Atmosphere Thread | 2025/26

[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.

 

[mexico1970]

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.

As a dad you teach him City are the best and then he flies the nest with his mates, you're doing your bit but the club doesn't seem to give a fuck or doesn't quite understand football culture.

 

[There is a Light]

I’m posting this at the risk of getting hammered, as people don’t like to hear it, but nevertheless it’s true. Some of our own fans are a joke, and I mean regular fans, season ticket holders, “proper” Blues of all ages. I look around at fans not joining in with other songs and wonder, “What is wrong with you?”

Yesterday was pitiful, letting Leeds take the piss out of us, almost confirming some of the things that are said about us a fanbase. I accept some have always been like this and always will be, but it’s 95% of the ground on days like yesterday. There’s no-one else to blame. It’s not 1894’s fault, it’s not down to tourists, it’s not the fault of acoustics or any other such nonsense. There’s just far too many lazy fans who can’t be arsed trying to make an atmosphere. If there’s ever to be a good atmosphere on a regular basis, regular fans need to open their mouths and make some noise themselves instead of looking at others to do it for them.

 

[mexico1970]

I’m posting this at the risk of getting hammered, as people don’t like to hear it, but nevertheless it’s true. Some of our own fans are a joke, and I mean regular fans, season ticket holders, “proper” Blues of all ages. I look around at fans not joining in with other songs and wonder, “What is wrong with you?”

Yesterday was pitiful, letting Leeds take the piss out of us, almost confirming some of the things that are said about us a fanbase. I accept some have always been like this and always will be, but it’s 95% of the ground on days like yesterday. There’s no-one else to blame. It’s not 1894’s fault, it’s not down to tourists, it’s not the fault of acoustics or any other such nonsense. There’s just far too many lazy fans who can’t be arsed trying to make an atmosphere. If there’s ever to be a good atmosphere on a regular basis, regular fans need to open their mouths and make some noise themselves instead of looking at others to do it for them.

We need mobs of teenage boys going with their mates, a lot of young lads wont make a noise in front of their parents.

The fans aren't lazy they are getting older, we need buses full of 10-17 year olds filling the ground with atmosphere but that wont happen because it might end in crowd disobedience.

So we have this neutered shite instead.

 

[EastMidlandsBlue]

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.

I find your point about creating excess demand interesting, because that in itself would create more demand, as people want what they can't have.

"I'd love to go and watch City, but it's impossible to get tickets", psychologically makes people want to go and watch City. You see this with Gigs all the time, people go and watch music they don't even like, simply because they were able to get their hands on a high demand ticket.

I guess the club were daft enough to think the stream of tourists, we got after winning the treble, would last forever. Staggering lack of long term thinking.

 

[EastMidlandsBlue]

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.

I've heard that story all too many times over the last 5-10 years. I'd be really interested to know the amount of fans we've lost to the likes of Stockport, Oldham and Rochdale over the last few seasons

 

[There is a Light]

We need mobs of teenage boys going with their mates, a lot of young lads wont make a noise in front of their parents.

The fans aren't lazy they are getting older, we need buses full of 10-17 year olds filling the ground with atmosphere but that wont happen because it might end in crowd disobedience.

So we have this neutered shite instead.

So many are lazy though. I see them with my own eyes. They’re all around me. Lads, women of all ages, not just those who’re getting older. I’m not talking plastics here. Regular fans who can’t be arsed. Others try to start songs and they don’t join in. There’s literally no excuse IMO. It’s down to the majority of fans in that stadium.

I agree 100% about enabling groups of younger Blues to sit together though.

 

[mexico1970]

So many are lazy though. I see them with my own eyes. They’re all around me. Lads, women of all ages, not just those who’re getting older. I’m not talking plastics here. Regular fans who can’t be arsed. Others try to start songs and they don’t join in. There’s literally no excuse IMO. It’s down to the majority of fans in that stadium.

I agree 100% about enabling groups of younger Blues to sit together though.

What you're not seeing are swarms of young teenagers, all getting the bus together getting chippy together.

