Etihad Atmosphere - 2021/22

[citymad]

don’t think I agree with at. Just seems like a list of excuses. You do not see the level of early leavers we have at other grounds. A lot of those fans at Liverpool for example don’t live anywhere near their ground either - you don’t see as many leaving there.

a lot of the people you describe must have lots of money to waste to justify paying for tickets and missing so much football. Seems like lots of them aren’t that bothered about the match and go out of habit.

I keep hearing how we’ve always had early leavers. When we were going for the league under Mancini or trying to get a champions league spot it was no where near as bad.

Exactly, its been a tradition for them over the years and they're just losing touch with the game.There is no emotional connection.

 

[meeesh]

While I agree that we have too many early leavers, I think people are missing the point regarding Liverpool and United fans who live miles away. Many of those fans will be stopping over the night so they’re actually less likely to leave early than a local fan. And for those who aren’t staying over, many of them will be on coaches from here, there, and everywhere (United in particular have shit loads of coaches coming from one end of the country or another), and those coaches ain’t going anywhere until every fucker is on them so there’s no point in those fans bailing out early.

I’d say there is more point in leaving the swamp earlier these days like after 30 mins or so,be better sat on coach looking out of a window than watching that shite in the stadium anyway

 

[meeesh]

Like someone said earlier, to me it's just a lack of passion for the club. Their time at home or at the pub is more important than cheering the team off. There seems a definite lack of emotional connection with this team, not sure why because they're a wonderful group of professionals. The owners must be shaking their heads yesterday wondering what more they could do to please the fans. I know Newcastle and Everton fans would be loving these successful times.

We are all spoilt fuckers these days that’s why,like Wednesday night prime example -didn’t score early “this is shit this” according to some near me,I’m more of a patient guy these days,well until about 65-70 mins anyway

 

[NorthamptonBlue]

Like someone said earlier, to me it's just a lack of passion for the club. Their time at home or at the pub is more important than cheering the team off. There seems a definite lack of emotional connection with this team, not sure why because they're a wonderful group of professionals. The owners must be shaking their heads yesterday wondering what more they could do to please the fans. I know Newcastle and Everton fans would be loving these successful times.

We’ve become a bit entitled as a fan base I’m afraid. We were much noisier when we were shit.

 

[mancityvstoke]

Have you been to Old Trafford? The atmosphere is crap nearly every game.
I gather this is a wind up?

yeah..sussed that this morning...proper WUM

 

[paulchapo]

We’ve become a bit entitled as a fan base I’m afraid. We were much noisier when we were shit.

We had nothing else to do when we were shit but make our own entertainment. It was also a badge of honour to show that no matter how crap we were we were loud, loyal and proud. Games these days we usually dominate so it's just waiting for us to score, plus nerves as normally something is riding on every game.

On early leavers it's not just the old timers go early. On the row in front of me in the south stand was six young lads I hadn't seen before. Hardly sang and fucked off with fifteen minutes to go. If that's our future we're fucked.

 

[cyberblue]

What ever the reasons and excuses
Genuine or not
The sight of 25.000 - 30.000 leaving with 5 minutes to go is just embarasing
The players must be thinking WTF
A performance like yesterday and hardly anyone left to cheer the players of
Back in the day when we were regularly on the receiving end it was like a badge of honour we stayed to the end
Now it a badge of honour to fuck of with 10-15 minutes left

 

[Barcon]

Yeah, because they're shit af now. Losing week after week, Why would they stay? when they were good under Fergie, hardly any would leave early during title run ins and close games, I'm talking about the Etihad. We play the best football ever played in English football history imo and our atmosphere is still bad, the passion is still lacking. We are in an epic title race with scousers and fans always leave early regardless of the score. Doesn't really matter anyway, the players proved last season they don't need an atmosphere or passionate to win the league or big CL games. Thank God we have Pep.

They stay because no matter how early they leave, their planes and trains aren't going to leave earlier.

