Etihad Campus, Stadium and Collar Site Development Thread

[Lavinda Past]

There's more to it than that. Firstly we can give someone 1/19th of their seasoncard cost back and sell the seats at full price. Most of the seats unsold yesterday will have been single seats, which are no use to someone wanting to take their kid or kids to a game maybe for the first time. Those people could well be our future seasoncard holders.

I started by nagging my dad, who took us to a few games to start with in the 1960's, then we got season tickets in the early 70's. Going to those few games made us fans for life. Not having seats available for sale, just because people can't be arsed listing them, stops these people attending.And it's not just seats they but but merchandise and refreshments.

It's a different world Colin.
You're more likely to see grown men nagging their kids to come to the game now.

We had few distractions when we were kids. We lived in poorly heated houses, didn't have a TV, and those who did only had two channels on a 12" screen. There was no football on other than cup finals, and watching Flash Gordon/The Lone Ranger at the local fleapit on a Saturday morning was the highlight of most weeks.
Kids have easy access to an almost infinite number of tech items, 60" TVs, wall to wall sports, films, games... use of most of which will be shared with parents.

Despite all the hype around it, actually attending a football match is nowhere near as attractive to children as playing computer games.

Having raised two sons over the last 30 years, my own experience is that only one of them still has any interest in watching football. Furthermore, very few of their old schoolfriends have any more than a passing interest in football.
My youngest lad has been a season card holder for years... at my expense. He couldn't afford one on his own money and has far more important things to spend on.
In effect, if I don't go to the games, he won't go either. When I stop, it's two seats up for grabs, as he'll most likely just watch games via TV and streams.

The thing is that kids grow out of interests quickly when something new appears. They're excited and overwhelmed when they first go to a match but that doesn't last for ever. They get fed up and distracted, no matter how much the parent tries to keep them on the game.

Kids get more mental stimulation nowadays. The excitement of a football match can't compete with fast moving computer games.

if I had a quid for every child I've seen playing on a mobile phone throughout matches, I'd be a Tunnel Club regular.

 

[remember arthur mann]

Amanda Stavelely with a chequered business past and Prince Andrew connections was also involved. The Geordies have her to look forward to now.

​

 

[plattlanebenches]

It's a different world Colin.
You're more likely to see grown men nagging their kids to come to the game now.

We had few distractions when we were kids. We lived in poorly heated houses, didn't have a TV, and those who did only had two channels on a 12" screen. There was no football on other than cup finals, and watching Flash Gordon/The Lone Ranger at the local fleapit on a Saturday morning was the highlight of most weeks.
Kids have easy access to an almost infinite number of tech items, 60" TVs, wall to wall sports, films, games... use of most of which will be shared with parents.

Despite all the hype around it, actually attending a football match is nowhere near as attractive to children as playing computer games.

Having raised two sons over the last 30 years, my own experience is that only one of them still has any interest in watching football. Furthermore, very few of their old schoolfriends have any more than a passing interest in football.
My youngest lad has been a season card holder for years... at my expense. He couldn't afford one on his own money and has far more important things to spend on.
In effect, if I don't go to the games, he won't go either. When I stop, it's two seats up for grabs, as he'll most likely just watch games via TV and streams.

The thing is that kids grow out of interests quickly when something new appears. They're excited and overwhelmed when they first go to a match but that doesn't last for ever. They get fed up and distracted, no matter how much the parent tries to keep them on the game.

Kids get more mental stimulation nowadays. The excitement of a football match can't compete with fast moving computer games.

if I had a quid for every child I've seen playing on a mobile phone throughout matches, I'd be a Tunnel Club regular.

Spot on. Growing up in the 60’s, 70’s I’d say 75-80% of kids (mainly boys) were football mad. Now as you say too many other things to take their attention.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Well if you apply the same logic to the “pre-prepared script” that Khaldoon has been reading from for the last 12 years, he’s repeatedly and deliberately pointed out that the club is owned by Sheikh Mansour and that he’s working on his his behalf, not the country’s.

“Soft Power” is quite a loose term, I’d have to understand your definition to consider whether I think it applies.

Has City been used to promote visibility of Abu Dhabi as a place to do business and visit? Absolutely.

Has City been used as a political tool for Abu Dhabi to gain leverage for political and human rights misdeeds? Not really. If anything, it’s highlighted those misdeeds and put them under more pressure if anything.

There is a huge difference between investing in football to generate wealth and at the same time increase awareness of Abu Dhabi as a place and so called "sportswashing." Every business in Abu Dhabi (and the Gulf region) is in a race to diversify their portfolios away from dependency on dwindling fossil fuels. There is no reason why they can't do that and at the same time extend their influence (or enhance their soft power whatever that means).

 

[Corky]

Spot on. Growing up in the 60’s, 70’s I’d say 75-80% of kids (mainly boys) were football mad. Now as you say too many other things to take their attention.

20k on the speedway just shows there was fuck all to do.

 

[Corky]

Let's not forget that it was Staveley who acted for Sheikh Mansour when ADUG were negotiating the deal to buy us in 2008 thereby earning her a tidy £10m in commission. In fairness, that didn't turn out too bad for us.

That is why I mentioned he with the other character, and she had tried the same with Liverpool.

 

[worsleyweb]

Spot on. Growing up in the 60’s, 70’s I’d say 75-80% of kids (mainly boys) were football mad. Now as you say too many other things to take their attention.

Cant get my lad into city at all. At his age I had been to about 30 aways.

 

[plattlanebenches]

Cant get my lad into city at all. At his age I had been to about 30 aways.

Same. My son came to a few games when he was 7 or 8 and then just lost interest.

 

[blue for life]

Same. My son came to a few games when he was 7 or 8 and then just lost interest.

My 14 year old not interested. Also my 32 year old into rugby Union too. He has never been into football

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Same. My son came to a few games when he was 7 or 8 and then just lost interest.

There’s a fella who used to sit near me who took his Son home away everywhere from being young, son must have had loads of loyalty points… he got to 18 and told his Dad he’d never really been into football and just liked spending time with his Dad, and he stopped going.