Always Believesham

In total 157 grounds I'm such a nerd for this stuff and love a groundhop. Done 102 with City but that does include 2x Wembley's a Millenium Stadium. My numbers are similar to @North London Red's Managed to do 73 of the current 92 with City, 13 old Grounds (10 current league teams' old grounds) and 13 Other grounds from outside the current 92. I'm pretty sure the only one of the current 92 I could have done but haven't is Exeter. Only started in '96 and I've seen a healthy number of teams whistle past us form the depths of the 4th tier to the Prem and a few head the other way. I looked at the list of teams I've never seen us beat at their place too and it's depressing. Did the 92 back in 2011 as well as @cider11 not quite as quirky as completing the same date I started it though! I actually managed to "complete it" watching City at Brighton but have done so many over the years as a neutral. I'm only Brentford short of completing the set for the 4th/5th time - when there's only a couple to do it's great fun of an international weekend if you've got the time (although cost is creeping up - it's not exactly £10/15 to get into some grounds anymore!) Not counting Sixfields twice (saw us play Cov at Cobblers), also saw us at Hereford and Kidderminster in friendlies but haven't counted those - or Tavistock who I saw get spanked by QPR when we were passing through one summer. Futbology app is awesome, you have to remember to check into grounds when you complete a division to get the badge thing though! If you care about that stuff...

Cheers - saw the site after reading this Will try and book somewhere that looks relatively legitimate and look forward to the inevitable queue afterwards (thanks in advance if anyone has any advice for a parking solution!)

Has this been advertised before today? If it has I've missed it fully intended to drive and park at the ground as I have done for each of the last dozen visits...

I worked with a guy who followed a scottish team that got into europe and were uncerimoniously dumped out of it by one of the welsh or irish teams. I can't remember where the next round was going to be but it was more like a holiday destination than a footballing outpost, he was so confident they were going to get through he booked a holiday to celebrate his partner's birthday. I don't think she was impressed, especially after she found out they weren't even going to see his team play. So he took his mum, to a random european game involving the team that put his team out of the cup. Fast forward to the game night - I got in from playing 5aside, remembered the game was on, and out of childish spite I thought I'd see how the mighty... colwyn bay maybe? .... were getting on Within 30 seconds, the camera honed in on a chap that looked remarkably like my pal. He proceeded to have a good root around his nose, live on S4C. It was him, and it was good fun sharing that video round. and that was possibly the only time I've watched S4C

Linked to something all 3 of you have said about the transfer activity - we sold Kelly to Bournemouth in May. There can't have been many confirmed transfers before 31st May affecting City since the windows came in & I'm still curious why that transfer went through when it did. It does feel a bit "short term" to sell a player quickly in order to get the finances logged in 'the seaosn just gone' as it only gives a club 2 years of being able to count the profit towards ffp. We weren't to know but I think the year after Kelly's sell dropped off the 3 year cycle, we could really have done with being able to count that money! I appreciate circumstance will always dictate whether a club wants to do this, but I can't work out whether this was driven by Bournemouth or City (& why the clubs didn't just extended their accounting period).

When Dave Challinor's thow ins took Tranmere to the League Cup final (back in 2000?) I'm sure the league banned the use of towels for either the Semi-final onwards or the final. I remember Soccer AM presenting a vest made out of a towel that could be used as an alternative.

Palace have to play 6 of the 8 teams below them before the end of the season (weirdly before today it was 5, now they've leapfrogged 2 of their remaining oppontents). They're likely to have quite a say in who's going down, I reckon they'll only beat 2/3 of those left and that will suck Leeds right into it. I have a feeling Leiceters will stay up - they've scored enough goals this year. 3 way scrap for me; one spot between Everton, Leeds & Forest to stay up. I wouldn't be too disappointed if they all stayed up - don't mind Everton, Forest has been done to death and Leeds are just an overpriced tourist attraction in the championship (only, unlike Newcastle & probably Everton, we'll probably have to put up with a few years of Leeds).

