[VID] Sydney Blues v Liverpool

Here's the highlights and penalty shoot-out from the recent Supporters' Club 5-a-side tournament in Sydney. This is the quarter final between Manchester City and Liverpool.

Don't forget, some of the best players of all time have missed penalties. Ronaldo. Team Beckham. Roberto Baggio. Not all of them from three yards, however...

Sydney Blues 5-a-side: Official team photo

We'll be posting match reports and videos shortly, but here's a look at the worst side to represent Manchester City since Stuart Pearce was manager...

Sydney Blues: Supporters' Club 5-a-side [Feb 27]

It's that time of year again... thanks to Lee from Footy Fans Down Under, we have another Supporters Club 5-a-side tournament to contest. And we really need to up our game from last time out. With City's fortunes improving on the pitch, it's about time we got our act together and showed everyone else how the boys in blue play football.

Supporter's Club 5-a-side Tournament Details
Date: Sunday 15 August 2010
Time: 10:30am
Location: Harbord Bowling Club, near Manly
Cost: $20 each
Bring: Footy boots (plastic moulded), Manchester City home kit

Whilst it’s 5-A-Side squad numbers can be up to 12, plenty of games will be played so a good idea to get a good squad number, a rolling sub system will operate. We're aiming for at least ten.

The competition venue will be the Harbord Bowling Club on the Northern Beaches, it has bar facilities aswell as food available etc so ideal for teams bringing supporters along, venue for after competition presentation to be confirmed – we have moved from our previous venue due to the demand and this will enable us to use more pitches.

Again we will be using synthetic surfaces so all good from a weather perspective.

Information is also be available at the FFDU website.

If you can confirm you are good to play, please join the Facebook event.

Football ability is not a major requirement, but a sense of humour is. Brendo should be there to serenade us on the ukelele and I can back him up on concerto vuvuzela. Roberto Mancini might even make another appearance...

Sydney Blues: Derby Day

You'd have to be living in Josef Fritzl's basement under a rock to not know that this Saturday is not only my birthday, and the third anniversary of Huddo's stay in Australia (if Howard was still in Government he'd have been deported by now, the flamin' galah), but Derby Day.

If you're in Sydney, then of course, come to Cheers Bar where we'll be meeting for the game. I reckon you might have to get there a bit early though, it will definitely be busy. Kick off is 11:45pm local.

We'll be taking some video of the day, which we'll post later on this site and our YouTube channel. So bring your best voice as we play out another tedious 0-0...

Sydney Blues: Supporters' Club 5-a-side Tournament

It's that time again... thanks to Lee and the team at Footy Fans Down Under, we have another Supporters Club 5-a-side tournament to contest.

The tournament is run biannually, and this will be our third attempt at it. Frankly, our record isn't too flash so far. In the previous two tournaments, we have failed to get out of our group, with a record of 2-2-4 from our eight matches. With City's fortunes improving on the pitch, it's about time we got our act together and showed everyone else how the boys in blue play football.

Supporter's Club 5-a-side Tournament Details
Date: Sunday 15 August 2010
Time: No later than 10:00am
Location: Harbord Bowling Club, near Manly
Cost: $20 each, paid on the day

Bring: Footy boots (plastic moulded), Manchester City home kit

Here's the brief details, but there will be more to come as the event gets closer:

Whilst it’s 5-A-Side squad numbers can be up to 12, plenty of games will be played so a good idea to get a good squad number, a rolling sub system will operate.

The Event will be held on Sunday 15th August and we'd love to see your team there, Clubs are already signing up and it's sure to be a great day.

The competition venue will be the Harbord Bowling Club on the Northern Beaches, it has bar facilities aswell as food available etc so ideal for teams bringing supporters along, venue for after competition presentation to be confirmed – we have moved from our previous venue due to the demand and this will enable us to use more pitches.

Again we will be using synthetic surfaces so all good from a weather perspective.

Look forward to hearing from you soon and of course to registering your team, information will also be available via www.footyfansdownunder.com

Regards,

Lee.

If you can confirm you are good to play, please send an email to lessoninpride@gmail.com saying you are in, and you'll be added to the list.

Football ability is not a major requirement — even I managed to find the back of the net twice last time — but a sense of humour is. Brendo should be there to serenade us on the ukelele and I can back him up on concerto vuvuzela. Roberto Mancini might even make another appearance...

You have plenty of time to think about it, but it really is a top day out.

Sydney Blues WC2010 Schedule and Screenings

Unfortunately, the World Cup is a little bit more difficult to co-ordinate, for a couple of reasons. The time of the matches makes it difficult; the fact that there will be thousands of people in the CBD doesn't help; and of course, half of us go for England and the other half go for Australia!

