since I left for spain

Hazel grove have donated £90 thanks so much guys

dramatic stuff the guys have had the bus delivered - we have arranged the trip to SL to deliver said bus and it has been liveried - I have pics but am not at liberty for the next few days to post any but very soon - more exciting that the new kit I promise you - we still owe monies tho' please please keep giving - the best team and fans in ALL the world - there will also be a blog network permitting when we go to SL to deliver the bus - the BBC are covering the story as is Endermol and $ky etc etc - get geared up for a roller coaster of a ride and buy an extra box of kleenex towards the end of August you will need it I promise - special thanks to Paul L you know who you are and what you have done Brilliant my man

All this goes to prove that all City / football fans are not typecaste and when like minds are applied mountains can be moved

I HAD A DREAM !!!!!

Donations

Hi guys have been in spain for the last 10 days and not home until Sat - but whilst iI have been here we have had three more donations two of 100 pounds and one of 25 pounds thanks very much guys - your generosity is very much appreciated - so thanks again to Martin Markus and Miles

The Presentation

Tony and Howard hove now been invited to the Hazel Grove Branch also news is travelling fast that this is a great presentation by the guys at the branch meeting - so if you want the guys at your branch you can contact them by e mail reddishblues@btinternet.com Howard - tony@griffiths7786.fsnet.co.uk Tony

bring the kleenex - lots of footie gear and loads of dosh

Thankyou

Just recieved a donation of £100 from Miles in London thankyou for your generosity

GREAT NEWS ....FANTASTIC

Since I last wrote we were contacted by the club who thought this a great idea - we had a meeting with Garry Cooke who was really impressed and asked could the club get involved in helping us raise the monies to make this happen - Paul Lake (yes the Paul Lake) was given the task of liasing with us and helping raise enough - this happened a while ago but we could not say anything until we knew what was going to happen so sorry for the wait - As we know this started out as a CSA venture BUT through this appeal and talking to the OSC and the club - It was decided by a landslide to unite the two supporters clubs again into one - the first meeting of the new Manchester City Supporters Club took place on Sunday 4th July - where Tony gave a talk on Sierra Leone which was well recieved - so this is now truly a fund raising effort by ALL City fans under the new banner.

The fund raising continues and all donations are more than gratefully recieved - they are life changing and life saving so thanks and keep it rolling in.

When Garry Cooke got involved he set a deadline for the delivery of the bus and I am pleased to say that we are on target for that delivery on the 16th August (I might add here that although the bus is now purchsed we owe monies so need to keep collecting)

The bus is as I type on its way to Liverpool we expect it to arrive next week and be liveried up with all the logos including the new MCFC supporters club logo - it will then be shipped to Sierra Leone where Tony Griffiths, Howard Burr, Alex Channon, Paul Lake and possibly other representatives from the Football Club and myself will be there to meet it and deliver to MCFC Sierra Leone and Armani - this is the culmination of a lot of effort and hard work by so many people and it continues - just tonight Tony and Howard were at a supporters club meeting of the Poynton Branch giving "the talk" which was very well recieved and there were donations of City shirts and a collection made - both Tony and Howard have asked me to say that they are available to give "the talk" to your supporters club - you will not be dissapointed its a great story it really is.

We cant thank the Club enough in particular Garry Cooke and Paul Lake - but everyone has been fantastic - we had kit donated - the web site will follow our trip to deliver the bus - there are too many to mention but our heartfelt thanks goes to EVERYONE who has been involved in helping or donatiing in anyway whatever - without you it would not have happened - but please remember the appeal goes on we need enough to clear the bus and taxes insurance etc - we also need kit donating preferably City stuff but any football realted gear including boots training gear balls nets anything that we cram into that conatainer.

City fans still amaze me after 49 years of following this club - please take a bow all you blues - maybe in my 50th year we might wi....... no I wont go there

City as a club were always fan friendly and went the extra mile for the fans and families - when we were taken by over there were those who thought here we go another rags or chelski etc - I am here to tell you - the heart of Man City is is great shape and if anything is going to get even more fan friendly esp with the unification - I am proud of my football club - how many can say that in this day and age long may it continue CTID thankyou Sheikh Mansour

