Atmosphere Thread | 2025/26

Didsbury Dave said:
I knew atmosphere was going to be poor yesterday from the first minute, when the two singing areas each burst into two different songs. Then it happened again and that set the tone. It’s crowd psychology: people will sing if those around them do. What did Leeds sing first? Marching on Together. Then We are Leeds. They sang those songs about 10 times each. It took us about 25 minutes to muster our first Blue Moon.

There are many more people in the Etihad who would sing if things were right. They are all around me in the Colin bell. I’m not saying it would always be a cauldron. Bigger games will always be better. But things literally couldn’t be any worse than now if you designed it from scratch. Vocal fans low down, divided in two. More vocal fans behind them separated by a tier and an angle change. A high roof. A big concrete slab deadening the sound. Away fans right in the middle.

You can’t credibly turn the finger of blame on an entire match going fanbase. Thats silly.

The ground needs one voice. Not three.
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It's on It's arse mate, it's everywhere in the prem shit sanitised atmospheres. I will attend the odd champs league game still but that's it. I wonder how many still enjoy the matchday experience nowadays, must be the minority
 
Didsbury Dave said:
I knew atmosphere was going to be poor yesterday from the first minute, when the two singing areas each burst into two different songs. Then it happened again and that set the tone. It’s crowd psychology: people will sing if those around them do. What did Leeds sing first? Marching on Together. Then We are Leeds. They sang those songs about 10 times each. It took us about 25 minutes to muster our first Blue Moon.

There are many more people in the Etihad who would sing if things were right. They are all around me in the Colin bell. I’m not saying it would always be a cauldron. Bigger games will always be better. But things literally couldn’t be any worse than now if you designed it from scratch. Vocal fans low down, divided in two. More vocal fans behind them separated by a tier and an angle change. A high roof. A big concrete slab deadening the sound. Away fans right in the middle.

You can’t credibly turn the finger of blame on an entire match going fanbase. Thats silly.

The ground needs one voice. Not three.
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Credible or not, I just think we’re not good enough at home. Actually if we’re honest as a fanbase we’re poor at home. We’re constantly looking for the right conditions but it’s fans themselves who determine whether to sit on their arses and grumble or to create noise and even a slightly hostile atmosphere. It’s mad that we blame everything else but the people who have tickets, but don’t sing.
 
Sorry but how is it I can hear the away fans from the CB stand and not 1894. If it is to do with logistics?

I did think that at least for that last 30 mins yesterday it was noisy, and from all sides. We were singing in a half empty 9320. Mostly foreign customers.

Perhaps Stuart Pearce had it sussed with his tannoy noise -:)
 
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EastMidlandsBlue said:
Where I come at this slightly differently is:
I genuinely believe that, even with the club dragging their feet and the plans not being perfect, we as fans can still make the new stand work if enough vocal fans move there. Not in a “sit back and let the club decide everything” way, but in the sense that if enough like-minded singers go, we create the atmosphere ourselves regardless of what structure the club puts around it.

I agree the club’s reach dwarfs 1894’s, they should be leading the engagement, targeting vocal fans, and surveying people months ago instead of chucking out vague announcements.

There are loads of singers who aren’t 1894 members, who don’t follow this back-and-forth, who just want a proper home end and are ready to move if they sense momentum. That’s why I’m of the view that fan-led momentum, even imperfect, might still be better than waiting for the club to suddenly get their act together.

To answer your question: I think the sad truth is that the club don't care enough to try and engage the fans. This really does frustrate me deeply, and I certainly don't blame anyone in 1894 for the attitude the club has taken.
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This happened when the North Stand was built at Maine Road and, for one season, it was great. But after the seats were put in everyone went back to the Kippax. It is hard to predict but I do think one advantage the South Stand has it is close to the away fans and that helps build atmosphere. To be fair our stadium is great on the rare occasions our fans get going properly ie Liverpool, United, Real Madrid, etc etc. Personally I think cheaper tickets is the biggest driver of atmosphere because they attract a younger more local demographic.
 
In the south stand yesterday, and the number of non singers was noticeable. Season ticket holders in mid-20s would rather spend the time watching the other scores on their phones as they had bets on and when they weren't they were chatting about the night before. They hardly noticed the match at all.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
Almost everyone around me in the Colin Bell upper tier is the same people for every league game and always has been. We get tourists for champions league games but if our own fans don’t come that’s going to happen.
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A lot of the old Main Stand supporters moved to the Colin Bell when we left Maine Road. The Main Stand was always the quietest part of the ground with lots of FOCs (like I am now). The Kippax was great, especially when it was rammed.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
Almost everyone around me in the Colin Bell upper tier is the same people for every league game and always has been. We get tourists for champions league games but if our own fans don’t come that’s going to happen.
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Thats good to know mate. Was thinking of the new North Stand if its offered up but lets see what happens. I'm not sure I want another season where we sit albeit they are good seats if you like being close to the action.
 
GrumpyLegacyFan said:
I think, for me, yesterday was a new low in being a City fan. I have had a season ticket since 1988, and despite living in London for all that time, travel home and away religiously - even the early European 'glamour' games at TNS, Gocklin, Lokeren, Posnan and the dead rubber at Santander.

I personally subsidise Virgin and now Avanti, and my long suffering family think I need to see a specialist for my addiction to following my Club.

I sit in the front few rows of CBL3 and yesterday was just shocking - and yes...we all know the reasons why - pricing, ticket policy changes, tourists, Pep's current brand of slow, often dull football, etc - all completely fair and true.

But I just don't understand the silence, and really don't give a fuck about any other PL club's home atmosphere. We used to be better than this, and yes, we all think every game was rocking at Maine Road - but it was a damn sight better than yesterday - even in the worse of times.

