Help & Info: In and around the COMS

[MattRGF]

Just noticed the LIverpool mention , I have no idea why you would want to visit there . It looked better after you bombed it !

Well I follow Liverpool in the Prem (don't kill me!) and plus there's lots of friends that will wanna see Anfield, take pics and such.

Oh, and if you want to go to Liverpool, the station you need is Manchester Victoria.
If you need to go to Leeds or London, it's Manchester Piccadilly.

I said this in case you need to land in airports other than Manchester!

Thanks for the info. I'll be travelling over by coach, but I'll pass that tidbit on to friends who are flying over :-)

 

[Halfpenny]

Thanks for the responses guys, great stuff.

Yeah a mate has already suggested that we're better off just walking to the city center, staying there for the afternoon and then walking back.

We're usually loud and noisy, but respectful. We have got "ultras", I guess but their main perogative is to sing as many songs as possible and just be fanatic, not the "looking for trouble" ultras, ya now - just like any other away game. Usually we have some kinda display for away games, with the pieces of paper and placards and stuff. Last time in Nijmegen it just showed our club colours. In Prague, we set off pyros and fire sticks, something that I know we dare won't try because it's England and it's practically unheard of to do such a thing. At least I don't think so anyway.

There might also be some "you're shit and you know you are" and "you only sing when you're winning" chants from our direction. Nothing personal, just a bit of banter and fun :-D

As far as I know, 3,000 tickets are available for us lot. Could be more but then I don't know the exact allocation :-)

Knowing our lot it'll be 'if you can't talk proper shut your mouth'. Irony intended. :P
I hope you take your full allocation, if you do it'll be great fun. I stand in block 110, which is to the right of your section, and it's always the best atmosphere when you sell out.

 

[goat boy]

Wow, that's a lot to go at! ;)

Firstly, this might be of some help:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&s...05935&sspn=0.012693,0.054932&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=14

If you're coming into Manchester from the airport or otherwise by train, you'll end up at Piccadily station. It's walkable, or black cab taxis are readily available if you need them. As you can see, you're in the City centre, and takeaways, hotels, pubs etc number in the hundreds, within walking distance. It's a provincial capital city, the centre is large and fairly cosmopolitan. Pubs near the ground tend to be for home support, though as I generally drive to games I can't say I've been in all that many of them, hopefully another poster will help.

Away fans get 6 blocks in the south stand, towards the south east corner, 3 blocks over the two tiers, for PL- UEFA rules may be different. You're well segregated from the home supporters, the most vocal of which is sitting/ standing either side of you. The south stand is at the far end from the club shop, and since it's quite hard to differentiate in the pics, it's the far end from the emergency tunnel, and as the players emerge from under the Colin Bell (west) stand you'll be off on the right hand side. There are two large video-wall type scoreboards in oppositie corners of the ground. Theres one above you to your right, as you sit in your seat, and the one in the far corner is big enough to see. Line ups are announced twice, half an hour then 5 minutes before kick off. Replays of goals and near-misses is usual. I don't think there's any 'cloak room' facility available, unfortunately.

I'd say the stewarding is fair minded and reasonable. You'll find City fans, and Mancunians in general, to be very hospitable and friendly. City do have a trouble causing element in the fan base, but not a large one. 'Problem' fans have generally long ago been identified and long since banned from the stadium and it's vicinty, but as you might imagine there's nothing stopping that sort of person from milling around in town. UEFA ban alcohol sales for matches in their competitions, in England if not elsewhere in Europe. Instant brownie points will be awarded to any German visitor asking anyone seen wearing a rag (scum) shirt to 'fuck off back to London' ;)

As regard cameras, I'm not sure what the guidance is. You won't have any trouble with a little compact or, of course, your camera-phone. Strictly speaking, I think photography is a no-no, but I think it'd be fair to say that it's never stopped anyone taking a few pics for throwing on facebook.

Cold hard cash will be fine, or even warm foldable cash, if required. ;) I think they trialled a smart card scheme- it might even still be in use- but I don't think any such facility exists for away fans. Food (and drink) is ridiculously overpriced but generally edible, but there again, going off what I read on here it seems to vary in quality depending on whereabouts you are in the ground.

