WHEREVER your allegiance lies in football, it can not be denied that the sky blue quarter of Warrington deserves the chance to be feeling rather excited.

The supporters of Manchester City, who continue their UEFA Cup campaign in Cyprus tonight, Thursday, have not had a lot to crow about in the Premier League era.

In fact, the club has not won one of the English game’s major honours since defeating Newcastle United in the 1976 League Cup Final.

Emotional highs have come from gaining promotions, which are obviously achievements in their own rights, but those opportunities only arose from the depths of despair that came from relegations in the first place.

The club’s record-breaking 2001/2002 Division One title-winning season under Kevin Keegan was one of the brighter spells for the Blues’ long-suffering supporters despite the yearning for success in the top flight.

Yet, through all of the painful times Manchester City have remained a big club.

And the reason for that is because of the loyalty of their devoted followers, a good number of whom abound Warrington alongside rival supporters of Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Living in the same streets, earning money in the same workplaces and socialising in the same boozers as those supporters who have held the bragging rights for experiencing top-flight national and European success must have been tough at times.

But even in the doldrums of the Second Division in 1998/99, City still enjoyed faithful Premier League attendances.

There will be those that argue that the Blues can not currently be considered a big club because of the lack of silverware.

As all followers of the game know, that could all be about to change thanks to the takeover of the club from the cash-loaded Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment.

Tempting Brazilian star Robinho from Real Madrid for a British record £32.4m before the transfer window closed showed that the new owners are not all talk in attempts to turn City into European giants.

Of course, money itself does not guarantee the sustainable growth that’s needed to see City accepted by all as the club that turned English football’s untouchable top four (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United) into the untouchable top five. Management on and off the field is key to both short-term and long-term progress and the money needs to be spent wisely for as long as it is available.

By all means attract more Robinhos to Eastlands to raise the quality and excitement levels but at the same time look after the club’s future.

City have one of the country’s best youth teams – they won the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 22 years in April – and they must put measures in place to make sure that their young players can go on to make an impact with the first team.

Splash the cash on the kids. Surround them with the best coaches, conditioners, psychologists and advisers on the planet, leaving no stone unturned to allow players’ talents to flourish and to give City the base for long-term achievement.