Open Letter on Season Tickets and Pricing | Club announce price freeze on "general admission season tickets & PL match tickets" for next season (p163)

[Damocles]

Me too mate. Apologies.

Thanks mate, I'm just frustrated. Without giving a detailed family history, I'm a 3rd generation City fan and am trying to raise the 4th generation. I don't care about titles or trophies or buying Florian Wirtz, what I care about is being able to take me and the kids to the match without then having to wonder if I can afford this quarter's gas bill. I'm not interested if we're playing Real Madrid or Rotherham.

I'm freelance and work in IT mainly so I don't think I'm particularly bad off but City is becoming ridiculously expensive when you've two kids to tag along who also want the shirts and a hot dog and all the rest. City made £75 million quid last year as pure profit. Dropping prices by 10% is not going to hurt them in the slightest. It would actually make a world of difference to me though. My family has 100 years of support of this football club and I'd quite like to continue that for the 5th, 6th and 7th generations but my nephews who are in their late teens/early 20s just cannot afford to go without someone buying their tickets for them. They barely earn enough to live.

So I see this and then I see Alex and the City Matters guys representing my anger and frustration to this board of Directors who couldn't give a flying fuck about my kids support because we're "legacy fans" and instead want to sell those tickets for 3 times the price to a "tourist" so they can get their massive bonus structured pay increases by increasing matchday revenue. I see someone FINALLY willing to actually fight the club and not be scared about it. Then the OSC, which given the era I grew up with didn't exactly make the greatest first impressions on me to begin with, refuse to back them because they got sent an email. Unanimously refuse. Not one guy said "err..actually, maybe we should back these other City fans because even if we don't necessarily agree with their methods, we understand that not backing them will undermine them". And then I see the email and it's the most corporate fob off letter I've ever read and that frustration just boils. I spend half my life chasing people for money who come up with every excuse in the book before they pay, I know a fuck off letter when I see one.

Tbh I've never gone in for City politics and trusts and things like this. I'll leave that to more qualified and smarter people. I'm not interested in fan groups and splits and meetings and minutes. I'd rather give money to Gary James tbh than 1894 (no offence lads). What I NEED from this football club though is to not price my kids out of the match. That's it. I as you and many others have given a lot to City as a club and a community over the years. We didn't fuck them off when the world's most successful team was on our front door and we were watching Kevin Horlock, we backed them. We didn't fuck them off when Peter Swales destroyed the club by creating FC City of Manchester, we fought for it and we backed it. We didn't fuck them off when they moved from Maine Road to at that time a souless bowl of an athletics stadium, we backed them. We've never asked for a thing from this football club.

Here's what I need now. I need City to give me and many others a fucking break. I need them to see this economy, to see the rising prices and energy costs and inflation and think that it's okay for them to only make £50m profit this year instead of £75m and give people a fucking break. And I need someone or something or somebody to communicate that to them in the strongest possible terms and I don't care the name or affiliation of the group that is doing that.

But they won't because the secret is out. They don't give a FUCK about you. Nor me. Nor any of us on this forum. Even the people who meet with them and they gladhand and make promises towards and throw the odd free ticket or nice little prize at, THEY DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU. They do what they need to do to buy people off so they won't cause a fuss, because ultimately they'll pretend to listen then do what they were going to go anyway.

Let me make this clear, I'd prefer to burn down that entire boardroom and the Sheikh Mansour ownership and Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne and everybody else for cheaper ticket prices. I was going before they were here, this club belongs to me more than it does to them. And if that means we go back to bouncing around the bottom half of the PL then that's fine with me too, my support of this club doesn't require success to be validated. If I can't afford to watch them with my kids any more then there's absolutely no point to any of it.

 

[TheGhost]

Thanks mate, I'm just frustrated. Without giving a detailed family history, I'm a 3rd generation City fan and am trying to raise the 4th generation. I don't care about titles or trophies or buying Florian Wirtz, what I care about is being able to take me and the kids to the match without then having to wonder if I can afford this quarter's gas bill. I'm not interested if we're playing Real Madrid or Rotherham.

