Wumminator
The Qatar Pounder
I got offered free tickets twice yesterday. My mate went who doesn’t even follow footy that much cuz he got free tickets.
This is probably a regular occurrence before their home games. Unless it's United or one of the bigger games they never seem to sell out.I got offered free tickets twice yesterday. My mate went who doesn’t even follow footy that much cuz he got free tickets.
They definitely do.Why put a photo from about 5 years ago in the OP?
Anyway. Yeah, their fan base is small considering the quality of the football they play. They have a midtable level following. Newcastle & Everton probably have more fans than they do.
There's a very distinctive split I've noticed when it comes to City supporters. The people who have been fans for years, through all the shit times etc who are very respectful, logical & a good debate, who never miss a game. Then there's the younger fans, say 25 & below who are extremely arrogant & believe they're by far the best team in the world & will just steamroll every team put in front of them, and if they ever don't it's because they've been "cheated" by the ref.
I work with a lad who's a season ticket holder for them & in his own words yesterday "Can't be arsed, we'll just play the kids & smash them" Kinda sums up a large chunk of their fanbase. So it isn't a surprise to me their crowds are low.
This is probably a regular occurrence before their home games. Unless it's United or one of the bigger games they never seem to sell out.
How can they? United have got most of the area sown up. People don't just change their allegiance because one team is doing well. Maybe their kids will grow up being City fans but they won't be able to afford the admission for years.See I don't think they've got that many more new fans around the local area anyway.
They'll obviously have more out of town fans now than when they were complete dogshit for 30 years but in Manchester it doesn't feel like they have that many more fans now than they did 10 years ago.
Whenever they win the League you tend to see more City flags in windows but other than that I don't think much has changed.
How can they? United have got most of the area sown up. People don't just change their allegiance because one team is doing well. Maybe their kids will grow up being City fans but they won't be able to afford the admission for years.
They definitely do.
The problem City have got is that, no matter what they do, it's still fake. People aren't stupid, they know inauthenticity when they see it.
Yeah but there's also the problem that kids need people to go with.City tickets in comparison to any other supposedly top club, are cheap as feck. Especially for any midweek games.
They're paying lower ticket prices for Champions League games than Utd fans were in the 90s.
They can't give away tickets for midweek games. Nobody wants them.
Can this thread have a weekly poll where posters can guess their next home attendance or empty seats?![]()
They have a stadium that is too big for the club. They'd do well to fill Leigh Sports Village.
It was more than 13k empty seat, I'd say closer on 18k. No way we had 40k last night. I'm probably the last person who should criticise given how little I get home to Manchester nevermind to a game but its kind of sad. Given we can pull 45k for league games then there is not excuse for 10k less in the CL.
Protest my arse tbh.. were we in a semi-final none of those protesters would stay away. Our club support has a strange relationship with the CL. Boo if you're going to boo (though its pointless and stupid imho) but don't punish your team for issues you blame on Uefa... I mean the team were flat and I rightly gave them stick last night but can you imagine how it must feel, being installed as favourites after getting 100 points the season before, watching the atmosphere at Anfield the night before and walking out to that. Has to be disheartening.
Craig Bellamy of all people made a great point about Liverpool's support elevating them in the CL, because despite the odd bus attack or two, they never stop believing (even naively), with us it's almost like we're afraid of the CL and it spreads to the team.
As I said I'm not one to criticise and I'll probably get shit off regular match goers about it because I've lived in Ireland last 30 years but meh.. have to call it as I see it.
For comparison, since we haven't played any home games in the Champions League yet, our lowest home attendance in last years group stage was the opener v Basel, which was attended by 73,854.
Our lowest home attendance all season last year was v Burton in the league cup, on a wednesday. That was attended by 54,256 people.
City's attendance yesterday in the Champions League opener v Lyon was 40,111.
Their lowest attendance all season last year vs the League Cup semi final v Bristol City at 43,426, which was actually just a 122 people less than their lowest attended Champions League game v Feyenoord.
I heard the traffic was pretty bad?
In other news, the BBC sent a Freedom Of Information request a couple of weeks ago to ascertain the true attendance figures from last season as opposed to what the clubs report. Surprise surprise, City found to fudge their figures and overestimate attendance by an average of 7000+, or by 14%.
For a PL winning side that is fecking shocking.
With made up figures like that, no wonder they can get over inflated fake sponsorship deals to fund their empty cocoon of a club. There are lies, damn lies, statistics and then the accountants at Citeh. Massive club.
There is absolutely no excuse for them not filling their stadium on a Champions League night. The protest bullshit is nonsense, it's a poor excuse.
They've spent decades in the footballing wilderness, playing PNE in League 1, getting relegated time and time again. Now they've finally got something to be proud of they can't even turn up to watch their team on the biggest stage. Say's everything you need to know about City and their fans.
If filling they're stadium meant United started a goal down every match day, it would be bursting, even when they were playing away.
I'm confident they won't be relevant in a few years, once Pep leaves they'll start to decline.
