Advice for first Etihad match

TheGhost said:
I’ve adapted this from something I’ve sent to friends who have visited Manchester for City a match before…

Getting about Manchester

I’d use Uber it’s cheap and the distances aren’t too far. You won’t pay more than £10 for any journey in and around the city centre/stadium.

The walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station to the stadium is a good 20-30 minutes especially if you’ve got kids.

I would suggest getting an Uber/tram to the stadium and walking back to the city/centre train station after the match as public transport is rubbish. It’s good walking with all the fans as one back into town - especially if we’ve won.

Feature In The Match Day Programme

Get a photo of your daughter/and you in the match day programme - email in a photo of you in City gear and tell them how far you’ve travelled.
  • Email: Send your message, photos, and captions to mcfcprogramme@reachsport.com.
  • Content: Include details like the recipient's name, a photo, and a message
  • Don’t forget to then buy a programme as a souvenir outside the ground - I think they’re £5
Big Screen Message

You can also get a short message on the big screens at half time using this form - https://www.mancity.com/help-and-support/scoreboard-message-request/request-form

Man City Kids Fan Zone

I don’t know how old your kid is. But there are free kids sessions and entertainment before the match - you need to book this and can’t just turn up. It’s focussed more on younger kids I think. Keep an eye on this page in the 2 or 3 weeks before the game. It’s free but does sell out.

https://www.mancity.com/ticketing-and-hospitality/man-city-kids-fanzone

City Stadium Tour

You need to book. Better on a non match day as you’ll have more access around the stadium but you can do them on match days.

https://www.mancity.com/tours

Coop Live Arena - next to the main stadium may open before the game. Again you’ll need to book. I think it’s £5 to get in but you then get a £5 drinks voucher to use when you’re inside. Lots of bars and loud pre match entertainment. Keep an eye on this page - https://www.mancity.com/tickets/mens/pre-match-at-co-op-live

Team Bus Arrival

The team bus arriving about 90 minutes before kick off is a kind of event at the main entrance of the Colin Bell Stand. There is a DJ, music, fireworks, big screens and the players are introduced one at a time, as they get off the bus.

Statues

Walk around the stadium to see statues of legends of the club. Lee Bell and Summerbee, Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and my favourite David Silva. Bundobust food van is near the last 3 statues.

Tickets

I’ve got 2 tickets for the game which you could have for £25 each as I’m on holiday. They are in South Stand Level 3. I may have a third ticket too but waiting to hear back from a friend. Direct message me if you’re interested.

Food and drink

The food and rink from the kiosks around the outside of the stadium is better than what’s on offer inside the stadium. Bundobust is my personal favourite serving Indian Street Food. Northern Soul Grilled Sandwiches is also recommended.

If you want a beer at half time - then buy tokens before the game starts from the bars it will be much quicker than queuing at the usual concessions.

The two pubs closest to the ground are pretty grim Mary Ds and The Townley. But any port in a storm.

Cheap eat suggestion - Tony’s Chippy for sit down fish and chips. It’s the best fast food near the stadium. It’s halfway between the city centre and the stadium. You can’t book just turn up. There’s not lots of seats but just wait until a table becomes available. It’s a quick turnaround. Maybe try a local delicacy ‘a baby’s head’ aka Steak Pudding with chips. In the north of England we also have gravy or curry sauce on our chips. Maybe ask for a pot of it so you can try it before slathering it all over your chips. Tony’s is only open before the match and not after.

If you want to splash the cash a little. There are nice bars and restaurants in Ancoats or the Northern Quarter areas of the city centre. 10-15 minutes walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station or a cheap uber. There’s a nice bar called Jimmy’s for drinks. The Edinburgh Castle is a gastro pub but booking is essential. Otherwise use Tripadvisor for suggestions.

If you’re in the city centre (Northern quarter) and looking for a good Full English breakfast then I highly recommend the Koffee Pot.

There’s also lots of places to get good coffee, pastries etc in the Northern Quarter.

Pubs

Here’s a list of good traditional pubs in the city centre. Most will let kids in before 8pm.

