Do you really believe that we are being persecuted?

[Patrick]

There have been a few threads recently concerning the diabolical treatment that we receive at the hands of refs, the fa, uefa and uncle Tom Cobley.

My question is.....

Do you think there is some diabolical conspiracy against us or do you think we are a bit unrealistic when considering the complexities and vagaries of football? Something less extreme perhaps?

Please don't include how the rags get favourable treatment unless it's directly against us, that's a different debate

[brite blu sky]

no not persecuted.. we dont get the rub of the green that some do, thats about all. Put them together though and it can seem a bit much sometimes.. plus the press loving to stick it to us whenever they can, but that can just be the novelty of us being around to take cheap shots.

ignore it all and get on with our job is the best way to deal with it.

[Beefymcfc]

Stop it Patrick, you're getting me paranoid!

[Ted Hughes]

There has always been a pecking order. It's not 100% deliberate by refs but Graeme Poll recently admitted that he treated players such as Ronaldo differently than some other players so that asks a lot of questions.

The top (& once top) clubs always get more favourable decisions than others, not just here but all around the world. Some, like Spurs get more than their share unless they play v the top clubs, when they sometimes get shit on.

We were doing very well out of refs because we're becoming a top club, that was until the media campaign v DeJong, since when we've been largely shit on in every game. The media IS biased & affects the refs imo.

[coMs]

Post by Patrick » Fri Jan 07, 2011 5:13 pm
There have been a few threads recently concerning the diabolical treatment that we receive at the hands of refs, the fa, uefa and uncle Tom Cobley.

My question is.....

Do you think there is some diabolical conspiracy against us or do you think we are a bit unrealistic when considering the complexities and vagaries of football? Something less extreme perhaps?

Please don't include how the rags get favourable treatment unless it's directly against us, that's a different debate

Do you think that the upcoming financial fair play rules would have been introduced had it not been for us.?

[razor400]

Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

[Ted Hughes]

Post by Patrick » Fri Jan 07, 2011 5:13 pm
There have been a few threads recently concerning the diabolical treatment that we receive at the hands of refs, the fa, uefa and uncle Tom Cobley.

My question is.....

Do you think there is some diabolical conspiracy against us or do you think we are a bit unrealistic when considering the complexities and vagaries of football? Something less extreme perhaps?

Please don't include how the rags get favourable treatment unless it's directly against us, that's a different debate

Do you think that the upcoming financial fair play rules would have been introduced had it not been for us.?

Possibly because there are quite a few Russian oil millionaires etc, starting to take an interest, so the threat of destabilising the old guard was already there. I think we brought it to a head but imo, we are a horse that's already bolted.

What it really does is stops Villa or Everton etc from ever doing something similar if they got a cash injection & causing Utd, Arsenal etc to regularly struggle to qualify for the Champions league. They've taken up the drawbridge & imo it's disgusting.

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

No.

The amount of Woe Is Us posts on here makes me cringe.

[ant london]

It's funny TBH.....sometimes it really does feel like the world is against us but I look at it like this (and this encompasses the media, other fans, referees, opposition managers and players...the lot).....

Lots of people statistically support the traditional 1990's/00's "Big 4" and we are upsetting/have upset that applecart hugely....especially in light of United's debt, Liverpool's ownership/managerial crisis, Chelsea's owner's reluctance to spend. We are clearly a huge, horrible, ugly threat to all of these people in whatever of the above categories they fall into....they are not going to be well disposed towards us and this will manifest itself in many ways.

Other people, who don't follow these big teams, will maybe follow the "chasing pack"....they don't like us because we have taken their place at the head of the pack and are much better equipped to achieve what they aspire(d) to and couldn't really (or consistently) achieve. They won't do us any favours in terms of PR, of "likeable City" feeling and behaviour or in other more tangible ways (ie. press reporting, maybe slightly biased officiating etc etc).

