Welcome to the June issue of our official and FREE digital monthly magazine.

Quite a lot has happened in the past few weeks - hence our slightly later publication.

Our sprint to the Premier League finish line was timed perfectly and allowed the last three games to be a lot less anxious than they might have been.

That, in turn, allowed Pep Guardiola to rest a few weary legs ahead of the FA Cup final against United - and what a happy day that turned out to be.

Hopefully, we've managed to capture the joy and celebration of our domestic double as well as previewing the Champions League final against Inter.

These are amazing times to be a City fan - the best ever, in fact.

In this issue, we speak to the man of the moment, skipper Ilkay Gundogan - and if you loved our German star before, this interview is likely to increase that feeling to another level.

We also feature the fascinating story of a Norwegian journalist and lifelong Blue about how his job has changed since Erling Haaland joined City.

And as we approach the 20-year anniversary of Marc Vivien Foe's tragic passing, we take a Time Machine back to his first City Magazine interview.

There's also Kevin Cummins' Maine Road photoshoot for Noel Gallagher - and a competition to win Noel's new album.

We speak to the guys behind the 'Haaland, Haaland' song as well as look at the origins of the 'Everywhere' chant, both with City fans and the original classic.

All the above plus loads more... enjoy!

We caught up with our skipper Ilkay Gundogan after another fantastic campaign in sky blue and look back on his time with City so far…

When Pep Guardiola became Manchester City manager, he quickly identified Ilkay Gundogan as the player he first wanted to sign.

The German international wasn’t that well known outside of his country, though followers of Bundesliga football and the Champions League were very familiar with the versatile midfielder who had won three trophies with Borussia Dortmund and been a Champions League finalist in 2012/13, scoring in the 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich at Wembley.

Gundogan was just 21 at the time of that game, and he would become an integral member of Jurgen Klopp’s side before a back injury and surgery ruled him out for the best part of a year.

Guardiola’s arrival at City saw a few new arrivals as the Catalan got to grips with the Premier League and a completely different challenge than he'd had in Spain and Germany.


The intelligent Gundogan was high on his wish list having seen him up close during his time as Bayern boss and an estimated fee of around £20m looked like a bargain for a player of Ilkay’s undoubted quality - and it was.

Able to play as a midfield anchor, attacking midfielder or even a false nine, not to mention being an excellent passer with the ability to unlock the most compact defences, ‘Gundo’ signed on 2 June 2016 and a new adventure began.

His first season ended in December of that first year as he sustained cruciate ligament damage to his knee, and his initial campaign in sky blue was over before it had really started.

With two major injuries in three years, it was a difficult time for a player who must have wondered if it was just bad luck, or a pattern was forming in his career.

As it transpired, it was just rotten luck, as he later became almost a permanent fixture in Guardiola’s starting XI over the six seasons that followed.

In fact, ahead of the Champions League final against Inter, Gundo had racked up 303 appearances for the Blues, scoring 60 goals along the way.

Thirteen winner’s medals later – five of those as a Premier League champion – and the 32-year-old is firmly etched in Manchester City folklore, particularly for his big game moments that have become almost the norm.

When the influential Fernandinho left City last season, it was Ilkay who was voted in as team captain and his leadership has seen him have maybe his best campaign yet - quite a statement - but his two FA Cup final goals have perhaps elevated this season above all others.

Not one to shout or remonstrate on the pitch, the quietly spoken Gundo has captained the side his way – with thought, intelligence and compassion.

Respected throughout the Club and on the terraces, Guardiola has spoken many times of his admiration for his captain, revealing that while he isn’t the loudest in the dressing room, “when he speaks, everyone listens.”

This interview was conducted just ahead of the FA Cup final and 10 days before the Champions League final where he will be hoping it is third time lucky after twice ending on the losing side, first with Dortmund and then City.

The question is, did he ever imagine everything that has happened would happen when he first became a City player in 2016?

“To be honest, no,” he smiled.

“If you look back at my career, I was at FC Nurnberg for two-and-a-half years and I was at Dortmund for five years – which I thought at the end was a pretty long time, so I never imagined I’d be at Manchester City for seven years.

“But that in itself, I think, shows how special the journey has been so far, and how challenging it has been – because I am the sort of person and type of character who is constantly looking for a new challenge and I like to be tested and find out what my limits are.

“This is the way I learn and also learn things about myself. There is a lot of credit that goes to Pep because of the way we play and the way we adapt our game to every single opponent, but then every year, we also have a slightly different style – that’s always attractive for a player like me who always likes to adapt and evolve inside the game.

"That’s why it doesn’t really feel as though I have been here seven years, because it’s always been different.."

“I remember the first time I came through the doors here – on my crutches – the journey so far has been incredible, and I feel very privileged to be part of this special club and this team – and I’m still loving it.”

Of course, no chat with Ilkay Gundogan would be complete without recalling the events of Sunday, 22 May 2022.

Gundogan had started on the bench against Aston Villa and came on after 68 minutes with City losing 1-0. He’d been on the pitch less than 60 seconds before Philippe Coutinho made it 2-0 to stun the Etihad into silence – bar the ecstatic celebrations of 3,000 travelling fans.

For many, it was May 2012 all over again. In fact, save for nine days’ difference, it was exactly a decade before that City recovered from 2-1 down against QPR to score two goals in added time and clinch the Premier League title for the first time in 42 years.

Surely history couldn’t repeat itself?

The scenario and events that followed were slightly different, but the outcome was equally incredible and, thankfully, ultimately the same.

City, masters of drama and sending fans on a rollercoaster of emotion, would indeed do it the hard way again, and central to everything was Ilkay Gundogan.

His clever header halved the deficit on 76 minutes and two minutes after that, Rodrigo’s precise low drive made it 2-2 to create delirium at the Etihad.

City still needed to win with Liverpool ahead in their game against Wolves and set to overhaul the Blues on the finish line – unless the defending Premier League champions could score again.

And we did.

Kevin De Bruyne won the ball on the right and drove towards the box where he spotted Gundogan's run and curled a low pass to the back post where the German gleefully swept home to send the City fans into raptures.

Gundo been on the pitch 13 minutes and scored two goals and, of course, that was the difference on the day as City were crowned champions again. It was the stuff of dreams.

But in his dreams – or rather nightmares - does Ilkay arrive at the back post and miss that chance?

“I don’t really dream about it,” he said.

“It’s probably not that easy to explain – the feelings and the emotions that I went through on that specific day. I’m not sure whether it was in the City Studios documentary ‘Together’ or not, but after the game I just sat down on the floor in the shower on my own and just tried to understand what had just happened.

