The ICU room remained silent, broken only by the soft, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor.
When Jonathan Woodgate finally stirred, his eyelids fluttered open with visible effort. The harsh white lights above blurred, then slowly sharpened. Sitting beside the bed was Richard, unmoving, his elbows resting on his knees as if he had been there for hours.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Fevre and Schlumberger were still deep in consultation, voices low and tense. Marina had stepped out earlier, searching for something warm for Richard to eatâanything to keep him standing.
Jonathanâs gaze drifted, unfocused at first, then settled on Richardâs face.
For a brief second, recognition flickered in his eyes.
Then he spoke.
"Big Boss... did we win?"
The words hit Richard like a blade driven straight into his chest. Seeing him like this dragged Richard back to a memory he had tried to bury. The day he had slammed his own head against the goalpost. The sickening crack. The ringing silence. The doctorâs voice afterward, calm and merciless, telling him his career was over. Early retirement, theyâd called it.
"We did," he said quietly, nodding. "The others already came by. And more are on their way."
He gestured toward the side table, crowded with bouquets of flowersâsome awkwardly arranged, others hastily bought.
"They said theyâd wait for you," Richard continued. "Said the team isnât complete without you."
Jonathanâs fingers twitched slightly against the sheets. Then a faint smile appeared on his pale face as he asked,"Of course, I wonât fall behind. Is my injury serious?"
Richard shook his head. "Not seriousâat least, not life-threatening. Youâll need surgery, and the recovery will take time. A long time." He paused before continuing, his voice steady but firm. "You need to stay strong and face this with courage, Jonathan. Youâre one of the toughest players on the team. Donât give your teammates a reason to laugh at you. The team will wait for you. And I will too."
"Oh."
Jonathan understood immediately what those words really meant.
If it truly werenât serious, there would be no need for such careful reassurance.
The realization left him feeling quietly dejected.
Richard knew that a few encouraging words couldnât instantly lift Jonathanâs spirits. For players, there was always a period of depression after a major injuryâsomething entirely normal. But maintaining a positive mindset during recovery was crucial if he ever wanted to return to the field.
The club had already informed Woodgateâs family, who were in Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough. Arrangements were being made, and it was expected that Richard would send someone to bring them here as quickly as possible.
The next morning, Richard left the hospital with Marina, who dropped him off at his sea-container hotel. After resting for the entire morning, he returned to the club in the afternoon.
The moment he arrived, Richard sought out Miss Heysen, his expression grave.
"Tell me about it."
Miss Heysen exhaled slowly. "After last nightâs match, all of Manchester descended into chaos. The disorder continued late into the night. The police arrested a large number of fansâmost of them our supporters."
She paused before continuing. "In addition, the club owner and two other coaches may be facing fines."
Richardâs jaw tightened. "And the FA?"
"The FA hasnât made any official statement yet, but based on past cases, the most likely outcome is a formal investigation into the stadium violence," she replied. "Weâre likely to face penalties, which could include partial or even full stand closures for our remaining home games."
Richard returned to his chair and sat down behind his desk. He didnât speak.
Silence filled the room.
About ten minutes later, he finally spoke. "Review the match footage and identify the fans who instigated the trouble. Compile a list. If any extreme supporter groups are involved, investigate them as well. Also, check with the police regarding the disturbances outside the stadium. Itâs quite possible that not all of them were Manchester City supporters."
Miss Heysen nodded and asked, "What about the FA? And the referee?"
"The club will prepare a written statement addressing the refereeâs performance yesterday," Richard replied. "If there are no additional sanctions, we wonât appeal. If further suspensions are imposed, weâll discuss our options then."
After finishing his instructions, Richard dismissed Miss Heysen and sent her back to work. He needed some time alone.
Following the Manchester derby, Manchester City were scheduled to face Newcastle United in the Premier League. Richard forced himself to focus on his work, pushing aside his anxiety.
Newcastle United faced Liverpool at Anfield, producing a thrilling encounter that ended in a dramatic 4â3 defeat. The home side took the early lead, but the Reds secured a last-minute victory over the Magpies. Ruud Gullitâs disheartened expression behind the advertising boards became another iconic momentâmemorable, though for all the wrong reasons.
