JUBILANT Blues supremo John Wardle watched the side into which he has poured millions of pounds of his own fortune end its winless streak and then immediately set them a new task - win at home!
The City chairman who consistently and unwaveringly backed manager Kevin Keegan during a three-and-a-half-month spell without a league win is anxious that the team now manage to post a third win of the season at their gleaming new Eastlands home and thus put a stop to all talk of a curse.
"We ended a horrendous sequence of results in brilliant style at Bolton," he glowed.
"It gave us three very valuable points and we did it against the odds with so many players suspended and injured which meant we had people out of position.
Six-pointers
"Now we have got to end our other jinx, the one that prevents us winning at Eastlands. We have got two big matches there now against top teams Chelsea and United we seemed to play better against the bigger sides and, as the manager has said, we have no need to fear anyone.
"There are lots of games to go and we still have several six-pointers against Leeds, Leicester and Wolves.
"The win at Bolton has given everyone at the club a huge boost at exactly the time we needed it most."
The chairman's view was reflected in the playing squad where midfielder Claudio Reyna articulated the relief of a first victory in 15 attempts.
"We moved up a couple of places in the table and it lifts a huge weight off the entire club. It has been a long time coming but it has brought back confidence just like that - you can feel it already in the dressing room," said the American.
Wardle, meanwhile, joked that he plans to unleash his secret weapon against Chelsea's all-stars on Saturday.
"All season I have been wearing the new club tie and it has not brought us much luck at all so at the last minute on Saturday I switched to last season's which is a slightly darker blue and guess what? It worked," he beamed.
"You don't need to ask what tie I will be wearing on Saturday. It must be magic!"
Will City end their Eastlands hoodoo by beating Chelski? Have your say.
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Keep the Faith !
As long as the players keep playing for Kevin Keegan, and the Faithful CITY Fans it will happen.
Come on you BLUES!
We need to turn Eastlands into a fortress. We havent done the stadium justice with some of our home performances this year and have made the first season at it one to forget. We need to start winning both home and away to stay up, i reckon we can get a good result against chelski. Wardle, wear that lucky tie.
Johnny Wardle, cracking jokes after a win! Sounds just like Keegan at Spurs. So, is our very own Mr 'Wants to be Popular' in danger of becoming Mr 'Over Confident'? Maybe... Calm down Johnny. We're not out of the woods yet. Anyway, your neck will be very much on the block when we all look back on the events of this season. You may as well throw your tie away at the end of this season. If you decide to give Keegan any more money, you'll have no shirt on your back to wear it with. By the way Johnny... have you found any investors for the club yet? (other than our would be benefactor, Ray 'I want to be a director, here's a million' Ranson, of course) You don't seem to be doing a very good job at fund raising. Perhaps you should try your comedy on the Russians.
It's strangely reassuring that the chairman is as daft as (most of) the rest of us when it comes to matchday superstitions. I've just about run out of different McDonalds to eat at, car parks to use, permutations of socks, shirts, scarves etc to wear. The seasons been a nightmare!
Lavinda you relly are becoming very boring! never have anything positive to say. I think Mr Wardle deserves a little credit. He has put alot of his own money in to the club he loves. I dont think your consistant criticsm of everything Wardle and Keegan is warranted
Oh Dear Wardle appears to have been brainwashed by KK's "Luck" Excuses.... Maybe induced by the trauma of watching his team shoot themselves in both feet every week. He'll be callin in the witch doctors next! I'm sure if we get relegated this season - he will tighten KK's tie and hang him from Eastlands
Perhaps Wardle should take a leaf out of that Southern bloke Lavinder and moan whether we win, lose or draw - that way at least he'll be consistant
Lavinda or what ever your called.i am sick to death of your anti city comments why dont u put your vodaphone shirt on and give this site a miss
Blue Dave don't forget to add Edski Vega to your list, this bloke also never has anything positive to say about the club he professes to love. In fact Big Bird and Sal the Kid pen more encouraging words. Which reminds me I haven't seen any postings from these two comedians today after their predictions of what Bolton were going to do to us. Now why is that I wonder?
Maybe the players should bin this seasons sky blue kit and wear last seasons instead
Lavinda / Edski: what does it take to stop your moaning????
