Stadium Expansion (Confirmed)

[Marvin]

Cheaper football is happening....about time

A 2013 BBC study of the costs of football found the average prices of the most expensive season ticket and highest and lowest match-day prices in the Premier League had fallen by up to 5.3%

Premiership clubs announcing reciprocal pricing agreements for away fans. eg Newcastle, Hull, Swansea

 

[blue b4 the moon]

As the cheap tickets will be South and North level 3 and likely to be filled partly with level 2 fans who have been evicted I'm staying on level 1 hopefully standing and signing in between folding my arms....

The top tier has been pushed as a top atmos cauldron of noise. I can't see how that will happen as from what I've seen a big chunk of level 2 fans are not going to bounce about all game and go home with no voice.

This is not a dig at those fans just a thought of what it'll be like.

 

[sktooblue]

It's a shame for the existing S/T holders who don't want to move but in some respects it's not that different to what happened at Maine Rd when half the North stand S/T holders had to relocate to accommodate away fans after the new Platt Lane stand was built - Swales didn't do much to soften the blow other than offering us first dibs on seats in the bloody awful Umbro stand, at least the alternative seats should be of a better quality this time around. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out but I don't think the chances of them selling those seats should be written off so quickly, the owners have shown themselves to be a shrewd bunch so far.

This it how it was and how it will always be. Your season ticket doesn't mean you own the seat - you only rent it & the bottom line is that the club have the option to not to sell it to you if they choose. The club have the big picture and even bigger plans, they could forcibly relocate people which would create bad PR or they can increase prices to the point where people have no option but to relocate..........whatever, but they want CB2 & ES2 as corportate seats no matter what.

I fully understand the issue with rising ticket prices but don't really see the connection with the stadium expansion. It is only supply & demand & if the stadium capacity does not increase but our success means that more people want to attend, prices will only increase. If there are more seats to fill, you would expect that tickets would be priced to sell and therefore remain cheaper.

 

[Kakhaber Tskhadadze K.O.T.A.]

I agree. I will be very happy paying £150 less than I am now for a seat in first 1-10 rows of that stand.

Anyone thinking they will get a £299 seat who isn't already a ST is kidding themselves.

City have opened a waiting list for Blue Members and Season Ticket holders. The extra £299 tickets will be allocated to those who register and pay the deposit in order of registration.

It makes far more sense for the £299 tickets to go to those who are not existing season ticket holders. You are the one who is kidding himself.

Read the booklet ( if you have been sent one) and small print at the back and see what you think. It's reads clear enough to me....

Anyone not wanting to stay in CB and ES level 2 will get first choice of relocated seats including in any new stand. Followed by existing ST holders who want to relocate.

Exactly what Danny Wilson told me as I had a good moan about splitting us up etc . My issue is we will have relocate behind the goal.

The "waiting list" is the gauge that City are using to see if the demand is there - as they will only extend the North Stand if they have the demand - The south stand is a given - the North stand is an option (but IMO it going to happen as it makes financial sense to build at the same time (reduced prelims & economies of scale etc) .

 

[supercity88]

Again it is an interesting discussion, do the club offer cheaper tickets to non-season card holders who cannot afford the current prices - therefore increasing attendance - at the risk of upsetting current seasoncard holders who want cheaper tickets. Or do they go down the route they have whereby it seems no "average Joe" city fan will be able to afford a ticket anyway as all the cheaper seats are taken by existing seasoncard holders and only expensive seats are left. I am sure the demand for cheap tickets will be high that is a given, but how many people are they expecting to be willing to pay £600-£1100 for a season ticket? There are thousands of people who have been priced out of the game, this hasn't made things better for them.

 

[Kakhaber Tskhadadze K.O.T.A.]

Again it is an interesting discussion, do the club offer cheaper tickets to non-season card holders who cannot afford the current prices - therefore increasing attendance - at the risk of upsetting current seasoncard holders who want cheaper tickets. Or do they go down the route they have whereby it seems no "average Joe" city fan will be able to afford a ticket anyway as all the cheaper seats are taken by existing seasoncard holders and only expensive seats are left. I am sure the demand for cheap tickets will be high that is a given, but how many people are they expecting to be willing to pay £600-£1100 for a season ticket? There are thousands of people who have been priced out of the game, this hasn't made things better for them.

The flip side of that is those in the CB2 & ES2 are being priced out by the corporate proposal .......... so to give non-season ticket holders the first option on the cheaper seats would mean the existing long term season holders stopping going to the games to allow new season ticket holders to attend. Not really a fair option is it !

