Manchester City as a 'world power'

He got me into football, so good luck on that account. The City/United discussions are always amusing though.
So he turns you into a football fan, and you immediately root for his direct rivals. Would feel a bit sorry for him had he not been a City fan.
 
I'm Asian too, Indian, and I became a United fan because yes, they were successful, but the history fascinated me more. Why should it be called glory hunting? Every kid who is into football will support a club based on something that attracts him/her. It could be winning, the style of play, anything. Even in Europe where it used to be passed on from father to child, how many kids today support the same football clubs that their parents support? As long as one sticks to the club he/she supports, why should special terms be invented to describe the reasons for said support?

At the end of the day, if you're up till 4 in the morning for a football match, you're a fan. Who cares what my original intentions were? In my view, that's all that matters, not whether you're an Arsenal fan from Laos or London.

I do share the same point, we shouldn't confine "glory" to a very narrow scope of trophy won... as they say... the spartan's idea of glory is a beautiful death in battle.
 
Small club, with a rich owner. Maybe in about 10 or so years that might change but I wouldn't bet on it.
 
Our penis is bigger, but ultimately (for the time being anyway) we can only watch as they use theirs.
 
In current scenario it all comes down to consistency, doing well in Europe followed by league.
May be next 10 yrs or so if they manage to stay a top.But can they be treated with elite?doubtful.
 
I know what happened there. The glory hunting City fans didn't turn up and went to watch your game instead.

2zstlck.jpg

How can you as a City fan try compare your week in week our empty stadium, nicknamed the 'Emptyhad' to Old Trafford that sells out 99% of its matches? :rolleyes:
 
Consistent success isn't guaranteed for anyone, including those with the deepest pockets as we should well know, and I don't believe it's simply "a matter of time" either.

They are basically creating a new football club. They've taken the name and the colours of an existing one and are building something completely new. It's a huge project that will need consistent success over a decade or two at least before a sizeable global fanbase is established.

And there's no "sadly" in this for me and neither does it perturb me. We aren't going away and I'm looking forward to the challenge they present. Hopefully we will up our game and meet it.
How can you as a City fan try compare your week in week our empty stadium, nicknamed the 'Emptyhad' to Old Trafford that sells out 99% of its matches? :rolleyes:

1. I was replying to the rather tiresome (incredibly tiresome in fact) empty seats jibe from another poster.
2. City sell out the vast majority of our games as well. We do seem to have more empty seats, but there's various reasons for that, one being that most of ours are in direct view of the cameras, whereas yours tend to be high up in the stands and not noticed as much. It is true however, that we do have more people than I would like to see not turning up. Whether that's rich season ticket holders who can't be arsed, or corporate stuff or whatever I don't know and it is an issue, but not to the extent those on here would have you believe. And without selling the seats twice, there's not a lot we can do about it.
3. We are a working class club and for many supporters 2 games a week is just not affordable.
4. We don't threaten our fans to come to games or else. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...t-Olympiacos-home-watch-Manchester-derby.html
 
1. I was replying to the rather tiresome (incredibly tiresome in fact) empty seats jibe from another poster.
2. City sell out the vast majority of our games as well. We do seem to have more empty seats, but there's various reasons for that, one being that most of ours are in direct view of the cameras, whereas yours tend to be high up in the stands and not noticed as much. It is true however, that we do have more people than I would like to see not turning up. Whether that's rich season ticket holders who can't be arsed, or corporate stuff or whatever I don't know and it is an issue, but not to the extent those on here would have you believe. And without selling the seats twice, there's not a lot we can do about it.
3. We are a working class club and for many supporters 2 games a week is just not affordable.
4. We don't threaten our fans to come to games or else. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...t-Olympiacos-home-watch-Manchester-derby.html

5. You got no fans.
 
6. Old Trafford isn't as full as your club would have us believe.

While the FA asks Premier League teams to release official attendance numbers which include all the people who purchased tickets for a certain home match, police records, counting only those actually passing through the turnstiles, tell a very different story to what Manchester United would have you believe about the amount of fans who watch matches at Old Trafford during the weekend.

How big is the difference? About 10,000 people big, meaning you weren’t alone or crazy when you saw more than one or two empty seats in the stands, but the official attendance numbers pointed towards a full house. United regularly announce attendances in excess of 75,000, with an average of 75,525 this season. The real average of fans watching matches at Old Trafford? The police data shows the average Old Trafford attendance is 10,000 fewer than the figures announced.

