North Stand expansion - seating, ticketing etc

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

It’s all guesswork at the minute as we don’t know what the prices will be. You can’t 100% say it won’t be priced like ss3.

I think it will be a mix of prices. As I said most people will not be using the corporate facilities. If it’s premium pricing I’d love to know how we will sell that out, as we do not have the corporate fan base.

£500/ £700 is reasonable in my opinion. Build cost shouldn’t mean ridiculous ticket prices.

Your opinion is as valid as mine so let's see.

I just think that expectations of low prices for any part of it isn't realistic but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[TheGhost]

I suggested this earlier in the thread.

Create a database of fans who are committed to being vocal and creating a good atmosphere.

Name and season card number, whether they’re prepared to move, where they’re prepared to move to and a preference for sitting or standing.
Also link season card numbers together so that mates can sit together - this is vital.

Then take that to the club.

I know at The Vermin over the road that’s what they did with their singing corner.

It was gate kept by someone. Not sure we need to do that.

Whatever we might say about them the atmosphere has improved there compared to 5 or 10 years ago.

 

[blueparrot]

November 25 was the programmed date for the stand opening. Just the stand itself, that is.

No idea if that has shifted, or when in November that is, but it might be practically December if it is at the end of the month.

I would think they would wait till they know an opening date they can commit to before consulting people.

Yes, it will be interesting what they do with it from January 26 to May 26 though. My point was they can use it to experiment and make changes, before anything is locked in place, or fans commit to it. for 26/27 season ticket sales in April /May 26, and any physical changes to seats rails etc can be made in the summer ready for August 26.

 

[blueparrot]

I suggested this earlier in the thread.

Create a database of fans who are committed to being vocal and creating a good atmosphere.

Name and season card number, whether they’re prepared to move, where they’re prepared to move to and a preference for sitting or standing.

Then take that to the club.

I know at The Vermin over the road that’s what they did with their singing corner.

It was gate kept by someone. Not sure we need to do that.

Whatever we might say about them the atmosphere has improved there compared to 5 or 10 years ago.

Who can create a database? Only the club have that data and they can’t share that with anyone else.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Your opinion is as valid as mine so let's see.

I just think that expectations of low prices for any part of it isn't realistic but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Fair enough mate. Hopefully we will be surprised.

For me if it’s more expensive than ss1 or ss3 what’s the incentive to move there. I wouldn’t be able to use/ afford most of the premium facilities on offer. I think huge number of fans would be in the same category. Younger fans in particular

 

[Luddite_Blue]

Just a thought, isn't this supposed to be ready mid next season, so that will give them half a season to see what demand for standing looks like.Giving them the spring and summer after to decide on the exact make up and any increases to safe standing seats removed etc in time for it's first full season..

City's info says the option for increasing the rail seating area will depend on the demand ahead of the stand opening:

We are delighted to reveal the seating configuration for the expansion of the North Stand at the Etihad Stadium, which will open during the 2025/26 season...

During these discussions, it was clear that fans share our view on the importance of adding rail seating to the expanded North Stand. As such, the Club will introduce a minimum of 3,000 rail seats as part of the expansion, with the option of increasing this allocation ahead of opening should there be further demand.

Configuration of the Etihad Stadium’s North Stand expansion revealed

We are delighted to reveal the seating configuration for the expansion of the North Stand at the Etihad Stadium, which will open during the 2025/26 season.

www.mancity.com

 

[Luddite_Blue]

It's not. Because it's a one off. I think it would be the easiest way to get the couple of thousand people who we need to relocate to relocate. Doesn't have to be half price, that's a sucggesstion, but it needs to be a single one-off aggressive pricing scheme to incentivise relocaters to come. Ones it's up and running that's it. It's the first seaon that matters.

I'm in favour of cheap tickets and think they would be integral in getting singers to relocate to the new North Stand.

However, if the prices are kept artificially low for a short period to stimulate this, how will it enable City to gauge the true demand for the rail seating areas (and thus decide whether the number of rail seats needs to be increased)?

