THAKSIN Shinawatra crooned "Blue Moon" to a crowd of 8,000 delirious Manchester City fans at a massive public party.
The club's new owner signalled his ambition by laying on the bash in Albert Square - complete with free food, a chance to meet new manager Sven Goran Eriksson and his team, and performances by some of Thailand's biggest musical stars.
But it was Dr Thaksin who stole the show by taking to the stage to join a rendition of the City anthem as the evening drew to a close.
Earlier he had said: "I feel very honoured and touched by the kind of reception I have received.
"I am very thankful.The concert tonight is to express my sincere thanks to all of you. I really appreciate that you have accepted me as part of the Manchester community. Together we will make Manchester City known worldwide."
Thousands of fans had queued up for hours to get platefuls of Thai noodles, rice, chicken and beef before the festivities began.
Culture
The evening had been billed as a chance to bring Thai and Mancunian cultures together - and the entertainment on-stage began with a respectfully-observed rendition of the Thai royal anthem in honour of king Bhumibol Adulyadej.
There were performances by a precession of Thai singers, including Mai Charoenpura, one of the countries most popular pop stars. Manchester-born crooner Cole Page joined the show at the personal request at Dr Thaksin.
But the biggest roar of the night came when Sven and his entire first-team squad took to the stage straight after their 1-0 friendly defeat against Valencia.
The manager said he "hoped for a very good season" and praised the new owner - who has bankrolled a £40m spending-spree - for giving him a "fantastic" squad.
World boxing champion Ricky Hatton, one of Manchester City's most famous fans, joined the team on stage to a massive ovation.
Dr Thaksin had watched much of the show from a front-row seat in the middle of the square. City fans had been so keen to get his autograph that several were stripping off and hurling their shirts at his security guards for him to sign.
The night was seen as a huge public-relations coup for the former Thai prime minister, who has faced a number of challenges over his human rights record since his £81.6m takeover of Manchester City.
Corruption
The Asia division of Human Rights Watch branded him "a human rights abuser of the worst kind" and he still faces a series of corruption charges in Thailand. The organisation has accused him of illegal abductions, arbitrary detention, torture and extra-judicial executions of alleged drug dealers during his five years in power.
Dr Thaksin, who was deposed in a military coup last year, has made it clear through lawyers that he denies all charges of having abused human rights.
Many of the fans seemed won over after Saturday's bash.
"It's absolutely brilliant," said Tom Chambers, from Sale. "I'm glad he's come and he's serious about the club. The Thai people here are saying he was the best thing that ever happened to them."
Paul Sullivan, a 56-year-old civil servant, said the night had been "bizarre" but added: "He's convinced me that he means business."
Comments
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wants to make us known around the world....but asia first! lmfao
It was a joke lads, by the time i got to the front all the chicken had gone and i only got a mouth full of noodles and they was cold as well.
I wouldnt mind but I starved myself all day and i only got a mouth full of cold noodles.
Donald, does the word 'malcontent' mean anything to you - if not, look it up, you miserable, ungrateful crank.
Typical there's no pleasing some of our fans .
Donald, you should have reverted to type mate and gone around cadging 10p like in the good 'ol days. Them brown kecks still standing the test of time?
Donald Farrer - I enjoy a good moan (as several on here will doubtless testify) as much as the next man, but if I lived to be 100 I couldn't top that! Notwithstanding which, looking at the picture opposite, I can't for the life of me think why you were concentrating on the food. Leslie Phillips would have been disgusted with you - ding dong!
So no sooner have we got rid of Joey Barton, and every article including the words "cigar", "dropping shorts" and "hitting Everton fan", than we now get every article about our new owner including the words "human rights", "fit and proper" and "Frank Sinatra". Can someone please put a stop to this lazy journalism now, before it winds everyone up again? And while you are there, don't ever say "City Slicker" in your headlines! You don't hear unsubstantiated accusations about other teams's super-rich owners printed in every article. People who mysteriously acquire billions of pounds in a short time all have a few stories to tell - can you journalists please stop picking on easy target City yet again? And Donald, buy your own tea, you got the free singing didn't you?
Haha! Too bad Donald! That sums up how I've been feeling with City for 30 odd years mate. What a great night.
Donald Farrer, Rochdale...
Do you complain about everything?
It was free,so what you complaining about?!!!