I'm freelance and work in IT mainly so I don't think I'm particularly bad off but City is becoming ridiculously expensive when you've two kids to tag along who also want the shirts and a hot dog and all the rest. City made £75 million quid last year as pure profit. Dropping prices by 10% is not going to hurt them in the slightest. It would actually make a world of difference to me though. My family has 100 years of support of this football club and I'd quite like to continue that for the 5th, 6th and 7th generations but my nephews who are in their late teens/early 20s just cannot afford to go without someone buying their tickets for them. They barely earn enough to live.

So I see this and then I see Alex and the City Matters guys representing my anger and frustration to this board of Directors who couldn't give a flying fuck about my kids support because we're "legacy fans" and instead want to sell those tickets for 3 times the price to a "tourist" so they can get their massive bonus structured pay increases by increasing matchday revenue. I see someone FINALLY willing to actually fight the club and not be scared about it. Then the OSC, which given the era I grew up with didn't exactly make the greatest first impressions on me to begin with, refuse to back them because they got sent an email. Unanimously refuse. Not one guy said "err..actually, maybe we should back these other City fans because even if we don't necessarily agree with their methods, we understand that not backing them will undermine them". And then I see the email and it's the most corporate fob off letter I've ever read and that frustration just boils. I spend half my life chasing people for money who come up with every excuse in the book before they pay, I know a fuck off letter when I see one.

Tbh I've never gone in for City politics and trusts and things like this. I'll leave that to more qualified and smarter people. I'm not interested in fan groups and splits and meetings and minutes. I'd rather give money to Gary James tbh than 1894 (no offence lads). What I NEED from this football club though is to not price my kids out of the match. That's it. I as you and many others have given a lot to City as a club and a community over the years. We didn't fuck them off when the world's most successful team was on our front door and we were watching Kevin Horlock, we backed them. We didn't fuck them off when Peter Swales destroyed the club by creating FC City of Manchester, we fought for it and we backed it. We didn't fuck them off when they moved from Maine Road to at that time a souless bowl of an athletics stadium, we backed them. We've never asked for a thing from this football club.

Here's what I need now. I need City to give me and many others a fucking break. I need them to see this economy, to see the rising prices and energy costs and inflation and think that it's okay for them to only make £50m profit this year instead of £75m and give people a fucking break. And I need someone or something or somebody to communicate that to them in the strongest possible terms and I don't care the name or affiliation of the group that is doing that.

But they won't because the secret is out. They don't give a FUCK about you. Nor me. Nor any of us on this forum. Even the people who meet with them and they gladhand and make promises towards and throw the odd free ticket or nice little prize at, THEY DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU. They do what they need to do to buy people off so they won't cause a fuss, because ultimately they'll pretend to listen then do what they were going to go anyway.

Let me make this clear, I'd prefer to burn down that entire boardroom and the Sheikh Mansour ownership and Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne and everybody else for cheaper ticket prices. I was going before they were here, this club belongs to me more than it does to them. And if that means we go back to bouncing around the bottom half of the PL then that's fine with me too, my support of this club doesn't require success to be validated. If I can't afford to watch them with my kids any more then there's absolutely no point to any of it.

I’m stood up applauding this. You know where to hang it.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I think it's a mistake to explicitly link football tourism with foreigners or tourists from another country. Football tourism is not a foreign phenomenon. You could argue that many fans following the London teams started as 'tourists' because they have money and leisure time and there aren't many better things to do on a weekend than go to your local side. Hence clubs like Fulham, West Ham, Brentford can grow. City are growing too. Manchester is a young City, and City have been very successful on a CL night, or FA Cup when the seasoncard base doesn't show, many locals turn up, many are Asian, particularly so on a CL night which isn't family friendly. Against Real Madrid, there were a lot of local Asian fans and Real Madrid fans and often in the same areas (the non-seasoncard seats). And then we have the half and half scarfs which get sold in their thousands on Cup games when new fans come to the game. This is a minefield. Ideas are important especially those that can be twisted.

