The committee would like to thank all members of North East Scotland Branch for their continued support of the NES Branch and Manchester City.
After last seasons treble, 2024 has been another wonderful year with City breaking all time English league record with 4th successive Premier league title.
This season has been more challenging obtaining tickets for home and away matches, primarily due to the popularity of Manchester City. That said we received 44 tickets for the FA Cup Final and it was great to see all members despite the result!
Yesterday we said goodbye to one of our founding members in Rod Shaw, a top blue, engaging bubbly character and a lovely family guy; father of five, four sons and a daughter.
Please find attached North East Scotland Branch Minutes May 2024 and latest version of Branch Rulebook
The branch has been significantly increasing in size and we are actively pushing City support in the local community and making watching Manchester City more accessible to all members. With that in mind the key updates to the rule book are focused on localization, membership is now limited to City supporters who permanently live in Scotland. Apologies to the few people who will be impacted by this but the decisions has been made based on feedback from members of the branch and to increase opportunity for Season card and Cityzen members to have an opportunity to attend matches via tickets through the branch,
We have several activities planned for the following months including a day out in Dundee on 6th July and day out in Aberdeen for the Community Shield match. If you have any questions on the above or are interested in attending any of the events then please feel free to discuss attending the events on Facebook page or email north_east_scotland_mcfc@yahoo.com
The event was organised by the committee of North East Scotland Manchester City supporter club branch (NES MCFC) comprised of Deryck Harrison (Chairman), David Ramsay (Branch secretary), Judith Taylor (Treasurer), Mike Forsyth (Fund Raising and events), Steve Pickston and Alan Skene for members of the supporter club branch, Manchester City fans based in Scotland, friends and family and the local community. The event was to be centred on the Premier League and Carabao Cup; which Manchester City via the Official Supporters Club kindly agreed to loan us for the evening. The plan was to hold an auction and 3 raffles, a raffle for Signed Paul Dickov shirt and a raffle for Signed Asa Hartford shirt, two footballers from City of the past who were synonymous with Scotland and Manchester City. The star prizes of the Main Raffle were the Aberdeen FC Signed football and Mancini signed picture with COA; additionally we had football and golf memorabilia plus prizes of wines, spirits and chocolates etc. which were donated by committee and supporter club members.
The auction main prizes were Bernardo Silva Signed shirt 2018/19 Season with COA donated by Manchester City, Aberdeen FC Signed shirt donated by Aberdeen FC, Vincent Kompany boots. Following up on an article in the Evening Express {1}, Jasmine Ltd who specialize in Document Solutions, Print Services, Marketing, Public Relations and Emergency Media Response donated three items; two items for auction {2}, Metal Works {3} Super Duo (Leroy Sane and KDB) and Print-a- Brick Manchester City Lego Parade bus {4}. The third item donated by Jasmine Ltd, an Aguerooo Metal works was raffled with a bottle of a champagne to the attendees on the night. Hometown barbers donated a Gents haircut and beard shave which was also auctioned on the night.
Tickets were sold at £20 for adults and £5 for children and we managed to successfully sell approximately 80 tickets for the event at the Beach Ballroom. The night started with photos taken with the two trophies and a group photo and the Premier League trophies left the venue at about 10:30 PM
There were significant cost in arranging for the trophies to travel to Aberdeen for the event {believe it or not the trophies each need a seat on the aeroplane and their own luggage allowance}, our event expenditure was £2600 when we factored in the cost of the Venue, Flights, Security and Accommodation. This meant we had to raise £2600 before we could break even on the event, I’ll be honest and admit that as a committee we were very concerned about how we could make the night a success and raise significant funds for the designated charities. There were some heated discussions and concerns voiced about making a loss and potentially leaving insufficient funds to cover batch ticket requests like 50 tickets for Cup Final.
We were very fortunate to receive the real premier league trophy and the real Carabao Cup as most of the UK trophy visits are the replica trophies, unfortunately this meant that the trophies couldn’t be handled or lifted but we all believe this was a price worth paying for the real thing!
The Auction winners were: Glenn Ellis – Kompany boots, Scott Henderson – 2018/19 Signed Aberdeen shirt, Deryck Harrison – Signed Bernardo Silva shirt, Deryck Harrison – Super Duo Metal works, Judith Taylor – Lego Parade bus and David Ramsay – Home town barber voucher. The main raffle prizes were won by Glen Rowland who gave the ball to his friend son who is an Aberdeen and Manchester City fan, Mancini signed Picture with COA – Mark Reilly, Signed Aberdeen Goal Keeper shirt – Matt Garrett, 90 year queen Elizabeth commemorative whisky – Anthony Gilroy.
The signed Paul Dickov shirt was won by one of our original PEP SHOP BOYS (our 5-aside team at Goals) Garyth Grant, the Asa Hartford shirt was won by Neil Keenan but after several communications and an offer for the shirt plus a charity donation a deal was agreed to sell the shirt to David Motherwell. Muzz his nickname amongst friends advised why the shirt was so special; he let me know that Asa Hartford was the reason he became a City fan, at 12 years old he found out that Asa Hartford had a hole in his heart, as did his Mum; Asa was also Scottish and he played for the national team.
Sofia, Liam, Holly, Isabella and Robin had great fun playing with the balloons on the dancefloor and helping sell and draw the raffles, our youngest City fan on the night went to 5 month old baby blue Finlay Richardson, great fun had by Blues of all ages!
A very enjoyable and successful night was had by all, we were able to generate £1800, £600 each to the three chosen charities comprised of profits from the event and donations from the committee and the North East Scotland Branch. We were then able to secure corporate sponsorship; £1500 for Aberdeen FC Community Trust arranged by David Ramsay and Scott Henderson from Shell via Shell UK’s celebrations of 50 Years of oil and gas production in the North Sea, we are launching a ‘50 Random Acts of Kindness’; additionally £500 raised for Aberdeen Sands arranged by Alan Skene from the Bank of Scotland.
All considered the Total charity money raised was £3800.
All in all a huge amount of organisation went into this event and I am greatly thankful for those that helped make the night a success, to quote the G4S security guards, hope to see you next year with 5 travel guest in tow, but to dream, BLUEMOON RISING!!