Can you imagine the Rags doing anything like this? Not a chance, so stop being a miserable so and so!!!
Watch the Blue Moon Rising!!!
Done like a true Politician..... i.e: Blair when he first became PM with 'Things can only get better' euphoria.
Happy Days ahead Frank.....
I didn't go but I just knew all my fellow Mancs would be there.....anywhere there's a freebie, you will find the Mancs.
donald, grow up you prat! what grown man starves himself all day, knowing 8000 people want free food.
yes it was a nightmare getting served but it was a great event all for nothing.i sampled only a few dishes myself.the event was a chance to show masses of people assembled together in blue and white outside the town hall practicing for when we parade trophies.
I wrote the last message before I read the other posters comments.
Donald you are exactly the type of person I just wrote about - a freeloader! I have been out of Manc for the last 6 of my 30 years and nothing has changed, you have since had the town centre rebuilt, Commonwealth games, New stadium.......
Same horrendous crime (that keeps me from coming back) and same moaners like you.....
Go back to supporting United .... I'm sure the rags have freebies too - like free season ticket application forms and free paying in slips...... I even hear that the Glazers are thinking of dropping the toll charge for fans to walk the pavements on the way to the ground!
donald there are many people who would be thankful for half what you recieved...and would have "starved "themselves for more than a day
donald it wasnt about free food etc etc it was about bringing everyone together as a unit.
if you wanted free food then you shouldnt be a fat larry and serves(pardon the pun) you right.
new article headline? - "7,999 manchester city fans enjoyed city party!" - one ungrateful guest complains about the food having starved himself all day in anticipation of gorging himself on free food (are you porky parry in disguise?)Well done Frank! £80 mill on the club £80 mill on players and a house warming party! fantastic! welcome to Manchester - One City
In three years time,when you talk about the Milans of this world,when you talk about the Madrids ,the Barcas,the Juventus s you will have to talk about the Manchester City s of the world too.Forward with Frank and Sven.!!!
Why do the press keep trying to spoil something we have yearned for for years? The good dr hasn't been convicted of anything and no evidence has been produced to prove his bad human rights! We are at the start of a new era and the press are continuing to do to us what they've done for years. Let us enjoy this for god's sake!
Thank You Dr Thaksin a very enjoyable evening hopefully we will have more celebrations once "Swen" and the boys do the business.
Come on you blues.
it was a good evening and i think it served its purpose in manchester and in thailand. can't wait till we get to do it again with dunnie leading the boys out woth our first trophy in years. oh and donald some of us didn't go for the food
Why is it so difficult to pass comment on a City event without having to have at least one dig?
Me and my lads walked in to town after the game (still love the feeling of walking along in a sea of blue and white) and joined the queues for a while. Tried some noodles and they were nice but that wasn't the point, it was all part of a day to mark the start of a new era. I didn't stay for the party but it sounds like it went well.
Quite predictably our ex politician benefactor is a master at working the crowd and I'm absolutely loving it. My lads had their photo taken with Frank the day before after we'd queued up for the temporary match day ticket (one of our cards hadn't turned up yet) and he stayed about an hour talking to fans and having his photo taken, kissing babies etc. He again went straight over to shake hands with the fans when he arrived at CoMS before the game and is surely loving this just as much as we are.
entertainment on-stage began with a respectfully-observed rendition of the Thai royal anthem in honour of king Bhumibol Adulyadej.
WELL PLAYED FRANK,BUT,DO YOU THINK THE KING WILL BE PLEASED WITH THAT ! IT MAY TAKE A BIT MORE THAN THAT TO GET HIS FAVOUR !
THAKSIN should be the King what a man, what a night. Asia Human Rights get yourselves st......and go and find something else better to do, leave this honourable man alone. The voice of the real people Thailand and they know better than a bunch of Human Rights wasters. Say he was the bestthing about Thailand sorting and reducing crime. Perhaps he should replace Mr Brown and repeat his heroics here. Come on SVEN as the best coach in Britain do your thing and get us a trophy. Dont sign Lampard or SWP they are not International class and cant even score from the penalty spot!
Yeah but, its not the point, the bloke said there wood be free tie food, so I looked forword to it for days and didnt have anythink to eat all day and there wasnt enuff to go round and ended up with afew cold noodles......your well outa order frank
It wasn't a free night for the shareholders who have had to sell for a pittance.