 

[jockblue]

The club are in real danger of finding that all of the £299 seats are taken up by existing season ticket holders "downgrading" and the waiting list holders finding that their expected £300 cost is actually more than double that.....

 

[supercity88]

Again it is an interesting discussion, do the club offer cheaper tickets to non-season card holders who cannot afford the current prices - therefore increasing attendance - at the risk of upsetting current seasoncard holders who want cheaper tickets. Or do they go down the route they have whereby it seems no "average Joe" city fan will be able to afford a ticket anyway as all the cheaper seats are taken by existing seasoncard holders and only expensive seats are left. I am sure the demand for cheap tickets will be high that is a given, but how many people are they expecting to be willing to pay £600-£1100 for a season ticket? There are thousands of people who have been priced out of the game, this hasn't made things better for them.

The flip side of that is those in the CB2 & ES2 are being priced out by the corporate proposal .......... so to give non-season ticket holders the first option on the cheaper seats would mean the existing long term season holders stopping going to the games to allow new season ticket holders to attend. Not really a fair option is it !

Exactly, someone always seems to lose out. In the grand scheme of things as people have mentioned, gaining a few hundred quid here and there is peanuts in relation to overall revenue (as Bayern acknowledge). In my opinion it would be better to get as much money from hospitality as possible, but not to increase level 2 hospitality to the point that ordinary blues have to pay huge increases or move. These will not sell. Fulham, Hull, Newcastle, West Ham, are there going to be that many people wanting to pay huge prices when the majority of games are not particularly appealing from a marketing perspective. The big games fair enough. City have so far seemed to take the view, we would rather 40,000 paying a high amount than 48,000 paying cheaper prices - the Champions League for instance, which has been organised very poorly in terms of tickets and prices.

There needed to be a balance whereby existing season ticket holders had the opportunity to move to cheaper seats. Hospitality was increased (but not on such a huge level) and existing season ticket holders are offered a freeze for a couple of years at the prices they pay - so that people can stay in seats they are currently in but know that in a couple of years the price they will pay has to increase.

That then leaves seats at a variety of prices available to non seasoncard holders.

The way things have been done means that the remaining season card seats that go to general sale will be scattered about but largely will be in the most expensive parts of the ground. So those that cannot afford to go now still wont be able to. I really dont understand why it has been done this way. Surely the idea would be to expand and provide cheaper seats. I think everyone knows that we will not increase attendance without increasing affordability. Yet the club have taken a completely different view.

 

[jrb]

The away end/stand on the OS shows 3 shades.

The left shade is the PL away allocation of 3000 fans.
The middle shade is the additional FA Cup and CoC away allocation of 6000.(9000 away fans in total in cup competitions)
The right shade is home fans.

 

[jrb]

The away end/stand on the OS shows 3 shades.

The left shade is the PL away allocation of 3000 fans.
The middle shade is the additional FA Cup and CoC away allocation of 6000.(9000 away fans in total in cup competitions)
The right shade is home fans.

 

[Kenney_The_Blue]

The away end/stand on the OS shows 3 shades.

The left shade is the PL away allocation of 3000 fans.
The middle shade is the additional FA Cup and CoC away allocation of 6000.(9000 away fans in total in cup competitions)
The right shade is home fans.

<a class="postlink" href="http://mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2013/October/Etihad-Stadium-Future-Pod-now-open" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://mcfc.co.uk/News/Club-news/2013/O ... d-now-open</a>

At 9am on Thursday morning the Stadium Future consultation space opened to provide information on the updated proposals for expansion of the Etihad Stadium.
One topic likely to garner much of the attention is the subject of where away fans should be located, should our plans receive approval.


We’ve been in extensive consultation with supporters over the summer on this subject, because, in the event of an expansion, it is likely that we would have to review their location.


Visiting fans currently occupy up to about half of the current South Stand on levels one and two.


The Club have reviewed a number of options and taken in to consideration supporter feedback on each of them.


The favoured option at this stage is to relocate them to levels one, two and three of an expanded south stand, subject to approval on the stadium development plans.

You can see what this would look like below.




If you would like to learn more about the proposals please visit our dedicated exhibition, located in the BT City Square at the Etihad Stadium where you can make your views known.


The exhibition will run from Thursday 17 October 2013, until after the planning application is submitted.


The exhibition will be open from 11am-5pm every day from 17-31 October and opening times after this date will be detailed here on our website.