My own view is that there was nothing wrong with the term “tourists” before the last year. We all knew who were being described. People wearing other clubs colours in our end, tourist guide led groups. Fans of other clubs just buying overpriced tickets to see Messi play at the Etihad. These guys would have been contributing to some extent to higher ticket prices as our Board has wanted. The liberty taking has got worse with the Anfield 8 and Ipswich 8.

The change in the last 12 months seems to be driven by nastiness. Particularly, the images of Asian City fans being mocked as “tourists” via images shared across social media and claims “tourists are our biggest problem” when we can’t hold a 3 nil lead against Feyenord , or raise a song for 45 minutes against Brugge. This has included lifelong Blues being attacked at Arsenal under the pretence they are “tourists”.

Now being labelled as tourists are student City fans and British Asian Blues, because of the colour of their skin. A lot of these fans buy the cheapest tickets for the unpopular Champions League group games. )The midweek matches many of the “regulars” choose not to attend for whatever reason, including too many games and poor transport links and ticket prices vs Inter). Their affect on ticket prices is minimal.

If we get back to what everyone understood as tourists, there wouldn’t be any need to change labels.

 

[Marvin.]

I’ll say it again, ban half and half scarves from the stadium. They are turning it into a theme park where people feel they are high in numbers and naively can act how they like. Wearing United, Liverpool or Arsenal colours makes it visible how many non-Blues are in the ground. It may seem like a small matter, but I genuinely feel it contributes to this increasing resentment and hostility from match going fans. Not only that, but the club could do with making some concessions that make some of us feel like we are still a priority. It would be a popular decision that at least tells us they’re doing something and they wouldn’t even lose out financially.

I agree with this. City have a big support and lots of Cup games. The half and half scarfs are sold by independent traders at key points e.g., at the end of the Nexen bridge. Families stop and buy them for their kids and match-day fans buy them up.

If City can't stop traders selling them, employ someone to sell City scarfs next to them. City don't seem very adept to me at the moment.

 

[skivitheblue9320]

Thanks mate, I'm just frustrated. Without giving a detailed family history, I'm a 3rd generation City fan and am trying to raise the 4th generation. I don't care about titles or trophies or buying Florian Wirtz, what I care about is being able to take me and the kids to the match without then having to wonder if I can afford this quarter's gas bill. I'm not interested if we're playing Real Madrid or Rotherham.

I'm freelance and work in IT mainly so I don't think I'm particularly bad off but City is becoming ridiculously expensive when you've two kids to tag along who also want the shirts and a hot dog and all the rest. City made £75 million quid last year as pure profit. Dropping prices by 10% is not going to hurt them in the slightest. It would actually make a world of difference to me though. My family has 100 years of support of this football club and I'd quite like to continue that for the 5th, 6th and 7th generations but my nephews who are in their late teens/early 20s just cannot afford to go without someone buying their tickets for them. They barely earn enough to live.

So I see this and then I see Alex and the City Matters guys representing my anger and frustration to this board of Directors who couldn't give a flying fuck about my kids support because we're "legacy fans" and instead want to sell those tickets for 3 times the price to a "tourist" so they can get their massive bonus structured pay increases by increasing matchday revenue. I see someone FINALLY willing to actually fight the club and not be scared about it. Then the OSC, which given the era I grew up with didn't exactly make the greatest first impressions on me to begin with, refuse to back them because they got sent an email. Unanimously refuse. Not one guy said "err..actually, maybe we should back these other City fans because even if we don't necessarily agree with their methods, we understand that not backing them will undermine them". And then I see the email and it's the most corporate fob off letter I've ever read and that frustration just boils. I spend half my life chasing people for money who come up with every excuse in the book before they pay, I know a fuck off letter when I see one.

