Content deleted Content added
mNo edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| (46 intermediate revisions by 38 users not shown) | |||
Line 6:
City supporters have been described as being able to "revel in adversity" – evidenced in average match attendances increasing as the club fell to the second, and then third tier of English football for the only time in the club's history in [[1997–98 Manchester City F.C. season|1998]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Empty seats are no reflection on Manchester City |last=Kay |first=Oliver |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/empty-seats-are-no-reflection-on-manchester-city-6zwb383ls |work=The Times |date=6 January 2018 |access-date=6 January 2018}}</ref> Since moving to the [[City of Manchester Stadium]] in 2003, the club have sold approximately of 36,000 season tickets in every season they have played and average attendances have ranked in the top 5 of English football since.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Premier League still holds golden ticket for fans |last=Slater |first=Matt |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/mattslater/2010/08/premier_league_still_holds_gol.html |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=13 August 2010 |access-date=21 April 2011}}</ref>
Manchester City supporters are distinguishable by their [[sky blue]], a colour which is only used by a handful of professional football clubs in England. The City supporters' song of choice is a rendition "[[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon]]" and are famous for their inflatables, normally yellow bananas,<ref name="inflat">{{Cite news |title=The Inflatables Craze |url=http://www.mcivta.com/bananas.html |publisher=mcivta}}</ref> which are still occasionally seen today at various games, often when City are on a cup run. The inflatables were initially started as a humorous laugh by numerous City fans after a City player [[Imre Varadi]] was nicknamed ''banana'' hence the inflatable bananas. Other inflatables soon followed aimed at putting goodwill back into football during the dark days of English football hooliganism and stadium riots and the craze soon caught on with other clubs following suit and even dressing up the inflatable bananas.<ref name="inflat"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=[88/89] News Report on Football Inflatables |website = [[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gawJBOI83kM |date=23 February 2010 |access-date=16 August 2010}}</ref> The Manchester City fans also till this day perform the Poznan when winning by a comfortable margin in order to taunt opposition.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-09 |title=What is Poznan? Here's all you need to know about this football taunt |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/what-is-poznan-heres-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-football-taunt/articleshow/100858574.cms |access-date=2024-01-10 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>
The club have been previously branded as "everyone's second favourite club" due to their reputation as being one of the most tumultuous and unpredictable teams in English football with an innate ability 'to do things the hard way'.<ref name="talkf"/><ref>{{Cite news|title=Premier League preview No11: Manchester City |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2010/aug/09/manchester-city-premier-league-preview |work=guardian|date=9 August 2010 |access-date=16 August 2010 |location=London |first=Daniel |last=Taylor}}</ref
Manchester City hold the second highest attendance record in English football (84,569), beaten only by [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C|Tottenham Hotspur]] on 14 September 2016 as Spurs were temporarily playing [[UEFA Champions League]] "home" games at Wembley stadium. However, Manchester City still hold the record for the highest attended all-English football match, as 84,569 fans packed [[Maine Road]] for a sixth round [[FA Cup]] tie against [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] in [[1933–34 FA Cup|1934]] (City went on to win the FA Cup that season). The ground was packed two and a half hours before kick-off, as supporters sat down on the touchline only yards from goalkeeper [[Frank Swift]] and the magnitude of the crowd caused a [[crush barrier]] to collapse causing a few injuries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FA Cup special: Thrills, spills and a cast of thousands at Maine Road |last=James |first=Gary |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fa-cup-special-thrills-spills-859131|work=Manchester Evening News|date=22 April 2011 |access-date=23 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112175959/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/1418817_fa-cup-special-thrills-spills-and-a-cast-of-thousands-at-maine-road?order=liked |archive-date=12 November 