This isn't the 70's or the early 80's these noisemakers go with their parents now.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

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

So many are lazy though. I see them with my own eyes. They’re all around me. Lads, women of all ages, not just those who’re getting older. I’m not talking plastics here. Regular fans who can’t be arsed. Others try to start songs and they don’t join in. There’s literally no excuse IMO. It’s down to the majority of fans in that stadium.

I agree 100% about enabling groups of younger Blues to sit together though.

It’s not a logical argument. If 47,500 out of 48,000 people are all being accused of something, then it’s the accuser that’s wrong, not the accused.

The ground needs a leader, it needs one voice. The East and North Stand will not join in with 80 lads singing “we’ve still got blue empty seats” three times on the trot or 120 lads singing “pablo zabaleta is the fucking man” straight after we’ve scored or 300 people clapping “We never win at home” at 100mph straight after we’ve conceded. The reason these songs are being defaulted to is because clapping is the only way that people in the singing areas can hear each other properly without a roof to bounce an anthem off.

The answer is staring us in the face and if the club don’t grasp this opportunity then I will never forgive them because it’s damaging the team and it’s damaging the club. Kids want noise; they want passion, they want an identify they are proud of. Not just good team.

 

[GrumpyLegacyFan]

I think, for me, yesterday was a new low in being a City fan. I have had a season ticket since 1988, and despite living in London for all that time, travel home and away religiously - even the early European 'glamour' games at TNS, Gocklin, Lokeren, Posnan and the dead rubber at Santander.

I personally subsidise Virgin and now Avanti, and my long suffering family think I need to see a specialist for my addiction to following my Club.

I sit in the front few rows of CBL3 and yesterday was just shocking - and yes...we all know the reasons why - pricing, ticket policy changes, tourists, Pep's current brand of slow, often dull football, etc - all completely fair and true.

But I just don't understand the silence, and really don't give a fuck about any other PL club's home atmosphere. We used to be better than this, and yes, we all think every game was rocking at Maine Road - but it was a damn sight better than yesterday - even in the worse of times.

I know some on here don't like 'complainers' - and my user name tells it's own story - but for the first time in 40 years, having ran to the stadium from a delayed Avanti train and then having to run back to get the 5.30 to Euston - I thought to myself - I am not enjoying this.

I am appalled at myself for thinking this - as City is so important to me - to my mental health, my friends, my community (and yes I do have a very full and wonderful life outside football) - but I am just so disappointed with yes, some of the lazy fans who fuck off early, arrive late, don't seem to give a shit - but mostly with the Club.

The contract between 'fan' and 'Club' was broken long ago - but the acceleration in the journey to a soulless corporate provider of 'content' for someone to stream in Malaysia, has been insane over the last 2-3 years. The Club simply don't give a flying fuck about us - and maybe never have - but they pretended to give a shit a lot better in the past.

I suppose I have been in denial that it was never just about the money (with a little bit of UAE Sportswashing) - but sadly when; the pricing and ticket policy drives out loyalty, when the club has to ship in bus loads of United supporting school kids to wave their iPhones, when the official Club shop sells half and half scarves, when Phil Foden in the middle of a game needs to encourage the East Stand to make some noise, when the new stand dissolves in a corporate debacle and when there are more tourists in the away end than season ticket holders - you know the show is over.

I was in the US last week and went to an NFL game - it was fun as a tourist, in a Disney/Las Vegas sense (yes - I am a hypocrite and guilty as charged!) - but it's a horrific vision of our future.

I am happy to try and fight to keep football as true to it's community and it's fans, and there are some things that are welcome in today's world - less racism, less pointless violence, better accessibility, etc. But stepping forward doesn't mean you have to gut the soul.

As for 1894 - god bless them for doing their very best. And I hope, on BM, we all remember that everyone has a right to a different opinion - and we are all only here for one thing...our love of our club.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

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.

100% agree

I remember the 2-3 defeat after leading 2-0 at Wolves in 19/20

It was a fantastic atmosphere inside Molineux,(possibly the best I'd encountered in years) just as the noise was muted this season after our 4-0 victory

Similarly, I always think the atmosphere is best at the Etihad in the games where City are losing but starting to gain a foothold

 

[There is a Light]

It’s not a logical argument. If 47,500 out of 48,000 people are all being accused of something, then it’s the accuser that’s wrong, not the accused.

