Football Dynasty

In English football, traditionally, there have been only five clubs that have truly dominated since the 1980s: Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.

This group also formed the foundation of the Premier League, where representatives of the "Big Five" met with media executive Greg Dyke to discuss its creation, ultimately leading to the league's establishment in 1992.

Still, Richard can't help but frown at the current state of English football—a landscape so different from the one he once knew, leaving the future uncertain

His attention naturally gravitates toward Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal. While other clubs like Everton and Tottenham have their place in football history, they don't quite measure up to the stature of true giants. As for Chelsea, they weren't even regarded as a traditional powerhouse before the year 2000.

Richard was on the lookout for influential figures in modern football.

Arsenal was too busy dealing with its own internal problems. The dismissal of Bruce Rioch meant that Stewart Houston was once again placed in temporary charge of first-team affairs. Richard guessed that it wouldn't be long before Wenger—like it or not—would inevitably take charge of Arsenal, as if it were destined to happen.

As for Liverpool, Richard had no connections with their manager, Roy Evans, or anyone in the club's leadership. To make matters worse, his attempt to recruit Steven Gerrard from Liverpool's youth academy had been deliberately leaked—by the player himself. It was clear that Liverpool already viewed both Richard and City with suspicion, if not outright hostility.

That left only one truly respected figure—Alex Ferguson, the legendary Manchester United manager, who was on the verge of entering his tenth year at the helm.

After the match against Arsenal, August had finally reached its midpoint—signaling that the Premier League season was just around the corner.

Located just 1.2 kilometers from Maine Road Stadium, the Maine Road Training Camp officially opened, marking a fresh start for the newly restructured club.

With this, the players, coaching staff, and support personnel began moving into the newly renovated dormitory facilities.

As Richard, Marina, and Miss Heysen walked through the dormitory halls, the scent of fresh paint still lingered in the air. The space was clean, practical, and modest—designed for athletes, not executives.

Marina glanced around, her expression thoughtful. Then she turned to Richard. "Are you sure you want to live here?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Marina paused, folding her arms as she weighed her response. "Well... look, I get that you want to be close to the team and involved in day-to-day things. But you're not just any staff member. You're the CEO of Maddox Capital, the owner of Manchester City, and the president of the Maddox Group. It just feels… I don't know, out of place. What about your image? Your privacy? Security?"

Miss Heysen, standing quietly nearby with a clipboard, nodded subtly in agreement. "Indeed, Richard, there's a difference between being hands-on and putting yourself in unnecessary situations. The dorms weren't built for someone with your responsibilities—or vulnerabilities."

Richard was silent for a moment. He didn't want to admit it, but they were right.

"Just don't forget who you are. You worked hard to earn this position. Don't throw away the bigger picture trying to prove something you've already achieved. Or, if you prefer, you could modify your current room and turn it into an office instead."

"...I'll think about it. Thank you," Richard finally said.

It seemed he would need to ask Stuart to start looking for a more suitable place to live.

After finishing up, the three of them headed toward the newly built bus parking area at the training camp, where the new City team bus was parked.

A new bus!

Richard felt a sense of quiet satisfaction as he looked toward the sky-blue bus parked outside.

Ahead of the upcoming away match against Newcastle United, Richard had finalized a contract with a transport rental company.

The agreement required that for all away matches outside of Manchester, the team would travel in a customized bus that unmistakably represented City—crest, colors, and all.

It wasn't just a matter of comfort or logistics; it was a statement: Manchester City had arrived. Relentless branding and visibility were key parts of his vision for the club's growth.

In an era where image and identity mattered as much as results on the pitch, even the team bus played a role. The rental company, recognizing the marketing value, was enthusiastic.

For high-profile matches across Greater Manchester, London, and beyond, they saw the partnership as an opportunity to align with a resurgent club and tap into City's growing fanbase.

With this, City was ready to make their way to St James' Park.

August 18, 1995.

The first Premier League match: Newcastle United vs Manchester City.

Speaking of Newcastle United, the club entered the new season still carrying the weight of last year's heartbreak.

After a thrilling campaign, they had finished as runners-up to Manchester United—an outcome that left a bitter taste, especially considering they once held a commanding 12-point lead midway through the season.

This season? Yeah, the club responded by shattering transfer records, signing Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers for a staggering £15 million—making him the most expensive footballer in the world.

A bus emblazoned in sky blue, with the City emblem as a watermark, slowly made its way toward St James' Park.

After more than twenty days of preseason, the players gradually shifted from a relaxed holiday mindset to a competitive spirit.

The media had also entered full speculation mode.

Newspapers and pundits were busy publishing season predictions, ranking teams from title contenders to likely relegation strugglers.

As for Manchester City? The outlook wasn't encouraging.

After a lackluster preseason—managing only two wins and two draws—confidence in the club's immediate prospects was low.

Many predicted that City would spend most of the season battling relegation—fighting not for glory, but simply to survive. If they couldn't adapt quickly to the unforgiving pace and pressure of the Premier League, they risked being left behind, even by the very teams expected to struggle alongside them.

