I must be like you then. ;-)
We‘ve discussed it on here constantly throughout the season. You must have missed it?
Trying to keep it sensible. :-)
The demographics of our home support has changed massively over the last few seasons with more and more ’football fans’, tourists, day trippers, half and half scarfers, away fans in the home ends, etc, filling the seats at the Etihad and replacing (legacy) City fans.
There‘s also been a large increase in premium hospitality areas and seating around the ground. Which may be further expanded when the North stand is open?
There are still on-going stringent season ticket checks outside certain blocks at the Etihad that start the singing and atmosphere off. I’ve posted about that happening at the entrances to blocks 114, 115 and 116. The most vocal part of the Etihad.
All of this and more has had an adverse impact on the atmosphere at the Etihad, in my opinion. That doesn’t mean you or other forum members have to agree with me.
I get it. I understand. More non City fans want to watch City. City are the best team in the world atm. Pep is the best manager in the world. The club want to increase match day revenue to catch up with the other PL clubs that are making more than money than City on a match day. The club have stated that on numerous occasions. I’m not blind to the reasons why City are doing what they are doing commercially.(playing Devils Advocate)
Even at away games it has been different. There have been certain away games where away tickets have got into the hands of tourists, day trippers, football fans, half and halfers, vloggers, youtubers, etc, and the away end has been shite. And then there have been away games like yesterday, Palace, etc, where the vast majority of our away support has been made up of legacy fans and the away support has been brilliant, to the extent that we and many other fans from other clubs think we have the best away support in the PL.(whilst saying our home support is shit)
The fact that City are proposing 700 GA+ seats at the front of the new NSL2 doesn’t fill me and other City fans with hope that the club want to create a proper and atmospheric home end.
We’re still waiting for any information on the North stand after 2 meetings between the club and fans representatives, with a 3rd meeting now arranged. The club asked/told the the fans representatives at the 2nd meeting not to discuss in public what had been discussed at the meeting due to ‘commercial confidentiality’. Hmmm?
On the plus side. City have made 600 more season tickets available, which is a positive move by the club. Hopefully when the new North stand opens with 8000 extra seats, 1000’s of new season tickets will be made available by the club, as demand for season tickets is clearly there.
