A video of Liam Gallagher playing in a 1996 charity football match resurfaced on social media recently. Dressed in Manchester City blue and a bucket hat, in truth he appears to be in a fug of cigarettes and alcohol. But then, out of nowhere, he hits a shot into the top corner.
Since last week, though, the Oasis singer has preferred to defend the honour of his club with his studs up. As the fallout from the biggest scandal in British football history headed into a second week, Gallagher was asked what he made of rival fans wanting City to lose all their trophies after being found guilty of all the serious charges against them. It was one of dozens of sweary, punchy, and often amusing responses, all built on a solitary article of faith: that City will somehow find a way to wriggle free.
But Gallagher is hardly standing alone. Over at Bluemoon, the biggest City forum, the tone has been just as defiant – albeit with a sprinkle of gallows humour. It’s a fight for the heart, soul & future of football,” reckoned a third.
Staggeringly, the forum now has over 192,000 posts since the initial charges against City, dating back to 2023. Naturally the Premier League, jealous rivals and the media all come under heavy fire. Yet there remains a curious reluctance among fans to accept wrongdoing – or to criticise the club’s owners.
How might we explain that? I am not sure it is down to pure tribalism, or a determination among City fans to wait for the club’s appeal to play out. It’s more complicated, and more interesting, than that.
Let us try to get into the head of the most vociferous City fan since last Tuesday. For decades they were in United’s shadow, then everything changed. Their city did too, given how much Abu Dhabi United Group pumped into it.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
