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

[117 M34]

While this is true, it wouldn't hurt to look into the culture and customs of a country you're visiting simply for the fact that something that is perfectly acceptable in your own country may not be in another, and that goes for anything really not just for sports spectating.

Always better to be safe than sorry.

Possibly but maybe he didn't.
Taking it one step further, I'm sure many people on here have clapped an opposition goal at some point when it was a screamer (andros Townsend a few year back springs to mind) or a legendary player being subbed off and that wouldn't be seen as being bad etiquette even though it's directly clapping the opposition.
Salah could have scored the greatest goal ever and none of the 'traditional' city fans would clap but would an American at his first game know when it's acceptable to clap the opposition and when it's not?

 

[Tim of the Oak]

It coud be Glasgow, Istanbul, Sociedad or Rome

 

[Manchester33]

Thinking more about the actions of the american after the liverpool goal, I don't think the argument that he shouldn't have been taking photos of liverpool fans is a fair defence.

If I go to America and watch a hockey or American football game while I'm over there, I have no idea what the etiquette is when the home or away team do whatever the equivalent of score a goal is.

I'm guessing the American had never been to a football match over here before so would be a similar situation to me watching a tampa bay buccaneers match.

Yeah, it was a weird situation. There was a lot more to it.

It wasn’t a case of him getting his phone out then a lynch mob immediately formed and battered him.

He got his phone out, two blues called him out on it. He started arguing back, they were getting in each others faces. There was pushing and shoving. I couldn’t hear what was being said. Then after a good minute or two someone lamped him and then the gremlins came out for the easy pile on.

What happened was wrong, I’m not justifying what happened, but if I was in a situation where I don’t really understand the culture and I’m getting shit for something off ‘the locals’ I would take it on the chin, apologise and brush it off as a misunderstanding. He didn’t, he engaged and ended up in a really dangerous situation.

The pile on afterwards was disgusting and some of the idiots who hit him are little shithouses.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

You were insisting that tourists were a problem at City.

And when people insisting tourists are a problem creates a problem, those people conveniently forget they insisted tourists are a problem.

The 1894 survey asked the question about what people thought the biggest problem was. It wasn't prices or availability of season tickets, but (and I quote) "away fans/tourists/non-City fans in home ends". And most people thought that was the biggest problem.

This is the result of the hysteria being whipped up and 1894 can't refuse to take responsibility for assisting that, by including that very loaded question.

 

[pride in battle]

I can assure you that the many many surrounding me who cheered like lusty sailors when the scousers scored their first most definitely were not blues.

Weird blues having a pop at blues by supporting Liverpool supporting tourists.

Did you report them ? I ain't got a problem if they don't celebrate but if they do they should be ejected.

 

[mexico1970]

Did you report them ? I ain't got a problem if they don't celebrate but if they do they should be ejected.

Loads got thrown out after they jumped up, the scouse game was hammered with them it was easily the worst I have see. Turning around and telling blues to fuck off while they were celebrating could have ended up very nasty.

Club doesn't care and as soon as they weed out many of the locals the tourists can argue amongst themselves.

 

[pride in battle]

This might seem a silly point, but I think City should stop the sale of half and half scarves on the stadium footprint. I have been following this discussion for a while and I have noticed that they are being sold by sole traders at places like the end of the bridge that approaches the stadium. On a FA Cup day, or CL night these sell like hot cakes because people want to be involved imo. It sows confusion. I want the Etihad to be a strongly identified with Manchester City so I know where people are coming from. But at the same time I am a bit concerned that the argument comes across as hostile to other communities in Manchester. There are certainly a lot more Asians coming to City than ever before which is a good thing, but I wish that they wouldn't buy up the half and half scarfs because that creates a barrier with City's existing fanbase. But children with families do this too. I have been watching closely. You see kids at an FA Cup game, we want them as fans for the future. Very often they have a half and half scarf but I love to see them happy when City win, as I hope they will come back again. The idea is to grow City's fanbase. Somehow something that is positive is being turned into a negative.

I like many of the posters who have a different point of view on this. We can disagree without insulting each other.

People complaining about scarfs ??? It's embarassing ! Banned ? WTF !

 

[pride in battle]

I don't think the reaction is that strange. If you aren't familiar with the tribal spectacle of football, even if your allegiances are for city, it feels like a fairly natural reaction. The club have been strangling season ticket numbers for years because they feel they can get more out of occasional fans than loyal ones. They are to blame, not the people who take them up for it.

