Why didn't you go to the Leipzig game?

[bobbyowenquiff]

Agree with a lot of that but we left at the end, caught the 10.27, after I'd shopped for a bevvy on the way home. Its possible but you have to move it. Are the late train/buses an ongoing problem?

Don't know about the buses but the trains are still running a reduced Covid service. No one wants to drive into central Manchester but the transport is truly shite for night matches. In Germany the clubs work with the authorities so the match ticket includes transport and they provide hundreds of free shuttle buses, loads of trams, and trains as required, to clear fans away from stadia. The transport service here is worse now than it was 20 years ago...and more expensive. It's not unique to City though it is easier getting away from Old Trafford because they have more tram lines and stations than we do.

 

[Marvin]

No mate I wouldn't. Nobody has forced him to do what he does, he isn't conscripted.
To an extent it's actually irrelevant other than the fact he wouldn't have been asked on if he didn't do that job.
I completely understand anyone wanting to defend our fans, I have been all over the internet doing it myself today, but not as what the media will say is a representative of our fan base. It's at best naïve and at worst smacks of wanting to get your mush on telly.

It will work out in our favour anyway. Pep has a thick skin. And the whole topic will just get City fans up for the game which was Pep's intention anyway.

 

[eastlandsblue]

All he needs to do infuture, is say the atmosphere isn't great. Which was infact the case on weds. Maybe being a group game could be a factor or its the stand you sit in. Let's hope this is put to bed and the atmosphere on Saturday gives him reason to be cheerful

 

[Tim of the Oak]

No mate I wouldn't. Nobody has forced him to do what he does, he isn't conscripted.
To an extent it's actually irrelevant other than the fact he wouldn't have been asked on if he didn't do that job.
I completely understand anyone wanting to defend our fans, I have been all over the internet doing it myself today, but not as what the media will say is a representative of our fan base. It's at best naïve and at worst smacks of wanting to get your mush on telly.

I’ve posted a thread encouraging fans to get behind Peo and the team that you might have seen. That doesn’t change the fact that everyone is entitled to their opinion. That includes Peo, Kevin and everyone on Bluemoon etc.

If you don’t respect what other Blues do for fellow fans that’s up you.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Yes he was bound to be asked to come onto Sky Sports and start a fire, thats exactly what Sky were looking for - a way to turn a few comments into a news story they could run for days to fill the gap between midweek games and the weekend.

As far as I'm aware he's not obliged to take them up on the offer or all the subsequent ones.

And obviously there's an incredible irony in telling someone to stick to their job and not cause a media distraction while you're on TV causing a media distraction.

As someone said above, Parker could have made this about the price of football, or turned a massive, national spotlight on the mobile ticketing problems that have taken up hundreds of pages of discussion on here.

Instead he seems to have taken it upon himself to tell Guardiola to wind his neck in and turn a few small comments into a massive news story.

It was all over Social media already mate. I don’t listen to Talkshite these days but they were already doing a feature on the “Emptyhad” or already had done so. I was being messaged by a bin dipper I play 5 a side with.

 

[Scareye]

I’ve posted a thread encouraging fans to get behind Peo and the team that you might have seen. That doesn’t change the fact that everyone is entitled to their opinion. That includes Peo, Kevin and everyone on Bluemoon etc.

If you don’t respect what other Blues do for fellow fans that’s up you.

Tim, this isn't about what he does for other fans, or if I respect it or not, and Kevin has every right to have an opinion.
What I am saying is he went on the television, knowing that what he said would taken as the view for our whole fan base and in the process I think it's safe to say, has pissed the manager off.

 

[Eccles Blue]

To be fair to Kevin Parker, & I don’t know if that was a live interview or not, it could have been a cut and paste type interview and he could have said more we just don’t now.
As @Tim of the Oak says he does a heck of a lot of work for the supporters. Fair play to him.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

It will work out in our favour anyway. Pep has a thick skin. And the whole topic will just get City fans up for the game which was Pep's intention anyway.

I hope you are right. Adversity is always good for atmosphere. We must not allow the press to drive a wedge between the club and us. I still regard Pep's comments as an own goal (he should have kept to the 6-3 win) but we need to move on. I suspect most of the backlash was driven by frustration about the dreadful customer service we are getting as fans off the pitch. It was bad timing.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Tim, this isn't about what he does for other fans, or if I respect it or not, and Kevin has every right to have an opinion.
What I am saying is he went on the television, knowing that what he said would taken as the view for our whole fan base and in the process I think it's safe to say, has pissed the manager off.

Fair enough mate. Between Peo’s and Kevin’s “handiwork” we should have a decent atmosphere on Saturday lol.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

A plastic scouse (a yank) mentioned this to me last night in my pub. Only had the slightest interest in football, but had still heard of ‘Pep having a go at fans’.

Did you ask him which stand he sits in at Anfield?

 

[Scareye]

Fair enough mate. Between Peo’s and Kevin’s “handiwork” we should have a decent atmosphere on Saturday lol.

Indeed. Hey. Maybe they were in this together? :-)

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Indeed. Hey. Maybe they were in this together? :-)

Spot on mate lol

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I don't know Kevin Parker from Adam, nobody speaks for me as a Blue.

