Etihad Campus, Stadium and Collar Site Development Thread

[philiph20]

I suspect they would rather have 300 students paying discounted rates, than taking a complete hit on letting local kids being taken to games by their parents, many who could never consider going on a regular basis.

It's not rocket science, give 30 tickets to each junior club in the local district leagues for the season and the coaches within them can ensure that everyone gets a regular turn.

There's an entire lower family stand that could be handed over for this very purpose. I watched that Amazon doc and it was like a Happy Valley Rest home. If we're not careful, we will toss away this glorious opportunity the recent years of success have afforded us - we actually have thousands of young glory-hunting kids who wouldn't be seen dead associated with a team like United.

It kills some of their parents, do doubt, but even they can't begrudge them.

You are absolutely spot on, there is a huge market within a 20 mile radius if not more from the Etihad and even the most myopic Rag wouldn’t admit the massive sea change in the number of kids wearing City shirts.

We have missed generations of support before hence the low numbers of fans in the 18-30 age bracket, you only have to look around you At games home and away and look at the various visual blogs out there to see how few we have compared to other clubs which although isn’t a given must contribute to the lack of atmosphere.

There appears to be a neglect and a real lack of vision when it comes to attracting local fans, we should be hammering the local schools with tickets for Cup games, players visits, coaching and raising the awareness. We could even branch out into deepest Cheshire, the Peak District, south Lancashire and possibly even venture into areas without or having very few football clubs on their doorstep like Shropshire, Cumbria and the Scottish Borders. However great the football is there doesn’t seem to be many outward signs of fervour for some reason whether that’s related to the aeging fan base I don’t know.

Get the extension up, reduce the prices and get out and about spreading the word and invite people back into the fold and get the uninitiated on board.

 

[worsleyweb]

You are absolutely spot on, there is a huge market within a 20 mile radius if not more from the Etihad and even the most myopic Rag wouldn’t admit the massive sea change in the number of kids wearing City shirts.

We have missed generations of support before hence the low numbers of fans in the 18-30 age bracket, you only have to look around you At games home and away and look at the various visual blogs out there to see how few we have compared to other clubs which although isn’t a given must contribute to the lack of atmosphere.

There appears to be a neglect and a real lack of vision when it comes to attracting local fans, we should be hammering the local schools with tickets for Cup games, players visits, coaching and raising the awareness. We could even branch out into deepest Cheshire, the Peak District, south Lancashire and possibly even venture into areas without or having very few football clubs on their doorstep like Shropshire, Cumbria and the Scottish Borders. However great the football is there doesn’t seem to be many outward signs of fervour for some reason whether that’s related to the aeging fan base I don’t know.

Get the extension up, reduce the prices and get out and about spreading the word and invite people back into the fold and get the uninitiated on board.

I must admit I see a lot of the same old faces season after season. Nice in many ways though. I went to a party on Saturday and walked up to a bloke and just said I recognise you from city as had seen his face loads over the years. I asked him if he was on blue moon and he was!

 

[spiny]

You are absolutely spot on, there is a huge market within a 20 mile radius if not more from the Etihad and even the most myopic Rag wouldn’t admit the massive sea change in the number of kids wearing City shirts.

We have missed generations of support before hence the low numbers of fans in the 18-30 age bracket, you only have to look around you At games home and away and look at the various visual blogs out there to see how few we have compared to other clubs which although isn’t a given must contribute to the lack of atmosphere.

There appears to be a neglect and a real lack of vision when it comes to attracting local fans, we should be hammering the local schools with tickets for Cup games, players visits, coaching and raising the awareness. We could even branch out into deepest Cheshire, the Peak District, south Lancashire and possibly even venture into areas without or having very few football clubs on their doorstep like Shropshire, Cumbria and the Scottish Borders. However great the football is there doesn’t seem to be many outward signs of fervour for some reason whether that’s related to the aeging fan base I don’t know.

Get the extension up, reduce the prices and get out and about spreading the word and invite people back into the fold and get the uninitiated on board.

This for creating local support.

I started to going to Maine Road with my dad as a 9 year old and the Scoreboard End had separate entrances for adults and schoolboys (Under 14's). You learned to queue, pay your money and cope with crushes and primitive facilities. You met inside and your dad tried to find a crush bar for you to sit on. Essentially you sat on a scaffolding pole.

Forget food and drink. No cover and in winter you could not see the opposite goal because of rain, fog and mist. Running to catch a smokey match bus home before it was full forcing a long walk and wait. We always missed big games because season tickets were unaffordable but attended all the others.

There was little or no football on tv apart from highlights from one game and the FA Cup Final. Imagine a small group of under 12 kids travelling around Greater Manchester by bus without adults to see Altrincham to Oldham as well as City and Utd and between.

Leeds still enjoy a strong following from their success in the 1970's when media exposure and away travel was very limited. Imagine what can be achieved today with proactive initiatives to engage young children when City have Pep and some of the best football seen. City needs to be ahead of the curve.

