Manchester - Capital of Football

[john e]

yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?

No.  Greater Manchester as I say.

what so greater Manchester is the county,  Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

The sad thing is that Manchester United, on the back of the Premier League, now are the biggest.

Not according to Deloitte. Whilst the PL brings in the cash, Real Madrid and Barca have their own individual broadcasting deals.

1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Man United

It's a close run thing on Facebook:

Barcelona - 20,297,560 fans
Real Madrid - 19,569,912 fans
Man U - 19,166,353 fans














Aston Villa - 242,754 fans 

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?

No.  Greater Manchester as I say.

what so greater Manchester is the county,  Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?

North West England - Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Chesire

Greater Manchester - Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochadale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, Manchester, Salford

Old Trafford isn't in Manchester. It's in Trafford,

Only one team in Manchester 

[TopDeck113]

Fucking Rose Bowl. If it was any flatter now they'd be bowling on Keira Knightley.

I've had a terrible flash back to Easter Saturday 1993.

I'm feeling a bit like I did a few weeks later when we lost to Oldham and Man Utd consequently won their first Championship in years. 

The following day - was it May Bank Holiday? - I met up with friends who were staying in Edale.  My drive back through Manchester was a nightmare as all the pubs were suddenly bedecked in red and white and everything was in full party mode.  Such was my mood, the fact that I'd been walking in the Dark Peak couldn't be more apposite.

[TopDeck113]

what so greater Manchester is the county,  Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?

Until recently Blackburn was most definitely part of Lancashire.  Politically it is now an unitary authority (not forgetting it's smaller sibling, Darwen).

To be fair to the good citizens of many of the places mentioned, they'd state most categorically that they're still Lancastrians.  The local authority reforms of 1974 buggered a lot of people's heritage and Bury (where I live), Wigan and Bolton will never think of themselves as being part of anything other than Lancashire.   Likewise people on the east side of 'Merseyside', in Warrington, north of the sands in Furness and, the greatest insult, the likes of Todmorden who found themselves in Yorkshire.

[hipkiss92]

The sad thing is that Manchester United, on the back of the Premier League, now are the biggest.

Not according to Deloitte. Whilst the PL brings in the cash, Real Madrid and Barca have their own individual broadcasting deals.

1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Man United

It's a close run thing on Facebook:

Barcelona - 20,297,560 fans
Real Madrid - 19,569,912 fans
Man U - 19,166,353 fans














Aston Villa - 242,754 fans 

But you get people like me who like Barca on facebook because they play such sexy football

[richardhubbard]

They only used Manchester for Life on Mars and whatever that shit follow up was called because it was easier to make it look like 40/30 years ago.

Maz thats bollocks they used 2 building in stockport,

[richardhubbard]

what so greater Manchester is the county,  Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?

Until recently Blackburn was most definitely part of Lancashire.  Politically it is now an unitary authority (not forgetting it's smaller sibling, Darwen).

To be fair to the good citizens of many of the places mentioned, they'd state most categorically that they're still Lancastrians.  The local authority reforms of 1974 buggered a lot of people's heritage and Bury (where I live), Wigan and Bolton will never think of themselves as being part of anything other than Lancashire.   Likewise people on the east side of 'Merseyside', in Warrington, north of the sands in Furness and, the greatest insult, the likes of Todmorden who found themselves in Yorkshire.

Blackburn definitely is in Lancashire along with Preston and Burnley

[ozzjim]

Its all up North and all shit. But then Birmingham is also a bit shit. And London is a hole. So none of them have much to shout about.

Football Club wise, Manchester United have been brilliantly run, and have played on their prestige and history better than any club in the UK by miles. Real and Barca do the same. It is no consequence they are the 3 biggest clubs in the world in terms of fans and turnover, because their promotion of themselves is streets ahead of anyone else.

[KRS]

I just knew my comment about Birmingham being a shithole would be warmly welcomed!

I've travelled a fair bit and yes there are worse places around the UK and Europe...but comparing it to other crap places doesnt make it any less crap! Personally I cant stand the place and try to avoid going near the city centre if I can...unless its going down the Villa or a night out which makes it unavoidable unfortunately.

I dont think any of us know what it will take for Birmingham to be seen in a better light but it does have to start with focusing on its good points, improving the bad points and reversing the media perception. May be if both Villa and Blues were competing in Champions League and Europa League on a regular basis could improve things as a great deal of media perception in based on sporting activities...in particular football. Whilst both clubs are a bit of a laughing stock in the eyes of the media then that reflects on the city in general.

Its easy to say "who gives a shit what the media think about our great city" but dont be complaining about the positive perception of others cities if we dont give a shit about the negative perception of Birmingham.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Birmingham is officially the Second City of the UK is it not?

[Chris Smith]

Where do you live KRS?

[Risso]

yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?

No.  Greater Manchester as I say.

what so greater Manchester is the county,  Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?

Spot on.

[Chris Smith]

yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?

No.  Greater Manchester as I say.

what so greater Manchester is the county,  Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?

Spot on.

Politically but spiritually they're still Lancs. I've got a mate from Ramsbottom (snigger) who hates the idea that he's officially from Manchester. It's the equivalent of claiming Tipton for Greater Birmingham.

[darren woolley]

I dont think Manchester is anything special my friend who is from Manchester but lives down in London would rather be here than back home.