Ticket prices are now a problem at City

[droylsdenblue]

£35 for a Champions League game is tremendous value.

We don't know how lucky we are. City at least give our fans a choice. I chose not to go to the Capital One Cup last week because I put the Champions League as a priority in terms of both value for money and the quality of football I would see.

It's compulsory at both United and Arsenal to purchase European tickets if they want a season ticket.

I think some sections of our fan base have developed a sense of entitlement, simply because Sheikh Mansour has bought all these players, built a training campus and increasing capacity?

They see his money and think tickets should be twenty quid?

I agree £35 is tremendous value but only because I can afford it. Sandwiched between Hull £50 & Villa £45 means a £135 outlay for one weeks football.

Arsenal are slightly different in that the Ticket price is embedded in the season ticket cost meaning they don't have to find their cup ticket money on a week to week basis so once they've paid they've paid so they may as well attend.
City seem to have the FA & League cup ticket policy right, maybe they need to look at the Champions league now.

 

[Stephenhakin]

You preferred the 'City experience' under Stuart Pearce ?

No not at all. Of course we all like to win and play good football. My point or question is where will it stop? This was always going to happen. Matchday revenue was the one massive difference back in 2012/2013 when accounts came out for City & United. Even commercially they wern't massively in front of us so I guess its logical for them to chase this gap down. I guess what I am meaning to say it is a shame that a lot of genuine City fans cannot afford to go anymore.

I agree with your last bit - and also unnecessary. Match day revenue is relatively inconsequential. I hope (but don't necessarily expect) that the stadium expansion will at least arrest the increases in the non-corporate seats.

Sorry inconsequential? How can that be? Bit of a statto like that and it was the only area we were really behind the rags. Commercially we were 10m down, Boradcasting 19m down yet matchday was 84m down.....so unless I am missing something it is the area City should be attacking which they obviously are in my opinion.

 

[CTID1988]

Ticket prices are going up and theyve changed the peak times on trains, so a midweek game will cost me £8 now instead of £4 to get to the robbing twats

 

[Never Mind The Pollocks]

As has been stated lots of times on this thread and other, attendances to Cup games, including the CL are in the main affected by ticket costs.

They are an extra cost if you already have a season ticket, and if you cannot afford a season ticket in the first place, can be expensive as a one off cost, especially if you also want to take children or other adults with you and have to add on travel costs as well.

The only way to test\prove this is for the club to at lower considerably the cost of Matchday Tickets for all Cup (including the CL) games (lets say at most £ 20 for adults, £ 15 for 18-21 and £ 10 for under 18 and over 65) , and at the same time maybe include all Cup games (including the CL) within the cost of a season ticket, whilst not increasing the cost of a season ticket.

If the club could do this , whilst having the £ 299 season tickets for the expanded South Stand, things could be improved\solved as far as tickets being affordable to more people..

I like this, they could certainly throw in home group CL matches, Once you get tp the last 16 it actually gets interesting.

In the past i've told rags that the CL groups are boring, way to predictable. They said it was sour grapes but I still think the same.

I am on all cup schemes as going to football beats staying in, but the prices are high for a NW club.

Liverpool sell out because the city is a bit like Newcastle, to the guys and lads football is everything red or blue and they have that history so a lot of visiting support especially from ireland. The rags sell out because they are the club for every tourist. Whereas we have always been the local club so if the people can't afford the prices they can not go.

Bringing several points mentioned together from this thread and other threads, in a 10 point plan to help issues with cost, attendances and atmosphere, things the club could do and help set a standard ?


