Atmosphere 2024/25

[Spurs quarter 69]

Best post here. Manchester is full of international people, especially from Asia, but also overall, we have lots of Asian Mancs. Otherwise, we really doing the have real fans all around the world, and that's fantastic.

Too many people here come across like they just want only particular local, white Manchester people, preferably from old Maine Road days. That's where we need to draw a line. Lots of tourists care more about games than the locals. Many of the so called locals are there to chat with their mates, drink beer, be late, leave early. They don't sing, they are not bothered.

However, there is an issue of non City fans attending, in big numbers, and that needs to be stopped. Unacceptable from the club.

In the " old Maine Rd days" we had a vast number of black and mixed race fans and we were all the better for it

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

In the " old Maine Rd days" we had a vast number of black and mixed race fans and we were all the better for it

And they were actual city fans. Huge numbers of people attending the Madrid game weren’t.

It’s nothing to do with race. I don’t really get why that’s even being brought up.

 

[give it to gordon]

Wish I had qualified for a ticket I could have got my beard trimmed at the same time

 

[Haaland94]

What City fans want is a season ticket freeze, a chance to buy normal season tickets, cheaper match day tickets, tickets together so family and friends can sit together, home and away tickets that aren't siphoned off by the club, tickets that don't end up on ticket touting websites, instead of going to City fans via the OS ticket website, etc.

I don't want to see 1000's of tourists, day trippers, fans of other clubs, home and AWAY, wearing other club shirts and scarfs in the City home and away ends celebrating opposition goals and victories. I want to see the Etihad and the away ends full of genuine City fans. I want to see local working class City fans who are desperate to see City play get tickets instead of the people I have mentioned above, who don't support City.

All these issues surrounding tickets home and away has been caused on purpose by the club. The club know exactly what they are doing. The are doing it to drive match day revenue without giving a fuck about genuine City fans.

As for the fans concern, upset and anger, it has nothing to do with people being Asian, Chinese, North African etc. They are just taking advantage of the opportunity the club are giving to them as City fans, opposing fans, football tourists, etc.

My thing with this is, why put people who don't support City into the same category as people from abroad supporting City? I personally know a lot of them travelling from another country to every single game. That's more dedication than 99% of locals have.

That's the problem, these are 2 different groups. Some people here go even further and bring race into it which is mad, or maybe even racist. Asian does NOT = uninterested tourists. That's the point I was trying to make.

Of course, the club is doing something wrong in terms of selling tickets to the fans of other teams, but that shouldn't be conflated with City supporting tourists.

A lot of posts here imply that all tourists = the problem, they are really not. People who don't support City are, but that's a different "tourist" group. We shouldn't be putting them into the same category.

I just wanted to clarify my standpoint on this matter, that's all. I am not saying there is right or wrong here or anything like that. I appreciate the discussion.

 

[EastMidlandsBlue]

My thing with this is, why put people who don't support City into the same category as people from abroad supporting City? I personally know a lot of them travelling from another country to every single game. That's more dedication than 99% of locals have.

That's the problem, these are 2 different groups. Some people here go even further and bring race into it which is mad, or maybe even racist. Asian does NOT = uninterested tourists. That's the point I was trying to make.

Of course, the club is doing something wrong in terms of selling tickets to the fans of other teams, but that shouldn't be conflated with City supporting tourists.

A lot of posts here imply that all tourists = the problem, they are really not. People who don't support City are, but that's a different "tourist" group. We shouldn't be putting them into the same category.

I just wanted to clarify my standpoint on this matter, that's all. I am not saying there is right or wrong here or anything like that. I appreciate the discussion.

I get what your saying, but the truth is the reason Newcastle on Saturday is £71 for an adult and £43 for an U18, is because of how many people from wealthier places than Manchester, want to come and watch City, and are willing to pay these higher prices.

I don't have an issue with a City supporting tourists wanting to come to the ground one bit, and I always take them over the half and half disinterested twats.

The truth is though, their willingness to pay these extortionate prices is enabling the pricing out of local fans who've been going to City their whole lives, so naturally people are going to take issue with it.

 

[jrb]

What did Points of Blue do for anyone who didn’t attend the meetings?? I only found out about it on here,

I don't know. Probably nothing?

