Brian Woolnough and the Sunday Supplement

[Bingo Lewis]

From: Danny Lewis
Sent: 08 September 2010 10:27
To: 'piers.morgan@mailonsunday.co.uk'
Subject: Manchester City


Morning Piers,

As a lifelong City fan of 27 years, I have found myself distressed time and time again with the comments of the media since the ADUG takeover, ranging from tabloids, to broadsheets, and even on live television.
Any article you have written since the takeover regarding City, I feel has been extremely fair and well balanced and I'll admit that before you caught my attention I never thought you were a man who knew his football. I was wrong. You seem to be the only Journo who will actually speak his mind about football, rather than just jumping on the latest bandwagon for whichever club is the trendiest right now.
What I wanted to point out to you is a common phrase for certain Journo's (mentioning no names Cough sunday supplement Cough) about City "Ruining Football" with their spending. One particular chap who seems to have a massive Anti-City agenda, Brian Woolnough, even pointed the finger at City for England's embarrasment at the World Cup. Here is his article;

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/columnists/v ... the-teeth/

Now I'm sure you watched England last night, and noticed that City had 6 players on the pitch at the end of the game. Hardly ruining English football is it? By the end of the game Jamie Redknap was pointing this fact out, as was the chap who was doing the aftermatch player and manager interviews. Slowly people are changing their tune towards us, especially after our demolition of Liverpool. The whole country are in love with Joe Hart and Adam Johnson. If anything it seems City are saving England's national team, not ruining it.

What I'm getting at Piers, is after the article about you dining with Dr Al Fahim, and your expectations of what City could become, City fans have taken a liking to you, and kind of see you as our voice in the media.

It would only be right if you were the one to stick it to the know nothing sheep who consistenly bad mouth a traditionally humble club, just because they won the lottery, or because they are not Manchester United, and point out to them what is plain to see. Manchester City FC are good for English football.

Thanks in advance,


Daniel Lewis
Manchester

PS, if you would like to speak to me for any more views on being a City fan, I'm contactable on 0*********9 and I am a regular poster on http://www.mancityfans.net feel free to have a look for some intelligent views and debates.

Nice one Danny, I really hope it gets the response it deserves. Piers seems well clued up in our situation, plus it would do him good personally to be on the side of the most successful side in footballing history from the beginning of their reign.

Piers seems to be one of the very few who have actually done their homework and give a sensible view rather than one to please the masses, also by giving City praise when deserved could be seen as controversial given the current climate, and we all know how the media love controversy.

Thats it mate, my line of thinking was that Piers likes to be controversial. He was the first to make a proper comment about us, and he should be the first to defend us.
I like him.

[mcfctm]

"I would like to thank Roberto Mancini for lending england his team, City are the future."

Thats BBC's Mark Bright on Twitter - as for Woolnough, bout time he got a few letters and emails.

I don't like him cos his commentary is shit but after reading them comments i'm starting to like him

[sandman]

My Effort;

Dear Mr Woolnough,

I write in response to your article dated 7th July 2010 entitled "MAN CITY SPENDING SPREE KICKS ENGLAND IN THE TEETH"

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/columnists/v ... the-teeth/

Rather than another "in your face" e-mail, I have decided write highlighting rather important facts about Manchester City that you may or may not wish to benefit from when writing future columns.

The opening line of your article read: "For one big reason why England fail so consistently at the World Cup and European Championship, look no further than Eastlands". Now surely one could first look at The Emirates or Old Trafford, at the stature of their clubs and at the lack of contributions on show from their Champions League regulars in our national team.

Last night no less than six Manchester City players were on show at St Jakob Park in a very successful and crucial away victory in a European qualifying game, also another two capped players (Micah Richards and Wayne Bridge) remain in contention, the latter of which is only out of the squad due to the poor behaviour and lack of morals of the former captain, who was clearly not missed last night given both the performance and score line of our young squad.

May I also highlight that Manchester City have the following list of senior players eligible for a National call up to the England Squad with plenty more in progress at the fabulous Platt Lane complex;

Goalkeepers;
Joe Hart
Stuart Taylor

Defenders;
Javan Vidal
Joleon Lescott
Wayne Bridge
Shaleum Logan
Nedum Onuoha
Micah Richards

Midfielders;
Adam Johnson
Gareth Barry
James Milner
Michael Johnson
Shaun Wright-Phillips

Strikers;
Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely

Nine out of this list of fourteen have been with Manchester City since their teens showing that Manchester City are taking youth and development VERY seriously and are certainly including them into their future plans. The remaining five names on the above list are also very much an important part of the squad in both the first eleven or providing solid cover.

Please see below, I have drafted a very respectable potential England team constructed solely from players on the books at Manchester City.
(Please also note that every player below has already achieved a level of international experience and all but three have had senior international caps).

