So how many?

[Octavian]

My seat was unoccupied, as my mate couldn’t go so I sat in his seat, next to my other mate… I cannot access my online account and cannot get through to the club to sort it, so sacked off using exchange system.

I thought it was a good crowd still, probably 50k+ blues in the ground yesterday.

I don’t agree with the person saying 45000, no way was there 8k empty seats.

 

[C-E-L-FBlue]

In a season where we are being laughed at from all quarters for empty seats, early leavers, poor atmosphere etc etc, the club are making it harder and harder for the genuine fans to keep going. Two points from this week from a personal point of view to demonstrate this….

My dad is 77 and had just come off the back of four weeks solid radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. He has had problems all season with changing his seat, wanting to sit nearer to me and his grandkids. A seat came up on the same row actually next to us as the guy who sits there no longer wanted it and told us we could have it. To cut a long story short, after weeks of trying we didnt get it but dad did move two rows away. This week his digital ticket didnt update on his iphone (he is technology averse!!!) so he rang City to try and get it sorted. After hours on end over two days he was told it would update in 15 minutes - it didnt. So on Friday he made the hours drive to the Etihad, stood in a queue for an hour in the rain to eventually get to one of the three open windows, where thankfully the lad was able to sort it for him.

Then yesterday at the match, he and my eldest son went in one queue at N2 whilst me and my youngest went in the bag check queue. We used to take a backpack with drinks and biscuits for half time but now only take an A4 shoebag in. I checked if this was ok at the start of the season and told yes. Then 2 games ago my son had taken a sip out of one bottle so were told we had to either leave the bottle or drink the rest before entering the stadium so my 9 year old had to neck a bottle of fanta! Then yesterday we were told things had changed and we couldnt take full unopened bottles in but, if we took the top off and put it in the bin we could take the full opened bottle in!!!

Sorry for the long ramble and it may seem insignificant in todays world but these are meaningful examples of how the club has become so disengaged with its long standing fanbase - ST holders of 60 and 45 years!

 

[spiny]

Problem is the shift to Season Tickets where cash is collected in advance with no hassle. Other bookings are not easy with issues of premium prices and not seating together. It is difficult and unattractive for anyone attending under 10 games a season whilst hospitality packages remain hassle free with seating together.

There needs to be flexible PAYG areas for all matchdays, preferably if it includes season card holders on a flexible seating arrangement in that area where SC and pay on the day can sit together.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

In a season where we are being laughed at from all quarters for empty seats, early leavers, poor atmosphere etc etc, the club are making it harder and harder for the genuine fans to keep going. Two points from this week from a personal point of view to demonstrate this….

My dad is 77 and had just come off the back of four weeks solid radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. He has had problems all season with changing his seat, wanting to sit nearer to me and his grandkids. A seat came up on the same row actually next to us as the guy who sits there no longer wanted it and told us we could have it. To cut a long story short, after weeks of trying we didnt get it but dad did move two rows away. This week his digital ticket didnt update on his iphone (he is technology averse!!!) so he rang City to try and get it sorted. After hours on end over two days he was told it would update in 15 minutes - it didnt. So on Friday he made the hours drive to the Etihad, stood in a queue for an hour in the rain to eventually get to one of the three open windows, where thankfully the lad was able to sort it for him.

Then yesterday at the match, he and my eldest son went in one queue at N2 whilst me and my youngest went in the bag check queue. We used to take a backpack with drinks and biscuits for half time but now only take an A4 shoebag in. I checked if this was ok at the start of the season and told yes. Then 2 games ago my son had taken a sip out of one bottle so were told we had to either leave the bottle or drink the rest before entering the stadium so my 9 year old had to neck a bottle of fanta! Then yesterday we were told things had changed and we couldnt take full unopened bottles in but, if we took the top off and put it in the bin we could take the full opened bottle in!!!

Sorry for the long ramble and it may seem insignificant in todays world but these are meaningful examples of how the club has become so disengaged with its long standing fanbase - ST holders of 60 and 45 years!

