Blue Moon Rising: Going behind the scenes to know more about the young members of Manchester City’s Official Supporters Club in Bengaluru

As part of an exclusive series, Goal in collaboration with Manchester City and TECNO are going behind the scenes to tell you the story of the Official Supporters Club in Bengaluru, India.

In this interview, we sit down with some of the young members of the Manchester City Official Supporters Club Bengaluru.

The Official Supporters Club of Bengaluru was founded in 2013 by a group of passionate fans who have been following the English giants for a decade.

Manas Kapoor, a young member of the Official Supporters Club, revealed when he decided exactly when he joined the Bengaluru Cityzens group.

"I joined the group at the start of the 2017/18 season. A live screening happened very close to my house and I went there and met a bunch of fellow Manchester City fans. Now I just love being a part of the community.”

Manas’ matchday rituals include wearing the club jersey and sporting the club’s scarf whenever his favourite club is playing.

"I have to watch every match wearing my Manchester City jersey. I also have a bunch of scarves which I alternate and wear but I always make sure I am wearing a scarf while watching a game,” said Manas.

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While Manas is a fan of star striker Sergio Aguero, being a goalkeeper himself, he adores former Cityzens custodian and England international Joe Hart.  Hart, who is currently at Tottenham Hotspur, was City’s first-choice goalkeeper during the early part of the last decade.

“Sergio Aguero of course, but I love Joe Hart. I am a goalkeeper and the reason I started playing football was because of Joe Hart. Obviously Aguero means so much to the club and he has done so much for the club,” said the young fan.

Another young member of the group, Advaith Deshpande chose club legend Vincent Kompany as his all-time favourite player and mentioned that he is a fan of the Belgian’s leadership on and off the pitch.

“For me, it is Vincent Kompany. He has always been a very important player to the team. As a defender and as a leader, he is amazing. He inspires the players whenever we are down or losing,” said Advaith.