Empty seats.. worsening trend?

[Tim of the Oak]

The rags have more to worry about

Manchester United are adding as many as 24,000 fans on to crowd attendances compared with the actual number of people watching games at Old Trafford, according to police data. United have not had a single crowd over 70,000 for a league match, police say

I agree with your point but I doubt the rags are giving out a load of complimentary tickets to people who don't go to the game. There are some simple improvements that could be made that Blues have recommended in this thread!

 

[Scottyboi]

The rags have more to worry about

Manchester United are adding as many as 24,000 fans on to crowd attendances compared with the actual number of people watching games at Old Trafford, according to police data. United have not had a single crowd over 70,000 for a league match, police say

They are still the best supported home and away team in England by far.

Personally think small thing's such as beer price and controlling traffic after matches can make a difference. Then you have ideas such as moving the away fans, lowering ticket prices, turning a blind eye to more blocks standing.

One of the biggest obstacles is stopping Hillsborough from controlling what we do 25 years on. They didn't die from standing they died from cages and being forced in like a battery farm. We learn from mistakes and move on. Sick to death of victim's families saying it's disrespectful to even consider standing. Aslong as they keep shooting the notion down football is going to become more and more lame.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

I pay for my season ticket the club get my money, what has it got to do with you if I go or not

When ticket sales reach a peak ticket prices go up. Year-on-year mates or family members of mine fall away from our match going support because ticket prices just keep rising. Then when we see hundreds of empty seats dotted about everywhere it's fucking frustrating! If all these people who don't bother to turn up to numerous games a season don't take up a seasoncard there might not be such a ridiculous surge in ticket prices every season (way WAY over the rate of inflation!) as there isn't as much demand and at least people who would turn up every week on a cheaper ticket could and would go.

Then there are also minor things like the impact on atmosphere and the poor aesthetic look to a stadium when there are empty seats all over the place.

City are as much to blame for all this as the people not bothering to turn up. If everything wasn't so fucking ridiculously expensive then it is a certainty there would be fewer empty seats everywhere. From parking, to food and drink, and take that aside and say someone finds somewhere they don't have to pay for parking, they don't bother buying food or drink and they just go to the game and go home, it'll still cost them a huge sum of money for what it is they are going to see.

My Father is getting to an age now where he can't take on as much work as he used to and my Mother doesn't work. They dropped off from their seasoncards a few years ago now and it's got to the stage where he's saying "fuck paying £110 for us to both attend a game, that's nearly a day's pay for fuck's sake, do they think we're fucking mugs or what?!" and that's someone who attended City games religiously from the mid 1960s to about 2009.

 

[el blue]

If your missing most midweek games and 5:30 kick offs then that's quite a few matches your missing and perhaps you should forgo the season ticket and just buy for the games your actually going to. If you've had the ticket for donkeys years then youll have the loyalty points to pick and choose anyway. Why waste yr money and the seat?

Partly sentiment, partly the difficulty in getting tickets for big games without a season card, partly the knowledge that not having a season card will disincentivise me from attending games, partly because the cost of tickets for individual games is now so exorbitant that the season card is still (just about) a viable option.

Understandable reasons and if your travelling 250 miles to home games then I've got nothing but respect for you as a supporter. Just highlights how complex the issue is. Does need a resolution though... Of the 'big clubs' we are the only one that consistently has rows of empty seats right behind the most televised/photographed area of the ground - northstand goal. Its horrendous PR.

 

[Georgian Maestro]

The club need to sort this out imo. Empty seats is the one last stick to beat us with.

It can't be good for the worldwide brand of a huge club on the rise if there's hundreds of visible empty seats for a supposedly sold out game.

Move the complimentary tickets up to the Gods and create an easy to use, non profit way of exchanging tickets on the clubs website.

 

[Balti]

I pay for my season ticket the club get my money, what has it got to do with you if I go or not

When ticket sales reach a peak ticket prices go up. Year-on-year mates or family members of mine fall away from our match going support because ticket prices just keep rising. Then when we see hundreds of empty seats dotted about everywhere it's fucking frustrating! If all these people who don't bother to turn up to numerous games a season don't take up a seasoncard there might not be such a ridiculous surge in ticket prices every season (way WAY over the rate of inflation!) as there isn't as much demand and at least people who would turn up every week on a cheaper ticket could and would go.

Then there are also minor things like the impact on atmosphere and the poor aesthetic look to a stadium when there are empty seats all over the place.

City are as much to blame for all this as the people not bothering to turn up. If everything wasn't so fucking ridiculously expensive then it is a certainty there would be fewer empty seats everywhere. From parking, to food and drink, and take that aside and say someone finds somewhere they don't have to pay for parking, they don't bother buying food or drink and they just go to the game and go home, it'll still cost them a huge sum of money for what it is they are going to see.

My Father is getting to an age now where he can't take on as much work as he used to and my Mother doesn't work. They dropped off from their seasoncards a few years ago now and it's got to the stage where he's saying "fuck paying £110 for us to both attend a game, that's nearly a day's pay for fuck's sake, do they think we're fucking mugs or what?!" and that's someone who attended City games religiously from the mid 1960s to about 2009.

 

[InMyLifetime-BaconChops]

Get Rid of the Family Stand

Whilst getting rid of the Family Stand might not cause a revolution in changing the atmosphere, it will certainly help.
Having 1 big stand where all the fans are silent is a recipe for disaster.
I sit there - trying to start songs does not wor, bewildered faces look at you. Trying to join in on songs started by the SS also doesn't work - more bewildered faces.
If they are all split up, they will be in-between singing fans, so we will have 4 stands which could potentially sing, not just 3.

Also the empty seats. There is always 2 rows of empty seats nearish the front. This is the club's problem, as they are obviously reserved or something. However, if the constant scenario of empty seats in the Stand in other places is a problem. Yes there are empty seats in other places of the ground, but the highest proportion is in the Family Stand. Is this because they are the cheapest season tickets so people who live miles away decide not to come to the 'small' games. This is a problem. In my opinion if a season ticket is used less than a certain amount a season, they shouldn't be allowed one. By getting rid of the family stand the empty seats would be split up so at least it wouldn't look as bad and damage our image.

Sort it out City.

 

[Kippaxman]

Re: Get Rid of the Family Stand

Whilst getting rid of the Family Stand might not cause a revolution in changing the atmosphere, it will certainly help.
Having 1 big stand where all the fans are silent is a recipe for disaster.
I sit there - trying to start songs does not wor, bewildered faces look at you. Trying to join in on songs started by the SS also doesn't work - more bewildered faces.
If they are all split up, they will be in-between singing fans, so we will have 4 stands which could potentially sing, not just 3.

Also the empty seats. There is always 2 rows of empty seats nearish the front. This is the club's problem, as they are obviously reserved or something. However, if the constant scenario of empty seats in the Stand in other places is a problem. Yes there are empty seats in other places of the ground, but the highest proportion is in the Family Stand. Is this because they are the cheapest season tickets so people who live miles away decide not to come to the 'small' games. This is a problem. In my opinion if a season ticket is used less than a certain amount a season, they shouldn't be allowed one. By getting rid of the family stand the empty seats would be split up so at least it wouldn't look as bad and damage our image.

Sort it out City.

or maybe you just move??

 

[MCFCTrick]

Re: Get Rid of the Family Stand

Pity there isn't a thread about the 'empty seat' problem to discuss this in ....

 

[leithblue]

Re: Get Rid of the Family Stand

recipe for disaster

Wow, I thought it was just a few seats not being taken up, I never realised it was so serious. I sit in the Family Stand, should I be worried?