Open arms for new fans !

[LoveCity]

I don't care really but what would be horribly tragic is if the match day loses that local feel its always had and turns into a "day out" atmosphere like at certain other grounds. Only way to stop this happening is keep ticket prices affordable so that our current match-goers can afford to retain and renew their season cards.

I hope they can too for all the families from Manchester, but do you think it's possible? (Honest question) Especially when you see things like this (released today). http://www.businessinsider.com/the-...he-world-2012-5#3-manchester-city--7403754-18

I think it is, I think it's been proven now that clubs like United make a huge % of their money from executive/corporate boxes and that is what we need to do, expand the stadium and build loads of those, while adding more seats in general. With their contacts, I'm sure our owners could get many buyers for the executive boxes even though half of them probably would rarely turn up like they don't at the swamp.

 

[JohnMaddocksAxe]

JMA
your views on people who latch on to football teams from outside there own location or inherited from said location. Does this this also apply to all forms of sport, hobbies or interests.
Your devotion to your local club Manchester city is admirable, are your interests in music, art movies strickly Manchester based ?

My parochial views on this are totally at odds with my views on everything else - politics, real issues, etc.

Then again, in reality it is a lot less important than many of these other issues. And that is why I cannot take it seriously when people attempt to intellectually justify such shallow behaviour and talk in terms of such importance about 'what it means to them'. Such language is totally misplaced yet all attempts to justify what, in 95% of cases, basically boils down to wanting some sort of manufactured personal connection to current or future success are soaked in such terms.

As for other interests, I do indeed like a lot of Manchester music, amongst a lot of others. I don't know of any Manchester band though who are entitled 'Manchester ......... something' and have been specifically set up to represent the area. Bands, films, art - none of them are intentionally formed with the express aim to represent an area. None have people referring to them as 'my band', 'our film', 'we had a great result in that gallery' etc. Therefore, I don't buy the comparison. I don't know of anyone who seeks to bask in and boast about the success of particular music, art or film. Or at least to anywhere near the extent that people do about sports teams.

A bit of local pride, maybe. But if you study the language of music and art 'fandom' and the language of football 'fandom' it is totally different due to the reasons above.

Let me clarify as well, I would probably be a City fan if I was born in Outer Mongolia due to my Dad's background. So, I am not just talking about people born in or living in Manchester.

 

[unlikelyfan19]

I don't care really but what would be horribly tragic is if the match day loses that local feel its always had and turns into a "day out" atmosphere like at certain other grounds. Only way to stop this happening is keep ticket prices affordable so that our current match-goers can afford to retain and renew their season cards.

I hope they can too for all the families from Manchester, but do you think it's possible? (Honest question) Especially when you see things like this (released today). http://www.businessinsider.com/the-...he-world-2012-5#3-manchester-city--7403754-18

I think it is, I think it's been proven now that clubs like United make a huge % of their money from executive/corporate boxes and that is what we need to do, expand the stadium and build loads of those, while adding more seats in general. With their contacts, I'm sure our owners could get many buyers for the executive boxes even though half of them probably would rarely turn up like they don't at the swamp.

You're probably right, but right now? I mean, look at how much more our payroll is, and how many more seats they have, and how much they make in merch sales around the world, and they are still in bad debt. I definitely think its possible, but we are going to have to accept the people around the world spending the money on shirts and merchandise.

 

[JohnMaddocksAxe]

I am a supporter of sporting teams in USA, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Scotland and England.

None of them are my "local team" and I dont give a fuck whether people find that acceptable or not.

All blues, old and new are more than welcome as far as I'm concerned.

I don't think anyone would ask you to 'give a fuck' or attempt to stop you in any way.

However, unless there is some sort of personal connection to those teams and the places they represent (and there may well be, I have no way of knowing) then I would suggest that just looking out for their results, hoping they will win and maybe watching them on TV quite often is totally incomparable to the people whom most would classify as supporters - i.e. those who have real connections there and have, at least at some point, been regulars at those grounds.

Put it this way, compare your commitment and strength of feeling towards City with your commitment and feeling towards these other, far away teams. Can you honestly say that they are equal? And if not, why not? I would suggest that if the answer is no the reason is because the reality of being a 'fan' of City and a 'fan' of the far away teams is very, very different.

 

[Joga Bonito]

I don't have any family connections to Manchester (that I know of), was not born a blue but I was drawn to them and have been a supporter for almost a decade now. Loved the fans who welcomed me then and will do the same for others who support us in the future.

CTID

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

I only support City.

I don't have a 2nd team.

I think Barca play some wonderful stuff but I'd never refer to them as 'my team' simply because they aren't and never will be.

 

[annsav]

i am irish and i am a city supporter for nearly 40 years.we have 2 season cards which we renew every year instead of having a sun holiday. i have only missed 2 home games this season sadly 1 of them was last night and i gave our tickets to 2 "manchester" blues at face value. i have never been to an away game but every home game is an away game to me. if i go on a day trip it takes 22 hours other games are an overnight hotel stay and flights for every game.our jerseys are bought in the city shop and worn with pride in manchester and in ireland where there are many city supporters.we are spending a lot of money in manchester and in the club where there have been many irish players through the years that we are very proud of and it saddens me to be told we are not welcome at the club that we love every bit as much as the rest of ye from manchester.we have loved every game at maine road and eastlands/etihad and will be there on may 13th to hopefully see OUR team win the title.

 

[Le Havre Oswald]

I am a supporter of sporting teams in USA, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Scotland and England.

None of them are my "local team" and I dont give a fuck whether people find that acceptable or not.

All blues, old and new are more than welcome as far as I'm concerned.

dont you mean your a "fan" of sporting teams in USA etc...

 

[Rodney]

I live in north Wales. Most of my mates supported Liverpool / Everton but I supported City because my uncle brought me programmes and stories from the Kippax. This was late 60s / early seventies so perhaps (despite getting my first ST in 93-94) I am a glory hunter?

 

[smeghead64]

Sorry not with you on this one...I was a west ham surporter when i lived there as a kid before moving to manchester 26 years ago....i Do think you should surport your Local team so i had the choice of two (m18 post code) ...after two months of living up here and hearing all of the UTD banter from every one it was clear that i would have to pick City.....Who then dropped like a stone down the leagues...I was there at Maine road as i am now at Eastlands...so does this mean im not a proper surporter just a glorry hunter....

Choosing to be a fan of a club is never the same as being born a fan of a club. But we will need all the money we can get from anywhere so if some bloke from Outer Mongolia wants to wear one of our shirts who doesn't even know where Manchester is and didn't know there was another team in Manchester until last night, then fair enough!