The ground needs a leader, it needs one voice. The East and North Stand will not join in with 80 lads singing “we’ve still got blue empty seats” three times on the trot or 120 lads singing “pablo zabaleta is the fucking man” straight after we’ve scored or 300 people clapping “We never win at home” at 100mph straight after we’ve conceded. The reason these songs are being defaulted to is because clapping is the only way that people in the singing areas can hear each other properly without a roof to bounce an anthem off.

The answer is staring us in the face and if the club don’t grasp this opportunity then I will never forgive them because it’s damaging the team and it’s damaging the club. Kids want noise; they want passion, they want an identify they are proud of. Not just good team.

I’m not just talking about the North and East Stand. I’m talking every stand, even the South Stand who like everyone else were piss poor yesterday. If even 50% of the upper tier sang then the atmosphere would be just fine, but it’s nowhere near that. And other areas of the ground have plenty of songs to sing or join in with - traditional songs, but they choose not to, so they’re equally as poor and should take a share of the responsibility.

If you even get what you want with the North Stand, and someone steps forward and organises movement of those who don’t want to go to or remain in the South Stand, once they are there, they will need to actually stand up and create the atmosphere itself. Given how poor the majority of the ground is at making noise I’d say that is in no way guaranteed.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I think, for me, yesterday was a new low in being a City fan. I have had a season ticket since 1988, and despite living in London for all that time, travel home and away religiously - even the early European 'glamour' games at TNS, Gocklin, Lokeren, Posnan and the dead rubber at Santander.

I personally subsidise Virgin and now Avanti, and my long suffering family think I need to see a specialist for my addiction to following my Club.

I sit in the front few rows of CBL3 and yesterday was just shocking - and yes...we all know the reasons why - pricing, ticket policy changes, tourists, Pep's current brand of slow, often dull football, etc - all completely fair and true.

But I just don't understand the silence, and really don't give a fuck about any other PL club's home atmosphere. We used to be better than this, and yes, we all think every game was rocking at Maine Road - but it was a damn sight better than yesterday - even in the worse of times.

I know some on here don't like 'complainers' - and my user name tells it's own story - but for the first time in 40 years, having ran to the stadium from a delayed Avanti train and then having to run back to get the 5.30 to Euston - I thought to myself - I am not enjoying this.

I am appalled at myself for thinking this - as City is so important to me - to my mental health, my friends, my community (and yes I do have a very full and wonderful life outside football) - but I am just so disappointed with yes, some of the lazy fans who fuck off early, arrive late, don't seem to give a shit - but mostly with the Club.

The contract between 'fan' and 'Club' was broken long ago - but the acceleration in the journey to a soulless corporate provider of 'content' for someone to stream in Malaysia, has been insane over the last 2-3 years. The Club simply don't give a flying fuck about us - and maybe never have - but they pretended to give a shit a lot better in the past.

I suppose I have been in denial that it was never just about the money (with a little bit of UAE Sportswashing) - but sadly when; the pricing and ticket policy drives out loyalty, when the club has to ship in bus loads of United supporting school kids to wave their iPhones, when the official Club shop sells half and half scarves, when Phil Foden in the middle of a game needs to encourage the East Stand to make some noise, when the new stand dissolves in a corporate debacle and when there are more tourists in the away end than season ticket holders - you know the show is over.

I was in the US last week and went to an NFL game - it was fun as a tourist, in a Disney/Las Vegas sense (yes - I am a hypocrite and guilty as charged!) - but it's a horrific vision of our future.

I am happy to try and fight to keep football as true to it's community and it's fans, and there are some things that are welcome in today's world - less racism, less pointless violence, better accessibility, etc. But stepping forward doesn't mean you have to gut the soul.

As for 1894 - god bless them for doing their very best. And I hope, on BM, we all remember that everyone has a right to a different opinion - and we are all only here for one thing...our love of our club.