However, I find it incredibly uncomfortable that he's being made the patsy by both Sky and Pep.

He's the head of a supporters group and was asked for comment in light of what Pep said, he's responded to the only words the manager used.

If Pep doesn't want his words to be misconstrued, then take ownership at the time, rather than providing cheap soundbites for people who have not a good word to say about us as a club.

 

[Kinkladze 1]

1) Because it was on tv
2) the football experience now is utter shite compared to when I had a season ticket in the 90’s.

 

[greasedupdeafguy]

The attendance discussion is so tiresome. I wouldn’t mind but the likes of Barcelona, Milan, Inter etc rarely even have half full stadiums which never seems to be mentioned.

Having said that, I don’t think the club has helped themselves over years with the banning of flags on the second tier, LED boards replacing seats, increased ticket prices. Small changes but they slowly suck the life out of the stadium and reduce the appetite for people to get tickets.

 

[seafordblue]

- No trains back to London after the match
- Return from Seaford to Manchester Wednesday, returning on thursday for my two sons and me is £593.70
- Hotel would add a further £100
- Car journey takes 5 hours each way and would cost £110 petrol
- Self-employed and would lose one day's pay travelling to the game.
- I'm on the DD scheme so paid for my tickets but had to write them off.
- Sense of loyalty went after that decision to give out tickets for the Everton game via a lottery, so I'll go when it suits me now, not because I feel City need me there..
- First game I've missed this season, but I'll be there on Saturday..

 

[colin's bell helmet]

I think transport puts people off midweek, the metrolink is an absolute joke... 25mins after the full time whistle for the first double tram to turn up is a piss take, we missed our 22:30 train from piccadilly and then had to wait another hour to get on the next train 23:35 meaning I didn't get home til gone midnight and I only live in Stalybridge so anyone who's had the same experience and is up early for work the next day or has kids at school the next morning there's no chance they are going to go.

 

[Pappa Mike]

Didn't go because quite frankly I'm pissed off. Cannot park, cannot speak with anyone to fix issues, constantly on hold for hours, never get a response to e-mails, chasing rules and impositions at the last minute, and piss poor communication for everything they attempt to do. Can't be arsed with the faff around mobile ticketing. Even in the stadium you get bent over dry-fucked for a bottle of water.

Can't believe I'd ever come to the point of considering this - it seemed almost impossible a year ago - but me and the lad are now on the verge of cancelling the £2000 worth of direct debits for the season tickets.

It's not the team, its not Pep or the experience of watching City play. We love it and always have.

However it feels more and more like we are trying to support our team DESPITE the best efforts of the corporate clusterfuck being imposed on us, and it's grinding us down. We've gone from attending every game in all Tournaments with high enthusiasm to feeling rather disenfranchised and undervalued.

Just as an example I've spent 4 hours on hold today trying to resolve an issue that should never have been a problem. I'm still only 62 in the queue and have been for the duration of typing this response.

We will always support City but match attendance is now harder than ever, cannot transfer to friends without a load of hassle. cannot move seats easily, cannot buy tickets for friends to accompany us without hassle. Cannot park easily in our usual carpark. It's a complete clusterfuck and has represented a significant deterioration in our match day experience.

It's not one single thing that's pissed us off, but a succession of screw-ups, and a complete lack of respect for the fans over the years. Feels like as fan we are completely undervalued by the corporate fuckery that stands between us and our team.

Maybe after I have had a bit of kip and some time to think I might change my mind, but right now I'm pissed off.

So yeah - I get it. We want to be there but until they sort out the monumental clustefuck they are creating by screwing with our matchday experience, we won't be bothering.

 

[Big gay Al]

Can't be arsed going to Champions League games anymore. Happy for us to commit to the competition as a club, but a few years ago I changed jobs and getting home in time to get back to the Etihad was too difficult. Got out of the habit of going to games and started watching on TV instead.

Still go to every league game (season ticket holder) and will try to get tickets for later rounds in the FA Cup & Carabao, but the "matchday experience" of a Champions League game is as dull as sin and the feeling of being in the Champions League is very rarely worth the hassle of getting to games on a weeknight for me.

It all gets to be too expensive in the end. Cup schemes, cup tickets, drink at the game, petrol, etc. Easier to stay in.

Ditto

 

[jimbopm]

I don't know Kevin Parker from Adam, nobody speaks for me as a Blue.

However, I find it incredibly uncomfortable that he's being made the patsy by both Sky and Pep.

He's the head of a supporters group and was asked for comment in light of what Pep said, he's responded to the only words the manager used.

If Pep doesn't want his words to be misconstrued, then take ownership at the time, rather than providing cheap soundbites for people who have not a good word to say about us as a club.

The best thing Kevin Parker could have done is not gotten involved at all, or at the very least straight batted the question by saying he didn't have a problem with what Pep said - even if he did.

Kevin Parker, as head of a supporters group, should be well aware of the context of the remarks made by Pep and how they were likely to have been taken up by the media. By responding in the manner he has, he's poured fuel on to flame.