Flair, grit and determination – not to mention a nine-figure outlay on players – have all been cited in recent days as the reasons why Manchester City won the Premier League over the weekend.
However, fans of the club actually have one man to thank for their first title win in 44 years – and it’s apparently not manager Roberto Mancini.
Nope, ironically it’s staunch Manchester United fan Mani – who infamously said The Stone Roses wouldn’t reform until the Blues tasted major success.
Reminding fans of his prediction ahead of the band’s huge reunion shows next month, the bassist’s wife Imelda Mounfield described her husband as a modern day Nostradamus, tweeting:
City’s win is all down to Mani , he predicted yrs ago the stone roses would play again after city won the league !!!! Nostradamus or what ..
While Mani will have been cursing his prediction, musicians from the Blue half of the City were in jubilant mood after City’s dramatic title-clinching 3-2 win over QPR on Sunday. Noel Gallagher admitted he cried while watching the match in a bar in Chile, while his brother and former Oasis bandmate Liam Gallagher sprayed champagne in a private box at the game, before aiming a jibe at United manager Sir Alex Ferguson on Twitter.
Meanwhile, QPR captain Joey Barton – who is facing a 10 game ban after being sent off for violent conduct during the match – tweeted Smiths lyrics in the aftermath.
The Stone Roses kick off their reunion gigs with two warm-up shows at Club Razzmatazz in Barcelona on June 8 and 9, before moving on to dates in Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France ahead of their trio of homecoming gigs at Heaton Park (29, 30 and July 1).
Following the hometown shows, they’ll then play at Dublin’s Phoenix Park (5) and Spain’s Benicassim (12-15), along with shows in Italy and the Far East.
The Stone Roses are also playing at this year’s T In The Park, which is taking place July 6-8 in Balado Park, Kinross.