those chants are so championship it’s painful. Wolves the same on Saturday.
Another factor is the way the fixture list comes out. 3 home games in the space of 8 days at the end of November (Everton/PSG/WHU) and now 2 home games in 3 days (Wolves/Leeds). Why can't we play alternate home and away in the League to space the home games out more ? How many people can afford to go to 2 home games in a week - even if they are ST holders ? No wonder empty seats appear at the most expensive time of the year.Fact is, there is something just not quite right with our fanbase, or the club's engagement with it. Forget the atmosphere (as this isn't great at many grounds these days), it's the swathes of empty seats for all but the biggest games week in week out. Granted, it's nowhere near the "emptyhad" bollocks would have you believe, however it's a major concern. This team are the current champions of the world's best league and also the runners up in the Champions League and yet very regularly struggle to sell out games (those thousands of empty seats against Wolves looked terrible). It's also a club that have dominated England for a decade. It looks terrible and I don't understand the reason behind it. Forget comparing us to the scousers or rags, you see Chelsea, West Ham, Arsenal, all with pretty much full stadiums and yet we can't. Any arguement people come up with about prices, COVID, too many games etc. whilst I sympathise there, this equally applies to almost any other top club so it can't be that. Maybe it's all the years of under achieving before our successful that needs to time to be forgotten by the younger fanbase, I don't know. Very few games at the Etihad have that feeling of "wow this is a big clubs home" and that's really sad.
Another factor is the way the fixture list comes out. 3 home games in the space of 8 days at the end of November (Everton/PSG/WHU) and now 2 home games in 3 days (Wolves/Leeds). Why can't we play alternate home and away in the League to space the home games out more ? How many people can afford to go to 2 home games in a week - even if they are ST holders ? No wonder empty seats appear at the most expensive time of the year.
My point is that fans don't get 'up' for a home game in the same way if they've already been twice in the previous few days. The excitement and anticipation aren't at the same levels and therefore the volume levels are reduced.That’s all fair but it doesn’t answer why the vast majority who are there refuse to open their mouths. Being in the seat isn’t ‘support’.
I don't refuse to open my mouth.That’s all fair but it doesn’t answer why the vast majority who are there refuse to open their mouths. Being in the seat isn’t ‘support’.
And that old away fan favourite -Don't forget the old favourite..."Your grounds to big for you"
In a league game though it's largely season ticket holders and they aren't affected by match-day prices. West Ham and Wolves filled the away end, and were noisy (until we scored:-)). I don't think stadium design has got much to do with it sometimes City fans can be loud although I agree some grounds are atmospheric and some are not. The Etihad can be really loud on occasion.I think there are a combination of factors at play, and we all analyse poor atmosphere days at our respective clubs. And they all have effect: -
* Opposition - affects psyche massively (City fans know there is a 90% chance you will beat us, its not arrogance its just the unlevel playing field)
* Number of opposition fans
* Cost of tickets and change in average football fan (middle-class, families and phone starers etc)
* Stadium design (easy to create atmosphere at close knit grounds like Anfield, Pompey, WBA, Sheff Utd)
* Stadium size (harder at big grounds in my view)
* Kick off time
All play their part in different ways at different times. Pysche on the day is a big one.Playing Wolves at 12.30pm is not going to get your juices flowing, I get that. Playing PSG the other week I bet it was bouncing. Its human nature and all fans know it really. We all have quiet days at home.
When City upped the anti on Saturday it was loud, it certainly got to Raul and John Moss.
Honestly, I think some season ticket holders open the curtains on the morning of a game and if the weather’s shite and it’s not United or Liverpool who we’re playing or a potential title decider they sack it off and can’t even be arsed offloading their ticket(s). There will always be fans who can’t make the game due to some issue or other but aside from those unavoidable examples, if everyone else who can’t go either passed it on to a friend or family member, or failing that put it up for resale on the exchange then the no shows on Saturday wouldn’t have been anywhere near as bad IMO. Regarding the latter, now I know the £50 ticket price for a 12.30 kick-off against Wolves is a hard sell in the middle of December but as I was going away, I put mine up on the exchange for resale about a week before the game and it sold just a day later.I actually thought Saturday was our first disappointing crowd and atmosphere this season. I am absolutely convinced it was £50 for a normal ticket and not the usual £30 that contributed to both.
But in previous weeks you see lots of exchange tickets going on the planner being snapped up. Pretty sure standard price can Arsenal was £30 and they went like hotcakes, okay a bigger game and nice weather but it also happened against West Ham, Everton and Burnley. West Ham was a terrific turnout in a blizzard. It has to be the ticket price imoHonestly, I think some season ticket holders open the curtains on the morning of a game and if the weather’s shite and it’s not United or Liverpool who we’re playing or a potential title decider they sack it off and can’t even be arsed offloading their ticket(s). There will always be fans who can’t make the game due to some issue or other but aside from those unavoidable examples, if everyone else who can’t go either passed it on to a friend or family member, or failing that put it up for resale on the exchange then the no shows on Saturday wouldn’t have been anywhere near as bad IMO. Regarding the latter, now I know the £50 ticket price for a 12.30 kick-off against Wolves is a hard sell in the middle of December but as I was going away, I put mine up on the exchange for resale about a week before the game and it sold just a day later.