Barcelona v Manchester United

Barcelona deserved their victory last night, but greatest team in the history of football? Do me a favour, United were crap. They apologised for not turning up in the 2009 final then forgot to turn up last night too, pathetic.

So what does last night say about English football? That it is all hype and no class in a nutshell. United were lucky in 1999. Were lucky in 2008 to get an English team in the final. Fulham got to the final of the shambolic Europa League but apart from that English football is all fur coat and no knickers. Man City won the FA Cup, can you even remember who knocked them out of the Europa League? Who knocked Asenal out of the 'Champions' League, which isn't even for champions any more?

English football is the triumph of hype over quality. A tart who wins a rollover, pardon the pun, on the lottery is still a tart.

Manchester City FC Announce New Shirt Sponsor

To celebrate their first trophy in 35 years MCFC have announced a new shirt sponsor:

Pro Cycling: The Tour Series

One of the highlights of the sporting summer is the Halfords Tour Series, which will be in the North West on June 9th when they race through the streets of Oldham, ee bah gum.

Ok, you're not going to see Lance Armstrong but you will see fantastic, thrilling cycle racing with some of Europe's finest racers taking part on a street circuit no more than 2 miles long, so the action never stops as the teams go for it.

For me it's a great appetiser before my trip to France to watch a few stages of Le Tour in July. If you enjoy cycling, or have always wondered about watching pro cycling, then this is the ideal introduction. And it's free!

Pamplona Bull Run

If you're fancying a holiday with a difference this year, I can recommend taking in the Pamplona Bull Run. We were there ten years ago and watched in the bullring rather than out on the streets where the Corrida takes place. But a couple of warnings, if you're squeamish about bull fights then leave Pamplona out, if you're squeamish about seeing people getting gored by bulls, leave Pamplona out. Here's a superb film that gives you a flavour of the event:



Pamplona San Fermin Official Website

Manchester City FC-Upholding a Long Tradition

It was good to see Manchester City, or rather their fans, upholding tradition last night. They paraded their first trophy in 35 years at their council owned stadium but didn't manage to anywhere near fill it.

Lots of cash, no class.

Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs Ryan Giggs tried to gag the press,
Ryan Giggs Ryan Giggs what a bloody mess,
He's himself to blame, we all know his name...
Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs
 
At least that's what MP John Hemming said in the House of Commons today. Or something similar.

Burglaries Set to Plummet in Manchester

It's being predicted that the number of burglaries in the Manchester area will plummet tonight. The reason being that the usual suspects will be lining the streets as Manchester City parade their first trophy in 35 years through Manchester.

However Inspector Gallagher of GMP warned: "We're expectin' loads o' pockets to be picked though like, yer know what I mean? Ci'ee fans are always up for a bit o' dippin', yer know what I mean? Worse than Scousers like most of 'em sort o' fing ".

United Fans Laughing At Liverpool Fans-Again!

Some years ago Liverpool fans unfurled the following banner at Anfield. Their arrogance made them believe that United would never equal their 18 titles.

But on Saturday United won their 19th title, so a group of United fans got into Anfield and unfurled the following banner before their home game with Spurs:

Manchester United Champions

I gave my season ticket up, and haven't been to Old Trafford since 2005, but it's absolutely fantastic that in spite of the Glazers United have won their 19th title.

Bloody magic!

Manchester United 19 Liverpool 18. He certainly knocked them Scousers off their perch.

Manchester City FC-The Biggest Joke in World Football

After years of accusing any club that wins a trophy of buying success, anybody who doesn't live in the bog at their team's ground of not being a true local fan, and claiming that all City fans are from Manchester this appears on their website: 

New to Manchester City FC? If you're not yet a diehard fan then here's a quick guide to help you on your way.

We all know we have the best fans in the world and manager Roberto Mancini is building the team our supporters deserve.

