Seat Counters 25/26

[philiph20]

51 thousand at St James's Park. Anyone know what our gate was I'm guessing 40.000?

Admittedly it's a one team City but along with Leeds and a few other teams there is a strong sense of belonging and civic pride with the fanbase you see it with themed pubs, murals etc, somebody on here mentioned that support for both teams in this city is pretty casual and tv based and i tend to agree.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

As others have posted, once you stop going, you don’t miss it.

I appreciate that’s not the case with plenty of City fans.

I can honestly say I wasn’t bothered about missing the match tonight.

Especially a midweek game, battling the rush hour traffic, a horrible wet and cold Manchester night, up in the morning at 4am for work.

First time I haven't been in the domestic cup schemes and I didn't miss the drive over from the coast in busy & wet conditions, the 1 1/2 mile walk from parking, probably getting wet feet from all the water as well as it getting through my coat, returning the process to get home by around 23.30.

I'd decided I've had it with Wembley so no need to piss about at this time of year, if we get the right draw I'll go otherwise league games only now...it's a slow letting go process.

 

[uwerosler28]

Seems we have a real problem , the decade of jokes around the emptyhad and blue seats have now become a self fulfilling prophecy. Even in the early 00's when we had no success to talk about a cup quarter final with cheap tickets would have flown of the shelf regardless of it being near Christmas, just where was everyone last night that have supposedly been priced out by the tourists?. Post expansion i genuinely doubt if we will see any sell outs next season except may 2-3 high profile games , where has all our support gone?

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Not always, they just turn the lights off on the upper levels so the cameras can’t see the empty seats.

Or that bomb or not a bomb game when they played a day or two later and it was half empty or a train strike.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

There was a parent a few rows back who was trying to drag out his young son, who was still belting out City chants as injury time approached. There is hope for us.

Obviously, people pick and choose their cup games as they wish but hopefully it will be a full house against Exeter.

A lot of us dislike some of our Directors but we’ve got a really exciting team who deserve our support.

 

[mcfc315]

Awful attendance last night. It's the quarter final of the cup and prices were very reasonable. I think even if tickets were free it wouldn't have been a sell out. The fact is that we've been too spoilt and now some of our fans just can't be arsed anymore which is a real shame

 

[Cobwebcat]

The old guard should have been gradually replaced by the new generation and I think that has partly happened as attendances are up a lot compared to years ago. However, mistakes have been made by the club who have concentrated on Corporate for obvious reasons. Not easy to get the right balance.

In terms of the size of the stadium it’s a tricky one. If we had gone for the Everton model we could have a packed 40,000 every week but the club’s ambitions are a lot bigger than that. We will see if they are right.

 

[franksinatra]

Seems we have a real problem , the decade of jokes around the emptyhad and blue seats have now become a self fulfilling prophecy. Even in the early 00's when we had no success to talk about a cup quarter final with cheap tickets would have flown of the shelf regardless of it being near Christmas, just where was everyone last night that have supposedly been priced out by the tourists?. Post expansion i genuinely doubt if we will see any sell outs next season except may 2-3 high profile games , where has all our support gone?

I think with football,for many,I think you are either fully invested or your not,few half measures..

Once the cycle of going is broken, you have more free time, more money in your pocket, not having to navigate the parking/transport issues,traffic leaving the ground for many it won’t feel worth it, even at low prices. The cycle/spell has been broken.

Once the hardcore fanbase has been eroded, don’t think for one minute Soriano’s ‘preferred’ customers are going to pick up the slack for Brentford on a cold/rainy December night.

 

[shemnel]

i thought ~42k (or whatever it was) was quite good! Maybe i'm living in the past.

I remember not so long ago, ~2005 season, that we played Scunthorpe in the FA Cup 3rd round and there was about 23k (?) or so. A couple of seasons later we played someone like Sheff Weds in front of about 26k. When we play Exeter on the 10th, i expect there will be 45k+, so there's growth, i think.

The league attendances are up, but i can see a disconnect is forming with regular attendees.

 

[M18CTID]

Seems we have a real problem , the decade of jokes around the emptyhad and blue seats have now become a self fulfilling prophecy. Even in the early 00's when we had no success to talk about a cup quarter final with cheap tickets would have flown of the shelf regardless of it being near Christmas, just where was everyone last night that have supposedly been priced out by the tourists?. Post expansion i genuinely doubt if we will see any sell outs next season except may 2-3 high profile games , where has all our support gone?

Are you sure about that?

18/12/2007 - League Cup QF v Spurs
Attendance - 38,564

And that had far more away fans in attendance than last night

Even our FA Cup QF against West Ham on 20/03/2006 had a sub-40,000 crowd (again, that figure included around 6000 or so West Ham fans) despite the fact that it was - from memory - our first FA Cup quarter final since the infamous 2-4 vs Spurs 13 years earlier

 

[ArniArason]

Seems we have a real problem , the decade of jokes around the emptyhad and blue seats have now become a self fulfilling prophecy. Even in the early 00's when we had no success to talk about a cup quarter final with cheap tickets would have flown of the shelf regardless of it being near Christmas, just where was everyone last night that have supposedly been priced out by the tourists?. Post expansion i genuinely doubt if we will see any sell outs next season except may 2-3 high profile games , where has all our support gone?

Whilst I don't agree with everything you have said. I do agree with the point about people who say they are priced out, yet still won't go to cheaper games like last night, likely because it's easier to watch on TV. I'm sure there will be those who claim it's because Pep would field a weakened team, or it's only the league cup, or it's close to Christmas, or it's winter etc. But we can't complain about ticket prices if we don't turn up even when tickets are cheaper.

