My response to Scholes and co

[Shirley]

Excellent article which all genuine football fans can grasp but I doubt rag hacks like Jamie Jackson will ever acknowledge (this is one of his observations from the Bayern game).


3) The Etihad still slumbers

Boos met the Uefa anthem because of a crowd ban at CSKA Moscow that cost City fans the opportunity to attend, but noise levels thereafter continued to be patchy.

The 37,509 who witnessed City’s 1-1 draw with Roma illustrated the priorities of supporters and set alarm bells ringing at the club. To have north of 9,000 seats empty hardly fits with the hierarchy’s ambition of to add European domination to domestic ascendancy.

Thus the two-for-one offer for CSKA Moscow’s visit earlier this month that ensured a sell-out.

Beforehand Pellegrini pleaded with the congregation: “I am sure you will raise the roof – so we will see what happens.”

What occurred was the mere deepening of the sense that European nights here are yet to properly catch fire.

The attendance was 44,502, but that doesn't fit with Jacksons agenda. He's supposed to be the Manchester football correspondent. What that really means is he's the Manchester United football correspondent and therefore will take any and every opportunity to have a pop at us.
He's a fucking cockroach, he was on talkshite after we'd won and did nothing but slag us off.
Most football hacks are slimy, back stabbing, one eyed c**ts. If you classed him as the same, you'd be doing slimy, back stabbing, one eyed c**ts a disservice.
In a profession filled with cockroaches and utter turds, he manages to scuttle about and stink the place up even more.
Fuck Jamie Jackson, I hope his arse gets blisters the size of tennis balls and he shits hedgehogs for the next 20 years.

Along with Ogden the two biggest arse licking rags out there.

I hope their nuts shrivel up and drop off.

 

[Scareye]

Great piece that mate.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

Excellent article which all genuine football fans can grasp but I doubt rag hacks like Jamie Jackson will ever acknowledge (this is one of his observations from the Bayern game).


3) The Etihad still slumbers

Boos met the Uefa anthem because of a crowd ban at CSKA Moscow that cost City fans the opportunity to attend, but noise levels thereafter continued to be patchy.

The 37,509 who witnessed City’s 1-1 draw with Roma illustrated the priorities of supporters and set alarm bells ringing at the club. To have north of 9,000 seats empty hardly fits with the hierarchy’s ambition of to add European domination to domestic ascendancy.

Thus the two-for-one offer for CSKA Moscow’s visit earlier this month that ensured a sell-out.

Beforehand Pellegrini pleaded with the congregation: “I am sure you will raise the roof – so we will see what happens.”

What occurred was the mere deepening of the sense that European nights here are yet to properly catch fire.

The attendance was 44,502, but that doesn't fit with Jacksons agenda. He's supposed to be the Manchester football correspondent. What that really means is he's the Manchester United football correspondent and therefore will take any and every opportunity to have a pop at us.
He's a fucking cockroach, he was on talkshite after we'd won and did nothing but slag us off.
Most football hacks are slimy, back stabbing, one eyed c**ts. If you classed him as the same, you'd be doing slimy, back stabbing, one eyed c**ts a disservice.
In a profession filled with cockroaches and utter turds, he manages to scuttle about and stink the place up even more.
Fuck Jamie Jackson, I hope his arse gets blisters the size of tennis balls and he shits hedgehogs for the next 20 years.

The attendance for Roma was 37509. But then the attendance for Newcastle in the early round FL Cup game was 40752 and that was a far less important game in a competition Ferran Soriano didn't even include in his "five trophies in five years" but it was priced at £15 which further backs up Lucky's article.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Great piece, LT.

Unlike some I don't think most of the changes to top flight football in England in the last 22 years have been bad. It's worth making the point that prior to the Sky money, when the relative cost of going to games was much less, attendances of 25,000 at clubs like Villa (and City) were routine. That said, the cost of attending matches today is scandalous and no real fan wants to see the 'match going experience' become even more sanitised. I sense we're at a genuine tipping point in relation to this. It can't be right that people are having to make such stark choices about continuing to do something they've done for most of their lives.

I hope this article provides some forward momentum to start getting ticket prices down. Enough is enough.

 

[BlueRockape]

Fantastic
Anyone sent this to Villa I am sure they will appreciate it

 

[Marvin]

Excellent article which all genuine football fans can grasp but I doubt rag hacks like Jamie Jackson will ever acknowledge (this is one of his observations from the Bayern game).