2012 }}</ref> Since then, the club has moved to the [[City of Manchester Stadium|Eastlands]] (also known as the Etihad Stadium) near to where the club was formed in 1880. It has gradually gained a reputation as a modern atmospheric stadium despite fans initial reservations about moving from the famous Maine Road which, although atmospheric, was considered to be in a dilapidated state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sunderland football fans on the bawl |url=http://hotlist.uk.msn.com/sport/football-fans-on-the-bawl.aspx |publisher=uk.msn.com |date=26 October 2007 |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714124002/http://hotlist.uk.msn.com/sport/football-fans-on-the-bawl.aspx |archive-date=14 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Noisiest fans in Premiership |url=http://www.tribalfootball.com/content/sunderland-have-noisiest-fans-premiership |publisher=tribalfootball.com |date=27 October 2007 |access-date=16 August 2010}}</ref>
==Demographics==
In a 2007 Premier League survey, Manchester City fans had the second greatest proportion of long-serving supporters after [[Everton FC|Everton]] with 55% of those Manchester City fans questioned having attended games at City for 25 years or more (versus Everton's 57%), both above the Premier League average of 44%.<ref name="survey">{{Cite web |title=National Fan Survey – 2006/07 season, pp.27 |url=http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/2f/6d/0,,12306~93487,00.pdf |work=premierleague.com |publisher=Premier League |access-date=29 July 2010 |archive-date=7 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107034222/http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/2f/6d/0,,12306~93487,00.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite the club's wealth, Manchester City have very strong working class roots which still remains today.<ref>{{Cite news|title=True and Blue: Man City Fans' Lament |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/sports/soccer/05iht-SOCCER.html?_r=2 |work=
A 2002 report by a researcher at [[Manchester Metropolitan University]] found that while it was true that a higher proportion of City season ticket holders came from Manchester postcode areas (40% compared to United's 29%), there were more United season ticket holders, the lower percentage being due to United's higher overall number of season ticket holders (27,667 compared to City's 16,481). However, the report warned that since the compiling of data in 2001, the number of both City and United season ticket holders had risen hugely; expansion of United's ground and City's move to the City of Manchester (Etihad) Stadium have caused season ticket sales to increase further.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Do You Come From Manchester? |work=Manchester Metropolitan University study |url=http://www.e-space.mmu.ac.uk/e-space/bitstream/2173/12506/1/seasonticketreport%20-%20brown1.pdf |access-date=9 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227194327/http://www.e-space.mmu.ac.uk/e-space/bitstream/2173/12506/1/seasonticketreport%20-%20brown1.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2008 }}</ref> The 2002 report has lost most of its validity as both clubs season tickets sales have fluctuated further as of 2010, with United selling 52,000 season tickets and City selling out all of its allocated 36,000 season tickets.
Line 30:
Although the bananas were present at Maine Road matches, the bigger inflatable displays were generally reserved for away matches, most notably against West Brom at the Hawthorns. This was an evening match which City lost 1–0. The drab match itself has largely been forgotten apart from Brian Gayle's original excuse for the mistake which cost the goal: "I was blinded by the floodlights". The sheer array of inflatables staggered many, four City fans appeared carrying an inflatable paddling pool, and sharks, penguins, crocodiles were present and there was even an epic battle of the monsters. At one end of the terrace stood Godzilla. Six feet tall, green and mean, this dinosaur was a match for anybody. At the other end of the terrace stood Frankenstein's Monster. Slowly they began to converge towards the centre of the terrace. The crowd roared in anticipation. Eventually they met and the creatures joined in battle.<ref name="inflat"/> The craze soon died down, and in the 1990s the inflatable displays on a large scale were nowhere to be seen.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Britain Loves: Manchester City's Giant Bananas And Other Football Inflatables |url=http://sabotagetimes.com/football/what-britain-loves-manchester-citys-giant-bananas-and-other-football-inflatables |work=Manchester Evening News |date=12 April 2012 |access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref>
