Bayern Munich @ Home

[cheddar404]

I just don't feel it when I'm at Champions League matches. I imagine it to be like being in a relationship with someone that you don't really love. Well, we're having 2 more unsatisfying shags and then she can pack her bags.

Just close your eyes and think of Gillingham!

Ahhhhhh Gillingham...what a romance that was.

 

[cleavers]

The big difference is that he's the type of supporter/customer who will arrive in City Square, roughly two hours before kick-off and then spend £20 on pies and burgers.
The fans will be in Mary D's arguing over whether Barry Conlon appeared at Gigg Lane.

Its interesting that you say this, because I like to do both, sometimes I'll go and stand in a pub with my mates, talking about the less than great times we had in the past, and others I like to go to City square and enjoy the music and entertainment on offer (most of it is pretty good, and its pretty well unique to have a fan zone providing this), a third option is to go into town and sample the City centre atmosphere, something I rarely get the chance do otherwise. It all depends on my mood, and when the game kicks off.

 

[inbetween]

The big difference is that he's the type of supporter/customer who will arrive in City Square, roughly two hours before kick-off and then spend £20 on pies and burgers.
The fans will be in Mary D's arguing over whether Barry Conlon appeared at Gigg Lane.

Its interesting that you say this, because I like to do both, sometimes I'll go and stand in a pub with my mates, talking about the less than great times we had in the past, and others I like to go to City square and enjoy the music and entertainment on offer (most of it is pretty good, and its pretty well unique to have a fan zone providing this), a third option is to go into town and sample the City centre atmosphere, something I rarely get the chance do otherwise. It all depends on my mood, and when the game kicks off.

A lot also is unfortunately because our ground is in a really rubbish place. I don't know if anyone has been to Bolton's ground in Horwich but that has to be the absolute worse ground in the country for away fans. It is literally a stadium on a retail park in the middle of nowhere and away fans aren't allowed in the only place where you can drink. Apart from that there is nothing but a Pizza Hut, Mcdonalds etc.

We are a bit like that and out in the sticks. Maine Road had tons of pubs within half a mile but the Etihad really only has 1 or 2. I think the club would make an absolute fortune if they built a big super pub open on matchdays say in the City square area over the bridge near the car parks. I like CitySquare but when it is tipping it down it becomes pointless and the bar areas are a bit too small for what they are designed for so you end up with massive queues. As you are fenced in you then have probably 90% of people who want to go in can't anyway.

 

[Dunne's own goal]

I just don't feel it when I'm at Champions League matches. I imagine it to be like being in a relationship with someone that you don't really love. Well, we're having 2 more unsatisfying shags and then she can pack her bags.

Well then let's hope she has learnt some new tricks and the two last shags are so good you want to stay along for just a little longer!

 

[cleavers]

We are a bit like that and out in the sticks. Maine Road had tons of pubs within half a mile but the Etihad really only has 1 or 2. I think the club would make an absolute fortune if they built a big super pub open on matchdays say in the City square area over the bridge near the car parks. I like CitySquare but when it is tipping it down it becomes pointless and the bar areas are a bit too small for what they are designed for so you end up with massive queues. As you are fenced in you then have probably 90% of people who want to go in can't anyway.

To be fair, there are more than 1 or 2 pubs if you look around, not enough though I agree, and we've lost a couple since we moved in. However we're 20 minutes walk, and 10 in a taxi/bus/tram, from the City centre which has a great variety of places, and I often use these before night games.

If I remember right though City Square is temporary as it is, and the plans are for something bigger and better, it will have to move for the new North Stand anyway. As a temporary measure its pretty good, and like I said pretty well unique in this country, I like it, and if the plans are bigger and better then maybe it will become something for everyone. (Incidentally I rarely spend any money in City square as I think the food and drink is over priced.)

 

[City1974]

Ok, here’s my angle.

City;s hardcore support, was spawned during the baby boom years of the mid 60s, and it’s this generation, who grew up with City, dominating Manchester football, if not quite winning as many trophies as we should have done; the 1971-72 League title, and 1974 League Cup Final being the obvious examples.

When this generation starting regularly attending games in the late 70s, our average attendance rose to almost 6,000 higher than when we actually won the League ten years earlier.

Fast forward to the early 90s and City lost all the floating support to the rags. All we had was a hardcore 30,000 who were mainly in their mid 30s or slightly older.

From the York defeat to the Aguero goal, no other club in the history of English football has seen such a dramatic turn in fortunes.

The problem now is that the Champions League was never in our dreams. All we ever wanted was one trophy to end the 35 years of shite.

The original hardcore support are now in their 50s and we feel marginalised. Pretty soon, the ETIHAD will be averaging more than 50,000. Everything looks rosy, but the higher the crowds, the more our sense of loss.
We sound like football snobs, probably because we are football snobs. The club doesn’t really need us anymore, but christ they needed us 20 years ago.

As for the Champions League, I’ve been to every game, home and away, apart from the recent farce in Moscow.

