We are undoubtedly in a new footballing era. The English Premiership is at the forefront of a revolution in football that is being led by money, media, and a global thirst for sporting escapism. Football is the world’s favourite sport and large masses are gorging on the entertainment provided by the EPL. Some English football fans, of course, choose to opt out and either move down the leagues back to the grass roots, or turn their attention to alternative sports. And rightly so if they feel that their personal reward for doing so is that much greater than the modern day commercialism that dominates the top football clubs.

Way back when in the late 1800s, before all of the globe’s current football supporters had been conceived, football was evolving in England. As balls were chucked around various pitches in the north of England, clubs made their mind up as to whether “football,” as it was known then, should be played in the form of rugby or football. By and large the lines between rugby and football were drawn due to the separate paths of the professional game (football,) versus the amateur game (rugby).

Professional football as we know it emerged and the first and most immediate issue for the best teams of the day was how to protect the revenue earned from friendlies with other quality clubs versus the bind of playing the riffraff in the FA Cup, the world’s oldest football competition. All these years later, we should not be surprised at the money-grabbing culture that exists in the game for it has always been there, albeit previously with a much more gentlemanly feel about it.

There is something unique about City’s situation at present. City is one of the world’s oldest football clubs, it captured the central Manchester audience, and secured the Manchester City name ahead of other clubs’ attempts to do the same. As fans we don’t want to win the “cup for cock-ups,” that Franny Lee so infamously described, but as we’ve unofficially won that cup we’ve maintained a fan base that is now revered around the world for its’ passion, humour, and sheer loyalty in the face of adversity.

The arrival of Thaksin Shinawatra as the club’s new owner has, being brutally honest, begun to divide the club’s fans. Simplifying the matter completely, we’re like a city population debating over whether or not to develop the skyline with modern buildings ahead of protecting the views of its’ historic buildings. As City fans, the arrival of our new and dramatic owner has brought us face to face with the realities of modern English Premiership football.

This league is a commercial enterprise and in order to carry on its’ relentless march it needs to create, innovate, attract new money, and continue to keep the global media in an almost hypnotic trance ahead of other prominent football leagues. Manchester City either targets pole position or falls away. The wall of money that Frank brought with him convinced our previous board that it was the only viable option to survive and succeed. Well maybe the chosen solution wasn’t required for survival. For success, however, it almost certainly was. Frank wants to be at the top table when all is said and done and that’s the end of it. Whether Frank was the right investor remains an open question.

Furthermore, whether or not the most virulent strains of commercialism will be acceptable to City fans in the long run is also debatable. The Ronaldinho debate rolls on. Frank believes that this man will raise our global profile. Too right he will. But is it a good trade? Will he flop and do a footballing equivalent of Nick Leeson on us? There is no doubt that every City fan would want to see Ronny pulling on a City shirt in the flesh just for the buzz in one game, and better than that see him scoring a City goal. But is it in the best interests of the club? If not why not? Well because he might well be past it and we might well win the cup for transfer cock-ups if we sign him.

Urgent summer transfers in and out aside, bottom-line, can Hughes prize us away from the dominant influence of the chairmen in recent City history, and become the manager that beat the City system?

He’s got more than Sven in that department. We’re in for an exciting season. There is a lot of work to be done but the future remains extremely bright. We’re on the up and don’t forget it.

Lets' aim high and go for the big guns. Bring it on and keep the faith.

MCFCfans.com

(History sourced from “Manchester – A Football History” by Gary James)

P.S.

MCFCfans.com is supporting the Manchester City Centenary Supporters Association (MCCSA) appeal for funds for their Ghana branch, which runs a series of youth football teams in Ghana called Manchester City Babies. Please lend your support to this appeal for the three teams to equip themselves to enter leagues and raise the profile of Manchester City globally. You can do this by sending a cheque payable to MCCSA, no matter how small, to :

Alex Channon
'Penalty Spot'
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Swinton
Manchester M27 4AS

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