Did it ever happen at Maine Road. Were you not able to notice people leaving?. You could see empty stands and and under occupied Kippax street but i don't recall people leaving early - certainly in the numbers they do these days. Unless you wanted a pee, you didnt really leave at half time or get back late, in the Kippax you'd never get out or get back to were you were in time so alot just pee'd where they were. Personally i think its just a sign of the times, most clubs experience this the same as us. Fans just have so much football available to them on TV and satellite, they'll just watch the match later if they've recorded it or when its on MOTD. Wembley finals is the pisser for me - especially the clubs that get there regularly . If they lose , the ground has emptied in seconds , the victors doing a lap of honour to an empty stadium, in fact do they do a lap of honour?
About 2 or 3 season's ago my wife and myself went to th Emirates (we drew 2 2) We left bang on 85 mins to make sure we got back to our hotel to get ready to attend a function that evening because time was really tight etc. When we got outside I was absolutely amazed at the amount of Gooners leaving the stadium, we reached the tube station and had to queue with hundreds of others for about 20 minutes, I remember thinking at the time that it isn't just us.......and this was at 2 2 with the game finely balanced !!
i have been going to football games for 50 years and people leaving early is not a new thing, and every game people want to get a jump on the traffic and will leave even if its 0.0 they still will leave and i think i have the answer don't open the leaving gates about 10 minutes from the end ?? make it known they will be closed until the final whistle unless you need to leave then you can be let out, stop giving the fans the option of leaving early that's the only way it stops
Strange isn't it? Very few people will leave a concert early or a play. They clap and cheer and only then leave. They have the same transport problems and yet they stay. Probably the same people who leave early from football games. I think it is what someone said above - it becomes a habit; it is what they do. I have to admit, although I have never left a game early, I have been on the steps as soon as the whistle went. Now I have realised it makes very little difference if I stay a few minutes more to applaud the team at the end.
I park about 15 minutes walk away. Always stay till the end, stroll back to the car discussing the game with my lad. By then traffic has cleared and easy drive home. Don’t get the leaving early - everyone is in such a rush to get home, why?
It may never happen in your Wonderland but here in Beswick - as it was in Rusholme - us City fans do what we want. I've been leaving early on and off for 60+ years - it's a matter of fine judgement.
