From Balti Pies to the Biggest Prize: The Transformation of Manchester City

• From Balti Pies to the Biggest Prize – The Transformation of Manchester City.
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Frequently faced with the emotional torment of trying to be in two places at once, A Football Fling tells the story of two hectic seasons spent following teams at opposite ends of the spectrum - from Accrington to Anfield, from Burton to Barcelona, from Mansfield to Munich. Having been granted complete behind-the-scenes access at Oxford, Steve compares every aspect of his two clubs - players, management, finances, engagement with the local community, media interaction, youth development - to provide a unique insight into how football really operates - and whether having your company name on a team's shirts can be good for business!

The story so far. Manchester City end the season relieved at having narrowly escaped relegation.

There've been highs and lows, but the lows have been desperate and the highs restricted to minor triumphs of promotions and occasional derby wins. Meaningful silverware hasn't been delivered since Kevin Keegan looks like he's lost the will to live, let alone manage City, and the transfer kitty is bare.

Eight years later, they've won the Premier League in the final seconds of the most dramatic match in the history of football. From Balti Pies to The Biggest Prize relives the journey from perpetual also-rans to champions, from laughing stocks to a team to be feared, fuelled by the injection of unimaginable finance.

The money has changed the calibre of the team on the field but how much has it changed its fanbase, its culture, its soul? Steve Mingle's book gives a unique perspective on exactly how it feels to be City today. Lows, Highs and Balti Pies comprises vivid, colourful and highly individual recollections of City's most memorable games over the past 37 years. One hundred matches are featured, starting with a drubbing of Sheffield United in and ending with the triumph in the first derby at the cursed City of Manchester Stadium.

Not all of the games in between provided quite as much pleasure. The book contains affectionate portraits of the City greats down the years, together with forthright appraisals on the rich assortment of blundering buffoons which the club has seen fit to inflict upon its famously loyal supporters. However, even when describing the club's darkest moments and the individuals responsible for them, humour is never far away - be it biting, dry, self-deprecating or just plain daft.

This approach capture perfectly the essence of what it is to be a City fan. The book also embraces diverse elements of popular culture over the period.

Books by Steve Mingle

And how the hell did Albert Pierrepoint get in there? All long-term followers of football causes will be well familiar with the emotional peaks and troughs described so strikingly in this book. Most, like the author, will have experienced more troughs than peaks. But it's the range of imaginative, often scarcely credible, ways in which City have brought both highs and lows into the lives of their fans which truly sets them apart.

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It's a remarkable story, vibrantly and entertainingly told. The sat nav code is M11 3FF. Residents also offer random match-day parking in surrounding streets for a fiver. Getting away afterwards is frequently congested, for buses as well as cars. The stadium is also a 25min walk from Manchester Piccadilly, well lit and signposted. The club now operates a Print Home service for online sales , requiring you to use A4 paper and fold correctly for the turnstile scanner to read.

The club recommends those printing out tickets bring ID with them in case of any scanning problems. Tickets are also available in person from the office Mon-Fri 9am Tickets are sold for the whole season but those for Manchester United, Spurs and Chelsea go quickly.

Under-5s are admitted free. The away kit for is maroon, the third kit black. Retro shirts go way back, to the striped number worn for the FA Cup victory of , and tops from the s feature sponsors such as SAAB and brother computers.

Match-day times may vary. On busy match days, machines pour multiple pints in seconds. During the week, enjoy a game of snooker surrounded by memorabilia.