Imre Banana - Janice Monk

[gary james]

nice one gary - top skills :)

I must admit - I was 16 in 1989 and wouldn't have been seen dead with an inflatable then coz i was far too cool for all that. I did however wear the same pair of farahs combined with a pair adidas oxfords every single time i left the house. cool y'see :)

Spot on! I was 21 at the start of the 1989-90 season and my view was 'lets get rid of the bananas - we're in Div1 now. It's serious, we could win the League we don't want to mess around with bananas!' I have often written that I reckon the bananas gave way to Blue Moon because that developed as our anthem during 1989-90 as the inflatable craze died. I prefered that.

There's also a part of me that thinks that everytime we bring bananas to 'big' games now we have the wrong approach. The bananas were needed in 1987 to highlight that football fans weren't what Thatcher, Moynihan and the others said they were, and that we were human beings. But nowadays football has changed so much that when we bring lots of bananas to games it feels like we're the same as those giant-killing hopefuls that turn up with tinfoil FA Cups etc.

Having said that 30,000 bananas at Wembley might get noticed!

[xavi6]

Fuckin hell Ian Brightwell looks so young!

[Blue Since 76]

nice one gary - top skills :)

I must admit - I was 16 in 1989 and wouldn't have been seen dead with an inflatable then coz i was far too cool for all that. I did however wear the same pair of farahs combined with a pair adidas oxfords every single time i left the house. cool y'see :)

Spot on! I was 21 at the start of the 1989-90 season and my view was 'lets get rid of the bananas - we're in Div1 now. It's serious, we could win the League we don't want to mess around with bananas!' I have often written that I reckon the bananas gave way to Blue Moon because that developed as our anthem during 1989-90 as the inflatable craze died. I prefered that.

There's also a part of me that thinks that everytime we bring bananas to 'big' games now we have the wrong approach. The bananas were needed in 1987 to highlight that football fans weren't what Thatcher, Moynihan and the others said they were, and that we were human beings. But nowadays football has changed so much that when we bring lots of bananas to games it feels like we're the same as those giant-killing hopefuls that turn up with tinfoil FA Cups etc.

Having said that 30,000 bananas at Wembley might get noticed![/quote]

How about 30,000 bananas doing the Poznan? Love to see them explaining that on some foreign channel.

[JonnyAsh]

I've just posted an edited image from "From Maine Men To Banana Citizens" which includes an old newspaper cutting that talks of the craze starting and Frank's role in it. He also mentions the West Brom game where he reckoned the Imre Banana chant started.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=28 ... 15&theater

In that article he says he took it to the Plymouth game at the start of the 1987-88 season, and in the book I tell of it appearing at Boundary Park - a game played in torrential rain when most of us were stood on the open end. That day the banana lifted morale.

Hope this helps.

This is NOT an advert, but I just wanted to thank Gary James, for writing what I feel is the most complete history of City, 'Manchester, the Greatest City' I got the first edition some years ago as a gift, wonderful and weighty tome. It's back in storage in the UK, as it would have taken all my luggage allowance alone, but this guy knows his onions when it comes to our beloved Blues.

[Feed The Goat]

I liked having a banana all those years ago. And I think it's a good idea to bring them back, bring the fun back to the stands. The poznan.inflateables it's all good so the whole ground isn't sat in silence

[dazby]

Guys, what's the Imre in Imre banana all about?

[john68]

Guys, what's the Imre in Imre banana all about?

Imre Varadi was a City player from some years ago. When the banana craze was going, the varadi got changed to banana by City fans....Imre Banana

The other joke was that his Dad was called Ollie and was paired up with Stan Laurel.
A bit like Musampa having a brother called Chris.

[Spurge]

There was a really well written piece about the inflatable craze, I think it was during a 0-0 at Selhurst Park, talked about a war between dinosaurs and sharks. Ring a bell for anyone?

Yes I was at that game, so many inflatables, lots of beach balls. The game on the terrace was considerably more entertaining than what was being played out on the pitch.

I also had rhino which the filth took off me at Watford, a game I seem to remeber we lost 2-0.

[gary james]

This is NOT an advert, but I just wanted to thank Gary James, for writing what I feel is the most complete history of City, 'Manchester, the Greatest City' I got the first edition some years ago as a gift, wonderful and weighty tome. It's back in storage in the UK, as it would have taken all my luggage allowance alone, but this guy knows his onions when it comes to our beloved Blues.

Thanks for the comments. Very much appreciated. "Manchester The Greatest City" is quite rare now and has been out of print since 2003. I'd love to update it but can't find a publisher prepared to have a gamble on it (I say gamble because it was very expensive to produce and when it first came out cost £24.95 - they'd have to charge over £30 for it now and no one spends that much on a football book - and even if they wanted to the bookshops wouldn't stock it).

Images from that book can be seen on my new facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 9818652815

Second edition: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 9818652815

Thanks again for the comments.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

I liked having a banana all those years ago. And I think it's a good idea to bring them back, bring the fun back to the stands. The poznan.inflateables it's all good so the whole ground isn't sat in silence

You hated it Stupot!
Did Frank Newton stand on windy corner? There was a guy there who brought a banana in a City shirt long before the craze took off.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Didn't Maine Rd and the Kippax look ace.
Janice was married to Boycey lookalike Eddie Phillips. Is he still kicking about?

[gary james]

Didn't Maine Rd and the Kippax look ace.
Janice was married to Boycey lookalike Eddie Phillips. Is he still kicking about?

She worked for Eddie Phillips but wasn't married to him (she's still married to David Monk).

Eddie Phillips owned the rights to City's mercahndise operation until Francis Lee eventually bought the rights back (great move by Peter Swales to sell City's merchandising operation for a yearly income once reported to be less than £50k in the 80s!).

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Didn't Maine Rd and the Kippax look ace.
Janice was married to Boycey lookalike Eddie Phillips. Is he still kicking about?

She worked for Eddie Phillips but wasn't married to him (she's still married to David Monk).

Eddie Phillips owned the rights to City's mercahndise operation until Francis Lee eventually bought the rights back (great move by Peter Swales to sell City's merchandising operation for a yearly income once reported to be less than £50k in the 80s!).

Blimey, I remember working for Eddie at a newsagent in Didsbury. He lived on Spath Rd and I'm sure I remember seeing Janice there. I always thought they were married. You live and learn.

[Goaters 103]

I've just posted an edited image from "From Maine Men To Banana Citizens" which includes an old newspaper cutting that talks of the craze starting and Frank's role in it. He also mentions the West Brom game where he reckoned the Imre Banana chant started.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=28 ... 15&theater

In that article he says he took it to the Plymouth game at the start of the 1987-88 season, and in the book I tell of it appearing at Boundary Park - a game played in torrential rain when most of us were stood on the open end. That day the banana lifted morale.

Hope this helps.

I remember the Banana being at the Plymouth Game, first of the season in 1987/8. We won 2-1 with Stewart and Varadi scoring I think in a late comeback and the "Big Banana" - the 5 foot type - was in the old Windy Corner between the Kippax and North Stands, later to become one of the Gene Kelly's. I am assuming this must have been Frank.

I also remember the Oldham away game, bright sunny day when I set off with no coat and about 5 minutes in it just absolutely pissed it down for the next 85. Bllody awful game, a 1-1 draw (I think) but I dont recall seeing the Banana, as I was probably freezing my nuts off.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Memory is a funny old thing. I remember the down pour coming at half time. I think we were all there in short sleeves that day.