The Anti Supporters Club

[Mr Grumpy]

You've come onto a thread debating the activism of a group of City fans regarding ticket prices, said that the club would be completely irrelevant without you, that all these guys who go week in and out and are trying to get tickets cheaper are less important than you, and that your experience should be primary in everybody else's minds rather than the literally tens of thousands others then told us that it's not all about us.

Righto.

I've said no such thing. Stop Gaslighting.

I'm saying that there are more people to consider as "supporters" than the 30-40k that go through the gates on matchday and that what effects one, affects the other.

Until you see this, supporters groups etc, which are solely focused on local matters (as would seem to be the case to the outside observer) will remain exactly that, A local support group.
You give the club all the ammo they need to discount you.

I will tell you what has triggered this response from me.

One of the compalints the club has been given is that season tickets numbers have not been increased since 2020/1. I heard this and thought "Where the fuck are the new seats going to come from?" The obvious answer is that the supporters groups expect the club to REDUCE the ticket availability to other fans (Visitors).

That makes this exercise abit fucking duff imho. You either consider all or non.

I liked the (only) response i got to my earlier question by PB. I considered (or seemed to) all fans and was a holistic response.

I want the supporters groups to be holistic. Is this too much to ask?

 

[Damocles]

I've said no such thing. Stop Gaslighting.

I will directly quote if it will help you realise how you came across.

One of the compalints the club has been given is that season tickets numbers have not been increased since 2020/1. I heard this and thought "Where the fuck are the new seats going to come from?" The obvious answer is that the supporters groups expect the club to REDUCE the ticket availability to other fans (Visitors).

We're building a massive new fucking stand mate. The ground is literally a building site right now.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I will directly quote if it will help you realise how you came across.


We're building a massive new fucking stand mate. The ground is literally a building site right now.

Do you have a time machine?

"No new season tickets since 2020/1"

Are you Dr Who?

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Ironically, it was only a couple of seasons ago when I was sat in a pub close to Stamford Bridge with the legendary Tommy Muir and he was blaming this Forum for the sudden increase in OSC membership and the ridiculous expectation that this would guarantee new members a ticket for away matches.

In the real world City's average attendance has almost doubled since the dark days of the mid 90s and anyone under 30 won't be old enough to have witnessed or remember a game at Maine Road. I'm not sure how many Under 30s post on this Forum, but the overall demographic is undeniably changing.

I would argue that it's already being evidenced by the increasing number of sky blue shirts in the parks and school playgrounds, but City will never have a better opportunity to make significant inroads into United's local support.

They've been utter shite and their stadium's falling apart, whereas despite this season's wobble we're finishing strongly and the stadium capacity is increasing.

The new tickets need to be available and affordable for this potential new audience, but surely they know that anyway?

If they really need a reminder from the OSC or 1894 then the club is being run by idiots.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

I've said no such thing. Stop Gaslighting.

I'm saying that there are more people to consider as "supporters" than the 30-40k that go through the gates on matchday and that what effects one, affects the other.

Until you see this, supporters groups etc, which are solely focused on local matters (as would seem to be the case to the outside observer) will remain exactly that, A local support group.
You give the club all the ammo they need to discount you.

I will tell you what has triggered this response from me.

One of the compalints the club has been given is that season tickets numbers have not been increased since 2020/1. I heard this and thought "Where the fuck are the new seats going to come from?" The obvious answer is that the supporters groups expect the club to REDUCE the ticket availability to other fans (Visitors).

That makes this exercise abit fucking duff imho. You either consider all or non.

I liked the (only) response i got to my earlier question by PB. I considered (or seemed to) all fans and was a holistic response.

I want the supporters groups to be holistic. Is this too much to ask?

clown.

so factually incorrect of the status and size of the fanbase pre2008

 

[Damocles]

Ironically, it was only a couple of seasons ago when I was sat in a pub close to Stamford Bridge with the legendary Tommy Muir and he was blaming this Forum for the sudden increase in OSC membership and the ridiculous expectation that this would guarantee new members a ticket for away matches.

In the real world City's average attendance has almost doubled since the dark days of the mid 90s and anyone under 30 won't be old enough to have witnessed or remember a game at Maine Road.

I would argue that it's already being evidenced by the increasing number of sky blue shirts in the parks and school playgrounds, but City will never have a better opportunity to make significant inroads into United's local support.

They've been utter shite and their stadium's falling apart, whereas despite this season's wobble we're finishing strongly and the stadium capacity is increasing.

