North Stand Construction Discussion
- Thread starter awest
- Start date
Stretford Born Blue
Well-Known Member
Many moons ago, before we moved into the Etihad, I attended the inaugural meeting of the Northenden OSC.
Dennis Tueart and other club representatives attended.
All the talk was around the move to the new stadium, in particular the proposed capacity.
It had been decided that a near 50000 seater stadium would be constructed, based on the fact that our then current fan base and demand for tickets would fill it.
Further discussion ensued regard where our then current fan base lived.
Surprisingly, Tueart said that 36% of our then current fan base were resident in the South East of the country.
That was 20 years ago, when we were shit.
It’s now believed we have 100 million fans worldwide, with 1% based in the UK. That’s obviously 1 million.
But, the most striking fact I’ve seen is as a member of Stretford and Urmston OSC.
We take a double decker bus to every home game, always full, but noticeably, the vast majority of fans are over 50, long life fans, a couple of which originate from other parts of the country. Many are in their 60’s and 70’s. But there just aren’t many kids.
Look at pictures of fans at Maine Road from the 60, 70 snd 80’s.
Hordes of kids and teenagers.
Enabling families and kids, teenagers and 20 somethings to attend games together is vital in my view.
Cost and availability of adjacent seats is the issue, there are too few to go around,
I think we have around 40000 season card holders. Add to that 3000 away fans, 5000 corporate seats, and we are left with around 5000 general sale tickets, and not many seated together.
Only when an away team don’t take their full allocation, or a cup game frees up seats not occupied by season card holders, or the first and second tiers where away fans would normally sit, do some occasional match day going fans get the chance to sit together, or get a ticket.
So, will thought be given to enabling those fans who are wanting to go more often, but can’t because of high cost or a lack of adjacent seat availability.
We’d fill any size stadium if the price was right and seats were available for many.
I hope City consider options to accommodate and entice fans, other than the season card holders.
Build it and they will come, but only if they can afford it and can sit together.
Dennis Tueart and other club representatives attended.
All the talk was around the move to the new stadium, in particular the proposed capacity.
It had been decided that a near 50000 seater stadium would be constructed, based on the fact that our then current fan base and demand for tickets would fill it.
Further discussion ensued regard where our then current fan base lived.
Surprisingly, Tueart said that 36% of our then current fan base were resident in the South East of the country.
That was 20 years ago, when we were shit.
It’s now believed we have 100 million fans worldwide, with 1% based in the UK. That’s obviously 1 million.
But, the most striking fact I’ve seen is as a member of Stretford and Urmston OSC.
We take a double decker bus to every home game, always full, but noticeably, the vast majority of fans are over 50, long life fans, a couple of which originate from other parts of the country. Many are in their 60’s and 70’s. But there just aren’t many kids.
Look at pictures of fans at Maine Road from the 60, 70 snd 80’s.
Hordes of kids and teenagers.
Enabling families and kids, teenagers and 20 somethings to attend games together is vital in my view.
Cost and availability of adjacent seats is the issue, there are too few to go around,
I think we have around 40000 season card holders. Add to that 3000 away fans, 5000 corporate seats, and we are left with around 5000 general sale tickets, and not many seated together.
Only when an away team don’t take their full allocation, or a cup game frees up seats not occupied by season card holders, or the first and second tiers where away fans would normally sit, do some occasional match day going fans get the chance to sit together, or get a ticket.
So, will thought be given to enabling those fans who are wanting to go more often, but can’t because of high cost or a lack of adjacent seat availability.
We’d fill any size stadium if the price was right and seats were available for many.
I hope City consider options to accommodate and entice fans, other than the season card holders.
Build it and they will come, but only if they can afford it and can sit together.
The Rags were going to call the Colin Bell stand the Bell End, but that hasn’t happened.
We can’t keep on worrying about what other fans, mainly the rags, say about the Etihad.
We call Old Trafford the Old Toilet, but the Rags aren’t worried about that.
At the end of the day it’s just banter, which the vast majority of City fans aren’t bothered about.
Any naming of the new North stand home end should reflect City’s history regardless of what the Rags or any other fans think of the name.