The rest....who were never going to win anything, or challenge for anything....well, they are in the position we were in and understandably might feel "why wasn't it us". That too....wont do us any favours.

None of this is a conspiracy.....it all potentially does have a tangible effect on us, as fans, and on the club itself....but none of it is because this is against City because it's City, it would have happened to any club who had been touched by a similarly improbable touch of extreme extreme fortune.

CTID

[Original Dub]

No, we're not persecuted, we are like the little scruff from down the road that everyone felt sorry but could treat like shit.

Then the little scruff won the lottery, so although they could no longer treat the little scruff like shit, they sure as hell could keep reminding everyone where the little scruff came from.

Its an age old story really - the establishment hate gate crashers unless there's an heroic story behind said gate crash.

The people who fail to see any of this and try to ridicule those of us who can are fucking knobs.

[Patrick]

I think that's pretty fair cockney tone.....

Perhaps factor in that city where everyones favourite underachievers who never threatened anyone. We have now turned into the vile nouveau riche club who keep raiding the other prem clubs and fucling them over by paying double for their "stars".

I also agree that the sky big 4 have had an advantage, I'm looking forward to it continuing

[Kiss_The_Goat]

No, not for a minute. We're taking over the Empire bit by bit

[sandman]

Yes, to a degree, all these refs are also fans of certain clubs, most other clubs hate us. Twattenburg stinks of Munich.

[mcfc1632]

not persecuted - but the victims of biased judgements by refs - absolutely

[Goataldo]

I actually think we're becoming luckier.

As has been stated/alluded to, I reckon it's best to flip the question a bit, in order to respond - we're not persecuted, but certain teams are favoured. You know who. Most clubs who aren't in the favoured few might feel persecuted, but you can't persecute the majority.

I've a funny feeling we might start getting more of the rub of the green the better we get, I truly believe we are getting luckier all the time now. Better players are luckier players.

[ross.mcfc]

I actually think we're becoming luckier.

Me too. I used never believe the bigger got the rub of the green until we became one.

[john@staustell]

Well the ref at Newcastle definitely had an agenda.

And Oliver Holt is persecuting us as a full time job.

But we have had a lot of penalties!

[Ted Hughes]

Well the ref at Newcastle definitely had an agenda.

And Oliver Holt is persecuting us as a full time job.

But we have had a lot of penalties!

Notice how many penalty decisions went against us after the DeJong campaign though, after us getting one or two favourable ones before? We were almost getting top 4 treatment until then. Job done as far as the old guard's mates in the press are concerned.

[Fish111]

I have never thought we were being persecuted by anyone but there is a definate bias and jealousy in the written press, that stems from most of of the journos being cockney, munich supporting, freeloading fat twats so it is understandable that they are green with envy and shitting themselves with fear because City will be a top-table diner for many years to come.Anyone notice Brian Kidd in the refs changing room at half time having a chat and a laugh with him? That would never had happened in days gone by, the refs didn't want to really ref games like ours because they wanted to do the big games, but now they know a City match is a big game, as big as they come.

[Blue Since 76]

the bigger clubs have always had more than their fair share of decisions. Don't give Arse a penalty v Bolton that costs them a ein and MOTD will analyse it for an hour. Do it the other way round and they'll laugh off that the small club were unlucky, before doing a pre-prepared piece on how good one of the big team's players are.

In that situation, as a ref/linesman, you're going to give any decision you're not sure about the way of the biggest team. If they're equal in size, you go for the home team. You can't really blame them. Often when you first see an incident you're not sure what really happened, but they have to make a decision, so why not go for the easy decision.

Last season, I was beginning to think there was a conspiracy against us, spurs and villa, considering some of the decisions we all got. Luckily, liverpool were so bad, it didn't matter. This season, we've had the 'luck' against the smaller teams, although we did suffer a bit when the press were all over de jong.

It usually evens out over a season, to say 60:40. I think were now getting close to the 60 side, so we should stop moaning about the 40%