North East Scotland Branch are delighted to announce we have arranged a trophy night for Saturday 8th September! We have two special guests; The Premier League Trophy and Caraboa Cup
Details for North East Scotland Branch Trophy Night follow:
if you have confirmed already we look forward to see you on the night and thank you for raising monies for these 3 special charities!
The 3 charities we aim to raise money for are City in the Community, Aberdeen FC Community Trust and Sands Aberdeen which are charities close to our hearts!
The purpose of the event is to improve fan networking, promote football in the community, introduce more youngsters to Manchester City/ Aberdeen, possibly inspire youngsters to lift the trophies (who knows, its OK to dream!!)
This is a non profit event so all monies made will be for the dedicated charities, donation welcome also!
Tickets are £20 adults, £5 kids and friends and family of City fans are welcome.
If not yet confirmed attendance; there is still an opportunity to:
1. Attend via email to tickets@mcfc.ws
2. Buy signed shirt raffle at £5
3. Make an auction bid on the signed shirts
Auction – Aberdeen FC 2018/19 Squad Signed shirt | Bernardo Silva 2018/19 Signed shirt with COA | Vincent Kompany Print Boots | 4 Ball at Banchory (£60 reserve)
Raffles Include
STAR PRIZE: Aberdeen FC 2018/19 Squad Signed Football
2 Tickets for Man City Home match – Not Cat A (City)
An Interview with Manchester City legend Nicky Weaver conducted by David Ramsay, Club Secretary of North East Scotland Manchester City supporters club. The Supporters club were very grateful for an attendance with Nicky Weaver at the Highland Hotel on Thursday 17th October and wish to thank him for his attendance and for answering our questions.
Nicky Weaver is a professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Aberdeen. Nicky has enjoyed a successful career playing for Mansfield Town, Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday {twice}, Charlton Athletic, Dundee United and Aberdeen
Nicky’s career stemmed ten years at Manchester City from the 1997–2007 season.
Over these ten years Nicky managed 172 appearances for Manchester City.
Wembley ‘99 made legends of Horlock, Dickov and Weaver for their on the day heroics.
A quote from the Wembley memory book reads “On the flip side. I would also confidently say, with slight nervousness – still!, that if Mr Horlock and Mr Dickov had not equalised and Mr Weaver not saved two penalties then the club that we all love dearly would have never recovered from having to spend a minimum of two years down in the Nationwide Division Two or Division Three in old money terms.”
The word legend is used too often in football but Nicky is definitely a legend for all City fans after his heroics in the in the 1998-1999 Second Division Play-off final versus Gillingham after his penalty save clinched promotion.
After Horlock, Cooke and Richard Edghill converted from the spot, Weaver needed to save from Guy Butters to secure promotion.
He did so and embarked on a wild run of joy, which would probably still be going on now if Andy Morrison had not intervened. This prompted the amazing celebrations and his crazy run around the Wembley pitch which is remembered with extreme joy by City fans to this day.
Weavers Manchester City honours include First Division Winners 2001–2002 season and First Division Runners Up in 1999–2000 season. With Sheffield Wednesday Nicky enjoyed success in Second Division finishing Runner Up in 2011–2012 season.
Nicky was tipped to receive full international honours for England after becoming an England under 21 international but was unfortunate to miss out due to injury.
When asked “Who are the first clubs you look for when checking other teams results? ”
Nicky replied “Sheffield Wednesday, City” he paused and then added “in fact all clubs I have played for, I keep an eye on all their results”
Manchester City
When asked “Do you think your best season was the 1999/2000 promotion campaign or the 2006–07 season? My friend tells me that you were so spectacular in the win against Ipswich Town that season. What would you class as your best game? ”
Nick replied “My best game was against Ipswich at Maine Road, we won 1v0 and Horlock scored the winner! ” My mate was in the Kippax at the game at Maine Road on Wednesday 27th October 2000 and told me the performance was out of this world!
On the 2006/2007 weaver commented seriously “the 2006/2007 season was my biggest achievement in getting over the injury” Nicky said sincerely “I lived like a monk for a year” then joked and laughed “I made up for it after it though”
“At the start of 2006/7 season James had left on transfer to Portsmouth, James was one of those keepers who never missed a game. After World Cup 2006 Andreas Isaksson moved to City for £2.5 million and I remember we were set to play Chelsea and Isaksson was named to start but injured his ankle, Pearce said Weaver you are in and I went on to play 21 games that season. Joe Hart made 1 game that season”
When asked What was going through your head after you saved the first pen and then Dickov hit both posts before missing?”
Nicky replied “Most people forget that Dickov missed the penalty and that Terry Cooke scored! “
“Bartram and Dickov were great friends, Dickov and Bartram were having a battle all game long”
When asked “How did it feel to go running round Wembley after the penalty save?
How fast can you run and was it painful with all the lads piled on top of you after Andy Morrison caught you?”
When quizzed about Penalty practice in the run up to the Second Division play-off final Nicky said “we did loads of penalties in training at Maine Road, the lads penalties were really good” he laughed when the question was asked Did Richard Edghill ever take a penalty like that before in training; smiling at the audience the retort was “I don’t think he meant it, I mean I don’t think he meant to put it where he put it, I was so delighted for Edgy that he scored, he is a City fan from Oldham and it meant so much to him” Edghill was from Oldham, Greater Manchester and was a product of the Manchester City youth scheme which he joined as a schoolboy in 1988 and is City through and through. Nicky did say that he was confident “as a goal keeper you know that if you keep diving the same way you’re bound to save one! “The City fans were so loud and I think that really helped”
From the Crowd: “COME ON WEAVER!, ENGLAND’S NUMBER 1, ENGLAND’S, ENGLAND’S NUMBER 1, ENGLAND’S NUMBER 1!”
Nicky replied “I asked the linesman if I save this is it over, the linesman said Yes! I saved it then jumped over the boarding, a Steward tried to stop me, I jumped back over and sprinted up the pitch, I was absolutely buzzing” Nick smiled and laughed when asked “How did you mange to breathe when Morrison caught you and all the guys jumped on top of you.”
Nicky said “The Steward actually apologised to me after the match as he thought that I was a fan!”