Not to challenge you personally but is it a different kit if it's the same colours and design? Would this not be treated in the same way as changing sponsor because the sponsor goes bust? West Ham a few years ago had to ditch sponsor mid-season and I'm sure there have been examples since. Hummel may have had to compensate City, despite it being their supplier that went into administration. I don't think there would be a change midseason though, it's an expense that would be so difficult to recover - unless the club want to do some positive PR and say to fans, "look, you matter to us so we've replaced our kit supplier; if you want to buy a 22/23 shirt, you can". Very unlike City if that is the case! Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised to see a new supplier next year. Those concerned about the politics of O'Neills may not have spotted the Ulster countywear proudly advertised on the front page (the red right hand leapt out at me) - I get the impression they're not picky but know how to appeal to a market with comemorative commissions.

Excellent report as ever. So glad you mentioned that absurd drop ball, I was particularly annoyed that, the ref. brought play back for a retake (for what reason?) - it confused the hell out of me but I had put it down to a few too many bevvies on the way up! Aside from the performance of the official(s), decent day out and a well earned point. Disciplined 11 supported by committed subs who were all effective ?? cheers Olé, top report

Interesting that clubs like Norwich are looking at us (after 1 result) in the same way we’ve looked at other clubs that are absolutely punching considering the money they’ve had to spend. The current squad breaks down into 3 groups, the old world signings (Wells, Williams & Kalas), the ex-academy players (too many to name) and the new world signings (Tanner, Atkinson, Cornick, Mehmeti and the freebies) - the model for new world signings, where Atkinson is probably the most expensive transfer, are what we’ve been better at historically. I think Williams was a bargain at the time but was £2.5m+ iirc? I would expect the higher wages to be in that group of old world signings; which makes this more impressive given how small that group now is. I get what posters are saying about all fees being undisclosed so you can never really tell, but the accounts add up to estimates, when you look at the ‘profit on disposal‘, ‘amortisation’ and fees paid in the years affected. This is how fans have come to the conclusion Massengo was closer to £2-3m than £7-8m. This feels like the back end of a transition in the club. Hopefully these are the shoots of recovery because that would mean there’s a whole lot more to come! Worth keeping our feet on the ground, but for once we’ve played well and won against a good team littered with talent. How they played doesn’t really matter when the result was a City win.

I try not to get as bothered about the referees any more before the match - it feels like it's pointless worrying about. 4-5 years ago I would go into a game with a pre-conceived idea about the kind of referee we were going to expect and it took away from the enjoyment. When it gets into the game though, I'll still have a go if I feel there's a bad/inconsistent decision but what really winds me up is the number of linesmen that don't look like they even care about giving decisions, let a lone getting them right in this league. They are qualified referees (obviously) but often not with the same experience as the man in the middle. Increasingly they're instucted to do less & you can see that. Why can't the league put more into professionalising these roles? The guy infront of the Lansdown just ignored a flailing arm on (I thought is was) Mehmeti, despite giving a strange free kick in the first half. I didn't feel Scott did much wrong, apart from unsuccesfully getting his arm out of the way of the Norwich player's ducking head ? He was also the one that gave freekicks to Hanley as if it was some kind of reward for getting near the ball. I have a little bit of sympathy for the referee, the game got more physical towards the end of the first half and he seemed to want it to flow. It certainly felt like Norwich were less "up for it" in the second half, looking for fouls and going down. City wanted to keep the same tempo and were in Norwich's faces - I don't think we crossed the line as much as the foul count would suggest, but only a part of that was down to the referee.