I’ve had a number of similar experiences this season, punctuated by long queues on the phone or emails unanswered for days. My old dad the same too. He didn’t attend a game because of it.

Ticketing this season has been a monumental balls up.

 

[franksinatra]

Sadly I have to hold my hands up and say I am part of the problem this season.

Missed a few games and as its a single in SSL3 have put it on the exchange but it has never sold.

I do regret not deferring this year, change in circumstances, fuel costs and having to do the 500 mile round trip on non-match weekends, for other events (stag dos etc) has resulted in less money for football trips.

I do feel somewhat guilty about it but it seems no one wants my seat anyway (as it has never sold) so at least it does not feel I am denying someone a seat.

 

[Eccles Blue]

@C-E-L-FBlue I couldn’t put like for your post because although I liked the articulate nature of it I am appalled at the way your Dad was treated. I hope he doesn’t have any further problems. :-)

 

[blueparrot]

Just for explanation, I decided to go yesterday and spent almost an hour on Friday morning trying to buy two seats together, anywhere in the stadium.

The best I could do was one seat apart in the second tier of the North Stand and because the receipt said they were a resale, assumed that somebody who was part of a regular trio, was coming on their own.

Thankfully, that was the case, and the person sat between us happily shifted across.

Seen numerous empty seats threads (not my intention for this to morph in to another)

However, from my vantage, there were scores of doubles and rows vacant all around the stadium, running in to thousands, irrespective of what the attendance announced was yesterday?

The entire South Stand from bottom to top was the worst populated I had seen it, yet I couldn't buy two together for love nor money.

Is it really the case we have so many season ticket holders who just aren't turning up, as I had never really thought it was a huge issue, but my issues on Friday trying to buy just two tickets outside of the website's recommendation of the last row on tier three of the Colin Bell, left me wondering yesterday what is going on and how the club can fix it?

I’ve posted on this numerous times, without wishing to bore anyone I’ll go one more time.
After the extension and relocation when matchday tickets went on sale there were rows available for matchday in different blocks and stands, I could buy 2, or if I was taking friends 4 together. Over the years every relocation of s/c holders diluted those rows , and the seats they vacated became more and more scattered. So now 2 s are few and far between and go quick.
So yes apart from the unsold singles most of those empty seats are s/c holders not turning up.
As for what can be done the only solutions are either moving s/c holders to create rows, or when there is a relocation from another extension or shifting the family stand create rows. Once created ring fence them to stop s/c re locations diluting them again.

 

[blueparrot]

Sadly I have to hold my hands up and say I am part of the problem this season.

Missed a few games and as its a single in SSL3 have put it on the exchange but it has never sold.

I do regret not deferring this year, change in circumstances, fuel costs and having to do the 500 mile round trip on non-match weekends, for other events (stag dos etc) has resulted in less money for football trips.

I do feel somewhat guilty about it but it seems no one wants my seat anyway (as it has never sold) so at least it does not feel I am denying someone a seat.

It will be hard to sell because there are single matchday tickets usually available anyway.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

In a season where we are being laughed at from all quarters for empty seats, early leavers, poor atmosphere etc etc, the club are making it harder and harder for the genuine fans to keep going. Two points from this week from a personal point of view to demonstrate this….

My dad is 77 and had just come off the back of four weeks solid radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. He has had problems all season with changing his seat, wanting to sit nearer to me and his grandkids. A seat came up on the same row actually next to us as the guy who sits there no longer wanted it and told us we could have it. To cut a long story short, after weeks of trying we didnt get it but dad did move two rows away. This week his digital ticket didnt update on his iphone (he is technology averse!!!) so he rang City to try and get it sorted. After hours on end over two days he was told it would update in 15 minutes - it didnt. So on Friday he made the hours drive to the Etihad, stood in a queue for an hour in the rain to eventually get to one of the three open windows, where thankfully the lad was able to sort it for him.