Nicky joked when asked about the referee in the game “Halsey is a very nice guy and a good referee, one of the best around for sure!” WHO’S THE HERO IN THE BLACK””
When asked “Do you think you would have saved the pen if it was taken by Mario Balotelli?“
Nicky winked and had the room in stitches with his quick reply “well he was only 3 so I’m sure I would have!!”
When asked “how big was the party after beating Gillingham and who were the ringleaders?”
Nicky surprised the room when he said “it was quite surreal actually, I felt a bit ill after the game, Joe {Joe Royle} and I went to the press conference and when we came back the lads had all dispersed” He then went on to add “ the Blackburn party was much better when we got promoted to the Premier league! “
When asked “Do you miss house parties at Andy Morrisons?” Nicky replied to the shock of many in the room that “I have never been to Andy’s house” then added “I read his book and it is a really good read”
When asked “Which moment do you think was more important to City the penalty save and Dickov’s goal or Aguero’s last minute winner?”
Nicky replied with a very insightful answer “If you win the league or FA Cup then you are in the same league next season, it’s hard to compare the two, the way I see it; Dickov’s goal was the start of the journey and Aguero’s goal was the end of the journey” Smiles beamed across all the faces in the room as we all contemplated the amazing journey that City have taken us on. Only thing I would add is let’s hope it’s not the end of the journey and we have many chances to relive great times with City in the future.
When asked what he thought about the QPR game, Nicky added “I watched the game and was hoping for City to win and couldn’t believe what was happening, turned out OK in the end though”
When asked “What was the lowest point in your career?”
Nicky responded “when I only played one game in three years and had five operations over a period of 18 months. I was flying back and forward to America for treatment on my knee and the doctors were checking up with me every month as the insurance companies thought I would be making a claim.” The injury happened 6 months after signing a 5 year contract at Manchester City and I was very lucky and thankful with the support City showed me”
When asked “is it true you have a piece of a dead man in your body as part of your operation for your injury”
Nicky replied “The operation that I required was not available in the UK, it was only available in America, the specialist surgeon had only completed the operation on 75 people previously so as you can imagine it was still a fairly infrequently conducted operation.This type of operation wasn’t available to everybody and would only be completed under special circumstances. It was about 6 to 8 week wait and then I got a phone call to let me know a cartilage donor was available; someone of a similar age, height and build and healthy. The operation was completed and this was the final operation that fixed my knee. This was my fifth and final operation, the one that fixed my knee! I think the Donor was Cuban and I will always be grateful as this helped resurrect my career. It took 1 year rehabilitation until I was back to full fitness”
When asked “Who was the best player you played with?” Nicky replied promptly and with authority “Eyal Berkovic was the best player I ever played with, he was so skilful, you couldn’t get near him and he never gave away the ball!” he paused then said “he could also be a bit frustrating, he always seemed to leave a club under a cloud”, Nicky looked around the room and asked “do you remember the incident with Berkovic and Hartson?” – for those that don’t you can watch the youtube video; to sum it up Berkovic bit off more than he could chew in training when he punched John Hartson then Hartson kicked him in the mouth whilst he was on the deck.
“Shaun Wright Phillips was right up there, he had a spell where he was completely unplayable”
“Anelka was world class player but he should have achieved more than he did considering how much talent he had, he had every attribute required to be a top top player” “Dunne was absolutely brilliant, head it clear it, player of the year 3 timesin a row!”
“The best worst player was Shaun Goater, he had a knack of being at the right place at the right time, it was so difficult to save his shots! As a keeper the easiest shots to judge are the ones that are struck cleanly as you can judge the flight, but Shuan had the knack of being able to connect with the ball in a way as to confuse goal keepers”
Dickov was a better technical player but didn’t score as many!
When asked “Who was the best finisher in training at Manchester City? “
Nicky replied “Goater was always right place and right time, was prolific scorer for City and was able to score in anyway!” Not everyone will know this but Shuan Goater’s first professional club was Manchester United, he ended up playing for gods own club though and scored 84 goals in 184 games for City. Nicky summed it up saying “Goater was such a lovely guy” – something that comes as no surprise as Goater is one of the most likable people in football and does great charity work back in his home country Bermuda.
“Feed the goat and he will score.” one of the favourite City songs of all time!
Nicky finished up stating that “Robbie Fowler was the best natural finisher he has ever seen, he wasn’t at his physical peak at City but his finishing skills were still unbelievable”
When asked “Who was the worst trainer at Manchester City? ” Nicky addressed the room “there wasn’t any bad trainers, it was however always interesting watching Wanchope in training!He was capable of doing some of the most amazing things with a football and then some of the craziest touches you could imagine”
Nicky then went on to talk more about training saying “during the sprinting and jumping tests in training Richard Dunne was always the worst at jumping but was the best header of the ball! “ I think the Dunnie Monster had an amazing ability to read the flight of the ball and amazing bravery and commitment to the cause.
“Sibierski was an amazing trainer, was probably one of the best players technically but he never really achieved what was expected in the match, not really sure why”
When asked “ of all the City players you played with Who has the hardest shot” Nicky responded quickly without pausing “Kevin Horlockfor sure! ” We joked he also had one hell of a tackle on him!
When asked about Joey Barton Weaver said “Joey is a lovely lad, he has an opinion about everything, an absolute cracking guy who loves twitter and winding people up, I can imagine him on the internet laughing at the people he has wound up! ” Nicky added “Barton broke my wrist in training”
No scandal here though; the broken wrist (scaphoid) injury in June 2005 was from a shot not a training ground bust-up between the pair.
When asked about his favourite City strip, Nicky had 2 choices either the Kappa Away kit 98-99 (which I have heard described as the Neon bumble bee. It’s one of my favourite kits ever, what makes me laugh is if it is not colourful enough, the kit maker decided to splash a lovely dab of blue on the collar and cuffs.
Nicky said he loved this kit and you still see supporters with it on at matches today, this is very true a proper cult strip! Kappa was very cool brand in those days and City were in good company sharing the Kappa sponsorship with clubs like Barcelona and Juventus. Heroes like the real Ronaldo were scoring for fun for Barca in 1997 adorning Kappa clobber and Kappa tracksuits were all the rage.
Nicky said though that he also loved the blue Brother strip and had fond memories of playing with City when they were wearing this strip.
