We’d easily get that if the prices were right.
City (and United) are fucking clueless when it comes to getting fans in our stadium. More people attend football matches at all the other clubs in our conurbation than they do City or United games.
City’s best attendance this season is 53,453
United’s best attendance this season is 73,711
All our clubs from the Championship to the the North West Counties Premier Division - 9th tier - (that includes 18 clubs and there are more lower down who also get a few thousand fan between them but there’s no official stats) best attendances from last season combined comes to 75,034!
Nobody’s telling me that there are more fans of all the other clubs combined than there are City or United fans in our conurbation. The two clubs are run by people who don’t understand Manchester, Mancunians, the local or national economy/incomes… they’re just run by people who need to justify their salaries and bonuses by showing revenue spreadsheets to their bosses.
City could get 65,000 from our Manchester support alone, never mind those who live elsewhere. City have pulled away from our Manchester support in my opinion though. I think the City boardroom are more interested in getting people from anywhere else into our corporate areas than they are interested in getting our local fans into the normal seats.
16,000 season tickets at Bayern are priced at €170, Liverpool price all child Premier League matchday tickets in every stand at £9 and they give discounts to people with an L postcode… those two clubs seem to understand and want to look after their local fans but City and United don’t.
This new stand has the opportunity to look after us though. Cheaper tickets and priority to those with an M postcode would be brilliant. But will they understand this?