1894Group statement on the atmosphere in full here

[jrb]

I know I'm stating the obvious, but the club know what's going on regarding the atmosphere and what's needed to resolve/improve this on-going issue/problem.

Let's not beat around the bush here. The people running city are clever, savvy, clued up, etc, etc. Under the top layer of management at City are another layer of like minded people, doing as they are told, but trying in their own right to impress and to get higher up, as they would in any business/organisation. And so it continues below them.

Now those at the bottom of the ladder, no disrespect intended, interact with the fans. Any ideas and requests then go up the chain of command. The question is how far? Do the requests stop at a certain level, or do they go to the very top, where the final decisions are made, before going back down the chain of command again?("we're going up, we're going down!")

What I would like to see is an open meeting held at the Etihad where fans can talk directly to those at the very top at City. Where we can ask for and discuss blocks 115 and half of 114 to be made into proper singing sections. Where we can discuss such topics as ticket pricing, pre-match build up, engaging with the club at a fan level, safe standing, and a host of other topics that will improve the atmosphere and the relationship between the club and the fans, which has become a bit distant and strained of late in my opinion.

What we're getting at the moment from those in charge of the club is a piecemeal approach to the fans. A few years back after Sheikh Mansour bought the club, the club made a decision to engage with the fans on a regular face to face basis via meetings, events, etc. That has now disappeared. Instead we've now got an arms length approached, a social media approach, a tiered approach, dare I say it a faceless approach.

In it's basic form I would like to see those at the very top at City interact with the fans once again at a face to face level.

 

[bugsyblue]

There are quite a few issues that have developed at City from moving into the new stadium and they are definitely difficult to overcome. At Palace they have the Holmesdale and their most passionate fans are all together in the Holmesdale at the corner near the away fans. They also have passionate fans the other side of the away fans who sing and they bounce off each other and sing together.

With City the issue we have is pricing of tickets, people not wanting to move, and no club led strategic solution to this issue. The club needs to market an area of the ground as a singing section. This section should be next to the away fans and should offer tickets at a decent price. Generally the atmosphere isn't going to come from the corporate types or those that pay for nice seats on the halfway line. It will come from those who are there for the banter as well as the football but times have changed and you can't really market a "working class" ticket for people who want to sing. This stadium expansion is the time to sort this issue out and the club need to work out how. I've always imagined these £299 season tickets that were suggested prior to expansion, will be the solution as many will move to that area for cheaper tickets and as it's next to the away fans will hopefully make a racket and it can spread around the ground. The acoustic design of the expansion should help noise stay in as well.

This is the cruz of it! People get so attached to 'their' seat it's hard to move people around and create an overall better atmosphere. I imagine the non-singers in 110-112 and on the other side want to remain there because they are decent seats close to the action. People have the attitude that they've paid for a ticket, they may have even had the same ticket since they stadium move, and they will be damned if they are to be moved. A lot of fans attitude at City is old school and they aren't going to put themselves out for the sake of the atmosphere at the stadium. 1894 there's not much more you can do except keep at it and please don't give up. Attitudes will eventually change and you will see an improvement. It just takes time.

 

[bugsyblue]

I know I'm stating the obvious, but the club know what's going on regarding the atmosphere and what's needed to resolve/improve this on-going issue/problem.

Let's not beat around the bush here. The people running city are clever, savvy, clued up, etc, etc. Under the top layer of management at City are another layer of like minded people, doing as they are told, but trying in their own right to impress and to get higher up, as they would in any business/organisation. And so it continues below them.

Now those at the bottom of the ladder, no disrespect intended, interact with the fans. Any ideas and requests then go up the chain of command. The question is how far? Do the requests stop at a certain level, or do they go to the very top, where the final decisions are made, before going back down the chain of command again?("we're going up, we're going down!")

What I would like to see is an open meeting held at the Etihad where fans can talk directly to those at the very top at City. Where we can ask for and discuss blocks 115 and half of 114 to be made into proper singing sections. Where we can discuss such topics as ticket pricing, pre-match build up, engaging with the club at a fan level, safe standing, and a host of other topics that will improve the atmosphere and the relationship between the club and the fans, which has become a bit distant and strained of late in my opinion.

What we're getting at the moment from those in charge of the club is a piecemeal approach to the fans. A few years back after Sheikh Mansour bought the club, the club made a decision to engage with the fans on a regular face to face basis via meetings, events, etc. That has now disappeared. Instead we've now got an arms length approached, a social media approach, a tiered approach, dare I say it a faceless approach.