Nicky went on to tell the room that the strip has pride of place hanging in his Mum and Dad’s house. His Dad keeps all the memorabilia so that he can share all the memories with his Grandchildren as they grow up. I’m certain that Nicky’s father must be very proud of his son; after all he has shared his journey in football; the highs that come with success and the lows of his battle against serious injury.
When asked “Who was the best player we almost signed?”
Nicky replied ”City almost signed Michael Reiziger! I’ll never forget when we signed George Weah, he was almost too big for the club at the time. I remember him not getting selected to start a game and after that he refused to play” Nicky then went on to explain about the 2000 season and the return of City to the Premiership following back-to-back promotions. A 4-1 victory over Blackburn at Ewood Park to seal promotion is followed by a celebratory pitch invasion by the Blues’ enormous travelling support.
“City had got double promotions and were back in the Premier League and then we got relegated again. Wanchope and Weah all came in on big wages and a few of the other lads were a bit pissed off as they thought they did all the hard work getting the promotions” in 2000 City return to the Premiership following back-to-back promotions.
Nicky said “My best friend in football is Martin Phillips (Buster). I am playing with Willo Flood at Aberdeen at the moment and we have always kept in touch, I remember when I took Willo into a night club when he was 15 years old” Nicky added “Gerard Wiekens was a close friend but it’s easy to drift apart with him now back in Netherlands, we will always be good friends though”
Goal Keepers
When asked who the best goalkeeper he ever played with, Nicky responded that he has “been lucky to have played alongside so many fantastic keepers”; whilst at City he played with some great keepers including Joe Hart (all but briefly), Peter Schmeichel, David James and Kasper Schmeichel. When challenged for an answer by the crowd for a final decision between the 2 nominated keepers for top spot {James or Schmeichel} Nicky gave the honour to “Schmeichel” but repeated again that both were great keepers and it “would have been comforting as a defender to see either man in the sticks between the opposition and the goal”. It is my opinion that having a great keeper like Nicky and the aforementioned is one of the most integral components in a great side at whatever level of football.
“Seaman and Schmeichel were past their best when at City but still great keepers”
“David James was so calm; he would stand chewing gum totally relaxed not shouting at players whereas Schmeichel would scream at the defenders throughout the match” “I wouldn’t get angry when I conceded goals, you just have to get on with it”
Nicky went on to say “It’s funny as many players behave differently on the pitch and in the tunnel. Morrison would growl at people in the tunnel and intimidate opposition players. Whereas the French players would kiss each other before the match. Stuart Pearce used to go crazy about that saying he wouldn’t even want to look at the opposition players and would just run straight down the tunnel at the end of the game”
When quizzed who was the worst goalkeeper you ever played with, Nicky replied firmly and with conviction “the worst keeper he played with was Geert de Vlieger”. Nicky laughed and joked that it’s really funny “he played in loads of games in the World Cup about 50 games” {43 Belgium Caps} and he just “couldn’t understand why!?” Geert de Vlieger signed for Manchester City from 2004–2006 season and failed to make a single appearance over the two seasons. Joking aside he said he was unlucky Geert signed for Manchester City in June 2004, but due to an Achilles injury he sustained he missed the whole of the 2004/05 season. Nicky laughed “he just couldn’t understand how he got so many caps as he was always so poor in training” whilst at City. When asked how it felt to be on the bench he laughed that it was disappointing not to be the number one at times but it was when you could “really appreciate the passion of the fans, you could hear all the individual shouts more clearly as you weren’t having to concentrate fully on the match.” He then went on to add “it’s not too difficult to keep focus when on the bench, he has only came off the bench 3 times in his career, as you can imagine as a keeper you only come on if the keeper is injured or sent off ”
When questioned “Who in your opinion is the best keeper in the English Premier league? “
Nicky advised “The top keeper for me is Peter Cech, he is like a proper old school British keeper who loves to come for the ball” he then followed on to say “Peter Cech could have signed for City, City almost signed him in January for £3 Million from Rennes in France and Chelsea went onto sign him for £7 million in the following window”
When questioned “How good do you think Joe Hart is? In your opinion is he overrated because he is English?”
Nicky replied “Joe is a top top keeper, he has never let England down, he did concede a goal against Scotland but all keepers make mistakes. The fans and the media need to leave him alone. It’s so difficult when playing at such a high level, keepers will have dips in form and this tends to lead to conceding goals. I think the Press like to build the English players up to knock them down. The media are more ferocious with English players, Reina is a great keeper but he had a poor season but never got anywhere near as much stick as he isn’t English” He then went on to add that “Now that England have qualified they should give some of the other English keepers a chance; Fraser Foster for example should get a chance to play international football as if Joe Hart got injured he would need the experience if he had to step in for the big occasion! “
When asked “Could you believe it when Pearce asked you to come on for Reyna to allow James to play up front.” Nicky replied “It was actually a real shock, it was his girlfriend’s first game and he couldn’t believe what was happening”
A humorous question was asked from the room “Were you not a great striker then?” Nicky just laughed and said “nah not really”
International Football
Nicky Weaver went on to make his debut for England U21’s on the same date as Steven Gerrard and competed in the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad at the age of 21, England failed to make it out of the group stages and Italy went on to win the tournament with players like Gennaro Gattuso and Cristiano Zanetti making up the team alongside Andrea Pirlo who finished tournament top scorer including a brace in the final.
When Nicky was playing for England U21 they had a fantastic array of young talent and many names synonymous with the England team today and in recent past history including Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Emile Heskey. Other players which formed part of that squad were Danny Mills, David Dunn, Ledley King, Danny Murphy and Paul Robinson who at that point in his career was understudy to Nicky.
Fans, media and most people including Nicky assumed that “a move to full England International was the next logical step. I had been performing so well for City and England U21’s that it seemed only a matter of time” that he would adorn the England shirt and make his first full international, it is clear that if he never suffered his serious injury that he would definitely have made his debut and potentially would have gone on to secure the England number 1 shirt.
When asked “what do you think about Ray Wilkins saying that the current U21’s aren’t trying or performing at the best of their capabilities?”
Nicky Said “I’m sure that’s not the case, it’s more about the players not wanting to make mistakes”
When asked “In your career have you known players that want to play for Club but not Country?”
