David Coats Blog

This weekend was fantastic - even though Southampton lost. I’d just about got over the worst of my bout of the Flu, but it was a little tainted by coughs, snotty nose and hot flushes. I ended up getting the train to Manchester and staying on my own in a hotel after Jonno dropped out - but I was quite glad to be honest. I would have infected everyone in the car - instead I infected everyone on Richard Branson’s lovely new tilting train!

Sean and I made the 200 mile trip primarily to see Manchester United play Portsmouth and Manchester City play Southampton in the FA cup, however we decided to add some working class history and culture of Manchester to our agenda with a trip to the Science and Industry museum. The steam exhibition was incredible. Working steam turbines grind away day in day out as they did in the cotton mills 100 years ago. It must have been horrific working in those conditions - so loud and hot. Seeing this makes you realise why football is so big in the north east - with so much industry generating so much rivalry between regions. We headed out to Old Trafford and into the Bishops Blaize.

Now this is no ordinary Weatherspoons. It is a cathedral for United fans. A cathedral led by one man - Peter Boyle. The Bishops Blaize is in many ways more outstanding than a cathedral - as swearing and drinking are allowed - and used excessively! There’s group arrogance with chants of ‘mourinho are you listening‘ There’s hatred of Jailed Liverpool Fans with ‘Michael Sheilds has 10 more years‘. There’s adoration of past captains ‘a drink to eric the king‘. Most of all however, there’s one of the biggest commuinty spirits i’ve ever witnessed, everyone joining in, everyone smiling, everyone singing to familiar songs. Football is great! Before you ask - i’m not going to become a united fan - but I have certainly changed my opinion that all united fans are foreigners and boring.

The Saints game on Sunday was nothing in comparison. Admittedly, we didn’t find the ‘City Cathedral’, but the fans seemed a million times more subdued. The City of Manchester Stadium, despite being shiny and new was half empty since only around 20000 city fans turned up - its a 48000 seater stadium! When Saints went 1-0 up, we gave the obligatory ‘premiership, you’re having a laugh’ but within minutes City equalised and shortly after half time it was all over at 3-1. Our disappointment was vented in the form of the song ‘you’re ground’s too big for you’ and ‘the stewards are c***s’ after their heavy handed approach at throwing a dozen saints fans out for not sitting down but not even requesting city fans take their seats. Oh the injustice!

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