Since their inception in 1880 by Rev. Arthur Connell and William Beastow as St. Mark's (West Gorton), Manchester City Football Club have developed a loyal, passionate and dedicated following.[1][2][3] Evolving from a cricket team which aimed to unite the community in industrial east Manchester, St. Mark's changed to Ardwick F.C. before settling on Manchester City F.C. on 16 April 1894.
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 1998.[4] 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.[5]
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" and are famous for their inflatables, normally yellow bananas,[6] 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.[6][7] The Manchester City fans also till this day perform the Poznan when winning by a comfortable margin in order to taunt opposition.[8]
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'.[2][9][10][11] Supporters refer to inconsistent results and unexpected events as "Typical City", or "City-itis" and media often refer to City as a "soap opera" club.[12][13] Historical events and results labelled as "Typical City" include being the only team to score and concede 100 league goals in one season (1957–58) and the only reigning champions in English football to be relegated (1937–38). However, despite anguish, many City fans regard success and failure as part of being a loyal and real football supporter and specifically what it means to be a Manchester City supporter.[14][15]
Manchester City hold the second highest attendance record in English football (84,569), beaten only by 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 in 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.[16] Since then, the club has moved to the 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.[17][18]
- ^ "Manchester City fans queue from 5am to snap up tickets for FA Cup semi-final". Manchester Evening News. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Manchester City – talkfootball". talkfootball.co.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ McDonnell, David (5 May 2008). "YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE!". Mirror. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ Kay, Oliver (6 January 2018). "Empty seats are no reflection on Manchester City". The Times. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ Slater, Matt (13 August 2010). "Premier League still holds golden ticket for fans". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
- ^ a b "The Inflatables Craze". mcivta.
- ^ "[88/89] News Report on Football Inflatables". YouTube. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "What is Poznan? Here's all you need to know about this football taunt". The Economic Times. 9 June 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Daniel (9 August 2010). "Premier League preview No11: Manchester City". guardian. London. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "We did it the hard way – but that's Manchester City for you, says hero of 1968 title-winning team Glyn Pardoe". The Telegraph. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ "Roller-coaster years". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 May 2001. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ Taylor, Julian (25 April 2009). "Book review: The Worst of Friends". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
The Thai millions and the Abu Dhabi billions of recent times are the latest episodes in the ongoing Sky Blue soap opera
- ^ Winter, Henry (12 August 2008). "Soap opera involving Thaksin Shinawatra and Manchester City damaging our game". telegraph.co.uk. London: Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "City will be back". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 22 May 2001. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "Typical City". BBC Manchester. British Broadcasting Corporation. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ James, Gary (22 April 2011). "FA Cup special: Thrills, spills and a cast of thousands at Maine Road". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
- ^ "Sunderland football fans on the bawl". uk.msn.com. 26 October 2007. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "Noisiest fans in Premiership". tribalfootball.com. 27 October 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2010.