"Disappointing" attendances

[M18CTID]

Simple fact is that if that Fulham game was 10,12, or 15 years ago we'd have been lucky to get 25000 so to get 39000 proves our support has increased considerably since the takeover, regardless of what any bitter **** in the media/opposition armchair fan claims.

Our FA Cup attendances for weekend games have actually been very impressive since the 2011-12 season and this was the first one that wasn't a sell out or close to being a sell out:

2011/12:
46808 v United

2012/13:
46821 v Watford
46849 v Leeds
46728 v Barnsley

2013/14:
46514 v Watford
47013 v Chelsea

2014/15:
44309 v Sheff Wed
44836 v 'Boro
Remember that our capacity was reduced by a couple of thousand or so during this season due to the ongoing South Stand expansion, hence the slightly lower gates compared to the previous 3 seasons

2015/16:
No home FA Cup games

2016/17:
No home weekend FA Cup games

2017/18:
53285 v Burnley

2018/19:
52708 v Rotherham
50121 v Burnley

2019/20:
52433 v Port Vale
39223 v Fulham

Clearly, from looking at that list Sunday's crowd was a bit of an outlier but when you consider that in all the other games the opposing clubs brought anything between 3000 and 8000 fans and Fulham only brought just over 1000, then that figure wouldn't have been anywhere near as low, so I don't get the criticism to be honest.

 

[kippax4ever]

What pissed me off more,
15,000 shy & fkers still going early

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

PB,

How do our prices compare to other clubs?

Well for a start, all the other comparable clubs publish a clear tariff but we don't, which doesn't help any comparison.

But if we take Arsenal, they have category A, B and C. A is quite expensive but B & C are cheaper than a typical City price. You could watch a cat C game for £26.50 whereas under normal circumstances you'd pay over £40 to watch Norwich at the Etihad. In fact, with it being the final home game, you'll pay around £60 to see the runners up play a team that would probably have been relegated by them.

Chelsea & Spurs tend to be a lot pricier but Liverpool & United charge one price per seat, regardless of who they're playing. So you could watch the derby as a United fan for less than we paid.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Having your cake and eat it is a popular phrase these days. It is what the club wants though - to be commercial and charge as they see fit, but also fill the stadium with loyal fans every game. The club owns that equation so it seems churlish to say the least to blame fans when they get it wrong.

 

[quiet_riot]

Having your cake and eat it is a popular phrase these days.

A popular phrase that is actually incorrect. The correct phrase is "eat your cake, and have it too."

 

[Manchester33]

I fully understand why you think that way, one million percent BUT the quantity of games is boring the life out of me and I've been as passionate a fan as humanly possible over the years. If I feel that way as a City fan, the players for whom some of them it will be just a job, will be bored shitless too.

Like Mendy said the other week "Madrid will be different", it will because the game provokes excitement and passion. A game against a lower league club in the league cup doesnt, I struggle to get motivated as a fan. That's why I think it's better to rest the first team players (and fans), play the squad players combined with the academy lads and let's see how far we can go. I'd love to see more of Foden, Garcia, Doyle, Harwood-Bellis, Braaf etc. so I'd be very tempted to go as a fan too. They'd be at it because they want to establish themselves or put themselves in the shop window, either way at least it provokes some excitement and passion.

Yeah I get your point. We do see a bit of the youngsters in these cup games to be fair to Pep. I love the league cup. Think it's brilliant. Usually some new grounds, different teams, cheap tickets etc. I think we all feel the pinch more this time of year because it's after Christmas and January in Manchester is quite bleak.

 

[OB1]

Well for a start, all the other comparable clubs publish a clear tariff but we don't, which doesn't help any comparison.

But if we take Arsenal, they have category A, B and C. A is quite expensive but B & C are cheaper than a typical City price. You could watch a cat C game for £26.50 whereas under normal circumstances you'd pay over £40 to watch Norwich at the Etihad. In fact, with it being the final home game, you'll pay around £60 to see the runners up play a team that would probably have been relegated by them.

Chelsea & Spurs tend to be a lot pricier but Liverpool & United charge one price per seat, regardless of who they're playing. So you could watch the derby as a United fan for less than we paid.

Thanks.

Doesn't sound like we are particularly expensive and we do offer a premium product so in value for money terms we may be doing quite well.

Not having a clear tariff is not great from a fan perspective.

