Atmosphere tonight

[dom]

Weren't the rags last Season exploring 'piped' cheering at the swamp.......Poor atmosphere is mainly a consequence of people being seated rather than standing, the change from male dominated to mixed gender and age of attendance.
However I do recall many games at Maine Road where you could here a pin drop.

So do I, what I don't recall is anyone saying they weren't coming any more because the atmosphere was shit.

Nor me , but the players still want to hear from us.... whatever else has gone on

There re issues to be resolved with the stadium allocation of away seats that have diluted our home advantage man yet which have not been VIGOROUSLY pursued with GMP.... their excuses against our change of plan have for years slowed our progress, in terms of developing a proper 'Home End'

Ref the 'piped cheering' option... I ill forfeit my ST before witnessing that bollox

 

[FanchesterCity]

I'm a season ticket holder since 1973 and sit in E1 block 102 and whilst it's not the most vociferous block I did notice last night that the atmosphere was appalling however no different to most of the last few seasons of CL games. A couple points I just wanted to make.

1, Attendance - I think the attendance is the major reason for the muted atmosphere, however looking back to the 70s when I enjoyed my first European games I can see the apathy of a lot of City fans to European competitions. Our first game back in Europe for over 5 years was a glamour tie against Juventus in the UEFA Cup (This was seen as virtually akin to The European Cup at the time) in 76/77 season. The game was not live on TV, Football was still very much financially accessible for the 'working class' and the attendance was 36,955 that season at home to Stoke their were 39,878 present and the average league attendance was 40,058. In 77/78 in our first European home game we played Twente Enschede and only 29330 fans turned up in a season where our average league attendance was 41,687 again the game wasn't on TV.
I think we have to realise that we have, and for many years had, a core fan base of between 28k and 30k who will attend at all odds a home game. The rest is made up of fans who take in one or two league games a season (possibly due to cost) and then the 'tourists'.

2, The Myth of the Champions League - Before we qualified for the CL in 2011/2012 I sat in front of my TV watching endless mind-numbingly boring CL group games being told by Sky and ITV that this was the greatest football tournament in the world..... really?? I would think to myself 'surely if we get into the CL one day the group games will be different' How I was wrong! I can't think of any home CL game I can say I have left thinking 'I Enjoyed that' I would much rather watch a Premier League game against Leicester or Swansea than a group game in the CL. And although I will always sacrifice everything to ensure I can afford to get to the Etihad on these 'dream European nights' I can totally understand that those slightly less fanatical or those even scrimping on everything possible but still can't attend for financial reasons don't turn up.
From my own point of view the CL just gives me more chances to watch the team I love but I can take it or leave it, and if we don't qualify personally I don't care, however I'm made to care, because I am a supporter of Pellegrini and of the ethos of not changing a manager every 2 years, and if we are to believe what we hear that Pellegrini will face the same fate as Mancini if he fails in Europe for the second time, then I am forced to hope we at least qualify for the QFs just to keep the status quo.

Ok I'm rambling

Cheers.

City's games aren't the best because we continually underperform, and it becomes a night of frustration. That's not something that's part of the make-up of the Champions League, but maybe it's a hang-up we've got about the Champions League?

Support in Europe is possibly the worst in Europe in terms of noise. It's just non-existent. Might be all kinds of explanations for it, but up to us to put it right

CL's heading that way though... the group stages are already seeded, so highly predictable, and fans know it, and the games are starting to become quite strategic... where an away draw is a 'result' for tier 2 and tier 3 teams. Effectively a lot of caution is creeping in. Maybe it's just my perception, but CL is becoming dull.... even the CL draw is an overblown, prolonged and tedious affair, and I think the group stages are going the same way.
If were were winning, maybe I'd feel differently, but then I expect Bayen and Real fans see them as a general hindrance before the proper competition starts in the last 16.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Best atmosphere at our new ground ? Hamburg IMO, was it £10 tickets?

No cheaper £5 , sold out in no time.

Correct but as a separate point - we fucked it up on the sales didn't we? Think we put it straight on to general sale, which sounds so ridiculous so I must remember that wrong? I was drinking at the shambles before kick off and bumped into a mate who had a ticket for the game, he hadn't been to a football game in years. He is also a lifelong united fan!