Currently, inflatable bananas have made sporadic appearances of at the [[City of Manchester Stadium]] (Etihad Stadium) in recent years.<ref>{{Cite news| title=Manchester City – Banana craze revisited |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/banana-craze-revisited-1172443 |publisher=Manchester Evening News |date=5 September 2002|access-date=December 12, 2021}}</ref><ref name="MEN">{{cite web |author=Antony Jepson |date=27 January 2016 |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bananas-manchester-city-feeling-fruity-10799712 |title=Bananas! Why Manchester City are feeling fruity again |website=Manchester Evening News}}</ref> Bananas are occasionally on show during latter stages of cup runs, such as the [[2008–09 UEFA Cup]] quarter-finals when Manchester City played [[Hamburger SV|Hamburg]]
==='The Poznan'===
Line 40:
===City gallows humour===
Manchester City supporters are also well known for their [[gallows humor|gallows humour]] fuelled by the many years of failure and unpredictability which is commonly associated with City and which fans enjoy wearing as a badge of their commitment. Gláuber Berti – After sitting on the bench 20 times in the [[2008–09 Manchester City F.C. season|2008–09]] season, the City fans were starting to joke that [[Gláuber (footballer, born 1983)|Gláuber]] Berti wasn't real and nicknamed him the invisible man. Finally though in the last game of the season against [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] he made an appearance in the 85th minute. This was the most popular substitution of the season and City fans greeted his every touch with applause and sang songs for him for the rest of the game.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Team-news/2009/May/Bertis-an-allaction-City-hero-at-last| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825233500/http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Team-news/2009/May/Bertis-an-allaction-City-hero-at-last| archive-date = 2012-08-25| title = Berti's an all action City hero at last! - News - Manchester City FC}}
==Rivalries==
Line 46:
{{main|Manchester derby}}
[[File:Wembley Manchester derby pre-kick-off.JPG|thumb|right|270px|Wembley pictured before Manchester City's 1–0 victory against Manchester United in the [[2010–11 FA Cup|2011 FA Cup]] semi-final. Manchester City supporters can be seen in blue.]]
Although City fans currently suggest [[Liverpool F.C]] are their biggest rivals, most fans still agree that [[Manchester derby|Manchester United are their main rivalry]], a rivalry which has reignited in last few years due to the resurgence of Manchester City as one of the top teams in England following their brief absence from the top flight at the end of the 20th century and City's re-emergence as a major club following their 2008 takeover.<ref>{{Cite news| title=Stakes high for Manchester derby |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20100417cd.html |work=The Japan Times|date=17 April 2009}}</ref> Both Manchester teams are regarded as among the best teams in the world, with both clubs consistently progressing to the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League in recent years and both being in the top five of football clubs by revenue. As such, Manchester is now viewed as a football city in similar vein to cities such as [[Madrid derby|Madrid]] and [[Milan derby|Milan]],<ref>{{Cite news |title=Man City best in world, says Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25956275 |work=BBC Sport |date=30 January 2014 |access-date=9 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Man City 5–0 Blackburn: Gary Bowyer hails 'best in world' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25757726 |work=BBC Sport |date=16 January 2014 |access-date=9 May 2015}}</ref> although City's disappearance from the upper echelons of the league following their 1960s–70s heyday until their recent rise has led to the two teams being regarded as polar opposites, with City seen as the nouveau riche to United's old money.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nouveau riche vs old school |url=http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1154763 |work=The Sun Daily (Malaysia) |date=29 August 2014 |access-date=19 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Old money Real Madrid hold off nouveau riche Man City |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/18/sport/football/football-champions-league-real-madrid-manchester-city/ |work=[[CNN]] |date=19 September 2012 |access-date=19 January 2016}}</ref> The two sets of fans are traditionally diametrically opposed to each other, with City's fans accusing United of arrogance and of attempting to turn the [[Premier League]] into a closed shop for elite clubs only via manipulation of the rules<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manchester United and Manchester City split by proposals on Premier League financial controls |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9493345/Manchester-United-and-Manchester-City-split-by-proposals-on-Premier-League-financial-controls.html |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=22 August 2012 |access-date=19 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sam Wallace: Elite clubs seek to reinforce their closed shop at the top with new financial rules |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/sam-wallace-elite-clubs-seek-to-reinforce-their-closed-shop-at-the-top-with-new-financial-rules-8486177.