Our new feature sees us pay homage to players who flew under the radar of the football world outside of loyal City fans. The second edition remembers Sun Jihai’s time at City from 2002 to 2008.

City’s summer tour of Asia proved the Club’s popularity in Japan and South Korea. Pep Guardiola’s men played two games in Tokyo and one in Seoul, with the crowds at each of the matches overwhelmingly supporting City rather than fellow European heavyweights like Bayern Munich or Atletico Madrid.

However, early in the noughties, much of our supporter base in Asia came from Chinese fans.

That was all down to one man.

Sun Jihai was a versatile operator, capable of playing anywhere across defence or midfield.

While a determined but unglamorous figure on the pitch, he was a superstar back home.

China, the second most populous country on Earth, has a deep-rooted passion for Premier League football. Despite that, it hasn’t ever proved successful in producing many players for the elite European leagues.

So when Sun became City’s first ever Asian player with a £2 million move from Dalian Shide in 2002, the excitement in China was well documented.

Alongside Fan Zhiyi, he had been the first Chinese man to play in England when on loan at Crystal Palace in 1998.

Now he was in England permanently with a side that was destined for promotion to the top flight.

A solid first few months followed as Kevin Keegan’s Blues swept away all the competition to finish top of Division One and seal a return to the Promised Land.

He would return to East Asia that summer as one of the stars of China’s squad at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Unfortunately, an early injury in their opener ruled him out of the group stage as China crashed out.

However, back in Manchester for the start of the next season, Sun was immediately a first choice at right-back for Keegan.

In a season of highs as City finished ninth and beat Manchester United in the iconic final Manchester derby at Maine Road, Sun was as reliable as they come.

In doing so, he became a cult hero on the Kippax.

Keegan’s sides always attacked relentlessly, sometimes sacrificing defensive solidity.

While that allowed the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ali Benarbia to fully express themselves, it could prove difficult for the back line.

With Niclas Jensen on the left and Sylvain Distin, Richard Dunne and Steve Howey featuring in the middle, City were well stocked in defence - but, given our style of play, they would have to be brave and bold.

Although not an overly imposing figure, especially by the measures of English football at the time, Sun was by no means second best in physical battles.

Very much in the mould of full-backs that have gone on to make the biggest mark at the Club, Sun was always willing to put his body on the line.

He also had the composure and close control that made him an effective player further up the pitch, and even sometimes saw him given responsibility to fill in in midfield.

After winning our Player of the Month vote in September 2002, he became the first East Asian player to score in the Premier League when he headed home the first in a 2-0 win over Birmingham City.

A key part of the buildup, Sun brought the ball in from the right and laid it off to Marc Vivien Foe. The Cameroonian midfielder swung it out wide to Eyal Berkovic, who crossed directly on to Sun’s head on the penalty spot.

It typified both Sun’s determination but also his willingness and license to push forward into unconventional positions for a full-back.

He played even more in 2003/04, City’s first year at the Etihad Stadium, making 42 appearances including five of our six matches in the UEFA Cup.

We found the going tougher that season, but Sun was at his best and was vital in keeping Keegan’s team afloat in the top tier.

A serious injury early in the 2004/05 campaign curtailed that season, meaning he played just seven times.

2005/06 saw a return to fitness and his second most productive season in sky blue, featuring 34 times across all competitions.

Now managed by Stuart Pearce, City were a different side to the one we had been under Kevin Keegan. Although goals were much harder to come by, it was our defence that ensured our continued existence in the Premier League.

We conceded just 48 times across 38 games on our way to a 15^th place finish, a better defensive record than anyone else outside of the top eight.

Richard Dunne was the Club’s Player of the Year, but able assistance from Sun amongst others was crucial in that.

The China international remained at City for two more seasons, although his involvement lessened in Pearce’s second year and once Sven-Goran Eriksson took charge.

After six years and 151 appearances, Sun moved on to Sheffield United in the summer of 2008. He stayed there for one season before returning to China, playing until 2016.

Perhaps the most successful Chinese footballing export, Sun made just as much a mark in Manchester as he did in China, without attracting much attention from the rest of the league.

Since retiring, he has headed up the sports data company HaiQui Sports.

