Citys american tour

[Frank the Yank]

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>

Ok guys and girls lets not go nuts here. Lets be honest, football is NEVER going to be a big sport over here and will NEVER even come CLOSE to challenging baseball/Yank football. We hear the same stuff every World Cup and it just fizzles out after. There is a niche market for football fans here and it should be expoilted. But dont get visions of grandeur. If the big clubs come even to play friendlies, people will come. If we ever host the World Cup again, it will be huge-just like it was last time. Long term MLS wont flourish. Maybe a little niche but thats it. I have heard since 1974 that football will be the next big thing in America dn that America will be a world power and lift the World Cup within the next 12 years-aint gonna happen. I am just being realistic but I am not hating on anyone and dont want to dampen any enthusiasm here in America.

 

[Ireland's Undies]

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?

I, for one, will be traveling with fellow fans for 17 hours to get to Atlanta, because that is the CLOSEST City has ever been to me, and I will go broke if I have to for seeing them live.

 

[Lee-ManCity]

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?

I, for one, will be traveling with fellow fans for 17 hours to get to Atlanta, because that is the CLOSEST City has ever been to me, and I will go broke if I have to for seeing them live.

Try moving to england sometime, half the country seems to be broke yet we still have a hardcore that go home and away week in week out ...

 

[gymshoe]

.

I am a new City fan, started watching EPL last Fall, with the hope I would learn enough to become intelligent for the Worcl Cup. I have evolved.

I now have a 4-day holiday centered soley around City being in NYC, and I will probably find a way to attend the Inter Milan game, too. I am scheduling a mid-February trip to Manchester, begging that the fixture be friendly to me when it is posted tomorrow, so I might catch 3 games in 8 days, counting Carling and FA Cup fixtures.

There are now 4 City fans in Chatham, Illinois, USA. We get up at 6:30 AM to watch City on a Saturday, and down pints of Boddy's, and I make Toad in the Hole with my home-made sausage and rashers. I buy from the City Store, and proudly own and wear my Mancini scarf. We roadtrip to Chicago for games at Fado (Irish Pub), and I scheduled my last NYC trip around the Arsenal game in April to meet the people at the Mad Hatter.

Whether you like it or you do not like it, My desire to follow the World Cup has evolved into CTID. I HATE the sign at Owed Trafford, and my red shirt says IOU instead of AIG. I have not missed a match since I started, and do NOT intend to ever.

Oh, and the Shiehlk sent me a check.

So to OP, FU

 

[Ticket For Schalke]

Has anyone mentioned the fact what a great opportunity for the people of manchester to visit the us. Fuck off with all these local friendlies, they'll be plenty of spare seats for the annual home friendly. Never read so much tripe in my whole life. The U.S fans deserve to see there beloved team as much as we do. have a top time blues.

 

[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>

Ok guys and girls lets not go nuts here. Lets be honest, football is NEVER going to be a big sport over here and will NEVER even come CLOSE to challenging baseball/Yank football. We hear the same stuff every World Cup and it just fizzles out after. There is a niche market for football fans here and it should be expoilted. But dont get visions of grandeur. If the big clubs come even to play friendlies, people will come. If we ever host the World Cup again, it will be huge-just like it was last time. Long term MLS wont flourish. Maybe a little niche but thats it. I have heard since 1974 that football will be the next big thing in America dn that America will be a world power and lift the World Cup within the next 12 years-aint gonna happen. I am just being realistic but I am not hating on anyone and dont want to dampen any enthusiasm here in America.

Actually, if you do a little research as to what the MLS is doing to develop youth academies around the country and some of the teenage talent that is coming through the system you would realize you are partially wrong. While yes, the game will never overtake the 3 big sports here, it is growing into a major sport and serious talent. The current wave of US senior team players are the wave that resulted after the '94 Cup. The wave that has been created by this current group is extremely talented and deep. I could go on and on about this but I won't waste the space. As Paul Revere screamed through the streets "The British are Coming, the British are Coming", the same can be said about the future of American soccer. "The Yanks are Coming, the Yanks are Coming." The game is a huge piece of dynamite here in the States right now and all it needs is a spark to ignite it, and many of the higher ups are hoping this current WC team will be that spark. While we have a tremendous long and hard road to travel to even come close to the World powers, we are making significant progress in both our domestic league and National team, and that cannot be ignore. It's taking time, but we have the right people in place making the right decisions.

 

[gymshoe]

Before flame starts, I lied--no check. But all else is true. And to OP, if you truly spend the thousands to come here, and find me at tne Mad Hatter ( I will be easy to find) your first Boddy's is on me. All good.

 

[idahoblues]

I lived in england for 25 years, supported city from the earliest time. Have been in the states for over twenty years now but have always followed city. I live in the middle of fucking nowhere and before the internet I scrambled for any news I could get.Every time I went back to see the old dears I'd always get a game in(home or away).I got over thirty people to come and watch England vs US in a town of less than a thousand people. Most of them claim to be city fans too. The high school football team came second in the whole state(which is as big as England with 2 million people in it).Wyoming next door is as big as england, scotland, wales and N ireland combined with less than 500, 000. Enough of the geography lesson, but don't underestimate what is happening over here, there are some athletic mo'fo's. Don't get all ass sore just because you can't watch every friendly...we don't get to watch many league games so suck it up

 

[Roger Ringpiece]

Correct-we keep getting good quality opposition but never get more that 30,000 for the home pre season game, thats how big a draw a 'local' pre season game is for a lot of people.

Has anyone mentioned the fact what a great opportunity for the people of manchester to visit the us. Fuck off with all these local friendlies, they'll be plenty of spare seats for the annual home friendly. Never read so much tripe in my whole life. The U.S fans deserve to see there beloved team as much as we do. have a top time blues.

 

[MadchesterCity]

Big respect to all you US fans.

Some interesting stories there and I hope you all enjoy watching City in the friendlies and the coming season

Spread the word!