Don’t Blame Fans For The Empty Seats

[r.soleofsalford]

I think the premier league is trying to kill the golden goose.

When it was a 3 o`clock kick off on Saturday every week whether home or away. or a Wednesday night at 7-30 you set the rest of life around football. Now they change kick off times and days to suit TV companies, not giving a fuck about the fans.

Sometimes you can`t make games because they have it at 5.30 on a Saturday or Sunday or 7-30 on on a Monday, Tuesday Wednesday or a Friday. If you have to miss a few because you cant go, missing a few more becomes easier.

What I`m struggling to say is, going to the game is an addiction. I`d feel devastated to miss a match. The Premier League fucking about with days and time has the effect of trying to break that addiction.

CTID

 

[mdj0520]

Anyone moaning about empty seats will fall into a few different categories and either can't empathise or won't.

1. Local. Basic 9-5 job, no kids (or wife or family who just gets dumped with the kids on match days), never had to leave Manchester for work, family, or otherwise.

2. Foreign fan who sees all the circled seats and empty spaces on twitter and *knows* they'd be there every game if they lived closer and the locals are letting down the club.

3. No responsibility to speak of - job serves a purpose of funding city, lives in shared accomodation or with family.

Or a combination of each. I myself have fallen into each of these categories and had similar thoughts about fans not turning up or leaving early.

I've lived and worked in the city centre with my wife, no kids, good jobs, and we've made every game several seasons in a row.

I've moved abroad, for family and then work when I was in my 20s. Looked at attendances on Tele and thought, I'd be there every day if/when I move back.

I've lived with family when younger, with a disposable income that just went on city and booze. Couldn't understand why people would miss a game.

Well this year we moved 30 minutes out of the city centre. Decent house prices, nice area, decent schools. We stayed to the end last night as we usually do, and a combination of the redundant 4 minutes added on and ambling fans more concerned with their phones and smoking caused us to miss our train by a minute. So we got home half an hour later than we could have done - I have to be up at 5:45 for work and she's 20 weeks pregnant. We don't mind missing a train at the moment, but it's going to get to a point where a midweek fixture in what's a dead rubber of a title race and almost guaranteed top four just isn't the priority it once was. When the baby comes we'll have to take it in turns going to the games because our parents have moved away from Manchester and we accept the responsibility of having a kid comes before football (until it's old enough to appreciate it!).

And that's not even going into cost of going! We're lucky enough that we have money and savings. Not everyone can afford it.

Anyone moaning about attendances is ignorant to real life and responsibilities or just fucking thick.

 

[blueinsa]

Rearranged fixture at short notice, half term, horrific traffic, mid week night game, London team, VAR, PiGMOB...........

Who gives a fuck in all honesty?

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

Maybe have a certain amount that they sell at that price for each match rather than as season tickets in a big section. I doubt people would all suddenly give up their season tickets for tickets that aren’t sat with their mates or even certain they’d be able to get one for the big games. Providing they stop taking the piss with needles price increases every year on current season tickets.

To be fair, if I had to change ends of the ground to go from circa £650 down to £100, I would orchestrate 5 others down to that end of the ground, pay for their ticket for the year and now we are all set for £100 season tickets.

I get the intention but it wouldn't work.

The stadium would need to be a flat rate and people would stay buy them at the £100 and then not turn up...........

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

Trouble is you will be filling it with Blues that currently have a season ticket in other parts of the ground who currently pay a lot more for a ST. Who is going to take their more expensive seats up once they have moved to the North Stand? It really wouldn't solve the problem at all.

Exactly this, and those in the £100 seats say, "it's only a fiver a game, I'll sit this one out because of {insert reason}".

Best way to fill the stadium is to ask for less matches on TV.

 

[Ban-jani]

To be fair he’s consistent with his disgust for his fellow citizens

I do agree we shouldn’t extend but the stadium is the perfect size for us. It’s mostly full or nearly full every match and there’s only been Southampton League Cup, Fulham FA Cup and the rearranged game last night, in the middle of the worst flooding the country has ever seen, that’s been a poor attendance.

 

[r.soleofsalford]

It normally takes me roughly 35 mins from near Hope Hospital to get the game.

Last night 2 hours; Trinity Way was gridlocked all the way up to the MEN arena, then Angel Street past the Co-Op Building was one lane and partly closed.

Everything nearly conspired to stop me and I nearly gave up, but thankfully just got in the ground on time.

Every sympathy with those who struggled.

You ought to come on the Monton coach. The coach uses the bus lanes. Took us 1h 15 minutes. and we can have a few drink before we set off for the game. Down side is you have to put up with the ****s on the bus.



8-)

 

[give it to gordon]

Not having a go, just genuinely interested; what made last nights game so difficult? Plenty of notice I would’ve thought? Will Madrid be as difficult, is it just midweek games?

for me the RM is booked, we have taken two days unpaid leave from work, booked a stay over all in all around with everything taken into account the RM games will coast me and my lad between us over £500 as would any midweek game , food, lost of earnings, tickets, accommodation, fuel, wear and tear on the car !, that why I don't do midweek games ! weekend 3pm ko leave at 6am Saturday get home about 2am Sunday ! should be a 5 to 6 hr drive but it never is !!

 

[Mike Cledford]

Where do you live, mate, just out of interest?
The one and only time I left a few minutes before the final whistle, I absolutely had to, because I had only one possible train to catch from Piccadilly down to London, and then a flight the next morning. (I always walk back down Ashton New Road to the station, if you queue for the tram, you're talking about a twenty minute wait right there, that's after you've fought your way through the crowds to get to the north end of the stadium).

I live in mid Cheshire and my train service carries Blues lots of them to Alderley Edge, a couple of country stations and Holmes Chapel and Sandbach. All within 30 miles of Manchester. At times after certain matches the trains are literally rocking even when stopped.
Because of mobility probs walking to the station is a non starter. I might get there but not in time.
So the metro and its cattle trucks have to used. The lift for the disabled has been out of action since two games before the rags game
A metro responsibility l think but one would think the club might apply pressure. No way. Before Christmas the lift in the East Stand was out of action for three consecutive matches until an elderĺy man fell face first down the final flight smashing his face into the wall and needing a paramedic - bloody everywhere.

It does become a chore but we do it. And even if people give it a miss you can't blame them.
I do not like leaving early but might consider doing so at the next night match. Ignoring my principles for 5 mins to avoid a boring 98 minutes with nothing to do at Piccadilly might become worthwhile. Depends on the match and score of course.

 

[Taza]

Set off from Warrington 17:30 traffic was mental, got to the ground 19:35 only to find they had shut the main J entrance so we had to queue (massive queue) at one the side entrances, got to my seat just in time to see the first goal, what a joke, do they normally shut the main entrances that early ? never been that late for a game before