“On the pitch, everything unfurled so quickly, you know, so I just wanted to take my time and absorb it all – a couple of minutes by myself before I talked to anyone, checked my phone, or started celebrating. I felt a little bit mentally drained at that moment, but when I look back, I still get emotional about everything when I relive that 20 or 30 minutes on that day.

“It was just an amazing day – maybe for me, personally, my best day so far as a Manchester City player.”

That was before the two-goal haul in the FA Cup final against United, of course - either or must be near the top of his list!

Gundo has always been a popular player, but whether it was that title-winning brace against Villa, or the season he finished with 17 goals (2020-21) when he couldn’t stop scoring, his FA Cup final brace or any number of reasons, his popularity has never been higher among City fans.

And he feels all that warmth and respect the supporters have for him.

“I feel very appreciated,” he smiled.

“I’ve always considered myself as a player who doesn’t seek attention and maybe I even try to avoid it at times because I don’t really enjoy being the centre of everything – I prefer to be in the background rather than the spotlight, but I still want to do my work and perform at the highest possible level.

“If that’s something that people – our fans – see and appreciate in my performances and contribution to the club, then I’m the happiest man in the team. This is a simple summary of how I see myself and how I want to be seen.

“Sometimes, I do want to score or create a goal that decides a game or whatever – that might be something nice at that moment - but it’s not something I want consistently because I’m more pleased when others shine and when I’m able to help them shine as well. I’m just as happy doing that.”

Ilkay Gundogan. A charming man, indeed.

City Studios producer Craig Barrett is one of very few people who can claim to have the best seat in the house at the Etihad and for those words to be true...

Through his role as Features Producer, one of Craig’s responsibilities is to film our beloved Pitcam feature, capturing City’s best moments from a unique perspective pitch side.

At City, we value digital content highly and the way in which it brings our fans closer to the Club, our players and the coaching staff.

And in his two-and-a-half years at City to date, Craig has got to work on some of City’s biggest digital ventures and met some of his heroes along the way.

Craig spoke to City Magazine about his job and what it means to him to work for the Club he’s grown up supporting.

CITY MAG: What is a normal day for you at City?

CRAIG: “There isn’t really any normal day. We all have our roles on what we need to do but every week there is always something new or something that we’re trying to think of that’s different to keep everything fresh. I’ve been here since December 2020, so two-and-a-half years, and it’s flown by because there is so much going on since I started. That first six months we had the Carabao Cup, Premier League and a Champions League final as well.

“In terms of like a normal day as a Features Producer I’ll be working on features which could be stuff like pitcam, or it could be podcasts, maybe documentaries we are working on as well. Say we’ve got a podcast recording, I could have a guest that we’ve got and we will go to the studio and we’ll record a podcast session. That could take two or three hours. We work with the studio team, we’ll set up all that stuff, liaise with all the guests as well as produce the content from that. We work with the presenters and talent, get the episode done, get that clipped up, come back to the office and basically work on producing an episode for that. That’s the newest thing I’ve been working on.

“For match day, I’ll travel home and away to games. I’ll do pitcam, so filming either pitch side or in a pit in front of the boards in the stadium. If we film the whole match ourselves from a different angle we’ve got it so we can use it for features or any social media or behind-the-scenes footage. We’ll also do post-match interviews with the players and then come back to the office to clip that up.”

CITY MAG: That’s quite a lot! Which part of it is your favourite?

CRAIG: “I think getting out and filming and being more practical is something I like to do. I don’t like sitting in an office constantly, I like the idea of having to travel. Being able to do away games, being able to do Champions League and tours as well is something that I feel really lucky to do. That’s the thing that ties me to the job, I’m not rooted to one spot, I’m able to travel and able to see different things and work with a team that gets to do all of these crazy experiences.”

CITY MAG: Does the unpredictability of football also makes the job more enjoyable? And to top it off, you’re a City fan so that must make the job extra exciting?

CRAIG: “I think I’m quite fortunate that in my professional life I’ve worked at other football clubs so I’m able to draw the line between being a football fan and working at a football club. For example, working the derby day at the Etihad, we won 6-3 and we scored all those goals and I might get a bit giddy or get excited and that’s fair enough, but I’m always able to draw the line and be professional when I’m around players and coaching staff.

“I do get the opportunity to take a step back and look at what I’ve done because sometimes you don’t really get the chance to realise what you’re doing and how good it is but once you actually get some time to let it sink in you do realise that you’re very fortunate to be getting paid to be front row in a stadium full of thousands of people."

CITY MAG: When doing pitcam you essentially have one of, if not the best, seat in the stadium and are within touching distance of some of City’s best moments under Pep Guardiola. What is that like?

CRAIG: “When you’re filming it, you don’t have any idea what’s going on! I’m following the ball and you’re just so focused on your job that you don’t actually get a chance to understand what’s going on. You get a general idea of what’s happening in a game, like you’ll know if we are on top or if we’re struggling but in terms of like build-up and the perspective of the game, it’s just warped so I can’t really understand what’s happened.

“The view that you do get is great. You get to hear things, you get to see things and feel things as well so it’s ultimately the best seat in the house in terms of being so close to all of the action.”

CITY MAG: And as a City fan, is there any players – past or present – that you’ve met in your role that stand out for you?

CRAIG: “I enjoy the current crop of players and I get along with them, have good relationships with them, but for me it’s the players I used to watch when I was little. Shaun Wright-Phillips, Richard Dunne. When I first joined City, I was working on ‘We’re Not Really Here’ the pre-match show we did and they were the guests. You’d have Dunne, Michael Brown, Shaun Wright-Phillips even Joleon Lescott. And all of this lot would come in and I’d think ‘these are the people that I was watching when I was a kid before I became an adult and pursued a career in sport’.

“They are the ones I held in high regard so when I saw them I was like ‘you were one of the first people that I watched at the stadium when I was like 7/8/9’ or whatever it was so being able to see them they’re the type of players I enjoy having good contact with. We work with Nedum as well so to work with him too and just knowing they’re all good people as well and that they’ve got careers now outside of football and that we can just work with them whenever it just makes it even better. They say it's better if you don’t meet your heroes, but they’re pretty decent heroes to meet.”

It didn’t take long for Laia Aleixandri to get up to speed at Manchester City...

While boasting the technical panache that has become synonymous with players from her native Spain in recent decades, it was soon obvious that the 22-year-old also possessed the physicality and guile which English football demands, perhaps more than anywhere else in Europe.

Combine that with an impressive tactical awareness and maturity, and it’s clear to see why the transition was so swift for our summer recruit from Atletico Madrid.

After an impressive competitive debut at centre-half against WFC Tomiris-Turan, Aleixandri was shifted into a defensive midfield role for the opening weeks of the WSL campaign.

Having gone back to the heart of defence, the Spaniard would also enjoy plenty of success at full-back, particularly following the winter break.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that this form coincided with a hugely impressive unbeaten league run, spanning from October to April.

