The bestselling Man City writer who refuses to go to the Etihad

I shared his pain, as did my son. We too endured many years of dross and misery. Too often on a weekday match night, the highlight at Maine Road was a Bovril from the Mike Summerbee Bar - actually a tiny serving hatch.

In 1998, in a bid to forge a father and son bond of understanding, I bought him a book written by a fellow sufferer and disciple of the cause. It was called "Manchester United Ruined my Life", signed by the author, and published in 1998 - the season the Reds would deservedly win the treble.

That same season the Blues fell into the third tier of English football. The purchase of the book, written by Prestwich lad, Colin Shindler, was reassurance that we were not alone.

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I had taken my son to the Kippax in 1995 for his first game - a mind numbing 0-0 draw against Coventry on January 14th. It didn't stop the names Rosler - then Kinkladze - appearing across his young shoulders. The dedication was unswerving, despite City's regular ability to be masters of calamity.

Shindler's book, which captures the stomach-churning moments of defeat and failure as an obsessive City fan; moments of ecstatic joy; and the friendships and bonds it created; as well as how following the Blues helped him through the devastation caused to his childhood by the death of his mother.

in 2012 he published a follow up: "Manchester City Ruined my Life". It tracks his sorrow with the direction of his beloved club as colossal financial backing turned the "Noisy Neighbours" as Sir Alex Ferguson named them, into a global brand. It described how, as the club tasted more success, his unease grew.

So how does Colin Shindler feel about City's own