Why I'm Not Jealous Of Manchester City. 4th DECEMBER 2011

WHY I’M NOT JEALOUS OF MAN CITY

So we lost 5-1 and took a bit of a pasting in the end. The Manchester City machine rolled on in its plush surroundings with its urbane manager and its untold millions. Mario Balotelli came off the bench to further demonstrate his arrogance and Adam Johnson showed what a good player he is and why being a bit-part substitute is wasting his career in exchange for Middle Eastern lucre.

Well I’m not jealous. On the contrary the trip to Manchester City’s ground (ludicrously dubbed ‘The Etihad’ in yet another demonstration of how football has sold out to Mammon) reminded me forcefully of just how glad I am to support Norwich City and, I suppose, just how grateful I am that we have not been taken over by some foreign oligarch.

‘Hang on,’ you might be saying. ‘Wouldn’t you just love Norwich to be where Manchester City are?’ Well, yes I would but not if that meant losing my club’s identity, changing the name of the ground, fielding a team of mercenaries collected from across the globe regardless of price who have no regard for my club’s identity, history or heritage, and employing David Platt in a coaching capacity.

I always respected Manchester City in the past. Undoubtedly the poor relations as far as football in that city is concerned they are supported by more locals and when I was a kid had some pretty flamboyant success under Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison, playing an exciting carefree style of football which catered at various times for the flair of Mike Summerbee, Francis Lee, Rodney Marsh, Dennis Tueart and Peter Barnes. Their indomitable supporters stood by the club whatever the situation and (like us) they still pulled in bumper ‘Blue Moon’ singing crowds when they sank to the third tier of English football. And I remember being really impressed when I heard that when Old Trafford suffered bomb damage they even let United play at their Maine Road ground. I also loved the urban myth their fans created suggesting that Uwe Rosler’s granddad was the Luftwaffe pilot responsible for the bombing!

Now their seemingly ordinary fans are seriously contemplating their team becoming one of the most dominant forces in world club football. But is it really their team?

I might be wrong but I just don’t think I could identify with such a disparate bunch, and a bunch of which every member is a massive star. In my early days as a Norwich fan I had a particular fondness for those members of the team who seemed not to take their selection for granted but to value it; I remember the hunger of the young Graham Paddon, the desire of the lanky, almost awkward, David Cross, the drive of the emerging Darren Eadie and the passion of the youthful Craig Bellamy. Then later I felt such gratitude when I heard that Darren Huckerby took a substantial pay-cut to join us (ironically from Man City!). ‘That’ll do for me,’ I thought.

I have written before of my admiration for Grant Holt’s ordinariness and it is undimmed; indeed it has been hugely increased this year as he has accepted his slightly diminished on-field role with good grace and still contributed massively. They say you should never meet your heroes and maybe they’re right but give me a Holt over a Balotelli anyday, or a Tierney over a De Jong or a Hoolahan over a Nasri. I just need to identify with my team somehow, to share my club with them.

So honestly I mean it. If some big money sheikh bought Delia out tomorrow and brought in fifteen top players who’d never heard of Norwich City, didn’t know a canary from a parrot and weren’t prepared to learn the words to ‘On The Ball City’ I think I’d have to take up golf!

Manchester City have a great team. They are so good they can get rid of Carlos Tevez and have Balotelli, Johnson and De Jong on the bench