Football and Music

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned previously but I am a long (long being the keyword here) suffering Man City fan. Yes thank you…thank you for your sympathy.

I hear some of you saying what have I got to moan about ? Arab owners…billions of pounds…Robinho…

Remember that it is Citeh and they have the uncanny ability despite any good fortune, to counterbalance this by shooting themselves in the foot. Constantly.

In the late 90’s they had bit of luck when Francis Lee (legendary player/terrible chairman) did the only bit of good business for the club when he signed this man:

Kinkladze, like Juninho and Cantona became a footballing god in the Citeh fan’s eyes with his breathtaking skills. But unlike the little Brazilian at Boro, he actually stayed after they were relegated.

I had the pleasure – nay honour of seeing him play up close when City were on their downward spiral.
– At Oxford when they were still at the Manor Ground. In the away end with the crush barriers… stone steps… No roof. Ah those were the days…

I remember they had two players marking him and Kinky still managed to score two goals. Ah what a day…

He stayed despite Ajax wanting to pay double for what they eventually did pay a couple of seasons later.
As this archive Manchester Evening News article said:

…With hindsight, perhaps Kinkladze’s loyalty was misplaced.

He needed the big stage to display his extravagant skills and certainly looked uncomfortable in a lower division.

City ended that season in a hugely-disappointing 14th position and the Georgian star would almost certainly have left that summer but for an extraordinary show of support and affection from the Blues fans.

Kinkladze’s final season at Maine Road was painful both for Kinkladze and his army of admirers among the crowd.

As the managerial merry-go-round continued, Frank Clarke was replaced by Joe Royle whose belief was that Kinkladze was an expensive luxury which he couldn’t afford if he was to achieve his target of taking the Blues back into the Premiership.

A transfer fee of ‘5m for Kinkladze was agreed with the Dutch giants Ajax and at the end of that season, the love affair between the City fans and little Kinky was terminated leaving only the ever-lasting memories of a footballing genius who many “Blue Mooners” will insist was the most gifted player ever to appear at Maine Road.

I don’t know what he’s doing now. His Wikipedia entry mentions his retirement from football back in 2006 and nothing since.

– –

There is a local musician who is a loyal* Man City fan who composed an Ode to Kinky… and like the other two previously posted I wish he didn’t. Yet again we have another club legend lauded with another bad tune.

*crossed out because I spotted something on his website

The singer in this case is Kevin Phoenix and he’s done a few other songs about Man City (*and somebody else) which I may post in the future. But for now here is his Kinky track:

Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com

» Kevin Phoenix – Gio (Kinkladze) – and here is Kevin’s cover version of a song originally done by a Status Quo tribute band from Burnage: » Kevin Phoenix – Half The World Away

… Well how about this one from the original group, which was sung by the fans in the Kippax with altered lyrics, about a certain little ginger team boss at the time… Yeah that shooting ourselves thing again.

» Oasis – Wonderwall