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=7 February 2013 |access-date=19 January 2016}}</ref> and of the media<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mike Summerbee – media biased against Manchester City |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/mike-summerbee---media-biased-854552 |work=[[Manchester Evening News]] |date=18 January 2013 |access-date=19 January 2016}}</ref> while they in turn are accused of using their club's money as a route to success.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Manchester City have destroyed the oil money jibe |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/manchester-city-oil-money-profit-10260064 |work=[[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] |date=14 October 2015 |access-date=19 January 2016}}</ref> Additionally, and in a unique twist on a cross-city rivalry, both clubs' fans accuse each other of not representing their city, with the blue half of the city observing that their adversaries do not actually play in the city of Manchester (in [[Trafford]]) and therefore do not warrant their name, while the red half instead argue over which team has more fans inside of the city. City fans often ridicule United fans for being tourists in a play towards United's global fan base, stating that City is the club for the locals and United fans travel up from [[London]] or fly in from [[Europe]] and [[Asia]] for a day out. Following on from this City fans have often called United ''"Plastics"'' or ''"Glory Supporters"'' again in reference to their on the field dominance over several decades that made the club hugely popular with football supporters outside of Manchester. In turn due to the growth of City's global status following their 2008 takeover which brought an up turn in success on the field, United fans have said many plastic fans have jumped on City's bandwagon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tribuna.com/en/news/manutd-2020-03-06-how-many-plastic-fans-are-actually-there-among-united-supporters/|title=How many 'plastic fans' are actually there among United supporters?|website=Tribuna.com|date=9 April 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballparadise.com/im-a-united-fan-and-im-not-a-plastic/|title=I'm a United fan and I'm not a Plastic!|date=7 April 2014}}</ref> The most commonly used name by City fans to describe their cross-city rivals is the term ''"Rags"'', this is due to a period after [[World War II]] where United were given use of City's [[Maine Road]] stadium after [[Old Trafford]] had been bombed by the [[Luftwaffe]]. United at the time were so poor that they had to wear kits that after a while started to resemble old rags.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://mcivta.com/newbies/#:~:text=Fans%20of%20Manchester%20United%20are,the%20bombing%20of%20Old%20Trafford.| title = Manchester City guide for Newbies – MCIVTA}}
===Other rivalries===
{{see also|Liverpool F.C.–Manchester City F.C. rivalry|Arsenal F.C.–Manchester City F.C. rivalry}}
Over the last few years, Manchester City has also developed a [[Liverpool F.C.–Manchester City F.C. rivalry|notable rivalry]] with [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool FC]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/eleven-moments-that-made-liverpool-manchester-city-the-biggest-rivalry-in-english-football|title=Eleven moments that made Liverpool-Manchester City the biggest rivalry in English football|date=6 October 2018|author=Malyan, Christy|publisher=Football Fancast|website=footballfancast.com|access-date=7 October 2019|archive-date=7 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007144104/https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/eleven-moments-that-made-liverpool-manchester-city-the-biggest-rivalry-in-english-football|url-status=live}}</ref> currently considered one of the biggest in association football.<ref>{{cite web|title=Liverpool v Man City is now the league's biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing {{!}} Goal.com|url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/liverpool-v-man-city-is-now-the-leagues-biggest-rivalry-and/sq7ao88pw6yy1fofai2t2eo0m|access-date=3 December 2020|website=www.goal.com|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217103150/https://www.goal.com/en/news/liverpool-v-man-city-is-now-the-leagues-biggest-rivalry-and/sq7ao88pw6yy1fofai2t2eo0m|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='Like going into the Colosseum' - How Liverpool v Man City became the Premier League's biggest rivalry {{!