Citys american tour

[Barcon]

I have no idea what your first point is supposed to be.
Nobody has said anything about local friendlies stopping completely.
Nobody said "wanting local friendlies is anti-American".

If we play in another continent in late July then Germany on 4th August we are't going to have many if any local away friendlies, there will not be much time.

Would you just stop arguing for the sake of it? You'r just a WUM.
So if we don't play a local friendly this season, it is considered local friendlies stopping completely? I'm sure you will post more nonsense in the hopes that you will get something right. Your inability to read plain English is unfortunately making you look a little silly.

 

[Frank the Yank]

When will premier league teams stop this farce of playing games in america? the yanks just arent interested, how many extra shirts or tickets will we sell because of this tour? and mean while the true fans over hear have to put up with 3 am kick offs of a couple of grand on a trip you might end up seing the reserves play

Agreed by all means lets bring back Barry Conlon, Alan Kerhaghan and Jamie Pollack. this way we can play friendlies away for 5 quid @ Macca, Stockport, Tamworth, Halifax, and Mansfield. BTW this stoopid Yank has seen all of those City legends in the flesh @ Maine Road. I know what I would prefer. I mean its not like friendlies involving Premiership clubs and the cream of European football can draw over 60,000 fans in America. That could NEVER happen................

 

[TheIllestVillains]

FYI, last season's high-profile friendly which took place in Baltimore, Chelsea vs. AC Milan, reached its sell out capacity (70,000) and was broadcast throughout the states on ESPN. It's an excellent opportunity for the business side of the club.

 

[Corky]

If we play in another continent in late July then Germany on 4th August we are't going to have many if any local away friendlies, there will not be much time.

Would you just stop arguing for the sake of it? You'r just a WUM.
So if we don't play a local friendly this season, it is considered local friendlies stopping completely? I'm sure you will post more nonsense in the hopes that you will get something right. Your inability to read plain English is unfortunately making you look a little silly.

I think you are winding yourself up. You keep asking questions, along with expletives and insults.

At least you got that off your chest. See you next season (or maybe not).

 

[warhawkmoski]

You're right OP. It's stupid that City would want to try to expand a fan base in the richest nation in the world. The nation that spends the most money on sports and sporting related merchandise in the world. The nation with the largest sporting viewership in the world. It's silly really to try to expand the brand and therefore the revenue base and to try to put it closer to a United in the money that is brought in and the prestige associated with the name. It's silly. I think we'd all be better off if City were still in the third division, so folks can feel smug that they're at the match every week still supporting City, when folks on the other side of the world who also love the club can no longer see matches or feel like a part of the club. Yes definitely, we should move back down to division 3. Perhaps we should tell the sheik to get out of here and take his dirty money with him as well? I mean, these ideas he has of "expanding the city brand" are just an insult to true fan right? Why would we want him to redevelop the Eastlands area and turn it into something world class. Just need our pies and a warm flat beer at the half and that's all a real football fan needs right? While we're at it let's move back to Maine road as well. It may be decrepit and run down now, but that will help keep the fake and foreigner fans out and let the true blue real fans feel at home again.(Note the following paragraph was SARCASM)

The board this past week has become ridiculous. Being a blue used to be enough. Since the start of the buildup to the England v USA match however, it sure seems like it's not anymore. It sure feels like to me, as a dirty foreigner, that anyone except a manc born n bred isn't much welcome as a fan of this club. Not that what anyone on this board thinks will ever stop this foreigner from supporting his great sporting love. Isn't it about time we all moved on from this?

Brilliant post. The OP is a complete tool and needs to get his head out of his arse. City is trying to become the biggest club in the world, how dare they try to accomplish this by bringing a handful of games across the pond to the States. You're right, get rid of the Sheikh now, screw being a global brand.