So here are the tentative plans for meet-ups in Sydney:

The N-F-I
Match 1: Australia v Germany
Time: Monday 14 June, 4:30am
Venue: Moorebank Hotel/Royal Exhibition Hotel/Lowenbrau/Your bedroom

I've drawn the short-straw and will be stuck at work at the Moorebank Hotel in Sydney's west during the first match (at least I'll be getting paid to watch football I suppose), so you're more than welcome to join me there for beers on the house.

If not, the Royal Exhibition hotel near Central is a good bet, if you want to be filmed by a Channel 10 news crew as you stumble out into the chilly winter air. Or, the Lowenbrau near Circular Quay might be good to wind-up the opposition. It's up to you.

The Live Screening
Match 2: Australia v Ghana
Time: Saturday night 19 June, Midnight
Venue: Sweeney's Hotel, then to Darling Harbour

This is the most viewer-friendly match of the lot, and a must win for the Sheilaroos, so we're going to go where the atmosphere is. Sweeney's is located about a two-minute stroll from Town Hall station and a good opportunity to sink some pre-match schooners before heading down to the Live Site at Darling Harbour.

I'm not sold on the Live Site though — it will no doubt be heavily policed and they'll probably be complete tools about it. So the other option is we can stay in the pub and take advantage of full-strength beer.

The Double Header
Match 3: England v Slovenia, followed by Australia v Serbia
Time: Thursday 24 June. England game at 12am, followed by Australia at 4:30am.
Venue: Cheers Bar

We're going to return to our spiritual home of Cheers for this clash, considering that both nations will be playing on the same night. Both of these matches will be incredibly important in determining just who makes it through to the round of 16, and whether in fact Australia and England will meet in the next round. And besides, it will be a long, long night, and there's less chance of us getting kicked out of Cheers than most other places!

If you have any questions, or suggestions, please let us know on one of the multitude of ways you can contact us!

Manchester Derby Preview

The Overview
Derby Day. Not too long ago, in the days when the highest we could expect to finish was mid-table, the Home Derby was the only game we could look forward to, on the slim chance that we could have something to get one up over the Rags as they cantered their way to another piece of silverware. But, it's no longer just a game for bragging rights — it now actually has meaning in the context of a season.

The Rags previously claimed that they only cared when they played their "rivals" Liverpool (then Leeds, then Arsenal, and now Chelsea... it changes every season). It's time that they took Liccle Ol' Citeh a bit more seriously.

Norwich are in less-than-impressive form, are relying on veterans Van Der Sar, Bryan Riggs, Gary Chuckle, and Scholes, all of whom are well over 30, and they are also possibly missing their most important player Rayne Wooney with an ankle injury. So everything should point to a comfortable City win, right?

However, I don't think I can ever be confident going into any match against United — it's something that's bred into City fans from a young age. They are hurting after the last two weeks, and they know this is one of their last opportunities to stay in the hunt for the League.

Expect the rhetoric to come out in the lead up: Nigel De Jong will come out with his typical piece about how much this means to the team, Roberto Mancini will have a press-conference mentioning the word "important" seventy-five times, and some Rag player (more often than not, Scholes) will talk us down. The war of words have begun. The battle on the pitch is to follow.

The Form
Manchester City at home: 11-4-1
• Have lost only one game at home this season, to Everton.
• Second best form in the league after Chelsea.

Manchester United away: 9-3-5
• Gained only one point in the last six.
• Four points off first place with four matches remaining — a loss here could severely ruin their season.

Recent meetings:
• City haven't won a Derby in the League since the 2-1 (on their Special Day) at Vermin Towers in February 2008. United have won three League Derbies in a row.
• United have won both Derbies in injury time at Old Scaffold this season.

The Betting
Manchester City $2.60 Draw $3.20 Manchester United $2.40
City are as close to favourites as I've ever seen. I don't know how I feel about this to be honest. I don't believe it, personally.

Australian Fans: Where to Watch It
Sydney fans will be able to watch it at Cheers Bar, of course.

We will finally be unveiling the coveted 'Heart of the City' plaque to all and sundry. We'll have members there from as early as 5:30pm, to get on the beers early and making sure we have a decent spot, and to decorate both the home and away ends. I've got some top ideas planned.

If you are new to the cause, we will have a few song sheets so you can join in on the action. Kick off is at 9:45pm. We've never, ever, had a game so early on a Saturday night before, so it gives us a great opportunity to get a big crowd in.

