It’s August 2009, Manchester City have spent big in the summer and commentators and pundits are evaluating their chances of finishing in the Champions League places. Tottenham had also spent big as had Aston Villa and strength in depth at Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal also meant qualification was certainly be going to be a tight affair. Dedicated fan Keith Bradley however believes not only that Manchester City will qualify for the Champions League but that they will go all the way and win it the following year.

As Keith Bradley himself explains: “While I was in the pub one night I was saying how I thought we’d win the Champions League next season and my friend turned to me and said ‘if you’re so sure why don’t you have it tattooed?’

“He was obviously joking, so you can imagine his face when I turned around and said ‘OK then’.

Back in August Tattooist John Logan, from Logan’s Cave, based in Kingstanding, Birmingham, said it was one of the most unusual requests he’d ever had for a tattoo.

“It certainly was a strange request,” he said.

“I’ve done other football fans who had their team’s badges tattooed but never anything like this. “Kirk has got to be one of the most optimistic football fans ever.”

9 Months later and Tottenham beat Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool to the highly coveted fourth Champions League slot, and Keith is most probably left with a mixture of disappointment and embarrassment.

The full story:http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrischarles/2010/05/review_of_the_week_65.html

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1132137_city_fans_champions_league_tattoo__for_2011