Has it disappointed you that were not expanding the stadium,

[inbetween]

The club almost definitely needs to look into a seat exchange system. Barcelona do it and they probably make millions just because of it.

For those that don't know, every Barcelona season ticket holder is able to register their seat on a system on a game by game basis basically telling the club they will not be turning up. That seat is then made available and sold on to for example a tourist at face value price which could be anything from 35 quid to 100 quid depending where your sat.

Don't quote me on this but their season ticket price for the next season is reduced slightly or they get a spendable sum returned somehow. Basically the incentive to tell the club you won't be attending is there and then the club sells that ticket on. It's pure profit.

Why we don't have a similar system with the empty seats you see in a so called 'sold out' game is a bit of a joke tbh. It's a massive revenue scheme that could be so easily implemented.

It has nothing to do with the empty seats looking better but rather making more money for the club for plain and simply filling a seat that would otherwise be empty due to non attendance.

 

[mancityvstoke]

what about all the seats that are empty due to doubling up in the standing areas? Many many seats are empty due to this.


Who gives a shit about empty fucking seats?

 

[JGL07]

Still haven"t sold out QPR yet,a possible title decider!

Amazing that. Especially as the seats will be on open sale later this week.

A total disgrace!

 

[JGL07]

City need to increase matchday income if they are to progress.

Liverpool, for example make far more on matchday income despite having a smaller capacity stadium.

That means either creating more corporate space and reducing the number of seats for sale and season tickets on offer. Then the price would be pushed up in much the same way as Chelsea have done in recent years. They may not be able to get away with £1,000 season tickets but it will go in that direction.

Alternatively by increasing capacity and marketing the extra seats available while expanding corporate space in parallel. This could mean that prices can remain low.

On the issue of empty seats for Cup and European matches, maybe smarter pricing would solve the problem. Arsenal dropped prices for the League Cup tie against City and sold over 60,000 tickets. I think City should have discounted tickets more for the Europa League matches and the home League Cup ties.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Surely there is a point... the installation of new corporate boxes and sales of them, which would increase matchday revenue significantly? We'd also fill the majority of a 55,000 seater for many of our games.

If we expand from 48k to 60k I'd guess at least half the increase would be for premium seats (boxes, hospitality, etc).

But we never sell out the corporate seats as it is, it winds me up how many empty seats there are in there.

In a few years time everyone who is anyone is going to want corporate facilities at The Etihad.

 

[LoveCity]

Aren't the corporate seats pre-sold anyway, regardless of whether they show up? Same with corporate boxes. United rarely fill their rented/sold corporate boxes either.

 

[foghorn]

Demand isnt high enough yet.

I agree think city should leave it until they have a waiting list for season ticket's. I got mine when we moved i couldn't get one at maine road, not that it stopped me going! I was on the list for well over a season. We need to make sure we have the demand first! Thank god we can't put a gene kelly up!!!

 

[Kenney_The_Blue]

Still haven"t sold out QPR yet,a possible title decider!

Amazing that. Especially as the seats will be on open sale later this week.

A total disgrace!

It will easily sell out, don't worry about that.

 

[King Of All Geordies]

I think the club are right not to rush into an expansion. Most of the league games have sold out, but a lot only just. We wouldn't fill a 60,000 seater at the moment.

 

[flipmode]

I think we will see an expanded Etihad Stadium, no doubt about that, but I would hazard a guess it wouldn't be until we have the new Training Complex linked by the bridge over Alan Turing Way. By that time, you'll have a working (or at least you'd hope so) Metrolink system that will increase the number of visitors to the area significantly. Add to that any other plans that might be afoot for the East Stand Car Park or the North Stand Car Park/Tennis Centre area of the site.

Couple that with one of the best training complex's in the world and there is no doubt in my mind that the Stadium would also reflect the status and vision that our owner and Chairman share.
I'd take a punt that in 5 years time, we'll have the best Stadium (expanded and looking a bit different) and the best training complex in the UK.