What’s particularly exciting for City fans, though, is that while Aleixandri is pleased with what she’s accomplished in her debut campaign at the Academy Stadium, she insists the best is yet to come in sky blue.

“I think this Laia has not reached the peak yet at Manchester City. There are many goals ahead,” she explains.

“Since my arrival at the Club, I think I've been able to get along with the team not only on the pitch, but also off it.

“I have played in various positions: as a number 6, centre back and even as a full-back playing more inside.

“I am very happy and proud of this first season.”

Unfortunately, Aleixandri’s maiden campaign was brought to an abrupt end in early April, when she went down under a challenge from Arsenal captain Leah Williamson.

While the tackle was fair, the anguish on the City number four’s face as she clutched her ankle demonstrated that she’d done some serious damage.

She would miss the five remaining matches of the campaign, but the sight of the defender back on the training pitch in mid-May provided a major boost to both the rest of the squad and the fans.

Indeed, maintaining a positive outlook in the face of adversity has been a key focus of hers throughout the recovery process.

“I am already focused on recovering as well as possible,” Aleixandri continues.

“It is true that these first few weeks are always a bit boring.

“On an emotional level, it is also a little more difficult because it separates you from the team. I try to approach it in a positive way.

“I think about recovering well and helping the team in a different way.”

Spending time recovering off the pitch and away from the rest of the team for large periods of time can have a mental toll on any injured player, regardless of their attitude.

For Aleixandri though, working alongside team-mates Sandy MacIver and Alanna Kennedy, who also found their campaigns cut short due to injury, provided a significant boost as she focuses on regaining her fitness.

However, the defender has expressed her appreciation towards the whole squad and coaching staff for the care and attention each of the trio received during those initial stages of recovery.

And from that supportive platform, the Spaniard is aiming to come back into the fold with a renewed zeal.

"They are always very close. I suffered the injury during the international break for national teams."

“When they all came back, they were all quite aware of me, worrying about me. Seeing both my teammates and the technical staff so attentive to me makes me feel highly valued.

“The injury also means being close to my teammates, even if it's not on the pitch.

“They give me strength because they always ask me how my recovery is going.

“The injury has given me the opportunity to be close to them and help them in a different way.”

One of the defining moments of Aleixandri’s first season in English football came in December 2022, when she was part of the City side who earned a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.

The Spaniard is already accustomed to a high stakes environment, honed during the cut and thrust of the Madrid derby during her time at Atletico, but she admits the supporters brought a new dimension to its Manchester equivalent.

Indeed, the 22-year-old described a ‘special emotion’ around December’s clash between two of the WSL’s heavyweights.

That was evident when 44,259 supporters watched Laura Coombs’ second half header cancel out Leah Galton’s opener in a pulsating contest.

It was a match befitting the grand occasion, with the attendance surpassing the previous Club record for a women’s fixture by more than 13,000.

Manager Gareth Taylor described the record as a ‘flagship moment’ for City, and Aleixandri more than played her part in that piece of history.

Not bad for a first taste of the Manchester derby!

“I learned a lot [from that match],” the defender reflects.

“I think that here the rivalry is magnified. The first time I lived the derby here was at the Etihad. We were lucky to play there.

“Regarding the Madrid Derby, it is also similar that both teams are at the top of the table: both Real Madrid and Atleti are always in the top positions.

“[But] here the fans magnify the rivalry. That's what I've noticed the most. There is a special emotion for the derby.”

While City’s season is not quite done, June is traditionally the time that cricket takes over the lives of sports fans in the UK.

The second most watched sport in the world behind the one in which Pep Guardiola and Gareth Taylor’s sides compete, cricket is seen as quintessentially English.

Its popularity extends throughout south Asia and the Indian subcontinent to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as well as the Caribbean.

Our own Lauren Hemp was an exceptionally talented cricketer in her youth but she elected to follow football when forced to make a choice. Our former goalkeeper Joe Hart did something similar after impressing alongside players who went on to play county cricket as professionals.

One particular player in yesteryear reached the pinnacle in both sports. Jack Dyson, born in 1934, played for four seasons at City before concentrating on his cricket career with Lancashire.

In more modern times however, we’ve seen some of the biggest names announce they’re of a sky blue persuasion…

Andrew Flintoff

One of England’s greatest all-rounders, Andrew Flintoff proved inspirational with both bat and ball as England beat Australia 2-1 to win a first Ashes series for 19 years back in 2005.

A force of nature on the pitch and a character off it, Flintoff attracted the attention of the whole nation – even those unfamiliar with cricket.

His illustrious career with Lancashire ended in 2014 and ‘Freddie’ has since gone on to enjoy a successful media career.

Speaking of his support, he said: “Cricket, darts and snooker are my strengths. I'm not so good on football. I'm a Manchester City supporter. I go to see them, but it's more about a day out with friends than the game.”

Bob Willis

England bowling legend and former captain Bob Willis was a lifelong blue.

He demolished the Aussie batting order in what became known as ‘Botham’s Ashes’ in 1981, taking 7 wickets for 156 runs alongside Botham’s epic batting and bowling performance.

With 325 wickets taken during a magnificent career, he was one of England’s greatest bowlers of all time.

Speaking before his passing in 2019, he said: “Watching Manchester City at Maine Road back in 1954 is one of my earliest memories. I was a five-year-old schoolboy. I was a huge fan of Bert Trautmann.”

Phil Defreitas

Phil Defreitas represented England and Lancashire during a 20-year first class career. The fast-medium bowler was born in Dominica but was raised in London, where he once had a trial with Luton Town.

He opted to play cricket instead of football and went on to play for Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Lancs.

Speaking in 2007, he said: "I always had an interest in Manchester City and when I moved up here to play for Lancashire that interest became much stronger. The unfortunate thing for me is that because I played cricket at such a young age and represented England quite early, I was always away in the winter so I didn't really get a chance to watch them."

Jos Buttler

Buttler is now England’s captain in the limited overs formats and perhaps his nation’s greatest ever player in T20 and ODI cricket.

However, before he reached that level and was just a promising youngster making his way in international cricket, he came to City for a training session with our goalkeeper Joe Hart.

As Hart was an exceptionally talented cricketer in his youth, the pair had plenty to discuss. Buttler even had the opportunity to save a penalty struck by our man.

He’s another player that doesn’t get much time off in Manchester despite being contracted to Lancashire, but we’d love to see him back at the Etihad soon!

Virat Kohli

The former India captain is one of cricket’s biggest ever stars and instantly recognisable to all fans of the sport.

He’s been seen wearing our famous sky blue on several occasions and in December 2021 took to Instagram to send a message to Pep Guardiola.

