North Stand expansion - seating, ticketing etc

[pottsy]

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.

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.

Fair response DD

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I think too much democracy is overrated. Look at the meltdown at FCUM, when they couldn’t agree the choice of soup for the homeless!

1894 have made plenty of good suggestions to City apart from demanding to know the seat prices for three years. As others have said, the Club committing for affordable tickets (maybe outside the likely 5 rows of premium seats) would be enough for now. Ideally there wouldn’t be any premium seats there.

Maybe 1894 could try to renegage with City. I don’t really like this impression that fans groups are going to sit on the sidelines marking the club’s homework, but maybe that’s just me.

As other posters have said, the more the new expanded stand is marketed as the atmosphere / vocal fans end, the greater the prospect of getting more singers in there. Especially if most of the seats are affordable.

 

[wearethesouthstand]

I think too much democracy is overrated. Look at the meltdown at FCUM, when they couldn’t agree the choice of soup for the homeless!

1894 have made plenty of good suggestions to City apart from demanding to know the seat prices for three years. As others have said, the Club committing for affordable tickets (maybe outside the likely 5 rows of premium seats) would be enough for now. Ideally there wouldn’t be any premium seats there.

Maybe 1894 could try to renegage with City. I don’t really like this impression that fans groups are going to sit on the sidelines marking the club’s homework, but maybe that’s just me.

As other posters have said, the more the new expanded stand is marketed as the atmosphere / vocal fans end, the greater the prospect of getting more singers in there. Especially if most of the seats are affordable.

We were advised by the FSA that fan advisory boards are allowed to ask clubs what their 5 year business plan is. It’s just that Citymatters don’t ask that question to the club. So we’re doing it. It’s in the guidance set out about fan engagement where at least one board member has to attend these meetings- in City’s case it’s Danny Wilson. Guidance from
The department for digital media culture and sport. Fans have had 10 price rises in 11 years whereas Chelsea had 12 years of freezes and United had 11. We’re absolutely entitled to ask what is the business plan and the pricing structure not just for north stand but for the whole ground- important if fans are to seriously consider relocating from a different part of the stadium.

The club can run through the business plan but the guidance is that has to be kept confidential. In this instance asking fans to sign NDAs would be acceptable.

Tell us the prices. And if they are going to force flexi gold on us - or reintroduce the choice of a traditional season ticket. If its good news the club don’t have to worry about fans campaigning on these issues for a bit !

We know the stadium will look nice. But that’s not the issue. We need to know new stand is designed with current fan base in mind not just the richer fans of tomorrow.

City thinks that our commercial match day revenues are too low, that we get to no1 through prize money but they want to double match day revenue over next 5 years. So they must have costed prices. So what are they ? With SS3 it was cheap prices initially then rises afterwards. Fans are telling us they need a freeze.

We don’t need to re-engage we constantly have a channel of communication that is open - ball is in club’s hands now though.

The club will want their cake and eat it - be seen to caring about the atmosphere when the main objective is revenue. So we are asking club to put up the facts first. That’s the sequencing we want to see. Not bouncing fans into moving through glossy pictures and PR gimmicks and then after the fan base has been divided and conquered even more those moving find out it’s dearer than they thought.

We have a duty to dig in a bit and try and smoke out the plans so that fans know what’s down the line- price wise and status of ticket wise

 

[jrb]

Is there proof that more than 3000 singers want to move there ?

Is there any proof that 3000 or more singers want to move there?

I have never said ‘3000 singers’ want to move to the North stand.

What I have said, and I’m confident of this, is that more than 3000 fans and more will want to move to the safe standing section on NSL2.

What I have also said is that there needs to be a proper singing section on NSL2, in the middle of the 3000 safe standing seats.

 

[pride in battle]

Is there any proof that 3000 or more singers want to move there?

I have never said ‘3000 singers’ want to move to the North stand..

What I have said, and I’m confident of this, is that more than 3000 fans will want to move to the safe standing section on NSL2.

What I have also said is that there needs to be a proper singing section on NSL2, in the middle of the 3000 safe standing seats.

So you are confident 3000 fans want to stand in the north stand ? I hope you're right because the face off between the club and 1894 isn't going to help.

 

[jrb]

Dearie me if anybody thinks the atmosphere isn’t shit then we may as well pack it in. The whole reason we are on this thread is due to some thinking its the last opportunity before being stuck with a shit atmosphere for ever !

Yes most PL grounds now have a shit atmosphere but ours is one of the worst.

Maybe it sounds good if you are amongst the few hundred singers in the south stand - but it doesn’t anywhere else in the ground.

The reason why we are on this thread is because of the new North stand, not because you think the atmosphere is shit all the time.

If you think the atmosphere is shit all the time discuss that on the atmosphere thread and come up with a solution.

 

[jrb]

So you are confident 3000 fans want to stand in the north stand ? I hope you're right because the face off between the club and 1894 isn't going to help.