I know some on here don't like 'complainers' - and my user name tells it's own story - but for the first time in 40 years, having ran to the stadium from a delayed Avanti train and then having to run back to get the 5.30 to Euston - I thought to myself - I am not enjoying this.

I am appalled at myself for thinking this - as City is so important to me - to my mental health, my friends, my community (and yes I do have a very full and wonderful life outside football) - but I am just so disappointed with yes, some of the lazy fans who fuck off early, arrive late, don't seem to give a shit - but mostly with the Club.

The contract between 'fan' and 'Club' was broken long ago - but the acceleration in the journey to a soulless corporate provider of 'content' for someone to stream in Malaysia, has been insane over the last 2-3 years. The Club simply don't give a flying fuck about us - and maybe never have - but they pretended to give a shit a lot better in the past.

I suppose I have been in denial that it was never just about the money (with a little bit of UAE Sportswashing) - but sadly when; the pricing and ticket policy drives out loyalty, when the club has to ship in bus loads of United supporting school kids to wave their iPhones, when the official Club shop sells half and half scarves, when Phil Foden in the middle of a game needs to encourage the East Stand to make some noise, when the new stand dissolves in a corporate debacle and when there are more tourists in the away end than season ticket holders - you know the show is over.

I was in the US last week and went to an NFL game - it was fun as a tourist, in a Disney/Las Vegas sense (yes - I am a hypocrite and guilty as charged!) - but it's a horrific vision of our future.

I am happy to try and fight to keep football as true to it's community and it's fans, and there are some things that are welcome in today's world - less racism, less pointless violence, better accessibility, etc. But stepping forward doesn't mean you have to gut the soul.

As for 1894 - god bless them for doing their very best. And I hope, on BM, we all remember that everyone has a right to a different opinion - and we are all only here for one thing...our love of our club.
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It was like the club were trolling us yesterday
A big centre circle banner pre match touting Etihad Airways’ black Friday sale, a stream from the far east of fans watching the TV, and the return of that annoying ginger kid, reborn as a half time pundit
 
bobbyowenquiff said:
This happened when the North Stand was built at Maine Road and, for one season, it was great. But after the seats were put in everyone went back to the Kippax. It is hard to predict but I do think one advantage the South Stand has it is close to the away fans and that helps build atmosphere. To be fair our stadium is great on the rare occasions our fans get going properly ie Liverpool, United, Real Madrid, etc etc. Personally I think cheaper tickets is the biggest driver of atmosphere because they attract a younger more local demographic.
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Not sure I agree that having your vocal fans close to the away end helps build atmosphere.

Yes some people like to go to football to gesture at the away fans and just be generally rowdy, however I'm not convinced this contributes to the overall atmosphere.

Agree with your other points.
 
EastMidlandsBlue said:
Not sure I agree that having your vocal fans close to the away end helps build atmosphere.

Yes some people like to go to football to gesture at the away fans and just be generally rowdy, however I'm not convinced this contributes to the overall atmosphere.

Agree with your other points.
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I was mostly basing that comment on what I was told by a LFC fan who said it felt intimidating at the Etihad for them because they had noisy City fans on both sides of them. But of course these days the Liverpool match is usually noisier than the United game so is not the best example to use.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
It’s not a logical argument. If 47,500 out of 48,000 people are all being accused of something, then it’s the accuser that’s wrong, not the accused.

The ground needs a leader, it needs one voice. The East and North Stand will not join in with 80 lads singing “we’ve still got blue empty seats” three times on the trot or 120 lads singing “pablo zabaleta is the fucking man” straight after we’ve scored or 300 people clapping “We never win at home” at 100mph straight after we’ve conceded. The reason these songs are being defaulted to is because clapping is the only way that people in the singing areas can hear each other properly without a roof to bounce an anthem off.

The answer is staring us in the face and if the club don’t grasp this opportunity then I will never forgive them because it’s damaging the team and it’s damaging the club. Kids want noise; they want passion, they want an identify they are proud of. Not just good team.
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Fordyboy46 said:
We really should be encouraging the age range of say 13-20 year olds to the matches at affordable prices and give them a section of the ground, like an ultra feel. It's a thought anyway, it's crying out for something different
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I agree in principle with what you’re saying, but for me the biggest age group we are missing from the ground is young adults - people aged 21-35. We’ve got loads of fans in that age group that don’t go to city matches - for lots of different reasons

Most teenagers or kids are going with their parents as it’s the only way they can get regular tickets
 
Its absolutely crap, im actually having trouble enjoying home matches atm. I sit in South Stand 3 towards the back where its probably the best atmosphere in the stadium but its still not great. I fancied a change for Leverkuson so I moved to level 1 Colin Bell and I honestly wanted to leave after 20 minutes it was that bad. Not only was the atmosphere rubbish but the people around me asking questions like.. Are you a City supporter? Is Foden playing? Also had a foreign Liverpool supporter sat next to us! What is going on at this club.
 
Big Joe Corrigan said:
That’s correct mate. My lad has been coming to City with me since he was 2. The last few seasons he asked if we could bring his mates along. But trying to get three/four tickets anywhere near where we sat was nigh on impossible, no matter how many empty seats there were. He’s 15 next month and now goes to watch County, much to my annoyance. But he says it’s cheap, they’ve got a drum, and he can stand with all his mates. If we lose the kids we won’t get them back.
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I’ve noticed that as well. I’ve attended a few county games and the demographic of fans going is so much younger than our regular match going fanbase. You’ll see large groups of young lads going.

I haven’t seen that at the etihad in years. The average age of our fans must be 60s and above?
 
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