This feels like the best place to post. I think we’ve surpassed our previous ridiculous run with yesterday’s game… outside of sitting in the stadium (in bewilderment) I find this unfortunate run fascinating - and it’s not the first time we’ve been here. In 2003-04 we went a whole season without a penalty in the league, (we were awarded one on the League Cup R1 August 13th at H to Swansea). The last one in the league for a long time was home to Cardiff match 44 in April 2003. The real kick in the teeth was that we lost the 2003/04 play-off final, to a penalty. 2004-05, Match number 10, we’re awarded a penalty at home to Huddersfield. I think we had simultaneously gone 62 games in the league and 62 games in all competitions without a penalty. I remember once we’d gone through 55 or 56 games it was a point of note that we had gone 5,000 minutes without a penalty. It wasn’t headline worthy but incredibly frustrating as a fan. See you all again in 20 years?

We would have been awarded a penalty away at Norwich had we not scored - this isn't on the Posts round up but the referee was ready to blow for a penalty but played advantage. FWIW I very much think it's a conspiracy ? in the time it's taken us to get our last 8 penalties, we recieved 39 in the same period prior to that. It's not just the league, we've been awarded 1 in the League Cup, 1 in the FA Cup in the last 10 years. The turning point appeared to be as the wheels fell off in the League Cup Semi-Final season, shortly after a weird rant from Keith Andrews when we beat Sheffield United on Sky and he basically said we were lucky and that decisions played a huge part in our win. There you have it, Keith Andrews is to blame.

Ward was sacked I believe? Fell out with the board over Lennartson from what I understand I was talking to a Birmingham fan mate about this very thing last week - I hadn't realised that the 2 in my lifetime I was bemoaning were the 2 ever ? (it is a bad thing to have a manager poached, but also a poor reflection on us that we've not been seen as successful enough to have a manager poached). On topic, Goater was probably the most frustrating for me, especially given his success at Man City

I think I might have a form of PTSD reading through some of those games. [was that Wolves game at the bottom, the one where Wolved scored a mental own goal? They substituted Ikeme at half time, not out of shame but because he'd punched a wall and broke his hand on the way down the tunnel.] I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary today* - having world cup games so recently in the mind to compare it to, the players really don't help. He tried to keep the game flowing in the first half, although should have pulled up players for consistently kicking the ball away (or walking off with it). The turning point was that corner though, I wasn't sure whether he booked Weimann or Semenyo but it was out of character with how he'd tried to referee until that point. There had been a bit of injury exaggeration creeping in until that point but it got a lot worse from there. Credit to him for forcing the Stoke player off when he wasted enough time to call for the physio, I thought he was going to book the player that dived infront of Semenyo and then claimed cramp - but it looked like he picked something up that came from the crowd (which could come back to bite us). *That's in the context of the rest of the rubbish we've had to put up with and some of the games in that list though.

It's weird, I can't work out whether it's because there's fewer games (and more jeopardy) in the international tournaments, or the fact that we don't get to enjoy big games at City. I get far more nervous watching England, and the feeling I had going into tonight was only really matched by how I felt going into the first Man City game. It'll take me longer to "get over" England losing but I think I'll revel in the highs for a lot longer when City win something notable.

I don't agree there's an outright conspiracy but I do feel like there's both an arrogance from the English and an anti-English sentiment from officials that you see a glimpse of in every "big" game. When they collide it's incredibly stressful/frustrating to watch. There were long periods where we didn't get a free-kick outside our own half tonight, unfortunate that the penalty (before the penalties) was outside the area. Hard to disagree that it was a foul though. The Saka one, mentioned, before the goal could have been given, but there also was at least one occasion where an England player was taken down and the tackle to win the ball back was penalised despite it being a perfectly good challenge. Both penalties were stonewall in reality, only at Ashton Gate would you not see them given, and don't forget, he waved away the second one. For what it's worth, I don't think we were that much worse than France that we needed 2 penalties to get anything in 90 minutes. The game is the same across the world and it is as simple as having to score more goals than the opposition. We failed to do that tonight. Although we weren't in control of the game, equalising wouldn't have been against the run of play. Worse teams than that have won competitions. God it's like watching City.

Or Jamie McCombe would pop up with a late equaliser ...

