Etihad atmosphere

[Bob the Baker]

I think that the reason why matchgoers are getting older is simply down to finances. I'm the wrong side of 50 & it is only now that I have the disposable income to afford a season ticket. This, and the unsocial hours that I used to work.

If it is younger fans that sing, how come the 16 year old next to me covers his ears when we start up? I thought these youngsters like loud music and stuff?

 

[Big Blue Mick]

Must be your voice Bob. You're right about finances and that's a huge part of the problem. It's not blue tinted nostalgia to say that groups of young lads from the same areas stood together on the kippax every week. Unless they can all afford season tickets, and get them together, then those groups who helped create the atmosphere dissapear. Tell the 16 year old next to you to get a grip and get some aggresive Swales Out chants going.

 

[Bob the Baker]

There are a few singers where we are in the south stand, so I suppose you're right Mick. He has just moved from the family stand, so I guess he's been used to a bit of peace & quiet. He's a good lad really and his dad makes a bit of noise himself.

 

[IWasHere]

You'll be surprised the amount of youth that are city fans. Those who live in gorton Denton beswick Clayton will know this. Pricing is what's stopping them from going. Out of all my mates 2 of us have season tickets. Both of us were able to get them this season because of the cheap pricing due to the expansion. If tickets are lower more youth will come if not don't be surprised when in 10 years time the stadiums half empty because local lads have been priced out and have lost interest in going to matches

 

[peoffrey]

If the team are still doing well then the stadium won't be half empty. It'll full of randoms and the whole of the second tier will be corporate. My move to 116 has largely saved my active support.

 

[bluemoon98]

Hopefully the booing is good tomorrow night ;-) ;-)

 

[invisableman]

The youth of today would sooner play FIFA than kick a ball about in the mud! ... Teenagers are glued to their phones 24/7 with fuck all to say, its just the way the modern world is.. Paying on the gate would just attract more of the same age range we have but probably from rival clubs who just wanna get in the ground, which happened all the time back in the day. so it's not the answer, the age of our fans doesn't concern me the 30 + and 40 + lot still all daft as fuck near me up in third tier and full of banter.

What does concern me is having an entire end dedicated to being a family stand!.... The idea was get loads of kids in they will be our future, the reality is blokes buying them and 2 kids seats without actually taking a kid just occasionally upgrading it for the big games and leaving It empty on a cold Wednesday night v someone shit, cos an adult and a kid works out about the same If not cheaper than just an adult in east stand, I've occasionally ended up in there myself and felt unsure/uncomfortable when it came to shouting and swearing etc, is it necessary for them to take the whole stand ? Could we build a third tier and let their fresh legs climb up,there and open up the north stand or should kids be at the front, I don't know all I know is having a full end is a piss take.

Also we're spoiled now and guilty of turning up expecting to win easily and only crank up the volume against the other big clubs, over the top stewarding is another factor, the city square shite is another, all the meet and greet shit that goes on... Enjoy the game etc it's like Disneyland i think they call it match day experience or some shit ! ..

 

[crazyg]

I'm sure I read somewhere that when the premier league started the average age of a matchgoing fan was 24, it is now 42 and probably going to go even higher. It's the same everywhere and impacts on the atmosphere. The natural cycle for a young blue was get taken by your dad/grandad in the Platt Lane or North Stand until you hit teenage years then get cut loose with your mates on the Kippax. A load of young lads stood together every week generating noise and as paulchapo said you would drag your non blue mates along on the spur of the moment and they would love it. It's gone forever and I'm not sure what the answer is. Its a matchday experience now and not going the game with your mates. Going watching City away in the champions league is like going on a Saga holiday and that is worrying for the future.

Except Saga holidays are more expensive, but I take your point. I've only been to one in the past few years, at Barcelona, when we lost 2-1, but it wasn't the "oldies" who were throwing anything they could over fencing, that's for sure. It was just like going to an away match in the 60s and 70s - massive police presence, treated like cattle, inadequate facilities (yes, I DID piss in the sink!), missing the kick off because the gates weren't open - at the age (then) of 63, I thought "what's the fucking point, I'm too old for this shit".

I used to stand in the Kippax too, and start a lot of the songs/chants, but in those days it was clearly defined - the old 'uns sat in the Main Stand and left us to it to generate the atmosphere. Now I'm older (but still haven't grown up) I prefer to sit down rather than stand, which is why I'm in 304. I agree that the noise made currently could be a lot better, but with the Kippax it was all in one place - now it's spread into various sections around the ground, with the atmosphere being diluted to a large degree.

 

[peoffrey]

Going watching City away in the champions league is like going on a Saga holiday and that is worrying for the future.

I went to Sevilla and there were all ages there. Besides, Dad surely can't leave the young family on a regular basis when City have perhaps four European trips a season? I'm 35 btw.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

I'm sure I read somewhere that when the premier league started the average age of a matchgoing fan was 24, it is now 42 and probably going to go even higher. It's the same everywhere and impacts on the atmosphere. The natural cycle for a young blue was get taken by your dad/grandad in the Platt Lane or North Stand until you hit teenage years then get cut loose with your mates on the Kippax. A load of young lads stood together every week generating noise and as paulchapo said you would drag your non blue mates along on the spur of the moment and they would love it. It's gone forever and I'm not sure what the answer is. Its a matchday experience now and not going the game with your mates. Going watching City away in the champions league is like going on a Saga holiday and that is worrying for the future.

I remember looking at that 360-cam around the ground we did for the Barca match a couple of years ago and even in the "vocal" areas, there were noticeably very few medium to large groups of young blokes stood together. It's the same with our away support. Have a look tonight, and any CL night, at the away section and then have a look at any ground around Europe where they have a decent atmosphere in their main end; it'll be mainly blokes aged 20-35. Then look at us and even in what would be considered the proper end for vociferous home fans it's full of women kids and geeks and a hell of a lot of older blokes. Nowt against any of those people but they aren't the ones who will be starting off chants all game and keeping them going on and on, they just aren't those sorts of people (even if they always do join in with the songs we do get going). football has changed, and it's changed for good unless we sort out a proper big standing stand.