}} Goal.com|url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/like-going-into-the-colosseum-how-liverpool-v-man-city/fth8z4klovzf108nbtwo9hemz|access-date=3 December 2020|website=www.goal.com|archive-date=7 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107134210/https://www.goal.com/en/news/like-going-into-the-colosseum-how-liverpool-v-man-city/fth8z4klovzf108nbtwo9hemz|url-status=live}}</ref> Though the two clubs had been involved in a title race in the [[1976–77 Football League First Division|1976–77 season]], Liverpool and City's modern rivalry began in the 2010s, with the Blues beating Liverpool to the [[2013–14 Premier League|2013–14 title]] by just two points on the final day of the season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2013/14 Season Review: Man City deny Liverpool|url=http://www.premierleague.com/news/59027|access-date=24 October 2020|website=www.premierleague.com|archive-date=24 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124124507/https://www.premierleague.com/news/59027|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[2016 Football League Cup Final|final]] of the [[2015–16 Football League Cup|2015–16 League Cup]], City defeated Liverpool on [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalties]] after a 1–1 draw. The two clubs met in European competition for the first time in the [[2017–18 UEFA Champions League|2017–18 Champions League]] quarter-finals, where Liverpool won [[2017–18 UEFA Champions League knockout phase#Liverpool v Manchester City|5–1 on aggregate]], ultimately reaching the [[2018 UEFA Champions League Final|final]] and then [[2018–19 UEFA Champions League|winning the competition]] a year later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/teams/liverpool/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Manchester%20City/|title=Liverpool vs Manchester City fixture record|access-date=11 April 2022|archive-date=9 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409233410/https://www.11v11.com/teams/liverpool/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Manchester%20City/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/champions-league/manchester-city-vs-liverpool-pep-guardiola-leroy-sane-goal-disallowed-was-offside-143193|title=Was Leroy Sane offside against Liverpool? The disallowed goal explained|date=11 April 2018|access-date=11 April 2022|archive-date=9 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409233151/https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/champions-league/manchester-city-vs-liverpool-pep-guardiola-leroy-sane-goal-disallowed-was-offside-143193|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[2018–19 Premier League|2018–19 season]], City again won the title on the final day, with the Blues' 98 points and Liverpool's 97 being the third- and fourth-highest Premier League points totals ever.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Man City come from behind at Brighton to clinch title|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48165997|date=12 May 2019|access-date=24 October 2020|archive-date=5 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305123923/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48165997|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[2019–20 Premier League|following season]], Liverpool clinched the title, recording 99 points (the second-highest Premier League total ever after Manchester City's 100 in [[2017–18 Premier League|2017–18]]) to finish 18 points above runners-up City. The Blues then regained the title in [[2020–21 Premier League|2020–21]] and outgunned Liverpool in another closely-fought title race in [[2021–22 Premier League|2021–22]], to finish with 93 points to Liverpool's 92. Since the 2017–18 season, Liverpool and City have produced six of the eight highest points totals since the Premier League became a 38-game league in 1995, and players and managers from Liverpool and City have dominated the individual awards in English football since 2018, with each [[Premier League Player of the Season]] award, [[FWA Footballer of the Year]] award, [[PFA Players' Player of the Year]] award and [[PFA Young Player of the Year]] award going to players from the two clubs, and each [[Premier League Manager of the Season]] award going to either [[Pep Guardiola]] or [[Jürgen Klopp]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2022 |title=Is Man City vs. Liverpool a great rivalry, or just two great teams in their prime? |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4647826/is-man-city-vs-liverpool-a-great-rivalryor-just-two-great-teams-in-their-prime |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-08 |title=Liverpool v Manchester City ‘greatest’ rivalry in ‘English football history’ - Jamie Carragher |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/premier-league/2021-2022/liverpool-v-manchester-city-greatest-rivalry-in-english-football-history-jamie-carragher_sto8876406/story.shtml |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=Eurosport UK |language=en}}</ref>▼
