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Any tips for dealing with Man City supporter husband?

203 replies

pulpJarvis · 27/09/2026 09:35

My Man City supporter husband, man and boy, even back when they were crap, is taking it all very badly. Any tips? At the moment I’m making vague sympathy noises and hoping he grows up and gets over it….

ETA I don’t follow football and am finding it hard to empathise as can’t imagine anything similar flooring me…

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 27/09/2026 12:32

Surely all the teams buy their way to the top.

Sakura7 · 27/09/2026 12:34

Viviennemary · 27/09/2026 12:32

Surely all the teams buy their way to the top.

Lazy commentary like this is so annoying and just shows that the person has no knowledge of the case.

Livpool · 27/09/2026 12:37

Sakura7 · 27/09/2026 11:13

Go on then, tell us about the financial breaches of the 'red cartel'?

They are the biggest clubs because they built their success over decades. They have the biggest commercial revenue for that reason, not because a nation state pumped vast amounts of money into them.

I’m a Liverpool fan so I am sure my ‘red cartel’ credentials will be mocked. But this true - Liverpool. Arsenal and Man Utd have built up over the years. We’ve all had bad periods but not cheated our way to the top. You can’t excuse the cheating because the ‘red cartel’ made it unfair to start with.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Viviennemary · 27/09/2026 12:41

Sakura7 · 27/09/2026 12:34

Lazy commentary like this is so annoying and just shows that the person has no knowledge of the case.

I do but only a little. They broke the rules on how much you can spend. Big deal. Who cares. And got take over by a multi trillionaire arab Sheik so now are the best tream in the league rather than the worst. And all the other teams are mad jealous because they've not got a Sheik bankrolling them. That's my take anyway.

MrsMitford3 · 27/09/2026 12:45

City play Liverpool after the break so I suggest that buying him a half and half scarf would cheer him right up...

Or earplugs because the chanting is already all over social media!

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 12:46

Brefugee · 27/09/2026 12:02

urgh. This type of commenter is the absolute worst. Screed of "everyone hates us i don't care" and "not going to engage".

Every other club in the land wants to see City fail which is why the “rumours” have gone mental.

This is bollocks. Every club will push at the boundaries. What they want to see is those who buldose them then speed away, in the meantime distorting PL finances to be rightly and proportionately punished for it. The rules are for all.

The Red Cartel well and truly had their boots shaken

Victim mentality is unattractive. And yes, they don't "like it up 'em" but it isn't only the "red cartel" who suffer, it is the entirety of the league. And following that all the other leagues who have resources sucked away as investors and advertisers go for the easy money. Meanwhile the sport and the supporters are relegated to meaningless annoyances.

I have much sympathy for the long-standing city fans who have seen ticket prices rocket, availability of extortionately priced tickets plummet and have been edged out of their own fandom. Added to the joy they had at winning cups, leagues and trophies is now tainted for them.

It is a big hot mess.

Oh, I’m the worst. Ok 😂

Yes, I reckon everyone (well most) hates us. They see what they want to. There is a lot that people
dont want to see. City do a lot for the local
communities, the regeneration of the area and what that has done for Manchester, for the lads and their families in their academies many of which are from struggling backgrounds, they look after their staff, they care about people, me being one and I have my own, personal stories as to why. But nobody is interested in that.

And I meant I didn’t care if I got shit about my post because I’m a blue talking about supporting my club. I knew I’d get shit about it because everyone hates us which kinda proves my point 😂 and I say that ironically rather than from a victim mentality as you so suggest. Me not caring is the opposite of victim mentality…..kinda ok so people don’t like us but I’m not taking that to heart and I’m cracking on regardless.

Whether people like my club, hate it or are meh towards it, I’m not particularly bothered either way, why would I be? I felt that way in the 80s and I haven’t changed my stance on it in all those years so how is that a victim mentality? And why is this an issue for you? Are you bothered whether someone likes your club or not? There is nothing I can do to change people’s opinion on things, so no point wasting my energy on that.

They’re my club, I supported them before the PL even existed and I will continue to support them until the end of my time and during whatever comes our way. That’s it. We don’t have a victim mentality. We have for many, many decades taken the piss out of ourselves at every opportunity. That whole song at the end of my first post was a nod to that!

The old boys certainly did have their boots shaken when we started to challenge. True story, no victim mentality in that.

If the process was fair and just, and it is confirmed that we have been found guilty, then we take what comes to us, dig deep and crack on. Like I keep saying though, there is a long way to go with this one yet!