-----------------Joe Hart---------------

Richards - Onuoha - Lescott - Bridge

SWP----------M.Johnson---------Barry

A.Johnson------Nimely----------Milner


I pray that you take on my comments, do your homework and give a sensible constructive view, whether it be praise or criticism rather than the misinformed mudslinging that Manchester City are so regularly the victims of from the media at times.

Giving Manchester City praise when deserved would certainly be seen as controversial given the current climate, and we all know how the media love controversy, wouldn't it be nice if one or two voices actually stood up for the club speaking sense, now that would indeed cause some real controversy.

[Manx Blue]

My Effort;

Dear Mr Woolnough,

I write in response to your article dated 7th July 2010 entitled "MAN CITY SPENDING SPREE KICKS ENGLAND IN THE TEETH"

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/columnists/v ... the-teeth/

Rather than another "in your face" e-mail, I have decided write highlighting rather important facts about Manchester City that you may or may not wish to benefit from when writing future columns.

The opening line of your article read: "For one big reason why England fail so consistently at the World Cup and European Championship, look no further than Eastlands". Now surely one could first look at The Emirates or Old Trafford, at the stature of their clubs and at the lack of contributions on show from their Champions League regulars in our national team.

Last night no less than six Manchester City players were on show at St Jakob Park in a very successful and crucial away victory in a European qualifying game, also another two capped players (Micah Richards and Wayne Bridge) remain in contention, the latter of which is only out of the squad due to the poor behaviour and lack of morals of the former captain, who was clearly not missed last night given both the performance and score line of our young squad.

May I also highlight that Manchester City have the following list of senior players eligible for a National call up to the England Squad with plenty more in progress at the fabulous Platt Lane complex;

Goalkeepers;
Joe Hart
Stuart Taylor

Defenders;
Javan Vidal
Joleon Lescott
Wayne Bridge
Shaleum Logan
Nedum Onuoha
Micah Richards

Midfielders;
Adam Johnson
Gareth Barry
James Milner
Michael Johnson
Shaun Wright-Phillips

Strikers;
Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely

Nine out of this list of fourteen have been with Manchester City since their teens showing that Manchester City are taking youth and development VERY seriously and are certainly including them into their future plans. The remaining five names on the above list are also very much an important part of the squad in both the first eleven or providing solid cover.

Please see below, I have drafted a very respectable potential England team constructed solely from players on the books at Manchester City.
(Please also note that every player below has already achieved a level of international experience and all but three have had senior international caps).

-----------------Joe Hart---------------

Richards - Onuoha - Lescott - Bridge

SWP----------M.Johnson---------Barry

A.Johnson------Nimely----------Milner


I pray that you take on my comments, do your homework and give a sensible constructive view, whether it be praise or criticism rather than the misinformed mudslinging that Manchester City are so regularly the victims of from the media at times.

Giving Manchester City praise when deserved would certainly be seen as controversial given the current climate, and we all know how the media love controversy, wouldn't it be nice if one or two voices actually stood up for the club speaking sense, now that would indeed cause some real controversy.

Nice Work Sandy!....Any of us get a response? I haven't as yet

[sandman]

My Effort;

Dear Mr Woolnough,

I write in response to your article dated 7th July 2010 entitled "MAN CITY SPENDING SPREE KICKS ENGLAND IN THE TEETH"

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/columnists/v ... the-teeth/

Rather than another "in your face" e-mail, I have decided write highlighting rather important facts about Manchester City that you may or may not wish to benefit from when writing future columns.

The opening line of your article read: "For one big reason why England fail so consistently at the World Cup and European Championship, look no further than Eastlands". Now surely one could first look at The Emirates or Old Trafford, at the stature of their clubs and at the lack of contributions on show from their Champions League regulars in our national team.

Last night no less than six Manchester City players were on show at St Jakob Park in a very successful and crucial away victory in a European qualifying game, also another two capped players (Micah Richards and Wayne Bridge) remain in contention, the latter of which is only out of the squad due to the poor behaviour and lack of morals of the former captain, who was clearly not missed last night given both the performance and score line of our young squad.

May I also highlight that Manchester City have the following list of senior players eligible for a National call up to the England Squad with plenty more in progress at the fabulous Platt Lane complex;

Goalkeepers;
Joe Hart
Stuart Taylor

Defenders;
Javan Vidal
Joleon Lescott
Wayne Bridge
Shaleum Logan
Nedum Onuoha
Micah Richards

Midfielders;
Adam Johnson
Gareth Barry
James Milner
Michael Johnson
Shaun Wright-Phillips

Strikers;
Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely

Nine out of this list of fourteen have been with Manchester City since their teens showing that Manchester City are taking youth and development VERY seriously and are certainly including them into their future plans. The remaining five names on the above list are also very much an important part of the squad in both the first eleven or providing solid cover.

