Manchester City’s inflatable banana craze
Witness History

Manchester City’s inflatable banana craze

B2Upper-intermediateOctober 17, 202610 min
  • Sport

n the late 1980s and early 1990s, Manchester City supporters became famous for an unusual sight on the terraces: inflatable bananas. What began as a light-hearted joke soon turned into one of the most memorable fan crazes in English football. Uma Doraiswamy tells the story of football, terrace culture and one of the game’s most unlikely symbols. She speaks to former Manchester City striker Imre Varadi, whose name became intertwined with the phenomenon and also hears from Dr Gary James, a lifelong City supporter who was among the first to embrace the fruity craze. To...

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This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Hello, I'm Tom Gatti, literary editor and host of the Observer Book Club podcast. Join me for in-depth conversations with some of the world's best writers, such as Alif Shefak, Douglas Stewart and Robert Macfarlane.

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At The Observer we have a passion for storytelling, whether rooted in fact or fiction. The Observer Book Club is a place where great stories and big ideas come together. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, I know you're here for the story of Manchester City's inflatable banana craze

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and you won't be disappointed, but before we get started, I wanted to let you know that this episode comes from our sister podcast, Sporting Witness, sporting history told by the people who were there. Don't worry, you don't need to know your offside rule from your elbow to enjoy it. Episodes are made by the same team as Witness History and are

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