For gods sake, what face off?

What are you on about?

What has something you’ve conjured up in your mind got to do with City fans moving to the North stand?

1000’s of City fans who can’t currently get a season ticket or a match day ticket will have the opportunity to get either because of the new North stand

Put plain and simple. City have to sell/shift 8000 extra tickets on a match day in the North stand and across the Etihad

It really isn’t hard if you think about it sensibly and logically.

 

[pride in battle]

For gods sake, what face off?

What are you on about?

What has something you’ve conjured up in your mind got to do with City fans moving to the North stand?

1000’s of City fans who can’t currently get a season ticket or a match day ticket will have the opportunity to get either because of the new North stand

Put plain and simple. City have to sell/shift 8000 extra tickets on a match day in the North stand and across the Etihad

It really isn’t hard if you think about it sensibly and logically.

Stop ranting...what i'm saying is if 1894 were on board it would be a lot easier...yes or no ?

 

[Tim of the Oak]

We were advised by the FSA that fan advisory boards are allowed to ask clubs what their 5 year business plan is. It’s just that Citymatters don’t ask that question to the club. So we’re doing it. It’s in the guidance set out about fan engagement where at least one board member has to attend these meetings- in City’s case it’s Danny Wilson. Guidance from
The department for digital media culture and sport. Fans have had 10 price rises in 11 years whereas Chelsea had 12 years of freezes and United had 11. We’re absolutely entitled to ask what is the business plan and the pricing structure not just for north stand but for the whole ground- important if fans are to seriously consider relocating from a different part of the stadium.

The club can run through the business plan but the guidance is that has to be kept confidential. In this instance asking fans to sign NDAs would be acceptable.

Tell us the prices. And if they are going to force flexi gold on us - or reintroduce the choice of a traditional season ticket. If its good news the club don’t have to worry about fans campaigning on these issues for a bit !

We know the stadium will look nice. But that’s not the issue. We need to know new stand is designed with current fan base in mind not just the richer fans of tomorrow.

City thinks that our commercial match day revenues are too low, that we get to no1 through prize money but they want to double match day revenue over next 5 years. So they must have costed prices. So what are they ? With SS3 it was cheap prices initially then rises afterwards. Fans are telling us they need a freeze.

We don’t need to re-engage we constantly have a channel of communication that is open - ball is in club’s hands now though.

The club will want their cake and eat it - be seen to caring about the atmosphere when the main objective is revenue. So we are asking club to put up the facts first. That’s the sequencing we want to see. Not bouncing fans into moving through glossy pictures and PR gimmicks and then after the fan base has been divided and conquered even more those moving find out it’s dearer than they thought.

We have a duty to dig in a bit and try and smoke out the plans so that fans know what’s down the line- price wise and status of ticket wise

I don’t think an outline business plan would carry many surprises. I doubt it would include detailed prices but match day revenues for the next 4 seasons are going to be something like:
2024/25 £75mil
2025/26 £85mil
2026/27 £92mil
2027/28 £100mil

If the FSA want more specifics from us, maybe they could refrain from passing motions smearing our club, in an attempt to make us less competitive. We don’t know yet whether we will come out of these legal cases unscathed so being highly specific on ticket prices would be unhealthy at this stage. It seems unlikely now but we might need some price reductions to fill a 60k plus stadium, if we don’t continue to be very competitive.

Yes City want increased revenues and an improved atmosphere. Maybe that’s wanting their cake and eat it. That said, it should be possible when 7,000 seats are being added including a minimum of 3k rail seats. Don’t many fans want a better atmosphere, cheaper tickets and maximum rail seating.

Challenge the Club by all means but maybe also become central to the solution. For example, if groups of fans want to move to North Stand L2 then maybe the club could (or 1894 could offer to) ask for a video of the group singing a City song or two. Especially for good value season cards where demand should exceed supply and the aim is to get as many singers in there as possible. Maybe City would let you know the prices for the rail seating area if you offered to help?

 

[wearethesouthstand]

Stop ranting...what i'm saying is if 1894 were on board it would be a lot easier...yes or no ?

I’ll step in here as one of the organisers of 1894 - the statement doesn’t rule anything in or rule anything out. Please read the statement we entered into discussions in good faith but they only invited 1 person in from 1894 9 months after the plans had already been approved by mcr city council. So our fear is that speaking to fans was a tick box exercise, we gave our summary, that club seem want to maximise revenue over atmosphere at all cost. We also said there is time to alter plans, take on board fans feedback and we said our door open.

So that’s yes we want to work with the club - no we are not recommending a move at this moment until we hear more detail - no could become yes - ball in club’s court, they have to be serious about the atmosphere first.

I think if many on here were trying to deal
With the club they would just be happy to take any sub standard offer because they are not prepared to have the patience to hold out for further concessions.