Beautiful on the pitch.. Uglier by the day off it?

[jaiguruKun]

They should set up a different sub-forum for threads like this, not sure what it should be called though.

 

[urban genie]

I don't know as I hardly ever have a pint or pie at the game in the last 20yrs so that issue doesn't affect me but they probably should charge cheaper prices, but then the prices we have, thats now the norm for all events at all stadiums ridiculous, on the ticket office you are never gonna please everybody they are better than they were but still bobbins.

At least I now get a survey to fill in every week ;-)

I go to watch the game drink pre match in town and eat from the chippy and straight to town after, I am seeing some great football so am content, but understand those that do the whole match day experience being a little put off by the non footballing elements.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Al things do change over time, but there's nothing written that say they should change for the worse

There isn't, but it's wholly unrealistic, deluded even, to expect changes exclusively to be for the better. Much of what has changed in football in the last 30 years is undeniably better, some things are undoubtedly for the worse. C'est la vie.

 

[squirtyflower]

Just because you don't enjoy it as much doesn't mean it's changed for the worse. It might be just that you're getting older and more miserable.

Older yes, more miserable no
Less tolerant of being treated like second class citizens, definitely

 

[Why Always Ste]

My main issue (and I'm not an old fart) is the "theme park" experience we tend to get now from going to the football.
This is occurrent in all of the top flight clubs, and isn't specifically city.

I liked going to the football as it wasn't that Disney land experience but its slowly become this and it seems the majority of people like this kind of thing so if you or I don't like we know where the door is.

I'd personally just be happy with one thing — safe standing.

A safe standing section designated for fans who like a sing, like that kind of football atmosphere would suit me perfectly away from the corporate/families who want the Disney land Crap.

I like theme parks but not week in week out.

Atmosphere like the away end at a match, safe standing, everyone singing... Ideal for me.
But many would hate this.

 

[bugsyblue]

• Read the first couple of pages in this thread and feel mega pissed off. Yes, football is relatively expensive but for me I get to see fantastic football in a world class stadium with my mates. I'm an older fan and embrace the modernity of City and to see my club win 5 pots in the Mansour era is beyond my wildest dreams. When we won the FA Cup my mate who is a decade younger than me and had never seen us win anything shed tears of absolute joy, that was an image that sticks with me. Now we have won things I just enjoy the experience and love match days. It isn't cheap but as my mate said when beer went up 5p a pint and people were moaning "there's lads 6 foot under that would pay £10 for a beer right now".

Great post!

 

[bugsyblue]

My main issue (and I'm not an old fart) is the "theme park" experience we tend to get now from going to the football.
This is occurrent in all of the top flight clubs, and isn't specifically city.

I liked going to the football as it wasn't that Disney land experience but its slowly become this and it seems the majority of people like this kind of thing so if you or I don't like we know where the door is.

I'd personally just be happy with one thing — safe standing.

A safe standing section designated for fans who like a sing, like that kind of football atmosphere would suit me perfectly away from the corporate/families who want the Disney land Crap.

I like theme parks but not week in week out.

Atmosphere like the away end at a match, safe standing, everyone singing... Ideal for me.
But many would hate this.

Go to Atleti, Madrid or any of the big teams in Spain and it's like this. You have a section of a stand for ultras (no they aren't hooligans) and it's basically a standing singing section where they bring their own flags, drums etc. This is what we can maybe be hopeful of in England but it won't happen until the legislation on standing changes.

I doubt we will ever see German, Turkish types of atmospheres and stadium rules/prices. Football is far too middle class these days in the UK and that isn't going to change!

 

[Eccles Blue]

I just turn up at the match, get admitted by my season card after (rightly in this day and age) being searched if I am carrying a bag, meander down to my seat, watch the teams(s) warming up, have a chat with the friends around me, stand up to welcome the team(s) onto the pitch, sit down to watch the match, jump up (well alright with my old bones stand as quickly as possible) when we score, hide my head if either team gets a penalty, chat at half time, after the match stand up to applaud the team(s) off the pitch, hang around until the queues on the aisle die down a bit and then leave. I cheer and sing, sometimes by myself sometimes with others joining in............................. Because I go to watch the football match.

