Attending a City Champions League Final?

[SaddleworthBlueRhino]

18 Months ago I knew I was going to be staying in Cardiff over the Champions League Final weekend. At the time I was hoping to take advantage of 2 birds with one stone!

In advance I tried to book accommodation- none available - not even in the surrounding Valleys. When it did begin to trickle out - WOW - The prices were unbelievable.

Today I am watching/reading reports of travelling to the Ukraine for this years final.

Ordinary supporters who, if they are lucky enough to beat the Corporate brigade and get a ticket, will be ripped off by extortionate ticket, travel and accommodations costs.

As a youngster my Mum wouldn't let me travel to the Drenching in Vienna and from that point on I have dreamt of being there when City lift the European Cup. I need to be there to cleanse my bitterness from what happened in 1968 - when my joy of being at Newcastle became quickly overshadowed in the eyes of the football world! (Not Mine)

From these days on - I have maintained my season ticket, I have progressed from collecting programme tokens and the front pages of away programmes to maintaining my Season Ticket membership of all Cup Schemes

Is it NOW time to acknowledge that the cost of my dream will be much more than my Season Ticket?
Is it time to acknowledge that I don't want to be ripped off by UEFA and the majority of host City hoteliers and traders?

Is it time to end my Champions League Cup Scheme Membership.

At a conservative estimate - comfortably attending a Champions League final is going to cost £1K+.

Will it ever be able to match the agony and the ecstasy of being there for that Agueroooooooooooooo moment?

I doubt it - Perhaps its time to settle for watching it on TV with the commentary turned down.

My only hope is that City realise that supporters are IMPORTANT and start to plan ahead to facilitate an affordable experience for the ordinary fans who attend all matches, every fixture, every week, EVERY YEAR.

Again - I Doubt IT . Food for thought prior to the June Launch of this years membership scheme!!

 

[cyberblue]

It a dear do watching football anyway cost of watching a Champions League final is way out of most fans price range

 

[quiet_riot]

There's no way I'd ever get a CL final ticket. I don't do aways though, so I wouldn't deserve one.
TBH I'd be happy that we made it, and watch it on TV with family and friends.

 

[Fame Monster]

City won’t ever get to a Champions League final unless there’s VAR, and even with VAR, they will try and shaft us. Every time we reach the knockout stage, they will appoint the same referee I.e. Lahoz to shaft us, because they think we shouldn’t be in the Champions League because they think we’ve got no history despite the fact that we’re far older than the competition itself and have the earliest recorded fixture of any team who played in the competition this season.

 

[m32blue]

I booked accommodation in Newport (about 1/2 hr away) 6 months prior to final that year just in case.Cost wasn't too bad
I think if we get to final next year you can keep costs down as there are so many routes into Madrid,you could fly via Dublin/Lisbon to keep prices down
Also you can look at towns/Citys 30 or 40 miles for accomadation. such as Toledo.
Getting a match City ticket is a different challenge all together

 

[StevieAsk]

There’s always a way to every game. I’ve been following England for 15 years away and it’s the same story, especially when it comes to tournaments (try getting a hotel in Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod or Kaliningrad for the England group games in Russia!).
But you have to be inventive. Last season when Monaco released another 150 tickets two weeks before the game, loads of people decided they couldn’t go because the day trips were sold out and cheap flights had all gone but I simply booked a flight to Marseille for £27 and got the train to Nice for £18. Came back for £80 flying out of Nice via Geneva.
There are plenty of towns 30 mins or so away from where games are that have direct trains into the city. Just got to be inventive and you can get anywhere without being conned.

 

[SteWadda]

18 Months ago I knew I was going to be staying in Cardiff over the Champions League Final weekend. At the time I was hoping to take advantage of 2 birds with one stone!

In advance I tried to book accommodation- none available - not even in the surrounding Valleys. When it did begin to trickle out - WOW - The prices were unbelievable.

Today I am watching/reading reports of travelling to the Ukraine for this years final.

Ordinary supporters who, if they are lucky enough to beat the Corporate brigade and get a ticket, will be ripped off by extortionate ticket, travel and accommodations costs.

As a youngster my Mum wouldn't let me travel to the Drenching in Vienna and from that point on I have dreamt of being there when City lift the European Cup. I need to be there to cleanse my bitterness from what happened in 1968 - when my joy of being at Newcastle became quickly overshadowed in the eyes of the football world! (Not Mine)

From these days on - I have maintained my season ticket, I have progressed from collecting programme tokens and the front pages of away programmes to maintaining my Season Ticket membership of all Cup Schemes

Is it NOW time to acknowledge that the cost of my dream will be much more than my Season Ticket?
Is it time to acknowledge that I don't want to be ripped off by UEFA and the majority of host City hoteliers and traders?

Is it time to end my Champions League Cup Scheme Membership.

At a conservative estimate - comfortably attending a Champions League final is going to cost £1K+.

Will it ever be able to match the agony and the ecstasy of being there for that Agueroooooooooooooo moment?

I doubt it - Perhaps its time to settle for watching it on TV with the commentary turned down.

My only hope is that City realise that supporters are IMPORTANT and start to plan ahead to facilitate an affordable experience for the ordinary fans who attend all matches, every fixture, every week, EVERY YEAR.

Again - I Doubt IT . Food for thought prior to the June Launch of this years membership scheme!!

I was far too confident and planned Kiev. Rooms were already booked 3 bed room in hostels free cancelation.
Flight Manchester to Warsaw Return £74
Accommodation 1 night in Warsaw, 2 in Kiev £65
Return sleeper train from Warsaw to Kiev £113
Total £252
Plus ticket.

I think wherever it is you can always find a cheap way of getting there and its in Madrid next year so would be a piece of piss.

 

[Cellarite]

18 Months ago I knew I was going to be staying in Cardiff over the Champions League Final weekend. At the time I was hoping to take advantage of 2 birds!

What a night that would’ve been.

 

[SaddleworthBlueRhino]

There’s always a way to every game. I’ve been following England for 15 years away and it’s the same story, especially when it comes to tournaments (try getting a hotel in Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod or Kaliningrad for the England group games in Russia!).
But you have to be inventive. Last season when Monaco released another 150 tickets two weeks before the game, loads of people decided they couldn’t go because the day trips were sold out and cheap flights had all gone but I simply booked a flight to Marseille for £27 and got the train to Nice for £18. Came back for £80 flying out of Nice via Geneva.
There are plenty of towns 30 mins or so away from where games are that have direct trains into the city. Just got to be inventive and you can get anywhere without being conned.

Yes - suspect this is the approach to take - but I was genuinely amazed how the alternatives I have used for international rugby union/league matches in Cardiff just weren't available. Just looked like everybody had turned on the gravy train!! We attended the Europa Final at our place. Got tickets via the UEFA draw in a the so called "Neutral Zone," from what I could see we were 2 of the few who hadn't sold their tickets on to Rangers Fans. The Fan sat next to us had paid an absolute fortune for his couple of tickets - claimed £1,000 each!!!!!!!!

 

[Onlymcfc]

Madrid will be dead easy next year, can even drive there if it came to it. Plus theres loads of ways to Madrid and loads of accommodation in surrounding areas. The issue will be getting a match ticket. Kiev is a nightmare this year because so few airlines and airports go direct.