Britons Protection
Gullivers
The Castle
Crown & Kettle
Peveril of the Peak
Temple of Convenience
The Salisbury
Marble Arch
Lass O Gowrie
Circus Tavern or Grey Horse
Corbieres

Things To Do In And Around Manchester

If you do visit for a weekend -

National Football Museum - lots of brilliant artefacts and interactive displays on the history of the game - but not enough City material in opinion. (Sort it out Moonchester/Scall)

Lowry Gallery in Salford - a good selection of work from a local and world famous artist who was also a City fan. Get there by tram.

Imperial War Museum also next door in Salford

Whitworth Gallery currently has a Turner exhibition (£16 booking essential)

Maybe catch another local game? There’s lots of lower league teams that play further down the leagues - Stockport County, Oldham Athletic or Bury, but not Salford (who have too many links to Man United). You will get to experience a totally different type of English football culture. Tickets around £15-20.

Pride (Gay Pride) is taking place in the city over the weekend you’re due to visit. Pubs in and around the Gay Village will be packed and hotels in the city will be booked up or expensive. There is a parade but beware there will be a lot of phallus’s waved about which might not be appropriate with a child.
Click to expand...
as someone also planning my first trip to the Etihad (and on our honeymoon), thank you! This is the most helpful thing I've seen!!
 
erhead33 said:
as someone also planning my first trip to the Etihad (and on our honeymoon), thank you! This is the most helpful thing I've seen!!
Click to expand...
You’re going to be visiting at just the right time. The Etihad has always been separate from the city centre due to the derelict buildings and general mish-mash of housing between the two. But with the Coop Live arena finished and the stadium expansion well on its way plus numerous projects such as Holt Town (right next to the Etihad Campus) the next 5 or 10 years are going to be amazing for us City fans.

You’ll need to keep coming back to see the changes.
 
TheGhost said:
I’ve adapted this from something I’ve sent to friends who have visited Manchester for City a match before…

Getting about Manchester

I’d use Uber it’s cheap and the distances aren’t too far. You won’t pay more than £10 for any journey in and around the city centre/stadium.

The walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station to the stadium is a good 20-30 minutes especially if you’ve got kids.

I would suggest getting an Uber/tram to the stadium and walking back to the city/centre train station after the match as public transport is rubbish. It’s good walking with all the fans as one back into town - especially if we’ve won.

Feature In The Match Day Programme

Get a photo of your daughter/and you in the match day programme - email in a photo of you in City gear and tell them how far you’ve travelled.
  • Email: Send your message, photos, and captions to mcfcprogramme@reachsport.com.
  • Content: Include details like the recipient's name, a photo, and a message
  • Don’t forget to then buy a programme as a souvenir outside the ground - I think they’re £5
Big Screen Message

You can also get a short message on the big screens at half time using this form - https://www.mancity.com/help-and-support/scoreboard-message-request/request-form

Man City Kids Fan Zone

I don’t know how old your kid is. But there are free kids sessions and entertainment before the match - you need to book this and can’t just turn up. It’s focussed more on younger kids I think. Keep an eye on this page in the 2 or 3 weeks before the game. It’s free but does sell out.

https://www.mancity.com/ticketing-and-hospitality/man-city-kids-fanzone

City Stadium Tour

You need to book. Better on a non match day as you’ll have more access around the stadium but you can do them on match days.

https://www.mancity.com/tours

Coop Live Arena - next to the main stadium may open before the game. Again you’ll need to book. I think it’s £5 to get in but you then get a £5 drinks voucher to use when you’re inside. Lots of bars and loud pre match entertainment. Keep an eye on this page - https://www.mancity.com/tickets/mens/pre-match-at-co-op-live

Team Bus Arrival

The team bus arriving about 90 minutes before kick off is a kind of event at the main entrance of the Colin Bell Stand. There is a DJ, music, fireworks, big screens and the players are introduced one at a time, as they get off the bus.

Statues

Walk around the stadium to see statues of legends of the club. Lee Bell and Summerbee, Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and my favourite David Silva. Bundobust food van is near the last 3 statues.