He said: "Last season was smashing and you are still going strong. Loving the games and energy. Cheers. This one's for you. The game was really good. You did an amazing job. This time also take the title home."

Phil Salt

Jos Buttler’s big hitting partner at the top of the order for Lancashire and England, Salt has always been a huge City fan.

He wears 61 for England, a number chosen because of our famous 6-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford back in 2011.

Having attended his first game at Maine Road against Sheffield United back in 2001, it’s fair to say he’s seen plenty of bad times as well as good!

The batter has appeared on our Matchday Live show this season and did a feature interview with the Club back in December, discussing all of his favourite memories and how he follows us even when travelling the world playing cricket.

Here’s a collection of photos I’ve been working on for a while. They’re from the shoot for Council Skies: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds forthcoming album.

Shooting an album sleeve – and especially an album package with more photographic content – is very different to shooting a band for an editorial piece.

The concept often comes from an art-director, but with Noel, it was largely his idea. The interpretation is mine (with his input), but it’s unusual for the artiste to be so heavily involved. It’s an enjoyable process though – especially working with someone who is so visually aware.

For the main shot, we used the traffic island in Moss Side where the old centre spot of Maine Road was located. The idea was to set all the gear up as though they were about to perform a gig there. A few curious locals thought that’s what was about to happen. I’m not sure whether they were pleased or not when we assured them it was only for a photograph.

Some of them came out to watch – and to attempt to stray into the shot, but we wanted it very sparce and clean, and our low-key security people made sure there was nobody wandering across the background.

A few months later, we spent another day in Manchester, photographing locations that were important to Noel in his formative years. A selection of these will be in the accompanying booklet with the album.

When we were taking photos anywhere near a road, cars would stop with drivers shouting out to Noel. One guy slammed his brakes on at a green light then got out of his van to tell Noel he hadn’t seen him since their schooldays. “You’ve done well for yourself” seemed to be the gist of the conversation that held the traffic up for ten minutes. It was funny how many people would turn up at each location we were heading for. Maybe there’s an ‘I’ve just spotted Noel Gallagher and I know where he’s heading next’ Facebook group.

Many would just beam out from their car windows with thumbs aloft or jump out to take a smiling selfie with Noel.  It was all very friendly and good natured. Even from the ones who only wanted to know when Oasis were going to reform. It was great to see that there’s a lot of love in the city for the Gallaghers.

Noel’s touring pretty much through to the end of the year, so there’s plenty of opportunity to see him live and to hear the new album – and no doubt he’ll throw in a few old crowd pleasers, too. I’m off to Istanbul. Good luck to the lads – and hopefully we’ll have a few stories to tell upon our return.

KEVIN CUMMINS

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Win Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds New Album ‘Council Skies’ in our exclusive competition.

‘Council Skies’, is out now, via Sour Mash Records, we have five amazing prizes up for grabs!

Noel’s new album has received widespread acclaim from media and fans alike and early album reviews have been unanimous in their praise. ‘Council Skies’ has been described as "his best post-Oasis album” by MOJO, “His most personal album in decades” by The Big Issue, "Noel hits his solo stride" by UNCUT and "some of the best songs of his post-Oasis career" by Rolling Stone UK. Record Collector awarded Council Skies their Album Of The Month, declaring “exactly the album Gallagher should be making to remind people how good he can be”.

A decade since the formation of the High Flying Birds, and having achieved four consecutive UK Number One albums, ‘Council Skies’, produced by Noel and Paul ‘Strangeboy’ Stacey, is the band’s fourth studio album and widely regarded as Noel’s most complete solo statement to date.

The artwork, shot by renowned Manchester photographer Kevin Cummins, sees Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ live equipment set up in the original centre spot of what was Maine Road Football Stadium. 2023 marks 100 years since the ground was opened and forever remains Manchester City FC's spiritual home.

 The release of ‘Council Skies’ will kick start a huge live season for the band beginning with a 26 date USA tour, co-headlining with US alternative rockers Garbage.  The band then return to the UK in July to play an array of UK outdoor shows and headline festival performances, including a massive homecoming gig at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park on August Bank Holiday weekend. This is followed by a full UK arena tour throughout December 2023.

‘Council Skies’ is available to pre-order now on CD, heavyweight vinyl with bonus 7”, LP picture disc plus various digital formats including a Dolby Atmos spatial audio version. The previously released Robert Smith remix of ‘Pretty Boy’ is featured on deluxe limited-edition triple vinyl and 2CD formats which also include a stunning live session version of ‘Live Forever’ and a remix from Pet Shop Boys. A printed handwritten lyric sheet of title track ‘Council Skies’ will be included with all album pre-orders via the official store.

To win one of our five prizes below - which are: 

1 x Council Skies Deluxe Triple Vinyl 

1 x Council Skies Picture Discs (

3 x Council Skies Limited Edition T-shirts

To enter – answer the following question:

Where in Manchester did Noel live as a youngster?

a) Burnage b) Fallowfield c) Moss Side

Email you answer to: [email protected]

Closing date: 30 June 2023

Good luck!                     

Top Norwegian sports journalist Knut Espen Svegaarden is also a lifelong City fan – here he talks of Erling Haaland’s first season, Asa Hartford, and Bobby Shinton!

While it’s true City have always had a good following in Norway, it’s safe to say that the arrival of Erling Haaland has increased that number substantially.

There are youngsters all over Norway wearing City shirts with ‘Haaland’ on the back and, of course, all are welcome to the Manchester City family.

But there are a number a lifelong Blues who have followed the Club through thin and thinner in years gone by, with Norwegian City supporters’ clubs existing since the 1970s.

Among those diehard Blues is Knut Espen Svegaarden - ‘Svea’ to his friends – who has been a City fan since 1971.

Svea (pictured above in the late 1970s outside the souvenir shop) is also one of Norway’s most prominent journalists, working for one of the biggest newspapers in the country – VG. – similar in popularity and content to The Mirror in the UK.

With almost two million daily online readers, Svea is a well-known and well-respected voice of Norwegian football and has been friends with Alfie Haaland for more than 30 years.

However, it’s also well-known that he is a massive City supporter, which doesn’t actually make his job any easier!

“It’s true,” smiles Svea. “It actually makes my work a bit more difficult because in Norway, most people know I am a City supporter, so they don’t want me to write about Man City in my newspaper. I don’t agree with that, but I have to respect it and when Erling came to the Club, it made it even harder, but I have plenty of other things to write about, so it doesn’t matter.

“I mainly report on the national team for VG, so I still get to write about Erling a lot.

“I’ve supported City since I was six years-old and over much of that time, the reaction in Norway to that used to be a case of, ‘Ah, Man City – nice club, good fans and nice colours’ and stuff like that, but that perception has changed because of the success we’ve had.