For example – the official attendance for the season home opener against Fulham was 75,352. The actual attendance was just over 66,000. United announced the attendance at January’s clash with Southampton as 75,600, but the police figures show the actual crowd was 59,766 – a difference of 15,834. There’s more where that came from.

Except for their recent loss in the derby to Manchester City, United’s actual record attendance this season in the Premier League was the 69,933 people who came to see them beat Liverpool 2-1. The biggest case of disparity was in the Champions League, when United played Cluj, claiming an attendance of 71,521. The police counted only 46,894 fans that actually entered the stadium.

http://sportige.com/manchester-united-alter-attendance-numbers-at-old-trafford-04-2013/
 
Even in Europe where it used to be passed on from father to child, how many kids today support the same football clubs that their parents support?

In Portugal? The vast majority. The portuguese league isn't a top league in Europe but thankfully about 95% of the people support portuguese clubs (with the 3 giants taking most of the fans but with clubs like Guimarães, Braga and Académica with a decent fan base).
I don't like to label people as gloryhunters. Everyone has the right to support whatever club they want and not having to prove himself. I prefer to support local clubs but i understand those who support foreign clubs if their national league is poor or if they have an affinity with a certain club.
 
6. Old Trafford isn't as full as your club would have us believe.

While the FA asks Premier League teams to release official attendance numbers which include all the people who purchased tickets for a certain home match, police records, counting only those actually passing through the turnstiles, tell a very different story to what Manchester United would have you believe about the amount of fans who watch matches at Old Trafford during the weekend.

How big is the difference? About 10,000 people big, meaning you weren’t alone or crazy when you saw more than one or two empty seats in the stands, but the official attendance numbers pointed towards a full house. United regularly announce attendances in excess of 75,000, with an average of 75,525 this season. The real average of fans watching matches at Old Trafford? The police data shows the average Old Trafford attendance is 10,000 fewer than the figures announced.

For example – the official attendance for the season home opener against Fulham was 75,352. The actual attendance was just over 66,000. United announced the attendance at January’s clash with Southampton as 75,600, but the police figures show the actual crowd was 59,766 – a difference of 15,834. There’s more where that came from.

Except for their recent loss in the derby to Manchester City, United’s actual record attendance this season in the Premier League was the 69,933 people who came to see them beat Liverpool 2-1. The biggest case of disparity was in the Champions League, when United played Cluj, claiming an attendance of 71,521. The police counted only 46,894 fans that actually entered the stadium.

http://sportige.com/manchester-united-alter-attendance-numbers-at-old-trafford-04-2013/

Didn't Greater Manchester Police deny these figures, and claimed the figures had been fabricated? I remember it being claimed that the figures had been obtained by the Reds Away lot through an FOI enquiry, but GMP denied this.

Some of those figures claim that there were 10,000 empty seats. The 360 degree Chevrolet fan pics would have you believe otherwise. Only 69,000 for Liverpool? Point out the empty 6,000 seats: http://chevrolet-manutd-360fanpic.tag.huggity.com/manutd_01/app/index.php
 
Didn't Greater Manchester Police deny these figures, and claimed the figures had been fabricated? I remember it being claimed that the figures had been obtained by the Reds Away lot through an FOI enquiry, but GMP denied this.

Some of those figures claim that there were 10,000 empty seats. The 360 degree Chevrolet fan pics would have you believe otherwise. Only 69,000 for Liverpool? Point out the empty 6,000 seats: http://chevrolet-manutd-360fanpic.tag.huggity.com/manutd_01/app/index.php

No-one's denying you have decent support and I suspect the 6,000 empty seats is wrong.

But equally the "City have no fans" line is honestly a bit silly isn't it. We are clearly not as big a club as United and clearly don't have as many fans, but constantly banging on about a few empty seats is a bit shall we say, small time.
 
1. I was replying to the rather tiresome (incredibly tiresome in fact) empty seats jibe from another poster.
2. City sell out the vast majority of our games as well. We do seem to have more empty seats, but there's various reasons for that, one being that most of ours are in direct view of the cameras, whereas yours tend to be high up in the stands and not noticed as much. It is true however, that we do have more people than I would like to see not turning up. Whether that's rich season ticket holders who can't be arsed, or corporate stuff or whatever I don't know and it is an issue, but not to the extent those on here would have you believe. And without selling the seats twice, there's not a lot we can do about it.
3. We are a working class club and for many supporters 2 games a week is just not affordable.
4. We don't threaten our fans to come to games or else. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...t-Olympiacos-home-watch-Manchester-derby.html

Not quite sure why you've quoted me there and responded with nothing relating to my post?