In it's basic form I would like to see those at the very top at City interact with the fans once again at a face to face level.

That's all well and good but the harsh reality is that will only help the atmosphere to a certain degree. At the end of the day the overall atmosphere at home games is worse than when we first moved. There's been the odd high here and there, almost always due to the nature of a specific game, but I think most would agree that since we moved (excluding the Pearce era when again this was predominately down to our dire performances) the atmosphere has decreased year on year. The question is why? The fans need to take responsibility just as much as the club.

For my two pennies worth, the most dramatic change has been fan expectation which has muted us. We expect to win every game, when we don't we fall silent. We used to be the plucky underdog who would find victory in out singing opponents we couldn't beat on the pitch. Now that's changed, so have we. I don't know what the answer is but good on 1894 in trying to change it. I just think if we are going to be honest and try to really improve the atmosphere then we, the fans, also need to be up for changing and improving just as the club is.

 

[halpo123]

Maybe the club are quite happy to have the away fans on camera.
They dont want to come over as a hostile club, everyones welcome ....
Good for them its not just about the 40 odd thousand blues there, if you
want the best team in the world you need to impress the millions of
neutrals who watch us on television .Shit but better than getting beaten
at home by Oxford

 

[CatMan]

I know I'm stating the obvious, but the club know what's going on regarding the atmosphere and what's needed to resolve/improve this on-going issue/problem.

Let's not beat around the bush here. The people running city are clever, savvy, clued up, etc, etc. Under the top layer of management at City are another layer of like minded people, doing as they are told, but trying in their own right to impress and to get higher up, as they would in any business/organisation. And so it continues below them.

Now those at the bottom of the ladder, no disrespect intended, interact with the fans. Any ideas and requests then go up the chain of command. The question is how far? Do the requests stop at a certain level, or do they go to the very top, where the final decisions are made, before going back down the chain of command again?("we're going up, we're going down!")

What I would like to see is an open meeting held at the Etihad where fans can talk directly to those at the very top at City. Where we can ask for and discuss blocks 115 and half of 114 to be made into proper singing sections. Where we can discuss such topics as ticket pricing, pre-match build up, engaging with the club at a fan level, safe standing, and a host of other topics that will improve the atmosphere and the relationship between the club and the fans, which has become a bit distant and strained of late in my opinion.

What we're getting at the moment from those in charge of the club is a piecemeal approach to the fans. A few years back after Sheikh Mansour bought the club, the club made a decision to engage with the fans on a regular face to face basis via meetings, events, etc. That has now disappeared. Instead we've now got an arms length approached, a social media approach, a tiered approach, dare I say it a faceless approach.

In it's basic form I would like to see those at the very top at City interact with the fans once again at a face to face level.

Good post and I agree wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately for you and I however, I suspect that those who have the final say so on this subject, probably aren't aware of there being a problem or any organisation who are trying to tackle it!

The club has just be com too big with too many levels of management and bureaucracy to concern itself with this!

It might be time to go past the minion level of management (who have little power and are too scared to suggest anything) and to go with an open letter and petition to Khaldoun. Even contemplate paying for a spread in the paper rather than buying another big banner or flag. Remember the club don't like bad PR. I would certainly sign any petition and donate if I knew what I was funding was a dynamic effort to redress the current lack of a proper supporters end. I also believe I would not be alone.

I know and you know there are still thousands in that stadium who crave a terrace like football experience, however they will only give up better and in some cases cheaper seats for a worse view if there is the incentive of a cheaper deal and the assurance of it being exclusively for yesteryears football fan who did their apprenticeships on the Kippax. I know 4-5 others who are 30-50 years of age and would move in a heartbeat if they thought this was a goer.

 

[dadnlad]

personal speaking I think its divide and conquer attitude and that goes on through out football with all seated stadiums
its easier for police and security to concentrate on away fans with home fans split up into small less volatile groups and under 16 must be with adult and so forth I maybe be wrong just gut feeling

 

[FootballSense]

Firstly, well done to everyone in the 1894 Group for all your efforts.
Secondly, why does our home`singing` support still have to be split from 2015/16?
The `new` South Stand provides the opportunity to establish the entire level one as a CITY only Blue `end`. Where in world football is the home , more vociferous support, split? Can you imagine The Kop being split or the Holte End or in fact at any other major club?
Why is it that the away fans can not be allocated part of the new level 3 for PL games and up to all the level 3 for cup ties? Is the counter argument that they will create more noise and therefore the prefered option is now to split away fans over 3 levels in narrower bands if there is a demand thus reducing their visual and noise impact? What will happen in the future for cup ties - where will up to 6,000 away fans be accommodated? This has always been a big issue at CITY - giving City`s Home `end` to away supporters - it`s absolutely outrageous.
Once again thanks to the 1894 group for what you are trying to achieve.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

There is another reason why City need to be using this stadium expansion to sort out the atmosphere problems. Kids become hooked on the club because they want to be part of it. The match is exciting for them when there is a great atmosphere. When the place is quiet they might as well be watching on the telly or doing something else.