Is this the same charge us and Luton got when Sykes was sent off? Interesting if it is, same footballing outcome, same pathetic overreaction from the opposition and the same charge dished out to both clubs. They were both probably red cards but I've seen them not given, and the referee has clearly been influenced both times by the offended team piling in. And we've been charged both times for failing to control our players. I'd love to know what they're supposed to do in that situation, adopt the brace position and sing kum-ba-yah until it blows over?

Interesting stuff, and I remember one from earlier in the year where Burnley were as dominant, I couldn't remember others standing out though. There is something absurd going on at Middlesbrough, Hull and Sheffield United - I am going to assume this is skewed by the fact they've had a couple of games where the opposition have kept the ball in the corner, combined with there being no activity in that speicific area of the pitch. With the exception of those, it kind of looks like a game of risk on a football pitch - for me it suggests teams try and attack that side of the pitch but have proved to be strong enough to deal with it. I would back Atkinson, Dasilva and any one of the strikers running the channels to get the better of championship opponents. What they have done with the ball (as with anyone in the team) is becoming more inconsistent, it's perhaps more exagerrated in my memory because of how much we get the ball down the left.

I have to admit, I was ready to completely disagree but you could have a point. I had it in the back of my mind that we got a high points tally in both the years we missed out, considering we finished 3rd. That was wrong. Looking back, we would have been considered very lucky to finish second with 82/83 points - this has happened 9 times since 3 points for a win came in. I appreciate the context is different when more promotion places were available but ultimately the football was exciting, but too gung-ho. We lost too many games to get promoted, we may have been unlucky at times but "best of the rest" sums up our time under Wilson. I think bluffer is harsh, he was the tonic to Pulis that we needed and I enjoyed watching City 95% of the time. Unfortunately for us, the other 5% were the key games that cost us promotion - it was ultimately the manager's job to fix that.

I think there’s a train strike - Good idea though and I would always advocate this route to a Birmingham based fixture - not entirely sure which companies are affected. For future reference, Moor Street is the closer station though. It’s usually the next stop on the line after Snow Hill if you get one of those trains and is only 15 minutes walk. This time I don’t have any helpful suggestions, it’s busy enough around the ground on a ‘normal’ match day, without local trains I’d expect more cars. Clean air zone starts at the ring road if I remember correctly, will check and post a link. Theres an estate behind the McDonalds by St. Andrew’s that’s ok to park in but you may struggle to get a space. That is the one that chucks out onto the road that is closed after the game. I tend to drive out of Bham on a working day so always try and avoid the M5/M6 interchange. As long as you get to the ring road (A4540), go clockwise until you get to Five Ways roundabout and take the A456 all the way out to the M5, it’s not a pretty route out but it’s probably the most straight forward. You can also use the A435, A441 (to the M42) and A38 to join the M5 a bit further south, they’re all not too difficult to navigate once you’re following them out of the City.

There’s a bit of sentiment to this one which makes it special for me personally. Growing up in the midlands I have a very good friend whose been a WBA ST holder for as long as I’ve been watching City. We basically grew up together & when I lost my Dad at the start of the 07-08 season he was the guy that put us arm round me when I was next at five aside and did everything he could to make sure I was alright. After all that it was sheer coincidence that led to my ‘moment’. He offered me a lift with his dad to the Hawthornes on Boxing Day and they went for a pint before the match in a hotel. There was a jolly atmosphere because they were flying high, as were we, and there was a mix of City and WBA in there. Including the City first team. They were lined up waiting to leave as we walked out, I wished the lads luck & pretty much all of them shook my hand like it was some weird guard of honour. Some of them offering sincere gratitude for fans making the trip. They weren’t to know for me it was a short journey, but they also didn’t know where I was emotionally. They say don’t meet your heroes, on this occasion it rang true. Not because of their attitude, they were professional and courteous, but because we got battered (4-1) and have done virtually every time we’ve been back since!