 

[Roachy]

What pissed me off more,
15,000 shy & fkers still going early

I honestly think some people must spend more time looking at the clock than the game. Bang on to the second, on the 80th and 85th minute there was an exodus. Bit strange really.

 

[Manchester33]

Simple fact is that if that Fulham game was 10,12, or 15 years ago we'd have been lucky to get 25000 so to get 39000 proves our support has increased considerably since the takeover, regardless of what any bitter **** in the media/opposition armchair fan claims.

Our FA Cup attendances for weekend games have actually been very impressive since the 2011-12 season and this was the first one that wasn't a sell out or close to being a sell out:

2011/12:
46808 v United

2012/13:
46821 v Watford
46849 v Leeds
46728 v Barnsley

2013/14:
46514 v Watford
47013 v Chelsea

2014/15:
44309 v Sheff Wed
44836 v 'Boro
Remember that our capacity was reduced by a couple of thousand or so during this season due to the ongoing South Stand expansion, hence the slightly lower gates compared to the previous 3 seasons

2015/16:
No home FA Cup games

2016/17:
No home weekend FA Cup games

2017/18:
53285 v Burnley

2018/19:
52708 v Rotherham
50121 v Burnley

2019/20:
52433 v Port Vale
39223 v Fulham

Clearly, from looking at that list Sunday's crowd was a bit of an outlier but when you consider that in all the other games the opposing clubs brought anything between 3000 and 8000 fans and Fulham only brought just over 1000, then that figure wouldn't have been anywhere near as low, so I don't get the criticism to be honest.

Great post. Well researched. Other factors to consider about Fulham game are:

- Dates (end of Jan - bad for finances)
- Day (Sunday is usually worse for travelling than Saturday)
- Kick off time (would have sold more with a 4pm kick off?)
- BBC coverage
- Number of games played recently

When you consider all those, as well as the fact Fulham are probably the most boring club we could have drawn, it's not hard to see why we were down slightly on previous years.

The real shocker is us not selling out the derby. Sure tickets could have been cheaper, but come on.... it's the fucking derby and we're 3-1 up!! Jesus wept.

 

[Rolee]

I honestly think some people must spend more time looking at the clock than the game. Bang on to the second, on the 80th and 85th minute there was an exodus.

It was at this point that the BBC start pushing the agenda about attendance, the commentators obviously had a producer in their ear and that agenda then formed the post match narrative.

Disappointing that Guardiola didn't handle the questions better but what's more disappointing for me is that he's the target of City fan's ire rather than the BBC who instigated it all.

We're our own worst enemy at times.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Thanks.

Doesn't sound like we are particularly expensive and we do offer a premium product so in value for money terms we may be doing quite well.

Not having a clear tariff is not great from a fan perspective.

The lack of a published set of prices isn't clever in my view and another example of the club, while thinking they're being clever, actually demonstrating a lack of commercial acumen.

Thr Value seasoncard and those at the back of SS3 are incredible value it must be said though. In terms of SC prices, that means we have a wider range than both Liverpool & United, when you include 9320 seats.

 

[kippax4ever]

I honestly think some people must spend more time looking at the clock than the game. Bang on to the second, on the 80th and 85th minute there was an exodus. Bit strange really.

Seen some going on 75mins
If I go pictures I don't go 15mins before the end as I don't leave the game either..

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Great post. Well researched. Other factors to consider about Fulham game are:

- Dates (end of Jan - bad for finances)
- Day (Sunday is usually worse for travelling than Saturday)
- Kick off time (would have sold more with a 4pm kick off?)
- BBC coverage
- Number of games played recently

When you consider all those, as well as the fact Fulham are probably the most boring club we could have drawn, it's not hard to see why we were down slightly on previous years.

The real shocker is us not selling out the derby. Sure tickets could have been cheaper, but come on.... it's the fucking derby and we're 3-1 up!! Jesus wept.

The Derby is not sold out because Danny Wilson & co fooked up the ticket criteria. If season card holders on the Cup scheme were allowed 4 tickets and other season card holders 3, the game would be sold out. Even without this, the game would be a virtual sellout if Utd had been allocated the number of tickets they were entitled to (just like the swamp would have been sold out if we had been allocated 8k plus).