We'll be taking plenty of photos and video of the night, so we can cut something together for both the official site, and for this one. I'm getting giddy already.

If you've never been before, there will be no better game to make your debut. But if you don't have any voice left by full-time, you haven't been trying hard enough. We want to out-number and out-sing those basterds in the pub, as well as out-play them on the pitch.

If you live elsewhere in this fine country, check the Facebook link for details on where to meet with fellow Blues. Melbourne fans will be meeting at Charles Dickens, Perth fans at Kangaroo Arms, and Brisbane Blues will be at the Pig and Whistle.

The Fearless Prediction
I dare not tempt fate with trying to guess the result.
But I predict it will be a cracker.

5-a-side Tournament Report

One of the highlights of the weekend was the aforementioned 5-a-side tournament at Harbord. The Sydney Blues were desperately unlucky not to qualify for the finals — if only there was an Intertoto Cup or Fair Play league to qualify!

Thanks to all who played, especially Steve from Perth and Josh from Melbourne.

The Tartan Army were first up, and Roberto Mattcini looked to have pulled off a managerial masterstroke when he unveiled new signing George Dindane, and subsequently played the natural left-back in the right wing position. Dindane made the most of the opportunity, firing in the first goal with his right foot from near half-way, and then later in the match having the audacity to chip the keeper (in 5-a-side, mind) for his second. It wasn’t enough for the Blues though, as they stumbled to a 3-3 draw.

The Blues fell behind almost immediately, thanks to an unfortunate own goal by Brendo, and were always struggling to get back in the contest. Easily our worst performance of the day, against a side that was more intent with fighting amongst themselves than the opposition! It was only some world-class saves from keeper RoHart that kept City in the match.

A poor performance against Australia put City in the near impossible position of requiring two wins from their last two fixtures to qualify for the next round. A tired Liverpool side, reduced to a squad of seven due to injury and playing their third match out of a possible four, were always there for the taking if City were good enough. And they were no match for an inspired City, comfortably taking the match with the goals equally shared.

New boys Steve-from-Perth and Dave destroyed the tired Liverpool team, countered with the husband and wife combination of Brendo and Age in defense, it was a comfortable three points for the Blues.

City were still on course for the finals, however they had to overcome the undefeated Everton to do so. City took the lead early courtesy of a fortunate own goal, where the keeper was more distracted with a ball from another match. Once in the lead, the Blues switched to a defensive approach, with Crouchy, Darren Bellamy and Jameo relying on their trackbackability to neutralize any Everton threat.

Supersub Josh hit the post with his first touch of the match, but it was Crouchy who gave City the lead, latching on to a through-ball from man-of-the-day Jameo. However, Everton threw everything forward and equalized in the dying seconds, RoHart unable to keep the low shot out. It must be said though that this match seemed to finish remarkably early — a case of Reverse Fergie Time, perhaps?

Whilst a win and two draws was enough to claim third spot in the group, it was not enough to qualify for a wildcard entry into the quarter finals. Just like under Mark Hughes, too many draws were costly, as City were bundled out in a very respectable ninth out of 17 teams.

The Sydney Blues 5-a-side Squad
Back Row: Brendan "Brendo The Jet", Nathan "God Squad", Dave, Josh-from-Melbourne, Steve-from-Perth, Benny "The Germ", Matt "Roberto Mattcini/Crouchy"
Front Row: Adriana, George "Dindane", Rohan "Ro-Hart"
Insets: Andrew "Jameo", Darren "Bellers"

Supporters' Club 5-a-side fixtures released

Dear City Fans,

To all of those who are participating in the upcoming 5-a-side tournament as part of the Australian Supporters Weekend in Sydney here are the pools for the competition as well as a couple of ground rules.

After a few enquiries regarding footwear, trainers and rubber studs are all good but NO Blades, shin pads are compulsory, should you have a specific enquiry then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

The pitches are 3rd generation artificial surfaces which means that should the weather turn the competition will not be affected.

The first games will start at 10:00am prompt, each group will have its own pitch and pitch number 4 will be available for teams to practice.

The top two from each group will progress along with the two best placed 3rd teams, should it be a tie then it will be decided on goals scored not goal difference.

The venue is the Kikoff centre which is at Harbord Bowling Club with the address being Cnr Bennett Street & Stirgess Ave, NSW 2096, probably an idea to google map it and send out – very easy to find. http://www.harbordbowlingclub.com.au/contact

At the site there are changing facilities and there is ample parking space alongside the Club.

