I treat the home games like an away day. I try to lift the atmosphere but if that fails no worries.A few in here have said it and I tend to agree it’s starting to feel like you’re not at a city game at the etihad anymore more like a neutral. The atmosphere is absolute dross
I treat the home games like an away day. I try to lift the atmosphere burning that fails no worries.
I thought it was a cracking game yesterday. Two good sides playing end to end football.
Let’s not forget that our board were one of the “Super League” advocates!I give it until the end of the decade where there will be a separatist section of the fanbase emerging demanding ownership change or a move to an FC United style movement.
The club won't change going forward. Expect by 2035/40 for us to be one of the most tourist based clubs in Europe.
The club view 20,000 foreign fans paying £75 a ticket and potentially purchasing tourist money traps as much more favourable than relying on 60,000 locals paying £25 and not bothering too much with the tourist money grabs that will be on offer.
I actually convinced myself in the aftermath that we had been given a “now or never” ultimatum which led to us joining. The fact we were the first to pull out, further convinced me it was the cartel and Spurs that were the bad guys and not us.Let’s not forget that our board were one of the “Super League” advocates
Just out of interest, how many tickets are you shifting for Leicester at home (given the ticket prices have been slashed)?Let’s not forget that our board were one of the “Super League” advocates!
I am sure if they could get away with it then we and all the other so called “big clubs” would be all over that like a shot.
Leicester at home will be interesting. I think it will be the least well attended game of the season. The club have even put Leicesters SS3 allocation on sale and there are still 824 tickets unsold even at £30.
The cheapest seat elsewhere which will no doubt include loads of seat exchange ones in the coming weeks is £51.
Great post but I just find it a chore going to games these days. I used to get a buzz out of going but that's gone, and it went last season. The whole experience is bordering on depressing these days. I've even watched a few away games on TV & i've found myself doing something else while it's on in the background.Sorry for the long post, but this is therapy for me, as I am just recovering from the embarrassment of yesterday, amplified by the three hours on the train back to London chatting with Brighton fans (who were all very friendly) about how terrible our atmosphere was. I’ve been to every one of our games at the AMEX, and it’s hardly a cauldron of fire, but it was hard to defend.
I got my season ticket in 1987 and have been home and away since then, despite being a London-based Blue, including Santander, Poznan, Lokeren and yes, one of the 345,000 at York away. I have spent a small fortune following this club, and my mid-week match-going journey normally means I am home at 4am, spending 5-6 hours going back down the M1 at 30mph, or overnight in a hotel.
I believe I have earnt the right to be a grumpy FOC – and yesterday was possibly a new low for me, even after the disaster of the Istanbul car park, the ESL nonsense and (name your favourite fuck up by the Club).
I am at the front of 326, CBL3, and I had four empty seats on my left, and other than the odd regular season card holder, didn’t know anyone else – and I have sat on the same seat, for almost every City game, since the Etihad opened.
I know that it’s easy to see everything that used to be as some perfect nostalgic past. I know football, like everything, has changed – and not everything in football back in the 70s, 80s and 90s was good; racism, violence, Peter Swales, overcrowding, policing, etc., and yes, not every game at Maine Road was rocking or the Kippax bursting at the seams – however – what there was, was a deep connection between us – the fans – and our Club.
All that mattered to me then was that the 11 lads who went out in Blue shirts put in 100% for 90 mins. I didn’t really care if we ‘never won at home, or never won away’, I just wanted to be with my mates, in a space where, for once a week, I could switch off from everything other than focus on the passion of the moment. And for most of that time (80s/90s) we were utterly shite – but it didn’t matter, because those occasional moments (beating the Rags 5-1, David White scoring 4 at Villa, coming back at Spurs in the cup) – were simply priceless.
And then, thanks to the Sheik everything started to change. At first it was like waking up in the best football dream you could ever have. The club looked to be seriously engaging with us, the fans. Discussions over season ticket prices, huge investment into the local area and campus, we were even part of the decision on the new club logo.
At the same time we were privilege to watch Sergio, Silva, Yaya, Vincent, Pablo, etc etc, and obviously the nirvana of 93:20. But what legacy fans like me didn’t also notice at the time is that this wasn’t just an investment into my beloved club by a benevolent billionaire, but a long term commercial strategic initiative by our owners to diversify from reliance on oil & gas into mass market ‘entertainment’.
City Football Group sends shivers down my spine. We might for now be at the top of their asset list – but, who knows what happens in the next two or three decades.
Whilst I have mostly huge gratitude and praise for Khaldoon for allowing us to experience all that we have in recent years, we all need to wake up and understand that CFG are a hugely ambitious commercial operations with only one single objective: making money.
And we legacy fans stand directly in the way of that. The new stand will be an atmosphere black hole. There will be even more tourists (I welcome anyone to support City, so this is not a judgement, but more a fact) than ever before – as their match day spend is almost double or triple than what we spend. We will support a new ESL and take part in every FIFA or UEFA shite competition they can come up with.