“I remember as a kid, reading the sports pages and looking at the league tables and I think City were high up the table and I took an interest in them straight away. I chose City as my club and from then onwards I have been recording all our results, reports, transfers – everything!

“My first visit to Manchester was in 1979 when I went to England on a football school trip – Malcolm Allison was the manager and he sold all my heroes – Asa Hartford, Gary Owen, Peter Barnes… I had to take down all the posters in my bedroom!

“My first experience of seeing the players up close was at the Platt Lane training complex where Michael Robinson, Bobby Shinton and physio Roy Bailey were all there. That was the first time I saw anything connected with Manchester City in the flesh.

“I had to wait a few more years for a match. My first game was League Cup tie in 1987 when we beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 at Maine Road – a very exciting team that included David White, Paul Lake, and Ian Brightwell.”

Of course, being a Norwegian City fan meant Erling Haaland’s move to the Etihad was a dream come true.

So, as a seasoned journalist, has he been surprised at Haaland’s incredible exploits in his first season in sky blue?

“You couldn’t imagine that he would have scored 52 goals going into the Champions League final – you can’t expect that sort of return because it is off the charts – but was he always going to score a lot of goals for City? Yes, of course,” he said.

“The chances that his team-mates at City create, like Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, and others do regularly, it was fairly certain that he would score a lot of goals, so long as he avoided the sort of injuries he sustained at Dortmund.

“City have had to manage his workload carefully and they have done that really well. He has played most of the Premier League and Champions League matches, which has been impressive.

“I was quite sure he has the personality to go to England and just be himself. He is a really good guy and he’s made great connections with his team-mates, coaching staff, and the City fans.”

Svea admits to having a wry smile when some football pundits questioned whether Erling would upset City’s rhythm and whether he had made a wise choice in moving to Manchester.

More than a wry smile, in fact!

“In Norway, we were just laughing!” he said.

“Pundits are paid very well to give their opinions and they have to have something to say, so when Erling went a couple of games without scoring earlier in the season and it was like. ‘oh my god, this is a crisis’ – it was just ridiculous.

“I know him so well and so whenever he has a minor set-back of some kind, he will always bounce back. He will score goals anywhere and always has done from a very young age. Every team he’s played for he has scored a lot of goals and that’s not going to change anytime soon.

“I got to know Alfie when he was 20 and got into the national team and then went to England, so I have known him for about 30 years or more, and we have always got on really well.”

So, has Erling Haaland made an entire nation proud this season?

Svea believes that is true to a certain extent, but tribal divides in a nation where thousands support other English teams means that there are those who don’t wear blue-tinted glasses.

“It’s a little bit split,” he said. “People who don’t know so much about football speak about him highly, and then you have the genuine football fans – mostly Manchester United and Liverpool – who don’t like him playing for Manchester City!

“But the fact is we’ve never had the Premier League’s top scorer and the captain of the second best team (Martin Ødegaard) in the same season – it’s fantastic for our country.”

And if Erling can help City beat Inter in Istanbul later this month, would that be Svea’s lifelong dream complete?

“My son – he was with me in 2012 for the Aguero moment - is now 20 and is Champions League crazy, but I’ve never had a connection with the competition because, growing up, City were never there – but for my son, City winning the Champions League is the ultimate dream. I guess I wouldn’t mind too much, either!”

As the summer break approaches and 11-a-side campaigns around the world draw to a close, 5-a-side will become the key source for many around the world to get their footballing fix over the next few weeks.

A smaller pitch, smaller goals and, of course, less team-mates mean technique, precision and communication are the name of the game for this particular format. For those taking it less seriously though, it simply provides friends and family with a chance to test out their skills in a more relaxed environment.

With this in mind, Sandy MacIver, Demi Stokes and Kerstin Casparij were each tasked with choosing their ultimate five-a-side squad from team-mates past and present.

Providing a blend of current and former City players as well international team-mates, they certainly didn’t disappoint…

Sandy MacIver’s dream 5-a-side team

Goalkeeper: Karen Bardsley
Khiara [Keating] did say to me that I’d better put her in, but she's at the bottom of my list [laughs]. I think I'll go with KB. She had such a fantastic career at City and England as well. The first time I was at City I was able to train with her and learnt a lot from her. I must have only been like 16 or 17, very quiet and very shy, but she was confident and aggressive in her 1v1 play which I admired. I think she is one of the women's game’s best-ever keepers.

Defender: Steph Houghton
It's got to be Steph [Houghton]. I think looking even this season I've really enjoyed not only playing behind her, but just being part of her team. I think she leads the team fantastically. She's had an incredible career for club and country, and she's someone I've got the upmost respect for.

Midfielders: Caroline Weir, Kim Little
I think my first one has got to be Caz [Caroline Weir]. I was with her at the Olympics and her technical ability is one of the best in the world. I think she’s probably more my attacking minded midfielder.

Next, I think I'm going to stray away from City in this one and have a Scottish midfield pairing with Kim Little. Again, I played with her at the Olympics and even now she's probably one of my favourite players to watch. She goes about her job so efficiently and I think she is one of the best players out there.

Forward: Bunny Shaw
It has to be Bunny. Just from the season she's had this year, she's just done so well and she's popped up with some big important goals for us. I enjoy challenging myself against her in training. If I can stop some of the things she does then I should be okay coming up against some of the people in the WSL. She obviously holds the ball up very well but she's really deceptive with it as well, she's got good feet and she's really composed. She's our top scorer for a reason and I think she'd complete my five-a-side team.

Demi Stokes’ dream 5-a-side team

Goalkeeper: Ellie Roebuck
This is tough, you know. I’ve played with some good goalkeepers but I’m going to go with [Ellie] Roebuck. I think 5-a-side is very different to obviously 11-aside. It’s almost like a little rondo isn’t it and Ellie’s someone who’s good with her feet. She’s also a good shot stopper.

Defender: Lucy Bronze
It’s obviously a smaller pitch, but she’s so good at blocking shot. She’s good at getting up to the ball, that’s why I’ve gone with Lucy. She’ll probably run through everyone as well.

Midfielders: Kelly Smith, Keira Walsh
Do I need to explain? These two speak for themselves!

Forward: Bunny Shaw
Pin them, turn, bang. There you go. Bunny has been on fire so she can bring that to my 5-a-side team, and I can be the manager [laughs]. It’s a nightmare [playing against her in training] because you can’t get too tight because she’ll roll you, but you also have to get up enough because she’s so strong and powerful. She’s a pain in training. We’ve seen a different side to Bunny this year and you can see that because it’s shown in her performances. It’s good to see her getting what she deserves.

Kerstin Casparij’s dream 5-a-side team

Goalkeeper: Daphne van Domselaar
She’s the goalkeeper at the national team who I also played with at Twente. A nice footballing goalkeeper, who you need in 5-a-side! In a lot of ways, she’s very similar to Ellie [Roebuck], and not afraid to play from the back.

