About 2 weeks ago now I received an unexpected e-mail
from Manchester City
inviting me to the official opening of the new Manchester City
Academy
What a Club!
 |
| The invite |
I can’t express enough just how great the Club were in making a ‘regular fan / supporter’ feel comfortable and at ease around such other prestige guests. There were players & officials both past and present; past players not necessarily associated with
 |
| The "Guest" wristband |
Arrival
The ‘invitation for one’ stated “smart casual” and having
taken the dog for a walk and chosen to incorporate a visit to my mum’s house,
she appeared disappointed that I wasn’t all properly ‘suited up’. It’s an age / generational thing I think…
But having not let those comments blow my confidence, I must admit
there was a sense of justification and mild amusement when, ironically, I got into the taxi and
upon telling the driver our destination; his first response was to say, “Are you going for an interview?"
So I wasn’t as
‘dressed down’ as my mum was suggesting, bless her.
Arriving bang on 10:15am in the icy cold breeze, I headed
straight into the West Stand Reception area where some of the other guests were queuing up
to be registered and to receive their guests wrist bands.
I was pleased to see that I'd hit the tone just right with my smart /
casual look.
Whilst stood in the queue I very soon realised that I was right
next to Alex Williams who was talking to some
bloke at the side. It’s hard not to notice the ex-City goalkeeper and head
of City in the Community and I have spoken to him a few times in the past.
In fact, he lead the one & only tour of Maine Road Platt Lane
I ‘signed in’, got my wrist band and not really knowing for
sure if the three, rather plush-looking coaches were indeed for us (me) and were to be our transport across
the road; I eventually asked a G4S Customer Service Officer. They were
our coaches and as one of them pulled away, I got on the second in line.
They were plush – well…the most posh I’d been on anyway.
Leather seats no less! Easily pleased...
As I embarked I noticed that most people were sat in ‘singles’
with a seat separating most. Clearly I
wasn’t the only one to have received an invitation ‘for one’. So I did
likewise; taking my seat just a few from the front and on the left overlooking
the entrance I’d just emerged from.
As it started to fill up, Alex and the man he was chatting
to emerged from the West Stand Reception area and it was at this point that I
realised, all-too-clearly, that the ‘some bloke’ Alex had been – and still was – talking to was a certain Colin Bell; only one of the most iconic City legends
ever!
Thankfully I was
sharing my foolishness with no-one other than myself - well, until sharing it
with you all now…
They were both heading to my coach and as they got on, I
found myself sort of ‘budging up’ towards the window as if to suggest to Colin (or Alex of course)
with a child-like voice in my head, “You
can sit here if you like?”
Colin gave me a brief look and walked past (perhaps I should have worn the suit after
all) and Alex gave me a nod and an, “Alright”.
I then fully expected him to ask about my wife…but he didn’t. So, sitting on my
own - and not with any past City-playing
legends - we soon set off as the winter clouds gathered.
The (very short) journey
Out of the ground, up Ashton New Road Alan Turing
Way
Well it was for me anyway – I’d managed to get the day off
work and was sat on the coach wide-eyed like a child off to the seaside for the
very first time. However, at least 2 others near me appeared to be squeezing in the
visit in-between ‘dealings with work’. As we entered the gates at least 2
other chaps were on their mobiles sorting out work-related matters right up to
the point where we disembarked. Priorities
all wrong in my world at least…
Anyway...momentarily, any excitement turned to slight
confusion. As we neared the main, central complex listed as the, “Performance
Centre”, I noticed the first coach parked up and facing us towards the left.
But as we continued up the newly tarmacked, pristine road to the right, we were
abruptly stopped by an attendant and a 2 or 3 minute conversation then ensued
with the driver.
I don’t know, of course, what route the first coach had
taken but clearly [from listening to the dialogue] our driver had been given
instructions to drive the guests right around the Performance Centre before
dropping off at the main entrance where the other coach sat; whereas the attendant
had been given instruction that no-one was to drive around the back. It all got
a bit awkward at one stage until the driver quite amusingly said, “Well…we’re stuck then aren’t we? How about
I just drive on and I’ll them ‘em that you must have missed me, hey?”
So if there’s a new opening for a road / park attendant at
the new City
Once inside…
 |
| Official brochure |
There were juices, fruit, tea, coffee and various pastries
available and, most notably, Manchester
City
I then just wandered lonely as a ‘single invitee’; taking a
few snaps of the time-line display boards for my Blog and avoiding the
temptation to stand too near HUGE names of past players just in case they spoke
to me and I turned to jelly; unable to speak after a sugar rush and general
star-struckness.
 |
| Timeline exhibition |
I took a few snaps of our trophies and, most noticeably of course, the Premier League Trophy...but resisted the crossbar challenge that was going on at the far end.