However whilst I'm here can you expand on this tiresome notion that City are a "working class club"? What does that mean these days even? Historically maybe (as indeed all clubs were) but in what way are City more "working class" than United? City are about as far removed from being a "working class club" as it can get these days and you've been haemorrhaging your long standing and traditional support for some time now as you probably well know. And your point that things are no longer affordable would seem to contradict this notion of "working class" wouldn't it?

You are the Chelsea of the North West. Nowt wrong with that but stop coming it with all that cloth cap "team of the people" bollocks. Your soul lies abandoned at Maine Road mate

maine-road-b.jpg
 
Not quite sure why you've quoted me there and responded with nothing relating to my post?

However whilst I'm here can you expand on this tiresome notion that City are a "working class club"? What does that mean these days even? Historically maybe (as indeed all clubs were) but in what way are City more "working class" than United? City are about as far removed from being a "working class club" as it can get these days and you've been haemorrhaging your long standing and traditional support for some time now as you probably well know. And your point that things are no longer affordable would seem to contradict this notion of "working class" wouldn't it?

You are the Chelsea of the North West. Nowt wrong with that but stop coming it with all that cloth cap "team of the people" bollocks. Your soul lies abandoned at Maine Road mate

maine-road-b.jpg

Sorry, I didn't mean to quote you. Must have clicked the wrong button at some point.

And regards the working class thing, I don't get your point at all. All I was saying is that we have traditionally had a lot of not particularly well off supporters and the ever increasing ticket prices and the fact that we are in more competitions than we have been for donkey's years, makes it difficult to afford for many. Nothing unique or special about that, but that doesn't make it untrue; it is true.

And if our soul is abandoned at Maine Road, where is your's abandoned? Or is the Bento Box eating Thai Tourist your real soul? I'm pulling your leg of course, but FC United supporters would get my point. Football is a big business now and it's not what many traditional fans want, but that's the way it is.

£150 for a family of four, before you start on parking, petrol a hot dog and a drink is simply unaffordable for many.
 
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In all my time in the states I've met 1 proper city fan, from manchester. I've seen him at a few gigs around town, spoke to him a few times, decent bloke.
Always see him with retro city gear on. We were watching a WC game last summer in the boozer. City lad comes in and he's wearing the yellow and black, kappa away shirt from a while back.
This other younger lad, yank city fan is getting all giddy telling his mate that must be the new city away top for next season.
 
Consistent success isn't guaranteed for anyone, including those with the deepest pockets as we should well know, and I don't believe it's simply "a matter of time" either.

They are basically creating a new football club. They've taken the name and the colours of an existing one and are building something completely new. It's a huge project that will need consistent success over a decade or two at least before a sizeable global fanbase is established.

And there's no "sadly" in this for me and neither does it perturb me. We aren't going away and I'm looking forward to the challenge they present. Hopefully we will up our game and meet it.

It's an interesting point you make about the old City not really existing anymore, they have basically been taken over by a country just interested in investing money here, there and everywhere, it could have been Everton, Newcastle, or Villa, it didn't really matter they just wanted a decent English club to develop into their own personal advertising tool, the piggyback on the Manchester name is probably what swayed it City's way.

For many City fans this must be wonderful, dreams come true and all that, but I do wonder if some of them miss the old City, the ability to say what we have is ours, the old days where they could take immense pride in beating us (sometimes) with a vastly inferior team, when winning was not just always expected.

I wonder if some have thought of doing the same as what happend after the Glazers took over United when FC United was created, but for entirely different reasons, maybe not, but I bet some of them miss how it used to be.
 
6. Old Trafford isn't as full as your club would have us believe.

While the FA asks Premier League teams to release official attendance numbers which include all the people who purchased tickets for a certain home match, police records, counting only those actually passing through the turnstiles, tell a very different story to what Manchester United would have you believe about the amount of fans who watch matches at Old Trafford during the weekend.

How big is the difference? About 10,000 people big, meaning you weren’t alone or crazy when you saw more than one or two empty seats in the stands, but the official attendance numbers pointed towards a full house. United regularly announce attendances in excess of 75,000, with an average of 75,525 this season. The real average of fans watching matches at Old Trafford? The police data shows the average Old Trafford attendance is 10,000 fewer than the figures announced.

