City Fans Leaving Early/Empty seats

[Ballet On Ice]

When we're televised and with 5 minutes to go there are thousands of empty seats it makes us look half hearted.
When the players have shaken hands with their opponents and the officials and gather in the centre circle to salute the crowd and there's hardly any body still there, it's pathetic.
I'm not advocating a 'Dortmund' style 20 minute serenade of the players at the end, just a modicum of enthusiasm.

Why do people just go through the motions? Turn up, get behind the team and applaud the players off (no matter how they played).

Save your breath or your wifi, until they put more trams on at full time and sort the joke that is the blue car park this is only going to gelt worse, people are now leaving even earlier to beat the early leavers, ycmtu.
Still on the plus side when I leave most of them are either gone or sat in their cars queuing whilst I walk past them.
I do feel sorry for disabled supporters who don't have the option of walking to a decent parking space, they have to leave early now to get away or spend a while sat in the car.

 

[GortonBlue62]

I think there's a general apathy towards football in this country. We've had the piss taken out of us for years now with ticket prices, silly kick-off times etc. We've lost a bit of the essence of what supporting should be. Watch a Budesliga game if you want to see what it's about. I watched Frankfurt V Bremen on TV and it was deafening at times.

Agree.

I know this has been posted before, but in case any body hasn't seen it, it's worth watching.



(It's an Arsenal fans visit to Dortmund to sample the atmosphere and see what they could do to emulate the German experience).

 

[cheddar404]

Agree.

I know this has been posted before, but in case any body hasn't seen it, it's worth watching.



(It's an Arsenal fans visit to Dortmund to sample the atmosphere and see what they could do to emulate the German experience).

I feel it myself to be honest. I stay until the end but it does sometimes feel more of an obligation than fun to attend football in this country. The problem with the German model is that life is different over there. It's much more liberal than here. You can stand on a terrace, have a beer in the stands, smoke; life over there just seems more relaxed than here (that's the impression I've had from my visits anyway). Their transport system is much better than ours too.

 

[GortonBlue62]

I feel it myself to be honest. I stay until the end but it does sometimes feel more of an obligation than fun to attend football in this country. The problem with the German model is that life is different over there. It's much more liberal than here. You can stand on a terrace, have a beer in the stands, smoke; life over there just seems more relaxed than here (that's the impression I've had from my visits anyway). Their transport system is much better than ours too.

All the points you make seem like minor problems to me. Just a mind-set thing I think.

 

[franksinatra]

I feel it myself to be honest. I stay until the end but it does sometimes feel more of an obligation than fun to attend football in this country. The problem with the German model is that life is different over there. It's much more liberal than here. You can stand on a terrace, have a beer in the stands, smoke; life over there just seems more relaxed than here (that's the impression I've had from my visits anyway). Their transport system is much better than ours too.

I have wrote it before, only the other day, but it appears the vast majority of people no longer enjoy the experience of going to the football.

Personally I think there is a disconnection between fans and players in this country and the money has also distorted people's views.

There is a cynical sneering towards players based on the money they earn and the wealth within the game has led to a complete contrast in lifestyles between the fan and the player. In addition the relationship between the fan and the club has changed as fans have become customers and clubs desire to yield as much money as possible with little consideration for the more traditional fan.

Football has become very representative of society with the rich getting much richer rather those at the bottom (supporters) feel the pinch more and more to watch football which previously was a given. Hence the ridicule of footballers on 200k a week not able to play two matches in a week and the obsession with the what the likes of Sterling spend their money on.

Personally I can understand it. Until Pep came the players could not even be arsed to applaud the fans at the end of away matches.

I adopted the attitude this year that I'm just going to enjoy the football and revisit why I fell I love with the game in the first place. Consequently I have really enjoyed this season.

Football and City is ingrained In me but If I was a kid starting out now I do not think it would have the same appeal. For all our success of late football was more enjoyable years ago.

 

[GortonBlue62]

I have wrote it before, only the other day, but it appears the vast majority of people no longer enjoy the experience of going to the football.

Personally I think there is a disconnection between fans and players in this country and the money has also distorted people's views.

There is a cynical sneering towards players based on the money they earn and the wealth within the game has led to a complete contrast in lifestyles between the fan and the player. In addition the relationship between the fan and the club has changed as fans have become customers and clubs desire to yield as much money as possible with little consideration for the more traditional fan.

Football has become very representative of society with the rich getting much richer rather those at the bottom (supporters) feel the pinch more and more to watch football which previously was a given. Hence the ridicule of footballers on 200k a week not able to play two matches in a week and the obsession with the what the likes of Sterling spend their money on.

Personally I can understand it. Until Pep came the players could not even be arsed to applaud the fans at the end of away matches.

I adopted the attitude this year that I'm just going to enjoy the football and revisit why I fell I love with the game in the first place. Consequently I have really enjoyed this season.

Football and City is ingrained In me but If I was a kid starting out now I do not think it would have the same appeal. For all our success of late football was more enjoyable years ago.

You sound really old mate. When I were a lad (around 1970) people were making similar points. Of course I was only 8 years old so I assumed they knew what they were talking about. Turned out I was wrong. The only thing better about the good old days is that I was young. Life, society, football, everything, in general, is massively better now.

 

[franksinatra]

You sound really old mate. When I were a lad (around 1970) people were making similar points. Of course I was only 8 years old so I assumed they knew what they were talking about. Turned out I was wrong. The only thing better about the good old days is that I was young. Life, society, football, everything, in general, is massively better now.

Well I am only 40 and football is definitely, for the points I have mentioned, not better nowadays.

As a kid growing up I could go down to Platt Lane on my holidays. Watch the players train literally metres away from me and then walk back with them to Maine Road. What kid has that opportunity now? . The players were much more accessible, would frequent the same pubs and the players would have more of a connection with the fans.

Similarly there is no doubt players financially were on more equal terms with the suppprters who watched. Not that it's important to me but it does have an impact on how people view players, their celebrity lifestyle etc.

You are correct though in some ways football is much better. Stadiums, attendances, facilities etc. But the response was related to fans apathy and for me I think the points mentioned are possible reasons.

 

[dooie68]

We experimented last Saturday by not rushing to our car (six of us all in different parts of the ground), we either went for something to eat or back to the pub, and waited until 18-05 before setting off home (albeit to Sussex), we had a fantastic journey and dropping off lads at 21-45 ( which for us is pretty early). So, thanks to all of you who left early and those who preferred to sit in traffic. It's made our journey easier.
With the proposed additional parking restrictions and the apathy shown by the local tram company leaving later will be the norm for a lot more people next season.

 

[Shirley]

Where do you get your figures on the scale of how many leave early at each club ?
We have the 4th highest average attendance in the country so I'm not burying my head in the sand I just feel there isn't a problem with our support

We also have the 8th highest average attendance in Europe but that is not the point we are discussing. I don't have stats but simply use my eyes when watching live games each week especially those of the top 6 clubs in the prem, you just don't see the mass exit starting from the 80th minute.

 

[badge]

tickles me, the way people seem to think post-match transport / traffic problems are exclusive to city. it's a cultural thing with us. it was always the same with the platt lane stand. somebody would get up and leave with fifteen minutes to go and people would take that as a signal that it was acceptable to leave. same happens at the etihad. even if you could guarantee everybody in the stadium would be home within half an hour after final whistle, people would still find an excuse to leave early.