They are a bigger name than every team outside the Top 6
The ‘protest’ is the most ludicrous bullshit I’ve ever heard. You’ve got 15000 people staying away on principal about something that affected travelling fans how many years ago? Utter drivel.
To even mention it is being disingenuous. Too much success too soon to every appreciate what home champions league nights even mean. They truly represent 21st century football in all its worst forms. I remember being absolutely buzzing all day waiting for united v rapid Vienna to kick off in about 1996. For many city fans nowadays they’ll show up when they’re in the semi despite the competition being a fantasy a decade ago. No value or worth on anything.
A worthless vile club.
(Pic in op isn’t from last night though)
They were getting 30k at Maine Road in the late 90s when in division 2...
Guess their fans just dont like the CL for whatever reason. It does baffle me, 2k empty seats and not much of a story but over 10k on a consistant basis is wierd.
They were getting 30k at Maine Road in the late 90s when in division 2...
Guess their fans just dont like the CL for whatever reason. It does baffle me, 2k empty seats and not much of a story but over 10k on a consistant basis is wierd.
The ironic part is this is one of the greatest periods for them and yet their fans (if they have) are not enjoying this. If they can't take their club seriously why would others.
This guy speaks the truth.
City will never be recognized as a global brand until they accumulate multiple trophies both domestically and in Europe. It takes years to build a brand, City are barely out of their teething stages. They're still a relatively small club.
The issue is there is no guarentee this success will remain for city. As I said in my previous post here this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, times to be a city fan and yet they are not enjoying it. One or two average season and city will be just another club. The likes of liverpool, arsenal and United can afford that but city cannot. It doesnt give a good viewing for new football lovers. It is imp5coty fans realise it rather than just bitching rags this rags that.Yeah, but no City fan with half a brain would ever say otherwise in fairness. I think most City fans see us in that light, we are in a weird kind of place, we have the support of a midtable team in terms of numbers, yet we have a squad up there with the best in Europe and by hook or by crook, we have sponsors on a par with pretty much anyone globally. It's kind of weird, our fanbase is not expanding at nearly the same rate as the club which is probably understandable given our owners investment but it kind of gives a weird vibe.
That said as in the video, having less fans for Lyon in the CL then Fulham in the PL is just weird...
I'm sure the fans will come eventually, but as you say we may need 10 years to see the benefits, globally we'll probably need a CL and then time for those kids to jump on the bandwagon to mature atm.. we are nowhere near the top clubs in that regard but I don't think any City fan whose not delusional would disagree with that.
I can't disagree with anything in that video either tbh.
I cannot consider them as a serious team until they are capable of having an audience worth watching them. What are your thoughts on this?
That it's an extremely arrogant position, common in fans of the biggest clubs, one I'm far too used to in my own country too.
Yeah it seems most City fans are pretty reasonable about the whole thing tbh. If anything (and I may be wrong here) it seems a lot of you are underwhelmed by the whole experience.Yeah, but no City fan with half a brain would ever say otherwise in fairness. I think most City fans see us in that light, we are in a weird kind of place, we have the support of a midtable team in terms of numbers, yet we have a squad up there with the best in Europe and by hook or by crook, we have sponsors on a par with pretty much anyone globally. It's kind of weird, our fanbase is not expanding at nearly the same rate as the club which is probably understandable given our owners investment but it kind of gives a weird vibe.
That said as in the video, having less fans for Lyon in the CL then Fulham in the PL is just weird...
I'm sure the fans will come eventually, but as you say we may need 10 years to see the benefits, globally we'll probably need a CL and then time for those kids to jump on the bandwagon to mature atm.. we are nowhere near the top clubs in that regard but I don't think any City fan whose not delusional would disagree with that.
I can't disagree with anything in that video either tbh.
You can buy world class players and you can do dodgy dealings to get yourselves inflated sponsorship deals, but you can't buy fans.Yeah, but no City fan with half a brain would ever say otherwise in fairness. I think most City fans see us in that light, we are in a weird kind of place, we have the support of a midtable team in terms of numbers, yet we have a squad up there with the best in Europe and by hook or by crook, we have sponsors on a par with pretty much anyone globally. It's kind of weird, our fanbase is not expanding at nearly the same rate as the club which is probably understandable given our owners investment but it kind of gives a weird vibe.
That said as in the video, having less fans for Lyon in the CL then Fulham in the PL is just weird...
I'm sure the fans will come eventually, but as you say we may need 10 years to see the benefits, globally we'll probably need a CL and then time for those kids to jump on the bandwagon to mature atm.. we are nowhere near the top clubs in that regard but I don't think any City fan whose not delusional would disagree with that.
I can't disagree with anything in that video either tbh.
The issue is there is no guarentee this success will remain for city. As I said in my previous post here this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, times to be a city fan and yet they are not enjoying it. One or two average season and city will be just another club. The likes of liverpool, arsenal and United can afford that but city cannot. It doesnt give a good viewing for new football lovers. It is imp5coty fans realise it rather than just bitching rags this rags that.