Alan Mancini

On to the second of the Back Six, and there really couldn't be a more suitable choice at the moment, combining as he does two of the great football references of the moment for any City fan - Al Mancini.

Let it roll around your palate for a while. Say it a few times. Al Mancini. The great Al Mancini. OK, he may not actually have been called Alan, but that's a minor detail. Born 1932 in Ohio, Al was a real trooper, rather more prolific than Colin Maitland, and definitely more recognisable, even to the hopeless Bing (actually, I don't wish to labour a point, but compare the two results for Al Mancini at the links [Google] here [Bing]. One brings up a good selection of images for the actor, while the other throws up a load of cats and the Manchester City manager. I will say no more...) than the Shoestring man. His character - Tassos Bravos - was, like Colin, sentenced to 20 years hard labour before being drafted into the Dirty Dozen. Needless to say, he dies defending the bridge at the end of the movie.

Al appeared in TW3 in the early 60s and had a hugely varied career, appearing in many of the staple TV programmes of my youth, such as Special Branch, UFO, Rhoda and The Protectors - to name but a few. He even did a few Jackanory slots, and towards the end of his life appeared in some big box office films like Miller's Crossing and Falling Down. He died of Alzheimer's disease shortly before his 75th birthday in London Ohio, not far from where he was born.

In short, Al was one of the greats. Even without the fabulous Alan de Carvalho stuff after the Salzburg match, I would pay homage to such a great actor. With it, there is just so much added weight to my love.