The area grew slightly dark and we experienced a 5 minute hail storm that, from within the large, high-roof complex, sounded quite impressive for a time.
 |
| The cups... |
 |
| 'THE' cup! |
15 milliseconds of
fame!
Steve was off like an Aguero shot!
No messing - he headed straight for ‘front & centre’…and I quickly
followed.
Separated only by a row of reserved seats, we were
LITERRALLY sat at the front and RIGHT in front of the speaker's podium. With
cameras of all descriptions from various medias - and with Sally Nugent hosting the ceremony - I was convinced
(and told my family so) that I’d be on the telly! To date, I’ve seen the back
of my head and my clapping hands on both Sky Sports and the BBC.
 |
| Timeline exhibition |
 |
| Timeline exhibition |
 |
| Timeline exhibition |
I had a pretty good idea that Chairman Khaldoon would be present; Txiki Begiristain, Ferran Soriano, someone
from Manchester City Council and Patrick Vieira. However, I didn’t anticipate for one moment that Manuel Pellegrini and Vincent Kompany would be there too (I thought the manager, at least, would have been
in Italy
 |
| Front-row centre spot! |
 |
| Alex: That bloke in the second row - what's his wife called? |
 |
| Andy Warhol & Peter Swales lookalikes share a joke... |
 |
| Serious now - our Chairman speaks... |
And it was great to see, a
later-understandably, quite emotional, Tony Book
officially ‘lift the veil’ / open the Academy.
As well as reading and
being very impressed with Tony’s book / life story, I used to get to Maine Road
and sit on the concrete steps of the Kippax
with my homemade sandwiches and match-day programme very early as a teenager;
and have very vivid memories of Tony being the first out EVERY time, warming
up the keepers (Alex Williams included of course) by firing-in cross after
cross.
A lot of poignant words were spoken by all and as a Manchester City
We have very professional people with the right
attitude and plans for our Football Club and any outside neutral with negative
words about our recent spending – or worse still
those with specific, anti-City tendencies / hidden agendas – well just feel
pity for them and let them ‘snipe away’ to their embittered heart’s content.
We’re doing things the right
way – patience and relentlessness are our goals.
 |
| Not in Italy - second right is our Vinny |
 |
| Also not in Italy - Manuel & Ferran Soriano |
 |
| Tony Book being interviewed by BBC's Sally Nugent |
 |
| Messrs Pellegrini, Soriano, Sir Richard Leese, Osborne & Al Mubarak |
 |
| The unveiling |
 |
| Based on the Maine Road... |
 |
| ...Main Stand mosaic |
Photo opportunity…and another case of chronic 'blind spot'
Following the ceremony we were invited to watch the first,
official training session / game to be played in the centre and the very
proud-looking youngsters that were sat across the stage moments earlier did, what I’m sure they
enjoy doing, the most.
Not long into the ‘kick about’ I turned to my left to see
that I was watching proceedings whilst stood almost next to Manuel Pellegrini!
 |
| The match |
You know…for someone
6’ 1” (in boots) and with little wrong with his eyesight I don’t 'alf almost
miss key individuals at times. For someone famous who’d prefer to simply go about
their business undisturbed / unrecognised I’m probably a celebrity’s dream!
 |
| Could have done with 'Eagle Eyes' |
Once again my ‘eagle eyes’ failed me as, although I instantly
recognised that I was stood next to Life President Bernard Halford; it took
several more minutes to see that he was stood next to that very same, ‘some
bloke’. For a TRUE Manchester
City
That, then, had been in the back of my mind as the exciting day began and so towards the end of the kid’s exhibition match, I thought I was (finally) going mad! Sure enough, with background music playing in the ‘front end’ of where we’d been gathering before the ceremony, Willy’s “Pure Imagination” began to play. Very weird…
The footballing session finished, we meandered to the front
once again and although we were invited to take the coach back to the ground
(presumably where the
lunchtime refreshments would be served – I dunno); I decided, instead, to
walk around the complex taking more pics for my Blog as the coaches departed.
Some of the training pitches and surroundings.
 |
 |
| Still some work being finished...and my brolly |
 |
| Outside of the Performance Centre |
The 7,000 capacity ground within the Academy complex
Eager to then get some ‘domestics’ out of the way before
heading to my local 'for a few' to absorb the fantastic few hours that I’d
experienced, I made my way to the front exit gates.
“Did you enjoy that?”,
was the question from the smiling, female gate attendant. “Oh yes…” I replied “…but
back to reality now” and pointing to Asda over the road I added that I had
to do the ‘weekly shop’.
In the pub…
The irony that I then got
to my local to find ½-a-dozen Manyoo fans round a table talking very loud and being very
scathing towards Manchester City. So much so, in fact, I finally broke from
reading my newspaper to text some fellow Blues the following:
The City Academy Manchester City
It amused me actually.
 |
| From past to present and looking very much to the future... |
Great day all round, fantastic Football Club.
No comments:
Post a Comment