Football Tourism - Good, Bad or Indifferent?

[BosnianBlue]

Football is also 24/7 on tv these days and there is no thought given to the travelling fans, both home and away. At some point, all these things will brew up together and hit boiling point and what will remain after that, I don’t know.

It will change only if UK becomes economically a third or at least second world. Than you won't pack a stadium for home game, let alone away ones. Otherwise, one will quit and other will take his place.Match going is too big into British culture for that to ever change a long as some heavy economic shit doesn't hit the fan.

Football fans often think they are irreplaceable. They're not. Neither in this very particular moment and specially not in the future. And specially not if they are fans of big and successful club. Nobody gives a shit if you or some other guy is filling the seat and paying for it as long as it is filled and paid for. Would it be filled is regular thing to debate for, I don't know Bournemouth maybe. But it is not and never will be for Rags, Liverpools, Barcelonas, Madrids and hopefully Manchester Cities of this world.

You guys better start to deal with it. You can't watch Pep and KDB each week and moan about not paying at gates and have fans of Manchester postal code on the stadium like 30-40 years ago. It's bit too much to ask for and losing nerves over it is unhealthy. Football is business and you are customer. Very loyal one. Even If you stop going, someone else will come to your place. And you're still be one of 750 million of City fans in 20 years and the club will get good sponsorships because you're one of that number.

 

[Fordyboy46]

Hate the tourists, what they know about City could be written on the back of a postage stamp. Just another reason why I'm not nearly as passionate about the game nowadays compared to yesteryear.

 

[Corky]

It will change only if UK becomes economically a third or at least second world. Than you won't pack a stadium for home game, let alone away ones. Otherwise, one will quit and other will take his place.Match going is too big into British culture for that to ever change a long as some heavy economic shit doesn't hit the fan.

Football fans often think they are irreplaceable. They're not. Neither in this very particular moment and specially not in the future. And specially not if they are fans of big and successful club. Nobody gives a shit if you or some other guy is filling the seat and paying for it as long as it is filled and paid for. Would it be filled is regular thing to debate for, I don't know Bournemouth maybe. But it is not and never will be for Rags, Liverpools, Barcelonas, Madrids and hopefully Manchester Cities of this world.

You guys better start to deal with it. You can't watch Pep and KDB each week and moan about not paying at gates and have fans of Manchester postal code on the stadium like 30-40 years ago. It's bit too much to ask for and losing nerves over it is unhealthy. Football is business and you are customer. Very loyal one. Even If you stop going, someone else will come to your place. And you're still be one of 750 million of City fans in 20 years and the club will get good sponsorships because you're one of that number.

Sports can decline like speedway did. In 25 years no one will watch 11 aside football anymore as heading will be banned and it will be an indoor basketball type bollocks like in North America when 11 aside collapsed in the 1980s.

Cricket and Horse Racing have a far richer history here than football, and things will change again over time.

 

[BosnianBlue]

Sports can decline like speedway did. In 25 years no one will watch 11 aside football anymore as heading will be banned and it will be an indoor basketball type bollocks like in North America when 11 aside collapsed in the 1980s.

Cricket and Horse Racing have a far richer history here than football, and things will change again over time.

Not in my lifetime :)

Football is too big to fail.

 

[Marvin]

Hate the tourists, what they know about City could be written on the back of a postage stamp. Just another reason why I'm not nearly as passionate about the game nowadays compared to yesteryear.

Define tourist.

They are interested enough to go to the games.

As I have commented previously, there are probably less casual supporters at league games than ever before, and that goes for the entire Premier League because of the growth in season-ticket holder numbers throughout the Premier League.

When I first got my season ticket, the majority of people paid on the day. Nowadays the vast majority go to all the home league games. Huge change.

Where we do have "tourists" are in the Cup games. Perhaps we notice them now because we're all used to sitting next to the same people game after game. My entire block is season-ticket only. And it was the same in the block I moved from. However, on Cup night I notice a lot of different people.

Perhaps people associate this influx of new faces with the poor atmosphere on Cup nights and hence they blame them but if they didn't show, there'd be empty seats.

There'd be uproar if City did as Man Utd do and force their season-ticket holders to go to the Cup games.

I think it is healthy that when seasoncard holders don't show, that there are lots of casual supporters ready to take their place.

 

[cjn]

Define tourist.

They are interested enough to go to the games.

