City Fans Leaving Early/Empty seats

[Tom_mcfc]

I'll have to admit i was typing in between working so was probably a bit over the top, was actually trying to go for the Bayern Munich model so 2 games is obviously a little harsh. But the sentiment still remains, whether it's missing 8 or 10 games a season, if you have a season ticket and you can't go or simply don't fancy it, why not offer it up so someone else can go and fill the stadium? Bayern have almost admitted to having the same problem, they sell their season tickets for really cheap and it means that fans will decide not to turn up for some games as they're still getting value for money if they attend the majority of games. No problem with that at all, but let someone else make use of your ticket.

Who would use the ticket though, the games aren't in demand and not selling out. So if you choose not to use your ticket you have paid for then who's bothered. 9 times out of 10 if a season ticket holder cant attend they would offer to a mate anyway. Basically it isn't like we have someone hogging seats and we have people queuing up to use it instead.

 

[BlueSkyBlue]

There was a lot of empty seats in the Champions League Semi Final last night but BT Sport failed to mention them.

I've also not seen the MUEN or any United fans commenting regarding this. :P

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

IMO the biggest problem here is not giving those tickets away, it's a good thing to do and shows we support the community and various charities (we give tickets to charity groups who are collecting at the stadium, i know because i got a ticket while collecting for The Red Cross), its the location these tickets are. They are nearly always near to the front on any of the sides, most of the time they are camera level. Why not have a section of the 3rd tier designated for this? Although that would probably show one whole section of the 3rd tier being empty, so maybe not such a good idea, but giving in the 3rd tier, IMO, is the best option as it's not as obvious and doesn't (shouldn't) affect the atmosphere as much.

I believe most are in the North Stand Level 1 so they're very obvious when not used. I agree with you that they should be at the sides/back of the third tier.

But this is another example of where the club should be talking directly to the fans but they won't.

 

[shevtheblue]

Who would use the ticket though, the games aren't in demand and not selling out. So if you choose not to use your ticket you have paid for then who's bothered. 9 times out of 10 if a season ticket holder cant attend they would offer to a mate anyway. Basically it isn't like we have someone hogging seats and we have people queuing up to use it instead.

Well i'm not sure about that but i get your point.

If that's true, it's a problem the club need to sort out and it puts us in the dilemma of whether we are happy to have day trippers in those seats, but that's what big clubs do. I remember going past Stamford Bridge on game day, and they literally had coaches full of Japanese tourists in full Chelsea clobber all lining up like a school trip to go to the game. Now obviously that's another reason their atmosphere is shit, but they probably fill their stadium. This is obviously something we don't want, but it's the reality of the top European teams nowadays and i'd assume we're looking to do the same with our Chinese investment and moves into the Aussie & U.S.

 

[kevin horlocks wand]

Maybe you were a bit stressed when you wrote this, no need to get mad mate we're all rowing the same way.

But to answer your question, i have 2 young children, a job that requires me to often work 12 hrs a day and 2 houses to pay for.

The only point i'm trying to make is if you have a season ticket, in my personal opinion you have a responsibility to that seat, you don't have to go yourself but the club offer ticket exchange and there are a few twitter handles that also provide a service for you to let a fellow fan use your ticket in exchange for whatever price you paid (or your ticket is worth).

I have a responsibility to that seat???

You pay your dues, you try and go to all games sometimes you cant. I offer games to mates for free - not a massive take up - but thanks to the chap who posted about ticket exchange I will give it a whirl.

 

[shevtheblue]

I believe most are in the North Stand Level 1 so they're very obvious when not used. I agree with you that they should be at the sides/back of the third tier.

But this is another example of where the club should be talking directly to the fans but they won't.

The Red Cross had the whole of the 2nd row in the east stand in 105 for the Burnley game, and about 3 people stayed back for that game.

 

[Tom_mcfc]

Well i'm not sure about that but i get your point.

If that's true, it's a problem the club need to sort out and it puts us in the dilemma of whether we are happy to have day trippers in those seats, but that's what big clubs do. I remember going past Stamford Bridge on game day, and they literally had coaches full of Japanese tourists in full Chelsea clobber all lining up like a school trip to go to the game. Now obviously that's another reason their atmosphere is shit, but they probably fill their stadium. This is obviously something we don't want, but it's the reality of the top European teams nowadays and i'd assume we're looking to do the same with our Chinese investment and moves into the Aussie & U.S.

City as a club and fanbase do not sell out. We haven't been successful enough for a sustained period of time to have many day trippers just yet. We have a core of about 40 odd thousand blues. We don't sell games out so I don't see it as an issue if someone who pays for their ticket doesn't turn up. If the demand was there whilst I would see more where you are coming from I am still under the stance of it is their ticket, they have paid for it and can do as they please. I don't know any season ticket holders who doesn't go and doesn't offer their ticket out to mates.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

City as a club and fanbase do not sell out. We haven't been successful enough for a sustained period of time to have many day trippers just yet. We have a core of about 40 odd thousand blues. We don't sell games out so I don't see it as an issue if someone who pays for their ticket doesn't turn up. If the demand was there whilst I would see more where you are coming from I am still under the stance of it is their ticket, they have paid for it and can do as they please. I don't know any season ticket holders who doesn't go and doesn't offer their ticket out to mates.

It's quite apparent that, at least for the moment, our core support is around that number and that can be more or less proved. In 2013/14, when capacity was 47k, we averaged revenue of £33.25 per seat per game. In 2014/15, when capacity was reduced to accommodate the building of SS3, we averaged over £35 per seat per game. Last season capacity was increased to 54k and we had a mix of games that should have brought in more revenue, including the LC semi-final & final and the CL quarter & semi-finals. Yet despite that, average revenue per seat was back down to jut over £33. That suggests that the level of support where demand matches or sightly exceeds supply, is around or just under the 45k mark.

 

[M18CTID]

City as a club and fanbase do not sell out. We haven't been successful enough for a sustained period of time to have many day trippers just yet. We have a core of about 40 odd thousand blues. We don't sell games out so I don't see it as an issue if someone who pays for their ticket doesn't turn up. If the demand was there whilst I would see more where you are coming from I am still under the stance of it is their ticket, they have paid for it and can do as they please. I don't know any season ticket holders who doesn't go and doesn't offer their ticket out to mates.

We do sell games out. Not every game but plenty of games nonetheless. And it's not just the obvious high profile matches either. We sold out every FA Cup home game against Championship opposition between 2013 and 2015 with the exception of the 3rd round replay against Blackburn so this notion that we "don't sell out" is bollocks and the kind of thing a clueless opposition fan would come up with. A more accurate statement would be "don't always sell out".

 

[edinburgh123]

Manchester Derby is not a good example, but the next Premiership game is: Leicester City and that's sold out. The only tickets available are via the Ticket Exchange.

Sold out now. But it has been on sale to any Tom Dick or Harry since almost the start of the season. For someone to complain they can't get a ticket with a few days to go I would say tough cookie. I accept there may be the odd person who can't decide till last minute but otherwise anyone who wanted a Leicester ticket could have got one. There is in fact not one single home game - League / Europe etc. this season that a fan couldn't get a ticket for if they bought them when they went on sale