The new tickets need to be available and affordable for this potential new audience, but surely they know that anyway?

If they really need a reminder from the OSC or 1894 then the club is being run by idiots.

I disagree.

Ferran Soriano is extremely competent. He is EXCELLENT at his job. WE just often forget what his job is. His job is to maximise the annual revenue of Manchester City. That's it. It's not his job to worry about long term supporter trends, locality, football ethos or culture, or anything else. His job is to make a number go up and he is incredible at that job.

Which is why I'm trying to explain to some people - the interests of the leadership of the club don't align with our interests and being nice, diplomatic, understanding and patient is playing into their hands. This is a gloves off, did you spill my pint, lager driven Friday night dust up round the back and we're getting beaten because the people at the table don't understand this and think they're politicians.

City are not an insurmountable opponent. They have pressure points, in fact that have extremely deep and obvious pressure points that will lead to total capitulation almost immediately if given a sustained effort that others don't have. We're fighting a six foot four bloke who hits like a brick but has his chest cavity open and we've got some saying "well if we stand here and politely ask then he might stop punching us. And actually, we've had some big successes because he's promised that next time he's only going to punch me as hard as he's doing now" and I'm just sat thinking "flick him in the exposed wound! It's an instant win! He'll stop punching you at all!". It's a frustrating scenario.

 

[Edghill OG]

With wins/losses, I was specifically talking about ticket pricing and policy from the OSC.

That list of wins though, if that's the best that people can come up with, is shocking in how poor it is. The OSC had nothing to do with signing Kevin De Bruyne. Nor Aguero's reaction to something. Nor face value pages because they shouldn't even need to exist (though they're wonderful, they are a solution to a problem that only exists because of how the club act). Nor how "OSC getting more members" in any way a win. I actually don't even think the plane tickets to Porto was even suggested and instead came from Abu Dhabi right?

Again, I'm not interested in the intragroup politics of City fanbase. It's pointless, irrelevant and extremely Working Mens Labour Club Committee horseshit. Boring fiefdoms for people who have about 0.001% of power and influence as they think they have. I literally don't care if any of you exist, don't exist, merge, split, declare war on each other, setup a phoenix club or a supporters trust, or meet each other at Wrestlemania going 1v1 for the strap, brother. We need an effective, vocal and actually useful fan group who is willing to use the leverage against the club in order to force them to do things that they don't want to do in terms of pricing. Because we've had two decades of the other way and it's left us with this shambles.

So tell me which of you are actively doing that and I'm onboard with them. I don't care if they're called the Manchester City Communists are Great Group or the Manchester City We should Invade Poland Supporters Association. I'm not interested in doing things "perfectly", I'm interested in doing things. A dodgy fangroup (and I absolutely do not believe this is what TUBs are for the record), achieving something is one billion times better than a bunch of top blokes, salt of the Earth I tell ye, massive Blues, loved Franny Lee I did types who do absolutely nothing.

Some of your lines have me in stitches.

 

[mancityvstoke]

Do you have a time machine?

"No new season tickets since 2020/1"

Are you Dr Who?

you sound a right dickhead

 

[Manchester33]

@Mr Grumpy

I don't think any of the groups are trying to drive a wedge between local/non-local fans. The opposite in fact.

As an 1894 member, I want the club to offer fair prices and access to tickets to all City fans regardless of where they live.

 

[mancityvstoke]

@Mr Grumpy

I don't think any of the groups are trying to drive a wedge between local/non-local fans. The opposite in fact.

As an 1894 member, I want the club to offer fair prices and access to tickets to all City fans regardless of where they live.

He's a clown mate.....out of touch and a slightly bit clueless as to what is going on and has been going on slowly for years.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Isn't that the main role of an OSC?

Sort of like mini politicians, in it for power and their own gain.

They don't want to give up their little private ticket allocations and the opportunity for Paul Dickov to pop in to the local branches and talk about the 99 playoff for the 10000th time.

 

[mancityvstoke]

They don't want to give up their little private ticket allocations and the opportunity for Paul Dickov to pop in to the local branches and talk about the 99 playoff for the 10000th time.

I used to enjoy Brian Horton and his Q and A's to be fair ...:)

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

I disagree.

Ferran Soriano is extremely competent. He is EXCELLENT at his job. WE just often forget what his job is. His job is to maximise the annual revenue of Manchester City. That's it. It's not his job to worry about long term supporter trends, locality, football ethos or culture, or anything else. His job is to make a number go up and he is incredible at that job.