Liam Gallagher documented his triumphant two-night Knebworth Park shows with the release of the live album ‘Knebworth 22’ on August 11. Returning to the scene of the era-defining Oasis gigs of the ‘90s, the huge audience stretched from fans who had been present some 26 years earlier right through to teenagers relishing the excitement of their first big gig. The voice of a generation? With Knebworth, Liam confirmed himself to be the voice of two generations.

Anticipation for the shows was at fever pitch after all 170,000 tickets for the weekend sold-out almost instantly. The heady atmosphere of the shows shines throughout the ‘Knebworth 22’ album, from the roar of approval that greets Liam as he steps up to open the show with ‘Hello’ right through to the mass singalongs that greet the closing classics ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’ (the latter featuring a very special guest in the shape of Stone Roses legend John Squire).

Liam and his band are on fiery form, blazing through the likes of ‘Shockwave’ and ‘Everything’s Electric’ with a full-throttle intensity, but also providing the accompaniment for the more tender side of Liam’s voice to standout on more reflective moments such as ‘Once’ and‘Slide Away’. Collectively, ‘Knebworth 22’ is a must-have live album for any fan who wants to relive the experience.

City Magazine has five Prize Packs up for grabs! Each prize features:

*Knebworth 22 Live A2 Photo Print - A2 digital print of Liam at Knebworth 22 on 300gsm silk stock.

*Knebworth 22 Standard CD - 1xCD, standard 12-track album housed in a digisleeve with remus spine reverse board and matt finish. Includes an 18-panel poster (9 front and back) on 100 gsm offset paper.

To enter our competition, answer the following question:

What was the name of Liam Gallagher’s first solo album?

A. C’MON YOU KNOW
B. Why Me? Why Not?
C. As You Were

Send your answer, along with your name to [email protected] – and mark the subject line ‘Liam comp’.

The competition closes on 30 September and the five winners will be notified by email. Good luck!

“I’m Broady… I’m Broady!”

City Mag catches up with Stockport-born tennis star and lifelong Blue, Liam Broady…

The title “I’m Broady… I’m Broady!” won’t mean anything to our readers unless you’re a fan of the movie Jaws.

But some opportunities are just too good to miss and if the first on-screen meeting between Richard Dreyfus (Matt Hooper) and Roy Scheider (Chief Martin Brody) doesn’t compute or leaves you asking, ‘er sorry, I don’t get it’ then apologies.

There is a tenuous link – when Liam Broady spoke to City Magazine, he’d just arrived in Newport, Rhode Island – about a four hour car drive from the small coastal town of Montauk where author Peter Benchley is believed to have written the best-selling novel Jaws.

OK, enough with the sharks!

Liam (and his sister Naomi) have long been flying the sky blue flag on the tennis world tour and Liam even did a Jack Grealish-style celebration at this year’s Wimbledon tournament after progressing to the third round.

Ranked just outside the world’s Top 100, the hugely likeable Broady was also planning an Erling Haaland lotus celebration if he won on Centre Court, but says he might save that for next year, now.

He gets to watch City whenever his schedule will allow and watches the Blues on TV if time zones, and tournament involvement allows.

“The life of being a tennis player and a football fan means that there might be times when I swap a training session around in order to watch City play, especially if it’s a big game,” says Broady.

“I work my practices around City matches fairly often and I have my sister to thank for it all.”

Talk of sister Naomi reveals how Liam’s love of the Blues was instilled in him from an early age.

Naomi, four years older than Liam, got as high as 76 in the world rankings and was part of the BBC Radio 5 Live team for Wimbledon 2023.

When it came to football, however, her siblings were only ever going to follow one Manchester team…

“I was six or seven years-old and my family, historically, were all Reds,” Liam reveals.

“But Naomi was a huge City fan and I remember she wrote a contract for me that I had to sign saying I would be a Manchester City fan for life!

“She has it somewhere, still, I think. She made me sign because the majority of our friends were City fans and most of our schoolfriends were, too.

“I signed it and that was that! It was the time of Shaun Goater and Paul Dickov, so I probably began when the Club was at its lowest ebb in terms of position.

“So, when we won the Treble, it was all a bit surreal because we are now the best team on the planet and when I began, we were pretty awful. It's been a rollercoaster.

“As my tennis career progressed, nobody knew who City were when I was travelling around the world and people would take the Mickey because everyone I seemed to meet was either a Manchester United or Liverpool supporter.

