a few Manchester United fans here who are going to support NYCFC.
Many of us Man City fans really struggle to get our heads around this because many of us, me included HATE that club with a passion so great it hurts.
There is much documented history going back to the 1800's but on the whole for the first 60 or so years of the last century both clubs got on and indeed supporters often went to see both teams. Saturday was matchday regardless of allegiance, and travel wasn't quite as easy as today.
So I am not going to use too much of the historical route, I am going to use my experiences and views to explain to you why I hate, and that is not too strong a word, United and all the club stand for.
So why do I hate United so much, to the point it makes me irrational.
My best friend is a United fan (a rare breed as he is from Manchester), I don't hate him. Many colleagues and customers are United fans, I don't hate them. So why do I (we) hate the collective so much.
Is it jealousy that the club have had so much success in recent years ? - Possibly an element of it yes, but not all of it. I hated them long before the success.
Back in the days of the Cold War in the late seventies or early eighties four of us from school decided to go to Old Trafford to watch a European Cup game against Polish side Widzew Lodz. Long before freedom of movement, and when Poland was definitely "Eastern Block". Did we stand with the United Fans, No we went with the (very few) Lodz fans.
In recent years I have been given corporate tickets to Old Trafford on many occasions. I have never ever used them, satisfying myself that I am doing a United Fan out of going to the game, and stopping an income stream. They have not sold a beer, cup of tea, program, whatever to the person who might have used that ticket.
Back when I was growing up through the seventies and early eighties, City went from challenging for the league to a relegation doomed side. where by United went from being relegated to a team challenging for the title, they were still a long way behind Liverpool but got a couple of 2nd, 3rd, 4th places.
However both teams (City and United) were competing on a relatively equal footing, had a sprinkling of Wembley Appearances and operated with intense rivalry.
During the eighties, City's on field performances slumped, relegation followed by promotion, followed by relegation etc. This coincided with the time of Thatchers government and the boom economy years. Advertising and marketing became trendy. The Yuppies in London were making money, and football club owners were starting to realise that they had a market.
Clubs like United, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, and Tottenham started to believe that they had rights to more money from the pot as they had more support. These were the teams LUCKY enough to be competing at the top of the league during these years. They threatened to break away and make there own deals with TV companies etc, to work with other European top clubs and form a super-league.
The bully boy tactics in part worked and we got the formation of the "Premier League"
Uniteds marketing machine went into overdrive, where as at the time City didn't have any on field success to market. Had this happened 20 years earlier then the boot would probably have been well and truly on Citys foot, though I like to believe City would not have wanted any part in the break away, which is probably deluding myself.
With the "Premier League" and Uniteds greater share of the money trough, came more success. United could afford to buy the best, and being the best on field team, they could market the best. Off to foreign lands they went, selling there soul. Partnering anything from noodles
http://www.manutd.com/en/Club/Sponsors.aspx?sponsorid={D2106272-F40C-44EE-86AE-DDAD7DA84070} to aeroplanes http://www.manutd.com/en/Club/Sponsors.aspx?sponsorid={35C1AECF-96AA-4839-9F2A-D5543E42B3B2} to get greater exposure.
Inevitably with on field success and exposure can the new fans.
The new fans were a different breed, people who had no understanding of the game, no passion for the game, no knowledge of the history of the game. Just people who wanted to jump onto the band wagon of success.
During the late 90's I had moved away from Manchester for work reasons and often frequented a family bar in the middle of the UK with my own family. Young kids who's fathers I knew were Forrest, Tottenham, Liverpool or Arsenal fans would be wearing United tops. When I asked the fathers why I was told their friends supported United so that was what they wanted to do. I have my own views about child cruelty but....
I sat at the bar, and these kids would come up to get cokes or crisps, while they waited I would tease them, and ask them What part of London do Manchester United play in ?
I got answers ranging from North London, to South London, one kid even said Wembley.
