Maybe not enough would watch Barrow or Morecambe, but my understanding is that B teams or at least some would be in the Championship and it is hard to imagine that viable numbers would not turn up at Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham, Bristol etc. with promotion points at stake. In Spain even Barcelona and Real struggle to get decent crowds when they are not playing each other.Not enough people would watch. We have the numbers from Spain and Germany. They don't even come close to the average attendances for the leagues they're in. Nearly 5000 people aren't going to turn up every week to watch the EDS play Barrow or Morecambe.
Fylde are on the slide and the money has stopped being pumped in like it was, and Fleetwood have had a lot of external investment.Pre-covid, the attendances for lower league football and non league have increased in the last decade. Many of these clubs (especially non-league) are doing better than ever. For every Bury and Bolton there is a Fleetwood and Fylde (just in the North West).
The badly run clubs and those with criminals at the helm (like Bury) are going bust just like they did in the 60s and 70s.
The good old days involved crumbling half empty stadiums (especially Maine Road in the 80s), dire hoofball, and hooliganism. The Premier League has brought success. Look at how well supported the Championship is compared to other second tier clubs.
My criticism was not of the club, but certain senior figures within it. If the comments have been spun, not for the first time, then Ferran is getting unjustified criticism. But at a time when so many EFL clubs are fighting to survive it does not read well. If Ferran believes in that model, ok, I’m just not sure this is the most appropriate time to voice it, because it looks self interested. The response from Lincoln City this morning, about us being the most unsustainable club in the world is the type of thing it triggers, which whilst clearly nonsense, certainly does demonstrate that it makes us unpopular.To be fair your opening comment: "Sadly this sort of statement betrays the extent to which senior figures at City just do not understand or value English culture and tradition. It is one of the reasons why a lot of ‘neutral’ fans don’t like us." does have a whiff of "Little England" about it.
I thought the wording was harsh, given that Sorriano's quotes were part of a much broader online discussion where he stressed the need to support smaller clubs and have been spun out of context in the media.
My own view is that the senior figures at City have bent over backwards to respect the traditions of English football and our club has done more to support its own local community than any other in Europe. The reason a lot of neutral fans don't like us is because they have been taken in by false media coverage about our owners, a lot of it based on racist views.
I respect you have a different opinion but you should be prepared to accept a robust response when you make such strong criticism of the club we all love (including yourself)
when Bradford average 14000 fans and Man City come to town they get.... 868. Nobody gives a toss about B teams sorry. The Premier League teams had to pay the lower league sides to let them into the EFL Trophy because the EFL teams didn't want them because they knew it would be uninteresting. If you research you will see B teams have almost no interest in other countries. Lets look at further facts - in Germany last year the best supported teams in the 3rd division average 13000 - the lowest was Bayern Munich B team (1,878) and whilst the overall total average crowd in the 3rd division was 6,185 the average when Munich came into town was 5,685 . For info Munich also won the league - so to be clear Bayern Munich B team won the league and had the lowest home average and one of the lowest averages away as well - there is very little interest. All the facts are there from other countries if you lookMake up your mind is it "almost nobody" or "nobody", yet by your figures 1172, 868 and 2616 attended those EFL Trophy games in midweek so you prove your "nobody" claim is false. Do you seriously think "nobody" would give a shit if City B were playing a championship league game on Saturday or Sunday against Birmingham City, Preston, Blackburn, Bristol City etc with 3 points towards a promotion charge at stake for those clubs. It costs a lot to to come over as often as I would like, I don't have the privilege of rolling out of bed and strolling up to the Etihad to watch the team I've loved for over 56 years but when I do I try to plan to include an Eds/Academy or women's game if the timing is right. Also their is improving coverage of many of our teams on City+ and on the City website. Did you know this in 1996, "CORK CITY FC yesterday announced it was to join Manchester FC in a "twinning" arrangement which will see them serve as a nursery for young players for the English Premiership side.". I didn't get to York, like the millions of other fans who were there, but did you come to see City play in Cork in 1996 or travel to see them play in Cobh in friendlies, I did, along with attendance numbers far surpassing the 3 matches you quote. You seem to struggle with numbers, remember : Nobody = 0, 1 person is not "nobody"
So to be clear we are talking about England and the EFL, you conveniently ignored my question " Do you seriously think "nobody" would give a shit if City B were playing a championship league game on Saturday or Sunday against Birmingham City, Preston, Blackburn, Bristol City etc with 3 points towards a promotion charge at stake for those clubs.". Would those club's fans with season tickets or any fans not go to their home stadium to see a Championship league match because it was against a "B" team. Your opinion may that they wouldn't "give a shit" so there is little point in anyone debating it with you, as you know "all the facts". The real fact is, it has not been tried so we can only speculate as to what would happen.when Bradford average 14000 fans and Man City come to town they get.... 868. Nobody gives a toss about B teams sorry. The Premier League teams had to pay the lower league sides to let them into the EFL Trophy because the EFL teams didn't want them because they knew it would be uninteresting. If you research you will see B teams have almost no interest in other countries. Lets look at further facts - in Germany last year the best supported teams in the 3rd division average 13000 - the lowest was Bayern Munich B team (1,878) and whilst the overall total average crowd in the 3rd division was 6,185 the average when Munich came into town was 5,685 . For info Munich also won the league - so to be clear Bayern Munich B team won the league and had the lowest home average and one of the lowest averages away as well - there is very little interest. All the facts are there from other countries if you look
I agree that Sorriano may have been a bit tactless by floating the idea at this sensitive time. I am not sure B teams would work in this country in the way that they do in the third tiers in Germany and Spain but I do think English football needs to modernise and we need to discuss this.My criticism was not of the club, but certain senior figures within it. If the comments have been spun, not for the first time, then Ferran is getting unjustified criticism. But at a time when so many EFL clubs are fighting to survive it does not read well. If Ferran believes in that model, ok, I’m just not sure this is the most appropriate time to voice it, because it looks self interested. The response from Lincoln City this morning, about us being the most unsustainable club in the world is the type of thing it triggers, which whilst clearly nonsense, certainly does demonstrate that it makes us unpopular.
All businesses need investment to survive and flourish so good luck to Fleetwood, Fylde, Salford City, Barnet, Leyton Orient etc etc. I stand by my views that before Covid non-league football was flourishing in this country. In fact a lot of people have deserted Premier League clubs and boycotted Sky TV because they prefer the lower-league matchgoing experience.Fylde are on the slide and the money has stopped being pumped in like it was, and Fleetwood have had a lot of external investment.
The likes of Darwen, Rossendale Utd, Great Harwood Town killed off and now housing sites. Who would pay to go when you can see it in a pub at 3pm?