1) For all home Cup fixtures (FA Cup, League Cup and also Champions League) keep ticket prices to a fixed low price such as - £ 20 for an adult, £ 15 for 18-21 year olds, £ 10 for under 18 and over 65, and for all Matchday tickets for Prem League games for those without a season ticket - £ 25 for an adult, £ 20 for 18-21 year olds, £ 15 for under 18 and over 65, with bundle price offers for say 2 adults with a child\2 children etc. Any spare tickets people have who want to pass them on\sell them on at face value for games they cannot attend done via City website rather than the viagogo website.
2) Either include home Cup fixtures (FA Cup, League Cup and also Champions or Europa League) with all season tickets, or at least have that as an option for Season Ticket purchases. Price the extra cost of a season ticket so that this works out at good value i.e. if an increase is to be made, make it maybe no more than £ 40-£ 50 for which you get all Home Cup games (FA Cup, League Cup and also Champions or Europa League), and if we only get drawn away in the FA Cup or League Cup and do not qualify for Europe for the following season the extra £ 40 - 50 is taken off the cost of a season ticket for the season after that, or simply refunded,
3) Introduce as many £ 299 season tickets for the new expanded South Stand as possible
4) When\If the North Stand also goes on to be completed, again introduce as many £ 299 season tickets for it also
5) Either have all of the new South Stand (all 3 tiers, when completed) just for Home Support and move the away support to a section of the North Stand near the Colin Bell stand, or have the bottom 2 tiers of the South Stand for Home support and the top tier (when completed) for away support.
6) In doing 5) then sell tickets, both Season Tickets and Matchday tickets to home supporters in that section(s), lets say to be called “Kippax” tickets to clearly identify them, so supporters who buy such tickets clearly know that this is a section where people around you will stand up from their seat for most of the game, and will want to sing for much of the game, thus marking this section\area for the most vocal supporters. With such tickets clearly identified everyone knows then that this section\stand is for the most vociferous of supporters and for people who want to be involved with this they can look at getting tickets in those section\ or as close as possible to those sections. For the more studious City supporter or people who may well take children with them to games and feel better in a less vocal area they buy tickets for the remaining sections of the ground.
7) Have the City Square events finish ½ an hour before kick off to encourage fans to get into the ground to their seats before kick off and maybe get an atmosphere started for when the players emerge. Thus for say a weekend 3:00 pm kick off have City Square events run between say 1:30\1:45\2:00 pm up to 2:30 pm and for midweek kick offs between say 6:30\6:45\7:00 pm up to 7:30 pm
8) At say 10 minutes before kick off at each home game have ‘Blue Moon’ played once to encourage the fans to get the atmosphere up, but then let the fans create the atmosphere themselves after that, and then at the end of each game play the ‘Boys in Blue’. No half time music or announcements made.
9) For the times in March\April\May and August\September\October when the Womens MCFC matches and Mens football season overlaps arrange say 3 or 4 Home games for the women on the same day as the Men have home games. Then schedule the women’s games at the new “Minihad” so that for a weekend kickoff at say 3:00 pm for the Men at the Etihad on a Saturday or 4:00 pm on a Sunday, the women’s match starts at say midday or 1:00 pm respectively, so there is an option for supporters perhaps to take in both games. To encourage this sell tickets for MCFC womens’ matches that provide offers\codes that can be used such that for the corresponding mens game you get 10% off the normal price of a matchday ticket, or you can get £ 25 off the cost of your season ticket purchased for the mens games for the following season, or you can get 10-15% off any purchase made on any goods direct from the City Store or purchased online.
10) Do similar as 9) for tickets bought to watch the EDS team at the new “Minihad”

For away games the club could:

a) Lay on a few free coaches from the Etihad for travel to selected away fixtures (at least trial it)
b) Ask the players to donate more to away support so that for say at least 1 away game in the season tickets could be made free for that selected 1 away fixture.

11) Free helicopter travel to all home games with free bar on arrival.

 

[Marvin]

The attendance at the Champions League game was more or less the same as last season's games in the Group stage

Money is always an issue

But the issue that is overlooked is that the only games that City have regularly disappointed in over recent years have been in Europe.......therefore a European night under the floodlights at the Etihad is not one that fills most fans with enthusiasm. Perhaps it should. After all the football should be the best. Occasionally it has been, but so often it's the opposition that rises to the occasion, and we don't.

 

[Stephenhakin]

Just been looking at the figures of the big clubs in Europe match day wise.

Rags 127M
Real M 119M
Barca 118M
Arsen 109M
Bayern 87M
Chelsea 82M
Dortmund 60M
PSG 53M
Liverpool 52M
Spurs 47M
City 46M

So you can see the gulf. Look at Dortmund, bigger than the swamp but loyal to their fans. I think its just an easy way of generating cash at the fans expense which the club may or may not have been forced to do with the introduction of FFP.