Defender: Alex Greenwood
I know her from the 5-a-sides here, she’s a good defender but can also be a good striker, I need that versatility. Alex is an amazing player but outside of the pitch she’s very helpful, I’m having a blast playing with her.

Midfielders: Yui Hasegawa, Victoria Pelova
I’m going with a technical midfield. Yui can get in the small spaces and score the goals, I don’t need to explain that, the fans will know why I’ve chosen her! Victoria is also incredibly technical and has also been right back for the national team before, so we can expect some defending from her!

Forward: Bunny Shaw
In training it’s fun, because she’s a really good challenge. I like training with her. In the game you know whenever she’s up top, she’ll score goals. It’s up to us to provide chances for her and to also score some goals to take the pressure off her. She’s been great.

It’s fair to say that the 2022/23 campaign has been one to remember for Elite Development Squad winger Carlos Borges.

The Portuguese left winger emerged as one of the key figures for Brian Barry-Murphy’s exciting side as our youngsters secured what was a historic third successive PL2 title.

The 19-year-old claimed 21 league goals – and scored 29 all told across all competitions.

Along the way Borges also claimed four separate hat-tricks with his prodigious work rate and passion for the game proving infectious.

His impact saw him named as the PL2 Player of the Season whist his City peers also recognised his efforts, with Borges taking the EDS Players’ Player of the Season prize at our recent Academy Awards night.

From his perspective reflecting on a magnificent season, Borges hailed the help and contribution of his colleagues.

And he said the 2022/23 campaign had matched his maiden campaign with our Under-18s back in 2020/21 in terms of standout experiences.

“I got 21 goals in the league, playing left wing but that’s down to my team-mates,” Borges declared.

“To be in this position is a privilege and I have to keep working hard.

Luke Mbete, Carlos Borges and Kwaku Oduroh

Luke Mbete, Carlos Borges and Kwaku Oduroh

“I enjoy the pressure and the attention as it means I have been playing well.

“The way I look at it, if I wasn’t doing well then people wouldn’t talk about me.

“But for me, the main focus is all about continuing to do well on the pitch and trying to help my team mates as much as possible.

“In terms of favourite season at the Club so far – it would either be this season or my first with our 18s,” Carlos added.

“This year has been great. We have all worked hard and really enjoyed our football.

“I also remember that season we were going for the title in my first year with the Under 18s, and it went to the last game, and we needed to win at Burnley to become champions.

“A draw wouldn’t have been enough. We had to win. I was lucky enough to score the winner in the 78th minute which meant we won the title. That was a top feeling too!”

Borges has also had the benefit of training and learning alongside Pep Guardiola and City’s first team squad on numerous occasions across the course of this campaign and last year.

The 19-year-old also saw more than half an hour action when coming on as a substitute in our friendly first team clash against Girona at the Academy Stadium last December.

He says the opportunity to learn and tap into the knowledge of Pep and some of the best players in the world has proved priceless.

And it’s also only further whetted his appetite to try and push his first team claims looking to the future.

“I think you can learn from both the younger guys like Rico (Lewis), Phil (Foden), Cole (Palmer) and the older ones,” Carlos added.

“When I train with the first team to be able to speak to players like Kyle Walker and Bernardo has been great.

“With Rico I speak to him almost every day and he tells me how good the experience has been and how much he is enjoying it with the first team.

“I remember when I first trained with the first team it was so exciting.

“I wasn’t really nervous; it was about going out there onto the training pitch and doing your best.

“All the guys are great and give you their advice and help."

“When I first was able to train with the first team, Fernandinho was still at the Club and he was brilliant with me.

“He was a proper leader and it also helped as he obviously spoke Portuguese.

“Looking back, I was nervous when I came on in that game against Girona. Within five or 10 minutes I got into the game and felt I calmed down.

“If I played it now, I’d hopefully be less nervous.

“I remember afterwards the manager said ‘well done’ to everyone and for the younger lads he said we did well and weren’t scared to take people on.

“He said we didn’t show we were scared so it was good.

“Looking to the future, if I was to make my debut in the Premier League it would be a dream come true as the Premier League is the best league in the world.

“I really like the intensity and you know every fan will turn up for every game regardless of who is playing. It’s so competitive.”

 Coach and top scorer reflect on U18s national title success 

Ben Wilkinson and Justin Oboavwoduo are rightly proud of a season’s hard graft. 

The pair were instrumental in a third straight U18 Premier League national final success after a 2-1 extra time win over West Ham last month. 

While Wilkinson insists a defeat in that game wouldn’t have meant a disappointing season, the determination to come through with a win does bode well for the future careers of the players involved. 

He said: “The season shouldn’t be made or broken on one game but the level of that game against West Ham was as good as you will possible see at Under-18s level.  

“We did everything we could in the Arsenal semi-final and came out just on the negative side of it so if we were to lose against West Ham it would have put a flat feeling on the end of the season.  

“So to come through it was a special feeling for the players and coaches after a long, hard campaign.” 

Ultimately, the Academy wants to create first team footballers. Preferably they would go on to represent City like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis have done regularly this season, but there are plenty of opportunities for them to shine throughout the football pyramid. 

Wilkinson believes his current crop can continue to make their mark on the Club as they progress. 

"We have got some very talented individuals and we’re really happy with their development but the spirit and resilience they showed was outstanding,"
Ben Wilkinson

“We’re really proud of the four, five, six, seven years we have had some top talent coming through and it’s starting to transition into first team appearances.  

“It’s nice to follow on from previous groups and hopefully we can get more players through to the first team.” 

Meanwhile, top scorer Oboavwoduo was keen to let the triumph soak in. 

Capable of playing across the midfield and forward lines, Oboavwoduo contributes more than just goals. 

However, his finishing has been crucial in this campaign as the Blues held off the challenge of Sunderland in the regionalised league in order to qualify for the final. 

Reflecting on the victory over the FA Youth Cup winners, Oboavwoduo was exceptionally proud. 

“It’s what we worked for all season,” he stated.  

“All 24 league games that we played was for that moment. It was great to win it in front of the home fans. 

“They are a great side and we knew there were times we were going to suffer but we coped with it well but we felt we deserved the win. 

"I got the winning goal but it’s never just the one player, it’s always a team game and I have to thank all the lads who put in a shift, too."
Justin Oboavwoduo

Oboavwoduo ended the campaign with 18 goals and was crowned the top scorer in the U18 Premier League. 

While he knows it’s not the only deciding factor in a positive year, he is proud of that tally. 

He said: “Being an attacking player setting my goals and objectives at the start of the season.  