 

[blue44]

What ever the reasons and excuses
Genuine or not
The sight of 25.000 - 30.000 leaving with 5 minutes to go is just embarasing
The players must be thinking WTF
A performance like yesterday and hardly anyone left to cheer the players of
Back in the day when we were regularly on the receiving end it was like a badge of honour we stayed to the end
Now it a badge of honour to fuck of with 10-15 minutes left

well
my 14 year old ,for the last 11 years
will always stay
he's had it drilled into him
he ,like me is mystified why a lot of our fans leave early

 

[GrumpyLegacyFan]

Sat right behind Pep today and it was a good insight. Basically it was quiet and shit and it sounds much worse at pitch level than it does in level 3. I’ve given up making excuses, blaming acoustics and song choices and all that stuff. Unless the club grasp the mettle and make some serious changes we have a shit product to sell at the moment. I think that the poor atmosphere is now part of the club culture and is one of the reasons that glory hunting kids are choosing Liverpool and not us.

Unless someone gets hold of this and makes some radical choices then we have a problem in the club DNA. I’d love to advise them on solutions because it is still solvable, but it’s drifting away.

Not long ago we were the club with a shit team but great support. Now we are the opposite. We either bite the bullet or that’s what we are for the future.

So did I - as a guest in the Tunnel Club (check my previous posts slagging off the TC - so yes - massive hypocrite - but my god the food was nice!!)...so an interesting perspective. I was quite literally on the single row above the tunnel, a few seats behind Kyle Walker. So, as good as what the players hear from the bench. And like @Didsbury Dave says - it was utterly shite.

No excuses at all for this one, and I am out of trying to work out why.

Why is it when I go away (which I do, and have done for decades for almost every game, before I am accused of being a plastic) the pissed-up concourse is loud and proud - and for most away (Leicester, for example, very early this season in particular for some reason was fantastic - 90mins of non stop singing) we are excellent - but come back home, and despite the efforts of the SS, no one else seems to give a flying fuck?

Does it matter? The players - from watching them close up, don't seem to give a fuck. As proved playing in empty stadiums. They just want their £200K a week. Some, in fairness, make an effort to clap the 7 fans left at full time, and on away days, Pep seems to make sure they come over (although the days of players like Zaba, Vinnie and Hart, who would make a special effort, have long gone). But others just head down the tunnel - and who can blame them when there is no-one left in the stadium?

So I don't think it particularly matters for the players (expect for maybe the lift it gives the bin dippers playing into the Kop on a European night), and I do think there is a bit in every City fan of a certain age that might be more vocal when we are fighting relegation against Port Vale, or chasing an improbable Cup come back against clubs we used to think as 'giants'. For all the success, all the money, all the spectacular stars of recent years, is there a significant part of our support who are just so damaged, that what only really excites is spontaneous, unlikely, 'back against the wall' football, rather than the magnificent machine we watch weekly now?

I have had to explore pseudo-psychology, because I am out of options. What else can explain the difference between the atmosphere at Wembley in 1999 and that at the Semi-Final two weeks ago?

And finally...I think it does matter. It matters to me. I go to football as my weekly therapy, to disengage from the all the stresses and bollocks of daily life - and I like to shout and sing and feel part of a community I cherish. It's just a shame that I can now only really get that therapy at the occasional away game...

 

[kippaxkid74]

If it were up to me the first thing I’d do is have minimal ‘entertainment’ in the ground before kick off. You’ve got City Square for that. The PA drowns out any chance of even talking to people around you, never mind heaven forbid, making our own entertainment.. like singing! Even if it was only for ten minutes before kick off it would help.

I get that city like to have music over the PA before kick off, but it's been getting worse and worse - yesterday you could not even hear the person next to you for the 30 minutes prior to kick off as they thumped out some dance remix that didn't stop, the same drum thump for 30 minutes that every 2 minutes seemed to morph into a new bunch of words.

I sound old probably (47..) ????!!!! But come on, that's not pre match atmosphere, it's not even just pop songs fans could know or join in with - it's just some noise as if they think making it sound like a techno nightclub at a million decibels will get the "youth" out of the toilets!

It's no wonder it's quiet once we kick off, everyone is letting their ears recover and are glad of the peace!!!! ;)

 

[Manchester33]

Spot on in many ways, but you only have to hear the stadium reaction any time “City, City, the best team in the land and all the world” goes up… all areas of the stadium join in with it because the most popular songs are City songs.

Compare that to “Empty seats at home”, “Gerrard slipped Suarez Cried” etc. (how have they become our core songs?) or songs about players when they’re not playing or don’t play for us anymore, where hardly anybody across the stadium outside a small section of SSL1 and a bit of 110-111 joins in.