 

[ArniArason]

Are you sure about that?

18/12/2007 - League Cup QF v Spurs
Attendance - 38,564

And that had far more away fans in attendance than last night

Even our FA Cup QF against West Ham on 20/03/2006 had a sub-40,000 crowd despite the fact that it was - from memory - our first FA Cup quarter final since the infamous 2-4 vs Spurs 13 years earlier

Yep, I was looking at the MOTD goals of the month from December 2006, our game versus Spuds was on, the stadium looked at most 50% full. Sometimes our memories only want to embellish things.

 

[Gingers Dad]

They did come and then they reduced the capacity by 1500 by taking out a few rows of pitch side seats because they made more money from it. They should have done the North stand extension much earlier before the bubble burst, there is a lot of apathy around the support at the moment and it's all down to the powers that be. They had the opportunity to hoover up local support attract lapsed blues back and they have failed miserably on that score. They should have focused on increasing support within a 20 mile radius and then gone international thus creating a long lasting loyal more or less permanent base who will be there in good times or bad.

City are averaging the biggest attendances in their history. They haven't had a PL crowd of less than 50k for years.

 

[EastMidlandsBlue]

Whilst I don't agree with everything you have said. I do agree with the point about people who say they are priced out, yet still won't go to cheaper games like last night, likely because it's easier to watch on TV. I'm sure there will be those who claim it's because Pep would field a weakened team, or it's only the league cup, or it's close to Christmas, or it's winter etc. But we can't complain about ticket prices if we don't turn up even when tickets are cheaper.

You can't just lower the prices for a couple of unattractive cup games and expect priced out fans to come flooding back.

Winning back priced out fans should be a long campaign of fair pricing, across the board, not just the odd game here or there.

 

[sput the wonder pig]

the club are more than happy with league games averaging 50k plus.... and we will get 60k plus for half a dozen games a season...
not sure they factor in league cup games against Brentford or fa cup games against exeter......

The club will feel they have it spot on in truth.... and they probably have

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Dragging you down. Really? Lol!

I'm sorry I didn't go.

I'd like to apologise for the other 10,000's of City fans who also didn't go last night.

Hopefully that has lifted your spirits?

Yes, I agree, it was great seeing and hearing the kids.

Merry Christmas.

PS. I'm making the effort and going to Sunderland on New Year's Day with an 8pm kick off. I've taken the next day off work so I can do that. I'm buying my Exeter, FA Cup, ticket today.

There were over 40,000 there last night. A great attendance for the League Cup before Christmas in terrible weather. You don’t have to apologise. You can do what you want. But there is a minority of City fans who seem to be fixated on slagging off the club at every opportunity. There are other ones who don’t like the way fellow fans look assuming they are “tourists” Last night the ground was full of happy family groups, mostly from Greater Manchester. The tickets were dirt cheap. So well done to the club.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Seems we have a real problem , the decade of jokes around the emptyhad and blue seats have now become a self fulfilling prophecy. Even in the early 00's when we had no success to talk about a cup quarter final with cheap tickets would have flown of the shelf regardless of it being near Christmas, just where was everyone last night that have supposedly been priced out by the tourists?. Post expansion i genuinely doubt if we will see any sell outs next season except may 2-3 high profile games , where has all our support gone?

Moan, moan, moan. Our crowds now are much higher than the early 00s especially for cup matches.

 

[HelloCity]

Seems we have a real problem , the decade of jokes around the emptyhad and blue seats have now become a self fulfilling prophecy. Even in the early 00's when we had no success to talk about a cup quarter final with cheap tickets would have flown of the shelf regardless of it being near Christmas, just where was everyone last night that have supposedly been priced out by the tourists?. Post expansion i genuinely doubt if we will see any sell outs next season except may 2-3 high profile games , where has all our support gone?

Sorry, but our night cup crowds were crap for years and years until recently.

 

[Uppermilloldie]

Seems we have a real problem , the decade of jokes around the emptyhad and blue seats have now become a self fulfilling prophecy. Even in the early 00's when we had no success to talk about a cup quarter final with cheap tickets would have flown of the shelf regardless of it being near Christmas, just where was everyone last night that have supposedly been priced out by the tourists?. Post expansion i genuinely doubt if we will see any sell outs next season except may 2-3 high profile games , where has all our support gone?

I wentt for 58 years man and boy, now due to ill health I can only get to a few games the club made the decision fans could only transfer to Members, it's £35 for a membership, I'd be lucky to get to 3 games a season but, the truth is I am not paying £35 for the right to buy a ticket for a game.
I'm not priced out by not being able to afford it I'm just not prepared to pay it, it's a rip off. The more difficult they make it the more people they will put off.

 

[M18CTID]

There were over 40,000 there last night. A great attendance for the League Cup before Christmas in terrible weather. You don’t have to apologise. You can do what you want. But there is a minority of City fans who seem to be fixated on slagging off the club at every opportunity. There are other ones who don’t like the way fellow fans look assuming they are “tourists” Last night the ground was full of happy family groups, mostly from Greater Manchester. The tickets were dirt cheap. So well done to the club.

As you know, I'm critical of the club on various issues around ticketing and the way they're treating the core support which in turn is having an impact on attandances at times, and I also agree with the sentiment that once someone gets out of the habit of going it's very hard to get back into it even if the tickets are priced well. But I also think that that wasn't a bad crowd at all numbers-wise last night, and if the kids had already broken up for the Christmas holidays it would've been even better and might well have been a sell out.