As the bus approached the outskirts of St James' Park, Richard had already arrived at the stadium, having traveled separately with his entourage in a different car.

Like everyone else, he found himself gazing out the window at the sign outside the main entrance of St James' Park.

It's worth noting that St James' Park is spelled with a single s and an apostrophe—James'—as correctly shown on the signage at the stadium steps and inside the adjacent Metro station.

This use of an apostrophe contrasts with the name of the Metro station itself, which is signed as St James Metro station, as well as with the nearby street signs for St James Street and St James Terrace.

Outside, crowds thronged the area—fans in black and white, along with a few in sky-blue jerseys, took photos, chatted, ate, and laughed. There was a relaxed, confident energy in the air.

Most Newcastle supporters seemed utterly unconcerned about who their opponent was, their casual enjoyment laced with a quiet pride—and a hint of disdain—for the newly promoted Manchester City.

Welcomed by officials from Newcastle United, the entire City squad disembarked and made their way to the changing rooms.

Richard, on the other hand, didn't follow the players. Instead, he made his way toward the Milburn Stand—home to the directors' box, press area, and the main TV camera point for televised matches.

Inside the Sky Sports commentary box were two seasoned professionals in English football who would go on to become some of the most popular commentators in the game: Martin Tyler and Andy Gray.

Although they were not yet as famous as they would later become, their expert commentary had already earned widespread acclaim—eventually securing them the coveted title of the world's best commentary duo.

However, both men appeared somewhat unhappy today.

The new season's TV broadcast schedule, along with directives from network executives, had left them feeling bewildered—if not outright frustrated. And who could blame them?

The directives from Sky Sports's upper management revealed that Manchester City had been allocated one of the highest numbers of live broadcast matches for the season—ranking just behind the traditional 'Big Five,' Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, and the dark horse, Nottingham Forest.

What's more, it was mandated that commentary for their matches be provided by none other than Andy Gray and Martin Tyler themselves!

Sky Sports seemed to have lost its mind.

While Newcastle had shown promising results recently, the network had originally planned to kick off the season with higher-profile fixtures—like the Merseyside Derby, which was currently being covered by their colleagues.

"Why are we getting Newcastle vs. City instead of the Derby?" they muttered in frustration.

Whether or not a match was listed as a key broadcast directly impacted a team's broadcasting revenue. Premier League broadcasting income was divided into three parts: performance-based rewards, equal distribution, and fees based on the number of matches televised.

At the end of the day, Martin Tyler and Andy Gray were employees—they had to follow the company's arrangements. However, if the match turned out to be dull and negatively affected viewership ratings, they would have grounds to voice their concerns to the higher-ups.

Little did they know, Richard was quietly driving Rupert Murdoch insane.

Each day, Murdoch regretted not blocking Richard and Maddox Capital from acquiring shares in Sky Sports.

Now, with a 16% stake in his hands, Richard didn't have full control over Sky Sports—but he had enough influence to make demands. He made it clear: Manchester City would only be covered by top-tier commentators, featured in prime-time slots, and given maximum exposure.

If Murdoch refused to accommodate those demands, Richard had made a quiet vow—he would sell his shares to either the BBC or ITV, Sky's direct competitors.

And that's why Rupert Murdoch hated Richard to his core.

As both teams lined up to enter the field, Sky Sports' live broadcast kicked off.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to St James' Park. I'm Martin Tyler, and joining me for today's commentary is Andy Gray. Hi, Andy."

"Hi, Martin. Today marks the opening round of the new Premier League season. Newcastle United, who narrowly missed out on the title last season after losing their lead to Manchester United, are now up against Manchester City—who stunned everyone with their strong performance in the First Division last year."

He continued, "Kevin Keegan has been busy in the transfer market, bringing in Alan Shearer for a record-breaking fee, as well as Des Hamilton from Coventry City. Martin, this team is stacked with expectations. What are your thoughts?"

Martin replied, "Well, last season, people were quick to say Sir Alex Ferguson couldn't win a title with 'a bunch of kids'—and look at them now. Ironically, Manchester City's starting eleven today is even younger than United's was back then. Their goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann, is the oldest player on the pitch for City. But there's no denying City's impact in the First Division. Even with a points deduction, they still managed to earn promotion. This match, Andy, is going to be a real test for both teams."

Naturally, as seasoned commentators, even if they were dissatisfied with their broadcast schedule, they couldn't express it openly.

Still, they hadn't expected the game to spring to life so quickly.

Barely a minute had passed when the ball soared over Pavel Srníček's outstretched arms and into the net.

Larsson, still off-balance from his leap, watched the ball's arc with wide eyes. As it rippled the back of the net, he tried to rise in celebration but stumbled and fell to the ground in disbelief. On his second attempt, he scrambled to his feet and dashed toward the sideline, overcome with joy.

"Camera—come to me! Focus on me!" he shouted, arms spread wide, eyes gleaming with triumph.