Fucking bullies...end off

 

[jonny485]

I'm going to be a "tourist" at Dortmund in a few weeks and sitting with the Dortmund fans. I won't be filming Leverkusan players, wearing a Leverkusen shirt or celebrating if they score. I will be joining in with the Dortmund fans and celebrating if they score. I don't think tourists are an issue if they are happy to be part of the home fan experience, there needs to be a level of being able to visit another stadium and taking in a game without taking the piss.

 

[wearethesouthstand]

Yeah, it was a weird situation. There was a lot more to it.

It wasn’t a case of him getting his phone out then a lynch mob immediately formed and battered him.

He got his phone out, two blues called him out on it. He started arguing back, they were getting in each others faces. There was pushing and shoving. I couldn’t hear what was being said. Then after a good minute or two someone lamped him and then the gremlins came out for the easy pile on.

What happened was wrong, I’m not justifying what happened, but if I was in a situation where I don’t really understand the culture and I’m getting shit for something off ‘the locals’ I would take it on the chin, apologise and brush it off as a misunderstanding. He didn’t, he engaged and ended up in a really dangerous situation.

The pile on afterwards was disgusting and some of the idiots who hit him are little shithouses.

He was asked why are you filming Liverpool fans in our end, are you a Liverpool fan ? He said no i like City but i like salah too.

7 Liverpool fans were chucked out at 3.10 when stewards checked peoples accents and threw them out. 1 hour 20 before kick off.

Whilst there is focus on this incident there’s been many others, Plymouth fans attacked in the cup game. And only stewards chucking people out is averting large scale incidents.

The man attacked is not pressing charges.

 

[Stephen230]

17.9% believe matchday ticket prices are just right?

Fucking hell.

Only 245 people. They could be members who go to one game a season. Or even none at all.

You quite often see American’s on here for example saying how cheap tickets are over here, compared to what they pay over there.

 

[fathellensbellend]

The saddest indictment for me is what could have been, United in decline for a decade, City flying, a real chance to shift momentum with local and national support. The new end could easily be dedicated to people who will come and watch the blues for years to come, instead they have not even been considered by the club, pound notes becoming god. I think it brilliant people want to come and watch City from all around the globe and it should be welcomed, but the club just don’t have the balance right, I actually dread a big game at home now as it doesn’t feel like I am going to watch City, literally thousands and thousands of tickets are going to half and half scarf wearing tourists, many with an allegiance to the opposition, these takeovers occur only against the obvious few, so where is this desire to see the blues when it’s Fulham at home, we all know the answer. If the club want the tourist pound, limit the numbers and spread them over all the league games, not just the elite, I guarantee you will get a true reflection of whose these people truly want too see and in most cases it’s not City

 

[Edghill OG]

I'm going to be a "tourist" at Dortmund in a few weeks and sitting with the Dortmund fans. I won't be filming Leverkusan players, wearing a Leverkusen shirt or celebrating if they score. I will be joining in with the Dortmund fans and celebrating if they score. I don't think tourists are an issue if they are happy to be part of the home fan experience, there needs to be a level of being able to visit another stadium and taking in a game without taking the piss.

I do hope you don't get labelled a 'tourist' Jonny and it completely ruin your experience for you.

 

[Dogtanian]

I think part of the tourist phobia comes from we know the club prefer them over us because they spend more and secondly we all know they will fuck off if we ever go back to being shite, the more tourists that come the more they increase the tickets because whilst we are successful they can always replace us but once you piss that supporter off enough he jacks it in it's gonna be very difficult to win him back if times go hard

 

[franksinatra]

The point of Flexi-gold was for people like you, and others I know, who simply can't do a significant number of games. You could keep your seat but only go to the games you wanted to, without the need to sell or list your ticket on the exchange.

The club could have made extra revenue by selling an increased number of seats at the full price if someone hadn't taken up their ticket. Instead they took the opportunity to be greedy and rip people off.

I felt quite betrayed by the way they corrupted my original proposal, which was designed to give them a better solution for no-shows, into a blatant money-making scheme that completely ignores the original objective. That's the point at which the scales fell from my eyes and I saw them for what they really are.