This guy has the balls to complain about City bringing a handful of games, that mean absolutely nothing in terms of the standings and titles and yet I have never once seen a Stateside City fan complain about having to get up at 7 am, or sometimes even earlier, to watch matches on Saturday and Sundays not to mention skipping classes during the week to watch Cup games and what not. You want to question our loyalty? Grow a pair, pony up a little extra cash and go to a league or Cup game if you are that interested in watching City. I for one would bust my butt that extra mile to get to as many City matches as possible. Who's the real supporters?

 

[acquiesce]

You're right OP. It's stupid that City would want to try to expand a fan base in the richest nation in the world. The nation that spends the most money on sports and sporting related merchandise in the world. The nation with the largest sporting viewership in the world. It's silly really to try to expand the brand and therefore the revenue base and to try to put it closer to a United in the money that is brought in and the prestige associated with the name. It's silly. I think we'd all be better off if City were still in the third division, so folks can feel smug that they're at the match every week still supporting City, when folks on the other side of the world who also love the club can no longer see matches or feel like a part of the club. Yes definitely, we should move back down to division 3. Perhaps we should tell the sheik to get out of here and take his dirty money with him as well? I mean, these ideas he has of "expanding the city brand" are just an insult to true fan right? Why would we want him to redevelop the Eastlands area and turn it into something world class. Just need our pies and a warm flat beer at the half and that's all a real football fan needs right? While we're at it let's move back to Maine road as well. It may be decrepit and run down now, but that will help keep the fake and foreigner fans out and let the true blue real fans feel at home again.(Note the following paragraph was SARCASM)

The board this past week has become ridiculous. Being a blue used to be enough. Since the start of the buildup to the England v USA match however, it sure seems like it's not anymore. It sure feels like to me, as a dirty foreigner, that anyone except a manc born n bred isn't much welcome as a fan of this club. Not that what anyone on this board thinks will ever stop this foreigner from supporting his great sporting love. Isn't it about time we all moved on from this?

Haha, this.

I guess this forum should be split up into a Manchester Blues forum where you can only gain admittance by password after you have shown your birth certificate clearly showing you were born in Manchester. Everyone else has to go to the Foreigner (read Scum of the Earth) Blues forum. As far as matches go we should do the same thing. You have to show your birth certificate at the gates. People without a Manchester birth certificate get shoved into a fenced in section of the stands, dirty foreigners. Its ridiculous on here lately.

I make a pilgrimage once or twice a year to Eastlands just to see a match or two, spending money in the city, going to matches, buying merchandise, etc. Like it or not Americans are willing to spend money on sports, more than any other country in the world. You tour over here, you will put the name out there. I do agree with whats been said that they should be touring Asia, and I'm sure that is right around the corner, but City have only been over to the States twice since 1980. Deal with it, if City want to become a global brand/Top 4 team they have to tour outside of England.

 

[Baron Blueski]

As the other posters have stated Football(Soccer) is really on the rise over here. We got every single one of Ctiy’s prem games and most cup games live. We currently have commentary for the world cup from Martin Tyler, Efan Ekoku with Ian Darke and Ally McCoist on ESPN and FOX have a daily world cup news and analysis show with Richard Keys and Andy Gray. These people don’t come cheap and it shows the American sports networks are serious about football(soccer). Fox kicked baseball of their main channel to show the champions league final this year.

I was in a pub in Savannah, GA on Sat for the game and they were about 500 people packed in with about ¾ of those supporting the USA, they really got behind their team. Most of them had no clue what was going on but they turned up and had a great time.

I will be in New York, Atlanta and Baltimore watching City for pre season so I am very happy they chose to come here.

Just as a footnote I grew up in Openshaw, Droylsden & Stalybridge and had a season ticket at Maine Road for many years before moving to the States.

 

[warhawkmoski]

Very true on that the game is on the rise. The ratings were unbelievable for Saturday's match. If City can get a stranglehold on the maturing fanbase here in the States, they will gain millions of new fans and that translates into serious merchandise money as well as a big stride towards being the biggest club in the World. Here is a quick blurb about the ratings here in the States, and the link is to the entire article that is much more detailed and an interesting read for those interested in how the game is growing here.