Which is why I'm trying to explain to some people - the interests of the leadership of the club don't align with our interests and being nice, diplomatic, understanding and patient is playing into their hands. This is a gloves off, did you spill my pint, lager driven Friday night dust up round the back and we're getting beaten because the people at the table don't understand this and think they're politicians.

City are not an insurmountable opponent. They have pressure points, in fact that have extremely deep and obvious pressure points that will lead to total capitulation almost immediately if given a sustained effort that others don't have. We're fighting a six foot four bloke who hits like a brick but has his chest cavity open and we've got some saying "well if we stand here and politely ask then he might stop punching us. And actually, we've had some big successes because he's promised that next time he's only going to punch me as hard as he's doing now" and I'm just sat thinking "flick him in the exposed wound! It's an instant win! He'll stop punching you at all!". It's a frustrating scenario.

I think you might have misunderstood me mate
I actually agree with you but maybe my sarcasm works better verbally

 

[jrb]

I've said no such thing. Stop Gaslighting.

I'm saying that there are more people to consider as "supporters" than the 30-40k that go through the gates on matchday and that what effects one, affects the other.

Until you see this, supporters groups etc, which are solely focused on local matters (as would seem to be the case to the outside observer) will remain exactly that, A local support group.
You give the club all the ammo they need to discount you.

I will tell you what has triggered this response from me.

One of the compalints the club has been given is that season tickets numbers have not been increased since 2020/1. I heard this and thought "Where the fuck are the new seats going to come from?" The obvious answer is that the supporters groups expect the club to REDUCE the ticket availability to other fans (Visitors).

That makes this exercise abit fucking duff imho. You either consider all or non.

I liked the (only) response i got to my earlier question by PB. I considered (or seemed to) all fans and was a holistic response.

I want the supporters groups to be holistic. Is this too much to ask?

What a croc of shite!

The supporters groups don't expect that at all. And never have done. Where have you dug that pile of stinking shite up from?

Show me/us where any supporters groups have suggested that or campaigned for that to happen. It would be laughed at by City. And by the supporters groups. It can 't happen. It's against PL rules.

You.

I will tell you what has triggered this response from me.

The obvious answer is that the supporters groups expect the club to REDUCE the ticket availability to other fans (Visitors).

Away fans have to be allocated a minimum number of away tickets by ever PL club.

The away allocation in the Premier League varies from stadium to stadium. The rules state that home clubs must offer the visiting team a minimum of 3,000 tickets if their capacity exceeds 30,000. If their capacity is lower, the minimum away allocation in the Premier League must be 10% of the seats in the stadium.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Ironically, it was only a couple of seasons ago when I was sat in a pub close to Stamford Bridge with the legendary Tommy Muir and he was blaming this Forum for the sudden increase in OSC membership and the ridiculous expectation that this would guarantee new members a ticket for away matches.

In the real world City's average attendance has almost doubled since the dark days of the mid 90s and anyone under 30 won't be old enough to have witnessed or remember a game at Maine Road. I'm not sure how many Under 30s post on this Forum, but the overall demographic is undeniably changing.

I would argue that it's already being evidenced by the increasing number of sky blue shirts in the parks and school playgrounds, but City will never have a better opportunity to make significant inroads into United's local support.

They've been utter shite and their stadium's falling apart, whereas despite this season's wobble we're finishing strongly and the stadium capacity is increasing.

The new tickets need to be available and affordable for this potential new audience, but surely they know that anyway?

If they really need a reminder from the OSC or 1894 then the club is being run by idiots.

The bean counters at City are not idiots.

They'll have done the calculations and worked out that, assuming a certain level of success, it is more profitable to sell a smaller number individual match tickets to tourists than a larger number of season tickets, even if that means for some games they don't sell out.

They'll have also looked at the rags - over a decade of failure and they still flog absurdly expensive tickets to tourists on a weekly basis.

City are better off with a 2/3rd full stadium full of people paying £71 (plus gift shop sales etc) than a rocking full stadium full stadium of local blues paying £40 on a season ticket.

It's shit and I strongly disagree with it, and will join the protests, but that's the bottom line, which is all Soriano gives a flying fuck about.

I'll say it til I'm blue in the face but we need a Garry Cook figure in charge. Someone who balances the commercial ambitions of the club yet still understands and cares about the real fans. Cook did a brilliant job IMO.

