Priced out? | Club announce that matchday tickets being reduced by up to 43% (p93)

[Tim of the Oak]

Being fined a couple of million for repeatedly getting back late after half-time hasn't helped, nor has chucking £60 million at agents.

So much money has gone down the drain mate.

 

[Jazzyblue]

I agree massively with "sometimes we are shit and other times it's rocking". Me personally, I think the atmosphere is getting worse, That includes games against the Rags and Dippers, It doesn't have that spark it once had in the past.

Myself and Daughter sit in the North Stand, We used to know nearly everyone around us and to be honest the North Stand would get behind the team and get involved with chants, That doesn't really exist anymore, Most weeks now you are surrounded by completely different people on a weekly basis. I've lost count at the amount of times a stranger has told me that "You are sitting in my seat"...

Large parts of the ground now is tourists that's bought tickets from the likes of LiveTickets or Viagogo for mad money and they aren't there to get behind the team, It's a day out and experience for them to see the likes of De Bruyne and Haaland in the flesh. I can only speak from my experience were I'm sat, There's a divide between regulars that go everywhere and tourists, Regulars are getting the hump being surrounded by "tourists" and it is killing atmosphere that's plain as day because it's worse than it's ever been.

I don't know what the solution is, What I do want is for the club to reduce ticket prices, I want to start enjoying going to games again and being able to have a laugh before kick off, I want my daughter to have what I've had going to City games and that's a family orientated club and being in good company.

I'd also like regulars to be in their seats 15/20 minutes before kick off, Stay until the final whistle goes and also don't leave for a pint on the 35th minute and come back on the 50th minute.

This post is a bit of a mess, The ticketing is a mess...It's going to do nothing other than cause conflict between supporters and that's a sad state of affairs because we should all be on the same page here and getting together as one and asking the club for answers.

Atmospheres have never been amazing every game - thats across the PL. But something changed after the Treble. For some lifelong Blues it was because it was the high point and time to retire from matchgoing. That should’ve been the point where all the lively loyal and local fans who packed town the night of the CL final and the streets on the day of the parade got the chance to get into the ground regularly.

Unfortunately the club didn’t capitalise - it continued to restrict season tickets, raised prices, experimented with managed matchday demand and dynamic pricing. The effect of this was disguised in the four in a row season because some lapsed Blues, friends of family of ST holders etc, who had missed out on the Treble came back out of FOMO.

But now we’ve hit a season where the afterglow of the Treble is gone, as is the siege mentality that was a reaction to the charges, and I think a chunk of the fanbase has quietly given up on attending. Different reasons - seen it all, high prices, couldn’t get tickets when they went on sale all at once, parking restrictions, indifferent performances, can’t get the seats they want because they’ve been fenced off - and this, combined with the Viagogo type deals, is a perfect storm.

As Blues we should not be fighting amongst ourselves - we have been through many rough times before. Just as it was the fans who saw us through the times when we were struggled on the pitch it will be the fans who will see us through in this era, when we are struggling in the stands. And we are struggling, a bit.

I’ve tried to keep a level head, tried to focus on the positive, I, like Tim and PiB, don’t like seeing people singled out and labelled and dont believe the atmosphere would be rocking every game if the ‘tourists’ weren’t there. But Mexico70 and Corky also have an important point - if you are stopping regulars getting seats for friends and family, making it harder and more expensive for them to get to the match, and then when they get to the match, they can’t have any banter or even get a let on from the person next to them, let alone hear them shout sing or grumble because they’re too busy taking selfies, pictures of corners, and playing musical chairs, then you are testing people’s patience.

None of this is to say there hasn’t been concerns for years about different things. But it feels different this time - like people are about to walk away as the new stand opens.

 

[SWPISHOME]

Atmospheres have never been amazing every game - thats across the PL. But something changed after the Treble. For some lifelong Blues it was because it was the high point and time to retire from matchgoing. That should’ve been the point where all the lively loyal and local fans who packed town the night of the CL final and the streets on the day of the parade got the chance to get into the ground regularly.

Unfortunately the club didn’t capitalise - it continued to restricte season tickets, raised prices, experimented with managed matchday demand and dynamic pricing. The effect of this was disguised in the four in a row season because some lapsed Blues, friends of family of ST holders etc, who had missed out on the Treble came back out of FOMO.

But now we’ve hit a season where the afterglow of the Treble is gone, as is the siege mentality that was a reaction to the charges, and I think a chunk of the fanbase has quietly given up on attending. Different reasons - seen it all, high prices, couldn’t get tickets when they went on sale all at once, parking restrictions, indifferent performances, can’t get the seats they want because they’ve been fenced off - and this, combined with the Viagogo type deals, is a perfect storm.