Group 1
Aston Villa
Australia
Northern Ireland
Portsmouth
Lokomotive Cove
Cardiff City

Group 2
Everton
Tartan Army
Manchester City
Liverpool
Australia 2 (not the yacht)
Spurs

Group 3
Sydney Benfica
Rangers
Sydney Brazil
Celtic
Ireland
Awaiting confirmation on final spot.

For Man City the group is an interesting one. We face defending Champions Everton, who have a striker who is simply unbelievable. Also in the group are our bunnies, Liverpool who we defeated 3-1 after trailing 1-0, with only 6 players to their 12! The Tartan Army seemed only interested in the drinking last time, and Australia 2 are an unknown quantity.

For City to qualify wins over Liverpool, the Tartans, and Spurs should be what we are looking for. Any sort of points against Everton will be a bonus.

Regardless of our result the day should be good fun (especially if you like Ukulele music) and City will be there to represent in the good spirit and good humour we are known for.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Final Itinerary: 1st MASSIVE Australian Blues Weekend

For those finalising their plans, this is the schedule for the weekend.

Dear City Fans,

Fresh off the back of a 2-0 win over Bolton here is the final itinerary for the upcoming weekend in Sydney. We’ve had a great response so far with people really warming to the idea which will hold us in good stead for the future of the concept.

There has been a slight change to the arrangements due to another event clashing with ours. Fortunately the change is for the better! The Sunday was scheduled to be a day off to see Sydney but has now been changed due to the Supporters Club 5-a-side tournament. The Sydney supporters had entered a team in this earlier but when given the dates recently discovered that it coincided with our weekend festivities. The good news is that instead of having 6 people (like last time) we will be able to bring our entire supporters club along and everyone should get the chance to play in the Sky Blue should they desire!

The plan is now as follows:

Friday 19 February 8pm: Bowling
Kingpin Bowling Bar http://www.kingpinbowling.com.au/

This is the start of the party with a game of ten pin and a few beers(soft drinks for the kids and designated drivers!) to introduce ourselves, have a laugh and enjoy a game of Ten Pin Bowling. The cost for bowling is $16 per person for the game, payable on the night, plus whatever you eat or drink. We will be running some games on the night as well such as pool comps and the like and you’re free to do as little or as much as you like.

10pm: Darling Harbour

On a fine summers night there really aren’t many places better than Darling Harbour. Its filled with restaurants, night clubs, bars, street performers, incredibly expensive yachts and people from all over the world. Those with families may wish to stroll around and wonder through the parks, or ride the Ferris wheel overlooking the Harbour. Those who are grown up can head into any number of bars, or trek further into town. Chinatown and George St are close by, the Rocks area isn’t far and is filled with Sydney’s convict history (and pubs) and you will have a blast no matter the direction you head. We will leave this open and decide on the night. Some people may wish to go off on their own or the group may indeed take to a bar together!

Saturday 20 February 10am: Sydney Bus Tour

Unfortunately our Blue Bus that we had is still undergoing repairs, and indeed the Museum that operates it is in some trouble itself. There is an alternative, and you’re not going to like part of it, the Sydney Explorer. This is a fantastic ride that lets you hop-on/hop-off as you like along the tour and simply get back on when the next bus comes. It covers the entire city and you get to see everything you’ve seen on a postcard in real life! The cost is $40 for adults and $20 for children ($97 for family ticket of 2 adults and any number of children from the same family.) The part you won’t like? The bus is red. So that means Blue shirts are mandatory that day!

We will take time to stop midway through for a picnic lunch in the Botanic gardens, a lovely spot overlooking the Harbour, the Opera House and of course, lots of flowers!

The bus also includes lots of vouchers to other attractions in Sydney should the tourist bug bite really hard! To board the bus we will meet at Town Hall at 10am, but will wait for the half past bus for any late-comers.

Saturday 8pm: Dinner
Bowlers Club of NSW http://www.bowlersclub.com.au/

Located in the middle of the City the Bowlers Club is a great venue and has some lovely function rooms, one of which is hours for the evening! Here we will be served a Chinese buffet and drinks, whilst we watch some highlights and lowlights of City throughout the year and enjoy some live music from a couple of our very own Blues!

At this stage it is uncertain as to whether the FOX Sports team will be able to join us due to their work commitments but hopefully they will be there to talk all things football and sign some autographs for the truly keen.

The cost is $40 per person and includes Entrée, Mains, Tea & Coffee. We are trying to organise a deal with the bar for reduced drinks.

This would have been the night that City was due to play Liverpool but due to the demands of TV contracts the game has been shifted to Sunday night. We can amuse ourselves by going to Cheers, Sydney’s home of Sport, or any number of other venues. We will leave this to be decided on the night.

