Fans attitude towards Champions League football

[Ted Hughes]

That's the point; it isn't just the Champions League & it isn't just City fans.

Rags, Liverpool have the extra fanbase/tourists, London teams have the tourists & higher wages etc. In our case,we are asking mainly the same people, plus a smaller number of tourists, to keep putting their hands in their pockets, & produce more & more money, every year, irrespective of their financial situation or the situation of the economy in general.

I went to the Newcastle game & even though it was a disaster, still City played some great football amongst the shite, ended up with a team full of attackers, all attacking, there isn't much wrong with that part of the 'experience' win lose or draw, & it was cheap.

But the fucking place is horrible. It's got worse not better. If I'd paid £40 for that & didn't have a season ticket, I wouldn't bother again this season. Losing is one thing, but losing in a fucking tomb, is another.

With the Champions Lg, I'm often being asked to pay decent money, for an 'experience' which isn't an experience at all. The football is almost always shit, not just at City, but everywhere else. People overratre it so much. The atmosphere, at City, is shit, & we're playing a bunch of cunts almost every time, who are all part of a private club in which we are not welcome.

I found Liverpool's 'experience' vs Real Madrid very interesting. All the usual bullshit about special nights under the lights, then outclassed for 20 mins, then deathly silence just like at the Etihad. Then 45 mins of utter shite as the match was played out.

That in itself is typical of the top team's matches in the Champions League. Maybe 30 secs of brilliance out of 95 mins. The rest of the time, just doing a job & getting another game 'out of the way'. That's what it is; get games done, out of the way, perhaps have one really good one in ten where both sides play well, but for the most part 'get the game out of the way & get the points, & get the money'. Get back to the league game with the least damage done.

Every so often, you get two great teams going head to head. Usually, it's just a fucking chore.

[blues2win]

That's as maybe Ted but the CL is really important to the Sheikh and he pays the bills. It's also supposed to be really important to the players so I just wish they'd show it sometimes. I come back to the spirit of Hamburg. What a fucking night; a great atmosphere. Why is it impossible to recreate that? If we stuff Bayern at home I'd guess fans would leave the Etihad delighted with the experience. Here's hoping.

[Ted Hughes]

That's as maybe Ted but the CL is really important to the Sheikh and he pays the bills. It's also supposed to be really important to the players so I just wish they'd show it sometimes. I come back to the spirit of Hamburg. What a fucking night; a great atmosphere. Why is it impossible to recreate that? If we stuff Bayern at home I'd guess fans would leave the Etihad delighted with the experience. Here's hoping.

The Hamburg game was at least half full of fans who don't usually go, & probably can't afford to very often, who were delighted to be there. The kind of fans who would fill the ground if prices were the same here as in Germany. Loads of old farts were moaning that they couldn't get in. Also, it was new & we hadn't yet been made aware that we aren't wanted in Europe.

I appreciate that HRH wants the Champions League & I would be absolutely delighted & jumping for joy if we fuck Bayern Munich & go through, but chances are I'll be doing that in front of a tv. If we succeed in creating an atmosphere in the ground, I may find myself going to those games again, but at the moment it's more likely I'll be letting go of my season ticket in the next few years unless the 'matchday experience' improves & as I dislike the Champions League the most, that's the first one to go.

[carl_feedthegoat]

It disgusts me how little our fans care about the CL. When I was a kid all I wanted from life was to see City in the CL. The day we beat Spurs and secured qualification for the first time I nearly shed a tear, it was one of my favourite ever moments in football and whatever has followed in the competition I've been entirely grateful just to have witnessed it. I couldn't really care less if we lose to Roma, lose to Barca, lose to Plzen etc, I'm not a spoilt brat of a fan, I'm just enjoying the ride.

I understand your sentiments but you also have to look at the way we have been dealt with by the CL cunts....and its not a case of these things ironing themselves out over time, we have been fucked since day one of our takeover and continue to be fucked over and over again...that's not me looking through blue tinted specs...its bang on the nail.

This is why lots of fans think the way they do right now - the only gripe I will ever have with any of our fans are to the fuckign cunts who leave games early...like 10 bastard minutes early...that's fucking disgusting, more so than the attitude that some have for the CL.

So you would rather the 10-20,000 people who leave early don't go at all?

Well, I suppose playing to an empty stadium every week would make all the difference to our performances

Personally, I'm home for the derby and have a season ticket, but still can't be arsed throwing the regular matchgoer out of his seat because he has had to endure the shit that city have served up this year. I've been home for 6 weeks now, and honestly now rather watch the match down the pub than go sit in abject silence for 2 hours and pay £40-50 for the privilege.

As far as I'm concerned, the days of me watching city live (at home) are finished, it's a shit experience and not worth the money - and before I left the uk I fucked the champs league off, it's fucking dire football

I now understand the rags who don't go at home but move heaven and earth to go away, the home 'experience! Is fucking awful, in fact beyond awful.

Dire football was back in the 80,s mate and I went home and away army leave permitting - I don't remember a mass exodus leaving early, it juts gets on my tits to see us city fans leave....must have an adverse effect on the players to see thousands leave in the last 10 mins!

I get your point about the atmosphere , its nothing like the kippax days and I blame the club for this and also the fuckign cunts that stopped standing at matches...that killed the atmosphere DEAD and its never got back on its feet........