Tbh I've never gone in for City politics and trusts and things like this. I'll leave that to more qualified and smarter people. I'm not interested in fan groups and splits and meetings and minutes. I'd rather give money to Gary James tbh than 1894 (no offence lads). What I NEED from this football club though is to not price my kids out of the match. That's it. I as you and many others have given a lot to City as a club and a community over the years. We didn't fuck them off when the world's most successful team was on our front door and we were watching Kevin Horlock, we backed them. We didn't fuck them off when Peter Swales destroyed the club by creating FC City of Manchester, we fought for it and we backed it. We didn't fuck them off when they moved from Maine Road to at that time a souless bowl of an athletics stadium, we backed them. We've never asked for a thing from this football club.

Here's what I need now. I need City to give me and many others a fucking break. I need them to see this economy, to see the rising prices and energy costs and inflation and think that it's okay for them to only make £50m profit this year instead of £75m and give people a fucking break. And I need someone or something or somebody to communicate that to them in the strongest possible terms and I don't care the name or affiliation of the group that is doing that.

But they won't because the secret is out. They don't give a FUCK about you. Nor me. Nor any of us on this forum. Even the people who meet with them and they gladhand and make promises towards and throw the odd free ticket or nice little prize at, THEY DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU. They do what they need to do to buy people off so they won't cause a fuss, because ultimately they'll pretend to listen then do what they were going to go anyway.

Let me make this clear, I'd prefer to burn down that entire boardroom and the Sheikh Mansour ownership and Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne and everybody else for cheaper ticket prices. I was going before they were here, this club belongs to me more than it does to them. And if that means we go back to bouncing around the bottom half of the PL then that's fine with me too, my support of this club doesn't require success to be validated. If I can't afford to watch them with my kids any more then there's absolutely no point to any of it.

I absolutely could not have expressed myself anymore than what you have done here Damocles. In my opinion, probably one the best and most genuine heartfelt opinions and points of view I’ve read on here, ever. 100% behind your views, sentiments, observations and comment. Thank you.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

City's attendances have literally never been so high since we were formed
Not only that, they're going to get even bigger

Oh sorry, I seem to have stumbled upon the wrong thread where everyone's yearning for a time that never actually existed or acting as though it's only City who supporters who attract dopey half-and-half scarf wearing tourists filming on their phones and not recognising that you never ever applaud the opposition

Try opening both eyes and you'll read about dozens of French supporters littered across the home end at Anfield on Tuesday

Where were all these "priced-out" supporters in the 80s when a match ticket didn't cost much more than a pint of beer and yet most clubs (including City).were thankful for a 25,000 attendance?

36 years to the day I attended a night match at Roker Park when roughly 1500 City fans were rammed into an enclosure that was probably only suitable for 1000
Absolutely frightening and then Hillsborough happened the following month

Football's come a long way, but let's stick to the problems that are specifically to do with City and the Etihad
Not issues that simply make us look idiots

 

[Damocles]

Where were all these "priced-out" supporters in the 80s when a match ticket didn't cost much more than a pint of beer and yet most clubs (including City).were thankful for a 25,000 attendance?

I was busy not being born mate, apologies for that. Does this mean I'm not allowed to take the kids to the footy then?

 

[Banano]

Thanks mate, I'm just frustrated. Without giving a detailed family history, I'm a 3rd generation City fan and am trying to raise the 4th generation. I don't care about titles or trophies or buying Florian Wirtz, what I care about is being able to take me and the kids to the match without then having to wonder if I can afford this quarter's gas bill. I'm not interested if we're playing Real Madrid or Rotherham.

I'm freelance and work in IT mainly so I don't think I'm particularly bad off but City is becoming ridiculously expensive when you've two kids to tag along who also want the shirts and a hot dog and all the rest. City made £75 million quid last year as pure profit. Dropping prices by 10% is not going to hurt them in the slightest. It would actually make a world of difference to me though. My family has 100 years of support of this football club and I'd quite like to continue that for the 5th, 6th and 7th generations but my nephews who are in their late teens/early 20s just cannot afford to go without someone buying their tickets for them. They barely earn enough to live.