Nicky said “I haven’t come across players not wanting to play international football; it’s an honour to play for your country.Players wouldn’t get away with not giving 100%; you have to work hard in any walk of life. Fans can accept if the player isn’t the best player in the world but if he is running around like a mad man they are putting in 100% then they will always get the fans respect”
When asked “Would you play International football for Scotland?”
Nicky said “Funnily enough Craig Levein actually asked him if he had any Scottish blood”
The next question was then “would you have played for Scotland if eligible?”
Nicky replied “Well Jordan Rhodes played for Scotland; he was eligible because he went to school in Scotland for 5 years. If I had been eligible and push came to shove I’m sure I would have”
Sheffield Wednesday
Without a doubt and with great authority Nicky said he was an Owl when asked “as a Sheffield lad were you an owl or a blade?” Nicky played for Sheffield Wednesday on two occasions making 58 appearances for his boyhood club. It was honour for Nicky to play for his boyhood club and he made 14 appearances when he went on loan from Manchester City and a further 44 appearances in his second spell. Nicky informed the North East Scotland Supporter club that “I’m still training with Sheffield Wednesday when I’m not in Aberdeen to ensure I can keep a high level of fitness”
When asked “Which did you enjoy more, scoring a pen in a pen shoot out for Sheffield Wednesday against Chesterfield or saving the last penalty against Gillingham? “
If you haven’t seen the penalty; it is available on youtube from when the Owls won 8v7.
There wasn’t a direct answer, I feel this is because they both meant so much for different reasons but Nicky did talk about his delight in scoring for Wednesday stating “It was a very important game and I took a long run up from outside of the box and took it like a goal kick, I smashed it as hard as I can right down the middle. It was a key goal and I really enjoyed it” He then added that “The goal was taken in front of the Kop end”
Aberdeen
When asked “how are you enjoying your time in Aberdeen and what are your thoughts on Aberdeen football club?” Nick replied “Aberdeen is a proper football club, a proper football stadium with proper fans and he feels 100% fit at the moment and is motivated to play well given the opportunity. They have great fans that get behind the team but believe at times the fans attitude can be polar opposites, win 2 games and we are going to win the league, lose 2 games and it’s all doom and gloom! “
Managers
When asked “Which manager did you learn the most from?”
Nicky went on to discuss some of his managers and their personalities and traits saying “I have been lucky to have played under lots of good managers and it’s important to learn from all managers and coaches. Joe Royle was my favourite manager and the one I had the most success with. Kevin Keegan was a good manager and had a great eye for a good player when it came to transfers. Alan Pardew at Charlton was a good manager; he was normally very calm and focussed but went mental occasionally. I remember a time when Craig Levein went in at half time, he went ballistic but that had the desired effect as he was normally calm and this inspired the players. The most important thing is that the manager has to know when to go crazy, if done occasionally it works but if done all the time it loses effect. Whilst at Sheffield Wednesday; Gary Megson would come in to changing room stinking of brandy, foaming at the mouth, crazy guy with a hell of an attitude, he would just start screaming but it had little consequence as it was the same routine every week. I understand that managers have to approach games differently as there is so much at stake. As a keeper though I just wished managers would be quiet at times, most managers don’t know much about goalkeeping and as the keeper you know when you are playing well or made a mistake. The manager telling you doesn’t help and I would rather just keep my head down and concentrate for the second half.”
Transfers and Agents
Nicky then went on to talk about player, transfers and agents. He stated “Players have too much influence, too much money and power, players are on a 5 year contract and are able to influence directors when players have a fall out with the manager it’s much easier to sack the manager than move the players on.” Nicky added about transfers “as a player you are like a piece of meat with a number, it’s a harsh business and you know it is, the only constant is the fans these days!”
Nicky told us of how is agent arranged a meeting with Charlton and Nicky left with no plan on signing “I felt a little hard done by that I had to leave City, but Alan Pardew talked him into signing for Charlton, as it happened Charlton offered him a good deal and at the time it was the right decision to make.” Nicky added about player transfers “Players sometimes just leave and never get a chance to say goodbye to the rest of the team, you put your stuff in a black bag, boots, sandals and that and off you go to your next team. I’ve seen lads just called off the training pitch to chat to an agent, when the deal arrives it just does, that’s the nature of the beast. You have to make sacrifices as a player, with respect to time spent with your family and travelling; that’s the way football can be.”
Football grounds and Supporters
In 1994 City said farewell to the much loved Kippax Stand as legislation forces the closure of terracing at Premier League grounds. In its day the ‘Kippax’ was the largest standing area in the country.
When asked if he was disappointed when they closed Maine Road, Nicky replied “I actually played at Maine Road initially when I played for Mansfield and the noise of the Kippax was awesome.” Weaver moved to Manchester City from Mansfield July 2005 for just over £200,000.
Weaver went on to say “Disappointed to see the end of an era at Maine Road but was glad that I played at both grounds. I like the old style of grounds but understand why the clubs all follow that model. I still have a massive place in my heart at Maine Road”
When asked “What were your favourite Away grounds?”
Nicky replied “White Hart Lane was my favourite, but I also liked other older stadiums like Villa Park, St James Park, Anfield and Celtic Park”
When asked “What was the most Intimidating Away ground?”
Nicky said “The most intimidating away ground I played at was The Den. I remember a game we played at Millwall, which finished 1v1, Lee Bradbury missed a chance in the last minute and the players were relieved as they were afraid they wouldn’t get out alive if that goal had gone in. It’s the only ground where I have heard racist chanting. He remembers Millwall fans going mental smashing things up. It was surreal when City went there and won 3v2, Huckerby scored but it was surreal atmosphere as the game was played behind closed doors” Gotta love it when Huckerby and The Goat clap the invisible fans. We’re not really here!!
This was a classic game from Manchester City’s promotion season under the management of Kevin Keegan. Goals from fan favourites Shaun Goater, Darren Huckerby and a first Manchester City goal for Shaun Wright-Phillips earned the Blues a precious three points at a ground where, as you’ll notice, their fans are banned from.
You can watch the game on youtube to get a feel for the atmosphere or lack of it.
When asked “What’s the funniest song you have ever heard at the match?”