Soriano should've been sacked years ago over the Super League fiasco. It's astonishing to me how that prick is still in a job.

 

[117 M34]

I am just curious as to why there is a separate person for Official Supporters amidst all the groups represented:

• Families
• Under 25s
• Season Ticket Members
• LGBTQ+
• Disabled Fans
• Women
• Black, Asian or of Mixed Heritage
• Over 65s
• Seasonal Hospitality
• Official Supporters Club

Who of the official supporters doesn't fall into one of those categories? Personally until I resigned from the OSC I was represented by Season ticket, disabled fans, women and over 65s and the OSC. Blimey oh Riley
Looking at it the only folk not represented separately are men. ;-) :-)

Equal rights and justice for middle aged, straight white men.
Stop the oppression.

 

[jrb]

The bean counters at City are not idiots.

They'll have done the calculations and worked out that, assuming a certain level of success, it is more profitable to sell a smaller number individual match tickets to tourists than a larger number of season tickets, even if that means for some games they don't sell out.

They'll have also looked at the rags - over a decade of failure and they still flog absurdly expensive tickets to tourists on a weekly basis.

City are better off with a 2/3rd full stadium full of people paying £71 (plus gift shop sales etc) than a rocking full stadium full stadium of local blues paying £40 on a season ticket.

It's shit and I strongly disagree with it, and will join the protests, but that's the bottom line, which is all Soriano gives a flying fuck about.

I'll say it til I'm blue in the face but we need a Garry Cook figure in charge. Someone who balances the commercial ambitions of the club yet still understands and cares about the real fans. Cook did a brilliant job IMO.

Soriano should've been sacked years ago over the Super League fiasco. It's astonishing to me how that prick is still in a job.

We also need Khaldoon to acknowledge that now, instead of blowing smoke up our arses years ago, and forgetting about what he said and promised to the fans.

 

[117 M34]

Again,
In your blinkered viewpoint you've utterly missed the point.

You've turned into '92 Utd fans.

City of old disappeared in 2008. I don't want the club to be pre-2008.
It would be dead to me and everyone else outside of a bus ride to the ground.

You're saying if sheikh mansour got bored and sold up and we ended up regularly finishing 13-17th in the league, it would be dead to you and you wouldn't support city anymore?

 

[Mr Grumpy]

What a croc of shite!

The supporters groups don't expect that at all. And never gave done. Where have you dug that pile of stinking shite up from?

Show me/us where any supporters groups have suggested that or campaigned for that to happen. It would be laughed by City. And by the supporters groups. It can 't happen. It's against PL rules.

You.

I will tell you what has triggered this response from me.

The obvious answer is that the supporters groups expect the club to REDUCE the ticket availability to other fans (Visitors).

Away fans have to be allocated a minimum of tickets by ever pL club.

The away allocation in the Premier League varies from stadium to stadium. The rules state that home clubs must offer the visiting team a minimum of 3,000 tickets if their capacity exceeds 30,000. If their capacity is lower, the minimum away allocation in the Premier League must be 10% of the seats in the stadium.

Right.
You make my point.

The supporters groups need to start being EXACT and PRECISE with what it is they are wanting/not wanting. This is a zero sum game. What you give to one, you must take from the other.

I was listening to City podcasts this week and my "not increased season ticket numbers since 2020" quote was from (Checks notes) Amos and Matt on the City Ramble.

Well, if this is a genuine grief, the question is then:

" by how many should the club increase season ticket numbers?"

Is this a one off increase the group wants? (because what happens then to those who will have the exact same gripe about season tickets one the allocation is increased?".
Do the group actually mean that the %age of season tickets vs capacity is too low?
Sounds to me that is what should be being said.
What percentage SHOULD it be then? Is there an agreement between factions? And looking forward, does this %age allocation stay regarless of new capacity (North stand).

You've got to start being precise and careful. Otherwise you just look like old men shouting at clouds whilst pissing everyone else off who don't hold the same viewpoints.

And that is another point,
There is no consencus, no agreement as to what you all want.
It is a mess.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

You're saying if sheikh mansour got bored and sold up and we ended up regularly finishing 13-17th in the league, it would be dead to you and you wouldn't support city anymore?

Nice try Mrs Newman,

My point (clearly) was that accessability to the club would be seriously impacted should we not be on the world stage.

Is this a hard concept:
Being on a world stage = International support.

I'd have thought was rather obvious.