Loyalty, commitment, passion and, during the darker times, a sense of humour has been needed over the years to follow the Blues – that’s what we affectionately call City - but expectation and optimism have now been added to those qualities.
Success means we’ll be welcoming a new generation of City fans from here in England and all over the globe, too, and when our new followers come on board, they’ll be welcomed with open arms into our ‘family’.
Champions League qualification and the FA Cup Final will mean hundreds of thousands of people will adopt the Blues as their chosen side and with that in mind, here is a guide to help ‘newbies’ bluff your way through the televised games, with your mates down at the pub or actually at a game.
So long as you’ve got City in your hearts, we want your support – and if you are watching City (there’s only one City, by the way!) take on Stoke at Wembley on Saturday and you’ll be cheering us on for the first time in the new Carlos Tevez home shirt you’ve just bought on-line, this is stuff you need to know.
As they say on the evening news sports results round-up, if you don’t want to know the following - or more likely if you already know (!), look away now.
Our fans’ anthem is Blue Moon, a song written 67 years ago by Rogers and Hart and adopted in or around 1989. Though we don’t sing the whole song – just the chorus  - Blue Moon echoes out when the players are need of an uplift or when we we’ve just scored.
If asked where we play our football, it’s the City of Manchester Stadium – also nicknamed Eastlands due to the area of Manchester it is in. It’s worth noting that from 1923 to 2003 we played our home games at Maine Road

Traditionally, we don’t like red as a colour – unless it forms part of a red and black striped away kit the team have worn periodically over the years

...Bluffers guide to MCFC

If you are asked who your favourite players are from down the years – your credibility is at stake here – don’t say Francis Bell, Colin Summerbee and Yaya Dzeko though these names exists, they are combinations  – have a good scan over the club website and check out who the current favourites are and who the club legends are and take notes!
And, if we score against Stoke and some more experienced Blues (ahem!) around you ask you to join in a ‘Poznan’ , don’t say ‘Sure, make it a double with ice’, simply turn your back to the screen or the pitch, put your arms around the shoulders of the people on either side and jump up and down. Simple! Watch the experts in action first!

Incidentally, it’s called The Poznan because City played a team called Lech Poznan earlier this season and their fans did the same dance – we just named it in their honour!
This is our first FA Cup Final since 1981, so don’t try and bluff your way through historical facts. The last trophy we won was in 1976 so again, get this right or you’ll arouse suspicion.
There may be the odd person who tries to trip you up with the terms ‘massive’ or ‘Man City’ – please ignore these are we are now accepting these words in general club usage!
Of course, in the fullness of time you’ll pick ‘The Knowledge’ and become a diehard City fan just like the rest of us. Until then, we hope the above is of some use!

And if you really don't believe Manchester City are all cash, no class and couldn't possibly put anything so crass on their website then follow this link.

Football Conference Play Off Final and Pure Greed

On 21 May the City of Manchester Stadium (aka The Bertiedome, Wastelands or Middle Eastlands) hosts the Football Conference play off final. We don't know who is in it yet but it is looking likely to be AFC Wimbledon v Luton Town.

Yet again the footballing authorities show their complete disregard for the paying customer by expecting the fans of two clubs to travel 200 miles there and back to watch a 90 minute game of football.  What would be wrong with having a ground in the south on standby for such an occasion?

I was going to watch the game as I am unlikey to ever go and watch Manchester City, indeed any other club there as long as Manchester City are in the Premier League because I won't line the pockets of the greedy sods who play football at that level, or the rest of the people involved in lining their pockets at our expense. But like thousands of others I won't now be going having found out the price:

Level 1 Tickets (nearest the Pitch)
Adults : £36 + £3.50 (Booking Fee) + £ 5.25 (Special Delivery) or £2.25 (First Class)
Children £18 + £1.50 (Booking Fee) + See above
NO SENIORS
Level 2 Tickets
Adults £41 + £3.50 (Booking Fee) + £ 5.25 (Special Delivery) or £2.25 (First Class)
NO CONCESSIONS

And if you pay those prices then you obviously have more money than sense. In fact if you pay those prices you're as big a danger to the future of football as Glazer, Abramovitch and all the other greedy parasites.

