I can't say I'm a fan of pre match music and adverts for Abu Dhabi before the teams come out. I wish they would fly off into the distance so we can generate our own atmosphere without the micro management.
I'm old school, so it's interesting to see so many on here with suggestions accepting it as part of the pre match ritual when we really don't need it. It's no surprise the atmosphere at kick off is so lacking when most of the crowd are watching a big screen two minutes before kick off.
It never used to happen. I went to a presentation at the old Cornerhouse cinema years ago hosted by Gary James, where old footage of City was shown. At one point, I can't remember the game, it may have been the last one at Maine Road, a film was presented and every time the crowd generically started singing a song or started chanting, it was drowned out and killed in it's tracks by someone sitting in an office piping music through the PA system thinking they knew better.
It really did emphasise that point, and a lot has been lost because of it.
When Lee, Bell, and Summerbee ran onto the pitch, the only sound they heard was the roar from the crowd. Times change. I don't know why it has to happen, money and a contract I suppose, but for me, it's just another knife into the soul of watching Premier League football these days.
