by Tim777 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 4:37 pm
Hey fellow fans!
Been posting on here for a while, but I thought let me take the initiative to introduce myself properly (finally) here in this thread since I try not let my rudeness linger on for more than three years (a rule which, if you were insightful enough, would realise that I just came up with now) so you could get a clearer picture into exactly how charming/awesome/goofballic/messed-up I really am.
Born and bred in Durban, South Africa, the 2nd of four siblings, I matriculated (graduated, for US and UK fans) in 1987. I was the quiet, studious, humble, unassuming but wise-cracking kid who got along with most, but who wouldn’t really care to give the teacher an apple but let my results do the talking. My way of strategically keeping both sides of the academic fence at bay. My latter school years were quite tumultuous in that there were a lot of political demonstrations & showdowns, and endless stay-away protests by students in the dying apartheid years, which I tried to shy away from, despite being unceremoniously sprayed with “purple rain” (a teargas concoction) during one particularly nasty altercation between students and the military police, or “casspirs” as we used to call them.
I became more outgoing despite maintaining my innate introspectiveness in my varsity years that followed. I eventually completed my BA degree in the required three years, but in between, on campus, I got heavily involved in a lot in extra-mural activities, from student representative council member to soccer, often a lot of indoor-soccer (ok, football) to campus radio DJ slot to falling in love with the angel whom I eventually married, after a string of serendipitous events that eventually led us to each other. We have a daughter who is in her early teens - I lost my son last year. I work for a leading insurance company.
Phew, a lot of personal info, I know. Ok: why City? Well, I used to listen to a lot of verbal slinging matches between my brother, Loserpool fan, and my Rag step-dad in the 90s and 2000s while nonchalantly following my cricket (my hero: Lance Klusener with his legendary sixes) and mainly local soccerfootball with the likes of Chiefs, Pirates, Wits, Amazulu and *Sundowns.
So I said, hold up guys, let me join the fray of these English football shenanigans - I considered Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Spurs and even Blackburn, but I could never make up my mind completely, and being a natural champion of the underdog, I eventually settled for Everton, albeit reluctantly, mainly because of Steven Pienaar; while, I confess, I quietly admired City but knew I’d be slated at the time if I even dared to mention the “noisy neighbours” from the “wrong side of the track”, and very much hoped that they would break away from the psychological stranglehold of the “bully-boys”.
Call me a glory hunter if you wish, I couldn’t give a glorious phuck on a dreary rainy Sunday afternoon, but I boldly declared my allegiance to City, and told bro and s-dad during the 2008 take-over, watch, we are the new bosses in town - deal with it. I have since researched and learned a lot more about our history and I can confidently say that I am a proud supporter who has “imprinted” on City, as my daughter would say, and I can never see myself imprinting on another club even if the Sheik were to ever kick us to the curb.
I enjoy tremendously being a part of this forum because, to be honest, I “don’t get” Blue Moon, and I look forward to developing closer camaraderie-ism (is that a word, no?) and getting a lot more perspective from the wacky/brilliant/cool members on here. My ultimate dream would be to attend a match at the Etihad Stadium before I kick the bucket, although I did get to see the boys in the flesh when they were down here recently for their friendly with Amazulu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in 2013.
PS. My Word document spell-check highlighted “Etihad” and suggested etched and ethical, among other possibilities, so there you have it.