Away tickets

[Tim of the Oak]

Really strange at times us.

Three years running (last two Prem games and the FA Cup game the year before) we’ve had really poor atmospheres at Huddersfield and two years running at Burnley.

Yet there have been some grounds where we’ve always made a decent noise over the years: West Brom, Stoke, Villa, Fulham, Leicester...

I chatted to a nice guy at Burnley Away last season and he thought local bragging rights might make some of our fans more nervous. Maybe that’s a factor but I’ve noticed different faces at Burnley who seem more critical of the team. I’ve assumed in the past that these are Blues with very high points who sell their tickets on for further afield games but they could get their tickets through Corporates or SCs.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Sorry that doesn't stand up.
They certainly do not buy them from the FV sites on facebook and I haven't seen anyone on here asking for tickets .
Forget this lot then, you tell me how Celtic Horizons are offering tickets and Hotel Packages and in some cases travel without having access to one ticket ???

Never seen people asking for tickets? Have you been on the Ticket forum? And how can you be sure that touts aren't getting them off the Facebook pages? That'd be the first place I'd go if I was looking for tickets.

We are talking to the club about this but I don't want to say anything more at this moment.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I must be losing my touch because that's not the first time this season that a game I've not been at has had a great atmosphere. Saints away over Christmas sounded like the fans were bang up for it too.

Re your comments about Burnley and Huddersfield - agree that these aways have been largely disappointing atmosphere-wise over the past few seasons but the second half at Huddersfield the other week was a lot better. Very easy to get songs going, unlike other times where we can put 2 or 3 times the amount of effort in and it falls flat on it's arse!

It was also good to have pandemonium goal celebrations back again in the stands.

 

[M18CTID]

Sorry that doesn't stand up.
They certainly do not buy them from the FV sites on facebook and I haven't seen anyone on here asking for tickets .
Forget this lot then, you tell me how Celtic Horizons are offering tickets and Hotel Packages and in some cases travel without having access to one ticket ???

Actually, @Prestwich_Blue is pretty much bang on with what he's saying. Many of these ticketing websites rarely have the tickets in hand, yet advertise them for sale - often at extortionate prices - and if anyone "buys" them, that's when they try to source them. If they do manage to get them, then that's the best case scenario for the customer but it could be a whole lot worse and I'll tell you for why. Back in 2008, myself and the other half were after a couple of day tickets for the V Festival but all the official ticket outlets had sold out of them. We came across a ticket website online that was selling them - or so we thought - and bought 2 at 80-odd quid a pop. This was a good couple of months in advance, and I think the original blurb was that they would be posted out to us. Then as the date approached, it changed to having to meet some guy at the festival site as they'd hadn't received them in time to post them out. We had a mobile number for him and it was working in the week leading up to the festival so all seemed in order, but on the Thursday night prior to the Sunday which we were supposed to be attending, the other half received an e-mail saying that they'd been unable to fulfil the order and that refunds would be processed in due course. It was at that point that she realised we'd almost certainly been ripped off and I can tell you exactly where I was when I received the news off her - at City watching us get turned over by FC Midtylland in the first leg of our UEFA Cup match so it wasn't the best of nights. Needless to say, the mobile number that had been working earlier in the week suddenly wasn't and we, along with hundreds of others - never got our refund. As such, I would strongly discourage anyone from ever attempting to buy tickets from an unofficial ticket agency.

 

[Wilmslow Road]

Never seen people asking for tickets? Have you been on the Ticket forum? And how can you be sure that touts aren't getting them off the Facebook pages? That'd be the first place I'd go if I was looking for tickets.

We are talking to the club about this but I don't want to say anything more at this moment.

I know a couple of Touts and they do not get their tickets from Social Network Pages.
I know where they get their tickets from but I'm not putting it on here because I don't have written proof only verbal.
If you are in talks with the Club why can you not ask them to purchase tickets from the like of Celtic Horizon and Live Football.
Find out who they came from and take the appropriate action.
They do not have to put the names out but let it be known that they have done something which I think would deter others.
Dead simple in my opinion if they are serious.
But as I have said before if they come from a Corporate Member or even from within the Club will they do anything.
When's your next meeting ?

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I know a couple of Touts and they do not get their tickets from Social Network Pages.
I know where they get their tickets from but I'm not putting it on here because I don't have written proof only verbal.
If you are in talks with the Club why can you not ask them to purchase tickets from the like of Celtic Horizon and Live Football.
Find out who they came from and take the appropriate action.
They do not have to put the names out but let it be known that they have done something which I think would deter others.
Dead simple in my opinion if they are serious.
But as I have said before if they come from a Corporate Member or even from within the Club will they do anything.
When's your next meeting ?

I'm not saying some don't have contacts within the club or among some fans. If you want to DM me then I'd be delighted to hear what you know.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

I chatted to a nice guy at Burnley Away last season and he thought local bragging rights might make some of our fans more nervous. Maybe that’s a factor but I’ve noticed different faces at Burnley who seem more critical of the team. I’ve assumed in the past that these are Blues with very high points who sell their tickets on for further afield games but they could get their tickets through Corporates or SCs.

I think you might be generalising too much there mate.

My mate knows one of the Burnley backroom staff, and has access to two freebies for virtually every game at Turf Moor. Consequently, we were sat in the Bob Lord Stand, (away fans to our left), not just against City, but also against Tottenham and Chelsea in recent seasons.

The Chelsea fixture in 16/17 was similar to City’s “How the hell didn’t we win that?” 1-1 draw last year.