Yes some things have changed, the main one for me being that I can sit down through the match now. I know that that doesn't go down well with everyone but I am getting on now and appreciate that some want to stand. Great for them as long as there are areas where we can still sit in peace.

I, mostly, value change if it is for the better and a lot of what happens is for the better. Again I appreciate that if you want to buy food/drink in the ground it can be expensive but I just eat before the game and take a bottle of water from home.

 

[heavymetalboy]

You must be a young 'un then. As I've said before, I don't remember being as emotional at Newcastle in 1968 as I was after the Aguerooooooooooooo moment. Then watching the clock tick from 44 to 0. What a day.
As for Balti pies - stick them, prefer meat & tatty
Sink pissing - once (Barcelona away)
Expecting to lose - certainly in the past
40 point mark - always happy when reached
Seasoncard - £430.

Good time to be a blue

i am mate, born in 84 :-) Agree about the 40 point mark, but City to me until recently was never about winning unless it was derby day. Now expectations have changed dramatically. Vaguely remember the 5-1 in 89 and also going 2-0 up in the early 90's only to lose 3-2. Sick swan i didn't attend but watched in the pub where support was split, the united lads soon shut up. 4-1 at home I've never been so relaxed watching a derby. The stadium laughed every time they touched the ball and the eruption of laughter when rughead scored in the 89th minute was mint :-)

Never ever expected anything from City except to have a decent laugh and a piss up. Now we are winning trophies and playing better than i could have imagined. Drink it in, like you said mate, great time to be a Blue x

 

[Thenumber1blue]

Nice one mate. Just out of interest - where do you get to watch the game from?

You can go wherever you want mate,that's the beauty of it.Even done the cushioned seats a few times,but a bit boring round that way.I quite often switch at half time,basically wherever there are free seats which is never a problem.

 

[Thenumber1blue]

I am a 40-year season ticket holder and a fully paid-up member of the old fart brigade. Football has changed, mostly for the better. The club cares more about the fans these days than it did when Swales was ripping us off week after week. For most of the 80's Maine Road was half full with dire football on show. Not everything is perfect and the catering is over-priced but the match-day experience is pretty good for me and we always do our drinking in town. The South Stand season tickets are fantastic value at a similar price to what we used to pay ten years ago. This is a brilliant time to be a City fan. If you can't enjoy this now then you will never be happy.

Absolutely Spot on,fuckin spoilt some of them !

 

[moomba]

There seems to be a reluctance to hear any criticism of any aspect of the club.

Yes, the ownership change has been an amazing thing for us. But it hasn't been perfect.

We shouldn't be scared of talking about the things we think the club isn't doing right, and the club should welcome/shouldn't be scared of getting that feedback.

In an amazing period of this clubs history a lot of long standing blues have walked away. We can ignore why this is happening, or we can be grown up enough to listen to legitimate concerns and then start talking about how we can stem the flow.

FWIW I think the club have a genuine desire to do the right thing by supporters. I think they get it right on many things. They deservedly have the backing of the vast majority of blues including myself. I would hope that they would see us as supporters that can contribute to how the club is being run and how it will be run in the future. Not just as a group of supporters that nods their head and agrees with anything head office tells us to.

 

[mayo31]

Not all long standing blues have walked away due to just city. Other factors will be involved

Those who walk away are being replaced, look at our increased attendances. Under Pearce 40000, now 53000 is classed as poor by some

 

[moomba]

Not all long standing blues have walked away due to just city. Other factors will be involved

Those who walk away are being replaced, look at our increased attendances. Under Pearce 40000, now 53000 is classed as poor by some

Of course, in all sports there will be a percentage that stop going. From memory I think it's called a drift rate or something like that.

But I don't see a supporter leaving and being replaced by someone else as a good thing. That's when we start losing who we are and what we're about.