Manchester City Football Club very much welcome your views on the proposals and encourage you to make your comments by completing a comments card in person at the exhibition.


All comments should be received by 15 November 2013.


We look forward to hearing your views on this exciting plan for the Etihad Stadium.

 

[supercity88]

There you go then, time to make comments to City and make sure our opinions are heard.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Had previously bought into the rhetoric I was hearing about giving football back to the people, cheaper ticketing across the board.

For me, the sooner you can reconcile that our owner and excellent chairman are not infallible, the better place you will find yourself in?

Of course they make bad decisions, they will also employ people who make bad decisions - they have enough money to throw at a problem to repackage even the dodgiest of sales pitches.

I refused to go to either of the Wembley FA semi-finals, because I wholeheartedly believe it is a scam, to reduce the FA debt mountain, in addition to no consideration for the geographical location of its participants.

City are certainly not the club I started following 35 years ago, and mostly it is for the better. I thank Shiekh Mansour and Khaldoon from the bottom of my heart for waking the sleeping giant I was always told my club was.

Sadly, the more I am being told that the club is moving closer to its fans, the further away I feel. Perhaps it's a generational thing, and like all in life's cycles, the baton is readily being picked up by those with more disposable income, time and no children.

I am lucky that I can afford, and choose to, 'presently', my £700 x2 a year - but it's not really that is it? When we add on Champs League and the cup games, I'm easily paying closer to £2000 a year.

Sure, I could stay at home, but I don't want to. I want to see the team I love.

My little boy is six and I dream of him coming with me every week when his attention span finally allows for it, and the toilet breaks are less frequent!

And that's the kick in the bollocks.

Because City know they have got you hanging by those very same bollocks.

The same City who don't seem to think anything of charging their bedrock £6 quid for a burger or a pie.

Like my old man, I will one day be priced out (I'm also paying for his season card this year), and I will be sat nursing my pint watching it on the box, boasting about our trophies, our world class playing squad and a stadium which looks shit-hot from a SkySport Blimp.

Goodness knows how those less well-off must feel about their continued 'participation' in something which has been ever-present in the lives.

Surely fear now overrides the sadness?

 

[flb]

Had previously bought into the rhetoric I was hearing about giving football back to the people, cheaper ticketing across the board.

For me, the sooner you can reconcile that our owner and excellent chairman are not infallible, the better place you will find yourself in?

Of course they make bad decisions, they will also employ people who make bad decisions - they have enough money to throw at a problem to repackage even the dodgiest of sales pitches.

I refused to go to either of the Wembley FA semi-finals, because I wholeheartedly believe it is a scam, to reduce the FA debt mountain, in addition to no consideration for the geographical location of its participants.

City are certainly not the club I started following 35 years ago, and mostly it is for the better. I thank Shiekh Mansour and Khaldoon from the bottom of my heart for waking the sleeping giant I was always told my club was.

Sadly, the more I am being told that the club is moving closer to its fans, the further away I feel. Perhaps it's a generational thing, and like all in life's cycles, the baton is readily being picked up by those with more disposable income, time and no children.

I am lucky that I can afford, and choose to, 'presently', my £700 x2 a year - but it's not really that is it? When we add on Champs League and the cup games, I'm easily paying closer to £2000 a year.

Sure, I could stay at home, but I don't want to. I want to see the team I love.

My little boy is six and I dream of him coming with me every week when his attention span finally allows for it, and the toilet breaks are less frequent!

And that's the kick in the bollocks.

Because City know they have got you hanging by those very same bollocks.

The same City who don't seem to think anything of charging their bedrock £6 quid for a burger or a pie.

Like my old man, I will one day be priced out (I'm also paying for his season card this year), and I will be sat nursing my pint watching it on the box, boasting about our trophies, our world class playing squad and a stadium which looks shit-hot from a SkySport Blimp.

Goodness knows how those less well-off must feel about their continued 'participation' in something which has been ever-present in the lives.

Surely fear now overrides the sadness?

good post that mate, looks like my 9 month old son wont be able to go and watch the game in years to come.


Dropping £200 off the price of a ST means approx £10 million less turnover, they will recoup that with people through spending on refreshments and the souvenir shop on a match day with the new 60000 capacity.

Im shocked to be honest at the new price proposals, nothing short of a disgrace if im honest.

 

[blueyorkie]

Had previously bought into the rhetoric I was hearing about giving football back to the people, cheaper ticketing across the board.