Sunday 21 February: 10am Supporters Club 5-a-side Tournament

Taking place on Sydney’s northern beaches at Harbord Bowling Club is the summer edition of the Supporters Club Football Tournament. Man City featured last year and won a memorable match against Liverpool, despite their squad being twice the size of ours, and wearing matching shirts! This year we hope our added numbers will help push us towards the semi finals, or perhaps a piece of silverware!

We really want everyone to be at this so we can show the other clubs (Everton, Liverpool, Celtic. Rangers, NI, T Army, Inter, Benfica, Brazil, Portsmouth, Sydney FC, Cardiff, Spurs, Oz x2, Aston Villa, Rep of Ireland) that MCFC is a force to be reckoned with!

The day is a great laugh and City’s wandering minstrels will be there to make a fun day for everyone. Cost is $180 per squad ($20 per player) and free to spectators. Anyone is welcome to play, regardless of skill level.

To get to and from the event we will be riding the fabulous Sydney ferry to Manly, and then taking a bus. Everyone will need to be at Circular Quay at 9am to meet for the trip across the harbour.

The tournament will conclude around 4pm but you are free to leave early if there is anything you want to do in Sydney for the afternoon or you have a flight to catch! The buses and trains are all close by and transport always brings you back to the CBD.

9pm to 4am: The Match

Unfortunately some of you won’t be able to stay on for the game, but for those of you who do the night in Cheers will be filled with songs, colour, atmosphere and hopefully a Manchester victory! We will assemble in the Cheers Bar around 9:30pm to commence preparations for one of the biggest games of the year.

I hope you are all as excited as I am about the weekend and are ready to have some fun. Please pass this letter on through the supporters club and Facebook, or simply email to any other City fans you know who are coming or thinking of coming.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Sydney very soon,

Brendo the Jet

Supporters' Club 5-a-side... confirm your interest!

Just a follow up from the last post about the 5-a-side tournament, we're trying to get definite, confirmed numbers as soon as possible... we're need to see if there is demand for a second side, and we're looking into the possibility of maybe getting shirts or something made.

Football ability is not an essential requirement. We're not it in to be massively competitive... we will be there to meet fellow Blues, get on the beers, and sing. So if you have the tactical awareness of Benjani or the tackling ability of Martin Petrov, it's ok.

We're not after payment or anything, that will be on the day.

Supporter's Club 5-a-side Tournament Details
Date: Sunday 21 February
Time: 10:00am
Location: Harbord Bowling Club, near Manly
Cost: $180 per squad, so no more than $20 each

If you can confirm you are good to play, please send an email to lessoninpride@gmail.com saying you are in, and you'll be added to list in this post.

This will be the only way I will accept nominations... telling me in person at Cheers will not suffice, as I am most likely drunk and WILL forget. At a stretch, writing on my Facebook wall will suffice.

Confirmed players:
Crouchy
Brendo the Jet
Underage Georgie D
Joshua L from Melbourne
Andeh J the Manc (party of five)
Nathan C
Rohan
Benny G

Reminder: 1st Annual MASSIVE Australian Blues weekend!

Just a reminder about the upcoming Sydney Blues weekend, which will take in the Liverpool game on Sunday 21 February, as well as the 5-a-side tournament. Originally posted on 7 November.

We have already had interest from as far and wide as Perth and Melbourne, so to confirm your interest in either of the events, please contact us via one of the many ways at the top of the site.

Our interstate friends are more than welcome to join the squad too.

Supporter's Club 5-a-side Tournament Details
Date: Sunday 21 February
Time: 10:00am
Location: Harbord Bowling Club, near Manly
Cost: $180 per squad, so around $20 each

Hope you’ve been practising your darts for the Pub Comp and don’t forget the banjo!

Please find attached information with regards to the Supporters Club Australia 5-A-Side competition organised by TNT Magazine and LoveFootball.

Whilst it’s 5-A-Side squad numbers can be up to 12, plenty of games will be played so a good idea to get a good squad number, a rolling sub system will operate.

The Event will be held on Sunday 21st Venue and we'd love to see Man City there, Clubs are already signing up and it's sure to be a great day.

The competition venue will be the Harbord Bowling Club on the Northern Beaches, it has bar facilities aswell as food available etc so ideal for teams bringing supporters along, venue for after competition presentation to be confirmed – we have moved from our previous venue due to the demand and this will enable us to use more pitches.

Again we will be using synthetic surfaces so all good from a weather perspective.