Don't bother with Liverpool, it's full of orange fake tanned bleached blonde women with dodgy accents ;)

Hope this helps. Enjoy your visit, but not too much ;D

 

[manchester blue]

Regards flares and firecrackers a big no in UK. Look really good but, as previoulsy said, bags will be searched and you will probably be refused entrance if caught and almost certainly ejected if spotted inside. Very, very rarely seen over here. And there is no smoking inside the stadium, another way of getting yourself ejected.

 

[MattRGF]

Some more great info, thanks guys.

I meant to ask it is the same for the non-alcoholic beer in UEFA Competitions over here. I guess its the standard law these days.

No-smoking I meant to ask about but forgot. So thanks to manchesterblue for clearing that up :-)

Looking forward to having a good fry-up and good burger though :-D (not at the same time though, obviously!)

I hope I can take my camera into the stadium (it's a Sony Cybershot DSC H2 one, for anybody that can tell me for sure). I'm a photographer for the HSV Supporters Club and pics of the game itself and of the fans is important! :-)

 

[anyoneforacuppa]

Some more great info, thanks guys.

I meant to ask it is the same for the non-alcoholic beer in UEFA Competitions over here. I guess its the standard law these days.

Yeah, but there's no beer at all inside the stadium on UEFA nights. Best off drinking in City Centre like other people have said

No-smoking I meant to ask about but forgot. So thanks to manchesterblue for clearing that up :-)

Looking forward to having a good fry-up and good burger though :-D (not at the same time though, obviously!)

I hope I can take my camera into the stadium (it's a Sony Cybershot DSC H2 one, for anybody that can tell me for sure). I'm a photographer for the HSV Supporters Club and pics of the game itself and of the fans is important! :-)

No-one seems to know for sure on this one! Sometimes, I take a Kodak Flip Camera (don't know what the model number is) and it's ok. Looking at your camera on Google, you should be fine taking it

Have a nice night (apart from the result xD)

 

[Corky]

In England it seems like 90% of the time Away fans will get frisked but home fans won't.

 

[Trigger]

Some more great info, thanks guys.

I meant to ask it is the same for the non-alcoholic beer in UEFA Competitions over here. I guess its the standard law these days.

No-smoking I meant to ask about but forgot. So thanks to manchesterblue for clearing that up :-)

Looking forward to having a good fry-up and good burger though :-D (not at the same time though, obviously!)

I hope I can take my camera into the stadium (it's a Sony Cybershot DSC H2 one, for anybody that can tell me for sure). I'm a photographer for the HSV Supporters Club and pics of the game itself and of the fans is important! :-)

Hi Matt I am a City steward, you will be searched all away fan are. As for your camera you will have no problem with it, the cameras that are banned are the professional type ones with the long lens due to copyright laws. (hope you get some good shots from the South stand of Bellamy scoring a few) ;)

 

[M35 Blue]

Some more great info, thanks guys.

I meant to ask it is the same for the non-alcoholic beer in UEFA Competitions over here. I guess its the standard law these days.

No-smoking I meant to ask about but forgot. So thanks to manchesterblue for clearing that up :-)

Looking forward to having a good fry-up and good burger though :-D (not at the same time though, obviously!)

I hope I can take my camera into the stadium (it's a Sony Cybershot DSC H2 one, for anybody that can tell me for sure). I'm a photographer for the HSV Supporters Club and pics of the game itself and of the fans is important! :-)

Guy called Trigger on this site mate is a steward at City, send him a PM he should be able to clarify for you.

Looking forward to you lot coming over. Should be a great night.

 

[pedigreeblue]

Pubs , shops , takeaways, ..think this has been covered , but ill add that our takeaway burgers and especially sausages are nothing like as good as you get in Germany however the fish ,chips and mushy peas are highly recommended.

You will get searched coming in the ground, anyone with a flare will probably find themselves locked up. Technically you are not allowed cameras in the ground but a blind eye is turned, ive sat in the ground with a pro camera with zoom lense and only once had problems with a over zealous steward who told me my camera was 'too big'.

Id say the walk to the ground from Piccadilly station is nearer 30 mins than 15mins.

You may want to look on <a class="postlink" href="http://www.virgin.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.virgin.co.uk</a> for train ticket prices, generally its cheaper for longer journies to book a few days in advance.

As for fan safety, id say the English fan is similar to the German, most like a good drink and a laugh, but you do get a small minority who will look for trouble. The welcome our fans get in Hamburg will also be refelcted in the welcome you will receive when you come here.