Ricky Hatton Supports Manchester United?
May 22, 2008 by Michael Sedor
Filed under MMA-UFC
When Ricky Hatton steps into the ring on Saturday against Juan Lazcano he will be fulfilling his lifelong dream of competing on his beloved Manchester City FC’s home pitch. Hatton’s love for all things Citeh has been well documented. His father and grandfather played for the Blues, he wears Man City-colored trunks, and his ring entrance music is City’s supporter’s song “Blue Moon”.
As a child Hatton surely always dreamed of playing at Maine Road. He will never get the chance to play in that venerated and now-demolished stadium but he will be fighting at Eastlands, marching to the ring in front of 55,000 Mancunians who will all be singing “Blue Moon” at the top of their lungs. As a City supporter myself I have chills after typing that last sentence.
But, as any football fan knows, the current state of MCFC is a mess. Their autocratic new owner Thaksin Shinawatra has presumably sacked manger Sven-Göran Erikkson, despite qualifying for Europe, equaling City’s highest-ever Premier League finish, and defeating rival Manchester United twice! Rumor has it he’s also placed the entire squad on the transfer list.
Yesterday on GranadaTV Ricky Hatton gave fans even more fodder to light up the message boards by declaring that he hopes Man Utd. win the Champions League (they did) and “bring another belt and trophy back to this great city of Manchester.” We all should have seen this coming when he said his brother Matthew (who is also fighting Saturday) is a Man United supporter.
Ricky’s statement is tantamount to treason! Imagine, American readers, the most die hard Mets fan saying he hopes the Yankees win the World Series. Would that person suddenly lose their fandom credibility? That’s the message board debate:
Manchester la la la la says: “And he calls himself a city fan???”
Dubai Blue states: “He’s obviously not fully recovered from that knock to the head”
Jay MCFC reasons: “Dear oh dear Mr Hatton. This is a step too far.”
Blunderer cleverly thinks: “No doubt he’s been told not to isolate United fans so they will be fans of his. He’s just playing the politician. He hates them as much as the rest of us.”
NReddishblue concludes: “No one can doubt Ricky Hatton is City fan, we all support City in a different way”
Indeed we do NReddishblue but not all of us get to fight of the Eastlands pitch. Maybe he should be more careful about what he says. Nevertheless, I believe that Hatton has done so much for City that he can say whatever he’d like. He’s a City season ticket holder, in the HBO 24/7 documentary he and his son wore City gear, and he has promoted the team at length equaled only by the Gallagher brothers.
In this time of Man City strife it would be wrong to turn on good old Ricky. If he shows up to the ring wearing red, however, then we will really have something to talk about.
Photo Source: Newscom.com
Let’s not forget that Ricky is good buddies with Wayne Rooney, despite the City/United rivalry. Ricky’s comments are more about the city itself and its recognition, especially of late, as a football mecca regardless of team affiliation. Certainly the city of Manchester has much to be proud of, despite the smear of the war criminal who runs Man City. Hosting the Cup Final was a coup for the City, and the law and order elements did a fine job of ensuring fan safety–as good as any city could do–despite some relatively minor incidents with Rangers miscreants. As an American making his first visit to Manchester next April, I look forward to getting to know the city.
I think you’re right about the Rooney connection and the pro-Manchester as a city (small c) comments. The shock and dismay from City fans is a little misplaced and will surely disappear once Blue Moon starts playing on Saturday night.
Are you headed over to Manchester for a football match in April? Sounds like a great trip either way.
as far as Thaksin, I think war criminal is a little heavy handed. let’s just say, for libel’s sake, “alleged human rights violator”
Regardless I’m always a little skeptical when those slinging the attacks and protesting are upper-middle class royalists.
Not that I would agree with them but there are more than a few 20th century U.S. presidents that many outsiders would call “war criminals.”
I’m more concerned about the recent news at http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/14/manchestercity reporting that Thaksin doesn’t have nearly as much money as he’s let on and that Thaksin may be “borrowing money against future ticket and TV income.” Ooooof.
Things could get far far worse for brave City.