Atmosphere 2024/25

[mexico1970]

I’m not naive enough to think we have the best fans. Tbh one set of fans is pretty much like the next. What has changed is the cohort of fans particularly at successful clubs and the atmosphere dampening policies adopted by City.

I don’t agree that long term blues don’t contribute to the atmosphere like they used to because success has made them apathetic - it’s because they’ve got old. The club should’ve done much much more to attract young happy bouncing energetic under 25s to augment our ageing fanbase but instead they’ve actively deterred them with £70 tickets, force fed corporate cheese pre match at ear splitting volumes, killjoy anti blue stewards and uninterested tourists /away fans all over the place. It’s not a fun place for a young group of lads to be anymore.

The small percentage of young up for it lads at the match who do want to create an atmosphere and the shrinking number of middle aged fans who feel likewise have their vibe crushed by these factors and their enthusiasm wanes. It’s like a nightclub that used to be fun until every other boring fucker heard it was cool and wanted to go there and so it loses the feeling it had and the people who were there when it was fun don’t find it fun anymore cos the place has changed to better suit all the squares now attending.

The game’s gone, I admire the persistence of the 1894 lads and the guys on here who mean well and really want to do what they can to help but sadly I think their efforts are futile, they’re chasing something that slipped away a long time ago

 

[M18CTID]

We had almost 1,500 supporter responses and our red lines were :

*That the stand should be built with acoustics in mind and the position of "singers" central to the stand.

* Pricing plans for season card and match day prices laid out for the next 5 years for the North Stand and other areas of the ground as a comparison - vital if supporters are expected to make a long term move. 1894's position is two year freeze on season and match day tickets to allow fans to catch up followed by inflationary rises only after the 2 years have been completed.

* Maintaining the current 70% ratio of season card holders amongst the 8,000 extra capacity to reverse the recent trend of not releasing new season tickets. (ie 5,600 season cards - not the extortionate Flexi Gold)

* 7,000 - 8,000 rail seats in North Stand Level 2.

* An 18-25 year old section.

* Additional rail seating in South Level 3 to mirror the noise coming from a higher atmospheric section in North Stand Level 2 so that the two ends are encouraged to sing to each other.

* A re-think from the club on the positioning, indeed the addition of general admission / hospitality seats in an "atmospheric" North Stand from what had been disclosed on images over the last few months.




It's starting to look to me that whoever wrote that statement does not understand what "red lines" are.

Not guilty ;)

I do think you're focusing too much on the "red lines" part of the statement and disregarding everything else in the statement that suggests a compromise can be reached if the club can be bothered to talk to us!

 

[Bluesince1979]

I’m similar. 30 years old and I can’t really justify paying for tickets now, match day in particular. I’ve stopped attending champions league matches.

In my friend group of mainly city and United fans, most of them don’t attend games regularly. The ones that do are similar to you - using someone else’s ticket.

I honestly think football at the top level is screwed in a few years. Younger people aren’t attending games. Who’s going to replace the older fans we have now?

You can see the difference when you attend cheap cup games compared to league matches.

Younger lads are going to County, macc, wherever.
Matches like that are still a bit like what we experienced all those years ago.
Prem football isnt and wont ever be the same again , sadly

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Absolute tripe!

The reason why we have a soulless stadium is also because long term city fans have got bored of winning, they take it for granted, there is apathy that is plain to see. The vast majority of the people sat there apparently disinterested are not tourists, or day trippers, they are people who have been season card holders for decades, l see them with my own eyes week in week out, both near where I sit and also where my family sits when I've swapped seats with them.

It's an easy deflective tactic for fans and fans groups like 1894 to blame the club, blame the prices, blame the tourists. Yes, most definitely those situations need looking at and I'm thankful for 1894 for trying to open dialogue. However, simply blaming the current woeful atmosphere on everything but long term apathetic fans is unfair and will not fully resolve the problem.

If you want to bury your head in the sand and think we have the 'best fans in the land and all the world', you do that, but I simply do not recognise that anymore. Sadly, we have collectively become the spoilt brat fanbase that we so often slated the rags for when they were top dogs.

A lot of truth in this but our hard core away following is still great. Adversity fuels atmosphere. We have been spoiled with success.

