Fans salute parading City heroes (From Kingston Guardian)

Fans salute parading City heroes

7:40pm Monday 14th May 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

Tens of thousands of Manchester City fans have descended on the city for a raucous victory parade.

The "noisy neighbours" held a tumultuous celebration as legions of supporters in sky blue crammed the city centre to toast their injury time heroes on their open-top bus journey.

Fans climbed lampposts and jostled for position on roof tops and walls to glimpse a sight of the players.

Man City were just two minutes away from blowing their title dreams before two goals secured their first league championship in 44 years, snatching the honour away from arch rivals Manchester United.

Ten thousand fans packed Albert Square in front of Manchester Town Hall singing "champione" as they awaited the arrival of the players. The team emerged on to a raised stage at the town hall to deafening applause and cheers from fans with fists punching the air and hundreds of sky blue flags fluttering in the wind.

Manager Roberto Mancini and team captain Vincent Kompany appeared last, carrying the Premiership trophy and greeted with the biggest cheer of the night. Kompany told fans: "I want to say thank you, you guys have been amazing."

Mancini added: "I think that you should be proud of these players. They did everything for you. They wanted to win this championship for you."

Supporters had queued from early afternoon to get a prime spot in Albert Square, where players thanked the fans for their support.

Many of City's army of followers were not even born before their last league title during the club's last glory days in the 1960s.

But the team's once long-suffering fans were in party mood heralding a "Blue Moon Rising" to mark the first of what could be many title honours for the club, now backed by oil-rich Arabs.