The cost will remain the same at just $180 per squad, this includes venue hire, officials, insurance etc so great value for money, anyone requiring an invoice on the day please advise and I’ll bring it along.

Also on the day we have allocated a pitch for a junior coaching event, Love Football’s qualified coaches will be on hand to ensure any children taking part have a great time, cost will kept to a minimum for this and will advise asap what this will be.

Look forward to hearing from you soon and of course to registering your team, information will also be available via www.footyfansdownunder.com

Any questions or queries please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Regards,
Lee.

Sydney Blues v Liverpool Live Screening Details
Date: Sunday 21 February
Time: Midnight, for a 2am kick-off.
Location: Cheers Sports Bar, George Street.
Cost: Nil

Dear City Fans,

Whilst I realise I’m writing to you at a time when our hearts are heavy with the Carling Cup defeat I hope what you read cheers you somewhat.

I’ve had great response to the original letter sent out regarding the 1st Annual MCFC Australian Supporter’s meeting. We have a large contingent of Perth based fans flying in for the match and people coming from Victoria and across NSW.

Hopefully everyone has found accommodation, but if you are stuck please let me know and we will assist at our end as much as possible.

Please continue to spread the word and take note that the game has been moved to Sunday night (our time) in order to give Liverpool a chance to appear on TV against one of the big four. This may mean altering some of your travel arrangements or changing your plans for the Sunday night.

We will be watching the match in Cheers Bar on George St, so this restricts the event to over 18s.

Please bring any flags, banners and of course, your city shirts as we hope to turn the place Blue! Cheers is a Liverpool supporters pub and whilst we have an uneasy alliance with them most days, match days mean all bets are off. It would be great for them to turn up and see City have overrun the place!

For the other events such as the bowling and sightseeing, no money is required currently as we will all be able to pay on the day. I am currently looking into having some shirts printed up to celebrate the weekend and am just gauging interest from people at the moment. As we all know it takes numbers to make things like this happen so let me know if you would be interested.

Sorry to anyone if I’ve missed your calls or emails recently as I’ve not long got back from the States (where I met some awesome Blues) but am now fully focused on making this weekend the best it can be!

Your browser may not support display of this image. Please pass this letter on to anyone who may have missed the original, and let them know the weekend of the 19th of February, Sydney is the place to be if you’re a Blue!

Looking forward to seeing you all,
Brendan Smith.

After speaking to Gerard from Cheers, we may be able to attract sponsorship for this day, whether it be subsidies or beer. We'll let you know.

Hope to see as many Blues from acrross the country as we can!

Carling Cup Derby Day at Cheers (Second Leg)

Absolutely massive turnout for the Carling Cup semi, all things considered (and that thing is the 7am kick-off). I've never seen so many people in there at that time of the day. We comfortably outnumbered the Rags (having said that, it's pretty hard to tell as they don't wear colours... the Irish accent is a dead giveaway though).

A lot of new faces... hopefully we can see you again in the future, starting with Portsmouth at midnight on Sunday.

Fantastic group shot (hi-res). What a bunch of champions.

Gavinho and Rohan exchange beard maintenance tips (this is not a joke).

Sydney is blue.

The Blues quite easily outdo the Rags in both quantity and volume.

Carling Cup Derby Day at Cheers

Here's a couple of pics from the match on Wednesday... about a dozen hardy souls made it to Cheers for the ridiculous 7am kick off. Gavinho had to duck off early, so Rohan was a half-time substitute.

A good day and good atmosphere considering the time.

We also had the video set up as part of our bid for the Etihad competition... it'd be great though if next time everyone can slide in and get in shot! You serial-phantoms know who you are!

Be there on Thursday for the second installment. Come on you Blues!

It just wouldn't be a day/night at Cheers without it.

Derby Day live screening details

Date: Wednesday 20 January
Time: Kick-off is at 7am
Location: Cheers Bar, George Street
Cost: Free entry of course, $6 pints of Kilkenny/Guinness. There may also be bits and pieces for breakfast.

I've had a couple of emails from newcomers to the Sydney Blues about Derby Day on Wednesday, so I thought I'd add a few more details.

The bar is technically closed... well not closed, but they don't go out of their way to advertise that they're open. The front doors will usually be shut — just knock on the door and say you're there for the City game and you'll be sorted.

I know it's very early in the morning, but there's no reason we can't bring the same atmosphere to the night matches. Bring your singing voice! If you need to knows the words of a song, just ask, we have a lyric sheet available (which is available for download here).

I'll be trying to take as much video as I can of the day, to put the finishing touches on our entry for the Etihad competition. If someone could assist with this it would be most appreciated.