Nicky laughed “The funniest song was about Posh spice and receiving things in her back door”
“it’s funny some fans have had 8-10 pints, (conservative estimate for some) you just have to take it with a pinch of salt. In the end of the day though it’s a results business and you feel disappointed if you lose, it spoils your weekend if you lose! It can be a lonely position and I wouldn’t want my son to be a goalkeeper”
Oasis and Ricky Hatton
When asked “Who are your favourite band?”
Nicky replied with a big beaming smile “OASIS! I remember a cracking concert at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, I got a message that Oasis wanted to meet me and I was buzzing! I went up to meet them and Noel, Liam and Shaun Ryder were all sitting there. I have met Noel a few times and we have sat together in corporate a couple of times. Noel is sound and sensible, totally down to earth guy. Liam is a bit of a madman. Oasis were good for City and city were good for Oasis – it was a good match for both parties! I remember a match in the 97/98 season when Oasis were at their peak and Noel and Liam came onto the pitch before the game, Gave a V to the away fans and then lit a fag and the crowd went mental ”
On a side note away from the interview from Weaver on the night, I remember an interview with Noel Gallagher discussing City where Noel said
“This is a mental time to be a City fan.”
The reporter asked Noel “Do you ever wish you were back in the days of Lee Bradbury and Shaun Goater?”
Noel Replied “No. I’m absolutely loving it, and if you ask 99.9% of City fans they would say the same. I’m sick of supporting loveable, affable City – f*** that, we want the best players in the world, playing the best football in the world in the best stadium in the world, owned by the richest people in the world.
There’s a funny English attitude where almost overnight, attitudes change. I’ve lived in London for 15 years and every time I got in a black cab they’ve said, “Oh you’re a City fan, we love City,” and now they all think we’re arrogant with ideas above our station. It’s a funny English attitude towards success and money.
I’m just happy that the owners have followed through. They said they would spend money and they have done. And this is clearly not a one-season thing – you don’t get players like that to sign unless you promise them more to come next season and the season after that.”
Can’t argue with Noel on the above!!
Nicky then went on to discuss the current state of football, finances and City saying “It’s very different situation at City now from when I was there. Only Joe Hart and Micah Richards are still there from the period I was at City. The money Man City are spending now is obscene, but football is big business and you have to move with the times. Investment is so important now, any club can get an owner who wants to win the league and champions league and if they are rich enough they will spend what they can to achieve that. At City the future looks very bright, the training ground will be the best in the world. Football is so business orientated now and it’s really important to market the club globally, you have to tap into the growing Asian market as this is where future revenue gains can be made.”
Nicky is right, very exciting times to be a blue, Nicky went on to mention his time with City “going up and going down” and the song frequently sung by City fans sprung to mind. We’re going up, we’re going down, we’re going up, we’re going down, City going down with a billion in the bank, a billion in the bank! a billion in the bank! a billion in the bank!
Nicky said “Ricky Hatton was great for City, the fan-base were all behind him, Ricky was clever in hooking into the City fan-base, I think knowing that having City support and Bluemoon got all the supporters behind him straightaway!Did you know that Kevin Keegan gave him his medal?” Kevin Keegan gave away his First Division champions medal within seconds of receiving it – to boxer Ricky Hatton – read the article from MEN
The Future
When asked “I have heard that you don’t fancy coaching after you retire, is that still the case?
If so do you see yourself staying in football, perhaps going into the TV side of things?
Nicky replied“I don’t want to go into coaching, there is so many additional things that go into coaching behind the scenes, I’m 35 in March and happy at the moment” “I have done a bit of radio work before and would be interested in being involved in football punditry if the opportunity came along”
Nicky told us “I would like to write a book, many of the City players have written books. I would like to tell my story, it’s possible that I would consider abook coming out in the New Year to celebrate 15 years anniversary.”
Having spent a few hours with Nicky it’s clear that he is honest, intelligent and articulate, has excellent football knowledge and would make a fantastic pundit! Discussed this with friends and we hope we see him on SkySports in the near future. Nicky said “Man City have asked me to come down for pre-match build-up at City square and I’m looking into the possibility of doing this in the future but it is difficult as he is still playing! ”
What would be your all time best City Eleven……………..players you actually played with
What is your best all time eleven ….players you have played against.
After being on the receiving end of some unbelievable decisions I though it would be beneficial to look at the stats and facts surrounding referees decisions for and against Manchester City this season!
Table 1: Premier League 2015/2016 Tackles, Fouls and Cards
What can we interpret from this table?
Manchester City are ranked bottom for tackles and in the bottom quartile for Tackles per Card yet Arsenal rank second on this statistic highlighting the leniency offered by referees to Arsenal on this measure.
Table 2: Premier League 2012/2013 – 2015/2014 Present – Ref Rank
Table 3: Fouls For against ratio from 2014/2015 season
I then decided to review the major decisions for and against City this season and calculated we are 9 points worse off than we should be due to referee decisions which can be describes as major game changing decisions.
Interesting the same names continue to appear when you review these major decisions; Mark Clattenburg, Robert Madley, Craig Pawson and Anthony Taylor
So another away adventure to add to my scrapbook and let’s see what it had in store for the day.
Up bright and early to catch the 7-06 train from Berwick Upon Tweed and meet up with Mikie and Dougie who had started off 45 minutes earlier from Edinburgh, my bag was full to bursting with beer and Sliced Sausage Rolls I had made for me and the boys and on reaching my seat it was very quickly apparent that this was not going to be a dry day as the box of Koppenburg (There are loads of other Ciders available in the shops as well ) was sitting proudly on the table for ease of refills. Dougie had even brought a bag of ice which I couldn’t believe and remarkably it was still holding up by the time we reached Laaaaaaaaaaaandan. Laughs a plenty with quite a few City fans passing our table and letting us know they were blues, met up with a City Mate from Newcastle who was in First Class ( I swear we are going to get a reputation for being posh what with Muzz lording it up in there all the time and Kenny Taylor as well, not to mention the likes of Mick Hackin with his private aeroplane taking him too games ) . We reach Kings Cross at 11am and after a quick Cig for them it was down into the Underground and Seven Sisters here we come (Not, 2 Sisters as someone said on the train lol ).