 

[moomba]

£35 for a Champions League game is tremendous value.

We don't know how lucky we are. City at least give our fans a choice. I chose not to go to the Capital One Cup last week because I put the Champions League as a priority in terms of both value for money and the quality of football I would see.

It's compulsory at both United and Arsenal to purchase European tickets if they want a season ticket.

I think some sections of our fan base have developed a sense of entitlement, simply because Sheikh Mansour has bought all these players, built a training campus and increasing capacity?

They see his money and think tickets should be twenty quid?

I don't think it's that. Season ticket prices have gone up significantly in the past 4 or 5 years. Well over £200 in some cases. You also have the platinum scheme which you (arguably) need if you are going to keep up with loyalty points. So there's another £50. You also have changes to the cup scheme which means that you need to be a member of the scheme if you want a guarantee of a final ticket. That all adds up.

And you are right, people have a choice to make, which is why more and more are making sacrifices such as cup games.

It has nothing to do with Sheikh Mansour's money, it has to do with the ever increasing costs of supporting your club in a time when there isn't an ever increasing amount of money for people to live on.

Personally, I thought £35 was a decent price for the game on Tuesday. But when you're spending an extra £50 to buy your season ticket every year there will be plenty of people who will pass at that price. FWIW I think you should be able to go to a game of football for £20. That has nothing to do with Sheikh Mansour, that should be the case at every club. Football as an industry has been taking the piss out of it's biggest asset (the supporters) for years.

 

[FanchesterCity]

It doesn't matter if something is good value.

If a BMW is for sale at 15K and you still can't afford it - then the 'great value' doesn't help.
And if you CAN afford it, should you then buy two, or three of them?

Some might be able to afford the £35.00 but not every game, so they'll most likely cherry pick Bayern Munich.

And, 35.00 is still 35.00 quid. That's not the final cost of attending. Petrol / parking / bus / food and drink / kids etc, all play a part in the overall equation.

I don't think anybody is saying City are trying to fleece fans, far from it - they are doing a pretty good job. But I do think that the overall cost of supporting City across an entire season is a real push for many fans. And let's not forget, our progress has been quite rapid, so many fans budget from 4 or 5 years ago has increased a LOT now we are getting to Wembley and playing in CL. Those extras simply weren't around 5 years ago. In time, I would guess a lot of fans will budget accordingly, but at the moment, it's quite a steep transition.

Let's do some very rough maths (Ive included a rough 'spend' to attend)...

Wembley semi @ 100
Wembley final @ 100
Champions League Game 1 @ 45
Champions League Game 2 @ 45
Champions League Game 3 @ 45

Already that's 335.00 extra, and I've been conservative on the actual spend, and it's not included a single FA Cup or League Cup cup round (barring semi), or an away game.

It's probably about 50% extra on top of a season ticket which is a 'new' 50% we aren't used to paying in our mediocre years.

 

[Blue Note]

This has got to be a rag/wum. Go support a shit club in div 2 then if you don't like being champions.

Why does the above have to be a rag/wum? I think a lot of Blues are thinking like this. Ok maybe not back down to the third tier but at least pre money. There will come a point when Manchester City are not Manchester City anymore.

Fuck off and support another club then if you don't like it now. Don't need 'fans' like you.

No your right.

City now want fans who come and spend £100 each time.

 

[Blue Note]

Don't get me wrong I loved it when we won the league against QPR, I even cried as did many others. But it's just not the same now, we are different and honestly I would give all the money back and go back to Div 2. At least we had soul.

We are becoming everything we hated and stood against.

Completely agree. Even when we were shite at least it was our shite and we felt part of it.

I for one would readily accept life in a lower division if it meant that we played on Saturdays at 3pm, the players played actually gave a toss and you could stand, sing and swear as you saw fit.

Modern football is shit.