Well, what a surprise. Win, lose or draw, you can guarantee Mr and Mrs Negative will still be here banging on about how different it would be if they were in charge. Lavinda and Edski - true legends in their own lunchtimes. Have you swapped addresses yet girls? You were made for eachother.
Lavinda, you really have disappointed me this time. After the lunacy of your comments on the Keegan article that made me laugh so much my ribs still hurt, you have to go back to your most negatively boring self! Wardle may prove not to be the best Chairman in the world but you certainly can't accuse him of not providing funds. I look forward to the day when you actually provide some positive input to these pages!
Mr Wardle, pay me to stay away. I haven't seen them win yet at Eastlands and din't see them win last season at Maine Road, and yes I do go quite often
This group of players performs best away from home, i don't think it's down to the new stadium they're playing in, i just think that they are more suited to a counter-attacking style of play.
At Eastlands, when the opposition play ten behind the ball they get bogged down and are susceptable to being caught on the break. If Chelsea come looking to make a game of it City can get something, if they play it tight with JFH just off Dunniemonster's shoulder then i don't hold out much hope, i'd love to be proved wrong.
Anyway, Ranieri can use saturday to check out the facilities for his new job next season. :)
It has been said many times before "Chairmen should be seen and not heard" - Pass it on!
Sanks I hear what you are saying and I enjoy reading your comments that I find to be generally positive but realistic. I also share your frustration with some of the contributors who constantly post negative remarks. However, Lavinda is all right, has a thorough knowledge of the clubs history and has supported City for many years. S/he is looking for a high level of consistency that the team hasn't been able to produce for years, and therefore shows frustration on these pages. Where I do take exception with Lavinda is the constant stream of negativity towards Kevin Keegan. Under Keegan the side has generally produced the best football since Tony Book's period in charge in the seventies. Lavinda as a fan of this period and the magical preceding term under the great Joe Mercers guidance, I would have thought might have recognised this and been more supportive of what Kevin Keegan has been trying to do. Lavinda if you are reading this, admit I am making sense. As for Edski...............
We all must hope that the nightmare is over,KK should now pick only his best 11, no more chopping and changing and no more exuses. On our day we are a side capable of maintaining a mid table position, John Wardle deserves better than some of the comments I have read, he has put a large slice of his personal fortune into the club,its not his fault that the money in some instances has been wasted!
Bluecity, looking back at last seasons kit the colour's disgusting. Im so happy the team are wearing sky blue again, all we need now is the stadium to be more sky blue. Paint them seats for next season!
Well done Robbie on Saturday. As I stood in a bar near Murrayfield with the scores flashing up on the telly, it was great to see the man's name come up twice in a few minutes. I like being proved wrong, although it has to be said that RF's 'two months of really hard work' seemed to have stemmed from his brush with the Sunday tabloids. Last chance saloon, as indeed is the case with Macca who seems to have woken up at last to the fact that no other premiership club is going to take him if we go down. Keep proving me wrong and we'll be comfortably mid-table by the end. KK was right to buy James though. The defence might even look half-decent by May. And Lavinda, the Elk is world-class and would walk into almost any team when fit.
lavinda, there can't be many good chairmen then because Chelski apart no clubs are attracting investers. don't suppose you thought of that? probably too busy thinking up a new moan?
Talking of superstitions, has anybody else noticed that in every home game we have invariably kicked the same way in the first half!!!!
Is this a UEFA requirement or has the skipper lost the toss on every occasion??
Can I suggest to KK that he changes the routine on saturday!!! If it works I can then take the credit!!!
I am looking forward to a fantastic game against Chelsea and I am sure we are going to surprise them with a great performance.
CTID.Keep the faith and massive support to Kev.
Wardle is right we need a win at home now, we have not really christened our new stadium but we are in a new home so I think the time is right now especially with Maine Road being demolished... we are a big club we need to have more confidence - the 3rd highest attendance in the country and we all come from England too!
Stand all game!
Chant and sing over the obnoxiuos announcer from fifteen minutes before kick-off. Claim back the fans' role at City home fixtures, not that I am fed up with the praise for our support away from home.
Score early for us, so we can actually experience if the atmosphere stays under the roof.
Let Chelski Dynamo know that they are not in welcome territory.
Beat them.
Then, the rags.
Jam city, have you been to the stadium yet? The seats are blue.