Forever Blue With Ian Cheeseman: City Retain The Personal Touch During Glory Days

Professional football is about the fans, well it should be.

I’m not sure that football’s governing bodies and the TV companies that organise and cover the sport would agree, especially when so many fixtures are rearranged late and often at times that will be challenging for match going fans. 

I realise that money is still the driving force at the top end of the beautiful game but every now and again my faith is restored. This weekend has been a good example of how and why. I’m not talking about Manchester City’s 4-0 win against Southampton, as impressive and enjoyable as that was. 

My footballing weekend started on Friday when City’s Official Supporters Club invited me to their annual fundraising dinner for CITC, which is the club’s charity arm, City in the Community. I’ve long been aware of the great work they do, through my long friendship with former City goalkeeper Alex Williams, who is Executive Manager. He was awarded with an MBE in 2002 for his services to young people, through CITC. 

Alex is one of the kindest and most worthy people I know and it’s no surprise that such a humble man is still in that role over thirty years after he first came back to the club, once his playing career was over. Another former City player, Nedum Onuoha, is now one of it’s trustees and so the organisation continues to do the right things.

The Supporters Club invited lots of the club’s former players to their annual shindig, including Pablo Zabaleta, who was the star guest alongside Onuoha. Both gave great speeches and I got the chance to have a chat with Zaba myself.

“It’s always great to be back at the stadium and talking to the fans. It’s always been a special place,” he told me. I then asked him how he’d stop Erling Haaland from scoring, “It’s impossible to defend against this guy at the moment. He’s a beast. It’s a great signing for the club. Ability wise he’s fantastic but what I like about him is that he always seems to be very hungry for more. Two or three goals is not enough for him, he always wants more and that’s the attitude from the players that we want to see playing for the club.

“Haaland seems to be the right player for the club, all those pictures of him as a young lad wearing a City shirt are special and we are all enjoying watching him play.” Zabaleta then walked into a packed room of City fans and at one point led the singing of his own song, which was great to see. That type of evening shows that the former players, the club and the fans still have a real bond.

The following day I was briefly invited to meet 102-year-old Geoffrey Rothband, in a private box at the Etihad Stadium. The club hierarchy had seen a tweet, on social media, from his son Nigel, celebrating another year in his amazing Dad’s life and followed up by offering a private box with all trimmings, for the Southampton game. All Geoffrey’s family were there for a very special day which included visits from former players like Gary Owen, Peter Barnes and Tommy Booth. 

What a club City are. They’ve never lost that personal touch. Everything might not be perfect, in all the interactions we all have with the club, but doing things like that warms my heart. I captured the atmosphere of Friday night’s Supporters Club Dinner, Pablo Zabaleta’s return to Manchester and 102-year-old Geoffrey’s special day, on my Forever Blue matchday vlog, which you’ll find on Youtube, if you have a few minutes. Give it a watch, it might just restore your faith in humanity.