Having known
@jrb for years, I know he wasn’t intending to offend with that post and I see he’s clarified his position.
Personally, as part of 1894 and someone who supported the boycott 100% I/we see this as at least a partial win insofar as the kick-off time was brought forward 90 minutes. At first I was actually sceptical that we’d even get any concessions and I was surprised that the FA/ITV caved in at all, let alone as quickly as they did. Much of that was down to the amount of publicity the boycott generated.
I don’t see the incredible turnout as a defeat for the boycott. And it is an incredible turnout because we’ve never sold as many tickets previously for a CS match at Wembley. This despite thousands of long-standing fans who have voted with their feet and aren’t going. I’ve not got an issue with any fans who are going to this game. It’s not for us to tell people what to do but we do feel that a half or quarter full end would’ve sent an even more powerful message to the powers-that-be but we have to realise that the number of tickets sold is indicative of where we are as a club. We’re a global club now and interest is through the roof now that we’ve won the treble and finally won the CL.
I’m also not convinced that our end will have that many new or neutral fans in it. Thousands and thousands of members attended the FA Cup semi-final but didn’t have any chance of buying tickets for the final as many ST holders who didn’t go to the semi bought tickets for the final. Example: There were 5 of us in my mate’s car travelling to the FA Cup final yet only one of those - me - went to the semi. Those Cityzens who missed out on the FA Cup Final also would’ve missed out on Istanbul so this is their opportunity to see our treble winners in their first game back on English soil. I can wait as I’ll be lucky enough to be at Turf Moor 5 days later but that option is only open to a couple of thousand fans.
We also have to realise that full-scale boycotts just don’t happen in English football as we’re nowhere near as well organised as German fanbases. I think the closest thing we’ve ever seen to a full-scale boycott on these shores was at Blackpool when thousands of fans refused to turn up for home games every other week for months on end in protest against the Oyston family. Blackpool fans had the luxury that they’re a predominantly localised fanbase though so it was easy to get word round all their match-goers and buy into it. That said, I admired their resolve in carrying it on as long as they did and it ultimately ended in victory for them. But something on that scale is never going to happen at City because we’re too big a club with too big a fanbase but I still feel more people bought into the boycott than I expected so we have to look at the positives. And one of those is that while I’m sure the FA, PL, and TV companies will continue to take the piss out of match-going fans, I think they’ll at least think twice about trying to force through a kick-off time of 5.30pm for the CS at Wembley in future when a northern club is involved.
And on a funny note, I heard on the grapevine that Arsenal’s Ashburton Army have knocked up a couple of banners mocking our support as they expected hardly any City fans to go. They’re going to look a right bunch of dickheads if they end up displaying those banners now!