 

[Rochdale Blue]

Great post. Well researched. Other factors to consider about Fulham game are:

- Dates (end of Jan - bad for finances)
- Day (Sunday is usually worse for travelling than Saturday)
- Kick off time (would have sold more with a 4pm kick off?)
- BBC coverage
- Number of games played recently

When you consider all those, as well as the fact Fulham are probably the most boring club we could have drawn, it's not hard to see why we were down slightly on previous years.

The real shocker is us not selling out the derby. Sure tickets could have been cheaper, but come on.... it's the fucking derby and we're 3-1 up!! Jesus wept.

The Premier League Daily pod were discussing our attendances and the resident rag mocking them quoted most of those and many more such as traffic problems etc. Now you'd expect that off your typical snidey rag, but the annoying thing was the City supporter on the show just sucked it up and did nothing to point out the large drop in attendances at the swamp.

 

[Roachy]

It was at this point that the BBC start pushing the agenda about attendance, the commentators obviously had a producer in their ear and that agenda then formed the post match narrative.

Disappointing that Guardiola didn't handle the questions better but what's more disappointing for me is that he's the target of City fan's ire rather than the BBC who instigated it all.

We're our own worst enemy at times.

The fact poor folk are forced to pay a licence fee to make these twats wealthy is disgusting.

 

[Rolee]

The fact poor folk are forced to pay a licence fee to make these twats wealthy is disgusting.

What really gets me is they lead us on a merry dance and we let them. I see comment all the time about boycotting certain media outlets, these ****s are the worst of the lot yet I rarely see calls to boycott them.

 

[ctid1894]

Yeah I get your point. We do see a bit of the youngsters in these cup games to be fair to Pep. I love the league cup. Think it's brilliant. Usually some new grounds, different teams, cheap tickets etc. I think we all feel the pinch more this time of year because it's after Christmas and January in Manchester is quite bleak.

I think I get bored because it's no longer competitive, it's too easy for the first team players and games (e.g. Fulham) are sometimes finished after 10 minutes, most of them are over before kick-off. If we played even more of the kids and there was a chance we would get beat, it would create more interest. The teams involved in European competition should have to field an U21-23 team or something along those lines, it would make it more entertaining and we would get to see if the academy teams are actually producing talent at the level required.

 

[stonerblue]

Was he criticising the fans?

There's a whole heap of difference between being disappointed the ground was not full, wanting a full house for a semi-final against United and being critical of the fans

And none of that means that our multi-millionaire manager is oblivious to the number of games or the strain on people's pockets.

My first thought when I got into the ground yesterday was how bare the stands looked. As a supporter, I was disappointed in that but I'm not critical of anyone for not going and as someone who has a 360 mile round trip to the Etihad and won't be there on Wednesday (albeit despite being in all the cup schemes, which means I have given my ticket away so I will have paid for there to be a bum on my seat), I fully understand why people don't make it to every home game.

The outraged on here seem to happily slag Guardiola off without putting his words into context. The media happily twist things to sensationalise them and the mugs lap it up.

 

[M18CTID]

The Derby is not sold out because Danny Wilson & co fooked up the ticket criteria. If season card holders on the Cup scheme were allowed 4 tickets and other season card holders 3, the game would be sold out. Even without this, the game would be a virtual sellout if Utd had been allocated the number of tickets they were entitled to (just like the swamp would have been sold out if we had been allocated 8k plus).

Yep. Don't get me wrong, I can understand some of the restrictions put in place by the club such as previous purchase history of at least 3 games attended as this drastically reduced the chances of United fans getting them in our end (whereas United were totally lax and let any fucker buy them for the first leg as long as they stumped up extra for a membership). However, that has only been reduced to 2 games attended in the past week when it could've been done in the aftermath of the first leg result as it was obvious that United fans wouldn't have the same appetite for buying in our end due to us winning the first leg comfortably.

 

[M18CTID]

The outraged on here seem to happily slag Guardiola off without putting his words into context. The media happily twist things to sensationalise them and the mugs lap it up.

I think the difference this time is that Pep himself brought the topic up. In the past it's been the media trying to set him up but he's given them the ammo this time round.

I'm far from outraged but I don't think he's done himself (or us) any favours on this. Despite that, however, I don't buy this thing from some posters that he doesn't have any connection with the fans. I think he does and the way he orchestrated the Guardiola chant at Leicester away that time proves it. He's also on record as saying that Barca and Bayern fans didn't have a song for him, whereas City fans do.