I would always tell them they were wrong, and that they should go to ask there fathers. The amount of fathers who have heard the question "Dad what part of London do Manchester United play in" must run into dozens.
You see these children blindly followed there peers onto the wagon train of success. A bit like how I view the United Fans that try to justify following NYCFC... People who want to be on the top dogs team but have no understanding of what they are following.
To be told by these people that City have bought success after the millions of pounds they have spent to get to the position they were in just shows there lack of understanding of there own clubs history.
City's demise was such that the new fans claimed that Liverpool was there big local rivalry. The new fans genuinely believed that where the old fans grasped the stick to batter there bedraggled local rivals even more.
Ask any new United fan who John Henry Davies was and they don't know. Why did under his tenure at Old Trafford the team become known as "Moneybags United"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Davies
How much do they know about James W Gibson ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_W._Gibson
In footballing terms City have recently won the lottery, and have probably the best owner in the sporting world. But United won the same lottery a twice before. Lottery wins which saved there very existence, and now the Bastards begrudge us our win.
So scared are they that they now try to move the goalposts to stop others doing what they have done, by getting into UEFA and lobbying for fair play on there terms.
So with the City marketing machine now waking up and moving into full force, formulating a global brand, and encouraging new fans, are we going to be guilty of having plastic fans like Uniteds.
To be honest probably. It is almost inevitable.
But I hope the way we are doing it in giving those fans there own club to identify with, branded in the City way. At least in theory those new fans should have some passion for the City group, and by default even a small part of understanding of there roots.
This may well come across as a bit of an anti United rant. Good it was meant to.
I use this to appeal to the good fans of New York City FC. Do what you want, how you want. But please please just give the City Group (including Manchester City) a little respect and take NOTHING from the scums fans, and give nothing to the scums club.
Whoever and whatever models you use to develop your identity, take nothing from them. Manchester is Blue, New York is Blue. My biggest fear would be going to Yankee Stadium, and sitting next to a fan in a United shirt, I wouldn't be able to help myself
Many of us Man City fans really struggle to get our heads around this because many of us, me included HATE that club with a passion so great it hurts.
There is much documented history going back to the 1800's but on the whole for the first 60 or so years of the last century both clubs got on and indeed supporters often went to see both teams. Saturday was matchday regardless of allegiance, and travel wasn't quite as easy as today.
So I am not going to use too much of the historical route, I am going to use my experiences and views to explain to you why I hate, and that is not too strong a word, United and all the club stand for.
So why do I hate United so much, to the point it makes me irrational.
My best friend is a United fan (a rare breed as he is from Manchester), I don't hate him. Many colleagues and customers are United fans, I don't hate them. So why do I (we) hate the collective so much.
Is it jealousy that the club have had so much success in recent years ? - Possibly an element of it yes, but not all of it. I hated them long before the success.
Back in the days of the Cold War in the late seventies or early eighties four of us from school decided to go to Old Trafford to watch a European Cup game against Polish side Widzew Lodz. Long before freedom of movement, and when Poland was definitely "Eastern Block". Did we stand with the United Fans, No we went with the (very few) Lodz fans.
In recent years I have been given corporate tickets to Old Trafford on many occasions. I have never ever used them, satisfying myself that I am doing a United Fan out of going to the game, and stopping an income stream. They have not sold a beer, cup of tea, program, whatever to the person who might have used that ticket.
Back when I was growing up through the seventies and early eighties, City went from challenging for the league to a relegation doomed side. where by United went from being relegated to a team challenging for the title, they were still a long way behind Liverpool but got a couple of 2nd, 3rd, 4th places.
However both teams (City and United) were competing on a relatively equal footing, had a sprinkling of Wembley Appearances and operated with intense rivalry.
During the eighties, City's on field performances slumped, relegation followed by promotion, followed by relegation etc. This coincided with the time of Thatchers government and the boom economy years. Advertising and marketing became trendy. The Yuppies in London were making money, and football club owners were starting to realise that they had a market.
