Reds fans routinely call us the liars.
Along with their other witticisms, such as Bertie the Bitter Blue (guffaw), or us all being from Stockport (chortle), the liars is ironically based on a lie itself.
City fans say they are the Manchester club, and apparently this makes us liars. The only problem is: we are the Manchester club, so rag fans just deal with it.
United is a global brand, bought into by millions of plastic, glory-hunting fans around the globe, and the club aggressively market this brand to these people.
This, coupled with club's undoubted success, built on a platform of deserved sympathy following the Munich Air Disaster and their European success in the sixties helped make United a team supported by a lot of people who don't feel the pull of loyalty that comes from being born a Blue or Red.
Now where's the lie in any of this. In what way are Blues liars when they say most of their support comes from Manchester, and most of United's support doesn't.
This is simple fact, and Red fans would do better to acknowledge it rather than bleat about us lying for stating simple facts.
If you're proud of being a Manc, as we often are, then you're lucky being a Blue as this team is the Manchester side. If you're a Manc and born a Red, then I feel for you because you're part of team synoynmous with the worst sort of football fans.
And this isn't about who's got the most Manc supporters, it's about where most of your supporters come from.
The one's who visit once a season and are spotted taking photographs outside Old Trafford with the superstore carrier bag.
The one's that stop you on Deansgate to ask directions to the ground while clad in full Red regalia.
The one's who hilariously when I went to the Cup derby were asking me what stop to get off at for Old Trafford.
So you see, we're not the liars, and we can say that without even mentioning Salford Rangers' location.
Do you agree: Are City the true Manchester side? Have your say
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quote "And this isn't about who's got the most Manc supporters, it's about where most of your supporters come from."
A decent article but I disagree entirely with this comment. All sorts of things enter into the equation for overall popularity but if a team claims to be representative of a area, town or city, the mix in that city is everything.
For instance, on Merseyside, (sorry!) Tranmere have possibly 100% local support - does that make them THE representative outfit on Merseyside ?
Ere yar mate, leave it out - whats the point in reiterating, what we already know??
To be red, must simply be embarrasing enough, never mind having the need to justify who they are (not)!
Altogether now...
"real Club, Real Fans...."
Have I got this right?
The Metropolitan County of Greater Manchester contains the two Cities of Manchester and Salford plus the eight Boroughs of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan; the football clubs within the County's boundaries include Bolton, Bury, Manchester City, Manchester United, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Wigan (apologises if I've missed any club).
Manchester City FC is the only club within the boundaries of the City of Manchester and on a geographical basis is therefore the sole club which may strictly call itself Manchester's club.
Manchester United FC wrongly professes to call itself Manchester's other club, as based upon geographical boundaries they have no more right to call themselves a Manchester club than say Bolton or Wigan (let's leave aside historical boundaries).
Right or wrong.
Whats all of this cobblers about anyway. It must be a Manchester thing, rather than a footy thing. I was born in Cornwall 39 years ago, moved to Swindon when I was 7. But I have supported City passionately for 35years. Yes its true to say that I dont get to every home game, but I drive to COMS when ever I can (and Maine Rd before that). If I lived in Manchester I would go to every home game without doubt. The truth is thats its easier for Manchester based supporters to attend more games, but that doesnt mean that they are better supporters. I guess that, not being a Mancunian I do not understand the underlying feeling of Blues vs Reds etc. But give us "outside of Manchester" true City supporters our due, we still love City just as much as you guys, we pay to see them play, we buy the merchandise, we ride with the ups and cry with the downs, we live, breath, eat & sh*ite CITY. So give us a break.
I don't think the Manchester Evening News should be publishing this sort of article - it belngs more rightly in a fanzine. I'm very disappointed. And before I get criticised, I am a die hard City fan, born in Manchester, and I tend to agree with the general drift of the article. But this is the wrong platform for those sort opinions.
So City are the true Manchester club. So what? Soon there will be no club left. Deeper in debt than Leeds United, yet when anyone points the finger of blame at the manager, it's "Get off Kev's back!" I won't get off Kev's back. He has done a terrible job and I want him out as soon as possible.
I hate man u because they are an arrogant and obnoxious club, supported by people from all corners of the world who have no footballing heritage, empathy with the club or tribal linkage. The fact of whether they (MUFC) come from Manchester, like MCFC and myself, is irrelevant, as is the location of exiled or non-exiled mancunians.
City are Manchesters team, there fans live in manchester and the ones who don't like myself are from manchester whom have had to move away for work or family reasons.
Most United fans are not real fans, however there is a loyal base of real united fans.
Manchester City fans capture the soul of manchester and what it means to be a manc.
City haven't out-grown there location whereaas United have out grown Manchester into a world team.
Perhaps the 'Manchester' should be removed from united
steve, you're spot on, but living in milton keynes will justify any rag argument about distant loyalty. fact is the rags have more local players than we do and per head of population in manchester more people support man u, but they can't get tickets to the swamp, you have to live in ireland to get a season ticket.
Whats this - the ed on a wind up ! nice one. Once the regulars from the dark side see this this could end up as at least a 10 pager .
"Deeper in debt than Leeds United" - hardly a comparison to make there Ali. I wont go into the technicalities of managable debt etc as you are obviously dont understand those terms. A bit of a childish factless dig there from you im afraid.
