The first thing that changed was my wardrobe. Since becoming a City supporter, I have bought several shirts every season, so my collection has grown considerably over the years.
I now wear City shirts not only when exercising, but in everyday life as well. I also get much less sleep!
Supporting a club from around 5,400 miles away means that many matches kick off at midnight or in the early hours of the morning in Korea. I often have to sacrifice some sleep, but watching those 90 minutes makes me happy, so it is always worth it.
Most importantly, football has introduced me to so many wonderful people. I have made friends with whom I can share my passion for both City and football, and I am very grateful for that. I even met my husband through conversations about football!
I grew up watching football from time to time, mainly because my dad used to be a footballer. Whenever I watched matches with family or friends, City often happened to be playing against the team they supported.
I would always find myself drawn to them, thinking, “That team in sky blue looks brilliant.” Then, about ten years ago, I came across a compilation of Sergio Agüero’s goals on YouTube.
The longer I watched, the more I found myself falling for City. Ever since then, I have followed and supported City from Korea, around 5,400 miles away.
My only visit to the Etihad Stadium was the FA Cup fifth round tie between City and Plymouth Argyle. I felt quite emotional as soon as I saw “Etihad Stadium” appear as a stop on the bus.
Then, when the entrance to the stadium finally came into view, it felt as though my heart was going to burst. The weather was unusually bright and sunny that day, which made the sky-blue entrance to the Etihad look even more beautiful.
City went a goal behind, but Nico O’Reilly scored twice and Kevin De Bruyne added another as we came back to win 3–1 and reach the quarter-finals. I was wearing Kevin’s shirt from his first season at City that day, so seeing him score with my own eyes felt almost unbelievable.
I also could not quite believe that I was actually inside the stadium, singing “Oh, Kevin De Bruyne” alongside all the other supporters. The whole experience was absolutely amazing and incredibly special.
Most of my interaction with other City supporters takes place online. Every month or two, I also meet other supporters in person to watch a match together.
I have attended Official Supporters Club screenings as well as events held in pubs, where we sing City songs and celebrate together whenever we score.
Supporting City online is enjoyable, but I think watching matches together in person is much more exciting and creates memories that last far longer.
When you watch City surrounded by fellow supporters, every emotion from the match feels more intense, and those moments stay with you for a very long time.
Whenever I watch a match with someone else, I usually wear a City shirt.
Sometimes a friend and I will wear matching shirts, or I will choose one from a favourite season or with the name of a player I particularly like.
Most of the time, though, I watch City at home with my husband while enjoying something nice to eat.
Korean fried chicken can be delivered until very late at night, so we often order some and enjoy it during the match.
Even when kick-off is in the early hours of the morning, having City and good food together makes it feel like a special matchday.
