Don’t Blame Fans For The Empty Seats

[Gingers Dad]

We're being fleeced and our supporter representatives won't raise it. They should offer to resign if the club won't listen to them.

 

[Gingers Dad]

Not the full picture. Old Trafford Derby prices were no more expensive than normal for them, so the fact that 5,000 of them didn't show is down to disillusionment with what is going on at their club. It's got nothing to do with Utd fans being priced out although no doubt that has happened.

City attendances are on the up.

CL group games averaged 50k. FA Cup v Port Vale was 52k. All our league games are sell outs.

The Champions league games didn't really average 50k. Thousands of tickets were given away. Champions league should be an automatic sell out at a club of City's size and they seldom are.

 

[dickie davies]

If there are 3000 empties at the Etihad that's still 95% capacity

Football has never been richer. The commercial deals being done are huge. That very average new partnership we announced for a couple of mill more than offsets any season card price increase

I love the football I'm watching but I haven't limitless funds

If our owner wants a return on his investment, then stop continually buying £60m squad players

 

[Blue tube]

Why does anyone give a fuck?

the only people who whinge about empty seats are plastics who went once but can’t get a ticket these days (bollocks). I know the rags have a song but fans in the stadium will jump on anything to wind people up. You have a chat with a match going rag and they will agree that it’s expensive and their ground is only filled because of the vast amount of tourists.

the bigger problem for me is people who leave early and people who don’t get behind the team.


Cue excuses I don’t care about

 

[Ian]

I have been watching City since my dad first took me in 1968 and most years since I have had a season Ticket. I used to go home and most away because it was affordable, I was single and working. Now I still have a season Ticket but don’t do away games. I have to pick and choose my cup games purely because of finances, and took the decision some time ago to ditch Champions League games. The home games are getting less and less enjoyable with tourists (including away fans) sat next to me, VAR and ridiculous KO times. I used to love going, but for the first time in 52 years, I am seriously considering not renewing next year.

 

[hilts]

Watch it in the pub or at home after a while you don’t miss it.

 

[i kne albert davy]

I have been watching City since my dad first took me in 1968 and most years since I have had a season Ticket. I used to go home and most away because it was affordable, I was single and working. Now I still have a season Ticket but don’t do away games. I have to pick and choose my cup games purely because of finances, and took the decision some time ago to ditch Champions League games. The home games are getting less and less enjoyable with tourists (including away fans) sat next to me, VAR and ridiculous KO times. I used to love going, but for the first time in 52 years, I am seriously considering not renewing next year.

Same time as me mate my old fella first took me in 1968 sat me on a barrier picked me back up at full time, whilst I still do away games I do less now than I use to and £47.50 for the Madrid games a bit of a piss take,There'll be tourists wandering around 20 mins after kick off and a shite atmosphere in the ground and while I'll renew next season I'm thinking of dumping the cup schemes.

 

[Ian]

Same time as me mate my old fella first took me in 1968 sat me on a barrier picked me back up at full time, whilst I still do away games I do less now than I use to and £47.50 for the Madrid games a bit of a piss take,There'll be tourists wandering around 20 mins after kick off and a shite atmosphere in the ground and while I'll renew next season I'm thinking of dumping the cup schemes.

When it comes to the crunch, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop going, but the fact that I’m seriously thinking about it, would never enter my head a few years ago. I was at the Leicester game a couple of games ago and the two seats either side of had been bought by an Israeli family. All game I was being asked who our number 26 or number 17 was. One also had an iPad and was invading my space waving it around taking photos. Did my friggin head in. He even asked me to move out of my own seat so all his family could sit together ffs.

 

[jrb]

Soriano was brought in by Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon to drive revenue, make City profitable, and to make City self-sufficient. He has succeeded in doing that. He turned Barcelona around off the pitch, hence why he was head hunted by Sheikh Mansour.

At the moment Soriano has got Pep. He knows Pep will win trophies, his teams will play wonderful football, which will attract new City fans and tourists from all over the World to the Etihad. Just like Pep did with Barcelona.. This means Soriano can keep on increasing season ticket and match day ticket prices because demand is there to watch City.

However, once Pep goes Soriano will be in a tricky position. The new Manager won't be able to follow Pep, or be able to replicate Pep's success. The probable outcome will be a regression on the pitch, just like at United after Fergie retired, which means a downturn in City's support, especially our tourist support. Nobody is going to pay £50, £60 for a match ticket when the team isn't winning, isn't successful, and isn't winning trophies.

I'm sure Soriano doesn't need any advice from a no-mark City fan like me, but he needs to be very careful. If he keeps on increasing season ticket and match day ticket prices as he has been doing for the last 10 year at City, he will be looking at 1000's of empty seats around the Etihad stadium after Pep has left.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

Soriano was brought in by Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon to drive revenue, make City profitable, and to make City self-sufficient. He has succeeded in doing that. He turned Barcelona around off the pitch, hence why he was head hunted by Sheikh Mansour.

At the moment Soriano has got Pep. He knows Pep will win trophies, his teams will play wonderful football, which will attract new City fans and tourists from all over the World to the Etihad. Just like Pep did with Barcelona.. This means Soriano can keep on increasing season ticket and match day ticket prices because demand is there to watch City.

However, once Pep goes Soriano will be in a tricky position. The new Manager won't be able to follow Pep, or be able to replicate Pep's success. The probable outcome will be a regression on the pitch, just like at United after Fergie retired, which means a downturn in City's support, especially our tourist support. Nobody is going to pay £50, £60 for a match ticket when the team isn't winning, isn't successful, and isn't winning trophies.

I'm sure Soriano doesn't need any advice from a no-mark City fan like me, but he needs to be very careful. If he keeps on increasing season ticket and match day ticket prices as he has been doing for the last 10 year at City, he will be looking at 1000's of empty seats around the Etihad stadium after Pep has left.

Really good post. The thing for me is they could have still gone for the income streams but used a common sense approach to ensure the sustainability of our support. Not only are tickets too expensive but we have an ageing fan base too.
Could easily have pegged Madrid ticket price,who have 10 years+ could be encouraging more young people to come, could easily give a 2 day opportunity for local fans to come to the Etihad to get cheap tickets before the tourists. Could easily limit the amount given to agencies. Could easily have a yearly draw for those with 10 years + season tickets where 5 or 10 fans get one season for free etc
We fans need to make representation to the club