So I see this and then I see Alex and the City Matters guys representing my anger and frustration to this board of Directors who couldn't give a flying fuck about my kids support because we're "legacy fans" and instead want to sell those tickets for 3 times the price to a "tourist" so they can get their massive bonus structured pay increases by increasing matchday revenue. I see someone FINALLY willing to actually fight the club and not be scared about it. Then the OSC, which given the era I grew up with didn't exactly make the greatest first impressions on me to begin with, refuse to back them because they got sent an email. Unanimously refuse. Not one guy said "err..actually, maybe we should back these other City fans because even if we don't necessarily agree with their methods, we understand that not backing them will undermine them". And then I see the email and it's the most corporate fob off letter I've ever read and that frustration just boils. I spend half my life chasing people for money who come up with every excuse in the book before they pay, I know a fuck off letter when I see one.

Tbh I've never gone in for City politics and trusts and things like this. I'll leave that to more qualified and smarter people. I'm not interested in fan groups and splits and meetings and minutes. I'd rather give money to Gary James tbh than 1894 (no offence lads). What I NEED from this football club though is to not price my kids out of the match. That's it. I as you and many others have given a lot to City as a club and a community over the years. We didn't fuck them off when the world's most successful team was on our front door and we were watching Kevin Horlock, we backed them. We didn't fuck them off when Peter Swales destroyed the club by creating FC City of Manchester, we fought for it and we backed it. We didn't fuck them off when they moved from Maine Road to at that time a souless bowl of an athletics stadium, we backed them. We've never asked for a thing from this football club.

Here's what I need now. I need City to give me and many others a fucking break. I need them to see this economy, to see the rising prices and energy costs and inflation and think that it's okay for them to only make £50m profit this year instead of £75m and give people a fucking break. And I need someone or something or somebody to communicate that to them in the strongest possible terms and I don't care the name or affiliation of the group that is doing that.

But they won't because the secret is out. They don't give a FUCK about you. Nor me. Nor any of us on this forum. Even the people who meet with them and they gladhand and make promises towards and throw the odd free ticket or nice little prize at, THEY DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU. They do what they need to do to buy people off so they won't cause a fuss, because ultimately they'll pretend to listen then do what they were going to go anyway.

Let me make this clear, I'd prefer to burn down that entire boardroom and the Sheikh Mansour ownership and Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne and everybody else for cheaper ticket prices. I was going before they were here, this club belongs to me more than it does to them. And if that means we go back to bouncing around the bottom half of the PL then that's fine with me too, my support of this club doesn't require success to be validated. If I can't afford to watch them with my kids any more then there's absolutely no point to any of it.

Great post. Threw Horlock under the bus though

 

[champo]

I’ll say it again, ban half and half scarves from the stadium. They are turning it into a theme park where people feel they are high in numbers and naively can act how they like. Wearing United, Liverpool or Arsenal colours makes it visible how many non-Blues are in the ground. It may seem like a small matter, but I genuinely feel it contributes to this increasing resentment and hostility from match going fans. Not only that, but the club could do with making some concessions that make some of us feel like we are still a priority. It would be a popular decision that at least tells us they’re doing something and they wouldn’t even lose out financially.

I couldn’t agree more. It would be such an easy fix for the club to do and would make a massive impact.

I can’t stand going to games and seeing masses of the half n halfers. It really dilutes the atmosphere and makes us look like a Johnny-come-lately fan base. Having attended both the lfc and utd games this season it made me feel sick seeing those clubs badges alongside ours on a scarf. I mean, who in their right mind would buy that?

Come on City. Get rid of them and replace them with City scarves.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Thanks mate, I'm just frustrated. Without giving a detailed family history, I'm a 3rd generation City fan and am trying to raise the 4th generation. I don't care about titles or trophies or buying Florian Wirtz, what I care about is being able to take me and the kids to the match without then having to wonder if I can afford this quarter's gas bill. I'm not interested if we're playing Real Madrid or Rotherham.

