A Father's Advice Never Fails

Naive? Mental? In love? Stupid? All these words have come to my mind over the last 14 years of supporting Manchester City. One thing is for sure, all those things I may be, but I don't think any of us would change it for the world.

Kevin Horlock cheering City's comeback

Being a 5 year old boy and growing up in Ireland as my beloved Manchester City were relegated to the third tier in English football was not easy, especially when every corner you turned was someone with "Cantona 7" on the back of their jerseys from the previous year. A 5 year old kid starting school on his first day with a Shaun Goater lunch box, MCFC bag and a scruffy little haircut was not easy. The kids in the playground would not allow me to play football with them because they were United fans. The odd day they may have let me, they put this question to me "you can play, if you be a Man U player" with that I used to walk away knowing the loyalties that my Levenshulme Dad of 16 years had beaten into me ( Not Literally ) . Things only got worse from the playground torment. The end of my first school year something happened, that until May 2011, was the greatest day in many City fans lives. We beat Gillingham to gain promotion out of the then, Second Division. Being only able to celebrate this with my six month pregnant mother, as my Dad was with the many of 60000 blues at Wembley that day. The sense of joy and optimism in her eyes was one I have only ever seen once since, exactly three months later.

Having family members across the road on an occasion like that isn't always a good thing. With my mother speechless on the phone to my Uncle, constantly repeating " I Can't I can't......" he then raced across the street, jumped our six foot high wall, kicked the door in thinking she was going into labour. Moments like this are what being a blue is all about. Only being able to celebrate an occasion like that with two people is good, but it ain't brilliant. Still receiving a lot of torment from random people on the street as United had just won the triple, the truest words my father has ever spoken came from his mouth "Son, your day will come. Stick with it. One day you will look back and laugh, that I promise you my boy"

Choosing to take my old mans advice I carried on ( not as if I was in doubt ). Having our ups and downs for another four whole years before we finally made ourselves a stable Premier League team again. In fact it took a whole seven years for the club I love so well to remain in the same league for two years in a row. Signing's like Nicolas Anelka in 2003, really made me the happiest guy in the world. Thinking that my dad's words had finally come through, I was wrong again.

Players Celebrating Remarkable Comeback

On a cold February night in 2004. Me. A ten year old boy, was sent to bed at 20:30 for to save me the embarrassment of watching ten men City get even more thumped by Spurs in a fourth round Fa Cup reply. Three minutes into the second half, Michael Tarnat lifted a beautifully flighted ball that landed on the head of then City captain, Distin to make it 3 - 1. Thee almightiest roar was let off from the sitting room, followed by my name being screamed to come down and watch "this bit of history son". And how right he was. City went onto win the game, and shortly afterwards I was told "Anything United can do, we can do better"

In the Summer of 2007, being a 14 year old kid with a multi - Millionaire willing to spend in City was probably more exciting than Christmas Day. Players like Elano and Bianchi were bought for figures I thought I could never dream of. With a game against United quickly approaching that month, there was a massive sense of optimism in many Blue households. A 30 yard strike from Geovanni gave City the bragging rights, and many of us blues were then aiming for the title. Another victory by City in the Old Trafford derby for the first time in 34 years, it really did seem the tide was turning. The following summer the corrupted Taskin sold up to a consortium of Arabs, little did I know that this was the time the Bluemoon was truly rising.

Samba Star Robinho with then Manager Mark Hughes

Signing someone like Robinho for a British transfer record was just the most amazing feeling. Especially when scoring on your debut. Me, like many of you, knew it was a matter of time before Mark Hughes was shown the door and I couldn't wait for the day to happen. With Roberto Mancini''s name being in the frame, the Burns' household was optimistic, bar a moody teenager. I personally felt that he was not the correct man for the job, as he had only experienced Italian football. Being told to shut up and give him a chance by your father, turned me against the charismatic Italian straight away. His opening victory against Stoke at home on Boxing Day 2009, slowly changed my mentality towards him. Followed by beating United in one leg of the Carling Cup Semi Final, my mind set was ever changing. Still being taunted by United fans saying you cant buy success, my reply was simple "Juan Sebastian Veron" With that ( most not knowing who he even was ) people kept quiet.  With people questioning what City had won after the amount of money spent, I'd often question whether they would reject an owner City have been grateful to fall upon. Bauling my eyes out later that season after Peter Crouch's winner to guarantee Spurs Champions League football was painful, but this time I knew the day would come.

The next season was nothing short of what my dad's words were about having our day. In fact we had many days. A 1 - 0 home win against Chelsea. A 3 - 0 home win against Liverpool. Beating Spurs 1 - 0 to guarantee Champions League football. But arguably the best day came this May. Thanks to Yaya's strike, my Dad's words had paid off.
After 14 years of abuse from people who don't know a lot " I had my day".

Like a City bus, you wait for an age and eventually get two. This is what it was like last season, when City fans witnessed the greatest style of football seen in more than a generation. Thumping United 1-6 at Old Trafford on October 23rd, you really felt City had arrived in the big time. A further 87 goals were scored in the 37 other games but none more valuable than the one scored about 17:51 on May 13th 2012. Never in my life will a feeling like that be met again, and to top it all off. I shared that moment with the two people who forked out thousands over the years to go and watch the good, the bad and the very ugly side of Manchester City. What more could you ask for?.

Captain Vincent Kompany and Manager Roberto Mancini