Call me cynical, but I think City have got very little intention of increasing the rail seating area beyond 3,000.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I'm in favour of cheap tickets and think they would be integral in getting singers to relocate to the new North Stand.

However, if the prices are kept artificially low for a short period to stimulate this, how will it enable City to gauge the true demand for the rail seating areas (and thus decide whether the number of rail seats needs to be increased)?

Call me cynical, but I think City have got very little intention of increasing the rail seating area beyond 3,000.

People ae way over-obsessing about this rail seat thing. Their introduction didn't effect the atmosphere at The Etihad (or anywhere else) by one decibel.

 

[TheGhost]

Who can create a database? Only the club have that data and they can’t share that with anyone else.

Well 1894 could for starters.

 

[blueparrot]

Well 1894 could for starters.

If they had a of contacting all supporters and all supporter were happy to hand over all their details they could , when they did their survey how many respondents did they get?

 

[Luddite_Blue]

People ae way over-obsessing about this rail seat thing. Their introduction didn't effect the atmosphere at The Etihad (or anywhere else) by one decibel.

I disagree. I think the presence of rail seating defines the area as standing rather than seated, It's introduction didn't make any difference to SSL1 as it was already unofficially accepted as a standing area. In the new North Stand it's likely in the majority of the seated area people will be sat down.

And I think people are just more likely to sing when stood as it seems easier (and choirs tend to stand!!) and you just seem more noticeable if you're sat down singing when no one around you in the block is.

 

[TheGhost]

If they had a of contacting all supporters and all supporter were happy to hand over all their details they could , when they did their survey how many respondents did they get?

Well they’ve got a pretty big profile.

The could put it out on socials, MEN, podcasts, here, etc.

The fans that are likely to be most vocal are probably likely to know 1894 are up to.
Handling the data would be a challenge but they’ve already done surveys before.
No idea about survey responses.

 

[wearethesouthstand]

I disagree. I think the presence of rail seating defines the area as standing rather than seated, It's introduction didn't make any difference to SSL1 as it was already unofficially accepted as a standing area. In the new North Stand it's likely in the majority of the seated area people will be sat down.

And I think people are just more likely to sing when stood as it seems easier (and choirs tend to stand!!) and you just seem more noticeable if you're sat down singing when no one around you in the block is.

Not just that the whole point is to stand safely as most away fans and many home fans stood all the way through in all seater stadiums from the 90s but it was deemed unsafe by authorities.

Hence groups promoting the introduction of rail seating ie SAFEstanding. It’s all about having a choice.

Grounds went all seater in 1994 ? By 1997-98 the whole of the North Stand was all stood up at City even though it was a seating area.

The main difference is that the people who filled the ground then were hardcore Blues whereas over many years much if that hardcore has been priced out and once dropped away some didn’t return.

That’s one of the main reasons atmosphere hit and miss.

 

[wearethesouthstand]

If they had a of contacting all supporters and all supporter were happy to hand over all their details they could , when they did their survey how many respondents did they get?

Hi the info is in the public domain if you scroll down the various posts on 1894 FB & twitter but current membership is around 2,300. Of those about 10% are actually in the north stand. Probably 35% in the south stand various levels and rest a mix of other stands, cityzens, a few who don’t go games (but who like what we do or contribute) and rest of the world. A lot rest of the world, low hundreds.

1500 responded to survey.

That’s all we can go off. We have asked the club and the OSC to survey.

We do singing sections at cup finals and some home cup
Games that’s perhaps moving 25-30 people in if there’s availability.

For something like this club could definitely organise on their own with or without out help (we are still happy to help) - one would argue the 111 singing section when it first started was good i. Those early years. That was done by the club alone.

Club has to show more will. They have their own idea about how it should go and what type of fan goes in there

 

[blueparrot]

Hi the info is in the public domain if you scroll down the various posts on 1894 FB & twitter but current membership is around 2,300. Of those about 10% are actually in the north stand. Probably 35% in the south stand various levels and rest a mix of other stands, cityzens, a few who don’t go games (but who like what we do or contribute) and rest of the world. A lot rest of the world, low hundreds.