Monty36 · 27/09/2026 12:48

Viviennemary · 27/09/2026 12:32

Surely all the teams buy their way to the top.

No they don’t. Precisely why some football clubs were seething with Man City when they realised the rules were not being applied. And they were getting away with that.
Many people were more than aware that they were not applying the rules on earning and spending as they should. They arguably effectively purchased their trophies.
Any Man City fan who was deaf and blind to the court cases, the newspaper articles is just someone kidding themselves.
Chickens have come home to roost.
They are keen to say it was nothing to do with the fans. Except they didn’t object. Not at all. So it is. A bit.
The punishment will have to hurt. And so it should.

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 12:59

And some people talking like their shit doesn’t stink as the phrase goes…..2 of the red cartel cheating since 1915 🙄

The 1915 Match-Fixing Scandal: The oldest major cheating scandal involved Manchester United and Liverpool. Players from both sides conspired to fix a Good Friday match, ensuring Manchester United won 2-0 so players could win money on betting slips. Seven players received lifetime bans.

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 13:10

Monty36 · 27/09/2026 12:48

No they don’t. Precisely why some football clubs were seething with Man City when they realised the rules were not being applied. And they were getting away with that.
Many people were more than aware that they were not applying the rules on earning and spending as they should. They arguably effectively purchased their trophies.
Any Man City fan who was deaf and blind to the court cases, the newspaper articles is just someone kidding themselves.
Chickens have come home to roost.
They are keen to say it was nothing to do with the fans. Except they didn’t object. Not at all. So it is. A bit.
The punishment will have to hurt. And so it should.

Edited

Erm….Chelsea, Blackburn under Jack Walker?

But you’re right upon further research. Some clubs like Man Utd spend £664m over 5 years (second highest net spend over 5 years) and don’t win the league, so you’re right, I stand corrected and that point is invalid and teams don’t “buy their way to the top”. And before anyone jumps to conclusions that City are number 1 on this list, you’re wrong, it’s Spurs. City are 6th below Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool funnily enough.

ps. With the second highest net spend, you’d think United were rolling in it not 1.15 billion in debt. But hey ho, it doesn’t seem to matter that there finances are in such dire straits.

BerryTwister · 27/09/2026 13:47

Definitelygoing · 27/09/2026 10:50

I read that the appeal has to be completed 12 weeks after its initiated?

@Definitelygoing my experience of football and life is that vast amounts of money enables you to rip up the rule book!

BitOutOfPractice · 27/09/2026 13:51

@Goonie1 nobody has “given you shit”. Do get a grip. The chip on your shoulder is showing!

By the way that’s a a very Arsenal-y name for a city fan! 😉

BitOutOfPractice · 27/09/2026 13:53

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 13:10

Erm….Chelsea, Blackburn under Jack Walker?

But you’re right upon further research. Some clubs like Man Utd spend £664m over 5 years (second highest net spend over 5 years) and don’t win the league, so you’re right, I stand corrected and that point is invalid and teams don’t “buy their way to the top”. And before anyone jumps to conclusions that City are number 1 on this list, you’re wrong, it’s Spurs. City are 6th below Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool funnily enough.

ps. With the second highest net spend, you’d think United were rolling in it not 1.15 billion in debt. But hey ho, it doesn’t seem to matter that there finances are in such dire straits.

Tottenham are showing this year that it’s possible to buy your way to the bottom. Do that makes a change. 😬

Sakura7 · 27/09/2026 13:58

I'm willing to bet @Goonie1 wasn't too enamoured with Chelsea back in the mid noughties (if she was around then). Fans of every other club hated them for buying their success. Yet many City fans conveniently forgot that once they got their own sugar daddy and now go to great lengths to deny and deflect.

Digging up examples of rule breaking from more than 100 years ago doesn't in any way negate what City have done in the modern era.

If City are so innocent, why have they refused to comply with the investigation and dragged this out for so long? I suspect it's because their owners thought they were untouchable.

The lack of compliance with the investigation will be a significant factor when determining their punishment.

TrainyWainy · 27/09/2026 14:05

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 12:59

And some people talking like their shit doesn’t stink as the phrase goes…..2 of the red cartel cheating since 1915 🙄

The 1915 Match-Fixing Scandal: The oldest major cheating scandal involved Manchester United and Liverpool. Players from both sides conspired to fix a Good Friday match, ensuring Manchester United won 2-0 so players could win money on betting slips. Seven players received lifetime bans.

