City Fans Leaving Early/Empty seats

[Shaelumstash]

I would probably still renew but my seat for the CL would still be empty for some of the games. Once you get to a point of being able to afford it regardless, whether or not you miss it almost becomes irrelevant financially. That's why we have so many empty seats at home games. Some people cant be arsed pissing about for £20 or whatever it is.

I offered my Newcastle tickets to 3 lots of people for free and no one wanted them because it was on TV. This is the problem. The fans that have been priced out over the years don't suddenly want to go to Lyon on a Wed night at 8pm or even a Prem home game if it is on TV at a time that doesn't suit them. They have become used to not going. We have the fan base in Manchester and surrounding areas but most people who support us no longer go to games or never did. The apathy towards the CL is clear on these threads. Some people just don't like it. I don't mind it but don't like the booing and negativity that surrounds it. The pricing for the PSG game the other year when I was in the cup scheme made me leave it the next year and I just pick and choose now or share my lads ticket as he is still in it. I will probably go to the Shaktar game but cant say the prospect is appealing.

Add to that the horrendous traffic to get there, the now 8pm kick off instead of 7.45 (Another reason some people don't go. Fucks train times up and keeps kids up even later), Shit atmosphere in General and the need to work late sometimes. Next season we may get lumbered with one of these 6pm games. That would rule me out completely as I am not taking holiday to watch football.

Barcelona at home, people might make the effort to travel/book time off/reschedule commitments etc. For the three teams in this group they wont.

It is what it is. I guess the owners and probably even Pep wont like it but I cant see it changing.

I agree with a lot of what is said here. If I had 3 free tickets for last night, I literally could not have given them away to friends and family. The pricing wasn't an issue. I don't think anyone I asked said they were put off by the ticket pricing. They just couldn't be arsed, that's the tall and the short of it.

Attending the match used to be miles better than watching on the TV because of the atmosphere. But the atmosphere is shite now, so what's the incentive? I think safe standing and filling it full of pissed up lads in their 20s is the only way we'll ever get an atmosphere back.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Adding Champions League games to the overall season ticket for peanuts would just make it even worse.

Thousands are willing to wipe their eye now on £20 if it means avoiding a late night and can watch it on the box.

Here's an idea, those people who attend all the discounted group Champions League packaged games, thus receive a £50 discount on their next season ticket or the equivalent on another match ticket if they are not season ticket holders.

Effectively making the group stage package free. A money back guarantee. The club still get their money up front.

I would wager sell-out for the majority of games.

There you go, Colin.

 

[Gordyola]

I probably would, however I guess it may need to be at no price increase to appeal to the masses.

Probably a better option for City is to close off level three in CB and East Stand and create some form of demand AND prevent away fans from buying seats in our core supporter areas. This could mean that if the club offered a season ticket with included CL games, those normally sat in L3 for PL choose a different seat for CL games. If demand dictates, then the club have the option of selling seats in L3 after the rest is sold out.

If they do that they I will stay at home and I know a few others who feel the same

 

[HelloCity]

This isn’t a Champions League problem. It’s a fans culture issue.

I’ve had a season ticket for 25 years and ever since I’ve been going our midweek cup attendances have been poor when compared to our league attendances.

We get far lower crowds than usual for FA Cup replays, League Cup games, Europa League games and Champions League games.

We couldn’t sell out a midweek League Cup Final 2nd leg against Everton a couple of years ago.

A large element of our match going support just don’t do midweek cup games and never have done. They don’t consider them to be part of the package.

I knew when we first qualified for the CL that we would struggle to sell out the games, even in a smaller stadium back then. As it happened, we didn’t sell out for our first ever CL game at home to Napoli either, and I don’t remember any issues with UEFA at that point to point to finger at.

Perhaps years and years of cup failure and heartbreak just led to many fans not going to cup games and in the new world of City they just can’t get out of that habit despite the change in club fortune.

 

[Paulmcfc2703]

As a season ticket holder for almost 25 years I stopped going to the CL games and took myself off the cup scheme a few years ago (Madrid semi my last game).

The simple fact is I don't care or like the competition. I have a 2 hour round trip to make but if that was Fulham in the league last night (or even a game in the LC) I would have gone. If the powers that be decided the CL games are to be played on the weekend I still would not go.

10/15 years ago when we were sneaking into the uefa cup through the fair play rules and playing the likes of Lokeren, Groclin, Twente, Streymur etc. I went to every home game. Loved the idea of playing in Europe. However all that has gone on with UEFA since the takeover has left me cold. The introduction of the FFP system in an attempt to stop us entering, the bullshit draws, the ridiculous fines, the 'unlucky' ref decisions and the bending of the rules to suit the old guard are all factors in my attitude to it.

If City decided to add CL games into the Seasoncard prices I would either try and flog the CL ticket, or if I couldn't get rid of it then I simply would not go anyway.

The owners and Pep want to win the CL and good luck to them, however as far as I'm concerned the whole competition can fuck off.

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

If they do that they I will stay at home and I know a few others who feel the same

It's a suggestion only. The issue appears to be that regular supporters are not buying into the CL, and this is in part due to the change of atmosphere when compared to PL games, caused by too many visitors and fans of the opposition. If demand is increased by reducing the number of tickets available, then it reduces the need to sell tickets to non City fans and might make it more appealing to those not currently attending.

 

[Manchester33]

Genuine question do you think that would encourage people from all over britain to travel on a wednesday to watch the champs league ?
Im not so sure myself

Of course it would. If having a ticket to the game wasn't a big enough incentive, you'd expect mid-week prem games to be similar attendances to cup games. They are rarely below 50k. Sure there will be a few empty seats, but it would be far less prevalent.

 

[Danamy]

It's certainly a weird one, one of the best atmospheres i've experienced at the Etihad was against Hamburg in 2009 and all the excuses were bringing up now were blown out of the water that night, it was midweek, kids at school the next day etc.....

Yeah i know it was a quarter final that night but what made that night so different in regards to atmosphere than all the other European games we've had at the Etihad, the place was bouncing?

 

[Fred_Quimby]

Some of the problem is,of course, the time of KO. In years gone by midweek games Kicked off at 7.30 finish at 9.15 and you could be home quite easily by 10. Now it is 8pm in tier 3 at least 15 min just to get out of the stadium, if you are lucky you might be home by 11 even if you live reasonably close by. Some one like me, who goes anyway, will not be home much before 1am. People are just saying f..kit and watching on the tv instead.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Can't win with ko times, if its moved to an earlier time fans will be saying they can't get there in time due to work/traffic.