Maybe if there was 10 to 20 k less per game then maybe the club would be more pro active on generating a better match day experience!!

[Nigels Tackle]

i can't stand the phrase 'match day experience'

[carl_feedthegoat]

i can't stand the phrase 'match day experience'

I cant stand you, you cunt.

[Nigels Tackle]

i can't stand the phrase 'match day experience'

I cant stand you, you cunt.

go play with your moobs fatboy

[carl_feedthegoat]

i can't stand the phrase 'match day experience'

I cant stand you, you cunt.

go play with your moobs fatboy

Go crunch some numbers you fuckign cabbage.

[bayblue]

The atmosphere is shit because we play shit mostly.

If we were battering teams the place would be rocking.

[DoomMerchant]

The "trouble", as you've aptly come to refer to them, said to me after the Cup loss...

"These things suck anyway. They aren't real. Just win the league and who cares? Why get sad about this bullshit?"

i kinda had to agree with her if for no other reason than to feel better.

She's clearly in the LAHAD camp and as a by-proxy supporter of my City obsession through the years, I think it's pretty "typical" of how a lot of fans feel these days...great to win a pot of any kind, but fuck off the CL, and domestic cups for the League all day long.

cheers

[twosips]

The atmosphere is shit because we play shit mostly.

If we were battering teams the place would be rocking.

Ha you couldn't be more wrong. Atmosphere was shite last season even when we're breaking all kind of goal scoring records. The atmosphere at Maine road was better when we're struggling in division 2 than it was last season. It's nowt to do with the quality of football.

[carl_feedthegoat]

The atmosphere is shit because we play shit mostly.

If we were battering teams the place would be rocking.

Ha you couldn't be more wrong. Atmosphere was shite last season even when we're breaking all kind of goal scoring records. The atmosphere at Maine road was better when we're struggling in division 2 than it was last season. It's nowt to do with the quality of football.

This.

The fuckign Kippax was arguably the best atmosphere in the division...even when we were playing Macclesfield.

Its fuckall to do with our football.

[BlueinBosnia]

So when the days comes, the reality that we could actually be joining Europe's elite is an amazing prospect, I don't see why people can't see that. Maybe it's my upbringing, I've always cared about the CL, it's the best footballing spectacle in the world.

Just out of curiosity, how old are you? I'm not being ageist here - I'm genuinely interested. I'm guessing you're relatively young, as I don't know too many people in the UK - regardless of the club they support - who have both supported their domestic team and paid attention to European football if their team wasn't involved.

[AntMcfc]

27.

[Im_Spartacus]

It disgusts me how little our fans care about the CL. When I was a kid all I wanted from life was to see City in the CL. The day we beat Spurs and secured qualification for the first time I nearly shed a tear, it was one of my favourite ever moments in football and whatever has followed in the competition I've been entirely grateful just to have witnessed it. I couldn't really care less if we lose to Roma, lose to Barca, lose to Plzen etc, I'm not a spoilt brat of a fan, I'm just enjoying the ride.

I understand your sentiments but you also have to look at the way we have been dealt with by the CL cunts....and its not a case of these things ironing themselves out over time, we have been fucked since day one of our takeover and continue to be fucked over and over again...that's not me looking through blue tinted specs...its bang on the nail.

This is why lots of fans think the way they do right now - the only gripe I will ever have with any of our fans are to the fuckign cunts who leave games early...like 10 bastard minutes early...that's fucking disgusting, more so than the attitude that some have for the CL.

So you would rather the 10-20,000 people who leave early don't go at all?

Well, I suppose playing to an empty stadium every week would make all the difference to our performances

Personally, I'm home for the derby and have a season ticket, but still can't be arsed throwing the regular matchgoer out of his seat because he has had to endure the shit that city have served up this year. I've been home for 6 weeks now, and honestly now rather watch the match down the pub than go sit in abject silence for 2 hours and pay £40-50 for the privilege.

As far as I'm concerned, the days of me watching city live (at home) are finished, it's a shit experience and not worth the money - and before I left the uk I fucked the champs league off, it's fucking dire football

I now understand the rags who don't go at home but move heaven and earth to go away, the home 'experience! Is fucking awful, in fact beyond awful.

Dire football was back in the 80,s mate and I went home and away army leave permitting - I don't remember a mass exodus leaving early, it juts gets on my tits to see us city fans leave....must have an adverse effect on the players to see thousands leave in the last 10 mins!

I get your point about the atmosphere , its nothing like the kippax days and I blame the club for this and also the fuckign cunts that stopped standing at matches...that killed the atmosphere DEAD and its never got back on its feet........

Maybe if there was 10 to 20 k less per game then maybe the club would be more pro active on generating a better match day experience!!

Absolutely can't argue against your final point, it's only when people vote with their feet that the execs start to pay attention and wonder 'what are we doing wrong'. There has to be a tipping point......city avoid criticism largely because of the ST pricing, but the poor cunts paying £50 a match are being had over, but supply/demand rules, cant really blame the club as long as people are prepared to pay the money.

On the leaving early, I remember games in the 80s and people did leave early, it just wasnt obvious because there wasnt a load of blue seats empty in standing areas, leaving early isn't a new phenomenon.

[Tokyo Blue]

On the other hand, John, there were people coming in at three-quarter time for free as well. So perhaps it balanced itself out.