Manchester City supporters saw their team beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday, in the Blues' first game since the bombshell charges verdict was announced. The atmosphere among the travelling fans was one of joyous defiance, with chants, flags, and inflatable bananas on display.
First outing since the verdict
Standing on Platform 14 at Piccadilly Station, Daz Fitz is buzzing as he waits for the train to Liverpool for yet another away day, one of countless he has clocked up in his 35 years following the Blues. But there is a dark cloud hanging over the club, which Daz and the rest of their hardcore support are still coming to terms with.
This was the first time the Blues were in action since the bombshell verdict a fortnight ago, which has rocked the club - and English football - to its core. After being found guilty of breaking more than 100 financial rules over a nine-year period, the club is staring down the barrel of severe punishment. The club maintains its innocence and has lodged an appeal. But whilst the process continues to play out, City fans are in an uneasy state of limbo.
Fans stick with the owners
Daz, 42, from Bury, said he was left feeling 'a bit numb' when the findings of the independent commission were made public a fortnight ago. “There was shock and surprise,” he said. But he said he felt the club’s fans needed to stick with the club’s owners 'until there’s a reason not to.'
“They’ve backed us, so we have to back them and take them at their word. They’ve always stuck by their word so far,” he said. But no matter what happens, Daz said he and thousands like him will stick with the club. “We’re ready for the ride,” he said. “There’s never a dull moment with this club. We’ve been up and down the divisions. But it doesn’t matter if we’re playing in the park, we’ll be there.”
On the train, the atmosphere was light-hearted and jovial, only pierced by the occasional hiss as fans plucked lukewarm cans of lager from carrier bags. Stepping off at Liverpool’s Lime Street station, there was the distant hum of 'City, City…the best team in the land and all the world' from a pub across the road.
Defiance and humour
Standing outside the station entrance, 22-year-old Alfie Bradshaw, from the Edge Lane area of East Manchester, was equally defiant. “I trust our owners,” he said. “If they say they’re not guilty, I believe them. Why wouldn’t I?” He said trips to Anfield were 'always rough' and he 'didn’t expect any different.' “I always want to win,” he said, adding that for him it was 'business as usual.'
At The Brick, a backstreet boozer near Goodison Park where a sizeable chunk of the Blues travelling support congregated, the fans made feelings known even more strongly. A flag had the words 'The Abu Dhabi job' and depicted Enzo Maresca and some of the club’s players in a convoy of Sky Blue minis with cash flying out of the windows.
There were renditions of 'City’s going down with a billion in the bank', a chant which dates back to their struggles immediately following the takeover. There were also cries of 'Sheikh Mansour my lord, Sheik Mansour…' from the supporters, some of whom had donned Arabian headdress and brought masks of their owner’s face.
There was also a first airing for a new chant aimed towards City’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak which said: “Khaldoon, City’s in love with you, we’re going down to League 2, and we’re not a***d that we’ve been charged” to the tune of Billy Ocean’s 'Love Really Hurts Without You.' Whilst one fan handed out dozens of inflatable bananas, which became synonymous with the club’s yo-yoing up and down the divisions in the 1980s and 90s.
Backing the club until the end
Outside the pub, well-known Blues supporter and social media presence Steve Lumb, aka 'Big Steve', said the club’s fans were handling the situation with their typical dry humour. He said the verdict 'didn’t make good reading' but that 'we are Manchester City supporters and we’re going to back our club.'
The owners had 'transformed the club,' and City fans had 'lived our best lives under them' so they would 'back them until the end,' he said. “If we get to the end and it comes out that we have done something wrong, then it’s going to be a very difficult period for us, and we will deal with that then,” he continued. “But for the minute, speaking to people today, I think everyone is a hundred percent behind Khaldoon.”
“We’re prepared for anything at this club,” he said. “That 'typical City' badge is never too far away from us. But you have seen the humour today, you’ve seen the flags, you’ve seen the bananas and that, and people are just taking it in their stride. “We’re the most hated football club in England at the minute, but that has galvanised everyone together and we’ll do our talking on the pitch.”
Matchday scenes and victory
Outside the ground, thousands of Liverpool fans lined Anfield Road for one of their traditional 'coach welcomes.' There were red smoke bombs, chants of 'cheats' and 'Manchester is full of s**t' among the crowds before the Liverpool team bus went past. However, there was no repeat of the 2018 attack on City’s coach, which took a different route.
There were some slightly tense scenes as a large group of City fans was escorted by police through Stanley Park towards the away end. Cries of 'cheats' were met with retorts of 'City are back…' from the Blues faithful. There were some minor scuffles with police and stewards, and some beer thrown, but order was maintained. Sky blue balloons floated through the air amid further chants of Sheik Mansour’s name as they queued to get into the Anfield Road end.
Standing outside the away end, Seamus Henderson, 65, said Khaldoon had 'never lied' to fans and that he is 'totally confident in what he’s saying.' “The rest of the clubs, the red cartel, can stuff it up their a**e' he said, adding he wasn’t nervous but 'excited.'
After City ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, there were further tense scenes outside the away end. Police had to move in, draw batons, and even pepper-spray some angry Liverpool fans as the delirious City supporters emerged through the doors. Chants of 'cheating b******s, you know you know what you are' were met with the 'you’re getting mauled by the cheaters' from the banana-clutching away following.
Louis Barker, 21, from Chorlton, said: “It was my first ever time at Anfield and it was pretty good. The City fans were top class. “With everything that’s been going on, you knew Liverpool would bring a lot, but we were better in every way.” “If you look at the treble season, when the charges were first laid, we were galvanised to go on and win the treble. I think we’re galvanised again and could do something big
