@mekonmcfc in fairness there has been a gradual increase in tourist fans i'd say within the last half-decade, just so now with the online inhouse ticket exchange/added seats it's making it easier to obtain tickets, rather than people having to do it on vianogo.
I've often used public transport to games, that's why I started going to Maine Road as it was easier as a young kid (no dad taking me) to jump the tram and get into town.
Over the years the trams on matchdays has increased in numbers, the change in the City Centre is even more noticeable as Manchester has become a more ethnically/culturally diverse society.
Everywhere I walk I'm hearing different languages being spoken, all groups of people living/working in Manchester.
Within the past 4/5 seasons I've noticed a big increase in the amount of people asking me for directions to the stadium (as I'm probably wearing a City shirt) confused as to which tram to get on and so on.
I've spoken to people who've literally come off a plane within hours of arrival into Manchester,and heading straight for the Etihad all via the Metrolink.
Credit to Metrolink as well this season, it ran smoothly for me and they were announcing the matchday lineups over the tannoy at platforms, also displaying the lineups underneath the tram arrival LED screens.
We're the real club in Manchester, the rags don't get that shit when they play at Trafford.
We should ban them lot from using the coat of arms on their suits with the amount of money we've contributed to East Manchester.
Yes we have in the past mocked United for being the tourist/gloryseeker club.
I have been one of them doing it.
But change is good, with success comes the bandwaggon jumpers and as long as the prices are fair and the stadium is big enough, locals like myself who have always come to games will be still in the stadium.
It's upto us to educate the newer fans about the club and it's history - if they don't know the words to the songs - educate them.
I remember teaching the words of Blue Moon to locals on a small island in Thailand years ago at a full moon party.
Had hundreds of em all singing it and reading about City :D