Met a group of lads on the tube, all Spurs bar 1 mate who was City, good Craic with the lads and we ended up jumping on the bus down towards the ground with them, fair play they invited us to come for a few beers but we kindly declined and headed towards the Irish Centre. Seen quite a few people we knew and ended up sitting with Mick Hackin and friends of his, team news was had and it obviously caused much debate, especially Joe being dropped but on the bench, few beers later and it was time to move on.
Safely in the ground and squeezed together as Dougies seat was meant for elsewere, Muzz and Dave arrived and the usual greetings were had and the game was under way.
City straight away where very much on the front foot and that terrible buy from Germany KDB was shining like a beacon, the blue faithful were in great voice and you sense it was a case of when not if with regards the first goal and sure as hell up steps the Ginger Nugget with a cool slot home, this lad could become a legend at City he is that composed on the ball, City continue to boss the game and your all just waiting for that 2nd one to be banged in the onion bag, minutes to go and thought best to get a head start on the crowd with regards getting a beer, as myself and others are waiting we hear a groan, to turn round a look up at the screens and see they had scored, unbelievable after dominating the half. Bit Chat and Beer, meeting other regular Away goers and it was back up for the Second half.
The fans were still peppering back into their seats when it all fell apart 5 minutes in, Lamella swung in a great cross but god knows what Caballero was thinking as he came into no mans land and done nothing, this allowed the flick on from Alderweireld to sail into the empty net and from bossing the game to within 5 minutes later we where 1 behind, plenty time so have no fear.
Sadly this seemed to knock the stuffing out of us and our back line were a bit all over the place at times, this allowed them in the back of us and looking very threatening, At the other end it was sad to see Sergio still not quite on it, it makes you wonder if he would have been better served being rested for a couple of extra games after the knock at Palace, he certainly looks out of shape right now. 1 hour gone and Spurs get a free Kick outside the box, Erikson curls a beauty of a kick over the wall and it crashes of the bar, just our luck that it falls right too Harry Kane who controls it on the volley and straight into the empty net, you cannot help but shake your head at the scenes but still hope given the time left, sadly that’s all pie eyed as we just don’t seem to be on it now, another 20 minutes and they drill home the 4th goal and for us it is time to go, get a head start up that bloody road back to 7 sisters, a black Cab is seen ahead and a little sprint is put on by myself and jump in it in front of a few annoyed others, as they say “ If you’re not fast, your last “ , jumps straight on tube back to Kings Cross which had a spurs fan who wanted to fight us all (But all in a good fun way though ) , few craics had and it was our stop, bid him and others farewell and we were on our way to our last train home but still had an hour to spare, a few more beers if you don’t mind and we find this little boozer, pints ordered then the music comes on, out pops a female with very few clothes on and its game on guys, very quickly there were more clothes on the floor than on the female, it would have been rude to not stay for another few beers and view the other pieces of art that were coming on show , time to move on and grab our train home, just making it with 30 seconds to spare lol.
The journey home was a hoot with a poor guy on his way to a stag do in Newcastle and was staying sober, WAS being the operative word as we soon got him joining in with us, off he went at Newcastle and on jumps a couple of young lads, 1 shouting is this for kings X, NOOOOOOOOO it’s for Edinburgh I shouted, they wouldn’t let him off and so they were now on their way to Scotland, turned out there where others and the lads were Chelsea fans, managed to calm them down and get them sorted.
Off I go at Berwick, it is now near 8pm and the motor can have a sleep over in the Station car park as not fit for driving lol. A wee walk down to Chinese, food lifted, lift sorted from mate in the bookies and arrived home around 8-30.
Absolutely belting day as per usual when going Away, spoilt by the result but quickly forgotten, obviously on seeing footage we seen shocking officials on show yet again that definitely turned the game, yes we need answers to quite a few questions regarding our own play but that cannot detract away from shambolic decisions.
So its onwards too Germany for the lads which I’ll sadly miss, but I’ll be back next Saturday at The Etihad cheering the lads on and no doubt consuming an odd beer or 3.
Sunderland have had a terrible start to the Premier League season and look in real danger of relegation. Their only victory has been in a 6v3 victory {match report} in the League Cup against League Two Exeter City with a Rodwell double and a Defoe hatrick.
City will look to bounce back after defeat at home versus West Ham in a game which was heavily influenced by the referees inability to manage the game time and keep up with play. A terrible refereeing performance from an overweight referee with a bad attitude. A day when referee performances should be heavily scrutinized after the disgraceful scenes witnessed at Stamford Bridge where Costa made a mockery of the referee and rules of the game.
REFEREE: Roger East | referee history
ASST. REF. 1: Andrew Garratt
ASST. REF. 2: Richard West
4TH OFFICIAL: Darren Bond
FA Premier League 2014/2015 City 3 v 2 Sunderland
I would recommend watching the the 3v2 match in which YaYa and Jovetic scored great goals and 2 City old boys Rodwell and Johnson scored for Sunderland. Johnson scored from the spot after Roger East awarded a penalty for a foul from Zabaleta.
Sunderland Away was one of the most dreaded fixtures on the calendar for the Citizens; with City going down 1v0 three times consecutively in the last 4 away games. Last seasons 4v1 victory should bring more hope.
For the pessimistic – you can get odds of 19/1 for a Sunderland 1v0 scoreline!
Early set of for myself in my Scottish Borders base, caught the 11-12 from Berwick Upon Tweed, change at York with enough time to visit their bar, the least said about the pint that was placed in front of me the better, still onwards with the journey, arriving into Manchester at 14-44.
Having made arrangements to meet fellow NES member Mikie Garry, as well as a mate Dougie, who shall be joining up shortly , I popped up to the Bar in the station upon where another NES member Ian Dickson arrived to get a ticket from Mikie, a couple of pints and Ian and Mikie left to go watch the EDS game, me and Dougie went and checked into our Travelodge at Ancoats (Very central and prices you cannot grumble at).
A few pubs visited before the game whilst meeting up with a few other City mates and it was time to jump in a taxi to the stadium.
Arrived at Stadium around 7-20 and the queues were not bad, at our point (Section P) They had 1 turnstile for paper tickets and another for season cards, made entering very quick, atmosphere was nonexistent at this point but I made my way to my seat (After going down wrong set of steps and squeezing past a full row of fans), Seeing all the laid out scarves over the seats in South Stand was brilliant and thought we were in for a spectacle(If only fans where more clued up what was happening), it was filling up nicely and a few chants where had but very sparse, still it has not kicked off yet so no worries.
