Next year's pre-season Down Under tour

[Rowley Birkin QC]

...is ON according to today's Melbourne papers.

Three way tournament in mid July - with Manchester City, some General Franco loving team from Madrid, and the lot from Milan who goat doesn't like.

Pellegrini v Mancini match-up in the offing... assuming both still have their jobs by then. 

[bluebrendan]

How are you going to spin a trip to a damp wintry Melbourne  to the missus, Rowley? 

[Rowley Birkin QC]

   Oh - she'll be all right. Quite likes her team sports (no jokes please...). Her sister has brain washed her (and me) into becoming Richmond Tigers members (AFL season ticket holders) and she thinks David Silva is "sooooo cute". So we'll be there!

Less than an hour away, so I'd be a very poor excuse for a City supporter if I didn't make it.

[shandon]

They recently announced the third team as being Roma - in some interesting timing 

[gavin]

The OS is reporting a sales window is open.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Thanks for the heads up Gavin

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Well, got two tickets for the City v Roma game 

...but the pre-general sale tickets for the City v Real Madrid match went in a flash 

[gavin]

Better luck when they go on sale proper. I mean it is at the MCG right? That is a big ground, surely they won't sell it out.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

You never know - this is a sports mad town!

The Liverpool v Melbourne Victory friendly last year was a sell out. 100,000

If you can stomach the usual Bin Dipper sentimentality - this was quite an impressive showing (skip the first 40 seconds)



There were some Victory supporters in there somewhere... No idea where all those 'Scouse' Australians suddenly came from - probably given special parole for the night...   

[Ludo]

It'll look even better when their all singing Blue Moon.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

The wife and I will start rehearsing 

[bry the guy]

Are we still sending criminals over there?

[The Blue Blooded Maniac]

Ye Rowley's there cos he was caught singing

[Rowley Birkin QC]

City v Real Madrid appears to be sold out 

[bluebrendan]

That's a pity Rowley, must be a lot of plastic Madrilenos in Oz, have they switched from the rags? 

[Rowley Birkin QC]

I wasn't joking about this town loving sport. They turn out in large numbers for anything vaguely competitive down here.

So not so much plastics - more a case of sports mad Aussies just wanting to see the big stars strut their stuff, and whether we like it or not, the Prancing Pony is a big draw card. Melbourne's large Italian community will ensure Roma get a good turn out, and City are most definitely on the radar down here these days. Never underestimate the power of that Aguero goal to impress! And our Arab friends acquiring Melbourne Heart (now City) has cemented a Melbourne - Manchester association in the sporting landscape of this town which is much talked about.

There's a healthy City supporters group here as well.

When I first came to Australia in the 90's there were rag shirts everywhere. Not so common these days. Might have been my imagination but they seemed to become a lot less popular after the 6-1 and never recovered...

[bluebrendan]

Might have been my imagination but they seemed to become a lot less popular after the 6-1 and never recovered...

It was like that around here too!