For example – the official attendance for the season home opener against Fulham was 75,352. The actual attendance was just over 66,000. United announced the attendance at January’s clash with Southampton as 75,600, but the police figures show the actual crowd was 59,766 – a difference of 15,834. There’s more where that came from.

Except for their recent loss in the derby to Manchester City, United’s actual record attendance this season in the Premier League was the 69,933 people who came to see them beat Liverpool 2-1. The biggest case of disparity was in the Champions League, when United played Cluj, claiming an attendance of 71,521. The police counted only 46,894 fans that actually entered the stadium.

http://sportige.com/manchester-united-alter-attendance-numbers-at-old-trafford-04-2013/

If something looks like it's patently bullshit, it probably is.

You should have a look at yourself for posting nonsense like like that.

If the numbers were made up, it would be everywhere, just like the images of the empty seats at the eitihad.
 
City are a donor club. Like someone else said before, it could have been everton, Newcastle or god forbid Leeds.

City were basically a clapped out classic car that used to look decent in the 60 and 70's but then the rust set in. The owner didn't have a lot of money to tidy the old girl up so he did what he could. Adding second hand parts here and there, the occasional air freshener to spruce things up every summer but the fresh pine tree smell wore off before Xmas and the stink came back.
Then a new flashy owner came along and bought the old classic, basically rescuing it from the scrap heap. It was stripped down to the bare bones until it was almost unrecognizable.
The new owner sunk loads of dosh into it, buying expensive gaudy foreign parts to make it look better and go faster.
 
Ha, yea I'm sure you're going to say that Buckhead isn't 'real Atlanta'. I confess that I have stayed in Buckhead once, but nowadays I usually stay Downtown at the Marriott Marquis. I've stayed in Savannah once too, which is pretty much the burbs.

Savannah is lovely. It also has bad neighborhoods though, inner city mostly. Buckhead is very much part of Atlanta, just very pretentious with a shitload of yuppie transplants. Terrible traffic too all day, way too congested there. I watch United games at an Irish pub in the heart of Buckhead called Fados. East Atlanta Village, Cabbagetown, Virginia Highlands, downtown Decatur and lil five points are better much places to check out (there's also a hardcore English pub in Little five called the Brewhouse cafe that show even the early kickoffs- 7:30 a.m local time)
 
I do wonder if Leeds were popular there when Viduka was starring for them.
I was very young when Viduka played for Leeds, so it's hard for me to say. I'd suggest their popularity would have gone up while he was there, and while they were doing well.
 
Spot on.

Most fans in far off countries are fans because their chosen team was playing attractive football and winning things. "Glory hunters" if you will.

Since City weren't doing either of the above for the past 40 years, they understandably don't have too many glory hunters on board yet, but that will change with time and as someone else, said, especially when they start to become a major player in the CL.

Sport on. I got into the sport following the 94 WC on home soil for me. Wanted to find a club or two to support in Europe, so I started reading up on the sport and watching highlights when possible. Back then, ESPN would show an hourly Sunday highlights recap of the weekend matches and that's when I first was exposed the Premiership. I had no clue what club was what just knew of the storied clubs like United, Liverpool, Villa, Juve, Milan, Barca, Real, Bayern, Ajax, etc. But being exposed to the Premiership allowed me to get into the sport. Then came the Cantona incident which attracted me to United, and later read up on their history and felt they were the closest thing to the Cowboys or Yankees over here. By the start of the 95-96 season I was hooked on United and the Premiership.
 
Yes sir, actually from the northern burbs, Sandy Springs/Marietta. Where in Atlanta do you visit? If you say Buckhead...

I know the above is a response to another poster but I technically reside in Bonaire, near Robins AFB. I know of a few United supporters down there and we get together for matchdays when possible. I'm currently on assignment in Denver but should be returning to Georgia soon.
 
If something looks like it's patently bullshit, it probably is.

You should have a look at yourself for posting nonsense like like that.

If the numbers were made up, it would be everywhere, just like the images of the empty seats at the eitihad.
10-15k empty seats which were paid for but not used? Riiight
 
City aren't even the biggest club in Manchester so I doubt there's anywhere else in the world that supports them heavily. Maybe in 5 to 10 years time if they can achieve continued success and some Champions League trophies they might be considered as popular as the likes of Chelsea.
 
