Manchester City as a 'world power'

In Canada, I've never seen someone wear a Man. City jersey or even show an iota of indication that they follow the club. However, come to the UAE, and it's a completely different story there...There's a growing number of Arab Man. City followers there, most of them opting to wear the kits over there as well. I'm guessing it's more down to one of the UAE's royal family members owning and running the club rather than due to Man. City itself, but the fanbase is starting to grow there, and it's going to become the most popular club in the UAE (and possibly the Middle East) in the near future.
 
Here in Australia, Liverpool is probably the most popular English club in the country, United second, Arsenal and Chelsea third and fourth respectively.
 
Here in Australia, Liverpool is probably the most popular English club in the country, United second, Arsenal and Chelsea third and fourth respectively.

Is that because of the man, the myth, the maverick that was Harry Kewell?
 
I have seen 2 city shirts compared to the larger numbers of Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Everton and the larger european clubs.

They are nonexistent in Australia and they are going to face Madird in a stadium with 100k and everyone is going to see Ronaldo not city.
 
I know 2 City fans over here in Australia (both from before they got rich) and do spot their shirt every now and then when about. But they have a tiny number of fans at this point. It is largly United, Liverpool and then the other big names.
 
Is that because of the man, the myth, the maverick that was Harry Kewell?
Craig Johnston who played for Liverpool in the 80's as well I think. They were also very successful in the 70's and 80's, which would have garnered supporters and they'd have passed their love of Liverpool down to their kids. Personally I'm not a fan of supporting a club because a player from my country plays for them.
 
Even in India, I have not seen City fans/ shirts. There are thousands of United fans followed by Chelsea and Pool coming 3rd.
 
I been working in my business in the Sydney city for 14 years and i have noticed that Australians (born here) support in this order Liverpool (most likely due to the Australian players in the 80s), United, Arsenal then Chelsea but the Australians (not born here but are living here now) support United, Liverpool, Arsenal then Chelsea.

City i know 2 supporters only both supporting City before the Sheik.
 
Even in India, I have not seen City fans/ shirts. There are thousands of United fans followed by Chelsea and Pool coming 3rd.
Usually the know-nothing JCL's who support Chelsea, and bizzarely, Chelsea because of Mourinho. Usually the kind who support Madrid as well.

United, Arsenal, Liverpool among the football watching population, I reckon.
 
I know 2 City fans over here in Australia (both from before they got rich) and do spot their shirt every now and then when about. But they have a tiny number of fans at this point. It is largly United, Liverpool and then the other big names.

I been working in my business in the Sydney city for 14 years and i have noticed that Australians (born here) support in this order Liverpool (most likely due to the Australian players in the 80s), United, Arsenal then Chelsea but the Australians (not born here but are living here now) support United, Liverpool, Arsenal then Chelsea.

City i know 2 supporters only both supporting City before the Sheik.

Are they the same 2 supporters?
 
Where I live in Sydney, there's not many City fans. In fact, I've only ever seen one City jersey and that was at a shopping mall and a little kid was wearing it. So no, no one really gives a feck about City.

Edit: Actually, there's a guy I sometimes pass in our building cafeteria, and we sometimes have a chat about football. he's a city fan and apparently has been since before the takeover, but really, you don't expect any of them to say that they've supported post takeover, do you?
 
Not really a presence in my country either

City-Empty-Seats.jpg
 
Yeh, could count the number of shirts I have seen in Sydney on one hand. There is a supporters club here that meets up the road from the pub United fans meet and the photos show 30-40 fans but most are older.
 
Success is what makes you "big" and eventually a "world power". So, sadly, it's only a matter of time before they win the CL and become that in football due to consistent success.
 
Not many here in India, but I wonder for how long. Chelsea picked up a lot of fans after they were bought by Roman and started winning things.

I watched the Stoke game with a couple of cousins of mine and their friends (all in teens or very early 20's) and they said, "How can you watch this shit, Chelsea and City play much better football and are much more enjoyable to watch". Thank God, Chelsea lost to Spurs that night; still it was very painful to hear.

More and more people will start following City if they keep playing good football and remain successful. There weren't many Chelsea shirts pre-Roman, it was only Arsenal or us. Foreign fans, especially the young ones, will tend to be attracted to the current successful teams. It is not tribal for them as it is in England.
 
I've only met one city fan.

I've met more Coventry fans than city fans.
 
Where I live in Sydney, there's not many City fans. In fact, I've only ever seen one City jersey and that was at a shopping mall and a little kid was wearing it. So no, no one really gives a feck about City.

Edit: Actually, there's a guy I sometimes pass in our building cafeteria, and we sometimes have a chat about football. he's a city fan and apparently has been since before the takeover, but really, you don't expect any of them to say that they've supported post takeover, do you?

Ask them if they know who Paul Dickov is, that will give you the answer.
 
I'm yet to meet a city fan here in India. Very very few Chelsea fans as well, come to think of it. United and Arsenal have the most fans here I think
 
I know a City fan. He loves Ronaldo and suports Argentina.
 
There's quite a few United, Liverpool and Arsenal fans in Stockholm but I don't think I've met a Swedish City fan yet.

EDIT: Oh, and that's even after City paid the Nike store here to remove all the United stuff they had and replace it with only City gear.