 

[Bluemoon dan]

Younger lads are going to County, macc, wherever.
Matches like that are still a bit like what we experienced all those years ago.
Prem football isnt and wont ever be the same again , sadly

Yep, this is what is happening. I went to Rochdale with a mate before Christmas. Cost me £20 to stand up behind the goal (still pricey but they offer tickets for a tenner if you are under 22). There was a big gang of lads stood a bit further up from us all singing and jumping around and generally having an absolute blast. At some point there comes a line where it really doesn't matter whether you are cheering a goal by Erling Haaland or Devante Rodney. Having a great time with a gang of mates trumps it all.

 

[carlosthejackal]

Absolute tripe!

The reason why we have a soulless stadium is also because long term city fans have got bored of winning, they take it for granted, there is apathy that is plain to see. The vast majority of the people sat there apparently disinterested are not tourists, or day trippers, they are people who have been season card holders for decades, l see them with my own eyes week in week out, both near where I sit and also where my family sits when I've swapped seats with them.

It's an easy deflective tactic for fans and fans groups like 1894 to blame the club, blame the prices, blame the tourists. Yes, most definitely those situations need looking at and I'm thankful for 1894 for trying to open dialogue. However, simply blaming the current woeful atmosphere on everything but long term apathetic fans is unfair and will not fully resolve the problem.

If you want to bury your head in the sand and think we have the 'best fans in the land and all the world', you do that, but I simply do not recognise that anymore. Sadly, we have collectively become the spoilt brat fanbase that we so often slated the rags for when they were top dogs.

So why is every ground in the premier league devoid of passion?

 

[mexico1970]

A lot of truth in this but our hard core away following is still great. Adversity fuels atmosphere. We have been spoiled with success.

I read it as just having a go at the older fans, the same fans who were there through thick and thin when we were shit and made loads of noise.

The stadium has acquired a good amount of non partisan tourists which kill the atmosphere dead, let's face it you ain't making a lot of noise when you have your arms constantly in the air videoing everything.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Not guilty ;)

I do think you're focusing too much on the "red lines" part of the statement and disregarding everything else in the statement that suggests a compromise can be reached if the club can be bothered to talk to us!

The discussion points are valid as a starting point, although ambitious. But all I read when I saw it the first time around was "Red lines" which is literally the opposite of compromise. I hope the club haven't seen it the same way. I want this to work and it needs 1894 to lead the way.

 

[mexico1970]

Another thing is that when we do score we have the childrens TV presenters speaking to us like morons trying to generate a corporate inoffensive type of chant, we must be fucking stupid putting up with it.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

A lot of truth in this but our hard core away following is still great. Adversity fuels atmosphere. We have been spoiled with success.

When you say.... "We"...
do you mean.... "You"

I'm not apathetic,bored or spoilt.

My Prostate is fucked though !!

 

[Gone for a Burton]

I don't see that anywhere in the statement! I did see this though:

"We asked the club not to be directly referenced in their statement, which was announced today, as we disagree with some of the plans as they currently stand."

Note the focus on disagreeing with "some of the plans" and also as they currently stand. I'm not sure exactly how you think 1894 should've approached this, given that we're an atmosphere group first, second, and third. Do you think if the club came back and offered us, say, 5000-6000 safe standing places as opposed to 3000 that 1894 will knock it back because it doesn't meet with our perfect Utopia of 8000 safe standing? There's this thing called compromise but at the moment that ball is back in the club's court. Our door is still open.

Didnt 1994 declare recently that they were a ' display & summat else' group ?

 

[M18CTID]

Didnt 1994 declare recently that they were a ' display & summat else' group ?

Sorry, yes - we've been involved in campaigns regarding ticket pricing and safe standing but we started out solely as an atmosphere group and it can be argued that a lot of what we have been involved in goes back to the atmosphere topic, although we've also been happy to back fans on other issues too as well as supporting the Foodbanks

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Jeopardy,creates tension and drama.

We've been so consistantly good against almost everyone for 10 years that the element of jeopardy and uncertainty has quite naturally dimnished.

Bit like going to the theatre to watch a crime thriller and knowing who done it, but not whether the maid was stabbed four times or six.

Even the away fans have expected us to win !!

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Sorry, yes - we've been involved in campaigns regarding ticket pricing and safe standing but we started out solely as an atmosphere group and it can be argued that a lot of what we have been involved in goes back to the atmosphere topic, although we've also been happy to back fans on other issues too as well as supporting the Foodbanks

Good stuff.

Do you have a 'group' focussed entirely on atmosphere,songs,noise ??

Concentration not dilution.

Use this and other forums to communicate that at certain games youre going to concentrate on (say) 4 core songs so that peeps know in advance.

IMO, youre at a distinct disadvantage in attempting to lead the 'atmosphere' from SSL1,despite your best efforts.