It's a big day Derby Day, and I really hope we can get a good turnout, despite being in the early morning. You might even make it to work on time...

Come on you Blues!

Supporters Club Pub Competition

Date: Saturday 30 January
Time: 11:30am
Location: James Squire Brewhouse, Darling Harbour
Cost: $10 each plus whatever for beers

After our somewhat successful appearance in the 6-a-side tournament, we've been invited to the Supporters Club Pub Competition, where we will compete in trivia, darts, and pool.

Here's the details courtesy of Lee from Footy Fans Downunder:

Contact your supporters club to get involved either to be part of the teams or just to come along and support, if you don't have the details drop us line and we'll forward over your details.

It’s that time of year again where here at Footy Fans Downunder are pleased to announce details of the first Pub Comp of 2010, numbers are limited so register your clubs interest asap.

Basically the Pub Comp compromises of Supporters Clubs (only four clubs allowed) competing in three events during a Saturday afternoon, Trivia, Cricket Darts and then finally we finish on Pool.

Due to demand we have switched venues and people are now able to bring along children as the venue is much more suitable.

All events are team events with trivia being unlimited in numbers in team and the darts and pool requiring eight players from each team, many people just come down for the social element to cheer there Club on.

The date for next Sydney Pub Comp is Saturday 30th January and will be held at James Squire Brewhouse in Darling Harbour, kick off will be from 11:30 and it normally runs until about 5pm, all in all a great day out and a good laugh played in good spirits with plenty of banter but obviously no idiots, I’ve arranged many of these and they’ve always gone well.

James Squire's MC will also act as the referee for all of the events and the day has a cost of $10 per person but does include some lunch and many great spot prizes throughout the day obviously with a trophy for the winning team.

We really hope that you guys can enter a team and of course bring along plenty of support for what should be a real good day out so please get in touch to ensure your club is on the list to potentially lift the first trophy of the year.

Should you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to get in touch.

With Crouchy and Gavinho on board, we should absolutely piss the trivia in. Darts and pool I'm a bit worried about though. Should be a good day out anyway, and a chance to bond with the Scouse and Toffee fans. The Celtic lads can do one though...

Contact Blue Roo on Facebook to confirm your interest.

Carling Cup semi-finals LIVE at Cheers

Just a heads-up that I spoke with Gerrard from Cheers about the possibility of staying open for the Carling Cup matches on the mornings of January 7 and 20 respectively. Not only will Cheers be open, he has also offered the possibility of a full breakfast if we can confirm decent numbers.

So come down before work if you must — it'll be an absolute cracker. Kick off is at 7am for the first leg, and 6:45am for the second.

Liverpool v Sydney Blues live screening details

We're expecting a massive turnout this Saturday night for the clash between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Liverpool have a decent support base at Cheers (it's still an Irish pub after all), so we need as many of the George Street Hooligans there as we can muster. Kick off is at the relatively viewer friendly time of 11:45pm.

If possible, please bring beach balls, preferably in red if you have them. We're looking to wind-up the Dipper fans, and that goal against Sunderland is still as funny now as it was last month.

Gerrard may be a chance to play, but nevertheless Liverpool will still be without Torres. So we're a good chance of picking up points at Anfield for the second season running.

We'll have numbers arriving from around 10pm, we're going to try to secure the tables at the centre-right of the downstairs amphitheatre again (where we were for the Derby).

Hope to see you all there!

1st Annual MASSIVE Australian Blues weekend!

This is an idea that came out of drunken ramblings one night at Cheers, but the more we think about it and have talked about it, the more we like it. We kept schtum for a little while, but now we can announce the details of the first of many Australia-wide gatherings of Blues.

We're encouraging as many of our friends from interstate to get involved. If you're interested, please contact either myself or Brendo.

Here is Brendo's letter to you all.

Dear Blues,

Greetings to everyone from Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, to our friends ‘Across the Ditch’ and everyone in between. Hopefully you are all enjoying the fine start to the season that the lads are putting on and have all got your heartbeat back on track after the match against the clock. It’s been a great year so far and the early signs are that silverware is not too far off.

So to celebrate the great things happening on the field and the great things happening in the supporters club locally, it is with great pleasure that I extend to you an invitation to the 1st Annual Manchester City Australian Supporter’s Club weekend. Over the past few years the supporter base in Australia has exploded and we now boast quite healthy groups in many corners of the country.

The idea behind the weekend is to gather once a year in one City for a weekend of fun, sight seeing, food and of course, football – all in the company of our Blue companions. For this season the Sydney Supporters Club has taken it upon ourselves to welcome you all our fair City for what looks to be a great weekend.