But for those who attended it, it was a good chance to let some steam off, or to vent their spleens at the City officials who were taking the Q&A's. I think that's why it was stopped by the club

 

[Axel Freed]

Can't believe anyone is defending City Matters ....... they're useless

Sending a disgusted of Tunbridge Wells type letter to the club is meaningless nonsense, they'll just pat this lad on the head and tell him his concerns are duly noted and that'll be that

 

[blue44]

Best post here. Manchester is full of international people, especially from Asia, but also overall, we have lots of Asian Mancs. Otherwise, we really do have real fans all around the world, and that's fantastic.

Too many people here come across like they just want only particular local, white Manchester people, preferably from old Maine Road days. That's where we need to draw a line. Lots of tourists care more about games than the locals. Many of the so called locals are there to chat with their mates, drink beer, be late, leave early. They don't sing, they are not bothered.

However, there is an issue of non City fans attending, in big numbers, and that needs to be stopped. Unacceptable from the club.

My son is half Asian,he's 17 and had a season ticket since he was 3.
Since MR we have always had a diverse fanbase , probably a quarter of our
lot have Irish roots too.long may it continue.

 

[Greenandblue]

Tuesday night was pretty bad in the family stand, athmosphere wise. Lots of neutrals and silent madrid fans, and very quiet locals. My two young lads only want the South Stand 3 in future, they really want to get into the chants.
There's a vocal core up in SS3, be great if the non-singers up there could bugger off to the new stand and free up the SS3 seats for people who want to make noise...
No offence to SS1 or Kippax Corner of course, but increasingly it seems like the swell of noise starts up in SS3. It feels like we've completly lost ES3, CB3 and the Family Stand to the TikTok brigade, and level 2 rarely makes much noise. To be honest many grounds are quiet enough outside the core singing areas, United, Arsenal, Liverpool, etc.
If we can keep that SS3 core, and enourage a migration away of the " I wanna watch in silence" punters, we could get something very decent going up there, with SS1 and Kippax in proximity, we'd have a real buzz.
I'd just surrender the new North Stand to make it happen.
Anyone local who'd wanted a ticket for Madrid could realisitically get one, but it was teeming with casual observers instead. Imagine what it'll be like with another 7,000 to shift.
I'm increasingly thinking the extension could be a mistake from an athmosphere perspective, the occupants will be a further dilution of the vocal genuine fans the way it's pannig out. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I don't know. Probably nothing?

But for those who attended it, it was a good chance to let some steam off, or to vent their spleens at the City officials who were taking the Q&A's. I think that's why it was stopped by the club

Cheers JRB. I heard there were tickets dished out for away games to help some Blues.

 

[CΛL]

Host of non city fans in front of me at the game, 2 Madrid fans directly in front of me, to the left of those, some neutrals too. All with their phones in their hands, 2 of them literally on FaceTime for the full 90 minutes not even watching the game. Not a single one contributing to the atmosphere.

I genuinely believe they just come so they say they have come, that it’s a status thing.

They spend the whole game taking pictures, selfies, talking on the phone.

It’s fucking weird, do they even like football?

When I was younger and in Cambodia, I remember watching a Japanese cruiseship pull into an island. Hundreds got off, all took pictures, with professional cameras, some had costume changes and more photos and then all promptly got back on the ship, which still didn’t leave for hours. They didn’t want to enjoy the moment, they didn’t care about learning about the local culture or enjoying themselves. It was all about status and perception when they posted those photos online.

That’s what it reminded me of. And to think of the many diehard blues who couldn’t afford the steep entrance fee, losing out to people who couldn’t care if we win or lose or even worse losing seats to opposition fans.

If supporting City is a product, and the product has changed to whatever the fuck that is and not what it should be, which is turning up to back a local institution and to care about something collectively, then I'm not certain I want to buy it anymore.

 

[Eccles Blue]

What did Points of Blue do for anyone who didn’t attend the meetings?? I only found out about it on here,

I attended a lot of those meetings. We had the manager sometimes. Players and officials from the club.
There were things discussed that did affect people not attending
Off the top of my head sizing of items in the club shop, introduction of more items for female members, food choice. There were discussions on different ways of distributing tickets.
The one I remember best is when Mancini attended and in response to a question about the 32 years banner with barely a pause saying he would drive a bus over the Mancunian Way to tear down the banner with us.
They were good, interesting meetings. IMHO

 

[Shirley]

There are a number of our season card fans (not sure what %) who obviously pick and choose the games they attend.

Isn’t there a 14 match policy?

 

[Blue Calx]

My son is half Asian,he's 17 and had a season ticket since he was 3.
Since MR we have always had a diverse fanbase , probably a quarter of our
lot have Irish roots too.long may it continue.

