Summerbee accuses Sky of Man United bias

Former Manchester City player Mike Summerbee has stuck by his claim that Sky Sports unfairly favours Manchester United over his own club.

Summerbee made the accusation live on-air while appearing as a pundit on Sky's coverage of City's 2-1 defeat in the Manchester derby on February 12.

Writing in the matchday programme for City's FA Cup replay against Notts County yesterday, Summerbee admitted that he lost his temper in the broadcast, but also claimed that Sky "only see United". He particularly criticised the broadcaster and other media outlets for repeatedly showing Wayne Rooney's winning goal.

"I am already fed up with seeing and reading about that Rooney goal. It was special - any football fan would admit that - but you can have too much of it," he wrote.

"The day after the derby I came back from watching my grandson score two goals in his Sunday morning match, switched on the telly and there was that goal again. I gave it the quick change to Antiques Roadshow."

The 68-year-old former player has been encouraged by the "extremely positive" response to his comments from City fans and now wants to see a fairer media portrayal of his club.

"They [the media] go on as though we don't exist and that annoys me. I don't mind banter. I don't even mind jokes at our expense but when I feel the progress we have clearly made - on and off the field - is being ignored, then it gets my goat," he wrote.

"I was proud of the way we knocked the ball around at Old Trafford. We played some lovely football and on another day could have got at least a point out of the game. For the first time in a long time I left Old Trafford after a defeat not depressed about the result.

"One of the biggest compliments was the fact Sir Alex Ferguson left his top scorer [Dimitar Berbatov] on the bench. He knew what a danger we posed."