I can't decide whether to ask you why on earth you think match fixing from 1915 is relevant, or point out that you should probably have googled before you wrote this because City were cooking the books even earlier than that. They got sanctioned in 1906 for offering illegal payments to new signings in the 1904-5 season!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/30/manchester-city-sunderland-premier-league-charges-football

On balance I think I'll go with the former. It's 2026.

How Manchester City and the league locked horns in a financial scandal … in 1906

Premier League champions’ charges could be seismic but they are not unprecedented after two other major illegal payment sagas in English football

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/30/manchester-city-sunderland-premier-league-charges-football

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 14:15

TrainyWainy · 27/09/2026 14:05

I can't decide whether to ask you why on earth you think match fixing from 1915 is relevant, or point out that you should probably have googled before you wrote this because City were cooking the books even earlier than that. They got sanctioned in 1906 for offering illegal payments to new signings in the 1904-5 season!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/30/manchester-city-sunderland-premier-league-charges-football

On balance I think I'll go with the former. It's 2026.

We can take a look at some more recent ones if you want?

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 14:16

Sakura7 · 27/09/2026 13:58

I'm willing to bet @Goonie1 wasn't too enamoured with Chelsea back in the mid noughties (if she was around then). Fans of every other club hated them for buying their success. Yet many City fans conveniently forgot that once they got their own sugar daddy and now go to great lengths to deny and deflect.

Digging up examples of rule breaking from more than 100 years ago doesn't in any way negate what City have done in the modern era.

If City are so innocent, why have they refused to comply with the investigation and dragged this out for so long? I suspect it's because their owners thought they were untouchable.

The lack of compliance with the investigation will be a significant factor when determining their punishment.

Chelsea….meh.
we can talk about some more recent examples if you want?

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 14:17

BitOutOfPractice · 27/09/2026 13:53

Tottenham are showing this year that it’s possible to buy your way to the bottom. Do that makes a change. 😬

That’s where our piss taking song about ourselves came about….Sheik takeover and we were looking at relegation 🙈

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 14:18

TrainyWainy · 27/09/2026 14:05

I can't decide whether to ask you why on earth you think match fixing from 1915 is relevant, or point out that you should probably have googled before you wrote this because City were cooking the books even earlier than that. They got sanctioned in 1906 for offering illegal payments to new signings in the 1904-5 season!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/30/manchester-city-sunderland-premier-league-charges-football

On balance I think I'll go with the former. It's 2026.

We can talk about tapping up in the modern era too if you want?

Just proving a point that people acting holier than thou have short memories

TrainyWainy · 27/09/2026 14:19

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 14:18

We can talk about tapping up in the modern era too if you want?

Just proving a point that people acting holier than thou have short memories

You proved that point in a quite different way to how you were intending!

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 14:19

BitOutOfPractice · 27/09/2026 13:51

@Goonie1 nobody has “given you shit”. Do get a grip. The chip on your shoulder is showing!

By the way that’s a a very Arsenal-y name for a city fan! 😉

Goonies never die. My favourite childhood film.

And I thought Arsenal supporters were gooners, not goonies?

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 14:21

TrainyWainy · 27/09/2026 14:19

You proved that point in a quite different way to how you were intending!

Did I? Thanks for letting me know.

TrainyWainy · 27/09/2026 14:22

Goonie1 · 27/09/2026 14:21

Did I? Thanks for letting me know.

No problem. It was pretty funny showing you that even in your barrel scrape, you clearly didn't know that City were financially doping years before your example.

butmumineedit · 27/09/2026 14:28

You have my sympathy as a wife of a lifelong rangers fan, I endured years of it when they were relegated for something similar but are now back in the top league and Juventus were the same as well .

Craftysue · 27/09/2026 14:34

As a season ticket holder at another Premier League club I feel sorry for the fans. God knows what the penalties will be - it's beyond anything that has happened before. If he's been a fan for a long time he will continue to support them, whatever league they find themselves in. The glory hunters will move on. Rangers and Juventus were demoted several divisions and have made it back. I hope the owners have deep pockets to pay all the compensation claims from other clubs. The whole thing is an absolute disgrace.

TrainyWainy · 27/09/2026 14:37

Craftysue · 27/09/2026 14:34

As a season ticket holder at another Premier League club I feel sorry for the fans. God knows what the penalties will be - it's beyond anything that has happened before. If he's been a fan for a long time he will continue to support them, whatever league they find themselves in. The glory hunters will move on. Rangers and Juventus were demoted several divisions and have made it back. I hope the owners have deep pockets to pay all the compensation claims from other clubs. The whole thing is an absolute disgrace.

One thing I will say for the owners is they're not short of funds. I just hope the fans get their club back.