Tourists at games

[Pablo123]

Let's go City Let's Go.

Lived in NY for a while , one of my great mates out there was a Jets fan . He got us tickets for the first game of the season against the Dolphins . After meeting in the bar early hours of Sunday morning in Long Island then a few scoops in Manhattan we made our way over to New Jersey for the tailgating .
Now I haven’t really got much of an idea of American football but it was a great atmosphere but their songs are a bit crap .
So myself and one of the lads who’d come over ( a city fan ) started incorporating Jets into city songs , we all follow the Jets over land and sea , we never win at home and a few others you get the scenario.
To say we got some strange looks was putting it lightly.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

From a cold business perspective they want to expand the fan base and this is a way to do that.

I was at Wembley for the Community Shield game that a lot of Manchester based fans boycotted last season. It was like the United Nations but the main point was it was absolutely full despite the boycott.

Absolutely. It’s income and we’re a business.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Which is fine, but let's have some transparency.

I’d rather see the away end packed with diehard Blues mate. I agree with you on transparency.

That’s said, I didn’t see that many tourists at Weet Ham and the atmosphere was flat.

Tue reality is that people who really want to go to a game will find a way of getting in.

 

[jimharri]

Bloody tourists. Horrid people.


;-)

 

[Felix.]

at least I’m calling it football! I’ll add this to my list (pitch, defence, kit).

Wait, what do yanks call the pitch ??

 

[Gremlin]

American here - we have a lot of family friends with kids who are very into “soccer” and are interested in seeing games abroad. I’m on the East Coast so it’s a shorter trip to London and generally families interested in football here are more affluent. Because the London Stadium is big, I know a lot of people end up there when they just want to see a game - they don’t necessarily have a specific team they support. Friends went there last year and ended up sitting next to long time Hammers who told them all kind of stories and taught them the songs and they came back to the US as fans for life. Not all tourists are terrible! And many I know are smart enough to know to behave and dress appropriately whatever side they sit with, even if they usually support another team (obviously support is more fluid here in the states).

We did this almost identically but the other way round - on holiday in California a couple of years ago we went to a LA Dodgers baseball game and set behind a family that had season tickets who game us the low down on what was going on, though we didn't really come away as lifelong Dodgers fans. However, I'm sure they were very happy about the tourist dollars that we spent there in the same way that City are happy about the money spent by tourists at the Etihad (who all seem to be clutching bags of merchandise from the club shop).

I take the point about tickets not being available but there has to be a happy medium between 'local' fans (insert your own League of Gentlemen joke here) and enhancing the profile of the club globally.

 

[jimharri]

Wait, what do yanks call the pitch ??

Field, innit?

 

[MCFC Wirral]

I take the point about tickets not being available but there has to be a happy medium between 'local' fans (insert your own League of Gentlemen joke here) and enhancing the profile of the club globally.

I believe the club refers to us as “legacy fans” but many refer to themselves as FOCs on here.

In fairness, I was changing flights at Frankfurt on my way back from Croatia last year and two American lads were looking at football merch in a shop. They recognised my Wales colours as “the Gareth Bale team” and were asking questions.

I like most Americans I’ve met. I’ve not been there since I was a child but would love to go back one day.

 

[ABayBlue]

Not all tourists are able to travel...but still love City. New York Blues yesterday...

View attachment 130459

One of the best supporter groups! Made great mates with Spencer (front row in 13/14 kit) as a result of visiting this place a few years back.

 

[failsworthblueboy]

Lived in NY for a while , one of my great mates out there was a Jets fan . He got us tickets for the first game of the season against the Dolphins . After meeting in the bar early hours of Sunday morning in Long Island then a few scoops in Manhattan we made our way over to New Jersey for the tailgating .
Now I haven’t really got much of an idea of American football but it was a great atmosphere but their songs are a bit crap .
So myself and one of the lads who’d come over ( a city fan ) started incorporating Jets into city songs , we all follow the Jets over land and sea , we never win at home and a few others you get the scenario.
To say we got some strange looks was putting it lightly.

Some people won't even except change for the better lol.