Newcastleâs season was almost a carbon copy of the one before.
Mediocre.
Shortly after the season began, Kenny Dalglish paid the price for Newcastleâs substandard league performances with his job. The responsibility of turning the clubâs fortunes around was handed to Ruud Gullit who was trophy winning manager with Chelsea a few years previously, but he was unable to deliver any meaningful improvement.
Gullit made some high-profile mistakes in the transfer market (notably, Spanish defender Marcelino and forward Silvio Maric bore the brunt of supporters frustrations). Less forgivably, he also fell out with several senior players, including the club captain Rob Lee, who had been the heartbeat of the team for the previous half decade, and was initially not given a squad number.
City tore them apart with a ruthless 4â0 victory.
After this round of matches, the Premier League standings underwent a shocking shift.
Manchester United lose against Middlesbrough, while Chelsea also dropped points with another draw!
The title race was suddenly wide open.
The Premier League was heating up.
League Table:
Manchester United â 60 points
Chelsea â 59 points
Aston Villa â 57 points
Manchester City â 56 points
Arsenal â 55 points
Liverpool â 51 points
The title race was reaching a fever pitch. With eight matches remaining, all six teams still had a realistic chance of winning the championship. However, Manchester Cityâs recent negative publicity following the Manchester derby cast a shadow of uncertainty over the final stretch of the season.
The upcoming schedule favored Manchester City. They had already played Derby County and Middlesbrough, easing the difficulty of their remaining fixtures.
This season could be described as one of the most comfortable in Derby Countyâs recent history. In their last ten matches, the Rams won nine, climbing from 15th to 8th in the table. Their only defeat came away to Arsenal, decided by a late goal from Nwankwo Kanu in a narrow 1â0 loss.
Derbyâs strong form brought individual recognition. Five of their players had represented their countries at the 1998 World Cup, and in January, Christian Dailly was sold to Blackburn Rovers for ÂŁ5.35 millionâcomfortably the highest transfer fee Derby had ever received.
Even so, Manchester City edged past them with a narrow 1â0 victory.
Middlesbrough, fresh off a surprise 3â2 win at Old Trafford, were also brought back down to earth, as Manchester City defeated them 2â0.
With the Premier League fixtures completed for the week, attention now turned to the FA Cup quarter-finals, scheduled for midweek. However, before that, Manchester United were set to host Juventus in a crucial midweek European fixture.
Richard and the others watched the match together.
In this first leg of the semi-final, Juventus struck first when their captain, Antonio Conte, met a precise pass from Edgar Davids to score a vital away goal. Manchester United responded late, equalising in injury time through Ryan Giggs, who finished calmly after a cross from David Beckham. Just minutes earlier, a goal from Teddy Sheringham had been controversially disallowed.
The draw left United with a difficult task ahead. To reach the final, they would need to score at least one goal in Italy.
Richard suddenly stood up without warning. He turned around and came face to face with Mourinho.
"You know what to do, right?"
The staff members nearby noticed the exchange and quietly traded glances. Every one of them understood exactly what their boss meant.
Destroy Manchester United.
Not with violence.
But with football.
Revenge!
Mourinho nodded.
After watching the Manchester UnitedâJuventus match, Richard and his staff stayed late, preparing for a meeting to anticipate the questions from the media the next day.
The following day, at the FA Cup pre-match press conference, reporters focused heavily on the chaos during the Manchester derby.
A reporter from The Times posed a question that briefly silenced the room:
"Mr. Manager, your current owner previously stated in an interview that any disturbances at Manchester Cityâs home ground would not be tolerated. Now, as the manager of Manchester City, how do you plan to exercise your authority?"
All eyes turned to Mourinho as the reporters waited, eager to see how he would handle the situation.
Mourinho slowly picked up a document and began to read:
"Manchester City has conducted a thorough investigation into the fan disturbances that occurred during the last home match. Based on verified facts, the following decisions have been made: 238 fans who caused disturbances in the stands are banned from entering Maine Road for the next three years. For those who purchased season tickets, the club will refund the remaining matches."
"Who are they?" a reporter asked.