Choice of songs is massive. Our songs that get sung regularly are, at times, utterly bizarre choices for that moment, or are the same shit songs that get sung four times a half every game that aren’t even popular and nobody joins in with.

Sing City songs and more people across the stadium will join in. I say it all the time, but it doesn’t seem to be reaching the people in needs to reach.

Blue Moon
City City, The Best Team In The Land And All The World
City, We’re From Manchester (Go West)
We Love You City
We’re The Pride Of Manchester
Oh Man City, The Only Football Team To Come From Manchester
Na na na na na na na na City
City ’Til I Die
We All Follow Man City, Over Land And Sea
Oh When The Blues Go Marching In
We are City from Maine Road
… among many others we no longer sing

We would have a better atmosphere if these were sung regularly like they should be… these should be our core songs, I have no bloody idea what they aren’t and why the shite we sing as our core songs instead have become our core songs.

I’m probably boring people to death banging on about this all the time but I will until it changes. SING THE CITY SONGS!

Your spot on about prices though. I’ve got about two dozen mates who don’t have a season ticket anymore because they’re too expensive. My ticket is in a similar place at the Etihad to an uncle who has one at Old Trafford. Ten years ago his ticket was twice the price of mine, his price has stayed the same for ten years and mine is now more expensive than his - and they fucking moan about the Glazers!

I agree with your points about songs.

One of the issues we have is at the back of 115 there are 2 or 3 lads who are incredibly loud and can start songs off easily.

Not wanting to sound tight, but I have to mention song choice to them game in game out and they never get it. I don’t know how to make the penny drop. That’s why you have people singing ‘here’s to you Vincent Kompany’ right after Jesus scores the opener.

They’re good lads though and I consider them friends, but they aren’t switched on, for want of a better description.

 

[Manchester33]

It’s a perfect derby for atmosphere at Anfield today. So obviously it will be better than normal.

They don’t have the PA on. Their fans sing Allez Allez Allez as the players come out then YNWA. It was the same VS United.

They’ve built a routine. Stadium full as players come out. Everyone playing their part.

We could easily do that at City if we didn’t have the PA at 150 decibels!

 

[blue44]

Why is it when I go away (which I do, and have done for decades for almost every game, before I am accused of being a plastic) the pissed-up concourse is loud and proud - and for most away (Leicester, for example, very early this season in particular for some reason was fantastic - 90mins of non stop singing) we are excellent - but come back home, and despite the efforts of the SS, no one else seems to give a flying fuck?

leicester away was an amazing atmosphere
one of the best i'v ever been in

i reckon,its alcohol,or it plays a part
aways are full of a lot of boozed up fans,me included,at home too btw

i reckon peoples drinking habits are changing,people getting more health conscious etc,money issues,driving to work next day etc

well,thats one of my theories

can't be worse than some on here about yesterday " too sunny,too windy, too cold "

 

[Tim of the Oak]

So did I - as a guest in the Tunnel Club (check my previous posts slagging off the TC - so yes - massive hypocrite - but my god the food was nice!!)...so an interesting perspective. I was quite literally on the single row above the tunnel, a few seats behind Kyle Walker. So, as good as what the players hear from the bench. And like @Didsbury Dave says - it was utterly shite.

No excuses at all for this one, and I am out of trying to work out why.

Why is it when I go away (which I do, and have done for decades for almost every game, before I am accused of being a plastic) the pissed-up concourse is loud and proud - and for most away (Leicester, for example, very early this season in particular for some reason was fantastic - 90mins of non stop singing) we are excellent - but come back home, and despite the efforts of the SS, no one else seems to give a flying fuck?

Does it matter? The players - from watching them close up, don't seem to give a fuck. As proved playing in empty stadiums. They just want their £200K a week. Some, in fairness, make an effort to clap the 7 fans left at full time, and on away days, Pep seems to make sure they come over (although the days of players like Zaba, Vinnie and Hart, who would make a special effort, have long gone). But others just head down the tunnel - and who can blame them when there is no-one left in the stadium?