At least we have the memories.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

No not at all. Of course we all like to win and play good football. My point or question is where will it stop? This was always going to happen. Matchday revenue was the one massive difference back in 2012/2013 when accounts came out for City & United. Even commercially they wern't massively in front of us so I guess its logical for them to chase this gap down. I guess what I am meaning to say it is a shame that a lot of genuine City fans cannot afford to go anymore.

I agree with your last bit - and also unnecessary. Match day revenue is relatively inconsequential. I hope (but don't necessarily expect) that the stadium expansion will at least arrest the increases in the non-corporate seats.

Sorry inconsequential? How can that be? Bit of a statto like that and it was the only area we were really behind the rags. Commercially we were 10m down, Boradcasting 19m down yet matchday was 84m down.....so unless I am missing something it is the area City should be attacking which they obviously are in my opinion.

Sorry. What I meant ( and didn't say due to laziness ) is that the cost of tickets in the non corporate bits makes little difference to our overall turnover vs commercial deals and TV money.

The law of diminishing returns applies in terms of revenue gained against alienating our core support imo.

 

[inbetween]

Ticket prices are going up and theyve changed the peak times on trains, so a midweek game will cost me £8 now instead of £4 to get to the robbing twats

Indeed, I'm in on that too. It already costs me £9.50 to get into Manchester so god knows what it will be at peak times. In Germany I went from the airport in Berlin to the centre (about 20 miles) for £1.50, this country is a joke.

For me it's not the match tickets that are the problem it is everything around it. If it was a tenner that would help but I'd rather give City the money then give it to some con merchants in Northern Rail. I always end up stood up everytime I go on the train, don't understand what I am paying for!

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Don't get me wrong I loved it when we won the league against QPR, I even cried as did many others. But it's just not the same now, we are different and honestly I would give all the money back and go back to Div 2. At least we had soul.

We are becoming everything we hated and stood against.

Completely agree. Even when we were shite at least it was our shite and we felt part of it.

I for one would readily accept life in a lower division if it meant that we played on Saturdays at 3pm, the players played actually gave a toss and you could stand, sing and swear as you saw fit.

Modern football is shit.

At least we have the memories.

You're entitled to your opinion, but nothing in this world stands still. Some things get worse other things improve depending on your perspective but if you expected football to be frozen in time circa 1985 (or whatever) you had expectations which never could be met.

 

[franksinatra]

Ticket prices are going up and theyve changed the peak times on trains, so a midweek game will cost me £8 now instead of £4 to get to the robbing twats

Indeed, I'm in on that too. It already costs me £9.50 to get into Manchester so god knows what it will be at peak times. In Germany I went from the airport in Berlin to the centre (about 20 miles) for £1.50, this country is a joke.

For me it's not the match tickets that are the problem it is everything around it. If it was a tenner that would help but I'd rather give City the money then give it to some con merchants in Northern Rail. I always end up stood up everytime I go on the train, don't understand what I am paying for!

If I book six weeks in advance arriving back in Manchester at around midnight friday and returning sunday or midday morning (Losing holidays) I usually pay at a minimum 44 pounds with three train changes. The travel is the biggest expense.

 

[Blue Note]

Completely agree. Even when we were shite at least it was our shite and we felt part of it.

I for one would readily accept life in a lower division if it meant that we played on Saturdays at 3pm, the players played actually gave a toss and you could stand, sing and swear as you saw fit.

Modern football is shit.

At least we have the memories.

You're entitled to your opinion, but nothing in this world stands still. Some things get worse other things improve depending on your perspective but if you expected football to be frozen in time circa 1985 (or whatever) you had expectations which never could be met.

You only have to look in Europe in places like Germany and they have it absolutely spot on.

They embarrass us in terms of atmosphere and prices.

 

[Stephenhakin]

I agree with your last bit - and also unnecessary. Match day revenue is relatively inconsequential. I hope (but don't necessarily expect) that the stadium expansion will at least arrest the increases in the non-corporate seats.

Sorry inconsequential? How can that be? Bit of a statto like that and it was the only area we were really behind the rags. Commercially we were 10m down, Boradcasting 19m down yet matchday was 84m down.....so unless I am missing something it is the area City should be attacking which they obviously are in my opinion.

