That family stand empty section post half time

[Deleted member 77198]

Been in family stand 236 since 2005 (moved from East stand) and I must have hallucinated everyone cheering all our goals for 14 years!

That’s because Level 2 isn’t an issue.

There are far fewer noticeable empty chunks of seats in Level 2. Level 1 is a proper weird tier. Chunks of 50-75 empty seats sometimes, by far the most sparsely occupied seats as a stand in the stadium, by far the worst area for early leavers.

It’s been full three times. 1, for the 2012 title game; 2, for the 2014 title game; 3, for the 2018 game we lifted the trophy. And that’s it.

Even then that’s not a negative about the people who are there, who always go and who don’t leave early (who there are plenty of). It’s the stand as a whole and particularly Level 1. It’s the club who dish out chunks of seats to agencies, tour companies, ticket tour sites etc. and then not all be sold. It’s the club who give players and staff tickets on Level 1 only for the players and staff not to shift them all on. If the club just sold tickets to city fans with a Membership we would barely have any empty seats for any weekend game.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

South stand level 2 and 3 emptied a lot quicker than the family stand yesterday.

I don’t know about that. On 82 minutes someone stood up near me and pointed “look at them over there”... and every set of steps on FSL1 was full of people leaving, queueing to get out.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

That’s because Level 2 isn’t an issue.

There are far fewer noticeable empty chunks of seats in Level 2. Level 1 is a proper weird tier. Chunks of 50-75 empty seats sometimes, by far the most sparsely occupied seats as a stand in the stadium, by far the worst area for early leavers.

It’s been full three times. 1, for the 2012 title game; 2, for the 2014 title game; 3, for the 2018 game we lifted the trophy. And that’s it.

Even then that’s not a negative about the people who are there, who always go and who don’t leave early (who there are plenty of). It’s the stand as a whole and particularly Level 1. It’s the club who dish out chunks of seats to agencies, tour companies, ticket tour sites etc. and then not all be sold. It’s the club who give players and staff tickets on Level 1 only for the players and staff not to shift them all on. If the club just sold tickets to city fans with a Membership we would barely have any empty seats for any weekend game.

The Club sell the tickets to school groups at discounted prices. I think it’s a bout a fiver per ticket if outside Manchester and there may well be free tickets for Manchester school kids. The Club also give free tickets to Academy players and staff in Family Stand Level 1. It’s a separate issue to ticket agencies having bundles of tickets together.

We got old as a fanbase. The Club tried to protect the future of our fanbase with the Famiky Stand but it hasn’t worked very well. The Family Stand area could probably be halved with tickets for for the Academy players / staff better controlled. That would enable the lower half to be used for Safe Standing in future.

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

I’m in East Stand & it looked to me as if the family stand celebrated like everyone else. Indeed, they sometimes start the singing. Maybe you’re just in a quiet bit??

Not where I was pal. Just look at goals then look at the celebrations( or lack of them) I think it's a lot better towards the top, but look at the first 6 or 7 rows either side and behind goal, it's like they were clapping a vicar after his Sunday ramblings.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

The Club sell the tickets to school groups at discounted prices. I think it’s a bout a fiver per ticket if outside Manchester and there may well be free tickets for Manchester school kids. The Club also give free tickets to Academy players and staff in Family Stand Level 1. It’s a separate issue to ticket agencies having bundles of tickets together.

We got old as a fanbase. The Club tried to protect the future of our fanbase with the Famiky Stand but it hasn’t worked very well. The Family Stand area could probably be halved with tickets for for the Academy players / staff better controlled. That would enable the lower half to be used for Safe Standing in future.

I think the club could do a lot more with spare tickets. There are loads of schools within walking distance of the ground, no reason why literally thousands of tickets couldn't be given to kids/family's (from what are pretty deprived areas) to go to the games. Just handing them out in big blocks leads to issues (resale and/or them ending up with people who are just not arsed). It would not take much for the club to set up a scheme where local kids/family's register and walk to the ground and pick up unsold tickets before the game.