“One of them was to score as many goals as I can. I have done that quite well. I am happy that the team could find me and I am grateful to the coaches for working everyday with us to be able to put myself in good positions to score.” 

If our academy starlets are to make it through to Pep Guardiola’s side, the venue for this showpiece final will be their home ground every week. 

For Oboavwoduo and many of his team-mates, the prospect of that is tantalising. 

"It's great playing in the stadium,” he said. 

"I dreamt of being here when I was a ball boy as a little kid, so to be able to play here and to score two goals was unbelievable. 

"Hopefully I will play here many more times in the future." 

For full reaction to another incredible Under-18s campaign in 2022/23, read our Academy City Magazine special! 

It will be 20 years this month since Marc Vivien Foe passed away.

‘Marco’ was only with City for one season and was also only on loan – but during that time he made a big impression on everyone at the Club.

A larger than life character, when shown a potential City Mag cover shot of him to go with his interview, he smiled and indicated it wasn’t the best picture he’d ever seen!

This writer took the opportunity to ask a pertinent question that day (something that many still get wrong to this day), being ‘is there a hyphen between Marc and Vivien?’

“No,” he said. “No hyphen. Just Marc Vivien Foe.”

Always best to check at source!

There was speculation Marco might sign for City in the summer of 2003, though funds were tight.

He’d scored nine goals in 38 games for the Blues and become something of a crowd favourite in the process.

And given the tragedy to come, it was a fitting tribute that he would score Manchester City’s last goal at Maine Road in a 3-0 win against Sunderland – the final game a few weeks later would end 0-1 to Southampton.

Fan tributes laid at the entrance of Maine Road

Fan tributes laid at the entrance of Maine Road

So, when Marco collapsed on the pitch in a Confederations Cup game against Colombia on June 26, 2003, it soon became evident it was something very serious by the reaction of the other players around him.

News emerged soon after that resuscitation attempts had failed and Marco had died, aged only 28.

The football world was in shock.

Later, it was discovered Marco had a congenital heart condition that had been hard to detect, but the fact he had been suffering from a gastric illness beforehand and was dehydrated had undoubtedly played a part in the events that day.

City fans paid tribute – as did fans of many other clubs – by laying flowers, scarves, shirts, and messages outside the now locked gates at Maine Road.

The City Magazine was about to go to print, so we had to figure out a fitting cover as a tribute to Marco.

Pictures of Maine Road with the tributes? An image of Marco?

When the Club announced it was retiring Marco’s No.23 squad number permanently as a mark of respect, draping his City shirt over a seat at our soon-to-be new home at the Etihad seemed to be the obvious cover shot.

That’s what we went with, and it would receive a positive response from supporters.

Sometimes pictures can say more than words, and this occasion was one such example.

Champions League final
10 June, 20:00 kick-off
City v Inter

Our former skipper Andy Morrison looks ahead to the Champions League final – plus we look at how he got on with his predictions this season…

I see our game against Inter as a match we will go into as favourites to win. It’s a Champions League final, so Inter deserve plenty of respect for getting there and they won’t just want a nice day out – they will realise the odds of them getting to the final were big and it could be a while before they’re in another.

City, speaking as a pundit, can make you look silly.

You can make judgements that seem logical, so when we played Liverpool, Arsenal, and Real Madrid, they were all games where – on paper – it looked a tough ask to win – and yet we thrashed each and every one of them.

I predicted a close game in all three of those matches and I was left thinking, ‘how have I got those so wrong?’

It’s only on reflection afterwards, when you dissect what happened, that you realise that, actually, those scores weren’t a massive surprise because of how well we’ve been playing.

It wasn’t a case of Liverpool were on a bad run, Arsenal weren’t at their best or Real Madrid didn’t show up – it because this City team is exceptional.

With that in mind, everything points to Manchester City winning the Champions League, but Inter will believe the footballing gods might be on their side and there is still a story to be written, here.

Inter finished a long way behind Serie A champions Napoli, yet here they are, and they will believe there are some other forces at work in their favour for them to get to this final.

Inter can’t sit in and defend for 90 minutes because we have the players that will find a solution - we’ve been up against that sort of game plan many times before and we almost always find a way through.

 A team can’t hang on against City and go into a deep block because it won’t work and if Inter were to take the lead, we wouldn’t up the ante – just play our normal game and chip away, because that’s what we do.

As a former player, a manager and now as a pundit, I try to use logic every time I predict a result – in other words, based on form and ability, what is most likely to happen?

My prediction is City will win comfortably, because that is the logical thinking and my understanding of the game.

Inter are an organised side who can get a result in a one-off game, but I don’t see anything special about the way they play and there’s no threat, legs, or special talent – I’ve studied them in depth.

They keep clean sheets, and they can suffocate teams and they will be structured and organised and whereas Real Madrid got it wrong against us, I don’t think Inter will.

But I’ve been in the game long enough to know that, in football, sometimes there is something else at work when all logic goes out of the window and what actually happens is hard to explain.

I don’t see that happening in this game, but football can kick you up the backside!

I think we’ll have too much for them, but don’t underestimate Inter would be my advice – but if we are anywhere near our best, nobody can live with us..

Prediction: City 4-1 Inter

How did Andy get on last month?

Mozzer predicted five out of nine results correctly but got no scores right. Of the games this season he has forecasted, Andy got 39 results out of 51 correct with three correct scores.

In 2002, I proposed to the Manchester City hierarchy that a book had to be produced to record the final season at Maine Road. They were slightly hesitant, but as I outlined the ideas for it I was more or less told “get on with it then.” And so at the start of 2002/03 season I started work on what was to become ‘We’re Not Really Here’, my photographic opus to our home of 80 years.

Obviously it was a dream assignment for me to work closely with my football club but having spent the previous 25 years of my life working with musicians, I hadn’t realised that footballers tended to get out of bed earlier than Shaun Ryder and co.

When I was told to get to Carrington for 10 o'clock, I genuinely thought they meant 10pm rather than 10am. It’s a fair old slog from London too. I was having to leave home at 6am - which was normally the time I’d arrive home after some late night adventure...

It was important that the players knew who I was and what I was doing. After all, I was going to spend quite a large part of the year up at Carrington, our training complex. They were naturally suspicious for the first few days, thinking they had to be on their best behavior with a camera around, but that soon passed when they realised I was there for the season. I knew I’d been accepted when they started taking the mick out of me as if I was one of the lads. Playing wall passes off my legs when I was trying to take photos – and ribbing me about my choice of boots – kindly loaned by Les Chapman, as regrettably my playing days were long over …

I liked the whole squad that season. They were all really professional and very welcoming. It was a privilege to spend so much time behind the scenes.

I particularly liked Marc Vivien Foe. He seemed more adult, more grown up than some of the other lads. He also looked incredibly regal on the training ground. He was always interested in what I was doing and would regularly want to look at the photos as the season developed. He was very generous with his time; uncomplainingly signing whatever was put in front of him.