Every abandoned season card, is another win for CFG – so please don’t go. Please fight for our Club.
Yes, there are so many reasons why yesterday was so dire – Pep’s current style of play, a team in transition that’s burnt out and knackered, the traffic, the weather, the price, the 115, and yes, not every PL ground is rocking every game, but please, as long as you can justify the financial cost (which is getting harder and harder) – please don’t surrender your ownership of this Club.
I have spent so much of my life invested in City, that I would rather be the only one singing in 326 than abandon my club to empty seats, tourists and influencers. I promise you it’s worth fighting for – just remember what it’s given you, over generations, and it’s up to us legacy fans, not just to moan on here (but my god, it does feel good!), but to support things like 1894, City Matters boycotts, more season tickets, protecting discounts and tickets for 18-35s, and turning up and making your voice heard – even if no one’s listening.
4.Just out of interest, how many tickets are you shifting for Leicester at home (given the ticket prices have been slashed)?
I thought it would be good to sell the tickets that have been discounted to show that price matters?
You weren't wrong but that doesn't change the fact that our owners want to make a return on their investment and that will be to the detriment of many of our fans.I actually convinced myself in the aftermath that we had been given a “now or never” ultimatum which led to us joining. The fact we were the first to pull out, further convinced me it was the cartel and Spurs that were the bad guys and not us.
I’ve realised over that last year or so that I was completely wrong.
Nice work mate. You are saving a wedge.
My sister will. It is her and family. I’m going anyway.Nice work mate. You are saving a wedge.
top stuff mate.My sister will. It is her and family. I’m going anyway.
GrumpyLegacyFan.
One of the best posts ever on the atmosphere thread, and on BM.
I got emotional reading that.
Thank you.
Is it the case that our 1894 "atmosphere" group do not intend to move to the new North Stand ?It's only these last few months where I've seen the physical size of the stand that it's hit me, it really is a DREAM home end that many sets of fans in the world would die for.
How stupid we'd have to be to not make it our own!
Anyone who's satisfied with SSL1 as our 'singing section' needs their head shaking cause it's pathetic
Heard a few talking of not renewing pal. The club need to be very careful hereI finished work early yesterday at 1.30pm.
I got home at 2pm.
I set off to the ground from Burnage at 2:10pm.
I got inside the ground at 3:05pm.
It took me 55 minutes to get from Burnage to the Etihad.
The traffic, traffic light sequences at the road junctions, etc were an absolute nightmare.
The lad who stands to the left of me is thinking of not renewing his season ticket next season. His Dad doesn't go as much as he used to with him, and he's not feeing the connection with the club anymore, along with the poor match day experience.
We use to have thousands of that type in the main stand at Maine RoadSome johnny foreigner **** sat behind me in SL3 yesterday.
'Fuck off Gundogan, Gundogan you are shit, Pep get the clown off'...I don't know how I didn't react because if these are the fans the.club wants then so be it but I am finding it hard to accept.
I have received plenty of these this season but I just don’t see the point. What can be done to improve your match day experience it asks. Turn the tannoy down I say so I can speak to my mates and hear what they are saying. Yesterday it was even louder than normal. They say they listen to the fans, it’s utter bollocks.You couldn't make it up could you, even if you tried.
Just checked my emails and.....
Sent yesterday at 8pm.
View attachment 149947
For what it's worth, I think 1894 do a fantastic job creating displays and sticking up for fans, however if they decide not to move to NSL2 that would be a huge error.Is it the case that our 1894 "atmosphere" group do not intend to move to the new North Stand ?
A minimum of 3000 rail seats will be set aside in the best position for generating songs and noise at the back of the North Stand under the roof.
Instead, 1894 have been very lukewarm.
South Stand 1 has a number of disadvantages -
* too small
* too low down
* one of the worst locations to generate a noise
* is partly situated below a concrete overhang from SS2 whuch deadens sound.
The South Stand is split in part with away fans and 2 levels are usually given over to away fans in cup games. Inevitably they dominate the noise at that end in cup games.
The new North Stand provides the opportunity for a complete, large end for the first time.
It will have a mix of different types of fans yet there will still be at least 3000 rail seats for singers and more if needed.
Our 1894 'atmosphere' group seem to be shunning this. Their 'reasons' for this appear to be unconvincing.
If 1894's primary objective is atmosphere generation, then locating in the extended North Stand is the logical way forward.
Me too mate.I fucking love going to the match. By a country mile (and then some) it’s the highlight of the week. Bevvy, talk the same old bollocks about past matches / incidents; watch the team I love.
Some absolute tripe on this thread, woe is me shite.
If you don’t like Natalie Pike, Moonchester or any of the other silly bollocks, get a pint and stand near the bar with your mates. Or read the programme.
Stop fucking whinging and making out it’s all shiteness. Only in your heads is it.
Going to the match - I love it.