As recently as 2003, in a research study conducted on football rivalries, a sample of Manchester City fans saw [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] as rivals after Manchester United. It also found fans of [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]], [[Stockport County F.C.|Stockport County]], Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United saw Manchester City in their top three of main rivals.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rivalry Uncovered! |work=The Football Fans Census |url=http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf |access-date=20 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020074918/http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf |archive-date=20 October 2013 }}</ref>
Fans of both clubs have sought recognition of their club currently being the best in world football: Liverpool fans would highlight their performances and record in European competition, while criticising City for failing to win the Champions League despite their larger net transfer spend, their smaller global fanbase, and controversial ownership. City fans, on the other hand, would point to their club's recent dominance of the English Premier League and domestic cup honours, Liverpool fans' sense of entitlement, and a perceived level of media bias towards their rivals.<ref>{{cite web|title=Liverpool are great but Man City - and no other clubs - want to be them|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-city-liverpool-news-fans-24058351|publisher=Manchester Evening News|access-date=31 May 2022}}</ref>▼
However City's elevation as one of England's and Europe's leading clubs since 2008 has led to new rivalries developing with other leading successful English and European clubs like [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]], [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]].
▲
▲Fans of both clubs have sought recognition of their club currently being the best in world football: Liverpool fans would highlight their performances and record in European competition, while criticising City for
==Supporters' groups and affiliations==
Manchester City has various supporters' clubs such as MCFC Official Supporters' Club. In July 2010, it unified with the Centenary Supporters' Association and in 2014 has over 14,000 members in over 150 branches.<ref>{{Cite news| title=New era for Manchester City Supporters' Club |url=http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2010/July/New-era-for-Manchester-City-Supporters-Club |work=mcfc.co.uk |publisher=Manchester City FC |date=5 July 2010}}</ref>
Since 2010, City has run a 'Heart of the City' scheme, in which non-UK based pubs and bars which have become host to sizable supporters clubs are recognised with a Blue Moon design blue plaque.<ref name="paris">{{Cite web|title=Heart of the City France winners |url=http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2010/May/Heart-of-the-City-France-winner |work=mcfc.co.uk |publisher=Manchester City FC |date=20 May 2010 |access-date=16 August 2010}}</ref> As of May 2013, the club has awarded the Heart of the City plaque to establishments in [[Abu Dhabi]], [[Baltimore]], [[Brisbane]], [[Chicago]], [[County Donegal|Donegal]], [[Frisco, Texas|Frisco]], [[Galway]], [[Gothenburg]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Los Angeles]], [[New York City]], [[Oslo]], [[Paris]], [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Sydney]] and [[Toronto]].<ref name="paris"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Heart of the City: Australia winners |url=http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2010/February/Heart-of-the-City-Australia |work=mcfc.co.uk |publisher=Manchester City FC |date=24 February 2010 |access-date=16 August 2010}}</ref>
===Online supporter presence===
The club actively partakes in using the [[World Wide Web|internet]] for social media to communicate with fans and Manchester City's online overall blog, forum and social media presence is believed to be one of the strongest by a football club online.