Agree.Im half Irish although born and bred manc.I think most of my mates are as well.

 

[Whether or not]

Yes, Alex has been brilliant.

How can any fan group that holds talks with the club be ridiculed by other City fans?

All of them have had their mouths gagged with NDA's by City.

Can you imagine dealing with a company that NDA's every private meeting.

I was told the construction of the North stand is NDA'd as well. Nothing get's out about it via any company and it's work force that has secured work on the North stand.

City have become a secretive and paranoid club, hiding behind NDA's, and non fan engagement. This hasn't happened by chance, this has come from the people running the club.

I think you are accurate when you describe the club as secretive and paranoid. On one level I can understand it, as the entirety of the UK media is so biased against the club, and distort anything and everything that happens or is said, so the shutters have come down. But, the club needs to distinguish between outsiders with malevolent intent and our own fan base and its representatives. Intentionally or otherwise, City at the moment, across so many issues, are massively undermining the relationship with the supporters, and once that breaks down it will take a huge effort to ever get it back. I would like to think somebody there cares, but I no longer believe they do, sadly.

 

[Marvin.]

Host of non city fans in front of me at the game, 2 Madrid fans directly in front of me, to the left of those, some neutrals too. All with their phones in their hands, 2 of them literally on FaceTime for the full 90 minutes not even watching the game. Not a single one contributing to the atmosphere.

I genuinely believe they just come so they say they have come, that it’s a status thing.

They spend the whole game taking pictures, selfies, talking on the phone.

It’s fucking weird, do they even like football?

When I was younger and in Cambodia, I remember watching a Japanese cruiseship pull into an island. Hundreds got off, all took pictures, with professional cameras, some had costume changes and more photos and then all promptly got back on the ship, which still didn’t leave for hours. They didn’t want to enjoy the moment, they didn’t care about learning about the local culture or enjoying themselves. It was all about status and perception when they posted those photos online.

That’s what it reminded me of. And to think of the many diehard blues who couldn’t afford the steep entrance fee, losing out to people who couldn’t care if we win or lose or even worse losing seats to opposition fans.

If supporting City is a product, and the product has changed to whatever the fuck that is and not what it should be, which is turning up to back a local institution and to care about something collectively, then I'm not certain I want to buy it anymore.

How do you know they are non-City fans?

 

[its a Barm]

Good today

 

[EastMidlandsBlue]

Really good today. I thought the Geordies were in good voice as well, although the 3 quick goals took the wind out their sails a bit.

 

[.db.]

How do you know they are non-City fans?

Them wearing the opposition’s half of their scarf on show, wearing football shirts of other clubs (even not the team we’re playing against), wearing shirts of the team we’re playing against, falling over seats to film the opposition warming up pre-game, sitting in groups where i know season ticket holders sit then when they turn up they make comments about ‘shiddy Ciddy’ to them when they get told to fuck off to the seats they’ve been allocated, staying sat down for our goals, sitting forward when the opposition attack, looking around with a smile on their face when the opposition score, getting up anything beteeen cheering to goading City fans when the opposition score, getting excited when the ball goes to the same opposition player all game yet not for other opposition players or City players, talking to their phones through the game and realising they’re one of those YouTubers who support Bolton or Only Fans slags who support London clubs, plus about a hundred other ways in which it’s very easy to tell.

How can you not tell?!

There was a Balkan looking lad near me on Tuesday who got up shouting in his own language and you could tell he was there to support City because his anger was directed at the referee for not booking Bellingham, then there were about 200 people (guess) in close proximity within a few blocks who remained sat down when we had our penalty and stayed sat down when we scored it.

On the whole, it’s blatantly obvious who’s who around you.

I know who most people are around me within about the closest 50 seats. Most know me by name. I know when someone near me hasn’t come to a game and can tell when it’s that Cousin of theirs who’s been about half a dozen times over the last decade there instead, I can tell that there’s a big group who get moved into our block from the block next to us on CL nights. I can tell when there are United or Liverpool fans near me even when they’ve done their best not to give it away.

Me and my Father went in the home end at SheffWeds a few decades ago, we thought we didn’t give owt away at all about being City fans, but within about 15 minutes we’d been clocked but the Weds fans were sound with us.

You can just tell!

 

[.db.]

Decent atmosphere in the first half today. A bit more subdued second half after we tried to contain the game. But decent, been better in the PL in recent games.