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Television cameras rarely have much trouble picking Noel Gallagher out in a Manchester City crowd but this time, he made it easy for them.
The Oasis singer-songwriter was surely delighted to see Josko Gvardiol put the Premier League champions 3-0 up at Craven Cottage on Saturday, making sure of three points that took City to the top of the table and closer to a fourth successive title.
And yet, he decided against celebrating Gvardiol’s second of the game, choosing not to join the thousands of City fans around him in turning their backs to the pitch, linking arms and bouncing up and down.
In short, he refused to do ‘the Poznan’.
Let’s be clear about this: Noel Gallagher doesn’t do the Poznan … pic.twitter.com/Qf0slgDBsT
— Daniel Taylor (@DTathletic) May 11, 2024
City’s adoption of the celebration dates back to a Europa League night in October 2010, in a group stage meeting with Polish side Lech Poznan, hence the name.
Even as Emmanuel Adebayor was hitting a hat-trick that would ultimately lead Roberto Mancini’s side to a comfortable 3-1 victory, the 6,000-strong travelling Poznan supporters kept turning their backs to the pitch, linking arms and bouncing up and down.
Although it was greeted initially by the typical English football supporter response of “What the f***ing hell was that?”, the absurdity and irreverence of the celebration struck a chord with City fans.
For the remainder of that season, City’s goals were celebrated in the same manner, with a chant of “Let’s all do the Poznan!” added in for good measure.
Manchester United have unsurprisingly had to endure several ‘Poznans’ over the years, with one of the earliest and most memorable examples coming during the 2011 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley between the two clubs.
City’s end Poznand as the United line-up was read out over Wembley’s PA system, then again after Yaya Toure’s goal, and one last time at the final whistle on a day that, in hindsight, was the beginning of the shift in Manchester football’s power balance.
Yet arguably the one Poznan that has stuck in United’s craw the most was not even performed by City supporters.
On the final day of the 2011-12 season, City needed to better Manchester United’s result on the last day of the season to win the title but found themselves tied at 2-2 with seconds left. At Sunderland, United had just completed a 1-0 victory and were waiting anxiously by the side of the pitch when news filtered through that Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp goal had denied them the title.
Their misery was duly compounded by the sight of thousands of Sunderland fans doing a Poznan of their own at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland fans mock Manchester United with a ‘Poznan’ (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
At United’s end-of-season awards dinner the following day, United’s furious manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Sunderland fans who had celebrated City’s triumph that “We won’t forget that, I’m telling you.”
The Poznan had become part of the wider football consciousness at that point and, later the same year, the audience at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award at the ExCel Arena in London greeted Aguero and City captain Vincent Kompany with a Poznan as they arrived on stage.
The celebration was dying out among City’s support, however. During the latter part of the Manuel Pellegrini era, with slightly less to cheer about than in recent years, it appeared to have largely had its day at the Etihad.
Yet it has witnessed a revival during Guardiola’s time in charge, no doubt helped by City’s rise to the pinnacle of English and European football under his management.
Although not an overly regular sight, it now typically breaks out when City storm into a commanding lead over the opposition, and especially if that advantage is over a side considered bitter rivals, or in a crucial game (as it was today).
At some home games, a bouncing sea of sky blue sweeps all the way around the Etihad, and it is not unusual to even see patrons of City’s hospitality suite, the Tunnel Club, join in from their seats located just in front of the press box.
Alfie Haaland was one memorable face to join in during the celebrations of last season’s 6-3 win against United. His son, Erling, is fond of a Poznan too and got involved despite nursing a groin injury while watching last season’s 4-1 win over Liverpool from the stands.
But a love of the Poznan does not run through every family, unfortunately. Just ask Noel’s brother.
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher signals his City support at Tottenham in 2009 (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
After City ended their 35-year wait for silverware by winning the FA Cup in 2011, a 360-degree panoramic photograph of Wembley was released, allowing City fans to find themselves in the crowd and tag friends on social media.
And if you looked closely, up in the executive seats, there was Liam Gallagher doing a two-man Poznan with his young son Lennon.
“I was doing it all day, mate,” he said afterwards. “I hadn’t had a drink for six months and when I drink it seems to come out. I f***ing love (the Poznan), man. I’d recommend it to everyone.”
It is far from the only thing the Gallaghers have disagreed on over the years. But ask the majority of City fans their opinion of the Poznan and you will find they side with Liam on this one.
(Top photo: Jacques Feeney/Offside via Getty Images; TNT Sports)
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