Sorry. What I meant ( and didn't say due to laziness ) is that the cost of tickets in the non corporate bits makes little difference to our overall turnover vs commercial deals and TV money.

The law of diminishing returns applies in terms of revenue gained against alienating our core support imo.

Yes I guess you are right but I would still be interested to see what the split is between corporate and non corporate match day revenue. I still would have guessed non corporate would generate more revenue just by sheer numbers. I am however probably wrong as I have no idea on the costs of football in the corporate end of things.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I agree with your last bit - and also unnecessary. Match day revenue is relatively inconsequential. I hope (but don't necessarily expect) that the stadium expansion will at least arrest the increases in the non-corporate seats.

Sorry inconsequential? How can that be? Bit of a statto like that and it was the only area we were really behind the rags. Commercially we were 10m down, Boradcasting 19m down yet matchday was 84m down.....so unless I am missing something it is the area City should be attacking which they obviously are in my opinion.

Sorry. What I meant ( and didn't say due to laziness ) is that the cost of tickets in the non corporate bits makes little difference to our overall turnover vs commercial deals and TV money.

The law of diminishing returns applies in terms of revenue gained against alienating our core support imo.

Exactly. The revenue from 45,000 non-premium tickets is probably around £25m per season. The revenue from the 2,000 or so premium tickets is probably around £20m. Possibly I've overestimated the amount of corporate revenue but not by much. Adding another 2,000 premium places as part of the ground extension would bring in around another £15m probably whereas 10,000 ordinary seats would maybe bring in around £5m.

Squeezing the likes of us ordinary fans has little commercial logic as the relatively insignificant increase in revenue it brings in is clearly beginning to alienate many of the core support. We currently don't have the size of supporter base where we can afford to do that.

 

[Stephenhakin]

Modern football is shit.

At least we have the memories.

You're entitled to your opinion, but nothing in this world stands still. Some things get worse other things improve depending on your perspective but if you expected football to be frozen in time circa 1985 (or whatever) you had expectations which never could be met.

You only have to look in Europe in places like Germany and they have it absolutely spot on.

They embarrass us in terms of atmosphere and prices.

Yes and if you note there matchday revenue is nothing compared to Uniteds despite being similar sized stadiums so its obvious to me they put their fans first over revenue.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Modern football is shit.

At least we have the memories.

You're entitled to your opinion, but nothing in this world stands still. Some things get worse other things improve depending on your perspective but if you expected football to be frozen in time circa 1985 (or whatever) you had expectations which never could be met.

You only have to look in Europe in places like Germany and they have it absolutely spot on.

They embarrass us in terms of atmosphere and prices.

I think the 'fan experience' is definitely better in Germany for the reasons you outline. Went to a Frankfurt Bundesliga game a year ago and hugely enjoyed it.

I think it's better in England than Spain or Italy though, which wasn't the case pre-Hillsborough, certainly compared to Serie A.

 

[blueparrot]

I agree with your last bit - and also unnecessary. Match day revenue is relatively inconsequential. I hope (but don't necessarily expect) that the stadium expansion will at least arrest the increases in the non-corporate seats.

Sorry inconsequential? How can that be? Bit of a statto like that and it was the only area we were really behind the rags. Commercially we were 10m down, Boradcasting 19m down yet matchday was 84m down.....so unless I am missing something it is the area City should be attacking which they obviously are in my opinion.

Sorry. What I meant ( and didn't say due to laziness ) is that the cost of tickets in the non corporate bits makes little difference to our overall turnover vs commercial deals and TV money.

The law of diminishing returns applies in terms of revenue gained against alienating our core support imo.

You're right, but in the last couple of years and maybe this year as well when we have been trying to scrape under the FFP bar then turnover plus or minus just 2 or 3 million is important. However going forward if we can increase corporate turnover in an expanded stadium and the new sponsorship deals for the CFA are as big as rumoured, then scraping through will be a distant memory.
I have absoloutely nothing to base it on except maybe wishful thinking, but I get a feeling the club are starting to get it, and going forward they will pass on not needing to worry abaout FFP to the fans. We'll just need to wait and see I suppose.