Is the Family Stand fit for Purpose?

[bluemoon98]

From what I've seen, it's not the odd midweek game. We should have a family stand, but not behind the goal. Also, what a shite view for kids, I'm sure they'll miss everything that goes on beyond the halfway line - not surprised that some kids maybe can't be arsed some weeks. They should be given a section on Level 3.

A dad who brings his 3 kids a few seats next to me one of them must only be about 7-8. after the halfway line he sits on his chair and puts his head on his knee and watches the screen! Spends most of the game shouting out the scores of the other games as they come through on the electronic things in level 2.


Tbf I have to look at the screen to see where we are as I always think we are close to the opponents penalty box than we actually are (my eyeline is directly at the crossbar of the family stand goal)

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

You are correct, the club reserve a lot of seats in this stand for the cumunity, sports clubs, player escorts families ect, So it's not the families not turning up why there are lots of empty seats (although as in all areas there will be people missing matches for what ever reason)

Iv has the displeasure of sitting there level one and iv got to say the view is horrendous.

Which is why we should stick the away fans there.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

That's where you are wrong there, I know someone who works in the ticket dept, and the club are not keen on so many empty seats, that's why they are selling cheaper tickets for these sort of games and the cup semi final, the club are trying to get those seats filled, they DO want people to come. I wouldn't say they are embarrassed they just want to get as many people supporting City as possible, isn't a crowd supposed to be the 12th man .

They should do something about it then if they are bothered so much. £20 tickets are a good idea although reading another thread it seems to piss off a lot of people who have bought ST averaging £35 plus a game. Doesn't bother me that one so good idea but seems to have a limited appeal as if it didn't we would have many more at capital one cup games than we do.

The best idea I read on here would be free upgrades on kids tickets for night matches which they could easily do. However if they do that they may lose revenue on the £20 tickets they are trying to sell. I guess it's the constant revenue v empty seats debate and revenue tends to win the day as it would at most businesses. Unfortunately that's what clubs are now, businesses. I think it puts some fans off as mentioned by a few in the disconnect thread.

We seem to have a limit to the demand for night matches in particular. They aren't very appealing are they let's face it. Work all day then battle through what has to be the worst city for traffic in the Uk currently to then get home at 11pm plus for most people. If I had a six year old kid they wouldn't be coming to night matches hence all the empty seats.

The fans are rarely the 12th man at our ground.

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

They should do something about it then if they are bothered so much. £20 tickets are a good idea although reading another thread it seems to piss off a lot of people who have bought ST averaging £35 plus a game. Doesn't bother me that one so good idea but seems to have a limited appeal as if it didn't we would have many more at capital one cup games than we do.

The best idea I read on here would be free upgrades on kids tickets for night matches which they could easily do. However if they do that they may lose revenue on the £20 tickets they are trying to sell. I guess it's the constant revenue v empty seats debate and revenue tends to win the day as it would at most businesses. Unfortunately that's what clubs are now, businesses. I think it puts some fans off as mentioned by a few in the disconnect thread.

We seem to have a limit to the demand for night matches in particular. They aren't very appealing are they let's face it. Work all day then battle through what has to be the worst city for traffic in the Uk currently to then get home at 11pm plus for most people. If I had a six year old kid they wouldn't be coming to night matches hence all the empty seats.

The fans are rarely the 12th man at our ground.

Great post.

 

[CTID96]

I really don't understand why there has to be a family stand. And regarding midweek games, surely you can let your child have a late night every now and then fucking hell.

 

[RichardDunneOwnGoal]

Absolute joke that it was extended to encompass the north stand lower circa 2010.

There was never the demand to have a family stand that large, there simply isn't enough people with kids who want to sit there or are willing to relocate from existing areas to be in there.

And if you don't meet the child in tow criteria you can't even buy a ticket in there. It's proven an absolute failure, and it was something that was easily predictable from the very outset.

All it managed to do was alienate the existing blues in there that had to relocate, and ensure that it'll rarely ever be full again.

Very few people want to sit in an enormous sanitised creche, children included. That's not how you get the bug.

It's painful that it's the entire goal end of our stadium, harmed the atmosphere as well.

There's so little demand for the family stand that the club even snipped off the two bottom blocks furthest East and West and amalgamated them into the East and Colin Bell stand respectively - and it still hasn't solved the lack of demand in the Family Stand and filled it even though it's now smaller than it used to be.

Then you have the club selling a large swathe of seats to one part of it to different groups/organisations every game - youth football teams from foreign countries etc. Today there was a big group of Spanish kids who were repeatedly trying to start a Mexian wave. Leaving this utterly bizarre spectacle of a small corner of the North stand decked out in red track suits, completely distinct from the rest of the block (even the entire ground), doing their own Mexican wave and the rest of the, intermittently full, Family Stand largely ignoring them.

Complete shambles.

Hope we do get a large single second tier type kop when the North stand is eventually extended, like that old rumour suggested, because that goal end certainly fucking needs it.

 

[bzekosilva]

The family stand should be now 110 111 all the tiny tots seem to be in these blocks now we stand in 110 but get bollocked by parents cause their kids who are standing on the chairs behind us can't see Yesterday the lad behind me was getting an earful off the guy next to him as he was facing the goal second half because his kids couldn't see over his shoulders haha

 

[blueraid]

The thought of a football club trying to encourage more kids to watch them, having tickets available to offer youth teams in the north west and building relationships with foreign groups of kids makes me sick! There were plenty of empty seats in south stand yesterday from where I was sat, and plenty of empty seats in the Colin bell stand tier 3 against Sunderland when I sat there... It's only worth, constantly moaning, winging, grumbling about it if that was the only place.. It isn't.

 

[cityjg16]

For one, I think it's very fair to say the family stand is too big, and a bit rubbish to be fair. As a kid you shouldn't need playstations in the stand and a load of other stuff to get a buzz for football. It's practically a nursery in the concourse there.

Then you have the vast amount of empty seats and distinct lack of atmosphere that is painful to have a view of from 114. Everyone looks to SS and East Corner expecting atmosphere and moaning when in reality we do sing all the time, the reason there is no atmosphere is that it does not spread. I remember the north stand (and others don't get me wrong) used to get involved. But I feel a reason for that not being like it is anymore is that we have a playschool at one end with empty seats (mainly season card holders not turning up) and a load of foreign school.

We have a cup semi final coming up and the whole of family stand lower is green availability. The best games as a kid for me were the midweek ones, and this is a SEMI FINAL. As 9 year olds most of us could only dream of seeing City in a semi final and now we have an empty family stand because "they have school in the morning". People have gone soft!

This family stand has been rubbish for years and needs sorting out.

 

[Manncity]

I sit level 2,front row family stand,great seats.
I agree with all the posts that the family stand needs to be re invented,for a start every junior season ticket should be the same price in any part of level 1+ level 3.
Might not be popular but I feel lucky having these seats,there's a lot more adults than kids in level 2 a lot more.