Does anyone else feel like this?

[CC1]

I announced I was a City fan aged four - 1964. At the age of eight I went to my first game - we beat Liverpool 1 - 0 at home - Franny scored. So I've seen brilliant times, good times, bad times, average times, more bad times, false dawns, and now these glory days. At the age of sixty-three I'm enjoying it more than ever - totally different POV than some others on here. We have, quite rightly, moved with the times. The abundance of tourists has no effect on my desire to watch us play.

Clearly, some on here are not quite tuned-in to what we are now - analogues in a digital world - and don't feel that they fit in, so it's probably best they consider handing their season tickets to others that are desperate for tickets. We have two season tickets in our family - one shared between my sons - one son drives from Kent to our games. I have other sons constantly looking for tickets - loud and enthusiastic lads - others will be in the same boat.

So my advice to the older weary fans - slow down, sit down on your comfy sofa, feet up, hot drink, watch us on telly and give someone else a chance.

Btw, we intend to relocate from Manchester to the Fylde coast within the next six months - I've already joined the local supps club there. Can't wait - will be going to all home games!!!!

Well said & good luck with the move.

 

[Stockton Heath Blue]

As my mate says so accurately, 'Manchester City will always be my team, but they have long since ceased to be my club!'

He and his partner have in excess of 30k points, were Superbia members and have for 2 seasons now hardly been away. Like most us now, we can see our teams stollen from our grasps, with the club, and all clubs I may add, becoming nothing more than a franchise. Liverpool are no different as could be seen by their fans by the corner flag at Anfield Road, where it was like the league of nations!

Same where I was. Managed to get a ticket from sponsors. Sat in n the corner between the main stand and the kop. It was like the United Nations.

 

[CC1]

I gave up my ST after COVID, just lost the habit of going and the extra problems with parking created by the club.

Running my Sky contract down and recently embraced the Dodgy Firestick...

The game left me behind a while ago and I gave up hanging on.

What parking problems did the club cause??

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Well something is going on then. Must be club or fans or corporates.

Supposedly some touts bought up rows of seats when we started playing at the Etihad. These season cards now carry enough points to evoke the touts to get tickets for all away games.

 

[117 M34]

Can empathise with some of the sentiments here. Had a season ticket since 1977/78 - would love my "loyalty" points from Maine Road to be on my tally. From 00s onwards when my wife and I had our kids I couldn't afford Platinum so dropped down the loyalty point pole - I also refuse to pay two tier pricing out of principle.

Remember the Super League analysis lists us as legacy fans - not the type they want filling the ground anymore as we don't buy shirts/stay in hotels for the weekend or pay for corporate.

Best mate is a Red and has been saying the same thing too for years. Fans who live within 5 miles
Of the ground, arrive just before kick-off, don't buy a prog or any beer in the ground and head home after the game aren't what the money men want.

Been to Anfield a few times over the years including the last 5 either side of Covid but couldn't get a ticket today. Seeing a ton of tourists on our end - they were very easy to spot on camera - is sadly indicative of the modern game and a kick in the pants to loyal Blues who would've loved to have gone today and other games they miss as tickets are funnelled elsewhere.

Make no mistake, when Pep goes and the Haaland celebrity circus departs the desperation for a ticket will drop off a bit and the club will trot out the "fans are everything to us" mantra which we all know is bollocks.

What finished me was the Everton game in May 21 - applied and I didn't even get a response. Mate of a mate (only a member) applied and got 2 tickets. It still pisses me off now after 40 odd years of support that I didn't even merit any brief reply.

That everton game really pissed me off too.
As a season ticket holder since before the 3rd division, the fact that someone who was a member and potentially never been to a game in their life got an equal chance of a ticket (and got one when I didn't) was a disgrace.

 

[Stephen230]

So what is happening ? Club selling them? staff selling them? Supporters clubs? Someone is.

Who knows? One thing I would put every last penny on though is out of that big list of groups that get an allocation to every game, the group who’s tickets get used by the person it is allocated to more than any other, is the group who get them through points.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Danny Wilson has just rang me to ask that rhe 209 Ultras go to Anfield next season to create an atmosphere!

 

[CC1]

It doesn’t bother you that people who aren’t city fans (literal fans of the opposition) are getting tickets in large numbers to the biggest away games, yet people who have the required points can’t get any tickets?

Have you never managed to get a ticket in the home fans end of an away match???

Most fans who go home & away have at some point. I certainly have

 

[urban genie]

problem today wasn't tourists the whole away end was wank l.

 

[Haaland94]

Doesn't bother me at all that we have lots of tourists at our games. I observed a few the other night at the Copenhagen game and it made me smile watching them giving it some with their enthusiastic support..... Chinese supporters with club shop bags, first timers giving it the biggun at their first Champions League game, families coming to watch the best team in the world....why not?

Spot on.

I feel like some on here are not making a clear distinction between people who are there to take some selfies, etc., not caring about the team and actual fans from abroad, who often travel thousands of miles to every game/a lot of the games because they have been City fans for years. There are A LOT of those. Myself included.

On top of it, I would say that whereas I have seen some of the "selfie-takers", I have also observed many local fans who show up late, often there to have a shit meal, leave for a pint at 35mins, show up late for the 2nd half, and leave at 80mins. During their time there, they chat with pals around them like it's a pub, discussing what their families are up to, etc., instead of caring about anything going on the pitch. If you ask me, I prefer the so-called tourists. Most of them are there because they love City, support the team, clap the team off, etc.

I do agree that we need to do something about the ticket retailers, though. Selling hundreds of tickets at ridiculous prices, and then often not even selling them at all, not dropping the price, etc.