EDitorial ± 8-May-2001

All Points North

To Portman Road last night for ITFC's final home game of the season, leaving it late to see my first Premiership game of 2000/01 (ta to Dean for the ticket, BTW). Visitors were Manchester City: on a really sunny day this time last year they'd pipped us for the second automatic promotion spot, darn them.

Somewhat different fortunes for us and them these past 10 months. The mighty blue boys were looking for a win to put the pressure back on Liverpool for that 3rd Champions League spot, whereas City needed to win just to stand a chance of staying up.

Ticket   Score   Stand

Course, it finished 2-1 to the Tractor Boys with most of the excitement coming in the final 20 minutes, condemning Man City down to the Nationwide. Amazing bunch of fans have City. They sang their hearts out, and were still going strong at the end in spite of the (unfortunate for them) events on the pitch. A few choice songs from the blue end of Manchester:

  • If the Nevilles play for England, so can I (fair point)
  • In church, it's just like being in church (when the ground went quiet)
  • If you all hate Man Utd clap your hands (all fans join in)
That was also the end of the North Stand as we know it. The traditional home of the town-fans-that-sing is being demolished and rebuilt, pretty much as from today. I had some good times in there, including a fine view of us beating the other Manchester team 3-2 a few seasons back. Don't know why, but I'm also reminded of us losing to Arsenal in a FA Cup quarter-final. Not so much fun.

If You Take Away With You Nothing Else
Holland and Reuser:

  1. discuss: more fun supporting Man City than Man Utd?
  2. apparently City have already sold 16,000 season tickets for next year
  3. we're all going on a European tour!
Be seeing you!

Ed