However, am totally miffed as to why this fans comments have made it as an article posted in the main section of this site. I too am an avid city fan, however, I found the article to be pretty dire, whats all this stuff about lying fans and the english is rather poor for something to be published. I have read far better views on the 'comments' section of this site,I even think I have written better myself! The artice just went around in cirlces and didnt really make any point, other than uni**d arent from Manchester .
Maybe the editor or site admin can explain why this posting was published?
One final thing, what REALLY annoys me is when all these pundits and commentators (when uni**d are playing) refer to them as "Manchester") Its bad enough that they are not from Manchester, but being refered to by a name that implies they are 'Manchester's Team' is very frustrating!
(Hi Ben, we do like to encourage articles from fans as their voice is not always well represented in traditional media. But it is marked as fan's comment, and as such is only the view of one individual fan, rgds, ED)
Iam a blue,season ticket holder,saw my first game in 1970,etc.etc.etc. but I have never read so much drivel.This must have been written by a 15 year old , drunk on his 1st bottle of cider. Who cares! surely theres more to write about, if not dont write anything
why am I respondi.....zzzzzzz
I'm a Cityfan born in Norway.
I've been a fan since 69 - 70
We have a supporters club here
with 750 + members. the rags may have more fans around the world. but there are quite a few Cityfans out there too. Do you want to alianate all Cityfans who aren't born in Manchester?
Jimmy in Bluesville, i'm like you. Agree with the comment about MEN being the wrong medium for this "tired" old discussion as well. It deflects attention from the real issues.
Have City really stopped making their 'Honours' mug?
Nice one Ed an early April fools jest! If this is true I`m a seven foot yellow bird who works on Amerivan kids TV?
Ironic anyway that utd fans call City fans bitter. Presumably this came about Post 1993? And why is it they clame to hate Liverpool so much? Not because they've won more league titles AND European cups than them by any chance? No bitterness there obviously! Get over it reds, we're not bitter, we just don't like you. Having said all that I think this article is fanzine fodder, I look forward to reading Stuart 'Blue-Bater' Brennan's no doubt double page spread, responding to this article in tomorrow night's paper with glee!
Havin stopped laughin yet, Manchester blue, next week read in the MEN how an alien artefacts have been unearthed below Maine road, did the citeh board conlude with Marians to take control of the world? Men exclusive?
Why can't we just leave this to be argued out for all eternity in the pubs, offices etc as it has been done in the past. It doesn't need a debate - at the end of the day it's just a laugh - one set of supporters trying to get one over the other. It adds to the rivalry thats all but it doesn't need to take on a "my dads bigger than your dad" side.
Both clubs are know as Manchester clubs, this is why its always the best derby games in England.
Sure when you look at the cooperate bounderies of Manchester, CITY are in it, and United are out of it.
But with all the global support for both clubs its wrong to make differences.
I love CITY always have, and always will, I don,t hate United just dislike them with a passion.
But healthy competition is good .
Where both clubs stadiums are does not really make nuch of a difference, ( Only when "reds" get lost on the way to Trafford.)
As a born and bred Manc blue I generally agree with the gist of the "Fan's Comment", but there is something I take exception to.
For what it's worth, I am a "fan" of a couple of American sports teams - Washington Redskins (NFL) and Chicago Cubs (baseball). I've supported these teams from afar for over 25 years, and consider myself to be every bit as "true" a fan of those teams as I am of City. I have been lucky enough to get to see both teams playing in the US, and yes - I visited the Souvenir Store before the games, and took loads of pictures inside and outside of the ground. So - I can sympathise with the "out of town" reds being slagged off.
Most of my red mates are pretty embarrased by their "exotic" fan base, and would prefer their fans to be more "local". However - it's the price of success. If City were more successful, we too would see more "non-local" support. At least our "out-of-towners" can't really be accused of being glory hunters!
Thank you please.
Here's a fun game all City fans can enjoy throughout the working week. What you do is, when so-called-rags start bleating about last saturdays result or midweek CL minnow bashings, just ask them who they've got next game. At the moment my results run at around 8% knowing who they've got. Keeps them quiet for a bit anyway.
Who cares? I am a City fan and my mates and family are mixed between City & United. Two teams in God's own City spot on. To those from both sides who take this nonesense to heart and argue about it, grow up!!! As in all aspects of life room exists for everyone and we should simply respect each other and save the rest for Derby days. Nuff said.
It's interesting to note how many Manchester accents you hear whenever a random selection of their "fans" are interviewed on TV outside the ground.
1 out of 3 at best. Enough said.
Of course we are the true Manchester club. Ask yourself why did the other lot leave the City all those years ago? Answer, they had to because the locals were too clever than follow a club that didn't even have a colour. It's a fact that our neighbours from Salford on Thames didn't wear red shirts until the 1930's. We had to call them Heathens because they certainly weren't reds. And they talk about crowds when the vast majority haven't a clue that their all time record attendance was not recorded at OT. A girl at work who hails from Mansfield & her partner (a Brummie) are season ticket holders at Chester Road Zoo & wanted to know where Sportpages is, so she thought she'd ask a true Manc how to get there. I said do you know St Ann's Square? No response! Do you know Deansgate then? I've heard of Deangate she retorted. I thought, a heathen (latterly known as reds) whose heard of Deansgate. Very good! Says it all doesn't it?