Their fans were buoyant after an early goal, but the mood slowly drifted towards frustration and eventual anger when Burnley equalized and rode their luck for the rest of the game.

In contrast, the Tottenham fans were brilliant, mainly because they were playing well, and the Burnley keeper was having a blinder. Eventually, they scored two late goals, amidst general pandemonium, not dissimilar to our reaction to Sterling’s late winner at Bournemouth last season.

Also, I’m not convinced that it’s the songs, as much as the reaction to events on the pitch, that create the atmosphere:

The Rotterdam song was fine at Huddersfield when we were winning 3-0, but absolute shite when the tide was turning at Newcastle, or even the other night at Everton, when it looked as though we might concede a late equalizer.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I think you might be generalising too much there mate.

My mate knows one of the Burnley backroom staff, and has access to two freebies for virtually every game at Turf Moor. Consequently, we were sat in the Bob Lord Stand, (away fans to our left), not just against City, but also against Tottenham and Chelsea in recent seasons.

The Chelsea fixture in 16/17 was similar to City’s “How the hell didn’t we win that?” 1-1 draw last year.

Their fans were buoyant after an early goal, but the mood slowly drifted towards frustration and eventual anger when Burnley equalized and rode their luck for the rest of the game.

In contrast, the Tottenham fans were brilliant, mainly because they were playing well, and the Burnley keeper was having a blinder. Eventually, they scored two late goals, amidst general pandemonium, not dissimilar to our reaction to Sterling’s late winner at Bournemouth last season.

Also, I’m not convinced that it’s the songs, as much as the reaction to events on the pitch, that create the atmosphere:

The Rotterdam song was fine at Huddersfield when we were winning 3-0, but absolute shite when the tide was turning at Newcastle, or even the other night at Everton, when it looked as though we might concede a late equalizer.

I agree with some of what you say mate. I miss very few away games and besides the regulars, there is a different crowd at Huddersfield and Burnley Aways. The nature of the game is a factor like you say but my observations are over several matches. The unfamiliar faces are a bit reminiscent of the last City Away at Upton Park / The Boleyn where a lot of middle age to older Blues appeared who probably hadn’t been to an Away in years. I assumed that these guys were the minority of big points holders who routinely sell their tickets on but wouldn’t miss this last chance to see Upton Park. I may well be wrong.

I think the Empty Seats song is a belter but it needs many more Blues to be singing it at the top of their voices. The younger fans have this rocking this chant on the concourses at half time.

There was a 5 - 10 minute spell in the second half on Wednesday when we got quieter and more anxious. Ederson was smartly off his line to collect a through ball and I started the “He’s Brazilian” chant that our entire section / end seemed to join in. That song doesn’t get going around the ground at the Etihad singing (Bar the South Stand and Kippax) but it could do if more Blues joined in. There are too many Blues hung up on their favourite chants IMHO.

 

[squirtyflower]

The unfamiliar faces are a bit reminiscent of the last City Away at Upton Park / The Boleyn where a lot of middle age to older Blues appeared who probably hadn’t been to an Away in years. I assumed that these guys were the minority of big points holders who routinely sell their tickets on but wouldn’t miss this last chance to see Upton Park. I may well be wrong.

You’re probably right, I wonder which branches they belong to?

 

[Corky]

I am guessing the club are using City Matters as a stalking horse to get rid of loyalty point merit based allocations in favour of more money making Joe's style tickets for the north stand extension.

The big challenge has been how do they make more money out of away tickets, and the answer is making fans buy a £2k home ticket to buy away tickets.

The tickets to points have been whittled down as much as they can slowly until it is now ridiculous, and more drastic measures are needed to complete the job. The 1000 fans on 21k plus and 2000 fans on 18k are represent properly when talking about away tickets. The CM rep stated points started in 2002 on here show there is a lack of knowledge, as points for games got back to 2001, the system started in 2003, and point for seasons goes back to 1998. Check your Norwich points in 2001, that was the first game.

A rolling system was created with 40 points a game, when original games were worth 10, so it is weighted towards 2011 onwards. If a rolling system is introduced it should be ten years minimum, as you can't say a fan has proven loyalty under 10 years, however weighting points on a 100% 95% basis etc going over 20 years would also be sensible. There is no fair way of changing the points system, as people who invested what amounts to 2 years of their life and £50k gaining their points deserves to keep them, and they have put 21 years in. In another 21 years a lot will have given up and or only be able to access concession tickets so won't be selling on, this is happening already but the amount of points going to tickets is being reduced at a far greater rate.

In 2006 I was able to get a 'derby' away ticket on a card that only went to 4/5 aways a season, where it people who go 80/90% of games who can get them on points now. 'Blue_bird' said they were being stricter that game ensuring tickets went to those who had correct points, and there had been a change of regime there demonstrated by the name on the letters. Those who went regularly at the time will know what I mean and also be very suspicious of CM.

For fans who are on 13/14k points and now given up going the best thing for these fans would be to go back to away allocations to points the way they used to be, and they would have a chance for almost every game. However CM seek to ignore this problem and are going to change the system to disadvantage people who have spent their lives supporting city home and away in favour of new fans who would have probably been united fans if they wore born ten years earlier, and just want instant away access and instant success.

The club not giving a shit about loyal fans in the real issue, the black box invites for Superbia were the starting example, "you are so loyal, please pay £2500 for £1500 worth of tickets to prove it". The CM reps should either ask for more tickets to go to points or resign, and not get used to disenfranchise the loyal fans and become a convenient scapegoat.