Tickets

I’ve got 2 tickets for the game which you could have for £25 each as I’m on holiday. They are in South Stand Level 3. I may have a third ticket too but waiting to hear back from a friend. Direct message me if you’re interested.

Food and drink

The food and rink from the kiosks around the outside of the stadium is better than what’s on offer inside the stadium. Bundobust is my personal favourite serving Indian Street Food. Northern Soul Grilled Sandwiches is also recommended.

If you want a beer at half time - then buy tokens before the game starts from the bars it will be much quicker than queuing at the usual concessions.

The two pubs closest to the ground are pretty grim Mary Ds and The Townley. But any port in a storm.

Cheap eat suggestion - Tony’s Chippy for sit down fish and chips. It’s the best fast food near the stadium. It’s halfway between the city centre and the stadium. You can’t book just turn up. There’s not lots of seats but just wait until a table becomes available. It’s a quick turnaround. Maybe try a local delicacy ‘a baby’s head’ aka Steak Pudding with chips. In the north of England we also have gravy or curry sauce on our chips. Maybe ask for a pot of it so you can try it before slathering it all over your chips. Tony’s is only open before the match and not after.

If you want to splash the cash a little. There are nice bars and restaurants in Ancoats or the Northern Quarter areas of the city centre. 10-15 minutes walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station or a cheap uber. There’s a nice bar called Jimmy’s for drinks. The Edinburgh Castle is a gastro pub but booking is essential. Otherwise use Tripadvisor for suggestions.

If you’re in the city centre (Northern quarter) and looking for a good Full English breakfast then I highly recommend the Koffee Pot.

There’s also lots of places to get good coffee, pastries etc in the Northern Quarter.

Pubs

Here’s a list of good traditional pubs in the city centre. Most will let kids in before 8pm.

Britons Protection
Gullivers
The Castle
Crown & Kettle
Peveril of the Peak
Temple of Convenience
The Salisbury
Marble Arch
Lass O Gowrie
Circus Tavern or Grey Horse
Corbieres

Things To Do In And Around Manchester

If you do visit for a weekend -

National Football Museum - lots of brilliant artefacts and interactive displays on the history of the game - but not enough City material in opinion. (Sort it out Moonchester/Scall)

Lowry Gallery in Salford - a good selection of work from a local and world famous artist who was also a City fan. Get there by tram.

Imperial War Museum also next door in Salford

Whitworth Gallery currently has a Turner exhibition (£16 booking essential)

Maybe catch another local game? There’s lots of lower league teams that play further down the leagues - Stockport County, Oldham Athletic or Bury, but not Salford (who have too many links to Man United). You will get to experience a totally different type of English football culture. Tickets around £15-20.

Pride (Gay Pride) is taking place in the city over the weekend you’re due to visit. Pubs in and around the Gay Village will be packed and hotels in the city will be booked up or expensive. There is a parade but beware there will be a lot of phallus’s waved about which might not be appropriate with a child.
Click to expand...

I have had a season ticket at city for 30 years and even I have found this helpful. The warning in the last sentence really cracked me up
 
erhead33 said:
as someone also planning my first trip to the Etihad (and on our honeymoon), thank you! This is the most helpful thing I've seen!!
Click to expand...
Congratulations - which game(s) are planning on going to on your honeymoon and where are you travelling from?
 
CaunckFan said:
Hello and apologies if this content is covered elsewhere.

My daughter is a huge City Fan and as part of our trip to the UK this summer, we plan on attending the home match vs. Spurs. I'd appreciate any advice from the forum on how to maximise the experience for her.

As we are a large family, we will likely get tickets through one of the City Hospitality packages (either Legends or one of the bars, if available). We will be taking making a day trip from London but want to give her a full experience. Some questions I have are:
  • How early should we plan to arrive in Manchester? Are there pre-match activities that we would want to participate in?
  • Where is the best place to buy MCFC stuff, beyond what is available online? She really wants a Foden scarf.
  • Are there must-visit local establishments (pubs, restaurants, retail, etc.) near the stadium that we should visit?
  • How insane will it be post-match in terms of getting to the train station? How much time should we plan?
  • Any other match attendance etiquette we should be aware of? We want to be respectful while maximising the fun.
Click to expand...