“It’s an insane time to be a Man City fan because I’m not sure what happened last season will ever happen again so I’m trying to soak it in while I can and even if we went back to the darker days when we didn’t win anything and didn’t even come close, I think I’d be OK with that because of what’s happened over the past decade.

“I’d love to meet Pep Guardiola at some point – I’ve not had the chance yet, but he has inspired me in many ways because I’ve read a lot about him.

“He’s Catalonian so tennis must run in his blood because that region and Spanish people in general just seem to be really good at tennis!”

Liam will return to his home city when the Davis Cup hits town this month at the AO Arena.

“The two things I care about most in my life is tennis and where I’m from, so it’s a nice way for those two things to mesh together,” he said.

“I think it’s £20 for an adult and a fiver for Under 18s and this is the first time in 28 years we’ve had the Davis Cup in Manchester, which is insane for a city as big as ours with such a rich sporting heritage.

BUY DAVIS CUP TICKETS HERE

“I think we’ve been overlooked over the years and that’s why I wanted to get out there and push the message because the more people that go, the more chances we have of staging future tournaments.

“And if some fellow City fans want to come along and cheer us on, that would be incredible, too.”

From the 12 to 17 September, Great Britain will compete in Group B of the competition against Australia, France, and Switzerland in a round-robin, with the top two teams in each group fighting for a place in the Final Eight which will take place in Malaga in November. Tickets available on the link in the paragraph above.

As his third season in charge of the Under-18s gets under way, Ben Wilkinson is excited by the two challenges each half of the season poses...

With the 2023/24 season finally under way, Ben Wilkinson sat down with City Magazine to share his thoughts and hopes ahead of a potential history-defining season.

Pep Guardiola’s side isn’t the only team looking for a fourth consecutive title – with Wilkinson’s young and ambitious players looking to achieve the same.

But the task ahead is no easy feat, with the first half of the season proving difficult as players adjust to life in the Under-18s compared to the second half of the campaign which includes more difficult games and a busier schedule.

“Both halves of the season are really different but equally challenging and rewarding,”
said Wilkinson.

“The first half is a lot of time spent on the training pitch, we don’t play many games, one game a week and it’s a very settled programme. We spend more time training, which as a coach is the part I really enjoy.

“The second half we play a lot more games and the profile and nature of the games increase in terms of the FA Youth Cup or you get to the back end of the league and you’ve got finals. It becomes more specific to the game and rolling from one game to the next so you get a nice blend of training and competition.

“From a personal point of view both halves of the season are nice, it’s the opportunity to try to grow and evolve is what we enjoy doing as a coach. But then I feel like you don’t quite see the fruits of that until the second half of the season and seeing them do that on the pitch against opposition is also rewarding.”

But before the season had even begun, Ben and his team had to manage the squad, their workload and making sure they’re were as prepared as possible for the games ahead.

And using previous learnings, the 36-year-old is confident his Under-18s team are ready for the challenges ahead.  

“Pre-season was focused on physical training to try and get the players in the best physical shape as possible. We struggled a little bit last year we had a lot of injuries in pre-season so we’ve been conscious to try and avoid that this year,” said Wilkinson.

“We’ve tried to adapt our training programme to arrive in August certainly in a much better position than we did last year.

“There’s small things maybe that we can do to try and be a little bit more successful in terms of results in the first half of the season, but I think that the process that we go through to get there will look quite similar. And it’s just about having confidence in that process really.”

There was only one topic for our June 2003 issue of the City Magazine...

Maine Road had locked its gates for the final time after our 1-0 defeat to Southampton and we were celebrating 80 years of our tenure in Moss Side.

It proved to be an enjoyable project and, rather than put a sombre image of the front entrance with a padlock on for this issue, we went for a celebratory pic of our old home in all its pomp, with a full house, streamers – the whole shebang.

We sifted through many potential images before coming up with the silhouette of two celebrating City fans against a blue and white fanfare of colour.

For the inside pages, we used features that looked back over the decades to some of the most memorable moments as well as looking at some of the greatest players to have plied their trade on the hallowed turf so lovingly tendered by Stan Gibson.

The issue was as much about the people, fixtures, and fittings as it was the matches and legends.

We even managed to get a feature of the Ladybarn (Fallowfield) housing estate named after City greats, as well as the pubs that surrounded Maine Road and had been the favoured watering holes of our fans for decades.

The Claremont Road chippy, The Gardeners Arms, the cobbled back alleys… everything that surrounded Maine Road and most of the stuff that was in it.

