Atmosphere Thread | 2025/26

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Anyone under 25 either never saw, or won't remember a game at Maine Road.

That's the reality, but whilst the 99-00 atmosphere was fantastic (essentially because we overachieved and won so many games late, and from losing positions) our memories of the other seasons are hazy and rose tinted.

Everything has since changed and not always for the better.

The lad who sits next to me spends the whole game on twitter to see whether people agree with the penalty shout from ten minutes earlier

The couple behind me talk incessant non football related shit for 90 minutes, whilst seemingly every important goal that City ever score nowadays is immediately celebrated with a song about Pablo Zabaleta

No use complaining as I'm part of a rapidly diminishing minority

Anyway, see you all at Fulham!

 

[jazzy]

Anyone under 25 either never saw, or won't remember a game at Maine Road.

That's the reality, but whilst the 99-00 atmosphere was fantastic (essentially because we overachieved and won so many games late, and from losing positions) our memories of the other seasons are hazy and rose tinted.

Everything has since changed and not always for the better.

The lad who sits next to me spends the whole game on twitter to see whether people agree with the penalty shout from ten minutes earlier

The couple behind me talk incessant non football related shit for 90 minutes, whilst seemingly every important goal that City ever score nowadays is immediately celebrated with a song about Pablo Zabaleta

No use complaining as I'm part of a rapidly diminishing minority

Anyway, see you all at Fulham!

Think apart from the odd game our atmosphere is comparable to most other PL grounds , the rail seats area have not improved our atmosphere nor will making the entire north stand rail seats will do so either.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Think apart from the odd game our atmosphere is comparable to most other PL grounds , the rail seats area have not improved our atmosphere nor will making the entire north stand rail seats will do so either.

Concentrating the vocal fans in one area would improve atmosphere massively, particularly in an area away from the away fans where they can be heard by the rest of the stadium.

If only there was a way to do that.

 

[eastmanc]

Not doubting your loyalty. I just don’t like the relentless negativity on here. Constructive criticism is fine by me. I just want some context. The atmosphere at Maine Road was dire for most of the 1980s and the ground was half empty. Some people seem to be revelling in the negativity. It seems to be a society issue at the moment.

Couldn't agree more Bobby. The Maine Road myth that it was always bouncing with noise is bollocks.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Anyone under 25 either never saw, or won't remember a game at Maine Road.

That's the reality, but whilst the 99-00 atmosphere was fantastic (essentially because we overachieved and won so many games late, and from losing positions) our memories of the other seasons are hazy and rose tinted.

Everything has since changed and not always for the better.

The lad who sits next to me spends the whole game on twitter to see whether people agree with the penalty shout from ten minutes earlier

The couple behind me talk incessant non football related shit for 90 minutes, whilst seemingly every important goal that City ever score nowadays is immediately celebrated with a song about Pablo Zabaleta

No use complaining as I'm part of a rapidly diminishing minority

Anyway, see you all at Fulham!

It will be rocking in the City end at Fulham as usual.

 

[eastmanc]

Anyone under 25 either never saw, or won't remember a game at Maine Road.

That's the reality, but whilst the 99-00 atmosphere was fantastic (essentially because we overachieved and won so many games late, and from losing positions) our memories of the other seasons are hazy and rose tinted.

Everything has since changed and not always for the better.

The lad who sits next to me spends the whole game on twitter to see whether people agree with the penalty shout from ten minutes earlier

The couple behind me talk incessant non football related shit for 90 minutes, whilst seemingly every important goal that City ever score nowadays is immediately celebrated with a song about Pablo Zabaleta

No use complaining as I'm part of a rapidly diminishing minority

Anyway, see you all at Fulham!

You need to change your seat.

 

[uwerosler28]

Concentrating the vocal fans in one area would improve atmosphere massively, particularly in an area away from the away fans where they can be heard by the rest of the stadium.

If only there was a way to do that.