"The 2010 World Cup clash between USA and England drew the fifth-best rating ever for a World Cup game. In addition to ranking behind the 1994 Romania-U.S. game (9.2), it trails only the 1994 Brazil-Italy final (12.8), the 1994 Brazil-U.S. game (10.4). The 2006 Italy-France final received an 8.6 rating.

UPDATED: To put these numbers in perspective, Saturday’s match drew more viewers than every game of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final — including Game 6, which hit a 36-year high of 8.3 million viewers. However, the match trails the first four games of the NBA Finals (14.1 mil, 15.7 mil, 16.0 mil and 16.4 mil). Keep in mind that the match also aired on Univision. Viewership for the Univision telecast was not immediately available. If the Univision telecast drew at least 3.5 million viewers, then USA/England would also top Games 1-4 of the NBA Finals.

UPDATED: According to ESPN, the two-hour match window averaged a 7.3 household rating (8.4 million households) and 12.9 million viewers. England against United States was the most-watched FIFA World Cup first-round match among households and viewers, and the most-viewed United States Men’s National Team game since 1994. The two-hour match window (2:30-4:30 p.m. ET) averaged a 7.3 household rating, 8,391,000 households, and 12,956,000 viewers, based on fast nationals."

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.epltalk.com/usa-v-england-world-cup-game-draws-a-9-0-tv-rating-on-abc/20871" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.epltalk.com/usa-v-england-wo ... -abc/20871</a>

 

[bigquinn772]

You're right OP. It's stupid that City would want to try to expand a fan base in the richest nation in the world. The nation that spends the most money on sports and sporting related merchandise in the world. The nation with the largest sporting viewership in the world. It's silly really to try to expand the brand and therefore the revenue base and to try to put it closer to a United in the money that is brought in and the prestige associated with the name. It's silly. I think we'd all be better off if City were still in the third division, so folks can feel smug that they're at the match every week still supporting City, when folks on the other side of the world who also love the club can no longer see matches or feel like a part of the club. Yes definitely, we should move back down to division 3. Perhaps we should tell the sheik to get out of here and take his dirty money with him as well? I mean, these ideas he has of "expanding the city brand" are just an insult to true fan right? Why would we want him to redevelop the Eastlands area and turn it into something world class. Just need our pies and a warm flat beer at the half and that's all a real football fan needs right? While we're at it let's move back to Maine road as well. It may be decrepit and run down now, but that will help keep the fake and foreigner fans out and let the true blue real fans feel at home again.(Note the following paragraph was SARCASM)

The board this past week has become ridiculous. Being a blue used to be enough. Since the start of the buildup to the England v USA match however, it sure seems like it's not anymore. It sure feels like to me, as a dirty foreigner, that anyone except a manc born n bred isn't much welcome as a fan of this club. Not that what anyone on this board thinks will ever stop this foreigner from supporting his great sporting love. Isn't it about time we all moved on from this?

Well said.

 

[Bay Area Blue]

I have been following City for about 17 years now, 10 of those while living in Europe and Asia. I will agree that the average American is not as knowledgeable about football as people in just about every other country in the world, but I can say that interest is on the rise here, especially in the past few years.

I went to the Chelsea-Seattle Sounders match last summer, which drew about 60,000 people. Most of them, impressively, were there to support Sounders and not to blindly latch on to the Chelsea bandwagon. I also went to Barcelona-Chivas here in San Francisco, where the sell-out support was about evenly split. I have just shelled out $85 a piece to go to the City-Portland Timbers match because the demand is high enough for tickets there.

As a business executive who is focused on creating and capturing new market demand, I think you'd have to be daft to ignore what is a growing demand here in the U.S. for quality football. There is room for a fifth or sixth major sport in the U.S. and City quite rightly are trying to capture a share of that growing market.