In today’s edition of City Passion, we speak to passionate Indian City supporter Anuj Raj Sharma...
What made you become a City fan?
I remember I started watching football when I was 13 years of age.
At that time, everyone here in India largely supported Liverpool, United or Arsenal.
While my brother was a Gooner, I made sure I would not follow the herd. I watched different teams, their style of play and the squad they had. That was when Manchester City FC caught my eye.
The underdogs, who were known to win one game and lose the other, had started investing in the squad and the Academy heavily.
They had this unique beautiful play and the future looked bright. That marked my journey as a City fan and I’m so proud of the team, its players and the owners.
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What is your earliest memory of supporting the Club?
When I started watching the sport and the club, it was the 2009/10 season.
I remember we won the first few games with narrow wins against teams like Wolves and Portsmouth, and then we won the big game against Arsenal where our little guy Shaun Wright-Phillips was on fire.
The next game against United was the one that still bothers me a little because of the way we lost it. All our players, especially Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy, were so good that day.
That was the first time I tasted defeat as a City fan, but it made me realise that the “noisy neighbors” in future would only get noisier.
Do you have a favourite City game from your time watching us?
I can name a number of games where I loved watching City play, such as the 6-1 win over United in 2011/12 season or the Champions League comeback against Bayern in 2014.
But my favorite City game would be the title-deciding game of the 2011/12 season. I still get goosebumps when I watch replays of the famous Sergio Aguero winner against Queens Park Rangers which won us the Premier League title after 44 long years.
No-one expected it would happen but honestly, I believed that day. Even when we were deep into stoppage time and chasing the game, I believed that with our set of players, we could still do it.
And that game is what makes everyone of us believe that anything can happen ‘til the final whistle.
Do you have a favourite City player and, if so, what is it about them that makes them your favourite?
There are so many players which have graced the City shirt throughout these 11 years that I’ve supported the club.
The legends like David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, Kevin De Bruyne... without the likes of which we wouldn’t have been where we are right now. But the one player that stands out for me, is and forever will be Sergio Kun Aguero.
Be it the winner against QPR, the goals scored against United, or the one against Chelsea in the 2015/16 season, he has been amongst the action throughout his time at City.
I still remember his debut against Swansea where he scored a brace, including that long range screamer. That just made me believe what a signing he was and he has shown us just that with the consistent performances in his nine years at the club.
I can’t thank him enough for that title!
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How would you describe what supporting City means to you?
Have you ever felt so low in your life, that you need something to cheer you up? Supporting Manchester City is my answer to that question.
When I started supporting City, I was very young and at that time, and many people here in India hadn’t even heard about this club.
Look at how have we grown now! I am so proud and delighted that I started supporting this club when hardly anyone did.
It has been such a wonderful journey for me and I’ve seen this club evolve through the years. There has been such a tremendous growth in the presence of the club both on the pitch.
We have won four Premier League titles in 10 years, and off the pitch, I can now see so many Man City Official Supporters Clubs being formed in India.
I started alone but for the last three years, I have been part of the Delhi OSC and we have more than 150 members in the group alone.
We watch the games, play and discuss football, go through the losses and celebrate the wins - everything together.
And that’s what supporting City is to me: sharing the happiness the club brings to all of us Cityzens.
What are your hopes for this season?
Knowing that we have a top-class manager, an illustrious squad and a huge fan base supporting the club, I believe that we can really win some big titles this season.
Being a supporter, I would definitely want City to win the Premier League and challenge for the Champions League.
Since we already have won the domestic treble once, the next big step is to attain dominance in Europe, and that can be achieved if we are able to at least reach the Champions League final. I’m buzzing with the new players that have joined the club in Nathan Ake and Ferran Ferran.
I believe that we can achieve even greater heights this season. Come on, City!
To find out more about Manchester City’s Official Delhi Supporters Club or your local supporters club, visit supportersclubs.mancity.com.