What vocal fans? We don't have one single large group of people anywhere in the etihad who actually consistently make any noise, south stand is dead and has been for at least 18 months

 

[birchvillablue]

Was in 120 and it was full of Leeds fans, half and half wankers and tourists... Loads of people trying to shift tickets but City have forced this situation making it impossible to do anything last minute. Reap what you sow!

 

[.db.]

Was in 120 and it was full of Leeds fans, half and half wankers and tourists... Loads of people trying to shift tickets but City have forced this situation making it impossible to do anything last minute. Reap what you sow!

Something like this bad bout of Norovirus that’s going round at the moment makes City’s regulations on its own fans an issue. Anyone got the shits through the night in the early hours of Saturday, and couldn’t make the game, can’t transfer their ticket to a mate if he’s already a ST holder even though that ST holder could take someone with him.

And because you can’t list a ticket on the Exchange within 24-hours of the game, that means the seat goes empty.

 

[give it to gordon]

Having watched Tottenham chasing a goal v Fulham (local derby) needing their team to get a win or something out of it at least. The place was like a morgue- and an empty one at that.
The self recrimination and media onslaught we get is totally disproportionate and unjust compared to the rest of the prem. Yes, giddy Palace, on a Wednesday night, against a big club, may get tenna leaks but there is an atmosphere myth that pervades in the PL.

The atmosphere across 99% of pl games are shit, the myth about the dippers being great, Anfield is worst then the Etihad. Just the press/media wont call out the dippers.
All clubs are chasing the tourist or corporate 'fans' loyal fans dont spend big when attending games.

 

[EastMidlandsBlue]

Of course - everyone’s entitled to their opinion and I’ll engage with posters such as yourself because I know you’re not wumming, unlike certain others on here. I was just trying to explain how the situation unfolded and how we were frustrated at certain plans the club have for the stand because they don’t square with their own stated vision of having an atmosphere stand. 1894 do have a big reach but the club have a far bigger reach. What are the club doing in ensuring those safe standing spaces are filled with singers? Have they reached out to fans who like to sing and would be interested in moving over there or is it just going to be one big free for all when the relocations start? There’s only so much a group of unpaid volunteers can do, whereas the club who have access to the full database of season ticket holders and members. There are people who are paid good money at City and they should’ve been engaging with all fans on this months ago, not just making random announcements on the website. They send shit loads of surveys out. Why aren’t they surveying fans about the North Stand?

Regardless of the 1894 stance, not every singer is a member of 1894, far from it.

Where I come at this slightly differently is:
I genuinely believe that, even with the club dragging their feet and the plans not being perfect, we as fans can still make the new stand work if enough vocal fans move there. Not in a “sit back and let the club decide everything” way, but in the sense that if enough like-minded singers go, we create the atmosphere ourselves regardless of what structure the club puts around it.

I agree the club’s reach dwarfs 1894’s, they should be leading the engagement, targeting vocal fans, and surveying people months ago instead of chucking out vague announcements.

There are loads of singers who aren’t 1894 members, who don’t follow this back-and-forth, who just want a proper home end and are ready to move if they sense momentum. That’s why I’m of the view that fan-led momentum, even imperfect, might still be better than waiting for the club to suddenly get their act together.

To answer your question: I think the sad truth is that the club don't care enough to try and engage the fans. This really does frustrate me deeply, and I certainly don't blame anyone in 1894 for the attitude the club has taken.

 

[MCFCWiles]

I think it’s time we give the torches a go all over the ground and get behind the 3rd tiers

 

[give it to gordon]

Havent tried to buy any tickets this season apart from Brighton away
Is it easier this season to buy tickets next to your mates ? For the last few seasons its been a nightmare for us.
We dont fancy going when we are all over the stadium, we want to be in our group or at least in twos or threes.

 

[Prophet of Doom]

Surely the board are looking at the new stand and wondering how the fuck are we gonna sell those extra tickets.

A Saturday 3pm game against Leeds should be sold out. Very worrying that so many neutrals are taking chunks of unsold tickets being dished out at the 11th hour.

No idea where they were sat but there was a group of about 30 South Africans in Kaiser Chiefs tracksuits ( the SA football club - not the shit Leeds indie band ) in the queue to get in behind me.

