City Fans Leaving Early/Empty seats

[Mottram40]

i hardly ever leave early. Stayed at Wembley etc. Been going 30 years. I did the Mrs to her first game against Burnley Left 10 minutes early at 3-1 to get the tram knowing the earache I would get for the madness at the Tram station. Horrific leaving the game. Night games just as bad for trains back to Marple. Train at 21.53 or 22.53. I stay till then end then have to wait a good 40 minutes. If I drive best to park at Ashburys a good 15 minutes walk but hardly any traffic once walked that far.
I see why people leave early there choice there money. At least they go the game.
More trams please and extra trains . Getting to the games no issues at all.

 

[BrianW]

Getting away from Maine Road was a piece of piss. Walk to Wilmslow Road and there was, and is, a bus to town every 2 minutes, and no Showsec goons trying to organise how you got on it. That's discounting the numerous special services altogether.

 

[RabidCity]

Thankfully that's what the majority think.

But we have a history of doing it even in the biggest of games - Wembley '99, THOUSANDS fucked off that day.
Spurs CL decider 2010 - Crouch only made it 0-1 in the 82nd minute, fucking loads of time left, yet that was a queue for about a quarter of the stadium to desert the team again.
How many left on that final day in 2012? i couldn't tell as was so embroiled in the game...

But even aside from the big games, in all the close games we've had when it's level or we're a goal behind and we're either going for a winner or equaliser, i just cannot fathom how getting home a bit earlier is more important than City right there and then. We scored 4 late winners in a row in November and December, and have done it again recently. Imagine missing all that - may as well never come at all!

All you have to do is go to bed a bit earlier the night after. Your brain doesn't dissolve when having two late nights a month whether you're 7 or 77!

A lot of people are sheep though. They do things just because others do it. They couldn't actually give you a reason why they do it, they just follow the lead of others.

And for those of you making your kids leave early or not taking them at all because they have school the next day - i distinctly remember as a kid (which is the main reason i have it ingrained in myself now never to leave early) that i hated it when my Dad said on 85minutes "right come on, you've got school tomorrow" and we'd be running down Claremont Road when a cheer would go up and i'd be absolutely gutted!

I left early in Wembley 99 - probably my biggest regret as a city fan. I was only 11 though.
I remember walking down the concourse and hearing the first cheer as goal went in and the rumours of a comeback started going around. It wasn't like today where we can look on our mobile! Gutted doesn't cover it.

 

[RabidCity]

Yes but United have a compulsory cup scheme and we don't. So our figures are actually much more likley to be accurate.

True, a few at work are on that and they hate it. They usually skip and just accept it as part of the price.

 

[edinburgh123]

Same way every club do it, tickets sold. Even in the old pay at the turnstiles days all season ticket holders were probably counted, I'd assume so anyway.

pretty sure attendances are not based upon tickets sold. There is a different rule depending upon the type of ticket. All Season tickets are assumed to be present however all individually bought tickets are only counted if you turn up. In other words if you have 45000 season tickets and 40000 turn up and meanwhile sell 10000 'one-off' tickets and 9000 turn up you actually have 'sold' 55000 and 49000 have turned up, however the crowd will be 54000 (all 45000 season tickets plus the 9000 individual ticket members). If you think about it this is logical - otherwise how do we get 2 teams turning up who both sell all their away tickets (lets say Utd and Liverpool) and yet the total number of away fans - despite same tickets sold - is always different

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Thankfully that's what the majority think.

But we have a history of doing it even in the biggest of games - Wembley '99, THOUSANDS fucked off that day.
Spurs CL decider 2010 - Crouch only made it 0-1 in the 82nd minute, fucking loads of time left, yet that was a queue for about a quarter of the stadium to desert the team again.
How many left on that final day in 2012? i couldn't tell as was so embroiled in the game...

But even aside from the big games, in all the close games we've had when it's level or we're a goal behind and we're either going for a winner or equaliser, i just cannot fathom how getting home a bit earlier is more important than City right there and then. We scored 4 late winners in a row in November and December, and have done it again recently. Imagine missing all that - may as well never come at all!

All you have to do is go to bed a bit earlier the night after. Your brain doesn't dissolve when having two late nights a month whether you're 7 or 77!

