Monthly roundup from Manchester..the red half.

Stats : Been to 9 games with 21 goals. Manchester United twice, FC United twice in friendlies, and Altrincham twice (they play in red and white as well) in the Blue Square Premier. Did my early round of the FA Cup and it doesn't get any earlier than the Extra Preliminary Round with a crowd of 90.

High point : Seeing the Diarby own goal for Arsenal and Manchester United winning the match. I stood there with my jaw open.

Low point : Listening to Radio 5Live Xtra (DAB Radio) whilst ill and United go and lose 1-0 against Burnley. A two day news blackout followed.

Could have fitted in another of couple of matches but I'm not going for a personal record of 70 games this season. But I am however aiming to see a match in every FA competition. That's the Cup, Vase, Trophy, Youth Cup etc. There are nine. Well ten if you count the FA Community Shield which I didn't go to - it would have been an expensive trip to London to see Manchester United blow it with a lacklustre penalty shoot-out against Chelsea.

September promises to be a full month with at least 7 matches to attend. A trip to Kendal to see FC United. It's a weekend in the Lake District - football and trip around Windermere . I've plans to see a FA National League Systems Cup. Bet not many fans have heard of it. It's a free admission game on a Wednesday in September. That's one of those FA competitions.

At the highest level there is the Manchester derby game. An extra edge this year against the richest club in England. Wonder if Tevez will be on the field? How will he be received back at Old Trafford? Plus a visit by Wolfsburg for a night of big time Champions League. On a note of trivia the town of Wolfsburg has a professional ice-hockey team called EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams.

The regular blog, and this is a plug for more readers and perhaps some comments, is at www.biffadigital.org/footie.html

Played 3, then a gap. For a Manchester United fan it's played 2 then a gap. There was that UEFA Super Cup on the Tv. Bit of a disappointment butnow forgotten.

So to catch some live football, the stuff with fans and players I ventured into the FA Cup. You get looks of disbelief when you talk about Cup ties in August. Where do they think the plunky minnows looking for a giant killing come from. Probably not from the ties i watched. Trafford v. Stocksbridge Park Steels, and Maine Road v. Brigg Town.

It got to miss live footie so much i went to see Manchester United Reserves. It was an away fixture at Bury, which is a lot nearer than the home games in Nantwich. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now in charge of the side. Sat just behind the dugout I watched him shout lots of encouragement to the young lads. It helped. They won 2 nil. They play in the United style - pass, and pass, and pass even if it's backwards, and keep the ball.

Well Saturday will soon be here, and a big game at Liverpool. All eyes on Berbatov making his debut, we hope. All eyes this weekend will be on Manchester City. Are they now the world's richest club? From a sideshow to mega oil dollars overnight. Incredible. If the owners let Mark Hughes manage the club they might make things interesting in the Premiership. When owners start picking the signings and sellings it spells disaster.

There is always a football season going on somewhere in the world but it's your own backyard one that you wait for. The two weeks before hand build up that anticipation. Only have to wait until Sunday 17th August. Hopefully the rain will hold off and we can take our seats at Old Trafford to see Manchester United take on the barcode shirts from Tyneside - that's Newcastle United.

It was 6-0 back in January but I don't expect anything like that again. A 1-0 home win maybe.

Still on a mission to see 50 live games before the end of the year - currently on 28. So on Saturday it'll be trip to the end of the tram tracks which is the town of Bury. The delights of non-league football to see FC United play Matlock Town. I do find football at this level refreshing. Not corporate, just a few thousand real fans. The recent visits to Old Trafford we were sat next to fat people, fidget kids smacked up on E-numbers, and people who sing the wrong words to the songs. Football songs are not complicated. You listen a few times and then repeat. The seating is tight, unless you have a posh seat, and not comfortable for elephants.

You can follow it all at www.biffadigital.org/footie.html 

Waiting for the new football season to start and it's the welcome distraction of the Olympics. Doesn't matter about time zones, the smog or the weather. We have the Tv and internet coverage - better, and better than anything in history. A far cry from just reading the medals table on the sports page in my growing up days.

Not sure I can get over enthused about the football bit. Though watching Argentina and Brazil is the bonus. It is a bonus when there is only club friendly matches before then. Went to see one last week between Altrincham v. FC United. Why did I bother. Worse why did I bother to buy tickets to see Manchester United v. Espanyol, then Juventus 4 days later. But I fall for it every year. Starved of live football you end up at some uncompetitive fixture were nobody wants to pick up an injury.

I might actually enjoy the games, it won't have the edge but there again in a long league season there are lots of games that don't have much thrill in them. 

I love the last two months of the season, what the media call the "business end", when in the last three games it's decided who gets the trophies. Watching who is getting a promotion or who is going to a cup final.

The reality is a little different. It's better if your team is involved, fortunately I'm a Manchester United fan so this year is tense up to the end. There have been many seasons when there has been nothing, and for most football fans it's like this nearly every season. See the games out and hope for brighter events next time.

But already I'm looking at my diary for May. Last home game May 3rd against West Ham United, just a few matches on the Tv culminating in the UEFA Champions League Final in Moscow....then nothing.

A bit like rushing to work to get there on time, bit of a sweat to beat the clock. Then nothing but a long day of boredom just to keep on the payroll.

I've seen 20 live games so far this year, it may possibly get to 26 before May is out. So maybe I need a break, like the players should be made to take. Find something else to talk about, and come back in August.

You can follow the story of trying to go to 40+ games in a year, be warned it's mostly Manchester United, FC United of Manchester and some inexpensive forays into grassroots football at biffafootie.