I was in level 1 of the East Stand, twelve or so rows from the pitch. I can count the season ticket holders round me now on one hand. They used to be in the majority and it was part of the day to catch up with familiar faces now all gone. Now its like sitting at a kids matinee with constant disruption from the kick off to final whistle. Anything close to us is getting filmed by hordes of mobiles held aloft and its not that the folk that are doing it are engaged in the game - the rest of the time they are making multiple trips for food or watching stuff on mobiles. Cant find their seats, late back after half time , leave early....
We are seriously thinking of relocating but from what folk are saying on here, it is no better anywhere else. The whole match going experience is being relentlessly diluted by selling tickets to those who want an 'experience' and couldn't give a fuck about City and in some cases, football.
I think it is too far gone to save. Hey ho. Roll on Sunderland next week.

 

[wattle]

Stop talking nonsense

Back at you my friend

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I’m not just talking about the North and East Stand. I’m talking every stand, even the South Stand who like everyone else were piss poor yesterday. If even 50% of the upper tier sang then the atmosphere would be just fine, but it’s nowhere near that. And other areas of the ground have plenty of songs to sing or join in with - traditional songs, but they choose not to, so they’re equally as poor and should take a share of the responsibility.

If you even get what you want with the North Stand, and someone steps forward and organises movement of those who don’t want to go to or remain in the South Stand, once they are there, they will need to actually stand up and create the atmosphere itself. Given how poor the majority of the ground is at making noise I’d say that is in no way guaranteed.

I knew atmosphere was going to be poor yesterday from the first minute, when the two singing areas each burst into two different songs. Then it happened again and that set the tone. It’s crowd psychology: people will sing if those around them do. What did Leeds sing first? Marching on Together. Then We are Leeds. They sang those songs about 10 times each. It took us about 25 minutes to muster our first Blue Moon.

There are many more people in the Etihad who would sing if things were right. They are all around me in the Colin bell. I’m not saying it would always be a cauldron. Bigger games will always be better. But things literally couldn’t be any worse than now if you designed it from scratch. Vocal fans low down, divided in two. More vocal fans behind them separated by a tier and an angle change. A high roof. A big concrete slab deadening the sound. Away fans right in the middle.

You can’t credibly turn the finger of blame on an entire match going fanbase. Thats silly.

The ground needs one voice. Not three.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I was in level 1 of the East Stand, twelve or so rows from the pitch. I can count the season ticket holders round me now on one hand. They used to be in the majority and it was part of the day to catch up with familiar faces now all gone. Now its like sitting at a kids matinee with constant disruption from the kick off to final whistle. Anything close to us is getting filmed by hordes of mobiles held aloft and its not that the folk that are doing it are engaged in the game - the rest of the time they are making multiple trips for food or watching stuff on mobiles. Cant find their seats, late back after half time , leave early....
We are seriously thinking of relocating but from what folk are saying on here, it is no better anywhere else. The whole match going experience is being relentlessly diluted by selling tickets to those who want an 'experience' and couldn't give a fuck about City and in some cases, football.
I think it is too far gone to save. Hey ho. Roll on Sunderland next week.

Almost everyone around me in the Colin Bell upper tier is the same people for every league game and always has been. We get tourists for champions league games but if our own fans don’t come that’s going to happen.

 

[Fordyboy46]

We need mobs of teenage boys going with their mates, a lot of young lads wont make a noise in front of their parents.

The fans aren't lazy they are getting older, we need buses full of 10-17 year olds filling the ground with atmosphere but that wont happen because it might end in crowd disobedience.

So we have this neutered shite instead.

We really should be encouraging the age range of say 13-20 year olds to the matches at affordable prices and give them a section of the ground, like an ultra feel. It's a thought anyway, it's crying out for something different

 

[mexico1970]

We really should be encouraging the age range of say 13-20 year olds to the matches at affordable prices and give them a section of the ground, like an ultra feel. It's a thought anyway, it's crying out for something different

That would do it mate, without the passion of youth we are watching the death of tribalism in football and with that the death of the pain and the passion.

Cinema
Popcorn

Now sit the fuck down and smile you cunts :)