City should be deep in negotiations with every supporters group to get the new stand full and bouncing. Doing nothing is an absolute joke - and the best opportunity to improve the atmosphere we will ever have is slipping away.

 

[Whether or not]

Surely the board are looking at the new stand and wondering how the fuck are we gonna sell those extra tickets.

A Saturday 3pm game against Leeds should be sold out. Very worrying that so many neutrals are taking chunks of unsold tickets being dished out at the 11th hour.

No idea where they were sat but there was a group of about 30 South Africans in Kaiser Chiefs tracksuits ( the SA football club - not the shit Leeds indie band ) in the queue to get in behind me.

City should be deep in negotiations with every supporters group to get the new stand full and bouncing. Doing nothing is an absolute joke - and the best opportunity to improve the atmosphere we will ever have is slipping away.

City would be far more likely to be in deep negotiations with Viagogo or Seat Unique than with a supporters group.

 

[HelloCity]

The club pushed selling out 54k to the absolute limit.

What I mean by this is that they put up barriers, increased ticket prices, added compulsory memberships etc to the point where any excess demand was removed in favour of extracting the maximum £ figure from the capacity available.

This means we now don’t have an overspill of match going fans to help us fill up the new capacity.

When you look at the demand at clubs like Newcastle, West Ham, Spurs etc you’ve got to realise that we’ve majorly fucked up in terms of creating surplus demand based on the incredible success we’ve had.

 

[Bluesince1979]

Couldn't agree more Bobby. The Maine Road myth that it was always bouncing with noise is bollocks.

I weirdly loved it ad a kid when the crowd was that quiet you could hear the players talking to each other

 

[mexico1970]

The club pushed selling out 54k to the absolute limit.

What I mean by this is that they put up barriers, increased ticket prices, added compulsory memberships etc to the point where any excess demand was removed in favour of extracting the maximum £ figure from the capacity available.

This means we now don’t have an overspill of match going fans to help us fill up the new capacity.

When you look at the demand at clubs like Newcastle, West Ham, Spurs etc you’ve got to realise that we’ve majorly fucked up in terms of creating surplus demand based on the incredible success we’ve had.

It's like a TV series you don't want to invest in because it might be pulled after one season so you wait and see if it has another season first, getting the "Offer" tickets as long as you don't mind sitting on your own and you have to fulfil all the requirements even to do that isn't an attractive proposition.

If the club don't do more to attract the younger audience to the football it'll die on the vine. People saying "That's the way it is" doesn't help but going to football with your mam and dad when you should be going with your mates is a bit shit.

 

[borassic]

I don’t know what you’re on about telling me I don’t go any more.

I’ve had a seasoncard since I was 9 (and currently pay for 3).

There are tons of people who have either already packed it in (or are thinking about it) as a direct result of the clubs ticketing policy/fan engagement over recent years.

If that or the resulting atmosphere doesn’t bother you, I’m not sure why you’re on the Atmosphere Thread (other than to WUM).

I’m one of them. As are my dad and uncles. Moving to London helped me make the decision of course but if I enjoyed it as much as I did 15 years ago then I’d have still gone.

 

[Big Joe Corrigan]

It's like a TV series you don't want to invest in because it might be pulled after one season so you wait and see if it has another season first, getting the "Offer" tickets as long as you don't mind sitting on your own and you have to fulfil all the requirements even to do that isn't an attractive proposition.

If the club don't do more to attract the younger audience to the football it'll die on the vine. People saying "That's the way it is" doesn't help but going to football with your mam and dad when you should be going with your mates is a bit shit.

That’s correct mate. My lad has been coming to City with me since he was 2. The last few seasons he asked if we could bring his mates along. But trying to get three/four tickets anywhere near where we sat was nigh on impossible, no matter how many empty seats there were. He’s 15 next month and now goes to watch County, much to my annoyance. But he says it’s cheap, they’ve got a drum, and he can stand with all his mates. If we lose the kids we won’t get them back.