Then yesterday at the match, he and my eldest son went in one queue at N2 whilst me and my youngest went in the bag check queue. We used to take a backpack with drinks and biscuits for half time but now only take an A4 shoebag in. I checked if this was ok at the start of the season and told yes. Then 2 games ago my son had taken a sip out of one bottle so were told we had to either leave the bottle or drink the rest before entering the stadium so my 9 year old had to neck a bottle of fanta! Then yesterday we were told things had changed and we couldnt take full unopened bottles in but, if we took the top off and put it in the bin we could take the full opened bottle in!!!

Sorry for the long ramble and it may seem insignificant in todays world but these are meaningful examples of how the club has become so disengaged with its long standing fanbase - ST holders of 60 and 45 years!

When I read this post it makes me feel ashamed of the club. Treatiing customers with contempt is a very risky way to run a business.

 

[Norbert D]

I am a match day member and have been to every game this season with my brother, also a match day member. Couldn’t get two seats together for yesterday’s game so we sat a few rows apart. We’ve been in 301 every game bar one. wheras I was eligible for a season ticket my brother wasnt, hence a small fortune spent on match day tickets. i am not a seat counter but I was pretty sure yesterday would be our lowest attendance when in fact it was reported as our biggest, first time over 53,000 which is basically capacity. the only reason I can think is half term over the past couple of weeks with foreign travel also opening up again. As for the e tickets, seems to be getting worse, I have had no problems at the turnstile but wonder if other smart phones aren’t being picked up by the scanners due to age or just being a bit crap.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Sadly I have to hold my hands up and say I am part of the problem this season.

Missed a few games and as its a single in SSL3 have put it on the exchange but it has never sold.

I do regret not deferring this year, change in circumstances, fuel costs and having to do the 500 mile round trip on non-match weekends, for other events (stag dos etc) has resulted in less money for football trips.

I do feel somewhat guilty about it but it seems no one wants my seat anyway (as it has never sold) so at least it does not feel I am denying someone a seat.

People tend to want 2 seats together mate so they snap up the returned away tickets.

 

[franksinatra]

People tend to want 2!seats together mate so they snap up the returned away tickets.

Indeed. I am not bothered about the money but dont like the thought I am denying someone else the opportunity. The lads I go with sit in Level 2 but its too expensive when factoring in travel coats as well. It suits me being up in the top of level 3 but a consequence it is tough to shift the ticket.

 

[Gundog’s Gundog]

There seems to be an almost perfect inverse correlation between the actual football and the “match day experience”

But in the grand scheme of things the match day experience i.e how much we enjoy ourselves is much more important than the football. We don’t love the players or the team we love the club but the more they do to disenfranchise the fans the less we love them

I don’t really love City anymore. I love what we used to be, the memories and the days out and the feeling of belonging but like with a girl you don’t love anymore you just wake up one day and realise she’s nothing like the girl you once loved and she hasn’t been for quite some time - you’re just there out of habit

Don’t think I’ll renew next season

 

[C-E-L-FBlue]

@C-E-L-FBlue I couldn’t put like for your post because although I liked the articulate nature of it I am appalled at the way your Dad was treated. I hope he doesn’t have any further problems. :-)

Thanks @Eccles Blue. Him and my mum also a ST holder of over 50 years have spent so long on the phone to City over various issues, particularly the seat move. Its a good job we love this club!!

 

[Stoned Rose]

There seems to be an almost perfect inverse correlation between the actual football and the “match day experience”

But in the grand scheme of things the match day experience i.e how much we enjoy ourselves is much more important than the football. We don’t love the players or the team we love the club but the more they do to disenfranchise the fans the less we love them

I don’t really love City anymore. I love what we used to be, the memories and the days out and the feeling of belonging but like with a girl you don’t love anymore you just wake up one day and realise she’s nothing like the girl you once loved and she hasn’t been for quite some time - you’re just there out of habit

Don’t think I’ll renew next season

see you next season mate.

 

[Stoned Rose]

See my previous posts. In previous seasons that's what we did. It was as simple as texting a mate or family member to meet you at the ground.

This season I can't be fucked. Now you have to get them to sign up to be a matchday member or some shit and transfer it or go online and list it. I don't care if it to takes 5 minutes or 20, I can't be fucked with it.

You want my three seats filled every home game, get the club to send me three cards.