Not sure when the penny is going to drop but a full stadium and better atmosphere makes the whole experience that much better for everyone involved and at the end of the day that is what the club is selling. Filling the ground even when you don't charge for some tickets will ultimately lead to better revenues.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Not where I was pal. Just look at goals then look at the celebrations( or lack of them) I think it's a lot better towards the top, but look at the first 6 or 7 rows either side and behind goal, it's like they were clapping a vicar after his Sunday ramblings.

Those seats right by the goal are normally filled with young kids who are hyper at kick off and bored by half time. Not sure that is the best measure of a crowd.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I think the club could do a lot more with spare tickets. There are loads of schools within walking distance of the ground, no reason why literally thousands of tickets couldn't be given to kids/family's (from what are pretty deprived areas) to go to the games. Just handing them out in big blocks leads to issues (resale and/or them ending up with people who are just not arsed). It would not take much for the club to set up a scheme where local kids/family's register and walk to the ground and pick up unsold tickets before the game.

Not sure when the penny is going to drop but a full stadium and better atmosphere makes the whole experience that much better for everyone involved and at the end of the day that is what the club is selling. Filling the ground even when you don't charge for some tickets will ultimately lead to better revenues.

Good point mate but you would first need to convince the thousands of season card holders who don’t show up for lower profile games to donate the tickets. The Club have already sold the vast majority of the tickets that don’t get used.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I'm halfway up & wouldn't fancy the chances from there as either.

Ohh, you'll all be fine.

They have a load of aeroplane style emergency slides which come out & you slide down them onto the pitch which then lowers down & everyone exits through a huge secret cave.

Or did I dream that ?

 

[kevin horlocks wand]

Sick to ******* death of that stand! Scored first goal yesterday and went ballistic jumping up and down whilst picking my little girl up.. looked around and I felt like the odd man out. Nobody within 20 feet radius looked remotely bothered with some light clapping, some couldn't even be arsed standing up. I swear now, if these are the new supporters we're attracting then I'd sooner be gone. Look at the goals in 2nd half then look at the lethargy in the crowd. Awful.

Rubbish I am in 238 and the atmosphere was excellent on Sunday indeed the family stand started a few of the songs that the ground joined in!! (although that is a first I admit)

 

[siathers]

Not where I was pal. Just look at goals then look at the celebrations( or lack of them) I think it's a lot better towards the top, but look at the first 6 or 7 rows either side and behind goal, it's like they were clapping a vicar after his Sunday ramblings.

Right, I have read so many complaints about the FS stand over the years and never bothered to post a reply but this arrant nonsense has really got my goat. Yes there is an issue with the blocks of seats the CLUB decide to make available only to certain groups but the idea that the FS stand doesn't celebrate goals is complete rubbish. Just look at the coverage of any of the goals scored at that end and you will see how wrong you are. I also want to take issue with the idea that the FS "hasn't worked" by using my own example. I live in London and have 3 kids and we have all had seats in the FS from when I figured my youngest could stand a 400 mile round trip and 2 hours at the game - which was aged 4 nine years ago. We get to every game we can (despite for example getting home at 22:00 after Arsenal with school the next day) but yes we do miss many of the midweek games as I either have to drive there and back and get home at 01:30 or stay over and get a train at 05:30. But what the club has now got is 3 teenage fans who are regular match goers, have also been to every away ground we can get to (points allowing but let's not go there) and, in my daughter's case, are now used to travelling independently to watch City. She is now at Uni in Nottingham and still comes up by train on her own for the games. Isn't this the very demographic we keep saying the club needs? It clearly hasn't all been down to the FS but it has certainly been facilitated by it, not least because of the affordability (my 4 tickets still cost less than the 1 that a lot of the Arsenal fans round here have). I appreciate a lot of us think that only seeing 10% of any game and standing ankle deep in piss in the Kippax is a rite of passage but times have changed. The ability to know your kid can sit down and still see the game, can get food/drink on their own, can go to the loo etc made the years when the kids were 4/5/6 etc much much easier and now means the family has their 4th generation of Blues who have been to 10X the games compared to their mates round here who support Arse, Spurs and Chelsea. Rant over.