As Blues we should not be fighting amongst ourselves - we have been through many rough times before. Just as it was the fans who saw us through the times when we were struggled on the pitch it will be the fans who will see us through in this era, when we are struggling in the stands. And we are struggling, a bit.

I’ve tried to keep a level head, tried to focus on the positive, I, like Tim and PiB, don’t like seeing people singled out and labelled and dont believe the atmosphere would be rocking every game if the ‘tourists’ weren’t there. But Mexico70 and Corky also have an important point - if you are stopping regulars getting seats for friends and family, making it harder and more expensive for them to get to the match, and then when they get to the match, they can’t have any banter or even get a let on from the person next to them, let alone hear them shout sing or grumble because they’re too busy taking selfies, pictures of corners, and playing musical chairs, then you are testing people’s patience.

None of this is to say there hasn’t been concerns for years about different things. But it feels different this time - like people are about to walk away as the new stand opens.

100% agree with all of this. My sentiments exactly.

Top post.

 

[mancityvstoke]

The club don't give a fuck lads and lasses.

If we fall to 1998 levels these half and half selfie taking nobs will all fuck off.

In the meantime they're cashing in.

Cash from anywhere ...who cares? Fuck the old moaning cunts off.

 

[ftg89]

The club don't give a fuck lads and lasses.

If we fall to 1998 levels these half and half selfie taking nobs will all fuck off.

In the meantime they're cashing in.

Cash from anywhere ...who cares? Fuck the old moaning cunts off.

And this is why I honestly don’t care either way the verdict will go…
If we’re fine, great, it will annoy a lot of rival fans!
If we’re guilty then bring it on! Even dropping down the divisions like a juventus or a rangers. It would sort a lot of this mess out. Tickets would be cheaper as we should have that hardcore 30,000 back! And if we don’t sell the other 30,000 seats so be it, egg on the clubs face! But at least it will be our club again and a lot of these stories we are hearing about will stop like away fans in the home ends etc.

 

[Chappie]

And this is why I honestly don’t care either way the verdict will go…
If we’re fine, great, it will annoy a lot of rival fans!
If we’re guilty then bring it on! Even dropping down the divisions like a juventus or a rangers. It would sort a lot of this mess out. Tickets would be cheaper as we should have that hardcore 30,000 back! And if we don’t sell the other 30,000 seats so be it, egg on the clubs face! But at least it will be our club again and a lot of these stories we are hearing about will stop like away fans in the home ends etc.

So you would rather go back to the dark days,so that we can call it our club.
If it wasn't for the present owners,their wouldn't have been a club to call our own.
Success brings things that are unpalatable to many of us,but would you give up the last 12 years,to get your club back ?

 

[Beaker]

So much money has gone down the drain mate.

For this reason, people who attempt to justify the club by saying that FFP is the only reason they are squeezing the fans are talking bollocks. The club spunks money all over the place.

 

[blue44]

The club don't give a fuck lads and lasses.

If we fall to 1998 levels these half and half selfie taking nobs will all fuck off.

In the meantime they're cashing in.

Cash from anywhere ...who cares? Fuck the old moaning cunts off.

The problem is, with us moaning cunts,it's our heritage,my club was given to me by my grandad and dad.
It means so fucking much to my life,summert most half and halfers will never experience or understand how deep rooted it is. It's boring to keep saying it,but when the rags were winning it all in the 90's and 0's,we hated them even more because of their plastic fanbase nationwide and worldwide latching onto their success,thats us now though.

I know ,like you,none of them would give one single fuck if we were still crap or at best mediocre.

 

[philiph20]

So you would rather go back to the dark days,so that we can call it our club.
If it wasn't for the present owners,their wouldn't have been a club to call our own.
Success brings things that are unpalatable to many of us,but would you give up the last 12 years,to get your club back ?

I'd give up half of it, I'm sick to the back teeth of the sycophancy shown to our 'owners', the almost orgasmic enthusiasm when Billy Bullshitter Khaldoon has his end of season address and the apathy when Soriano shits on us, they don't give a shit about you, me and everyone on here. They didn't take us over out of altruism and when they and us are gone Manchester City FC will still be here.

 

[blue44]

So you would rather go back to the dark days,so that we can call it our club.
If it wasn't for the present owners,their wouldn't have been a club to call our own.
Success brings things that are unpalatable to many of us,but would you give up the last 12 years,to get your club back ?

It's a rock and a hard place isn't it ?

 

[mexico1970]

So you would rather go back to the dark days,so that we can call it our club.
If it wasn't for the present owners,their wouldn't have been a club to call our own.
Success brings things that are unpalatable to many of us,but would you give up the last 12 years,to get your club back ?

