Love This City: Ian and Evelyn Shaw

My first memories watching City was on the TV in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

I really remember watching the 1999 play-off final against Gillingham and being hooked from that point on.

My family are reds, so it was mainly mates at school that influenced me to be a City fan instead. I got my first season ticket in 2004/05 for Stuart Pearce’s full season.

We weren’t the City we are now but, with my mate Ste, I absolutely loved going to the games.

I saw us through the Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini years when we played some of the best football I’ve ever seen.

Yaya Toure was my favourite player in that era, he was just a Rolls Royce of a midfielder who could win a game at any moment. I’ve never seen anyone dominate the pitch like he did.

93:20 was such an incredible day and rollercoaster of emotions. It was one of the best days of my life and will always be that way.

Just like beating Stoke in the FA Cup final the year before, that made us all believe it was possible that we could go on and become the club we have.

I kept that season ticket until 2015/16 and then I moved out to Perth so I had to give it up. I love my life in Australia but that matchday atmosphere at the Etihad and Mary D’s is something I really do miss.

I’m so proud now to see Evelyn wearing a City shirt and loving football. Her favourite player is Chloe Kelly, who we were so happy to meet at an event during the tour.

Evelyn’s a striker too and she loves to assist, so that’s why she loves to watch Chloe Kelly play.

If it’s early enough, we watch the games together but I definitely never miss a game from home, no matter what time it is in Australia.

I’ve been to Official Supporters Club events too and there are a lot of British expats here in Perth.

Football is the most played sport in Australia now, even though AFL, cricket and rugby get more coverage.

To see Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy over here and wearing City shirts makes me proud to have been a lifelong City fan.

I’m definitely seeing our shirts out and about more and the atmosphere at the games at HBF Park has been so inclusive, it’s a great experience for Evelyn and lots of young girls who love playing football over here.

Ian Shaw