IF WE GET THROUGH...

[Balti]

As for the OP and what would have made me go to the games that I have missed:

* If it was free for ST holders then I would deffo go
* If the crowds were bigger and it was not on TV then I would probably pay to go depending on the opposition but not £20 (because the cost does not end there)
* If it was a knock-out comp and not two legs then I would be far more likely to go
* If it was a 'normal' cup comp with as many rounds as the FA Cup then I would I would be far more likely to go
* Extra loyalty points would probably encourage me
* If City developed a more consistent Cup record that too would probably encourage me more

I will still go to many cup matches but not all. Domestic life can sometimes intervene and if it's a choice between missing a meaningless cup tie against TNS for example or a quality Prem game that I've already paid for up front, then it's no contest.

And if that makes me a part-timer so be it. I've done my stint of not missing a game in several seasons. I'm not hung up on that anymore although I do attend every league home game and some aways. And if we get to a final I won't feel remotely guilty that I want a ticket as my investment in the club in terms of emotion, time and hard cash is greater than most whether they choose to attend every UEFA game or not.

There are many like me and I don't see that some relative newcomer who chooses to attend every UEFA game should get any priority for a Cup Final ticket when that glorious day finally comes.

I hope to god that we are still having this debate come May.

 

[xmusampa]

i think everybody has ther own reasons which are equally justified .From my own point of view i love playing /watching football perse.nothing beats watching city though and it gets to me if i miss any game.however this can be by attending games,sat in front of tv/pc or in pub as long as its live.its just a different perspective although i would opt for attending game every time if i had only myself to consider..i think those who think just because they attend every game are better fans than others just need to grow up.
factors that would prevent me going in no specific order are :-

1. cost - ticket ,parking,petrol,beer ,sweets,additional cost of kids /wife tagging along,merchandise.
2. work commitments - yes some of us have to go to work
3. sometimes if its on telly i opt to miss to save money/spend time with family
4.i loved turning up for games without all the military operation of having to book tickets in advance
5. i play football during the week and would not give this up for anything especially when one of our prima donnas has got to me due to their antics on and off the field.i think i can still watch my team without giving some of my money to some lazy,spoilt tart when i would have given my arm to be talented enough to kick a ball around for a living.
6.sometimes if you get near knobheads you think i could be sat at home in comfort without all this hastle and no effort on my part.
7.watching city for years and going week in week out gets repetetive so prefer to save money to go to away games were there is more atmosphere and change of scenery .it all adds to the excitement of the day.went schalke and it was fantastic.looking to go qf away as long as its mainland europe.
8.tv is a big reason as it involves no cost or effort,no grief from mrs,no people coming in 10 mins late,leavin 10 mins early,gettin in the way to go for pi55 and buy pi55y beer

 

[pissedagain]

message for mr cook....let the kids in the early rounds in for a £1 and you would find a much bigger crowd and it would help the clubs profile as well...the few times that john wardle tried this proved it can work

 

[salfordblues]

Its not just the UEFA cup its cup games in general.
Has been since we moved into this stadium.
The game against West Ham in the FA cup quarters 3 years ago when SP was in charge we only managed 33000 and i think there was 4-5000 West ham fans who was there.
A lot of season ticket holders are not prepared to either go to the ground, Phone the T/O etc to pay/book.

We got nearly 40 000 for the west ham it wasnt an appaling attendance considering it was on bbc 1


and the following year we took nearly 8000 to Blackburn away in the sam round of the cup

 

[Dubai Blue]

The suggestions about simplifying/explaining the ticket process would be extremely helpful. For those of us who go often, it's a piece of piss, but imagine a newby coming on here and asking what the process is. By the time it's been explained to him, he's most likely thinking fuck it, I'll go to the pub and watch it there. It sounds quite daunting if you don't know how it works, so better communication on that would help.

As for incentivising people:

1. Max prices for ALL UEFA games should be: £12 Adults, £5 OAPs/Unemployed/Students, £1 Kids
2. 30 loyalty points per game
3. Go to all (or a certain percentage) of home games throughout a campaign (however long it lasts), get a voucher for a free replica shirt for the following season.
4. As above, and get invited to a Q&A session with the players at the end of the season.
5. Non-seaon ticket holders with stubs for each home game entered into a ballot for 150 Final tickets (if we get there).
6. Go to every game, get entered into a raffle for a VIP trip for two to join the first-team squad on their Summer tour.
7. Buy a home UEFA Cup ticket, get a ticket to watch a first-team training session at COMS (they could hold one there each month).
8. Got to every UEFA home game, get an extra 10% discount on the following year's season ticket.
etc
etc

At first glance, cancelling the TV deal would appear to be a good thing to do. But by doing that, you're punishing people who can't get to the stadium rather than rewarding those who can.

For far too long, football clubs have simply relied on loyalty to generate demand. Sorry for saying this phrase cos I hate it, but it's time they started to think outside the box a bit more. There are lots of ways to generate interest; they just need to use their imaginations.

 

[NPBlue]

I've not been to all the games as I work shifts, and I only take the day off work to watch league games.

On a couple of occasions I have tried to buy a ticket online but have given up out of sheer frustration. For some reason, I have been unable to buy any ticket online this season, but it has never been a problem in the past.The only reason I went to the Aarlborg game was because I went to the ticket office before the Villa match.

Yes, on those occasions I gave up trying to buy a ticket online I could have 'phoned the ticket office, but I could'nt be bothered, in all honesty. The games were on telly, and I was happy with that.

I think if the games were not being shown on TV, I would have made the effort to go, but even then, I would still have missed some of them because of work.

If we get through to the final, City's allocation would be 11,000 tickets. The club will be keeping some for themselves and sponsors, so that leaves, say, 10,000 left for the like of you and me. I have about 2,700 points, so I am not expecting to be going to Istanbul.

 

[whitefield_blue]

money plain and simple. I have been to all the home games and schalke away but i cant see me going to another away eurp game unless its the final. The credit crunch is real people its not just a nasty rumour that might happen ;)

 

[liamctid]

BUMP.

So, the club have reduced the prices to 5 pounds from the start date, with kids for a quid.

I personally believe this is a great idea from the club.

So those that haven't been going to some of the Uefa games (this isn't a dig) will you now be going because of the following factors;

- Cheap tickets
- Quality opposition
- Half term (I read somewhere)

Or is there still issues which will not make you attend?