For me, the sooner you can reconcile that our owner and excellent chairman are not infallible, the better place you will find yourself in?

Of course they make bad decisions, they will also employ people who make bad decisions - they have enough money to throw at a problem to repackage even the dodgiest of sales pitches.

I refused to go to either of the Wembley FA semi-finals, because I wholeheartedly believe it is a scam, to reduce the FA debt mountain, in addition to no consideration for the geographical location of its participants.

City are certainly not the club I started following 35 years ago, and mostly it is for the better. I thank Shiekh Mansour and Khaldoon from the bottom of my heart for waking the sleeping giant I was always told my club was.

Sadly, the more I am being told that the club is moving closer to its fans, the further away I feel. Perhaps it's a generational thing, and like all in life's cycles, the baton is readily being picked up by those with more disposable income, time and no children.

I am lucky that I can afford, and choose to, 'presently', my £700 x2 a year - but it's not really that is it? When we add on Champs League and the cup games, I'm easily paying closer to £2000 a year.

Sure, I could stay at home, but I don't want to. I want to see the team I love.

My little boy is six and I dream of him coming with me every week when his attention span finally allows for it, and the toilet breaks are less frequent!

And that's the kick in the bollocks.

Because City know they have got you hanging by those very same bollocks.

The same City who don't seem to think anything of charging their bedrock £6 quid for a burger or a pie.

Like my old man, I will one day be priced out (I'm also paying for his season card this year), and I will be sat nursing my pint watching it on the box, boasting about our trophies, our world class playing squad and a stadium which looks shit-hot from a SkySport Blimp.

Goodness knows how those less well-off must feel about their continued 'participation' in something which has been ever-present in the lives.

Surely fear now overrides the sadness?

Whilst understanding what you are saying, I have a good mate who thinks much the same as you do, there is another aspect to it. It's true that some of the prices are rising, I know as I'm in the area most affected, there are alternatives and to be fair we have had a cheap deal for a long time. They have also played fair with Junior tickets and concessions. It's not all price rises, I think they are trying to cater for all tastes and budgets.
It would be unrealistic for City not to develop the prime seats and offer a premium package given the need to comply with FFP, particularly when we lag behind on match day income. If you go to a theatre to watch a top class show then you will pay at least as much, if not more for your ticket as at City.

 

[TGR]

Had previously bought into the rhetoric I was hearing about giving football back to the people, cheaper ticketing across the board.

For me, the sooner you can reconcile that our owner and excellent chairman are not infallible, the better place you will find yourself in?

Of course they make bad decisions, they will also employ people who make bad decisions - they have enough money to throw at a problem to repackage even the dodgiest of sales pitches.

I refused to go to either of the Wembley FA semi-finals, because I wholeheartedly believe it is a scam, to reduce the FA debt mountain, in addition to no consideration for the geographical location of its participants.

City are certainly not the club I started following 35 years ago, and mostly it is for the better. I thank Shiekh Mansour and Khaldoon from the bottom of my heart for waking the sleeping giant I was always told my club was.

Sadly, the more I am being told that the club is moving closer to its fans, the further away I feel. Perhaps it's a generational thing, and like all in life's cycles, the baton is readily being picked up by those with more disposable income, time and no children.

I am lucky that I can afford, and choose to, 'presently', my £700 x2 a year - but it's not really that is it? When we add on Champs League and the cup games, I'm easily paying closer to £2000 a year.

Sure, I could stay at home, but I don't want to. I want to see the team I love.

My little boy is six and I dream of him coming with me every week when his attention span finally allows for it, and the toilet breaks are less frequent!

And that's the kick in the bollocks.

Because City know they have got you hanging by those very same bollocks.

The same City who don't seem to think anything of charging their bedrock £6 quid for a burger or a pie.

Like my old man, I will one day be priced out (I'm also paying for his season card this year), and I will be sat nursing my pint watching it on the box, boasting about our trophies, our world class playing squad and a stadium which looks shit-hot from a SkySport Blimp.

Goodness knows how those less well-off must feel about their continued 'participation' in something which has been ever-present in the lives.

Surely fear now overrides the sadness?

Great post tolmie.
And it sums up the hopes and fears of a lot City fans these days.

 

[mostonbluemark]

The club are in real danger of finding that all of the £299 seats are taken up by existing season ticket holders "downgrading" and the waiting list holders finding that their expected £300 cost is actually more than double that.....