I know the above is a response to another poster but I technically reside in Bonaire, near Robins AFB. I know of a few United supporters down there and we get together for matchdays when possible. I'm currently on assignment in Denver but should be returning to Georgia soon.

Close to Warner Robins huh? I've never been out there. I did live right next to another base though, Dobbins afb in Marietta/Smyrna. Are you an expat?

@MDFC Manager You can't even begin to bring United and attendance into this discussion. Look at your own team!
 
If something looks like it's patently bullshit, it probably is.

You should have a look at yourself for posting nonsense like like that.

If the numbers were made up, it would be everywhere, just like the images of the empty seats at the eitihad.

Ouch.

City are a donor club. Like someone else said before, it could have been everton, Newcastle or god forbid Leeds.

City were basically a clapped out classic car that used to look decent in the 60 and 70's but then the rust set in. The owner didn't have a lot of money to tidy the old girl up so he did what he could. Adding second hand parts here and there, the occasional air freshener to spruce things up every summer but the fresh pine tree smell wore off before Xmas and the stink came back.
Then a new flashy owner came along and bought the old classic, basically rescuing it from the scrap heap. It was stripped down to the bare bones until it was almost unrecognizable.
The new owner sunk loads of dosh into it, buying expensive gaudy foreign parts to make it look better and go faster.

Double ouch.
 
I live in India and there are hardly any City fans around that I have seen. Probably just a handful. Heck, I have even seen people strutting around in Tottenham jerseys but not City's. As many people have pointed out, it's still United, Liverpool, Milan, Juventus, Real, Barca while Chelsea catching up quite fast.
 
On the topic of fan attendance, the total also includes tickets pre-purchased even if the seat is not filled during gametime. This is a common practice in US sports. It's cooking up the numbers for show albeit it's still revenue generated from the ticket sales. It's not uncommon for games to sell out and yet there will be empty seats in the venue.
 
10-15k empty seats which were paid for but not used? Riiight


Exactly that's what I am saying.

It's bullshit, 15 thousand people suddenly forgot they left the gas on or got the shits so couldn't go to the match?

Nonsense.
 
Savannah is lovely. It also has bad neighborhoods though, inner city mostly. Buckhead is very much part of Atlanta, just very pretentious with a shitload of yuppie transplants. Terrible traffic too all day, way too congested there. I watch United games at an Irish pub in the heart of Buckhead called Fados. East Atlanta Village, Cabbagetown, Virginia Highlands, downtown Decatur and lil five points are better much places to check out (there's also a hardcore English pub in Little five called the Brewhouse cafe that show even the early kickoffs- 7:30 a.m local time)

Yea, that's what I thought you meant regarding Buckhead. To be fair it is prententious, I stayed in the Ritz Carlton there and pretty much did yuppie stuff. I always go in the off-season, so have never had to find somewhere to watch the game. I definitely want to go to a Hawks game this year though so I will go during the season.

There is an Irish Pub I have seen in Midtown but have no idea what it's called. The idea of opening a bar out there has occured to me tbh.
 
Maybe they're slowly turning popular to young gloryseeking feckers. We live in Germany and a couple of the 11-12 year olds lads in my daughter's class support them (or have got on their parents backs enough to make them buy them a kit). It's usually fun at school events when I wind them up. But I love teasing kids in general, spoilt little feckers (mine included).
 
I know a few in my local over on the Wescht Coast of Ireland, but the contingent is miniscule compared to Utd, Liverpool, and to a lesser extent Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs. It's not that long since they were basically a non entity, after all. At least Chelsea were half successful before they got taken over, and I think they've done a far better job (albeit, have had longer) to expand their Global image, too. It says a lot when City still can't even fill up their stadium. I'm sure things like that, and their lack of CL success thus far, plays a part.

Still, five or six years down the road things could be very different.
 
Yea, that's what I thought you meant regarding Buckhead. To be fair it is prententious, I stayed in the Ritz Carlton there and pretty much did yuppie stuff. I always go in the off-season, so have never had to find somewhere to watch the game. I definitely want to go to a Hawks game this year though so I will go during the season.

There is an Irish Pub I have seen in Midtown but have no idea what it's called. The idea of opening a bar out there has occured to me tbh.

You might be talking about Rí Rá. Hit me up next time you're in my hometown pal.