Will give it a go - prone to getting a few slightly wrong but I feel your frustration (particularly when a new one gets sung and you can't really follow no matter how catchy): Alex Scott has his own song. The logical song - Scooter: His name's Alex Scott and he is so wonderful, he get's the ball, he's magical, beautiful. When he runs down the wing he's as fast as lightening, it's frightening and he makes the City sing. Do do do do do do etc. Chris Martin has his own song. Chase the sun - aka "the darts theme" do do do do do do... Chris Martin Do wah diddy - ends; he looks good, he looks fine, Chrissy Martin's on my mind and he's City's number 9 (assume instead of running past the German's [Harry Kane version] we sing "running past the Cardiff") Wells has a couple. Give it up - KC & the sunshine band (?) (we used to sing it for Marvin Elliott), now it's Nahki Nahki Wells, Nahki Wells, Nahki Nahki Wells. Haven't heard another I don't think (I have missed a lot more games than I'd like to have this year mind you) Semenyo has one. Don't know the name of the tune but nearly all other fans seem to sing "we're the xx boys, making all the noise, everywhere we go", it's that one. Viva Semenyo, Running down the wing, makes the City sing, viva Semenyo Bentley has one. Can't believe it is Chaka Kahn but... Chaka Khan - Ain't no body, like Dan Bentley, makes me happy, makes me feel this way Baker had one. Based on the old Tinman chant, if we are to sing this for Baker at some point, I'm sure it'll be sung a lot & someone will post it somewhere. I can't remember most of it. Obviously HNM has one. Weiman has one. (done, above) Also tend to sing "Weimann's on fire" every now and again (freed from desire) JD has one. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough - lots of do do do'ing ... Jay Dasilva (I'm pretty sure the rest is just the words from the actual song) Conway has one. Don't you want me baby - Tommy Conway Baby Some blokes behind us at Wigan were singing: Land of 1000 Dances (one of many Blues Brothers' songs in the film) - Na nana na naa nana na na... Tommy Conway no one joined in, could have been catchy. Rob Atkinson (had one for a short time last year, I thought it was class) Heaven is a place on earth. Belinda Carlisle - Oh Lansdown do you know what he's worth, Rob Atkinson's the best on earth, a brick sh!thouse, is just what we need, taking City to the premier league. Totally agree, although the length of time players stay around probably makes that less likely though. Sykes for example, I'm not going to put forward a suggestion but he puts in a shift every time he's out there and is absolutely done by the time he gets subbed off, chanting his name could give him an extra bit of fuel. Kalas doesn't have one, as has been pointed out, he's been around a while. Sometimes something triggers a chant and you associate it with a player and it's quite a while after they joined (Flint, "flint said no" came from one of our last home games in the promotion season, he'd gone through a full resurgence and the fans loved his attitude - if you can call it that - re: other fans). I like that it's quite organice when a new chant comes through, especially when you can't get a Creedance Clear water revival song out of your head for a week because 500 city were singing it at Millwall. I know none of the chants are original but at least it rarely feels forced, and it's not usually the same tune 95% of english football fans are singing at the time. The creativity, poetic license and fun City fans have with chants is one of the many reasons why away games are great if you can get to them.

As tickets have been taken off sale our end, my first thought was also to look at what Coventry were doing. It does appear to be almost the complete opposite of City, fills me with confidence too. Bristol City offering refunds, Coventry City enforcing refunds. Bristol City fans (as things stand) can only attend with a pre-booked ticket, Coventry City fans can only attend if they pay on the day. I, like an earlier poster, had left it late to make plans. I thought that was a wise move after their game at Rotherham was in doubt on Saturday! As it looks like it's going to be cash only on the turnstile there should not be a problem with other fans getting to the game but I'll be keeping an eye on the official advice. I also fully expect to arrive at the Pirelli to find some of the advice has not been properly understood/relayed correctly - even if I had a ticket, I would take cash to be on the safe side. The team that went out on penalties in the same round of the same competition last year? I think it puts us at a disadvantage! ?