As I have commented previously, there are probably less casual supporters at league games than ever before, and that goes for the entire Premier League because of the growth in season-ticket holder numbers throughout the Premier League.

When I first got my season ticket, the majority of people paid on the day. Nowadays the vast majority go to all the home league games. Huge change.

Where we do have "tourists" are in the Cup games. Perhaps we notice them now because we're all used to sitting next to the same people game after game. My entire block is season-ticket only. And it was the same in the block I moved from. However, on Cup night I notice a lot of different people.

Perhaps people associate this influx of new faces with the poor atmosphere on Cup nights and hence they blame them but if they didn't show, there'd be empty seats.

There'd be uproar if City did as Man Utd do and force their season-ticket holders to go to the Cup games.

I think it is healthy that when seasoncard holders don't show, that there are lots of casual supporters ready to take their place.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Most of the people whining about this stuff would only be satisfied if the club catered to their very specific personal interests, and if ticket prices were the same as they were in 1985. Hate tourists, but love the money the club brings in from being a global brand. Would definitely hate being forced to go to every game but also hate when people say we have empty seats or no atmosphere. Hate when people say we have a smaller or an older fanbase, but also hate it when the club tries to grow it or makes it easier for younger blues to actually get tickets because they've been going for 25 years.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

ill be honest i don't like being surrounded by tourists at certain games and i reckon its one of the main reasons lots of our fans avoid champions league games. a lot of these people wouldnt be going to any of our games if we were shite.

id also say this hasn't hasn't been a gradual change in our match going fan base. as recent as pellegrini i was surrounded by long standing blues. Ive noticed this season more then any other, lots of tourists. 2 reasons for that in my opinion

stadium expansion - lots of blues can't afford it anymore and moved into ss3 and new season ticket holders didnt replace them in level 1
Club policy- the club are selling/giving tickets to groups of tourists. about ten indian people were sat behind me the other day- i couldnt get/buy that many tickets together.

we had a situation the other day in the east stand where wolves scored the second and literally rows of people got up and started filming them, looking happy and some even celebrating. it was wrong and just bizarre. these people are not city fans in my opinion and they were getting told off by lots of blues. at least show support for us - if you come to the game.

SS3 is what most of the ground was like only a few years ago. sensible pricing is what helps and the tourists wouldn't be an issue as everyone would have the opportunity to go to games then - locals and tourists. right now it feels like the club only care about tourists and rinsing people of money ( tunnel club, rows of people with united bags....)

 

[eyalluvitt]

My American workmate is heading to London over Xmas with his family and wants to take in any soccer game in the capital.I obviously gave him lots of info on how to get tickets for the jolly old Millwall franchise

 

[cyberblue]

ill be honest i don't like being surrounded by tourists at certain games and i reckon its one of the main reasons lots of our fans avoid champions league games. a lot of these people wouldnt be going to any of our games if we were shite.

id also say this hasn't hasn't been a gradual change in our match going fan base. as recent as pellegrini i was surrounded by long standing blues. Ive noticed this season more then any other, lots of tourists. 2 reasons for that in my opinion

stadium expansion - lots of blues can't afford it anymore and moved into ss3 and new season ticket holders didnt replace them in level 1
Club policy- the club are selling/giving tickets to groups of tourists. about ten indian people were sat behind me the other day- i couldnt get/buy that many tickets together.

we had a situation the other day in the east stand where wolves scored the second and literally rows of people got up and started filming them, looking happy and some even celebrating. it was wrong and just bizarre. these people are not city fans in my opinion and they were getting told off by lots of blues. at least show support for us - if you come to the game.

SS3 is what most of the ground was like only a few years ago. sensible pricing is what helps and the tourists wouldn't be an issue as everyone would have the opportunity to go to games then - locals and tourists. right now it feels like the club only care about tourists and rinsing people of money ( tunnel club, rows of people with united bags....)

If these "tourists" didnt go the seats would be empty

 

[edinburgh123]

If part of our precious away allocation goes to large groups of non-City fans then it's a problem. But no harm at all in visitors to the Etihad wanting to see a great team in action. I'm sure there are plenty on here who've taken in a game at the Camp Nou while on holiday in Barcelona and why wouldn't you?

Because the Camp Nou is an absolute shit hole that would be condemned in England. And cos if I want to watch football players that appear 2 inches tall through glass in the rain I may as well shove my Tv In the garden rather than travel to Barcelona