The Details
The proposed weekend is the 19th,20th and 21st of February, 2010. This is the weekend of our home match against Liverpool FC and is sure to be an important match in the race to the finish. This time was chose to give fans enough time to book flights and hotels, and to organize numbers for group events we have planned

Schedule
Day Time Friday 19th: Arrive in Sydney
Sydney’s airport is located very close to the CBD with a train, taxi or shuttle bus taking 15-20 minutes depending on traffic and the location of your hotel. The CBD has plenty of hotels at reasonable rates. We are currently looking into group discounts so the more, the merrier!

Night Time Friday – Ten Pin Bowling
By the lights of Darling Harbour the Blues will converge to enjoy a drink, a game of bowling and a chance to meet with everyone. At the venue will be big screens showing live sport (presumably the cricket) and music. The venue is totally kid friendly for those with families in tow (or grown ups who like video games).

Following the Bowling you can head to one of many bars in Darling Harbour, stroll through the scenic wharfs and take in the street entertainment or head into the city for live music, cinemas and yes, more bars!

Day Time Saturday 20th – Bus Tour/Picnic
The group will be meeting around midday for a scenic bus ride aboard our very own blue vintage double-decker bus! We will take in the sites of the city and finish with a BBQ in Hyde Park and a kick of the football (whichever shape you choose!)

Evening Saturday 20th – Dinner/Match Day Event
With the game upon us and the butterflies in the stomach we will head to the Bowlers Club of Sydney where a buffet dinner, audio visual presentations and special guest Simon Hill from Fox Sports will be joining us*. Here will be a chance to gather together, have dinner, sing a few songs and get ourselves ready for the big game.

Depending on game time** the match will either be screened in the Bowlers Club, or at our sponsor Cheers Bar. If the match is shown at Cheers then unfortunately children under the age of 18 will not be permitted, however they are more than welcome in the Bowlers Club.

*Subject to work commitment **Subject to club operating hours.

Sunday 21st – Victory Day!
Hopefully we will have all celebrated long and hard into the night as the Blues triumph. Some of you may return home this day and some of you may be staying longer, but here is the end of the weekend. Hopefully you have had a fun time, made some new friends and got plenty of ideas for when your City host the Australian Blues!

I realise some people may be reading this, thinking it is a little crazy to fly somewhere to watch a match on a TV. Whilst this may be true, you can’t deny that it is a great feeling when City scores and you are surrounded by Blues. What we want to create is an annual event that gives us all a chance to see the country, meet new friends and enjoy great football, great weather (something the English fans don’t have) and the camaraderie between the City fans.

Please pass this letter on to City fans through Supporters Club, web forums, facebook and any other means by which you find City fans.

Expression of Interest
Please send an email to myself, Brendan Smith, or Matt Coleman via Facebook, marked with your name and number of people who are thinking of attending. We would like to finalise numbers within the next month, so that costs can be minimised. There is no commitment to money at this stage, just an expression of interest. Later next week another letter will be sent with an outline of the expected costs.

As stated earlier we are trying to organize group bookings for flights and hotels, but if anyone has any contacts they can suggest for these elements that would be appreciated.
Thank you all for your time in reading this and for the effort you have all put into building the respective branches of the City Supporters Club. I look forward to meeting you all in February and enjoying a great weekend.

Forever Blue,
Brendan Smith

Let us know what you think, and hopefully we see a few more faces at Cheers tonight.

Derby Day at Cheers

It was a night of incredible highs, and devastating lows... and even a trip to emergency thrown in for good measure! Just like at Old Trafford, a small pocket of Blues were able to quite comfortable outsing the Rags (with the exception of two minutes after each United goal). Wild celebrations were to be had after both Bellamy goals — got showered with beer after the first one, and ended up on the floor after the second.

The lads at Cheers (and there were plenty of them) did themselves and the club proud. With the exception of myself of course, taking out a stack of glasses could have injured someone and was not big or clever, and I now have seven stitches to show for my stupidity. Although, that Rag who threw the plastic schooner glass from the balcony really needs his head read. Hopefully, next live screening will have a little less of the "George Street Hooligans" element...

All that aside, it was a great night had by all (until the seventh minute of injury time of course) and as always, it's fantastic to see new faces.

Best looking bunch of fans, if nothing else.

Subtle swipe at the Rags on the top left of this photo...

Half time and the mood is jubilant.

A really tough loss to take, but we'll turn them over on our own patch later in the year. Keep the faith Blues.