"Due to privacy regulations, I cannot disclose the names of individual fans or fan groups," Mourinho replied.
"Are they affiliated with any hooligan organizations?"
"What I can tell you is that we will impose bans where necessary. Additionally, three fan organizations have been identified as extreme groups that seriously disrupted stadium order. Their members are now permanently banned from entering the stadium.
I also want to emphasize one thing. The reason we were able to quickly identify these groups is thanks to the cooperation of one of our own fan organizationsâthe Blazing Squad. They provided crucial information that allowed us to take action swiftly. Their support has been invaluable in keeping our stadium safe and ensuring that genuine supporters can enjoy matches without fear."
"Manchester Cityâs long-term goal is to ensure the safety and comfort of our fans when attending matches. We welcome fans who support us to cheer for us, but cannot accept any fans instigating trouble that compromises the safety of others. Thank you, this concludes the press conference."
After finishing, Mourinho folded the document and turned to leave. Reporters called out his name, shouting questions, but he didnât look back. When it became clear he wouldnât respond, the room fell into a stunned silence.
"Is he serious?" one muttered.
"City is really going head-to-head with the fans."
"Isnât that cutting off a major revenue stream?"
Richard had thought it through carefully. Fans entering the stadium meant money for Manchester City, yesâbut he couldnât afford softness. At first, he suspected the Blazing Squad, an old problem resurfacing. But after calling Carl Morran and learning it wasnât themâand seeing that Carl was ready to mobilize his people responsiblyâRichard decided to trust him.
He believed the problem ran deeper. The extreme fan groupsâwhose members rarely attended every matchâwere using fandom as a cover for violence. Most supporters, influenced by these groups, could be swept up into chaos. In a tense standoff, even rational people could be driven by the crowd. A single instigator could ignite trouble like wildfire, and if it wasnât contained immediately, the consequences could spiral out of control.
In the past, the troublemakers had been the Blazing Squadârowdy, notorious, always at the center of incidents. But after Richard introduced them to legitimate opportunities with funding, many had turned over a new leaf, moving into small businesses and micro-enterprises.
Now, the old problem seemed gone. Or so Richard had hoped.
Lately, though, he had begun to suspect the emergence of a new organization, operating in the shadows, more organized, harder to track, and far more dangerous. He knew it wouldnât be enough to react after chaos erupted. If this new group were allowed to grow unchecked, the club, the fans, and even the stadium itself could be at risk. He needed to identify them before they struck.
To fix the problem, the root cause had to be addressed. Words alone carried no weight.
So the club banned more than one hundred and two individuals associated with extreme organizations, adding them to Manchester Cityâs blacklist.
The decision didnât go unnoticed. Over a hundred angry fans, led by members of the banned groups, gathered outside Maine Road, waving banners and shouting for answers.
Richard remained calm. That evening, however, he, Adam Lewis, and the Greater Manchester Police Commissioner met in secret. Using Adam Lewisâs connections as a lawyer, Richard secured a direct line to the department responsible for fan disturbances.
"What did you want to meet me for? If this is about pleading for the extreme fans, I canât help you," the commissioner said, sighing helplessly.
Richard didnât flinch, eyes focused on the documents in front of him. "Youâre mistaken. Iâm not here to plead for them. Under my seat is a box containing names and details of certain individuals. I want the Greater Manchester Police to maintain order. Turn these people into model citizens. If they refuse, act according to the law. Prisons are full, and the Hall family can fund a new one if necessaryâpurely for public safety."
The commissioner was caught off guard. After a moment, he straightened and adopted an official tone. "Of course. Weâll do our duty."
"Good. Donât disappoint us. Letâs see a stable, peaceful Manchester tomorrow."
Richard stood, trench coat over his shoulders, hands in his pockets, and quietly left with Adam Lewis.
After seeing they leave, the commissioner bent down to retrieve the documents. When he opened it, his eyes widened.
Inside lay one hundred thousand pounds, pressed atop the documents.
BANG!
He snapped the lid shut, glanced around to make sure no one had seen, and quietly tucked it under his arm. After a brief hesitation, he slipped out through a side exit.
It wasnât illegal. Richard Maddox wasnât bribing himâthey were simply ensuring he did his job properly.