Well if you're not part of the winning then why should you support it?

 

[mancityvstoke]

The problem is, with us moaning cunts,it's our heritage,my club was given to me by my grandad and dad.
It means so fucking much to my life,summert most half and halfers will never experience or understand how deep rooted it is. It's boring to keep saying it,but when the rags were winning it all in the 90's and 0's,we hated them even more because of their plastic fanbase nationwide and worldwide latching onto their success,thats us now though.

I know ,like you,none of them would give one single fuck if we were still crap or at best mediocre.

sadly very very true.

I'm going nowhere ....I can't.

what else would I do?

 

[blue44]

sadly very very true.

I'm going nowhere ....I can't.

what else would I do?

Same for me mate
If we have to explain,they'll never understand .

 

[Shirley]

The price of success…

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

He likened us to Disneyland and stated it isn't important that a boy buys a shirt in Manchester but what a boy buys in China and the US.

Explaining that away isn't as easy as saying "Well that's just the way it is".

It's an interesting watch. He talks about the concept of success relying on factors like 'Commitment x Balance', where everyone has to be committed. To illustrate that he used the example of Ronaldinho at Barca, when Riijkaard allowed Ronaldinho quite a bit of leeway in terms of the work he put in on the field, but this pissed off the other players and Eto'o and Edmilson both made comments about it. That led to dressing room issues and Barcelona weren't successful for a while.

I'm seeing the same issues at City now, where many of the players don't seem as committed as they were, and the manager is seemingly giving lots of leeway to players who are contributing little, and at least one who has serious personal issues that might well get him sacked from most other jobs.

Even us fans are starting to question our ongoing commitment. I hope I'm wrong but I've got a horrible feeling that we've reached a tipping point at City and that there's no coming back, at least not for a long time.

He also talks about the importance of listening. What is the Catalan word for irony?

 

[jrb]

It's an interesting watch. He talks about the concept of success relying on factors like 'Commitment x Balance', where everyone has to be committed. To illustrate that he used the example of Ronaldinho at Barca, when Riijkaard allowed Ronaldinho quite a bit of leeway in terms of the work he put in on the field, but this pissed off the other players and Eto'o and Edmilson both made comments about it. That led to dressing room issues and Barcelona weren't successful for a while.

I'm seeing the same issues at City now, where many of the players don't seem as committed as they were, and the manager is seemingly giving lots of leeway to players who are contributing little, and at least one who has serious personal issues that might well get him sacked from most other jobs.

Even us fans are starting to question our ongoing commitment. I hope I'm wrong but I've got a horrible feeling that we've reached a tipping point at City and that there's no coming back, at least not for a long time.

He also talks about the importance of listening. What is the Catalan word for irony?

Listening - Escoltar. Catalan.

 

[.db.]

For this reason, people who attempt to justify the club by saying that FFP is the only reason they are squeezing the fans are talking bollocks. The club spunks money all over the place.

Something like £60m a season on agent fees
How much are the shit lightshows costing across the season?
How much does hiring people like Sonny Fodera (his booking rates start at £~50k) to play some pre-recorded shite DJ mix before a game once, and other guff like that, across the season?
Having our player salaries take a massive upturn in the last five years. Why are we paying players so much? our wage bill is even higher than the Rags’ now, was always lower. If we can only retain players with massive wages, maybe we aren’t signing the right profile of player. David Silva was never on world record money.

 

[Goater101]

The club don’t want 35,000 ST holders who turn up 20 mins before kick have a quick pint then go home straight after. They want the people who will be at the stadium 2 hours before kick off in the shops then going to the food vendors then after the game stay at the hotel etc. That is where the match day revenue is going to come from. Look at our match day revenue compared to other big clubs we’re miles off. They won’t be happy with that

 

[Goater101]

10th in Europe for match day revenue the club will want to change that over the coming seasons. Less season tickets, more expensive single match day tickets. More hospitality inc hotel packages etc.

 

[kippax123]

Something like £60m a season on agent fees
How much are the shit lightshows costing across the season?
How much does hiring people like Sonny Fodera (his booking rates start at £~50k) to play some pre-recorded shite DJ mix before a game once, and other guff like that, across the season?
Having our player salaries take a massive upturn in the last five years. Why are we paying players so much? our wage bill is even higher than the Rags’ now, was always lower. If we can only retain players with massive wages, maybe we aren’t signing the right profile of player. David Silva was never on world record money.

Also the team is constantly coming out late and getting fines adding up to £2.9 million. I'm sure City could find lots of ways to not increase ticket prices for next season but I for one am fearing the worst.