Football (Soccer) is in my blood...
Dad has been a season ticket holder all his life, Grandad was a season ticket holder at Maine Road, I was a season ticket holder until I moved away from Manchester, but still get to many games.
I played from being 8 until 38, and even now at 47 turn out for vets (veterans) teams. My son plays at a high amateur level and was (along with my daughters) brainwashed with the City religion from birth.
The main difference that I see on this forum to most fans in the UK, is that in the UK your team is bigger than your religion, most men are more faithful to there team than they are to there women.
Things have changed over the years, rules have changed, stadiums have changed, crowds have changed and no all changes have been for the better.
I would prefer to stand on the Kippax, than sit in a nice seat in the East Stand at the Etihad. Standing really should be reintroduced, it made the atmosphere at games much more full, than the "corporate" approach taken by most seated spectators today.
Tackles are much "softer" than they were, understandably from a H&S point of view, but not right, crunching tackles were a way of life back in the day (rose tinted specs) and diving would not have been tolerated by team mates let alone fans.
I really struggled with the American sports mentality at the start, don't get me wrong, we can share a beer with fans of opposing teams, and have great banter, but you seem much more "friendly and respectful" to your rivals than we are. You seem more ready to accept NYCFC being a part of the CFG, than we would be if we were in your position. (E.g. if the situation was reversed and we were watching the MLS, and supporting say LA Galaxy, and NYCFC came and set up a club in Manchester, no way would we support the new local club in the early days, Our loyalty would stay with Galaxy. But that is credit to you, not criticism from me (just a new concept to get my head around).
Unspeakable amounts of money have entered the game. Something else we need to get to grips with.
Cartels (luckily we got to the top table before the door was closed) are ensuring that there positions of power are ring fenced. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool are the main protagonists in FFP.
These cartels move the game further towards a business than a sport. How this will affect the game I love in the future is yet to be determined.
As it stands sleeping Giants like Villa, Tottenham, Newcastle etc will never be able to match the spending of the cartels (due to FFP) and I can see a day when they break away and maybe form a franchise league such as the MLS in order to be able to survive and compete for success. Whilst the leading lights in the Cartel move more towards continental or world competitions.
Sorry guys I am off on one now.... To put it simply I love the game, love the club (MCFC), and am waching with interest the next stages of development in the Club, the group, and the game as a whole.
.