City needs to cater for new fans not be tied to old ways. Things have changed. An extended North Stand gives new opportunities without impacting on most existing supporters.

 

[Gingers Dad]

This for creating local support.

I started to going to Maine Road with my dad as a 9 year old and the Scoreboard End had separate entrances for adults and schoolboys (Under 14's). You learned to queue, pay your money and cope with crushes and primitive facilities. You met inside and your dad tried to find a crush bar for you to sit on. Essentially you sat on a scaffolding pole.

Forget food and drink. No cover and in winter you could not see the opposite goal because of rain, fog and mist. Running to catch a smokey match bus home before it was full forcing a long walk and wait. We always missed big games because season tickets were unaffordable but attended all the others.

There was little or no football on tv apart from highlights from one game and the FA Cup Final. Imagine a small group of under 12 kids travelling around Greater Manchester by bus without adults to see Altrincham to Oldham as well as City and Utd and between.

Leeds still enjoy a strong following from their success in the 1970's when media exposure and away travel was very limited. Imagine what can be achieved today with proactive initiatives to engage young children when City have Pep and some of the best football seen. City needs to be ahead of the curve.

City needs to cater for new fans not be tied to old ways. Things have changed. An extended North Stand gives new opportunities without impacting on most existing supporters.

You got me humming the old hovis advert tune when I was reading that

 

[ultimateharold]

You are absolutely spot on, there is a huge market within a 20 mile radius if not more from the Etihad and even the most myopic Rag wouldn’t admit the massive sea change in the number of kids wearing City shirts.

We have missed generations of support before hence the low numbers of fans in the 18-30 age bracket, you only have to look around you At games home and away and look at the various visual blogs out there to see how few we have compared to other clubs which although isn’t a given must contribute to the lack of atmosphere.

There appears to be a neglect and a real lack of vision when it comes to attracting local fans, we should be hammering the local schools with tickets for Cup games, players visits, coaching and raising the awareness. We could even branch out into deepest Cheshire, the Peak District, south Lancashire and possibly even venture into areas without or having very few football clubs on their doorstep like Shropshire, Cumbria and the Scottish Borders. However great the football is there doesn’t seem to be many outward signs of fervour for some reason whether that’s related to the aeging fan base I don’t know.

Get the extension up, reduce the prices and get out and about spreading the word and invite people back into the fold and get the uninitiated on board.

No expansion is coming with a promise of cheaper tickets. It should, but it won't.

 

[jrb]

Did you actually read any of my post, or just the first four words ?

I always read your posts religiously.

I still have to have my say though. :-) Apologies.

I just hope this club and fan dialogue sheds some real light on the thinking of the people running the club, and why they are steadfast regarding matchday ticket prices.

It would be nice to read proper and honest answers, instead of the usual candy floss answers they keep on serving up.

 

[Shaelumstash]

The is a strong perception that during our wilderness years the main reason we still attracted strong crowds was as it was impossible to get tickets to watch a game at OT due to them being the glory team at the time. So dads took their kids to city.

Where is this strong perception? Who has it? I've been going to City for over 30 years and I've literally never heard of that as an idea in my entire life.

The same core of 30k fans who followed us down to the 3rd division were the same core of fans who followed us in the early 80s when United were absolute shite.

The idea that we had some kind of boost in attendance because of an overspill of reds, is perhaps the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on here!

 

[whp.blue]

I find it strange when people say new fans should be offered the cheapest tickets before long standing fans who have backed the club for years.
What if these new fans buy cheap tickets and only attend the five or six big games?
People need to stop worrying about empty seat jibes.
I have always thought attending away games with my mates made us in to life long match attending fans, that is now impossible to do, new younger fans (no matter what they pay for their new season ticket) will not be able to start going away on 190 points.

 

[blueparrot]

I find it strange when people say new fans should be offered the cheapest tickets before long standing fans who have backed the club for years.
What if these new fans buy cheap tickets and only attend the five or six big games?
People need to stop worrying about empty seat jibes.
I have always thought attending away games with my mates made us in to life long match attending fans, that is now impossible to do, new younger fans (no matter what they pay for their new season ticket) will not be able to start going away on 190 points.

For me it isn't a case of offering any new stand tickets to new fans because they are cheaper, it's more so a group of mates that don't go because they can't get tickets sat together can get seats together, they don't necesarilly have to be the cheapest , that way there is more chance of them keeping it going for years. I think there will always be empty seats, and I don't know but find it hard to believe we have more than anyone else.

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

I think there will always be empty seats, and I don't know but find it hard to believe we have more than anyone else.

If season tickets are cheaper, there'd be MORE empty seats in my opinion, because the supporter will see it as losing less money, so, actually, they are keeping prices higher for everyone else by doing what they do, and, like you said, blocking groups of seats from those that might like to go.

Only way is to offer something for supporters who attend or attempt to sell their seat(s) such as cash incentives, ticket points or similar.