Yes and although I know it comes in for criticism I think the principles of the scheme are sound, but it’s the way the club has delivered it, as you say, with maximising revenue in mind, which has resulted in the resentment.

It’s a real shame as it’s a good idea.

 

[Marvin.]

I think part of the tourist phobia comes from we know the club prefer them over us because they spend more and secondly we all know they will fuck off if we ever go back to being shite, the more tourists that come the more they increase the tickets because whilst we are successful they can always replace us but once you piss that supporter off enough he jacks it in it's gonna be very difficult to win him back if times go hard

City are a growing club. We need more supporters, particularly as we will have a 62k stadium and we might not be so successful in the future

If we had a vibrant hard core of support we'd convert the kids and match-day fans into regulars.....providing the club release season tickets Pressure the club on prices and season-tickets and look after the atmosphere

 

[M18CTID]

I'm going to be a "tourist" at Dortmund in a few weeks and sitting with the Dortmund fans. I won't be filming Leverkusan players, wearing a Leverkusen shirt or celebrating if they score. I will be joining in with the Dortmund fans and celebrating if they score. I don't think tourists are an issue if they are happy to be part of the home fan experience, there needs to be a level of being able to visit another stadium and taking in a game without taking the piss.

Spot on. Most of us have been a football tourist at some point. I’ve done it myself a few times but one thing I wouldn’t do is go twerking for the opposition team. If the 4 of us - 3 blues and 1 red - who went to see 1860 Munich play Ingolstadt in 2008 then the chances are we would’ve got tuned in. That of course doesn’t excuse the incident against Liverpool - in any case I’m sure he didn’t get attacked because he was an American tourist and it was because people mistakenly thought he was a Liverpool fan (which of course doesn’t make it right either) because he was filming their fans celebrating - but it’s advisable to be aware of your surroundings.

Speaking of American tourists, we had one with us at the infamous Pollock OG game against QPR in 1998. My mate’s brother was away on holiday so his season ticket was going spare. We were in the Birch Villa/Hardy’s Well beforehand and asked if anyone needed a spare and this American guy who was with some local City fans said he was after one. We took him under our wing and looked after him. He loved it and got band into it from a City fan point of view, even having a pint of Boddies at half-time!

So this notion that I’ve got an issue with football tourists per se couldn’t be any further from the truth. It’s inevitable that with all the success the club has had that more people from around the globe will want to come and see us play. What people don’t want to see is anyone - tourist or otherwise - supporting the away team from the home areas or filming opposition players/fans after they’ve scored.

 

[Marvin.]

And when people insisting tourists are a problem creates a problem, those people conveniently forget they insisted tourists are a problem.

The 1894 survey asked the question about what people thought the biggest problem was. It wasn't prices or availability of season tickets, but (and I quote) "away fans/tourists/non-City fans in home ends". And most people thought that was the biggest problem.

This is the result of the hysteria being whipped up and 1894 can't refuse to take responsibility for assisting that, by including that very loaded question.

We've got our regular support squeezed by prices and a layer of new fans around us of varying levels of affinity. Instead of dealing with the ticket prices and availability we're getting distracted by ideas that can be hostile towards people perceived as foreign.

 

[There is a Light]

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.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Key word in all this mate is "etiquette".

Regardless of where your season ticket is in the stadium, I'm sure we've all had a tourist non-local-having-a-day-out-at-the-football character sat or stood next to us at some point. And I think the vast majority, if not all City fans don't really give a fuck who's next to them as long as they're being respectful - it certainly wouldn't stop me from contributing to the atmosphere at the back of 117/118 where I stand - but what I will give a fuck about is people thinking they can take the piss - and this doesn't matter if they're from Ardwick, Argentina or Afghanistan.

Last year vs Real Madrid I had someone I'd never seen in our section stood in front of me who had his phone at eye level and typed out to his friend, "I'm Madrid for life". Do I regret getting him ejected from the stadium? Not really, although it's not in my nature usually to be a grass. Do I regret lobbing the hat off his head and telling him repeatedly to fuck off in the hope he never goes to The Etihad again? Absolutely not.

As Psychedelic Casual described the other week, there’s a manner of showing your passion for City that makes it less likely that away fans will take liberties. It’s not guaranteed to work but the more passion we show for City, the less likely the away fans will take liberties. Of course away fans should be all in their end but that’s wishful thinking.