I do wonder if under pricing champs league tickets (not to that extreme, and maybe just for ST or cityzen holders or whatever it is) as a one off might be a good investment in order to try and build the interest in the champs league and provide the atmosphere that gives the team that extra edge that scholes and others think can help to win games. It might help get some momentum going, although it's probably not practical this season now for numerous reasons

I think interest in the CL will improve next season if/when the seeding system changes. Even if we were to draw similar teams again (but please not bayern ffs) I think people will respect the seeding system a bit more and not just be pissed off with the stale, predictable current one that protects the old guard that desperately want to stop us from progressing. If we post decent financial figures and can spend again next season then people might mellow what is currently a pretty stubborn little stance against europe/uefa/platini etc, but we've just gotta get some sort of momentum going at the moment

I don't think it should be underestimated how much of a downer the draw this year has put on a lot of people. Drawing the toughest team in pot 4 is always gonna be a massive gutter, but when you played the other two teams last year, one of which was bayern fucking munich again who we're all far too familiar with, then you just feel as though somethings taking the piss. Then in our first game of the group they get a last minute winner from our former player, who most of us didn't really like. Put it this way I reckon if Aguero had bagged the last minute winner for us and not boateng for them, you coulda added an extra 5000 on to the attendance last night and the atmosphere woulda been a lot more lively, but after the bayern game there was just a sense of deja vu from all of our previous underwhelming champions league campaigns

Again I just think it's about gaining/starting some sort of momentum. The good news is we've still got time to sort it this season and we're good enough so that if we do find that spark then we can go on a run, but it seems we've been waiting for that spark for a while. We can easily beat cska twice though even if we're not on form and then we could be playing bayern in a packed stadium with a top atmosphere, we pretty much filled it last time we played them (45k). Not got a great lot of hope for the crowd and atmosphere for the cska home game but I still expect both to be better than last nights if the tickets are priced right

 

[dom]

Atmosphere last night wasn't to bad, Roma sang all night as do most euro away teams that travel,
It's laughable that a lot who have commented are doing so at what they heard onTV.
Also the ticket prices was reasonable last night so don't think that's why people stayed away, people can only afford what they can afford, so if day trippers take up the tickets that regulars can't afford then that's not a problem, can't expect the owner to throw all that money at the team and facilities and expect them to give the tickets away, think some are becoming a little ungrateful at the amazing investment we have had, would they be happy paying £20/£30 to watch us play the likes of Crewe , Forrest etc or pay that extra for the class we get to watch.

Regarding the singing sections being split, by away fans, iv said it plenty of times before and I recon we only have 2 singing sections because of the away fans, since I can remember going back to the Kippax / platt lane and Kippax / north stand our singers gathered either side of the away fans, it gives the singers something to bounce off , and no reason why the singers haven't / couldn't relocated to just one section of the ground since we moved there, there not being forced to be split..,

I was going to write the same thing earlier. As soon as Maine Road became all seated the two singing ends became the North stand and Kippax AA/BB lower. When we moved to the new stadium as you have highlighted the trend has continued with two unofficial singing sections either side.

That is why I think it is pointless to criticise the club re: singing sections being separated as fans have chosen to create two banks around the away fans. Even if that was not the case ample opportunity over the years to alter this has not been taken. Not sure why some fans expect the club to evict fans from their seats to create a singing section when the fans have been the decision- makers in the current ground composition.

These two highlighted areas indicate that you have not been following thus debate AT ALL over the years

The phrase ... 'even if that was not the case [,] ample opportunity over the years to alter this has not been taken' merely begs the question: it is not per se , an argument supporting one side of the debate..

 

[blingy]

Atmosphere last night wasn't to bad, Roma sang all night as do most euro away teams that travel,
It's laughable that a lot who have commented are doing so at what they heard onTV.
Also the ticket prices was reasonable last night so don't think that's why people stayed away, people can only afford what they can afford, so if day trippers take up the tickets that regulars can't afford then that's not a problem, can't expect the owner to throw all that money at the team and facilities and expect them to give the tickets away, think some are becoming a little ungrateful at the amazing investment we have had, would they be happy paying £20/£30 to watch us play the likes of Crewe , Forrest etc or pay that extra for the class we get to watch.

Regarding the singing sections being split, by away fans, iv said it plenty of times before and I recon we only have 2 singing sections because of the away fans, since I can remember going back to the Kippax / platt lane and Kippax / north stand our singers gathered either side of the away fans, it gives the singers something to bounce off , and no reason why the singers haven't / couldn't relocated to just one section of the ground since we moved there, there not being forced to be split..,

I'm not sure about this logic that day trippers are just taking up tickets City fans don't want.... when it's been a packed house in CL, there's still loads of away and day trippers...

It's something else. I don't know what, but I'm bloody sure it's something to do with how we are selling tickets (or how touts are grabbing loads of them). I accept that lots of ST holders might not take up the option to buy a CL ticket... I know that from the missing faces that sit by me, but it still seems that tickets are being snapped up by tourists well before City fans can get them. I can't be sure about that, it's just a feeling, especially when 8 Roma fans behind me all get seats next to each other.