3) The Etihad still slumbers

Boos met the Uefa anthem because of a crowd ban at CSKA Moscow that cost City fans the opportunity to attend, but noise levels thereafter continued to be patchy.

The 37,509 who witnessed City’s 1-1 draw with Roma illustrated the priorities of supporters and set alarm bells ringing at the club. To have north of 9,000 seats empty hardly fits with the hierarchy’s ambition of to add European domination to domestic ascendancy.

Thus the two-for-one offer for CSKA Moscow’s visit earlier this month that ensured a sell-out.

Beforehand Pellegrini pleaded with the congregation: “I am sure you will raise the roof – so we will see what happens.”

What occurred was the mere deepening of the sense that European nights here are yet to properly catch fire.

The attendance was 44,502, but that doesn't fit with Jacksons agenda. He's supposed to be the Manchester football correspondent. What that really means is he's the Manchester United football correspondent and therefore will take any and every opportunity to have a pop at us.
He's a fucking cockroach, he was on talkshite after we'd won and did nothing but slag us off.
Most football hacks are slimy, back stabbing, one eyed c**ts. If you classed him as the same, you'd be doing slimy, back stabbing, one eyed c**ts a disservice.
In a profession filled with cockroaches and utter turds, he manages to scuttle about and stink the place up even more.
Fuck Jamie Jackson, I hope his arse gets blisters the size of tennis balls and he shits hedgehogs for the next 20 years.

Along with Ogden the two biggest arse licking rags out there.

I hope their nuts shrivel up and drop off.

I used to use the Guardian Football, but I refuse to have anything to do with them any more. Their coverage of MCFC is absolutely appalling. They are trying to build a digital presence so mocking MCFC and playing up to Man Utd seems to be a big part of their strategy.

The only media I bother with for football is now the BBC, Bluemoon, MCFC and the ubiquitous SSN

 

[blueeyesmcfc]

Brilliant article needs to go to a wider audience .The cost of travel and tickets has now got out of reach of the ordinary football fan.

 

[jollylescott]

Superb article.

Full of passion, care and ultimately concern for the future of the sport that we all love. You rightly point out the hypocrisy of those that look down upon the grassroots supporter. Then there is the cash cow that is Sky, ruling the football universe like an evil demigod.

As you pointed out in many respects football reflects the wider society. As the gap between rich and poor continues to grow in society, so does the gap between the haves and the have nots in football. As in society the battler is 'blamed' for the ills of the world, so in football it now seems that those less well off are to blame for the 'lack of atmosphere' at games. It's a bit hard to take from those whose income is similar to most of the population in a third world country.

In relation to City, the most important issue to me is that our leadership maintain contact with the supporters. Why not hold forums with supporters to find out what issues are really concerning them? In any business feedback from customers is critical to shaping the future.

I firmly believe that we have the best owners in world football. My wish is that they talk to the fans. If there are issues about the atmosphere, then seek solutions! Move the visiting fans. Allow an area for safe standing. Talk to the fans about the best way to structure pricing for games. There are so many issues that can be resolved cooperatively.

Once again congratulations on the article. In a world where daily journalism provides all the nourishment of fast food, this indeed is worthy of being called fine cuisine.

 

[the blue panther]

Good article - echoed mine on here on Tuesday in the Villa fans thread:-

"Freezing cold Monday night; match live on the tele anyway; a team in absolutely shite form; totally uninspiring management; up against it generally, and against a decent team; struggling to score any goals; no superstars worth the admission money in the opposition team; battling with the Brum traffic around Villa Park (Even the Villa team coach was late arriving!); all in all, not much of an attraction, and 25k was a decent crowd in the circumstances."

I like the political slant you introduced as well - that should guarantee the autorities will ignore it!

When you can't go to a match, having to put up with former United and Liverpool pundits is more of a killer than the ticket prices. But worst of all is putting up with the lugubrious, smug, £4.2m a year salary earning ugly faced twat Adrian Chiles, following his not just 'anti City' but 'anti City fans' script - possibly written by the otherwise cretinous Paul "The Voice" Scholes - and having the temerity to moan about the possibly lugubrious look which might be on Manuel Pellegrini's face, prior to him being interviewed post match. What an utter, utter twat! He is quite possibly the luckiest man alive.
Did I mention that I think he's a twat?

 

[noblelord]

Excellent article. Well said.