When was your first season ticket and when were they introduced at City ?

[JCB001]

Yes I think they were called League Match Ticket Books when they first came out for the Kippax. We never got them because you just walked in to the Kippax in those days, left the Osborne House a bit earlier for the big matches, and collected the programme tokens for the away cup matches. After the problems of getting tickets for the 81 Cup Final we decided that season tickets were necessary.

We must have drank in there at the same time

 

[moenchengladbach blau]

We always started at the Welcome having parked near there and then joined the push and shove in the Osborne - a real ale house. Then the Claremont chippy, and back to the Osborne to drown our sorrows usually.

Did that for years until the last day of Maine Road.

 

[Gary James]

Thanks. I missed that. It's logical that they've always existed because the economic rationale for them has always applied.

They probably existed in 1891-92 as well, asArdwick were in the Alliance League, so once a league existed you could guarantee a set number of games. The original season tickets, certainly pre ww1, were a folded card which gave access to every home game no matter what type. At some point before 1922 they became books with tear off sheets.

 

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

Just had a quick check in "Manchester The City Years" (great book; every Blue should own one ;-) - in 1977-78 there were 23,000 season ticket holders with the most expensive ST costing £37. In 77-78 the Kippax ST price was £11, giving a saving of £5.80 over the year.

ST's only gave admission to League games. There were 26 numbered vouchers in the ST books and each match day the number would appear above the turnstile. Bernard Halford would try to catch ticket touts/those who sold their tickets by ensuring the numbers were not used sequentially, and would decide on the morning of the game what number would be used. I have a vague memory that he once used the same number twice, causing a real kerfuffle (but maybe my memory's playing tricks there). There were 26 vouchers in case games were called off or abandoned after people had entered the stadium.

Thanks for that Gary.

I was not too far off with the "discount" - breakeven after 13 or 14 games then and not 12. Still great value at the time particularly when you add the other advantages.

I like the Bernard Halford story and, now you mention it, it is another memory jog.

I'm still surprised (but accept) that we had as many as 23,000 ST holders in 77/78 albeit Swales and his pricing policy for cashflow would have helped greatly. It's interesting looking back at the average attendances at that time - 76/77 40,058 and 77/78 41,687. These 2 seasons were the 1st time we had an average of over 40,000 since 1948. Looking back now it is staggering they dropped a cliff to the extent that they did - a low point of 19,472 just 10 years later in 1987/1988. But that is another story...

 

[shockin-hocking]

My dad bought me my first season ticket for the 99/00 season in the North Stand, following my first game as an 8 year old at Wembley against Gillingham. Some introduction! Promotion in my first game and at the end of my first full season got me hooked. Had that ticket for two years until the end of the season we were relegated from the PL, but my dad couldn't afford to renew for the both of us understandably.

Had a season ticket at the Etihad since we moved there, though, so consider myself very lucky to have been there for the tail end of the dark days. One game that sticks out as typical City in my time as a season ticket holder is against Bolton (I think around 2005??) when we hit the woodwork five or six times and lost with a Gary Speed penalty with the last kick of the game. There's no mistaking it's a great time to be a City fan despite a very differently disappointing season, but we can't complain too much knowing what we've had to endure in the past!

 

[Gary James]

Looking back now it is staggering they dropped a cliff to the extent that they did - a low point of 19,472 just 10 years later in 1987/1988. But that is another story...

But worth remembering that almost every club experienced a similar drop or even greater. Lots of reasons of course and maybe a good one for another thread.

 

[m7mcfc]

My first first season ticket was in 1970 and in those days the Season Ticket included all home games including home domestic Cup matches. It also included home games for City Reserves. It was 'True' Season Ticket. The LMTB was most definitely a Rag thing as it only covered home League Games and some of my Rag mates used to complain that we were getting a much better deal than they were. Particularly since our Cup runs were usually long than their's ! This offer carried on well into the 1980's, as I recall.

I also got free admission to reserve games in the early 80's as being a member of the junior blues.

 

[m7mcfc]

1989-1990 season on The Kippax. Cost £55 with a £20 discount for buying early (before we were promoted) IIRC

We were in Division 1 that season.....23/09/89 should bolt your memory.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

First season ticket was aged 17 on the Kippax 1980/81 cost 18 quid I think. I was on 27 quid a week

Recall there being maybe 40 odd tickets in there, for reserve games too.
I came in on a supporters bus and we would all try to be first to guess the correct ticket number! Once we could see which number it was, I'd rip it out and leave the book in my bag safely on the bus.

 

[petrusha]

We were in Division 1 that season.....23/09/89 should bolt your memory.

I think he means that he bought the ticket for that season in the spring of 1989, without knowing whether we were going to get promoted or not for the following campaign. Fortunately, we did, though we cut it a bit fine. :)

The renewals always came out before the end of the previous season and there were always discounts for renewing early, IIRC.