If you have any sense, or principle, take a stand and BOYCOTT!!

FC United of Manchester-An 'Away' Fan's View

Since 2005, and the Glazer takeover of Manchester United, many of us have been followinjg the breakaway club, FC United of Manchester. The lads who set the club up can be rightly proud of their hard work and those of us who follow FC think it's a model club, owned and run by the fans and for the fans, not a massive profit. Or in the words of one of the club's many fine and imaginative banners: "Making Friends Not Millionaires".

But that's my possibly my myopic view of FC. I thought I'd ask a friend, who supports rival club Buxton FC, to give us an idea what fans of other non-league clubs think of us. Here's what John thinks:

I along with many neutrals have kept an eye on the progress of FCUM since their formation.
I remember the first league match in the North West Counties league vs Leek CSOB ( only because a lad from work went) and I think there was something like 4000 people there. So you knew something special was starting.

We neutrals watched as they stormed to the title in that 1st season, then the next league, then the next until they reached the Premier Division of the NPL where my team (Buxton) had reached and had mixed seasons.
Tough league this one.

Now as a Bucks fan, and knowing about the size of the following, FCUM was one of the fixtures to look out for as well as our personal old friends, Matlock. The first time we hosted FC there were over 2000 people in our football ground, it was superb. The atmosphere from both sides was amazing and nothing I'd experienced at Buxton in my time supporting my club.

This time round FC didn't storm to the title, as I said earlier it's a tough league this one. In fact after 3 seasons FC are still with us, only just though after missing out in the play off final this season.

As an away supporter watching my boys play away to FC is also a great experience. Going watching my team play at a 'big and proper' stadium at Bury with again a superb atmosphere created from the home fans. When FC get they're own ground, I honestly think they will start to storm this league and the next two and will be in the football league. Financially having to pay Bury for the use of Gigg Lane must be draining so once they are 'home' they will fly.

I have no bad opinions on FC so long may they continue, the aforementioned support has helped many clubs financially so how can anyone not like them. The only thing I didn't agree on was the FA cup games being televised. You can understand from FC's point of view, money towards the ground, but wasn't it one if the reasons the club was formed? Football at 3pm on a Saturday?

Anyway, that's only a small bug bare? Long may they continue and as long as my team are in the same division, we will all look out for FCUM at home when the fixtures come out.

Barcelona v Manchester United

I have happy memories of Barcelona after two visits to the Nou Camp. One when they thrashed us 4 0 in 1993/94, yes I did actually still enjoy the trip. The other when United beat Bayern in 1999. But I've never fallen for all the hype about the football club that is Barcelona. Yes they have had some teams, the current one included, that play some beautiful football, but so do plenty of other clubs.

The constant drooling hype about 'Barca' by the media, and those who slavishly follow the media hype, often makes me retch. A sense of perspective is handy and you only have to look at the vile cheating of the Barcelona players against Real Madrid to get a sense of perspective. Too many of their players are cheats for me to respect them.

Then there is the politically correct hype. Barcelona represents the alternative politics, Catalonia fighting the old enemy Castille. Scratch the surface, especially of the politically correct in the UK but in Catalonia too, and there is still simmering obsession with the Spanish Civil War, Franco and the role of Barcelona in that particular conflict.

So there are people all over the world falling for the hype, a bit of an Arsenal on a world scale situation, and Barcelona pull off the most cynical piece of marketing genius since the conman who made it by selling bottled water when we have perefectly good, if not better water free from our taps. They bung a few million quid to Unicef to put Unicef on their shirts. Bingo, kerching, the dosh flows in as millions all over the world suddenly rise to the bait and start buying Barca merchandise. Bloody mugs!

What was all that about not selling their shirts by having a sponsors logo on them? As cynical a football club as you will find anywhere in the world.