Theres a real movement at moment in block 111. If you see someone smoking in the toilet at half time its best practice to alert a steward.
 
erhead33 said:
as someone also planning my first trip to the Etihad (and on our honeymoon), thank you! This is the most helpful thing I've seen!!
Click to expand...

Avoid getting an Uber. Just get a tram or a bus.

Trams stop at the north stand end and buses (216) stop at the south stand end.

Several 216 buses will be waiting to take people to the city centre after the game at the same south stand end, but worth going to get a tram if you’re closer to the north stand. Just keep in mind the tram queue will get quite long if you’re not out on 90 mins.
 
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TheGhost said:
Congratulations - which game(s) are planning on going to on your honeymoon and where are you travelling from?
Click to expand...
We're coming from Ohio (midwest) in the US!

So I'm still trying to figure out if we can make it work or if it's an unrealistic pipe dream! We have our honeymoon booked for 2 weeks - September 12-26. The only game at home during that time is the derby. I know it will be next to impossible to get regular tickets through any official channel since 1. It's one of the biggest games of the season and 2. We haven't been before, so we have no points. I haven't heard anything from my local supporters group about tickets, so I'm inquiring there, but have low hopes.

I've been told our best option is to get hospitality tickets (*happy to hear of any other ways to get tickets*). I'm waiting to hear back from the hospitality office now, but we're willing to spend a couple hundred per person (once in a lifetime experience!!) so I'm hoping that will be enough to get us in the door!

If we can get tickets I'm going to change our first flight to be to Liverpool/Manchester airport and continue on with our regularly scheduled itinerary in Italy and France after that! my husband is a willing participant (and a good sport for letting me take over part of our honeymoon), but this has been on my bucket list since I was 10 years old watching Manchester City for the first time!

Otherwise, I'll be watching the game from a bar in Rome and hopefully I'll make it to the Etihad in the next few years!
 
Last edited:
erhead33 said:
We're coming from Ohio (midwest) in the US!

So I'm still trying to figure out if we can make it work or if it's an unrealistic pipe dream! We have our honeymoon booked for 2 weeks - September 12-26. The only game at home during that time is the derby. I know it will be next to impossible to get regular tickets through any official channel since 1. It's one of the biggest games of the season and 2. We haven't been before, so we have no points. I haven't heard anything from my local supporters group about tickets, so I'm inquiring there, but have low hopes.

I've been told our best option is to get hospitality tickets (*happy to hear of any other ways to get tickets*). I'm waiting to hear back from the hospitality office now, but we're willing to spend a couple hundred per person (once in a lifetime experience!!) so I'm hoping that will be enough to get us in the door!

If we can get tickets I'm going to change our first flight to be to Liverpool/Manchester airport and continue on with our regularly scheduled itinerary in Italy and France after that! my husband is a willing participant (and a good sport for letting me take over part of our honeymoon), but this has been on my bucket list since I was 10 years old watching Manchester City for the first time!

Otherwise, I'll be watching the game from a bar in Rome and hopefully I'll make it to the Etihad in the next few years!
Click to expand...
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but if you have no history of being at any other game, you won’t get hospitality tickets for the derby game.
Your best bet is joining the local supporters club and applying through that channel.
 
erhead33 said:
We're coming from Ohio (midwest) in the US!

So I'm still trying to figure out if we can make it work or if it's an unrealistic pipe dream! We have our honeymoon booked for 2 weeks - September 12-26. The only game at home during that time is the derby. I know it will be next to impossible to get regular tickets through any official channel since 1. It's one of the biggest games of the season and 2. We haven't been before, so we have no points. I haven't heard anything from my local supporters group about tickets, so I'm inquiring there, but have low hopes.

I've been told our best option is to get hospitality tickets (*happy to hear of any other ways to get tickets*). I'm waiting to hear back from the hospitality office now, but we're willing to spend a couple hundred per person (once in a lifetime experience!!) so I'm hoping that will be enough to get us in the door!