Whilst I support the 1894 group and like the idea of them trying to bridge the gap between the singing areas, I think they should consider making the top tier of the South stand their own, and building from there. Being under a low roof will make them far louder than the bottom tier and people in other areas will take their lead from them.

 

[supercity88]

There is another reason why City need to be using this stadium expansion to sort out the atmosphere problems. Kids become hooked on the club because they want to be part of it. The match is exciting for them when there is a great atmosphere. When the place is quiet they might as well be watching on the telly or doing something else.

Whilst I support the 1894 group and like the idea of them trying to bridge the gap between the singing areas, I think they should consider making the top tier of the South stand their own, and building from there. Being under a low roof will make them far louder than the bottom tier and people in other areas will take their lead from them.

Those are my thoughts too. And I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the £299 season tickets would be in that top tier of the expanded south stand. I mentioned before people not wanting to move, but if you can save a couple of hundred quid (or more if you have kids you bring with you, or teenagers) then that's a real incentive. We need to be looking at one particular area where the atmosphere begins. The kop, the holmesdale etc. Not two smaller but close together areas of fans. Get them all together at the top of the South Stand and have the noise spread around the ground from there - which it should do with the design of the roof. When the noise is loud then nearly everyone inside will sing. It's the crowd mentality. You're not likely to sing if there's only one or two of you - but if the noise filters from the top of the south stand around the ground, more and more will join. Others will also look to move closer to the south stand to be a part of it.

We've had some great games for atmosphere, Hamburg quarter, several derby games, Arsenal with the Adebayor factor and Chelsea when we signed Robinho. We are more than capable of making a racket - but you need a big single congregation of people starting songs and for me the new tier on the south stand has to be where this looks to go - it's the best opportunity we will have to get a group of people together and it makes sense for our most vocal supporters to be in an area like that than in blocks around the away fans and round to the side of the pitch where noise isn't contained.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

There is another reason why City need to be using this stadium expansion to sort out the atmosphere problems. Kids become hooked on the club because they want to be part of it. The match is exciting for them when there is a great atmosphere. When the place is quiet they might as well be watching on the telly or doing something else.

Whilst I support the 1894 group and like the idea of them trying to bridge the gap between the singing areas, I think they should consider making the top tier of the South stand their own, and building from there. Being under a low roof will make them far louder than the bottom tier and people in other areas will take their lead from them.

Those are my thoughts too. And I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the £299 season tickets would be in that top tier of the expanded south stand. I mentioned before people not wanting to move, but if you can save a couple of hundred quid (or more if you have kids you bring with you, or teenagers) then that's a real incentive. We need to be looking at one particular area where the atmosphere begins. The kop, the holmesdale etc. Not two smaller but close together areas of fans. Get them all together at the top of the South Stand and have the noise spread around the ground from there - which it should do with the design of the roof. When the noise is loud then nearly everyone inside will sing. It's the crowd mentality. You're not likely to sing if there's only one or two of you - but if the noise filters from the top of the south stand around the ground, more and more will join. Others will also look to move closer to the south stand to be a part of it.

We've had some great games for atmosphere, Hamburg quarter, several derby games, Arsenal with the Adebayor factor and Chelsea when we signed Robinho. We are more than capable of making a racket - but you need a big single congregation of people starting songs and for me the new tier on the south stand has to be where this looks to go - it's the best opportunity we will have to get a group of people together and it makes sense for our most vocal supporters to be in an area like that than in blocks around the away fans and round to the side of the pitch where noise isn't contained.

Exactly. One of the problems here; though, is that the people in the areas which currently sing find it diffcult to get a true perspective. The ground contains a high number of 'occasional' singers who would join in if those around them did. The songs need to speed quickly around the ground both ways, from a central point. The acoustics of a low roof and the ease of songs spreading downward instead of upward would achieve that.

I've only sat in the east stand upper tiers a couple of times but I was astonished at how little of the singing you can hear, compared to being in the Colin bell stand.