It’s a great keepsake if there are any still in existence – and we know there are several collectors out there who have lovingly kept their City Mag collection for many years.

And, as the editor, it was one of my favourite issues I had the pleasure to be involved with because I think we did a pretty good job!

Super Furry Animals keyboardist Cian Ciaran talks about his lifelong love of City, playing the Etihad and a new single that is bound to resonate with fellow Blues…

BIOG: Renowned Welsh musician Cian was one of the founder members of influential band Super Furry Animals who have enjoyed numerous Top 40 hits in the UK and were once on Oasis’ label Creation. The band are still together, but, currently operating under their alter ego Das Koolies, they will release a new album this month.

CITY MAG: Cian, you’re a North Wales lad – how did you end up following City?

CIAN CIARAN: “Yeah I grew up in North Wales, where pretty much everyone I knew supported Liverpool or United.  There were a few Toffees also, but mostly Reds of one kind or another. I only knew one other City supporter - Rhys - he lived 30 miles away from me. My dad was a Red, born in Prestwich, my brother was Liverpool. I don’t recall how, City just pulled me in, certainty wasn’t for the glory at the time. It is kind of ironic given that City started on Great Clowes Street… Clowes being my dad’s surname.”

What’s your first City memory?
"No idea, sorry to say. I don’t remember what I did last week never mind 30 years ago. My last game was versus Arsenal last April, which I won’t forget in a hurry.  Erm…  probably Bradford in the rain, wearing a poncho, sat on the makeshift scaffold in the Gene Kelly Stand at Maine Road is my earliest memory.”

Who did you pretend to be in the schoolyard – could you play a bit?
“I thought I could play.  Dreamt of being a footballer, not much in the sense of opportunities where we grew up. Won the Albert Owen Shield as a striker with Ysgol Pentraeth circa 1985. Gary Lineker was who I followed probably at the time. By the time I reached 14 I’d given up on that dream, and discovered acid house and girls.”

Do you recall your first game clearly?
“Nope. I do remember Wales v West Germany though for some reason. I don't really remember my childhood, is that normal?”

Have you tried to convert others to the Blue cause along the way?
"Nah, well, do my own children count? They weren’t converted as such - no choice, more like!”

If you had to sum up your life with Super Furry Animals, what would you say?
“Rollercoaster, eye opening, a laugh, lucky, no regrets, bonkers.” 

You were on the Creation label with Super Furry Animals – was that at the same time as Oasis and if so, did your paths ever cross?
“Roughly, we signed in ‘96 so Oasis were well on their way by then. We played at the Etihad supporting Oasis and then with Noel few years back in 2016 (I think). I did a City medley mix as a set closer, half the stadium laughed, some booed, but Liam was happy. I’ll exchange the odd text now and again, usually on matchday trying to blag backstage access to meet uncle Pep and the boys, usually met with laughter or silence, heh, heh. One day I hope.  I never get starstruck with anyone other than footballers, why the heck is that? I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Aguero walk off the team bus. Took my boy to the parade earlier this year, I asked him what was your highlight and he said… ‘Making eye contact with John Stones.’ Sums it up really.”

There has been talk in the past of a City Super Group – what would your ideal City super group look like?
“Ederson on drums, Kompany on bass, Stones on maracas and as the dancer (Bez style); David Silva on lead guitar, KDB - vocoder, Foden - lead vocal, Aguero guest/cameo appearance (duet) and Erling Haaland as the tour manager/head of security.”

Tell us a bit about Das Koolies…
“We formed on the back of Super Furry Animals at what started as a poker night. We started writing again and couldn’t  help ourselves. We ended up having to stop writing and put something out there. Debut album, DK.01 will be released on Friday 22 September 2023. It’s a genre-bending expansion of electronic-leaning and experimental ideas, they’re an itch we’ve wanted to scratch for a long time, and it probably began back in the vortex of North Wales’ illicit rave scene in the early-1990s. The music is kind of a Krautrock/techno infused combination. We banned the acoustic guitar and no saxophone. We produced and mixed the album in collaboration with Grammy-nominated engineer, Tom Forrest (Duke Dumont, Basement Jaxx) and MPG (Music Producer’s Guild) UK Music Producer of the Year 2022 Marta Salogni (Bjork, Depeche Mode). This should give you an idea of the flavour at hand.”