If we can get tickets I'm going to change our first flight to be to Liverpool/Manchester airport and continue on with our regularly scheduled itinerary in Italy and France after that! my husband is a willing participant (and a good sport for letting me take over part of our honeymoon), but this has been on my bucket list since I was 10 years old watching Manchester City for the first time!

Otherwise, I'll be watching the game from a bar in Rome and hopefully I'll make it to the Etihad in the next few years!
Click to expand...
We came over from the US a couple of years ago - treble season. March 2023 for the match against Newcastle. It was tough getting tickets so we bought a hospitality package; Legends Lounge. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it; plus get there 90 minutes ahead of kickoff and go to the Colin Bell stand entrance to see the bus pull up.
 
Mad Eyed Screamer said:
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but if you have no history of being at any other game, you won’t get hospitality tickets for the derby game.
Your best bet is joining the local supporters club and applying through that channel
Click to expand...
This is why I was looking for more info here :( maybe that's why the office hasn't gotten back to me yet! If that's the truth, my dream of catching a game in person will have to wait for our next transcontinental trip. At least it gives us a reason to make another trip! If I could convince my husband to do this on our honeymoon, my hopes are high I could get him on board for a trip with the primary purpose of watching City sometime in the future.

I didn't realize even hospitality tickets would be sold out for the game, most places I've seen have said there's always hospitality tickets available, but that's probably only applicable for other games that are not the derby!

I am a member of a local group (we haven't had one in my city until 2024), but I haven't heard anything about tickets. I'm still waiting to hear back and see if there's anything they can do!
 
erhead33 said:
This is why I was looking for more info here :( maybe that's why the office hasn't gotten back to me yet! If that's the truth, my dream of catching a game in person will have to wait for our next transcontinental trip. At least it gives us a reason to make another trip! If I could convince my husband to do this on our honeymoon, my hopes are high I could get him on board for a trip with the primary purpose of watching City sometime in the future.

I didn't realize even hospitality tickets would be sold out for the game, most places I've seen have said there's always hospitality tickets available, but that's probably only applicable for other games that are not the derby!

I am a member of a local group (we haven't had one in my city until 2024), but I haven't heard anything about tickets. I'm still waiting to hear back and see if there's anything they can do!
Click to expand...
Yes, for games other than the rags and Liverpool you can most likely buy hospitality tickets without any prior history of attending games - this is to prevent opposition fans from purchasing tickets in these areas.

If you are a member of a local group that is a member of the Official Supporters Club then you can apply via this avenue - but do it quickly!
You will need to purchase a membership card to be able to buy tickets.
 
erhead33 said:
We're coming from Ohio (midwest) in the US!

So I'm still trying to figure out if we can make it work or if it's an unrealistic pipe dream! We have our honeymoon booked for 2 weeks - September 12-26. The only game at home during that time is the derby. I know it will be next to impossible to get regular tickets through any official channel since 1. It's one of the biggest games of the season and 2. We haven't been before, so we have no points. I haven't heard anything from my local supporters group about tickets, so I'm inquiring there, but have low hopes.

I've been told our best option is to get hospitality tickets (*happy to hear of any other ways to get tickets*). I'm waiting to hear back from the hospitality office now, but we're willing to spend a couple hundred per person (once in a lifetime experience!!) so I'm hoping that will be enough to get us in the door!

If we can get tickets I'm going to change our first flight to be to Liverpool/Manchester airport and continue on with our regularly scheduled itinerary in Italy and France after that! my husband is a willing participant (and a good sport for letting me take over part of our honeymoon), but this has been on my bucket list since I was 10 years old watching Manchester City for the first time!

Otherwise, I'll be watching the game from a bar in Rome and hopefully I'll make it to the Etihad in the next few years!
Click to expand...
First round of Champions League is 16-18 September, it’s possible City will have a home game then you might take in? Much easier to get tickets for that
 
Prepare your daughters for disappointing result v spurs as however bad they are we decide to gift them games on a regular basis
 
consider weekend in Chester/York /lakes and then travel in for match could work and much nicer
 
Depending on family makeup and budget loads of activities like cube /flights/escape rooms etc you could do if went down weekend stay route but may need to remortgage your house
 
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