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The social media Premiership – the winners and losers |url=http://www.rubberrepublic.com/2010/02/social-media-premiership-football-comparison/ |publisher=rubberrepublic.com |date=17 February 2010 |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226211257/http://www.rubberrepublic.com/2010/02/social-media-premiership-football-comparison/ |archive-date=26 December 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Interview: Why Manchester City Get Social Media |url=http://www.theuksportsnetwork.com/245 |date=10 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Football clubs and social marketing |url=http://blog.limerocket.co.uk/social-marketing/football-clubs-and-social-marketing/ |publisher=limerocket.co.uk |date=15 May 2010 |access-date=16 August 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> A new, streamlined club website was launched in July 2009<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wed Design & Premier League Football: Why Man City's new site is leading the pack |url=http://www.carbongraffiti.com/2009/07/web-design-premier-league-football-why-man-citys-new-site-is-leading-the-pack/ |publisher=carbongraffiti.com |date=20 July 2009 |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830172754/http://www.carbongraffiti.com/2009/07/web-design-premier-league-football-why-man-citys-new-site-is-leading-the-pack/ |archive-date=30 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and expanded to [[United States|America]] and Arabic language soon after. The new site supports fan sites and forum, by posting links to fan sites which are listed on [https://www.mancity.com/ Manchester City's official website]<ref>{{Cite news| title=Fan sites |url=http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Fans/Fan-sites |work=mcfc.co.uk |publisher=Manchester City FC}}</ref> On the popular ''[[FIFA (video game series)|FIFA]]'' video game series, Manchester City were third-most-played team by online players in the 2011–12 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manchester City F.C. – Annual Report 2011-12 |page=26 |url=http://content.mcfc.co.uk/~/media/Files/Annual%20Report/Annual%20report%201112%20FINAL.pdf |work=mcfc.co.uk |publisher=Manchester City FC |date=14 December 2012 |access-date=17 December 2012}}</ref>
Furthermore, the club has run its own social media websites since 2009. Official sites run by the club include Twitter,<ref>{{Cite news| title=Manchester City F.C. (MCFC) |url=https://twitter.com/mcfc |publisher=Twitter}}</ref> Facebook<ref>{{Cite news| title=Manchester City FC – Official |url=https://www.facebook.com/mancity |publisher=Facebook}}</ref> and [[Flickr]]<ref>{{Cite news| title=Manchester City FC – Official |url=https://www.flickr.com/groups/mcfcofficial |publisher=Flickr}}</ref> pages which fans can join. As of January 2016, the Manchester City FC – Official fanpage on Facebook has over 20 million followers. Also as of recently, City fans can also join an official fan map on the club website and now City fans can watch official club videos on the
A group of City supporters have protected the clubs original name- 'St Marks (West Gorton)' via registration and trademarks, and have a website under the name selling memorabilia and telling the true story of the beginnings of the club, a story which has often been plagued by poor research and historical inaccuracies.
==Support outside the United Kingdom==
===Oceania===
====Australia====
While Manchester City's men's team has not contained any Australian players since the early 2000's, [[Manchester City W.F.C.|the women's team]] currently has two Australian players, [[Mary Fowler (soccer)|Mary Fowler]] and [[Alanna Kennedy]]. Another Australian, [[Hayley Raso]], previously played for Manchester City before moving to [[Real Madrid Femenino|Real Madrid]] and later [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Women|Tottenham Hotspur]].
Manchester City FC Australia (MCFC Australia) is the official [[supporters' group]] of Manchester City in Australia. It has branches in [[Sydney]], [[Melbourne]], [[Brisbane]], [[Perth]] and [[Adelaide]].<ref>https://www.mcfcaustralia.com.au/</ref>
==Songs and chants==
Line 80 ⟶ 90:
===Fan songs and chants===
Another song frequently sung is "We're Not Really Here". The true and correct origin of the song is due to a City fan from the Prestwich & Whitefield supporters branch who died on a trip to Amsterdam in the early 90s. The branch, led by City fan Don Price sung this song about their friend in their local pub, The Forresters Arms. The full version goes "if you're drunk you will die if you don't drink you will die so it's better to be drunk than be sober when you die...just like the fans of the invisible man...we're not really here." The song then took off on a pre-season trip to Ireland in 1996 and was sung firstly at away games then at home games since that time.
{{quote box
| width = 30%
| fontsize = 95%
| quote = Can you hear me calling<br />Out your name<br />We're Man City<br />and we're on the piss again<br />Something happened<br />Happening to me<br /> Spend on my money on drugs and city<br />Awhooooooo <br />I'll follow you everywhere
| source = —I'll Follow You Everywhere lyrics, Manchester City
}}
City also regularly sing "We never win at home and we never win away", a song that mainly reflects the club's reputation for dramatic failure and inconsistent performance, the gallows humour of the fans and their suffering and perseverance following the team, but also an ironic comment on the success the club has recently experienced.