Clubs like United, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, and Tottenham started to believe that they had rights to more money from the pot as they had more support. These were the teams LUCKY enough to be competing at the top of the league during these years. They threatened to break away and make there own deals with TV companies etc, to work with other European top clubs and form a super-league.
The bully boy tactics in part worked and we got the formation of the "Premier League"
Uniteds marketing machine went into overdrive, where as at the time City didn't have any on field success to market. Had this happened 20 years earlier then the boot would probably have been well and truly on Citys foot, though I like to believe City would not have wanted any part in the break away, which is probably deluding myself.
With the "Premier League" and Uniteds greater share of the money trough, came more success. United could afford to buy the best, and being the best on field team, they could market the best. Off to foreign lands they went, selling there soul. Partnering anything from noodles
http://www.manutd.com/en/Club/Sponsors.aspx?sponsorid={D2106272-F40C-44EE-86AE-DDAD7DA84070} to aeroplanes http://www.manutd.com/en/Club/Sponsors.aspx?sponsorid={35C1AECF-96AA-4839-9F2A-D5543E42B3B2} to get greater exposure.
Inevitably with on field success and exposure can the new fans.
The new fans were a different breed, people who had no understanding of the game, no passion for the game, no knowledge of the history of the game. Just people who wanted to jump onto the band wagon of success.
During the late 90's I had moved away from Manchester for work reasons and often frequented a family bar in the middle of the UK with my own family. Young kids who's fathers I knew were Forrest, Tottenham, Liverpool or Arsenal fans would be wearing United tops. When I asked the fathers why I was told their friends supported United so that was what they wanted to do. I have my own views about child cruelty but....
I sat at the bar, and these kids would come up to get cokes or crisps, while they waited I would tease them, and ask them What part of London do Manchester United play in ?
I got answers ranging from North London, to South London, one kid even said Wembley.
I would always tell them they were wrong, and that they should go to ask there fathers. The amount of fathers who have heard the question "Dad what part of London do Manchester United play in" must run into dozens.
You see these children blindly followed there peers onto the wagon train of success. A bit like how I view the United Fans that try to justify following NYCFC... People who want to be on the top dogs team but have no understanding of what they are following.
To be told by these people that City have bought success after the millions of pounds they have spent to get to the position they were in just shows there lack of understanding of there own clubs history.
City's demise was such that the new fans claimed that Liverpool was there big local rivalry. The new fans genuinely believed that where the old fans grasped the stick to batter there bedraggled local rivals even more.
Ask any new United fan who John Henry Davies was and they don't know. Why did under his tenure at Old Trafford the team become known as "Moneybags United"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Davies
How much do they know about James W Gibson ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_W._Gibson
In footballing terms City have recently won the lottery, and have probably the best owner in the sporting world. But United won the same lottery a twice before. Lottery wins which saved there very existence, and now the Bastards begrudge us our win.
So scared are they that they now try to move the goalposts to stop others doing what they have done, by getting into UEFA and lobbying for fair play on there terms.
So with the City marketing machine now waking up and moving into full force, formulating a global brand, and encouraging new fans, are we going to be guilty of having plastic fans like Uniteds.
To be honest probably. It is almost inevitable.
But I hope the way we are doing it in giving those fans there own club to identify with, branded in the City way. At least in theory those new fans should have some passion for the City group, and by default even a small part of understanding of there roots.
This may well come across as a bit of an anti United rant. Good it was meant to.
I use this to appeal to the good fans of New York City FC. Do what you want, how you want. But please please just give the City Group (including Manchester City) a little respect and take NOTHING from the scums fans, and give nothing to the scums club.
Whoever and whatever models you use to develop your identity, take nothing from them. Manchester is Blue, New York is Blue. My biggest fear would be going to Yankee Stadium, and sitting next to a fan in a United shirt, I wouldn't be able to help myself