This is true, City are either keeping tickets back then putting the `SOLD OUT ` signs or theyre are feeding thousands to agencies who then sell them to away fans ...how else could away fans be all over the ground ? Happened v Barcelona & R.Madrid....if they are they are a fucking disgrace & must live with the consequences like stay away local fans & shit atmospheres.

Read previously that city have to give away fans a certain amount of tickets in desirable areas of the ground to away fans as part if uefa regs,, don't know how much truth there it's in this but could explain away fans being in home sections.

Last night I had the scum that is scholes over my right shoulder and the Roma youth team and loads of officials over my left shoulder,, been out for a mates birthday meal b4 the game and the wife has a hard time keeping me in check after a couple of bottles of wine and not knowing who to aim my drunken comments at ....

 

[1.618034]

A must read
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.standingalone.co.uk/?p=179" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.standingalone.co.uk/?p=179</a>

Sums it up perfectly.

 

[FanchesterCity]

I'm not sure about this logic that day trippers are just taking up tickets City fans don't want.... when it's been a packed house in CL, there's still loads of away and day trippers...

It's something else. I don't know what, but I'm bloody sure it's something to do with how we are selling tickets (or how touts are grabbing loads of them). I accept that lots of ST holders might not take up the option to buy a CL ticket... I know that from the missing faces that sit by me, but it still seems that tickets are being snapped up by tourists well before City fans can get them. I can't be sure about that, it's just a feeling, especially when 8 Roma fans behind me all get seats next to each other.

This is true, City are either keeping tickets back then putting the `SOLD OUT ` signs or theyre are feeding thousands to agencies who then sell them to away fans ...how else could away fans be all over the ground ? Happened v Barcelona & R.Madrid....if they are they are a fucking disgrace & must live with the consequences like stay away local fans & shit atmospheres.

Read previously that city have to give away fans a certain amount of tickets in desirable areas of the ground to away fans as part if uefa regs,, don't know how much truth there it's in this but could explain away fans being in home sections.

Last night I had the scum that is scholes over my right shoulder and the Roma youth team and loads of officials over my left shoulder,, been out for a mates birthday meal b4 the game and the wife has a hard time keeping me in check after a couple of bottles of wine and not knowing who to aim my drunken comments at ....

I can't really believe they'd be so interspersed like that. It's a recipe for disaster if it kicks off.
I could accept they might have to give up a particular block, or section of a block (as they seem to do in the second tier above my block in 123) - but it can't be right that they just mix them up right in the middle of home fans. In fact, I should also say that every CL home game it's been the same, and the fans generally try to hide that they are away fans (suggesting they know they shouldn't be there). There's been no trouble, but that's not the point. It's just a bit of an atmosphere killer to score a goal, stand up and cheer, and half the people around you are sat down.

 

[jockblue]

The block in 223 is given to "Friends of UEFA" (which basically means executive package away fans). There were maybe 100 in a block of a few hundred last night.... I think there's a similar block in the East Stand.

 

[andrew090565]

I love singing and being involved in some atmosphere when I watch a game of football. I think thats part of the reason I can never get a ticket for away games where the atmosphere is always better.
I recently paid £57 to sit on the top row of block3 to watch liverpool. I was surrounded by people who hadnt the slightest clue how to open their mouths let alone shout some words of encouragement. I want my boys to sample a proper atmosphere, but we can never get any seats that aren't miles from the pitch and the singing fans.
The only way around this is to sell seats in a singing section. Then everyone who wants to be involved with that can get to sit with like minded people. Its not about seats, its about the people around you. If you want to sing and shout you need to be surrounded by others who want to.
I am fed up with paying lots of money to sit at the top of our stadium in stony silence. Thats when the television is a better and cheaper option. I have the money to pay to go to every game, unlike some people, but there is no point if I dont get to be a part of it. And that includes being able to sing my head off til I am hoarse.
The Club needs to be radical. It is an innovator in terms of match day experience. It needs to sell tickets in a singing area!!!!

 

[jrb]

Why not fill the Etihad for the group games? £20 for Adults, £10 for Teenagers/OAP's, and £5 for Kids. Once we get to the knockout stages, increase the price of tickets accordingly.

I'm sure if the Etihad had been full last night, mainly with season ticket holders and local fans, the atmosphere would have been much better. And it may have even helped the players to put in a better performance.(not that they should have needed any help)

All you have to do is to cast your mind back to that Hamburg game in the Europa Cup. The Etihad was rocking that night.(take note you ginger c***!)