I think your wrong jock. I don't think there is anyway the Club will release all the £299 to existing season ticket holders. My best educated guess is they will put a limit on them as they do with Value Gold. They will then offer up the rest to those on the waiting list. Existing season ticket holders will then have a choice to make as to whether they relocate to a cheaper area eg 450-599 etc. Just my opinion.

 

[Deleted member 52846]

Had previously bought into the rhetoric I was hearing about giving football back to the people, cheaper ticketing across the board.

For me, the sooner you can reconcile that our owner and excellent chairman are not infallible, the better place you will find yourself in?

Of course they make bad decisions, they will also employ people who make bad decisions - they have enough money to throw at a problem to repackage even the dodgiest of sales pitches.

I refused to go to either of the Wembley FA semi-finals, because I wholeheartedly believe it is a scam, to reduce the FA debt mountain, in addition to no consideration for the geographical location of its participants.

City are certainly not the club I started following 35 years ago, and mostly it is for the better. I thank Shiekh Mansour and Khaldoon from the bottom of my heart for waking the sleeping giant I was always told my club was.

Sadly, the more I am being told that the club is moving closer to its fans, the further away I feel. Perhaps it's a generational thing, and like all in life's cycles, the baton is readily being picked up by those with more disposable income, time and no children.

I am lucky that I can afford, and choose to, 'presently', my £700 x2 a year - but it's not really that is it? When we add on Champs League and the cup games, I'm easily paying closer to £2000 a year.

Sure, I could stay at home, but I don't want to. I want to see the team I love.

My little boy is six and I dream of him coming with me every week when his attention span finally allows for it, and the toilet breaks are less frequent!

And that's the kick in the bollocks.

Because City know they have got you hanging by those very same bollocks.

The same City who don't seem to think anything of charging their bedrock £6 quid for a burger or a pie.

Like my old man, I will one day be priced out (I'm also paying for his season card this year), and I will be sat nursing my pint watching it on the box, boasting about our trophies, our world class playing squad and a stadium which looks shit-hot from a SkySport Blimp.

Goodness knows how those less well-off must feel about their continued 'participation' in something which has been ever-present in the lives.

Surely fear now overrides the sadness?

I must admit i'm feeling really uneasy about things. I'm in that catch-22 situation of just being on the limit of how much i'm paying for my SC. All I want to do is go to watch City home and away but away games are becoming less and less frequent as the year-on-year SC prices keep going up and the clubs keep putting prices of away tickets up. Nothing in this country has seen the rate of inflation ridiculously rise at the rate football tickets have gone up. My ticket has gone up about £150 in two years and we're not even any better than we were two years ago. I don't know how they can justify that, at all. My salary hasn't gone up 20% in the last two years and none of my other outgoings have neither, yet i'm paying for exactly the same thing and i'm being charged more-and-more year-on-year.

As for how i feel at the ground with regards to what you said about feeling further away from the club - i agree. If i'm ever a bit skint and don't go to the pub/town before the game, i get to my seat fairly early after having driven to the game. When i do that i feel like i've turned up at a kids theme park and that i really shouldn't be there.

But that's the thing. I don't think the club do want me there. If i'm only there early because i'm skint and when i do have money i'm not spending it at the ground; i am not the supporter they want. They want me to be priced out and someone with more disposable income, maybe a few kids in tow, who'll spend £50+ at the ground on a matchday, as well as their more expensive tickets, to be there in my place.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Had previously bought into the rhetoric I was hearing about giving football back to the people, cheaper ticketing across the board.

For me, the sooner you can reconcile that our owner and excellent chairman are not infallible, the better place you will find yourself in?

Of course they make bad decisions, they will also employ people who make bad decisions - they have enough money to throw at a problem to repackage even the dodgiest of sales pitches.

I refused to go to either of the Wembley FA semi-finals, because I wholeheartedly believe it is a scam, to reduce the FA debt mountain, in addition to no consideration for the geographical location of its participants.

City are certainly not the club I started following 35 years ago, and mostly it is for the better. I thank Shiekh Mansour and Khaldoon from the bottom of my heart for waking the sleeping giant I was always told my club was.

Sadly, the more I am being told that the club is moving closer to its fans, the further away I feel. Perhaps it's a generational thing, and like all in life's cycles, the baton is readily being picked up by those with more disposable income, time and no children.

I am lucky that I can afford, and choose to, 'presently', my £700 x2 a year - but it's not really that is it? When we add on Champs League and the cup games, I'm easily paying closer to £2000 a year.

Sure, I could stay at home, but I don't want to. I want to see the team I love.

