Before I begin, a special thanks goes to Cat Maniego, whose article on being an Asian City fan inspired me to write about my own experiences. It’s a fantastic read and every bit worth your time: http://readmancity.com/2014/09/12/honest-views-as-an-asian-city-fan/
For starters, I’d like to express a firm hatred of the term, “glory hunter.” Personally, whoever someone supports is completely up to them and I respect that. If they love and support the club, then their skin color, their nationality, their religion is utterly irrelevant.
Evidently, living in America, there isn’t the convenience of having a local team. While Major League Soccer is on the up, most football fans stateside look abroad for their share of football, mainly, the Premier League. The way most fans go about picking their side is entirely random, it can be anything from liking the badge to liking the colors of the kits. While, albeit I’d be lying if I said blue wasn’t my favorite color, there is more sense in my pick. Both of my parents were born and raised in England. My mum, from Burnley, and my dad, from Macclesfield. Neither would proclaim themselves to be die hard football fans but if you had asked my dad all those years ago, he’d claim allegiance to Manchester City. So, when my interest in football grew, I looked no further than the blue side of Manchester for my team.
My dad being a Manchester City fan isn’t the only reason I picked them, however. When I began watching football, Manchester City seemed young, new. Obviously, Manchester City does have a long history but when I began watching they were on the rise. Everything seemed to be, and still is, ahead of them and as a young football fan, it seemed a good fit. After these few short years, I wouldn’t want things any other way either.
While I’m sure my sleeping pattern would disagree, I love getting up at seven in the morning to watch City play. You’ll always find me dressed in City gear, head to toe. A City scarf wrapped around my neck and a City mug in hand. My eyes barely opened, my hair an abomination, courtesy of my bed. It’s hardly romantic, but I love it.
Manchester City has provided me with amazing memories. The Aguero goal against QPR will be forever etched into my skull and seeing Demichelis running around the Eithad with the Premier League trophy was also pretty great. The 6-1 win over Old Trafford was an amazing moment, made even sweeter by my brother being a Manchester United fan. It hasn’t all been great, unfortunately. The loss to Wigan in the F.A. Cup final was a tough day. I distinctively remember marching into my room, slamming the door, and uttering as many expletives as I could think of. Losing to Liverpool, thinking they’d go on to seal the title wasn’t particularly fun either. However, regardless of scorelines and results, I’ve learned an incredible amount from being a City supporter, lessons that will stick with me forever.
Now, of course, part of me would love to be sitting in the stands. Cheering on the players, sitting with fellow fans – it’s all great. It’s unfortunate that I miss that side of the club but City, like football itself, is becoming increasingly popular in the states. While it’s not the same and while it never will be, the growing popularity of the sport is making the whole experience stateside a little more authentic.