Please see below, I have drafted a very respectable potential England team constructed solely from players on the books at Manchester City.
(Please also note that every player below has already achieved a level of international experience and all but three have had senior international caps).

-----------------Joe Hart---------------

Richards - Onuoha - Lescott - Bridge

SWP----------M.Johnson---------Barry

A.Johnson------Nimely----------Milner


I pray that you take on my comments, do your homework and give a sensible constructive view, whether it be praise or criticism rather than the misinformed mudslinging that Manchester City are so regularly the victims of from the media at times.

Giving Manchester City praise when deserved would certainly be seen as controversial given the current climate, and we all know how the media love controversy, wouldn't it be nice if one or two voices actually stood up for the club speaking sense, now that would indeed cause some real controversy.

Nice Work Sandy!....Any of us get a response? I haven't as yet

Cheers. Mine was only sent 15 mins ago, but if I do get any respnse (not likely) i'll post it on here staright away.

[Manx Blue]

Just amended slightly

Who’s that playing out in Basel?
Who’s that standing on the Field?
Shaun Wright-Phillips, Milner, Hart
Johnson, Barry & Lescott
'Cos City are the English National Team!

[Dubciteh]

sent this into mediawatch on football365 and got a shoutout:

http://www.football365.com/mediawatch/0 ... 31,00.html

good to see the clown been shown up for what he is!

[Chinners]

Dear Brian

Hope you are enjoying the mass of emails over the last couple of days. Might make you think twice before writing stuff you obviously have no clue about. I'm pretty sure others will have made the point(s) about that risible piece you constructed so I will just highlight that 13 of our squad are English compared to 3 in your beloved club. Do one.

Chinners of mancity.net

[13021J]

This is fantastic. Others are on to this now see this F365 link below:

http://www.football365.com/mediawatch/0 ... 31,00.html

[the_georgian_genius]

Very easy to look back with hindsight though isn't it?

Who in July would of thought that 6 players would play for England?

Hart - Not even number 1 with us yet.
Lescott - Only an injury a LEFT BACK for us and an injury to THREE centre backs with England is the only reason he has been playing.
Milner - Still a Villa player
Barry - Defo
Johnson and SWP - Still subs.

Meanwhile we were buying Yaya, Silva, Kolarov and Baoteng for big money. Maybe he was right at the time from an England's point of view.

As for the Piers Morgan praise, it makes me want to vomit!!!!

[Ted Hughes]

Very easy to look back with hindsight though isn't it?

Who in July would of thought that 6 players would play for England?

Hart - Not even number 1 with us yet.
Lescott - Only an injury a LEFT BACK for us and an injury to THREE centre backs with England is the only reason he has been playing.
Milner - Still a Villa player
Barry - Defo
Johnson and SWP - Still subs.

Meanwhile we were buying Yaya, Silva, Kolarov and Baoteng for big money. Maybe he was right at the time from an England's point of view.

As for the Piers Morgan praise, it makes me want to vomit!!!!

WTF?? NO HE FUCKING WASN'T!!!!!

[gillie]

Very easy to look back with hindsight though isn't it?

Who in July would of thought that 6 players would play for England?

Hart - Not even number 1 with us yet.
Lescott - Only an injury a LEFT BACK for us and an injury to THREE centre backs with England is the only reason he has been playing.
Milner - Still a Villa player
Barry - Defo
Johnson and SWP - Still subs.

Meanwhile we were buying Yaya, Silva, Kolarov and Baoteng for big money. Maybe he was right at the time from an England's point of view.

As for the Piers Morgan praise, it makes me want to vomit!!!!

Well the fact of the matter is that clown Woolnough blamed our club for Englands piss poor World Cup and yet not 2 months later 6 City players help England win away in Switzerland something only one other nation has done in 24 matches.I cant believe you are defending the clown.

[ronk]

Hart was always going to get called up, it was well known that James was getting flicked and what exactly were Green 's chances going to be. Hart went straight in against Hungary.

Johnson narrowly missed the squad and was a glaring error, he didn't have a lot of football before getting called up again to England, I don't even watch England much but I could have seen that.

Lescott had an injury disrupted last season but has generally been in the squad and was pushing well previously. You can't really count King as an injury, that's just how he is. Ferdinand was injured at the time of the article so Woolnough still failed on doing his research. Upson has been pushed out so it's fair to assume that Lescott was likely to be selected anyway even before the withdrawal of Terry, who has been shit.

The Milner rumours were strong but we'll give him that one. Still would have been 5 players.

He can have no excuse whatsover with SWP or Barry, and he must have been aware of the chances of Richards and Bridge. It was just ignorance and malice.