A lot of people are sheep though. They do things just because others do it. They couldn't actually give you a reason why they do it, they just follow the lead of others.

And for those of you making your kids leave early or not taking them at all because they have school the next day - i distinctly remember as a kid (which is the main reason i have it ingrained in myself now never to leave early) that i hated it when my Dad said on 85minutes "right come on, you've got school tomorrow" and we'd be running down Claremont Road when a cheer would go up and i'd be absolutely gutted!

Good post. I feel exactly the same

 

[west didsblue]

pretty sure attendances are not based upon tickets sold. There is a different rule depending upon the type of ticket. All Season tickets are assumed to be present however all individually bought tickets are only counted if you turn up. In other words if you have 45000 season tickets and 40000 turn up and meanwhile sell 10000 'one-off' tickets and 9000 turn up you actually have 'sold' 55000 and 49000 have turned up, however the crowd will be 54000 (all 45000 season tickets plus the 9000 individual ticket members). If you think about it this is logical - otherwise how do we get 2 teams turning up who both sell all their away tickets (lets say Utd and Liverpool) and yet the total number of away fans - despite same tickets sold - is always different

That's not logical at all. The attendance is recorded as tickets distributed which includes all tickets sold and all tickets given out as freebies. It's nothing to do with how many turn up. The difference in sold out away attendances are down to segregation requirements.

 

[Scottyboi]

Thankfully that's what the majority think.

But we have a history of doing it even in the biggest of games - Wembley '99, THOUSANDS fucked off that day.
Spurs CL decider 2010 - Crouch only made it 0-1 in the 82nd minute, fucking loads of time left, yet that was a queue for about a quarter of the stadium to desert the team again.
How many left on that final day in 2012? i couldn't tell as was so embroiled in the game...

But even aside from the big games, in all the close games we've had when it's level or we're a goal behind and we're either going for a winner or equaliser, i just cannot fathom how getting home a bit earlier is more important than City right there and then. We scored 4 late winners in a row in November and December, and have done it again recently. Imagine missing all that - may as well never come at all!

All you have to do is go to bed a bit earlier the night after. Your brain doesn't dissolve when having two late nights a month whether you're 7 or 77!

A lot of people are sheep though. They do things just because others do it. They couldn't actually give you a reason why they do it, they just follow the lead of others.

And for those of you making your kids leave early or not taking them at all because they have school the next day - i distinctly remember as a kid (which is the main reason i have it ingrained in myself now never to leave early) that i hated it when my Dad said on 85minutes "right come on, you've got school tomorrow" and we'd be running down Claremont Road when a cheer would go up and i'd be absolutely gutted!

Great post sums it up perfect.

 

[Indaparkside]

Getting away from Maine Road was a piece of piss. Walk to Wilmslow Road and there was, and is, a bus to town every 2 minutes, and no Showsec goons trying to organise how you got on it. That's discounting the numerous special services altogether.

Or Princess parkway to wythenshawe loads of buses,home half an hour after the game

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Same way every club do it, tickets sold. Even in the old pay at the turnstiles days all season ticket holders were probably counted, I'd assume so anyway.

To be pedantic it's tickets distributed not tickets sold. So if we give 100 tickets to each of 5 local schools or colleges, those are counted even if no one uses them. Even if the club holds back 1000 tickets for staff, academy players and their friends/families, they all get counted.

 

[moomba]

And for those of you making your kids leave early or not taking them at all because they have school the next day - i distinctly remember as a kid (which is the main reason i have it ingrained in myself now never to leave early) that i hated it when my Dad said on 85minutes "right come on, you've got school tomorrow" and we'd be running down Claremont Road when a cheer would go up and i'd be absolutely gutted!

If only we made decisions based on what our kids wanted instead of what's best for them.

 

[Bluemanc100]

The only thing I'm saying is it's got fuck all to do with anyone if they want to leave 2. 5. 10 mins early. They certainly don't have to come on here and explain why to the mouth foamers.

Right on Brother... you pay your money you take your choice.... i’ll give this thread another week... it’s in a bloody loop

 

[ray21]

Two season ago I couldn’t make it down from Glasgow where I live to a game v Southampton, as my seasoncard wasn’t activated 3 days later I got a email from City asking what was the reason I didn’t attend the game, I though the headmaster was on to me lol.