My little boy is six and I dream of him coming with me every week when his attention span finally allows for it, and the toilet breaks are less frequent!

And that's the kick in the bollocks.

Because City know they have got you hanging by those very same bollocks.

The same City who don't seem to think anything of charging their bedrock £6 quid for a burger or a pie.

Like my old man, I will one day be priced out (I'm also paying for his season card this year), and I will be sat nursing my pint watching it on the box, boasting about our trophies, our world class playing squad and a stadium which looks shit-hot from a SkySport Blimp.

Goodness knows how those less well-off must feel about their continued 'participation' in something which has been ever-present in the lives.

Surely fear now overrides the sadness?

Whilst understanding what you are saying, I have a good mate who thinks much the same as you do, there is another aspect to it. It's true that some of the prices are rising, I know as I'm in the area most affected, there are alternatives and to be fair we have had a cheap deal for a long time. They have also played fair with Junior tickets and concessions. It's not all price rises, I think they are trying to cater for all tastes and budgets.
It would be unrealistic for City not to develop the prime seats and offer a premium package given the need to comply with FFP, particularly when we lag behind on match day income. If you go to a theatre to watch a top class show then you will pay at least as much, if not more for your ticket as at City.

Granted, but who feels compelled to pay to attend the theatre more than a couple times a month?

Or, if you are a complete philistine like my good self, once a year in his smoking jacket to watch Les Mis!

Football is a completely different demographic from theatre-goers, if you will excuse me the sweeping generalisation.

The cost of living is such that although watching City has been relatively cheap, in comparison to the likes of United and Arsenal down the years, wages have and will not keep apace with the inflation football now seems to have set in stone.

Loyalty should not be conditional on success. Just as having better facilities and players should not come with 'strings', as the German clubs would seem to have found the right balance.

 

[Deleted member 52846]

Had previously bought into the rhetoric I was hearing about giving football back to the people, cheaper ticketing across the board.

For me, the sooner you can reconcile that our owner and excellent chairman are not infallible, the better place you will find yourself in?

Of course they make bad decisions, they will also employ people who make bad decisions - they have enough money to throw at a problem to repackage even the dodgiest of sales pitches.

I refused to go to either of the Wembley FA semi-finals, because I wholeheartedly believe it is a scam, to reduce the FA debt mountain, in addition to no consideration for the geographical location of its participants.

City are certainly not the club I started following 35 years ago, and mostly it is for the better. I thank Shiekh Mansour and Khaldoon from the bottom of my heart for waking the sleeping giant I was always told my club was.

Sadly, the more I am being told that the club is moving closer to its fans, the further away I feel. Perhaps it's a generational thing, and like all in life's cycles, the baton is readily being picked up by those with more disposable income, time and no children.

I am lucky that I can afford, and choose to, 'presently', my £700 x2 a year - but it's not really that is it? When we add on Champs League and the cup games, I'm easily paying closer to £2000 a year.

Sure, I could stay at home, but I don't want to. I want to see the team I love.

My little boy is six and I dream of him coming with me every week when his attention span finally allows for it, and the toilet breaks are less frequent!

And that's the kick in the bollocks.

Because City know they have got you hanging by those very same bollocks.

The same City who don't seem to think anything of charging their bedrock £6 quid for a burger or a pie.

Like my old man, I will one day be priced out (I'm also paying for his season card this year), and I will be sat nursing my pint watching it on the box, boasting about our trophies, our world class playing squad and a stadium which looks shit-hot from a SkySport Blimp.

Goodness knows how those less well-off must feel about their continued 'participation' in something which has been ever-present in the lives.

Surely fear now overrides the sadness?

Whilst understanding what you are saying, I have a good mate who thinks much the same as you do, there is another aspect to it. It's true that some of the prices are rising, I know as I'm in the area most affected, there are alternatives and to be fair we have had a cheap deal for a long time. They have also played fair with Junior tickets and concessions. It's not all price rises, I think they are trying to cater for all tastes and budgets.
It would be unrealistic for City not to develop the prime seats and offer a premium package given the need to comply with FFP, particularly when we lag behind on match day income. If you go to a theatre to watch a top class show then you will pay at least as much, if not more for your ticket as at City.

The thing is, why does that matter? It's not like we don't make any money from matchdays and there's no league table with prizes given out for the club who rips off their fans the most is there?

Fair enough at 48000 we probably need to be bringing more fans in to spend more money but clubs shouldn't be ripping them off.