The players appear in the tunnel and scarves are held aloft by most and cry’s off City, City, City revered around the ground, followed by lots of Boos as the Champions League anthem kicked in.
Under way now and City very quickly on the attack, Ball played through from Dino(Absolute Rock for City) for Sterling and great chance to go 1 up but a very weak attempt is saved by Buffon, City fans get going and it looks like we could be in for a great night. Not much to choose between both teams and The South Stand are trying to lift the crowd but is soon diminished which is very frustrating, why fans don’t want to sing is beyond me but heh ho each to their own, still nothing much happening with Sterling being marked tighter than a Celtic Fan inside the Rangers End at Ibrox . Half time and time for a seat seeing as we cannot get a beer.
2nd half gets under way and the place erupts as Sergio, KDB and Navas appear in the South Stand corner, pretty sure they had more eyes on them than the players on the pitch, obviously I was the same otherwise I wouldn’t be commenting on it, lol, Juventus have more of the ball but City get a break culminating in a Goal from Kompany(Well that was initial thoughts), thankfully it was allowed to stand which brings the fans to life, We could have doubled our lead quickly but Sterling is stopped again, 10 minutes later and it is all level, Manuel brings on KDB for Sterling and it sees a cheer from the crowd which is quickly followed by another that sees our Captain replaced by Otamendi ( We have now got Nicolas Otamendi, as well as kun n zabba ). He initially looks to be struggling to hold the line with his fellow defenders, minutes later and we are doomed, curling shot flys past Joe and that was that, for me it was time to go and have a refreshment.
Summary for me was that Bony is a great hold up player but struggled to lead the line, don’t want to jump on his back just yet, Nasri was poor, slowing the play down too much which seen Sterling receive fewer cutting balls and in all the intensity was just not there, whilst Navas receives stick for his final ball he does offer us up true width and pace, this surely helps ease the congestion in the middle, just my opinion which may be nonsense..
Into town anyway and on the lash it was, bed after midnight and up sharp and grabbed the 5-47am train home, arrived back into Berwick just before 10am, 24 hours gone and plenty happy minutes alongside 20 sad and angry minutes, but heh ho its City and its what we have come to expect, onwards and upwards for the next journey.
After plummeting out of the Europa League West Ham have started the Premier League season very well. The Hammers have picked up victories away from home against Arsenal and Liverpool and look very dangerous playing away. Central to their positive start has been Payet who has impressed with his strength, skill, power, passing range and shooting ability. The commentator during the Newcastle game likened him to Carlos Tevez which is a fairly decent comparison when you consider his strengths and style of play. Payet would appear to be an absolute steal at £10M; Payet appears in the Top European league player stats of the 2014-15 season numerous times. Dimitri Payet (Marseille) had 17 assists only bettered by Fabregas (Chelsea) 18, Messi (Barcelona) 18 and De Bruyne (Wolfsburg) 20. Dimitri Payet (Marseille) 133 was top man for most chances created finishing just above second best Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg) 111. Dimitri Payet (Marseille) 86 was second best statistically for Most crosses completed behind Kieran Trippier (Burnley) 91. Dimitri Payet (Marseille) 21 was also second for Most through-balls completed behind Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 33 with Silva 4th 18. All that considered it’s a huge surprise that West Ham managed to secure his signature firstly at such a modest price and secondly with no real competition for the 28 year old attacking midfielders signature.
I Expect Slaven Bilić will rest one of his forward 3; Carroll will possibly make way for the additional player in central midfield. West Ham had to fend off interest from three top Premier League clubs to keep hold of 16-year-old Reece Oxford and I expect that after a very established debut in the 3v0 win against Liverpool he will be given the opportunity to face Man City. Adrian is likely to return on goals after suspension despite strong performances from Randolph, either keeper should expect to be very busy defending the barrage of City attacks. I hope that we continue with the same back 7 and go for the front 4 that all City fans are desperate to see; Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne and Aguero. Chelsea v Arsenal is the early kick-off and if Chelsea secure the home win and City get a victory that would place them 8 points ahead of Arsenal and 11 ahead of Chelsea before United play a tough match away at Southampton. What I would give for keeping the current logic going 3v0, 3v0, 2v0, 2v0, 1v0, 1v0. Has any team ever won the first 6 without conceding in the Premier League?
City are currently in good Kompany with 100% records in top tier football leagues; they share this accolade with Barcelona (3), Inter Milan (3), Dortmund (4), Bayern (4) and Aberdeen (7) in their respective leagues. After a disappointing performance in Europe City must bounce back with 3 points!!
Manchester City have scored 24 goals in the last ten games against West Ham, Aguero has 5, ______ has 5, YaYa has 4, Silva and Dzeko both scored 2, 1 own goal but which other 5 players scored once?
Further information about the head to head can be found in the Bluemoon History section
You can find the full City team, match reports and Youtube videos here with footage from these matches
REFEREE: Robert Madley
ASST. REF. 1: M McDonough
ASST. REF. 2: M Perry
4TH OFFICIAL: C Pawson
Robert Madley has only refereed 20 to flight matches as you can see with his Match History, he has only refereed a Man City match once versusLeicester in a fairly uneventful match from a card perspective (only 1 booking) – interestingly City were only awarded 6 fouls to the 13 of Leicester.
Sent off Behrami (Watford) in last match which was a deserved red and once sent off 3 player in match between Southmptn0:3West Brom. I think we need to be careful in this match and ensure we don’t give the referee the opportunity to influence the game!
If you think that City could equal the 6v0 victory from the 2014 season you can get odds of 55-1
I think this will be a tight game, I can see us conceding as it’s inevitable it will happen eventually in the Premier League. I also think we will score and win therefore a more reasonable bet would be a City 2v1 (19/2), 3v1 (17/2), 3v2 (26/1), 4v1 (16/1) victories. Manchester City haven’t been involved in a 0 v 0 draw for 76 consecutive games since Norwich February 2014; but if you believe this scenario will occur you can get odds of 27/1 for 0v0
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