[Beefymcfc]

I do like people playing Devil's Advocate, but some comments really do make me wonder!?!

[irblinx]

I'm sure it was very therapeutic for you all to write the longer examples but face it, he won't read them so you may as well have written an abusive one liner. It wouldn't surprise me if he just sets his junk mail filter up to remove any emails with "City" in the text.

As for Morgan being our voice in the press, I bloody hope not as the guy has no credibility whatsoever. The only respected sports journalist to be consistently positive about the "project" at City is Oliver Holt, in fact were it not for him seeing his arse over us sacking Hughes he probably wouldn't have had a bad word to say against us.

[mcfctm]

I'm sure it was very therapeutic for you all to write the longer examples but face it, he won't read them so you may as well have written an abusive one liner. It wouldn't surprise me if he just sets his junk mail filter up to remove any emails with "City" in the text.

As for Morgan being our voice in the press, I bloody hope not as the guy has no credibility whatsoever. The only respected sports journalist to be consistently positive about the "project" at City is Oliver Holt, in fact were it not for him seeing his arse over us sacking Hughes he probably wouldn't have had a bad word to say against us.

Oliver Holt? He's changed his tune now we've got money. He used to bum the scum and put us down at every opportunity a few years ago. I dont like the guy tbh.
The only journo who writes positive and honest article's about us is Martin Samuel (from what i've read anyway).

[Goaters 103]

I'm sure it was very therapeutic for you all to write the longer examples but face it, he won't read them so you may as well have written an abusive one liner. It wouldn't surprise me if he just sets his junk mail filter up to remove any emails with "City" in the text.

As for Morgan being our voice in the press, I bloody hope not as the guy has no credibility whatsoever. The only respected sports journalist to be consistently positive about the "project" at City is Oliver Holt, in fact were it not for him seeing his arse over us sacking Hughes he probably wouldn't have had a bad word to say against us.

Daniel Taylor in the Guardian and Ian Ladyman in the Mail are OK. I passed on messrs Woolnough and Kelly's aticles to Ian Ladyman and had a bit of a chat about it with him via Twitter.

Whether it was theraputic or not for us all is a moot point, as through some of the various avenues of communciation available these days, though Woolnough may not have read the emails, others in the media certainly have.

[saulman]

Did anyone get a reply? I did. Here goes...................

You don't say which article you are refering to.

Heh.

I replied with this.........(usual stuff)....

Dear Brian,

The article I am referring to is entitled 'Man City Spending Spree Kicks England in the Teeth'. Here's a link, in case you forgot what you wrote..... http://www.dailystar.co.uk/columnists/v ... teeth/...I suspect strongly that you'll be quite happy to forget you did write that nonsense.

Last night England finished the game with six City players on the pitch. Granted, this only happened due to injuries but Barry, Milner, Hart and Johnson all look likely to me making the first team as much as anyone else. With the injury history of England defenders, Lescott will more than likely play more games than most anticipated. Then with SWP on the bench, that's quite a hefty Manchester City showing.

Now whilst I appreciate the media have turned all bitter towards Manchester City and their new found wealth and can also appreciate that their threat to the Sky 4 club is very real, your article goes way beyond reason. When the country was hurting from the poor national showing in the World Cup, to blame Manchester City and their spending policy is ludicrous in the extreme.

Last nights game, and the number of City players on the pitch can only show that City are doing nothing but helping the national team. All of the six players are in and around the City first team and each is a prominent member of the squad. Add the names of Richards and Bridge into the mix and your article is shown up to be nothing short of utter twaddle.

Do you think you are likely to eat humble pie and retract that article in your next column? Will you credit Manchester City for providing half the team that breezed through arguably the most difficult game in the group? Will you thank Roberto Mancini for not faking any injuries of his players like some purple nosed, whiskey addict might have done? (Whinger doesn't have that luxury, having only Walcott to choose from)

I'll look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Saul

I have not since had a response.

[Manx Blue]

Holt is a rag Cunt... He was slagging us off the other week on SS

[Ted Hughes]

Holt is a rag Cunt... He was slagging us off the other week on SS

Holt was originally more of a City fan who disgracefully became a rag lover. After years of slagging us, Cook & Co made a big effort to talk him & his mates round by selling them 'the project' & the idea that we were different to others; would give the manager time etc etc. Holt & his mates printed what Cook told them & were very supportive, often arguing our case against other hacks. While this was going on, Cook was having clandestine meetings with Mancini & proceeded to sack Hughes in one of the worst PR disasters in City's history. Some of the journo's have not & probably never will forgive City for making complete twats out of them in public.

Henry Winter & one or two others seem to be slowly coming round but I think Holt hates our guts now.