However, that probably says more about my addictive personality than any lingering ambitions of seeing City progress this year.

I respect everybody’s opinion and can see both sides of the argument. It just irritates me when people get personal.

That's it though its your angle, but I don't identify with some of it.

I'm in my 50's and started watching City as a kid at the very end of the 60's, but I don't identify with "football snob", "all I ever wanted was 1 trophy", or "sense of loss".

Nor do my grown up kids, who started watching at a time when we were pretty shit (and got worse), and who have visited all manner of stadia watching the club, from the Nou Camp, to Halifax, but who are also proud to be blues, even though they have neither lived in the Manchester area at any time, and grew up in schools where they were the only blues. They both love the fact that they have seen this club rise from the depths of division 2, to playing and competing with the likes of Bayern, Barcelona, and Real, even if none of us really like what those clubs and the likes of united stand for.

I'm loving this new City too, looking forward to the new stand opening, the academy producing our own talent, the fact we've built the local area a new school and leisure centre. I'm damned proud of the club in fact, and the football isn't bad either, and most of all I look forward to us winning the Champions League one day, so we can firmly shove two fingers into the faces of those politicians that run our football and try to take it away from the true fan, not to mention the slimy twats like gill.

I'll be there against Bayern, as will my daughter, we might win, we might not, but City deserve our support in this game as much as any other game, because the club wants to succeed in the competition, and eventually we will, and on that day, nobody will be moaning.

Thank you Sheik Mansour, for all you have done already, and for what we will eventually do as well.

Sums it up for me too.

Playing Bayern Munich just in a competitive game is something we would of given up a season to have a chance at years ago. I remember games when I was younger and we were in Division 2 like West Ham, Leeds in the cup and the atmosphere was just killer. We usually lost all of those games but it was still the biggest game of the season.

Why are these games not big to anyone? I can understand why some cannot relate with it but is it really because of this negativity towards UEFA. We got done for penalties against United the other week and had we conceded late in that game would everyone then not turn up in protest? Did anyone not turn up the week after Kompany got sent off for that joke foul against United a few years ago in the cup? Did anyone also not turn up after Richards' joke handball penalty against Liverpool in the Carling Cup semi etc etc. It is really a load of rubbish, the refereeing for the most part in the Champions League I think is actually MILES ahead of the Premier League. Against CSKA Yaya deserved his red, Fernandinho didn't but Nasri should of had one but got away with it. Nasri has also amazingly got away with any retrospective action too. CKSA should have had a red too but that had absolutely no bearing on the disgraceful performance nor total implosion from the team.

I seem to be part of an alarmingly small minority who are desperate to do well in the Champions League, I'd take 2nd/3rd in the Premier League ANYDAY just to get to the final of this competition. Real Madrid SACK MANAGERS who don't do well in the Champions League regardless of their performance domestically, ask Pellegrini! The rest of our fans seemingly just want to lap up the money, buy the best players (who wouldn't come anyway) and win the league every year which is fine but we will never be a team that could be called great. If that was to happen Silva, Aguero etc who have all won the Premier league would be off, it wouldn't surprise me if Aguero does one to Madrid in a couple of years anyway unless our performances improve in Europe.

For those choosing not to go, the club needs us and offering things like BOGOF is just ridiculous and embarassing because I know any club would fill their grounds 5000 times over to play a club like Bayern Munich. I will be at the Bayern game and I have been getting badgered none stop by mates who want to go who aren't even City fans, it's embarassing to say don't worry about getting a ticket because our fans don't want to go..........

These games are big games. What we need, and we have not really had yet over the 4 years , is a big win against a big team in a key game that is not a dead rubber i.e. a big win v Bayern in a couple of weeks , then go to Rome and win and maybe people will start to believe.

Discounted tickets are good as that helps people where money is tight, and we then will fill the ground for CL matches as well as Premier League games. Once the ground is full, if the team gives a performance, the atmosphere will be created with that and then we may all (players and supporters) start to realise this is the pinnacle of Club football and we can actually do this i.e. compete for and win the Champions League.

Lets show Paul Scholes et al.

 

[Blue Note]

I'm not going simply because I can't afford it. If I could I'd be there supporting the lads.

 

[barney8]

I hope it's empty, give UEFA and the club something to think about next season

No, it will not. All it would do is make the City look like a small time club, that only cares about competing in its own little island.

 

[Ban-jani]

If we ever got to the final, the club should only sell tickets to those who made an effort in the competition, regardless of how many points you have. Manchester City vs FC Bayern Munich, could you of imagined that 10 years ago? Spoilt, ungreatfull slapped arses the lot of you.

BTW, if you generally can't afford it or you work shit hours then that wasn't aimed at you!

Bollocks. What about those who can literally only afford season tickets but have had one for decades? Do they not deserve a ticket?

That's not me by the way, I attend a couple CL games a year.

 

[dobobobo]

*Cries*

Corruption in football is headline news once again, but people keep on fighting!