 

[edinburgh123]

That's not logical at all. The attendance is recorded as tickets distributed which includes all tickets sold and all tickets given out as freebies. It's nothing to do with how many turn up. The difference in sold out away attendances are down to segregation requirements.

No it isn't, it is logical cos that's how it's done! Do you think we segregated Burnley (3014) to give them 9 more seats than Liverpool (3005) and 63 more than Arsenal (2951) since they all sold out? What sort of random segregation do we have for home games??

 

[blueparrot]

No it isn't, it is logical cos that's how it's done! Do you think we segregated Burnley (3014) to give them 9 more seats than Liverpool (3005) and 63 more than Arsenal (2951) since they all sold out? What sort of random segregation do we have for home games??

Maybe those differences are down to the tickets given away as @prestwichblue explained are also included in the attendance or maybe those teams didnt sell all their tickets. Attendance is seats sold and as pb said plus the freebies.

 

[west didsblue]

No it isn't, it is logical cos that's how it's done! Do you think we segregated Burnley (3014) to give them 9 more seats than Liverpool (3005) and 63 more than Arsenal (2951) since they all sold out? What sort of random segregation do we have for home games??

What makes you think that’s how it’s done? I mean have you read it somewhere or just surmised it from the away numbers you’ve seen?

 

[Cobwebcat]

I park about a mile away and walk. What's the problem? We haven't always had trams and I'm not stuck in a jam.

For what it's worth my guess is that we have a very old set of season ticket holders. Being old they can afford to buy a ticket and not go to some of the games. If they do go they will be wanting their dinner/bed so leave early and don't fancy the walk.

Our match going support has a distinct lack of male 20-30 year olds. They are out there but cannot attend as the ground is often sold out with people waiting for a top six game before they go.

This is what makes the pricing difficult. By reducing ticket prices it just means that the older city fans will keep their ticket and not attend some as it's still worth it to them on a price per game attended basis. Have to find some way for new fans to get in and actually stay to watch the match.

Just look at the people Cheesey interviews after the game....average age 89?

It will change but it will take a few years yet.

As for atmosphere well 50-60 year olds don't tend to jump around that much and like peace and quiet. When they do wake up it's only to grumble that something isn't right or comfortable ;-)

It's not City's fault it's United for nicking a generation of fans that would have been blues. There are plenty of blues aged 8-13 though so they will eventually filter through.

 

[Metalartin]

I park about a mile away and walk. What's the problem? We haven't always had trams and I'm not stuck in a jam.

For what it's worth my guess is that we have a very old set of season ticket holders. Being old they can afford to buy a ticket and not go to some of the games. If they do go they will be wanting their dinner/bed so leave early and don't fancy the walk.

Our match going support has a distinct lack of male 20-30 year olds. They are out there but cannot attend as the ground is often sold out with people waiting for a top six game before they go.

This is what makes the pricing difficult. By reducing ticket prices it just means that the older city fans will keep their ticket and not attend some as it's still worth it to them on a price per game attended basis. Have to find some way for new fans to get in and actually attend and stay to watch the match.

Just look at the people Cheesey interviews after the game....average age 89?

It will change but it will take a few years yet.

As for atmosphere well 50-60 year olds don't tend to jump around that much and like peace and quiet. When they do wake up it's only to grumble that something isn't right or comfortable ;-)

It's not City's falult it's United for nicking a generation of fans that would have been blues. There are plenty of blues aged 8-13 though so they will eventually filter through.

So you're saying we kick old people out of their seats and get some younger 20-30 fans in? ;)

 

[Cobwebcat]

So you're saying we kick old people out of their seats and get some younger 20-30 fans in? ;)

We can't kick them out as they aren't actually there half the time and they are difficult to catch on the mobility scooters ;-) of course this is a sweeping generalisation.

 

[Metalartin]

We can't kick them out as they aren't actually there half the time and they are difficult to catch on the mobility scooters ;-) of course this is a sweeping generalisation.

Joking aside I think you are onto something there, would it be wrong to use the North Stand expansion to specifically target this? i.e try and make sure those extra seats go to that age group(discounts for new fans in that demographic), maybe re-arrange the stand so there's a big section of them together to guarantee a lively, vocal end of the ground to get everyone else going? (bigger than current singing section)