It was no different for Alex Pourfar, who felt an instant connection when he saw Manchester City for the very first time under Manuel Pellegrini.
However, there is one major difference in Alex’s case compared with your average City fan… he lives more than 3,000 miles from the Etihad Stadium.
But it is clear in his voice that the 13-year-old from Manhattan, New York, instantly knew he had witnessed something that set itself apart from any sporting event he had experienced before.
“I had watched American Football games, Basketball games and I didn’t find them that captivating,” he explained when asked why he had first become a City supporter.
“But the minute I saw Sergio Aguero and the whole team, with the likes of Aleksandr Kolarov, it was so much different than anything I had ever watched before.”
The blue touch paper had well and truly been lit but, thanks to the groundbreaking City Football Group initiative, Alex’s spark developed into a full-blown passion from across the pond.
With links spanning from Melbourne to Montevideo, City’s impact spreads far and wide, making us and our sister clubs among the most accessible teams to follow for fans across the globe.
And in that point lies the beauty of the group. Whether you grew up in the shadows of Maine Road or across an entire ocean, this club holds a special place in the hearts of thousands of people all around the world.
Alex, for one, could not agree more with this description.
“Manchester City is the team that everybody knows about, but it’s nice to have a little piece of that team at home if you’re a fan whether you’re in Melbourne or New York City like me,” he added.
“As well as raising excitement about your team, it gives you a connection… (I got that closeness) right away.
“It’s almost like we’re part of the Manchester City family, everyone is so welcoming… it has been such an amazing experience.”
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Making sure they make the trip across the pond to the Etihad at least once a season, there’s certainly no question of how committed Alex and his dad, Michael, are in cheering on Pep Guardiola’s side.
But despite the obvious expense behind making the 3,000-mile journey to the Etihad, Alex’s dad says he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“To be anywhere where you feel like your son is in heaven is a gift for a parent and that’s been our experience here,” Michael said of making the marathon journey to attend see City play.
“Not only have we enjoyed the notion of getting to know the team and getting to know the city, but we’ve used it as a base for exploring England.
“All of these places mean something now and it’s thanks to City and our experience here. It’s been fun to be riding shotgun with his obsession.”
And it appears to be a passion which is not reserved exclusively for Alex.
Interest in football has increased hugely over the past few decades in the United States, and the City Football Group has played its part in that growth by helping lay down the foundations for another major club in the heart of the Big Apple: New York City FC.
Alex has been to the Yankee Stadium a number of times to see our CFG sister club play in the MLS and insists that football’s reach is continuing to spread among the next generation Stateside.
“More kids care now, not just about football in general but about Manchester City and the Premier League,” Alex explained, recalling the experience of his school friends back in Manhattan.
“Kids know what’s happening and it’s not only American football and basketball that’s being talked about in school anymore.”
To mark their latest annual voyage across the Atlantic to the Etihad, the pair decided to take advantage of the Manchester City Tunnel Club.
By opting for hospitality tickets, they were given an intimate view of the player tunnel, pitch along with being able to watch post-match interviews with Pep Guardiola.
Alex was hugely impressed with the facilities and felt they perfectly reflected City’s meticulous efforts - both on and off the field - to give supporters the best possible match-day experience.
“There’s so much thought put into all these small details, such as the heated seats... everything about it is just thought out,” he added.
“You can see so much care is put into this stadium and I think it reflects in our play.
“Obviously, we were playing (at Maine Road) before we came to the stadium, but it’s fit for the best football which is what we have.”
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