I'm freelance and work in IT mainly so I don't think I'm particularly bad off but City is becoming ridiculously expensive when you've two kids to tag along who also want the shirts and a hot dog and all the rest. City made £75 million quid last year as pure profit. Dropping prices by 10% is not going to hurt them in the slightest. It would actually make a world of difference to me though. My family has 100 years of support of this football club and I'd quite like to continue that for the 5th, 6th and 7th generations but my nephews who are in their late teens/early 20s just cannot afford to go without someone buying their tickets for them. They barely earn enough to live.

So I see this and then I see Alex and the City Matters guys representing my anger and frustration to this board of Directors who couldn't give a flying fuck about my kids support because we're "legacy fans" and instead want to sell those tickets for 3 times the price to a "tourist" so they can get their massive bonus structured pay increases by increasing matchday revenue. I see someone FINALLY willing to actually fight the club and not be scared about it. Then the OSC, which given the era I grew up with didn't exactly make the greatest first impressions on me to begin with, refuse to back them because they got sent an email. Unanimously refuse. Not one guy said "err..actually, maybe we should back these other City fans because even if we don't necessarily agree with their methods, we understand that not backing them will undermine them". And then I see the email and it's the most corporate fob off letter I've ever read and that frustration just boils. I spend half my life chasing people for money who come up with every excuse in the book before they pay, I know a fuck off letter when I see one.

Tbh I've never gone in for City politics and trusts and things like this. I'll leave that to more qualified and smarter people. I'm not interested in fan groups and splits and meetings and minutes. I'd rather give money to Gary James tbh than 1894 (no offence lads). What I NEED from this football club though is to not price my kids out of the match. That's it. I as you and many others have given a lot to City as a club and a community over the years. We didn't fuck them off when the world's most successful team was on our front door and we were watching Kevin Horlock, we backed them. We didn't fuck them off when Peter Swales destroyed the club by creating FC City of Manchester, we fought for it and we backed it. We didn't fuck them off when they moved from Maine Road to at that time a souless bowl of an athletics stadium, we backed them. We've never asked for a thing from this football club.

Here's what I need now. I need City to give me and many others a fucking break. I need them to see this economy, to see the rising prices and energy costs and inflation and think that it's okay for them to only make £50m profit this year instead of £75m and give people a fucking break. And I need someone or something or somebody to communicate that to them in the strongest possible terms and I don't care the name or affiliation of the group that is doing that.

But they won't because the secret is out. They don't give a FUCK about you. Nor me. Nor any of us on this forum. Even the people who meet with them and they gladhand and make promises towards and throw the odd free ticket or nice little prize at, THEY DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU. They do what they need to do to buy people off so they won't cause a fuss, because ultimately they'll pretend to listen then do what they were going to go anyway.

Let me make this clear, I'd prefer to burn down that entire boardroom and the Sheikh Mansour ownership and Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne and everybody else for cheaper ticket prices. I was going before they were here, this club belongs to me more than it does to them. And if that means we go back to bouncing around the bottom half of the PL then that's fine with me too, my support of this club doesn't require success to be validated. If I can't afford to watch them with my kids any more then there's absolutely no point to any of it.

Great post as usual Damo.

This is about the executive team's desire to squeeze every last penny out of fans, their seemingly deliberate desire to alienate the people who have supported City down the generations, their refusal (unlike pretty well every other club) to commit to published, transparent pricing at the start of the season.

If non-City fans come to this country and want to watch us, if people want to wear half-and-half scarves, I DONT GIVE A SINGLE FUCK. I care more that they may have been ripped off by a dodgy third-party site and would prefer it if they got tickets through City, either directly or via an approved agency if necessary.

One of the most dedicated Blues I know started as someone who had little interest in football and visited Maine Road as a so-called "tourist". My dad had no interest in football and I had no City supporters in my family but he took me to Maine Road and got hooked.

Soriano and his revenue-obsessed minions must have been pissing themselves laughing when they saw that 1894 survey where the majority thought oyurists/non-City fans was the biggest problem and not ticket prices.