If your lads were in the back centre of SSL3 your inpact and the atmosphere would be transformed.

Get the singers at the top and the displays at the bottom.

Two ends are better than one !!

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

The apathy started after the Aguero moment, was the pinnacle of football for so many and our passion has slowly fizzled away, except for away games and most Wembley trips. I remember playing Derby County when Johnson scored that goal, whole ground was singing and it was like that for a lot of games a really strong feel good factor around the club didn't matter who we played but we have just got use to it now and take it for granted.

Finally, some sense! I so agree with this

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

Can’t it be both - middle class tourists and the usual season card holders who are now apathetic?

The club can fix it though if they wanted to.

That's what I am saying, people can't just blame the club. Whereas many in here will not admit that a big part of the issue is also apathy of long term fans caused by years of highs

 

[mancityvstoke]

I did 4 seasons on value gold and was put up in the ESL gods amongst the FOCs twice and the atmosphere was utter wank both seasons . One game I got up from my seat shouting "City, City, best team in the land and all the world". Instead of others joining in I got a prod in the back. I turned round to see a grumpy old twat(was it you? ; ) look at me in utter disdain telling me to sit down. I told him it's a footy match, not the fuckin' theatre!

I hated being in ESL3, worst part of the stadium with no atmosphere and terrible views, unlike 110, are you listening Burton?

exactly why I fucked off back down

 

[citymad]

I’m not naive enough to think we have the best fans. Tbh one set of fans is pretty much like the next. What has changed is the cohort of fans particularly at successful clubs and the atmosphere dampening policies adopted by City.

I don’t agree that long term blues don’t contribute to the atmosphere like they used to because success has made them apathetic - it’s because they’ve got old. The club should’ve done much much more to attract young happy bouncing energetic under 25s to augment our ageing fanbase but instead they’ve actively deterred them with £70 tickets, force fed corporate cheese pre match at ear splitting volumes, killjoy anti blue stewards and uninterested tourists /away fans all over the place. It’s not a fun place for a young group of lads to be anymore.

The small percentage of young up for it lads at the match who do want to create an atmosphere and the shrinking number of middle aged fans who feel likewise have their vibe crushed by these factors and their enthusiasm wanes. It’s like a nightclub that used to be fun until every other boring fucker heard it was cool and wanted to go there and so it loses the feeling it had and the people who were there when it was fun don’t find it fun anymore cos the place has changed to better suit all the squares now attending.

The game’s gone, I admire the persistence of the 1894 lads and the guys on here who mean well and really want to do what they can to help but sadly I think their efforts are futile, they’re chasing something that slipped away a long time ago

Which begs the question, where are the new fans going to come from when they open the north end expansion ? Especially with the tickets being so expensive.

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

I’m not naive enough to think we have the best fans. Tbh one set of fans is pretty much like the next. What has changed is the cohort of fans particularly at successful clubs and the atmosphere dampening policies adopted by City.

I don’t agree that long term blues don’t contribute to the atmosphere like they used to because success has made them apathetic - it’s because they’ve got old. The club should’ve done much much more to attract young happy bouncing energetic under 25s to augment our ageing fanbase but instead they’ve actively deterred them with £70 tickets, force fed corporate cheese pre match at ear splitting volumes, killjoy anti blue stewards and uninterested tourists /away fans all over the place. It’s not a fun place for a young group of lads to be anymore.

The small percentage of young up for it lads at the match who do want to create an atmosphere and the shrinking number of middle aged fans who feel likewise have their vibe crushed by these factors and their enthusiasm wanes. It’s like a nightclub that used to be fun until every other boring fucker heard it was cool and wanted to go there and so it loses the feeling it had and the people who were there when it was fun don’t find it fun anymore cos the place has changed to better suit all the squares now attending.

The game’s gone, I admire the persistence of the 1894 lads and the guys on here who mean well and really want to do what they can to help but sadly I think their efforts are futile, they’re chasing something that slipped away a long time ago

A great post. Only thing I'd point out is that there are plenty of young lads in their 20s/30s who are equally as quiet, but maybe it's the peer pressure if the old gits that stops them getting into things

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

So why is every ground in the premier league devoid of passion?

Because of the issue that 1984 are campaigning against. I'm not ignoring the fact that our club and others need to engage and embrace working class fans more. However, my issue is with the Etihad because it's my club, and I think our atmosphere is one of the very worst out there (apart from in some big/fiery games), and I think it's inexcusable given the trophies and memories we have been given as fans.