REPEATED FOR THE NEW VISITORS

In the autumn of 2003 a member of Reddish Branch of the CSA completed 30 years as a police officer in Manchester and retired. He then started working in Sierra Leone in West Africa, where his job was to train detectives out there to investigate child abuse. Sierra Leone has for the past several years been either last, or second to last in the world wealth league tables published every year. Average life expectancy is around 38 years and living conditions for most people are appalling. On top of all these problems the country has gone through a particularly bloody civil war that lasted 11 years and only ended in 2000. When he arrived in Freetown, the capital City, Tony noticed the usual scattering of people wearing Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United shirts. It soon became apparent that football is massive in the country and most people follow the English Premier League. At the end of his first week he was enjoying a beer at a beach bar when a young man approached him by the name of Armani Sheku KAMARA who was selling watches, sunglasses etc. He noticed that he was wearing a Manchester United lapel badge. As Tony is a dyed in the wool blue he joked with the young man that he could not buy any of his merchandise from a man wearing and Man United badge. Within a short time he agreed to throw the offending item into the Atlantic Ocean and negotiations commenced. It soon became apparent that not only did he have a good knowledge of Premier League football he also had a good knowledge of the ups and downs of Manchester City. He assured Tony that he was only wearing the United badge because a customer had given it to him and he promised him that if I could get him a City shirt he would be a City fan for the rest of his life. Little did he known what that conversation would lead to. In early 2004 Tony returned to Sierra Leone having spent a few weeks back in Manchester, and of course took back with him a City shirt for Armani. Within a few days of receiving the shirt Armani told Tony that he was setting up a Man City Supporters Club in Freetown. When Tony next returned to UK he discussed the Sierra Leone situation, first with Howard Burr the Secretary of the Reddish Branch and then with Alex Channon the Charity officer of the MCFC Supporters Club It was then that the Sierra Leone Branch of the Manchester City Supporters Club was born. On Tony’s next visit he was able to take back with him several dozen assorted City shirts donated by City fans over here. They proved very popular and soon were being seen all around the Freetown streets. Soon Armani had formed a Manchester City Football team in Freetown as well as a Junior Man City team. The problem was that they were wearing a red and white striped kit that they had to rent on a match-by-match basis. Following discussion with Lorraine Firth at Manchester City the club kindly donated a full kit for the team out there. There was also a concerted effort by a lot of Branches to collect a s many shirts, boots as possible these were also sent. Another recent development is that a Reddish Branch member donated a generator for the community where Armani lives allowing around 100 people to have electricity. The shipping of the generator was financed by MCFC Supporters Club funds with the blessing of its members. Tony Griffiths last visited Sierra Leone in March 2007 and we were proud to hear of many men women and children wearing an array of City shirts around the capital and beyond. The football team formed such a short time ago is going from strength to strength and Armani is something of a local celebrity who is frequently interviewed on national radio in Sierra Leone and works extremely hard to promote Man City for no financial reward. The Phuket Branch of the MCFC Supporters Club then very kindly donated both a new home and away kit as many of the shirts donated were getting a bit passed it. On 23rd. November 2008 Man City Youth team appeared in the Sierra Leone F.A. Youth Cup final and WON. Not bad for a team that did not exist 4 years ago. You now can't walk through Freetown without seeing a City shirt and hearing shouts of City Till I die Unfortunately the first team had to pull out of the main league this season as it did not have enough cash - although the league have agreed to keep their place in division two for next season assuming they have funds in place The next phase is to try and help make the team financially independent by raising shed loads for a bus this would double up as both transport to away matches which is one of the most prohibitive costs to the team - Then during the rest of the week it would become a revenue maker by running it as a proper bus in the Capital this would give two people a job and also raise enough cash to keep the teams running. Also it should provide enough to replace the bus every 10 years. This is not just another fund raiser - the work being done is changing lives and keeping young people off the streets and giving them a common bond - it is CHANGING LIVES and even SAVING some.

We have had a couple more donations

One from Blackpool and another from Stockport great stuff guys keep it up - the auction is gathering a pace and will be ready we hope by xmas the idea being all pledge a £5 then we draw for all the great prizes - more news to follow - Thanks to a very generous member the team are ok for the near future so that we can keep raising monies for the mini bus to make the team self sufficient - lets hope we can realise that dream - its been a slow atart but I have been encoraged in recent days and believe we can achieve our / their dream

donations

Well they are starting to come in with the publicity - we have donations from Italy - Newcastle -Stockport - Manchester in the last few days - Thanks to those who donated and if you hav'nt yet give us yer dosh

If you have a chance please get down to mini coms on sat for the Bert Trautman Trophy KO 1pm proceeds in aid of St Helens Town and OUR appeal - prices £2 for City card holders all others £4 - there will also be a bucket collection at the game - please give what you can for two worthwhile causes

Things are gathering steam

We have had two generous donations of £50 in the last couple of days

On sat get down to the ground for the Bert Trautman game with loads of legends turning up to play at mini coms along with ST Helens and all the proceeds will be split with the SL fund - there will also be a bucket collection on the day

Well I am back

Had a great time - and lots happening whilst I have been away - Mark Hughes has endorsed our campaign - The Phuket branch have made a generous donation to keep the team afloat for the coming season - and the Sunday Mirror are running the story on the web site - very soon we will be holding an auction on line for some great man city stuff including a signed photo of the current team and one of colin bell and more besides

I will be back in the next few days to update all thats happening at the moment