Will Barca Sell Out?

[I'm no cynic but...]

Those same mythical " loyal supporters" who get trotted out every time someone wants to jump on the moral high ground over a ticketing non-issue.

If they were that "loyal" they'd qualify to buy a ticket and make sure they bought one. I will give you a billion reasons why the sheikh can send over who the fuck he wants.

What if he's a 16 year old lad and from a poor family who has never really been in a position to take him to games but now he's got himself a job and can afford tickets and has started going to games as a life long City fan but can't go to this because of a load of randoms taking up seats? He's got a card but not a SC just yet, has low points, but has dreamt all his life of going to a game like this and can't.

He wouldn't have been able to go then would he !

If a few boxes were set aside for privileged Middle Eastern gentlemen who were paying a million quid out of personal loose change, I doubt if anyone would argue against it. More than likely, it would be ecstatically welcomed. I'm sure that Sheikh Mansour would well acquainted with such patrons and would be only too happy to put on a show to entertain his guests. As for myself, I wouldn't want to make a corporate box become a habit anyway and I don't know anyone else who would.

 

[Bluebee2]

Could be time to consider expanding the stadium!

Yeah, let's how many thousands are stood outside tomorrow night at the Blackburn game !

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

Hoping to get my mum a ticket on fridqy..hope there are still some left.

 

[john@staustell]

Could be time to consider expanding the stadium!

Yeah, let's how many thousands are stood outside tomorrow night at the Blackburn game !

So who says we have to sell out every single cup match in the next 3 years when the ground is expanded?

I know - how about we put ST holders automatically into the cup scheme, charge them a fortune and then give an attendance of 60,000 when they dont turn up? It's the fashionable way.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

What's my position got to do with it?

Would it be better if I was stood up?

I would have thought moderators know better than to deliberately twist someone else's words to stir shit up

Let's get away from the moderator argument. The ground holds 48,000 or thereabouts and the match is as good as sold out. Due to the high profile of the match, the number of supposed 'hangers on' - UEFA, the Sheikh's pals etc - who have got tickets (probably for nowt) will be significantly higher than for (say) West Brom or Sunderland.

It's supply and demand. If someone hasn't been able to get a ticket through the club, they go to Viagogo to check availability. If there are none left or they can't afford it, they can stay at home and watch it on the telly. I don't see why any SC holder should be criticised for giving an opinion. I've supported the Blues for over 50 years and believe me there have been plenty of times over the years when I couldn't afford to buy a SC and have scraped to be able to buy a match ticket to watch us play against shite like Wigan, Burnley, Reading, etc. Did I winge and moan? Did I f*ck - I just got on with life and resolved to go more when I could afford it.

I'm now in that better position but have a 400 mile round trip to watch every home game - Does some hard-up 16 year old in Manchester have a greater right than me or anyone else - even ficticious Abu Dhabi students - to go the the match? No they don't. I don't consider myself to be a 'bigger' or 'better' Blue than anyone else, but it's supply and demand. With all due respect; people who can't get a ticket for the Barcelona game are not my or any other SC holder's problem - their time will come (assuming they work hard at school and get good jobs that will enable them to earn enough to buy tickets).

Moving on... Anyone who thinks the demand for the Barcelona match is unique is in for a big surprise when ticket prices etc are announced for the next round - I fully expect that at some point, some SC holders who are not on the CL scheme will struggle to get tickets due to the number given to the UEFA 'family' - Some may even find they can't afford to go if the prices are too high. Obviously, if I find myself in that position, I'll be very disappointed, but I'll understand and accept that it's the price of success, and will just watch the match on TV.

In a couple of years there'll be another 12,000 seats available but some people still won't be able to get a ticket for the 'big' games. Just be happy that such games will almost certainly be shown live on TV (if not City's own TV channel) and that, thanks to the Sheikh, City will still be involved - Something we could only dream of 10 years ago.

Just what until (!) we reach the final.11,000 tickets (at £170) between 38,000 season ticket holders, 20,000 who are members of the European cup scheme.

Then there will be blood on the walls on the forum. But your point will stand: demand and supply. No one has a right to a ticket to any game.

 

[babua_blue]

Could be time to consider expanding the stadium!

Yeah, let's how many thousands are stood outside tomorrow night at the Blackburn game !

So who says we have to sell out every single cup match in the next 3 years when the ground is expanded?

I know - how about we put ST holders automatically into the cup scheme, charge them a fortune and then give an attendance of 60,000 when they dont turn up? It's the fashionable way.

Yeah . I think thats how Gunners manage to fill their library every cup home game ..

 

[Bluebee2]

Could be time to consider expanding the stadium!

Yeah, let's how many thousands are stood outside tomorrow night at the Blackburn game !

So who says we have to sell out every single cup match in the next 3 years when the ground is expanded?

I know - how about we put ST holders automatically into the cup scheme, charge them a fortune and then give an attendance of 60,000 when they dont turn up? It's the fashionable way.

I'm not saying any such thing, but at £15 let's see how many of our loyal fans turn up !

 

[Deleted member 58678]

Those same mythical " loyal supporters" who get trotted out every time someone wants to jump on the moral high ground over a ticketing non-issue.

If they were that "loyal" they'd qualify to buy a ticket and make sure they bought one. I will give you a billion reasons why the sheikh can send over who the fuck he wants.

What if he's a 16 year old lad and from a poor family who has never really been in a position to take him to games but now he's got himself a job and can afford tickets and has started going to games as a life long City fan but can't go to this because of a load of randoms taking up seats? He's got a card but not a SC just yet, has low points, but has dreamt all his life of going to a game like this and can't.

Wow. This is bad from The Sheikh, isn't it? What about the old man who has terminal cancer, has only a week to live and his dying wish is to watch City play Barcelona? Cast asunder into the long dark night with his wish unfulfilled, and all because of that pesky glory hunting Sheikh of ours? Can I drag him onto the moral high ground too?

:D indeed, why not!

It was only really into a response to you implying it's lazy arse fans who don't bother with the little games. There will be those, of course, but there will be a lot of fans who may (the might not, of course!) miss out due to this students thing who don't fall into that bracket.

And I highly doubt it has anything to do with the Sheikh at all. I can't see him knocking about with a load of students, can you? He's royalty and a serious businessman! It's probably something lead by a marketing team somewhere along the line.

 

[supercity88]

The thing people often forget is that whilst games like Barca and the derby may sell out and yet in the FA Cup and League Cup attendances are maybe at 75% of current capacity, when things move forward, if people keep missing out on the big Champions League games, or the derby matches then they will need to go to the League Cup games to boost loyalty points and get closer to tickets for the bigger matches. So attendances will improve over the years anyway as we get bigger and better.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

The thing people often forget is that whilst games like Barca and the derby may sell out and yet in the FA Cup and League Cup attendances are maybe at 75% of current capacity, when things move forward, if people keep missing out on the big Champions League games, or the derby matches then they will need to go to the League Cup games to boost loyalty points and get closer to tickets for the bigger matches. So attendances will improve over the years anyway as we get bigger and better.

We've seen it already.

Last season was the best I've ever known early round cup games to be.

Watford Leeds Barnsley etc were all sell-outs.