On second thoughts, I do know one City fan, he's half Swedish, half Argentinian and supports Carlos Tevez, so he used to support United at one point. Now he's a Juventus fan though but he still follows City because Zabaleta's there.
 
When I started to follow football back in 1992, I switched teams AC Milan, Juventus, Madrid, Barcelona, Ajax, until I find my true love United.

Can't blame me, I have no real affinity with any of the mentioned clubs (being in Asia and all), it'll took times to figure out who's the bad guys and the good guys. Being at the top of your league and winning it sure helps to sway one or two newcommer to football who happens to watch the sport during that year, let's face it, why would an Indonesian would want to support Stoke? Aston Villa? Nottingham Forrest? and the rest of the lower league tables?

I can't say for every asian, but I do believe that most (if not every one) of us will be glory hunting at some point, glory in the forms of history, play style, actual players, trophy earned, etc.

Spot on.

Most fans in far off countries are fans because their chosen team was playing attractive football and winning things. "Glory hunters" if you will.

Since City weren't doing either of the above for the past 40 years, they understandably don't have too many glory hunters on board yet, but that will change with time and as someone else, said, especially when they start to become a major player in the CL.
 
City is a club a lot of people like over the world simply because they play an attractive brand of football, but I don't think they are close to being a global force.
 
When I started to follow football back in 1992, I switched teams AC Milan, Juventus, Madrid, Barcelona, Ajax, until I find my true love United.

Can't blame me, I have no real affinity with any of the mentioned clubs (being in Asia and all), it'll took times to figure out who's the bad guys and the good guys. Being at the top of your league and winning it sure helps to sway one or two newcommer to football who happens to watch the sport during that year, let's face it, why would an Indonesian would want to support Stoke? Aston Villa? Nottingham Forrest? and the rest of the lower league tables?

I can't say for every asian, but I do believe that most (if not every one) of us will be glory hunting at some point, glory in the forms of history, play style, actual players, trophy earned, etc.

I'm Asian too, Indian, and I became a United fan because yes, they were successful, but the history fascinated me more. Why should it be called glory hunting? Every kid who is into football will support a club based on something that attracts him/her. It could be winning, the style of play, anything. Even in Europe where it used to be passed on from father to child, how many kids today support the same football clubs that their parents support? As long as one sticks to the club he/she supports, why should special terms be invented to describe the reasons for said support?

At the end of the day, if you're up till 4 in the morning for a football match, you're a fan. Who cares what my original intentions were? In my view, that's all that matters, not whether you're an Arsenal fan from Laos or London.
 
Yes sir, actually from the northern burbs, Sandy Springs/Marietta. Where in Atlanta do you visit? If you say Buckhead...

Ha, yea I'm sure you're going to say that Buckhead isn't 'real Atlanta'. I confess that I have stayed in Buckhead once, but nowadays I usually stay Downtown at the Marriott Marquis. I've stayed in Savannah once too, which is pretty much the burbs.
 
City will surely get there, but they'll always be a distant third behind United and Arsenal here in India. United and Arsenal were so dominant at the same time the Premier League took off here; they have too much of a head-start. In 4 years I've one City fan. The guy was more driven by a hatred of United than anything else. Unfortunately for City, there are 3 other clubs that will attract the ABU crowd. The competition is too much.
 
City will surely get there, but they'll always be a distant third behind United and Arsenal here in India. United and Arsenal were so dominant at the same time the Premier League took off here; they have too much of a head-start. In 4 years I've one City fan. The guy was more driven by a hatred of United than anything else. Unfortunately for City, there are 3 other clubs that will attract the ABU crowd. The competition is too much.
Liverpool are very well followed in India.
 
Citys 2 other teams have also been a bit crap and bad for the brand.

NYCFC has the Lampard situation and Victory are still the dominant Melbourne team and sky blue is not a good color for a team in Victoria.
 
Success is what makes you "big" and eventually a "world power". So, sadly, it's only a matter of time before they win the CL and become that in football due to consistent success.

Consistent success isn't guaranteed for anyone, including those with the deepest pockets as we should well know, and I don't believe it's simply "a matter of time" either.

They are basically creating a new football club. They've taken the name and the colours of an existing one and are building something completely new. It's a huge project that will need consistent success over a decade or two at least before a sizeable global fanbase is established.

And there's no "sadly" in this for me and neither does it perturb me. We aren't going away and I'm looking forward to the challenge they present. Hopefully we will up our game and meet it.
 
Consistent success isn't guaranteed for anyone, including those with the deepest pockets as we should well know, and I don't believe it's simply "a matter of time" either.

They are basically creating a new football club. They've taken the name and the colours of an existing one and are building something completely new. It's a huge project that will need consistent success over a decade or two at least before a sizeable global fanbase is established.

And there's no "sadly" in this for me and neither does it perturb me. We aren't going away and I'm looking forward to the challenge they present. Hopefully we will up our game and meet it.
Which, if they keep spending huge, will most likely happen. FFP is what can keep them in check, hopefully. That makes clubs like us stronger and clubs like them weaker.

I think it will be pretty sad if Man City keep winning stuff.
 
Liverpool are very well followed in India.

I'd wager that as of now, they're far behind United and Arsenal. Sure, that's pretty good now but as football grows in this country, Liverpool stand the risk of being nothing more than Man United's rivals and the club with the Indian-origin kid in the Academy. That's my opinion, at least.