 

[gkmcfc]

I think the food quality is pretty good but I agree it's expensive. It's the same when I go to the cinema or to a concert though. It's a restricted market though once you walk through the turnstile. In that situation you're always gonna pay over the odds. I think there are some that think that due to the wealth of our owners they should treat us all as a bit of a charity case. I pay no more for a pint than I do in some bars in town. You make the choice - none of us have to pay those prices.

As for the management of the club, some fans walked away years before the takeover due to how things were going. Since the takeover I accept theres been some disquiet over ticketing prices and people being moved, but in general the club are very competitive and offer great prices across the board. Yes it could be cheaper and I think over time prices will now become better priced. Can any of us say though, given the unprecedented level of investment that we've not had value for money over the last 8 years???

 

[mayo31]

That would mean no new supporters are worthy. They can bring the same passion.

There are different arguments here. A local replaced by another local could be deemed ok but replaced by a fan who leaves miles away not so. Yet the traveller could argue they put the miles in and deserve respect.

Cheltenham branch go every game and no way could any of them be classed as a tourist or Jcl. More loyal than most local fans.

 

[gkmcfc]

Of course, in all sports there will be a percentage that stop going. From memory I think it's called a drift rate or something like that.

But I don't see a supporter leaving and being replaced by someone else as a good thing. That's when we start losing who we are and what we're about.

What were we about? The fan base has increased on the back of success, as it would've done during the 60s and 70s. These days that includes interest from overseas. I still see a largely local supporter base turn up on a Saturday.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

The times they are a changing , we can reminisce about the Kippax the wooden benches in Platt Lane the shite Greenall lager and for most of the time we had an average football team (and a new manager every 18 months)and when the Derby game was always the first fixture we looked for . Now we have a state of the art stadium , a world class squad of players, the best manager/coach in world football and half decent pies , the down side is the selfie tourist day tripper you will most likely be sitting next to with their half an half scarf which is a small price to pay for the entertainment we witness every couple of weeks at the Etihad .Maybe i can hark back to the '68 team and a game which was originally the domain of the great unwashed , but we really have in football terms won the lottery since the ADUG take over ,but i will still look for the Derby game when the fixtures come out, (i would never tire of smashing those bastards) and no matter how much progress we have made it will not stop me pissing in the sink when the bogs are full on a match day :)

 

[Tim of the Oak]

There seems to be a reluctance to hear any criticism of any aspect of the club.

Yes, the ownership change has been an amazing thing for us. But it hasn't been perfect.

We shouldn't be scared of talking about the things we think the club isn't doing right, and the club should welcome/shouldn't be scared of getting that feedback.

In an amazing period of this clubs history a lot of long standing blues have walked away. We can ignore why this is happening, or we can be grown up enough to listen to legitimate concerns and then start talking about how we can stem the flow.

FWIW I think the club have a genuine desire to do the right thing by supporters. I think they get it right on many things. They deservedly have the backing of the vast majority of blues including myself. I would hope that they would see us as supporters that can contribute to how the club is being run and how it will be run in the future. Not just as a group of supporters that nods their head and agrees with anything head office tells us to.

We can't expect every decision by the Club to flavour us. You don't either bit I'm not sure that goes for everyone on here lol.

The key thing for me is that the balance of decision are right. For example, the Club have given Citizens card holders more priority for Champs League home tickets. I preferred last season when I could snap up four or six tickets for the less sexy games straight away but that might not have been fair on others.

If Blues have stopped coming when season cards are from £299 and we play great football, it's their choice.

 

[moomba]

That would mean no new supporters are worthy. They can bring the same passion.

Not at all. But one in, one out changes nothing. One in, and one staying means an extra supporter. Even if you say there are two in, one out then surely it's better to have those two in and one still hanging around the place going to the odd game here or there. I just think that some people see a blue walking away as an acceptable casualty, where we could be thinking of how they can still remain involved.

There are different arguments here. A local replaced by another local could be deemed ok but replaced by a fan who leaves miles away not so. Yet the traveller could argue they put the miles in and deserve respect.

Cheltenham branch go every game and no way could any of them be classed as a tourist or Jcl. More loyal than most local fans.

Not fussed where a supporter is from tbh. There's always been plenty of OS blues and out-of-towners supporting the club, including myself.