City had just signed a deal with Samsung to provide plasma screen TVs for the City of Manchester Stadium. They were still pretty expensive in 2002 – approx. £3,000 each. MVF bought 24 of them to send to his family in Lyon and the Cameroon.

He also regularly bought shirts from the Club Shop to send home.

At Christmas, I stayed up in Manchester with friends. We played Spurs the day prior to Christmas Eve, Villa on Boxing Day and we were due to play Fulham away two days later.

Marco played one of his best games for us in the home game against Villa, with the added bonus of scoring two goals. I wanted a shot of him as he walked towards the tunnel applauding the fans. As he reached me I said, “Goal machine Marco” He laughed, took his shirt off and gave it to me.

I took it back to my friend's house. It smelled of sweat and perfume and was very wet. We put it on the radiator to dry and the odor released was erm pungent to say the least! That's hard work, for you.

Around midnight I got a call from Les Chapman.

“Kevin, have you got Marco’s shirt? He says he gave it to you.”

“Yes”.

“Great” he said. “I told him not to give any more shirts away. That’s the last one in his size until mid-January. Will you bring it to the hotel?”

The team was staying in Chelsea Harbour. Unfortunately I was still in Manchester.

“Well he can’t play unless you bring his shirt back.” said Les.

I imagined Keegan going ballistic if he picked Marco and was then told he couldn’t play because I had his shirt. I agreed to leave earlier than I wanted to in order to carry out this mercy dash.

I’d offered to drive my mate John home. I was picking him up at The George and Dragon in Cheadle at lunchtime. When I got there, John had told everyone the story of the shirt. They wanted to see it. They then all wanted photos of themselves with it. This trip was going to be longer than envisaged.

We finally got onto the M6 along with what appeared to be 30 million other people. It was more like a car park than a motorway.

We stopped in Sparkbrook, Birmingham for a curry on the way home. I suddenly thought ‘what if the car gets broken into and his shirt goes missing?’ I was more worried about that than all the Christmas presents and camera equipment. Consequently we took it into the restaurant with us. I then spent the next hour hoping I wouldn’t spill curry on it.

Finally, just before midnight we reached Chelsea Harbour. I took the shirt in and rang Les. He came down to the bar to pick it up. He took one look at this stale smelly dirty team shirt and said to me – in all seriousness, “Jesus Kevin, haven’t you washed it?”

I laughed. I said “I’ve just driven for ten hours to bring it here. When did you expect me to wash it?”

He muttered something under his breath and then said, “Get yourself a drink on my room, I’m going to have to go upstairs and wash this in the sink.”

The following day at Loftus Road, as the players came out to warm up, Marco came over to me to thank me for bringing his shirt back and to promise that he’d give it back to me as soon as Les got more stock after Christmas. His shirt was still badly stained but at least he was able to play. He laughed at the idea of Les hand-washing it in his bathroom at midnight and said what a hopeless job he’d made of it.

A few weeks later, he was true to his word and he handed it over after the home game v Fulham when once again he was on the score-sheet with a goal in our 4-1 home win.

It was a fitting tribute that he scored the final City goal at Maine Road v Sunderland – becoming second only to Nic Anelka in Premiership goals that season.

As soon as the season was over, my book was at the printers and I’d been half watching the Confederations Cup from France. On 26 June Cameroon were playing Colombia in the semi final on Marco’s home ground The Stade de Gerland in Lyon.

After 72 minutes a player collapsed in the centre circle. It was only when I saw the replay that I realized it was Foe. It was clearly serious – but we had no way of knowing that within an hour he’d be gone.

I was distraught – as were many City fans and football people generally.

I’ve worked with a lot of musicians who’ve died young – sometimes because of their hedonistic lifestyle – but I never expected to see a footballer – a fit 28 year-old at the peak of his game – pass away on the pitch.

I realized that the book had to contain a tribute to Marco. The publishers weren’t so keen. It would cost them several thousand pounds to alter the schedule – but I insisted.

Both Olympique Lyonnais and Kevin Keegan gave me lovely heartfelt tributes – and we placed them at the front of the book accompanied by a lovely regal portrait of the man.

Olympique Lyonnais tribute:

"We will remember Marc Vivien Foe as a charming lad, full of the joys of life. We will always remember his bursts of laughter, his music coming from the changing rooms and his good nature away from the pitch. Marco, we will never forget you."

Kevin Keegan tribute:

"Marc was not only a special footballer but a very special person. We will all miss his smile and his personality. Everyone knows what a wonderful player he was but more than that he was a fine human being. He had the ability to make us all smile and feel better. We will miss him."

God bless Marco. You were a giant of a man and one of the loveliest people I’ve ever known. It was a pleasure and privilege to work with you.


Kevin Cummins, June 2011

the story behind 'EVERYWHERE'

Everywhere. It’s the City fan chant that is indeed following the Blues. erm, everywhere...

As ever, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact origin or who first came up with the idea, but one thing is for certain, it’s caught on in a big way.

Our inside sources say 'Everywhere' was chanted a few years back without much take up - but it resurfaced in a big way as our fans waited to be let out after the 2-1 loss to United at Old Trafford earlier this season.

The song itself is, of course, by Fleetwood Mac – the Anglo/American quintet who have sold millions of records around the world and were founded in 1967.

It would be 20 years before the single ‘Everywhere’ was released, written by band member Christine McVie, the song was from the multi-platinum selling ‘Tango In the Night’ and reached No.14 in the US and number four in the UK and has sold 2.4million copies according to the British Phonographic Industry.

The record went down well with critics, with The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis claiming it was "peerless" and "bulletproof pop song writing." Many Fleetwood Mac fans believed it to be the best song on the album which sold 15 million copies worldwide.

In 2022, USA Today wrote: “The light-hearted sound – those tinkling keyboards, bouncy backbeat and soaring chorus – playfully skips along with lyrics that are deceptively simple in their declaration (“You know that I'm falling, and I don't know what to say … I want to be with you everywhere”). That the song hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart in October is testament to its generational pull.”

Christine McVie sadly passed away late last year, so she never got to hear the City fans' rendition, but given her nature and zest for life, it’s likely she would have been flattered to hear thousands of people echoing her words (mostly!) around the Etihad and wherever the Blues play.

For copyright reasons we can’t reprint the lyrics and we obviously can’t reproduce our fans’ version of the song, but against Arsenal, a colossal ‘I wanna be with you everywhere’ flag was draped over the entire East Stand against Arsenal with graffiti style writing.

It looked pretty impressive and a fitting tribute to a wonderful pop song that has transferred seamlessly to a stadium chant. An original Manchester City stadium chant, that is..

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