Point missed. He name-checked Colin Bell as if to say that him making an appearance on match-days was understandable whereas Bishop showing up isn't.
The hackneyed cliche line wasn't aimed at him - it was aimed at you. Like playing a game of Citeh Bingo - believe me, we've heard them all in the past 8 years mate and it's rather ironic seeing veiled digs at the human rights record of our owner's country when United have received sponsorship money from both Russia and Turkey in recent years via their national airlines.
You are right that City are a very different club these days though but comparisons with the Wimbledon/MK Dons situation are way off beam.
Yes, they were deliberately ridiculous and slightly mischievous comments. I was joking. I still love you. If you want to be serious though....
Truth is we are owned by capitalist, exploitative pig dogs who will undoubtedly deal with those of dubious morality if there is a buck in it. You are owned by fascistic, religious fundamentalist, totalitarian and sexist homophobes. Pointing this out is not, in any sense, ironic.
This is not good for either of us, although in a battle of "would you rather have unprincipled capitalists or ideologically driven fascists owning my football club", I guess I'd choose our particular brand of dubious ownership.
I am not playing Citeh bingo. I don't care about city or the constructs your fans need to create to reconcile your club's changes. All I care about with regards to city is the likelihood that you will beat us to trophies which has increased to unprecedented levels of probability since you "won the lottery" or, if you prefer, partnered with new investors.
I do, however, get a little weary of the overly defensive cognitive dissonance on display. Your club has changed. As has mine. You admit this. In many ways it has changed for the better. However, you are also owned by fairly dubious people. You need to accept these things or you'll continue to get upset when you are gently joked with by a fan of your direct rivals on a chat room devoted to said rivals. It might be expected even , that you would get such comments on Red Cafe.
So to romantaicise over the days of Ian " Ian" Bishop, who is cynically trotted out to attempt to maintain continuity to your increasingly distant past, when it is a clear metaphor for how your club is changed, and act righteously angry because you're weary of people pointing out that your club is now very rich and owned by baddies and not much like city of old is a position likely to be discussed on your direct rival's fan forums.
Personally, it makes me sad and Utd have similar, though not identical, troubles.
But, you know,...ignore Colin's actual point and create a straw man of the arrogant Utd fan, get all sanctimoniously angry and cite cliche bingo with no sense of irony. Your owners will still be dodgy, so will ours and Ian "The Bish" Bishop's days will still belong to a receding (and perhaps halcyon) past.
Born in Hope, die in Hope.
