Manchester City have rightly been in the media a lot recently. After the long awaited court’s verdict, all eyes were on them for the game against Liverpool. A can of worms has been opened with the 114 charges and endless questions will justly be asked. However throughout the inquisition and public onslaught this weekend, one thing at the weekend's game distracted everyone. The Bananas.
The away end at Anfield looked more like a freakishly tall children’s party which has gotten far too out of control than a group of footballing supporters. The waves of large yellow inflatables which were beyond distracting for the casual viewer had many neutral viewers asking, “What’s with the bananas?”
It is a joyous throwback to a difficult period of time for Manchester City. The origins of the inflatable bananas, a bizarre beginning of a sentence, are debated however we will begin on Boxing Day 1988. Following their relegation to Division Two in the 86/87 season, City brought an impressive 12,000 fans to Stoke the day after Christmas. Not only did these large numbers of fans descend to Stoke for a presumably low quality football match, they did it in fancy dress. In a time before social media this is an achievement which is impressive and simply joyous.
During this time English football clubs were banned from European competitions, hooliganism was an unfortunate affair and City were far away from the top division. For the country’s club and international footballing scene, it was a challenging time to be a football fan. Ignoring these implications City fans united together for the beginnings of an unusual and unique brightly coloured movement.
The bananas represented unconditional love for their team and finding fun wherever possible. It was a moment showing why so many fans fall in love with the sport, it is not about achievements and trophies but the laugh you had on the way. Those memories with your best mates and families which you will talk far more about than a performance or a player.
So this brilliantly ridiculous tradition continued, especially during the tough times. Seasoned Manchester City supporters will tell you of the relegations from the top flight in the 95/96 and 00/01 seasons as long as the 98/99 relegation to division one. Throughout these moments of hardship, the bananas remained. It is a ritual which has remained with the club, often during end of season games the inflatables and fancy dress gets rolled out. It is a nod to their past and where they have come from. That symbol of what football truly means to fans, regardless of the riches and rewards, they are just here for a good time. The sign that the league is just a league, fans will be there no matter what the occasion.
It can be misunderstood why City fans were seen to be having a good time at Anfield this weekend. Granted there were some banners which made light of the situation. However the blue faithful of Manchester wanted to show the club and another that they will always be there, that they’ve already been through the tough times and still came out smiling. Could it even be suggested that some older generation City fans may even enjoy the potential relegations, to remind them of their team which they first fell in love with.
During a time when the club is being questioned at an international political level, it is a pleasant reminder of what football will always be truly about and that football will never be anything without fans.