1500 responded to survey.

That’s all we can go off. We have asked the club and the OSC to survey.

We do singing sections at cup finals and some home cup
Games that’s perhaps moving 25-30 people in if there’s availability.

For something like this club could definitely organise on their own with or without out help (we are still happy to help) - one would argue the 111 singing section when it first started was good i. Those early years. That was done by the club alone.

Club has to show more will. They have their own idea about how it should go and what type of fan goes in there

Yes that’s what I’m getting at ,the only true way to find out interest and opinion is for the club to contact all S/C holders and maybe all those that have attended X number of matches over X number of years. Only the club can have that sort of database ,no way fans could organise that.

 

[wearethesouthstand]

Yes that’s what I’m getting at ,the only true way to find out interest and opinion is for the club to contact all S/C holders and maybe all those that have attended X number of matches over X number of years. Only the club can have that sort of database ,no way fans could organise that.

Club used to have it advertised on the website that blocks 111 to 119 was singing area that was removed we asked for it to go back on, no answer. We were pushing for people who can’t make a game to sell at face value to family or friends not use the ticket exchange. We see tickets ending up in hands of people with no emotional connection to game in south lower and away fans getting into home parts of ground elsewhere. Club showed at community shield 2023 they dont care who gets tickets as long as it is full.

A proper “end” should have guarantees on reversing these policies which have caused a lot of damage already- and also guarantees that influencers aren’t getting tickets to hand out willy nilly or that nissan or whoever don’t get 100 tickets in a key area and random people keeping quiet kill the atmosphere.

These things are happening at the monent. Levels 2 and 3 the biggest areas for this

 

[TheGhost]

Yes that’s what I’m getting at ,the only true way to find out interest and opinion is for the club to contact all S/C holders and maybe all those that have attended X number of matches over X number of years. Only the club can have that sort of database ,no way fans could organise that.

Ask everyone - do you want to be part of a better atmosphere at the Etihad? Everyone will say yes.

If people have to fill the form out themselves you’ll get a more organic and engaged list of vocal fans.

Also don’t talk about incentives for moving. It should just about whether fans want to stand together and sing.

 

[.db.]

Some smart **** always keeps the receipts though! From page 29 ;)

"More rail seating would be nice but I don't see it as a massive problem. It's a step in the right diretion, particularly being at the back? How many members do 1894 have in the stadium at any one time? GA + I don't think matters massively.

1894 are the only atompshere group the club has and if they don't take this opportunity to lead and influence this move they are fucking idiots."

To be fair to him, he’s not called anyone ‘ficking idiots’ there, despite the words being there. Think people need to read that properly.

 

[pottsy]

It's a silly point mate. Obviously some people in the existing singing area might be louder than others. Obviously you can't set vocal tests before you sell them a ticket.

DD i don’t understand your mentality generally you say try a few games out of the south stand… south stand sings its the rest of the ground not joining in. Why if you are so arsed about atmosphere have you - correct me if I am wrong - never bothered to relocate to a singing area. Given you have not moved to any singing area in the last 15 years, why we would you be posturing again over the north stand , you’re hardly likely to
Move there yourself given your track record over the last 15 years? And if you did move - then why only now ? Answers on a postcard.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

DD i don’t understand your mentality generally you say try a few games out of the south stand… south stand sings its the rest of the ground not joining in. Why if you are so arsed about atmosphere have you - correct me if I am wrong - never bothered to relocate to a singing area. Given you have not moved to any singing area in the last 15 years, why we would you be posturing again over the north stand , you’re hardly likely to
Move there yourself given your track record over the last 15 years? And if you did move - then why only now ? Answers on a postcard.

I’ve done my time in all the vocal areas over 50 years but now I go with my young lads and 82 year old dad. I still make plenty of noise and I want a good atmosphere for the players and it drives me mad how we’ve ended up with a worst case scenario. Disparate groups of singers in literally the worst places they could be in the whole stadium.