The new track 'Pain Down the Drain' is fantastic – allegedly written during a home game with Spurs that we had been cruising in – then lost? 

“Yeah, I was in the studio watching us play Spurs and we were 2-0 up at half time. I was feeling good, and I had The Vikings DVD to hand and had been meaning to sample it for ages. Reason being, when I first heard ‘the best team in the land…’ chant, I thought that must be lifted from the movie, but no-one I asked could confirm its origins. Anyway, I was convinced of this and wanted to sample it, so during half-time, I obviously combined it with a Thin Lizzy loop to get the idea off the ground and erm… by the end of the game we’d lost so I shelved the idea until now!”

Is it influenced by our Norwegian Viking at all?
“He was probably about 13 when the idea came about.” 

What would it mean to hear that blast out of the Etihad PA?
“I’d probably shed a tear then get on it.”

Any other thoughts/stuff we should know?
“My most prized possession is a signed shirt  by Sergio Aguero and David Silva - stuff all the rare synths and stuff!”

The opening month of the 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League season didn’t disappoint as City began the defence of our league crown in wonderful fashion.

A total of three wins out of three with victories over Burnley (3-0), Newcastle (1-0) and Sheffield United (2-1).

But which member of Pep Guardiola’s squad spectacularly rewarded the FPL managers who elected them to star in their squads?

Both Rodrigo and Erling Haaland recorded 19 points across August which was the highest among City’s squad across the month.

Firstly, the Spain international recorded an impressive 13 in our opening day victory at Turf Moor by scoring the third and registering an assist in the 3-0 success over Vincent Kompany’s side.

His first goal of the new term came in the second half when he ghosted into the box and fired into the net to rubber stamp the result over the Clarets.

After playing the most games out of anyone for the Club last season, it’s perhaps no surprise the midfielder played the entirety of the following win over Newcastle, gaining three points thanks to our clean sheet.

Then he was the hero for City once again when we faced Sheffield United after his late goal maintained our 100% start to the league campaign.

Continuing his fiercely clinical form in a sky blue shirt from last term, Haaland scored twice in the first half during the win over Burnley.

His first came when he swept home Rodrigo’s cut back early on before he showcased his immense talent with a thunderous strike which crashed in off the cross bar.

In our hard fought 1-0 win over Newcastle the Norwegian came close on a number of occasions while Julian Alvarez’s goal proved to be the difference, before he put a missed penalty behind him against the Blades to open the scoring with a fine header.

This season I’m taking you on an A-to-Z tour of Manchester and possibly taking a few liberties with the alphabet. Expect lots of musicians, an occasional session with a footballer and whatever else I can find in my archive. For A, I was going to write a piece about Nico Anelka, one of my favourite City players, but I realised I’d written that piece in the City v Tottenham programme in Feb 2016. Here’s a series of photos from that session anyway – taken in Monaco for Puma.

I’ve decided to start with A Certain Ratio (ACR), one of Manchester ‘s longest running bands. I’ve photographed ACR many times and with many different line-ups.

The first time I shot them on 19 August 1979 for an NME feature, I wasn’t even sure it’d be used, so I used about six frames on a roll of film that as I was en route to a shoot with another local band: Joy Division. I think the photo was taken in their rehearsal space at The Rialto Cinema in Higher Broughton. I couldn’t really afford to waste film back then. I barely broke even on a shoot with a band – but combining two on one roll made me think I’d hit the jackpot. In retrospect I wish I’d shot ten rolls of film on the two bands combined – but, hey!

Another time I shot them, was at Strawberry Studios in Stockport in November 1980. Tony Wilson called me to say they were working overnight with Grace Jones to record a cover of the Talking Heads song, ‘Houses in Motion’ with Martin Hannett producing it all, and would I take some photos for the sleeve. It was all pretty chaotic when I arrived.

I think it’s fair to say Grace was more high maintenance than the lads in ACR. I managed to get some photos, but I’m not sure Grace ever got the vocal track she wanted. Consequently, the project was written off and filed under ‘Interesting/exhausting experiences’. There’s a lot more to it – as there always is – but I’ll save it for my never to be published memoir.

For those of you who think this piece is written in code, have a listen to ACR. They’re one of Manchester’s finest ever bands. You definitely won’t be disappointed. ­­But don’t expect to hear Grace on lead vocal.