That's another thing that fucks me off, is all the holier-than-thou fans who can't possibly imagine that other fans might have other shit going on in their lives more important than worrying about an empty seat at a football stadium.

I don't give a single shit that one of our seats was empty yesterday because the club doesn't.

paragraph 3 basically ends the discussion.

 

[Beaker]

I’ve posted on this numerous times, without wishing to bore anyone I’ll go one more time.
After the extension and relocation when matchday tickets went on sale there were rows available for matchday in different blocks and stands, I could buy 2, or if I was taking friends 4 together. Over the years every relocation of s/c holders diluted those rows , and the seats they vacated became more and more scattered. So now 2 s are few and far between and go quick.
So yes apart from the unsold singles most of those empty seats are s/c holders not turning up.
As for what can be done the only solutions are either moving s/c holders to create rows, or when there is a relocation from another extension or shifting the family stand create rows. Once created ring fence them to stop s/c re locations diluting them again.

The solutions for the club are so easy. Create and ring fence the rows as you say so that people can buy tickets together. Also I’ve said it earlier, introduce a different level of membership whereby people who want to go to say 10 or more games can get access to tickets at £5 above the pro rata rate of a season ticket in any given area. Thus giving them access to discounted tickets without having a season ticket and leaving seats empty when they don’t go.

 

[Zinchilla]

I suspect people heard you were coming and decided to stay home. Weather may have played a part as parts of the country were flooded and maybe people didn’t want to risk it. Deferred season tickets which the club is struggling to sell. Said it before we don’t have vast loads of tourists wanting to fill the void. But this is what pisses me off in that tickets get siphoned off for big away games yet these same people never want to watch Palace at home. mind you for £50 a seat I wouldn’t either. Third tier of south stand should be match day tickets only, no season card holders and every seat priced at £25 for adults and £10 for under 18‘s. First come first served with seats opening up three weeks before a game.

Interesting thread and I like this suggestion. Along with a review of the singing section, something the club perhaps needs to review. I know they have to make available a certain percentage of tickets to away teams, but surely there’s a way of knowing which clubs never sell their allocation. Perhaps those teams have no interest in making it easy for us to sell their unwanted seats?

From my perspective I can’t attend many matches, now live in the Deep South, but having this flexibility would be amazing. I’ve been looking at buying a row of 3 tickets for two of my boys and me, but it isn’t easy when I’ve got to also second guess which matches are going to be played at 3pm on a Saturday as that’s the only time I can do.

I had tickets for Burnley, but all my family tested positive a couple of days before. The club were amazing, easy to deal with by email, got a quick refund. No idea if those seats were then taken. Now trying to get 3, for a 3pm & not easy without knowing TV listings.

 

[Snape]

Me and my mate have been season ticket holders since early 90s. The original seats we had in the East stand second tier changed to 93.20 and we moved due to the price. We wanted equivalent seats on the other side of the halfway line which had not been upgraded. The only seats together were 2 away from each other. Fortunately the 2 people between us did not mind moving up to allow us to sit together. For various reasons we have both deferred and I believe both seats are still unsold probably because they are singles.

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

We have 3 season cards. My wife, myself, and then one of her brother's ideally.

We had our first kid last June, who was born with a fully treatable disability but requires a lot of work getting him into a brace before bed, so a babysitter is out of the question - we take it in turns going, so one of our tickets is always free. Her brothers are in uni a couple of hours away so can't make every game.

In previous seasons, whichever one of us was going would just take the free season cards into town and hand them off to friends who would meet us. Not anymore as we don't have a printer at home and the tickets are on our phones.

I can't be bothered faffing about with the club's shambles of ticketing. So blame them that our three seats are rarely filled.

We will probably give up two of them next season anyway as this is the most disengaged I've ever felt from the club. Sick of all the moaning directed at fans when the club is actively trying to make it more difficult to fill the ground.

For this season, you want my three seats filled, get the club to send us cards.

Hate sticking up for the club ,but I don't think transfering a ticket to a mate has been easier ,no need to even meet up ,add to f and f and press a button, job done