So I don't think it particularly matters for the players (expect for maybe the lift it gives the bin dippers playing into the Kop on a European night), and I do think there is a bit in every City fan of a certain age that might be more vocal when we are fighting relegation against Port Vale, or chasing an improbable Cup come back against clubs we used to think as 'giants'. For all the success, all the money, all the spectacular stars of recent years, is there a significant part of our support who are just so damaged, that what only really excites is spontaneous, unlikely, 'back against the wall' football, rather than the magnificent machine we watch weekly now?

I have had to explore pseudo-psychology, because I am out of options. What else can explain the difference between the atmosphere at Wembley in 1999 and that at the Semi-Final two weeks ago?

And finally...I think it does matter. It matters to me. I go to football as my weekly therapy, to disengage from the all the stresses and bollocks of daily life - and I like to shout and sing and feel part of a community I cherish. It's just a shame that I can now only really get that therapy at the occasional away game...

I’m surprised you weren’t leading the chanting from the Tunnel Club?

 

[Cobwebcat]

Habit probably.

The circle has to be broken but there is no easy answer.

When we are up against a side that might beat us the atmosphere can be extremely loud so that might be a thing.

Perhaps the home support is the only thing left about the club that is still crap..I bet it’s electric on Tuesday though.

 

[give it to gordon]

Agree with others about the PA systems, it's way to loud and at half time you cant understand anything that is being said. It's nice to see old players etc just a shame you cant understand because it's so loud.

 

[mexico1970]

Wife was singing her head off yesterday but I was an unsung hero, I am a conservative person who doesn't like the fuss.

 

[GrumpyLegacyFan]

I’m surprised you weren’t leading the chanting from the Tunnel Club?

LOL - did try, but felt like I was going to be told to sit down and be quiet at any moment...

 

[PPT]

Exactly, its been a tradition for them over the years and they're just losing touch with the game.There is no emotional connection.

For what it's worth it's not that we are losing touch with the game. It's that we have lost a huge amount of emotional attachment to the club since the takeover. We have to take off our blue tinted specs and accept that as a fanbase or 'legacy fans' (as we are now called) we have been treated shockingly bad by the club. The total pursuit of money has overshadowed everything else. I for one, lost a lot of emotional attachment to the club when I was booted out of CB1 B125 to accommodate the Tunnel Club a few years ago and the club are still doing the very same thing to lifelong match going fans today in pursuit of the corporate big bucks. I had sat with the same group of fans from day 1. We all got to know each other well down the years. We loaned out our season tickets to each other when we couldn't make it. We celebrated goals & games together. We chatted and had a laugh, took the mickey out of each other. It really was a very enjoyable 'match experience' that I genuinely looked forward to. I'm now on a Value Gold season ticket, I've had four different seats in 4 years and hardly know anyone who I sit near apart from the occasional nod or acknowledgement. So, there is no real banter or chat during the match. 5-1 up at 85 minutes then yeah, I might leave early to avoid the traffic. Then again, I might not. Depends how I feel. The club have ruthlessly increased ticket prices year after year. How a parent with a couple of kids afford it these days I just don't know. The club whilst they have some type of fan representation schemes, we all know that really, they couldn't give a toss about us. So in some small way that reflects back and works the opposite way also. The ticket office is an utter shambles and has been for many years. How many times has this been brought up or highlighted? Have the club really gone out of their way to resolve the issues and make it easier and quicker for the fans? No, they haven't. They have paid lip service and made a few cosmetic changes. As most of us on here will know, ringing up the ticket office is like going to the dentist. It is avoided at all costs. Again, the attachment and commitment to the club is once again diluted. Trying to get a pint at half time - don't make me laugh. You have to leave your seat on 40 minutes at the latest to stand any chance. How many times has this been raised? Again, lip serviced paid and a few cosmetic changes whilst the club concentrate on looking after the big money hospitality fans. It's that drip, drip, drip effect on the fans that over the years has just eroded the connection and the commitment with the club that at one time was unbreakable. Yes, what's happening on the pitch these days is unreal. But it's about more than that. A lot more than that. If I just want to watch the brilliant football and nothing else, I can stay at home and watch it on the TV and save myself a fortune in time, effort and money. The club have to take more than their fair share of responsibility of how the fans act and behave these days. It's a two way relationship and deal. Or at least it should be. Over the years, you reap what you sow and we are now seeing and experiencing the harvest...