Last edited:
richards30
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 20 May 2009
- Messages
- 31,736
So the fan consultation process runs until the 26th March, I wonder how long after that any announcements or more CGI’s will be made available? I like many think it’s all done and this time period is just procedural and the final plans already drawn up and agreed
I’m going to give the club the benefit of my doubt.
Things like the safe standing on L2, L1 or both, the location of the new singing section, the removal of the digital boards on L2 to be replaced by flags and banners, fan relocations, transport issues, Metrolink, parking, park and ride, catering, season ticket prices, etc, which all form part of the consultation and feedback from the fans.
The design of the stand, hotel, museum, city plaza, yes, that’s all done and dusted regardless of what the fans think. The lack of proper and detailed images released during the consultation period is testament to that. We’ve got no idea what we’re getting bar basic drawings and 2 good detailed CGI’s.
Last edited:
fitzy blue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 9 Dec 2012
- Messages
- 985
richards30
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 20 May 2009
- Messages
- 31,736
True.
We shouldn’t worry what jibes United fans make up about City.
Siddy, Blue Nose, Massive’s, Bertie’s, 34 years, etc, have all come and gone.
Transport issues will be the interesting one. That issue is one of the main ones affecting the fans. And one of the main complaints.
I doubt losing a row of digital advertising boards at the front of NSL2 will have too much impact on City financially.
I’d like to think the club would rather see a colourful and vibrant home end full of banners and flags. I’m sure the fans, Pep and the players would.
richards30
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 20 May 2009
- Messages
- 31,736
It's full of nob ends
A very good point and a country/council looking to the future would be doing that.
Gray
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 30 May 2004
- Messages
- 28,696
- Team supported
- ABU & The Bus Wreckers
You know I mentioned that months ago on here. I don’t think it is a daft idea at all. Would help with the flow of spectators and be a great addition to the City. Fairly cheap option compared to tunnelling and ground works. Just need the pylons, rails a couple of stations and off you go
superciteh
Active Member
I agree completely that the club needs to make the small number of general admission tickets left more accessible to non season card holders. The adult ticket price is generally £55-60 for single games which is way too much.
Like you say the best opportunity for new fans to come to a game are usually CL group games and cup games where prices are cheaper and there's more availability of adjacent seats. Unfortunately these tend to be the games where the atmosphere isn't quite up to par which I can imagine doesn't create the best impression.
Regarding the OSC coaches being made up of mainly 50+ year olds, could this not be more to do with the OSCs themselves (for whatever reason) failing to appeal to younger fans? It seems to me like we have plenty of younger (under 30s) fans at games but would be very interesting to see the data on the average/median age of fans over the years.
Gone for a Burton
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2022
- Messages
- 6,398
- Team supported
- City
The monorail metro in Dubai was built through and beyond the busiest part of down town and the full length of SZR.
It,and the stations, are world class and it was built in next to no time.
Sheikh Mo undertook regular unannounced night time inspections to ensure it was on time and on budget.
Where there's a will.....
EricBrooksGhost
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2010
- Messages
- 2,781
Did you know?
City’s first matches were played near ‘Clowes Street’.
The Clowes End.
I thought I’d bring a bit of City history into the North stand naming discussion. :-)
The location chosen for the football team's first games was essentially an area of unused waste land known in records to be "near Clowes Street", and picked as it was also the location that the St Mark's cricket teams played.
Early grounds of Manchester City F.C. - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
@Yelloways Army
What do you reckon to this?
gouldybob
Well-Known Member
The Dubai metro and the Dubai monorail are two different things.
The metro is an overhead rail line, good luck getting that through planning given the furore over the overland/overhead HS2 proposal into Piccadilly.
The monorail is like the one at Epcot, or in The Simpsons, depending on your reference. It cost over £300M in 2009 for a 3 mile stretch from The Palms and carries about 100 people per trip. Not exactly mass transit.
We've got what we're going to get, we just need to make it work
No, mate.
It took 10 years to build Metrolink to the Etihad. Parts of HS2, including the Manchester leg have been paused for 2 years to try and save money. There’s absolutely no chance ever of a monorail happening.
Maybe something similar could be constructed in time for the North stand expansion opening?
