Manchester City fan Alex Timperley believes that "doing something will make you feel better" as he encourages matchgoing supporters to channel their frustration into positive action. His message comes after an independent panel ruled that the club cheated Premier League rules, with owners pumping in £900m more than was allowed over nearly a decade.
From Maine Road to the Etihad
City's transformation has been extreme, from a popular second team during their decades at Maine Road to one of the biggest clubs in world football after the 2008 takeover by UAE royal Sheikh Mansour. Fans have enjoyed some of the best players and managers, but have also had to accept everything that comes with it, including the recent verdict.
For Timperley, what matters most is the few hours before every home game when he stands outside the ground and welcomes donations to local foodbanks. Six years ago, just as the pandemic was about to hit, he and a few friends who felt the club was losing touch with its local community decided to do something about it.
Foodbank success
With the help of supporters who turn up every week with donations, City fans are now the largest contributors to Manchester's largest foodbank. Timperley says it's easy to feel helpless, but points out that the crowd at City is the biggest group of people in society in Manchester, spanning every demographic and age group.
"If somebody is feeling helpless, it's likely that the person next to them might be feeling the same," he tells the Manchester Evening News. "We started the foodbank in 2020 because we were sick of it and wanted to do something. We just stayed there and we've grown and grown."
He adds: "If everyone who went to the game brought a tin of food there wouldn't be any hungry children in Manchester. It's easy to say that something is too much work but actually we just went and did it and worked it out, and that makes you feel better."
Fans taking action
Timperley's experience inspired him to speak to football fans across the league for a book called 'For the Love', charting how supporters at different clubs have helped inspire positive change. At the Etihad, widespread protests over ticket prices forced the club to U-turn on planned raises, and last season, season ticket holders moved out of the North Stand for a new hospitality section mobilised into a group and pressured the club to get the best possible deal.
City continue to insist on their innocence regarding the 115 charges and are appealing, but more fans are questioning the people who run the club. Timperley's message is about reacting, but also about remembering their responsibility: "If it's our club, it's our club. And if it's not, it means nothing. City means something to us and to a lot of people and I think that comes with a responsibility."
He adds: "If we want to have that say in our club and say we want lower prices, we want better terms and conditions, we have to show that it is our club. If we do work together and do the community stuff and tie the club to the place, we can say it is our club."
For The Love: How Football Supporters Can Change the World, by Alex Timperley, is available to buy online and in bookshops courtesy of Halcyon Publishing.