Set myself a crazy mission to watch 40 plus football games this year. That's live, standing and sitting, outdoors or under cover actual football. The Tv games are extra. Don't know why, but it's eating my brain and dates in my diary. I think the underlying reason is there is going to come a day when I won't go to the matches.

So far the tally is 17 games, and another one tonight which is Manchester United v. AS Roma. Other stats : 53 goals, 20 teams, and a cost of 435 GBP. It's not all big European football nights, some of it is English non-league and amateur. They all count...

Teams seen (number of times if more than once in brackets):
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bamber Bridge, Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers, Congleton Town, FC United of Manchester (4), Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United (11), Newcastle United, Olympic Lyonnais, Portsmouth (2), Radcliffe Borough, AS Roma, Rossendale United, Tottenham Hotspur, Trafford, West Didsbury & Chorlton, Woodley Sports, Wythenshawe Town.

Got to get to at least 24 by May when the season ends. Then resume after the summer break, unless I come to some sort of reasonable behaviour and stop this project of nonsense.

You can follow the story with video and pictures at Biffafootie

Started counting and I've watched 36 games in 2007. It's not over yet - aiming for 40. Not counting viewing tv games here which some bloggers think is following football. Obviously not yourself. Does seeing West Didsbury v. Chapeltown in the Manchester Premier League qualify (admission free, no programme), when you go and see Manchester United v. Blackburn Rovers the next day. They all count, because you sort of remember bits of them all.

As you get older and the seasons take their tole you forget the disappointments quickly and focus on the forthcoming fixture list. England not qualifying for Euro 2008. Well basically not good enough. Then there are four other English speaking teams who could have got there - Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Republic of Ireland. They have an excuse of being a low population nation. Come next summer I'll be supporting Croatia. Play good football, small country, good flag, been there on holiday, nice place.

Meanwhile there is a grim wet, cold winter to live thru in Manchester. United are bobbing along at the top end of the table, into the knockout section of the Champions League - can't complain about the results. My other team FC United of Manchester are up at the top but finding it hard, that is not winning all your home games.

You can see the videos, pictures, and ramblings at Biffafootie.

Keep getting emails about a chance to win some expenses paid trip to Japan. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Impossible odds for a rank outside blogger from Manchester, with no network, no mates, and no readers.

It's a ridiculous trophy anyway. You've got some great teams there like AC Milan, Boca Juniors, Waitakere United from New Zealand, and Pachuca from Mexico. Errr, it gets better. But it's just a trophy for corporate types, FIFA reps on jolly outings, and a few fans starved of soccer. I doubt it will even get TV coverage in the UK, though it does qualify for daytime fill-in slot.

Would I go if I won. Yes, the bags would be packed immediately and I promise to be a Terminal 1 a full two hours before departure.

The point is that global soccer like this is meaningless.
a) Fans really want their local clashes. Wolves v. Baggies, Spurs v. Arsenal, Celtic v. Rangers, Genoa v. Sampdoria...etc, etc.
b) As a Manchester United fan would I really want a regular diet of Moscow, Milan, and Madrid instead of City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Sunderland....no.
c) Football clashes are more than hype it has to have history. It's going take a long time before this competition has a history.
d) It's a bit like the European Super-Cup. Whilst that is an extra game, on a Friday night in Monaco, this is a whole series of kick abouts on the other side of the world.
e) Fans don't want extra games. More isn't more.

I was trying to make a short video of the song "United Road" as sung at Old Trafford. But then I checked on You Tube where I found three earlier versions, so no point in doing a bad repeat. But why not do a short film with the actual road  - a cross between a road movie and a football anthem. There is the remains of the real United Road which goes behind the North Stand. You can no longer drive along it though.

Football songs live on even after the people and places have gone. As when Dynamo Zagreb fans turned up one year when their team had been renamed Croatia Zagreb. They had a good chant of "Dee-na-mo, Dee-na-mo". As the word Croatia is not a Croatian word the club reverted back to Dynamo.

So you still sing "Walking down Warwick Road to see Matt Busby's aces" to the tune of Blaydon Races (c. 1862 George Ridley but based on an existing tune) where you are going to win the "First Division". Sir Matt is still remembered, but the Warwick Road is Sir Matt Busby Way, a bit is still called Warwick Road and that leads to Sir Brian Statham Way (famous Lancashire & England cricketer), and Warwick Road Railway station by the cricket ground is now Old Trafford tram stop. The Blaydon Races were last run by horses in 1916.

The songs live on...
See the regular blog www.biffagigital.org/footie.com for the usual Manchester United, FC United, and references to non-league and Italian football. 

Just over a month into the season and it's looking better. Well after witnessing Manchester United eventually scoring 2 goals, and even better against Chelsea, it does feel brighter already. After what Peter Kenyon was saying in the papers, how Chelsea's success was down to him, even better. Still remembered for his board room days at Old Trafford with a nice little song from the Stretford End - the money grabbing traitor.

Now the mid-week night matches start at home. Coventry City this week - here is hoping the younger players get a chance, AS Roma next week - here is hoping no injuries. At least I'll be there and won't have to suffer tv commentators mentioning the 7-0 win last season. They always mention previous encounters when the reality is, it bares no bearing on the game before your eyes.

My other teams - Genoa FC have not been on English TV yet (Channel 5 Sunday afternoon- Football Italia live), England Women put up a spirited effort in the World Cup (well done BBC for their coverage of this competition), and FC United arn't doing too bad....

You can read about my Mancunian football world for September at Biffafootie