Thai entertainers, free Thai food, a Frank Sinatra singer - and new owner Thaksin Shinawatra picked up the tab.
There were also appearances by Ricky Hatton, Sven and the full first-team squad, and Thaksin capped the night off by taking over the mike and joining in with a rendition of Blue Moon.
The whole idea was a masterstroke by our Frank (as in Sinatra!) and if there were any more City fans there who weren't yet convinced about his commitment to the club, surely they would have been won over now.
It didn't all run smoothly. Under 18s weren't allowed in the central viewing area because there was a bar, and actually getting the free food was a mission at some of the stalls (well, there was Thai entertainment and Thai food - there was bound to be some Thai organisation too!)
At times, the show was a little cringeworthy too, especially the male-female compering duo who looked like they'd walked straight off Eurovision. But it was easy to oversee all that given all the plus points.
There were 8,000 people gathered outside the Town Hall, almost every one wearing sky blue, and there was one City song after another - it was like we'd taken over the city.
I'm not old enough to remember us having a trophy parade so I've never seen anything like it before. I have to say, at one point I was so proud I was choked.
We listened as Frank thanked us for our support, we cheered when he spelled out his plans to take the club forward and make us become world-famous, and we almost went loopy when Sven said he already loved us.
It was a real City party and a great evening. Hopefully it'll be the first of many.
> Thanks to David Forshaw, who has informed me that although kids weren't allowed in the central viewing area, there was a safer area right at the front especially for kids and their parents... If I knew we would have headed there instead of standing to the side with my 10-year-old niece on my shoulders!!
Thumps up again, Frank!!
There were also appearances by Ricky Hatton, Sven and the full first-team squad, and Thaksin capped the night off by taking over the mike and joining in with a rendition of Blue Moon.
The whole idea was a masterstroke by our Frank (as in Sinatra!) and if there were any more City fans there who weren't yet convinced about his commitment to the club, surely they would have been won over now.
It didn't all run smoothly. Under 18s weren't allowed in the central viewing area because there was a bar, and actually getting the free food was a mission at some of the stalls (well, there was Thai entertainment and Thai food - there was bound to be some Thai organisation too!)
At times, the show was a little cringeworthy too, especially the male-female compering duo who looked like they'd walked straight off Eurovision. But it was easy to oversee all that given all the plus points.
There were 8,000 people gathered outside the Town Hall, almost every one wearing sky blue, and there was one City song after another - it was like we'd taken over the city.
I'm not old enough to remember us having a trophy parade so I've never seen anything like it before. I have to say, at one point I was so proud I was choked.
We listened as Frank thanked us for our support, we cheered when he spelled out his plans to take the club forward and make us become world-famous, and we almost went loopy when Sven said he already loved us.
It was a real City party and a great evening. Hopefully it'll be the first of many.
> Thanks to David Forshaw, who has informed me that although kids weren't allowed in the central viewing area, there was a safer area right at the front especially for kids and their parents... If I knew we would have headed there instead of standing to the side with my 10-year-old niece on my shoulders!!
Thumps up again, Frank!!