Another chant sometimes sung to the tune of the 1920s classic Kum Ba Yah, "Sheikh Mansour m’lord, Sheikh Mansour, oh lord, Sheikh Mansour", a reference to Sheikh [[Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan]], Manchester City's owner, who is credited with investing heavily in the club and the rise of the club's success.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/manchester-city-abu-dhabi-football|title=The club bought by Sheikh Mansour of the UAE has become the Premier League's dominant force and a potent PR vehicle|website=Middle East Eye|date=17 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@NcGeehan/the-men-behind-man-city-a-documentary-not-coming-soon-to-a-cinema-near-you-14bc8e393e06|title=The Men Behind Man City: a documentary not coming soon to a cinema near you|website=medium.com|date=18 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU7fuCz8oT8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/PU7fuCz8oT8 |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Bolton vs Man City- Sheikh Mansour chant!|website=Youtube|date=19 October 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
During the 2022/23 season, more chants were created such as 'I'll Follow You Everywhere' in the tune of [[Fleetwood Mac]]'s [[Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac song)|Everywhere]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-11 |title=Jack Grealish leads treble celebrations with x-rated song as Erling Haaland puffs on cigar |url=https://talksport.com/football/1456033/jack-grealish-man-city-treble-celebrations-fleetwood-mac-erling-haaland-cigar/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=talkSPORT |language=en-gb}}</ref> that firstly chanted during their fifth round match against [[Bristol City F.C.]] during [[FA Cup]] and a chant about their goalkeeper, [[Ederson (footballer, born 1993)|Ederson]] and their set their defenders being the 'best defence in Europe' in the tune of [[Snap!|Snap's]] [[Rhythm Is a Dancer|Rhythm Is A Dancer]].
===The Yaya/Kolo Song===
Line 96 ⟶ 115:
The film ''[[The Keeper (2018 film)|The Keeper]]'' focusing on the life of City goalie [[Bert Trautmann]] has fans depicted throughout the film.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/03/25/bert-trautmann-movie-keeper-fao-manchester-city-fans/|title=Bert Trautmann movie The Keeper: FAO Manchester City fans|first=Alan|last=Tyers|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=25 March 2019|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mancity.com/news/first-team/first-team-news/2019/april/john-henshaw-previews-bert-trautmann-biopic-the-keeper|title=Trautmann movie 'The Keeper' a dream for Henshaw|first=David|last=Clayton|website=www.mancity.com}}</ref> Also, one of the main roles was played by a City fan, [[John Henshaw]].<ref name="auto1"/>
In TV show, ''[[Ted Lasso]]'', the club is a fictional version of the real club, however, the current manager of the club is Pep Guardiola himself. The manager made a cameo in season 3, overseeing the match against their arch-nemesis AFC Richmond, where he gave some advice to Ted Lasso, the manager of Richmond. The club beat Richmond many times, but in the final season, Richmond managed to defeat them.
==Quotations==
Line 106 ⟶ 127:
* "To support United is too easy. It's convenience supporting. It makes life too easy. There is no challenge. It is a cowardly form of escapism, a sell-out to the forces of evil. United fans have no soul and will spend their eternity neck deep in boiling vomit. City fans retain their soul and will spend their eternity forever reliving the moment their team beat Newcastle 4–3 away from home to win the League Championship in 1968, beating United into second place."
::[[Paul Morley]], journalist (1998)<ref>{{Cite news|title=City of Lost Souls |url=http://www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/Fans/CityOfLostSouls.aspx |publisher=bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk |access-date=16 August 2010}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
Line 125 ⟶ 145:
[[Category:Manchester City F.C.|Supporters]]
[[Category:English football supporters' associations|Manchester City]]
| |||