Voting with their feet or daytrippers can't be arsed?

[Juan Galonso]

Just heard on Talksport that United have apparently got up to 6 to 7 thousand empty seats tonight around Old Trafford in their game v West Ham. I have never known that to happen for them for a number of years for a league game so that amount of empty seats is a surprising amount. This could be for a number of reasons I suppose, the game was a rearranged one as far as I know but would that be enough reason for that amount of empty seats?

 

Could it be that some daytrippers couldn't be arsed coming up for it especially with them having a Cup Final on Sunday and Milan in the CL 2nd leg just after that. Again would that be enough reason to keep that many away?

 

Or could it be that some of their hardcore are starting to vote with their feet against their American owners especially with rumours abound that they are going to protest against the Glazers by not attending for the first 15 minutes v Milan? If it was that reason then would our fans follow suit and maybe think about doing the same for one of our more mundane league games (what do you mean they are all mundane?) towards the end of the season?

[JohnnyH]

Midweek game. Cup final at the weekend. Most people really struggling with being out of work or wage cuts which means less people willing or able to spend the money on flights and accommodation possible.

[Dougie Do'ins]

Could be something to do with accident on the M62 tonight. It was on the Manchester bound carriageway between J10 and j11. It was down to one lane. It took me over two hours getting home tonight.

[billy5x]

still tickets left on the liverpool website for sundays game v blackburn general sale that is unusual

[Paulie Dangerously]

still tickets left on the liverpool website for sundays game v blackburn general sale that is unusual

 

Is it? I usually spot a fair few empty seats at home games against the smaller teams

[RobbieOR]

Its West Ham at home midweek.

[RedKnight]

I'm pretty certain the Mancs usually sell out for all home league games, regardless of upcoming ties.

[Tom R]

It's still 20,000-25,000 more than we'd get for a Tuesday game against West Ham, even if we could had a 65,000+ capacity ground, I reckon.

[RobbieOR]

Also I'd say that 6000 empty seats wouldnt make any difference in Old TRafford because its that big. Unless those seats were in clusters and by the looks of it they werent.

[redrosetints]

Just heard on Talksport that United have apparently got up to 6 to 7 thousand empty seats tonight around Old Trafford in their game v West Ham. I have never known that to happen for them for a number of years for a league game so that amount of empty seats is a surprising amount. This could be for a number of reasons I suppose, the game was a rearranged one as far as I know but would that be enough reason for that amount of empty seats?

 

Could it be that some daytrippers couldn't be arsed coming up for it especially with them having a Cup Final on Sunday and Milan in the CL 2nd leg just after that. Again would that be enough reason to keep that many away?

 

Or could it be that some of their hardcore are starting to vote with their feet against their American owners especially with rumours abound that they are going to protest against the Glazers by not attending for the first 15 minutes v Milan? If it was that reason then would our fans follow suit and maybe think about doing the same for one of our more mundane league games (what do you mean they are all mundane?) towards the end of the season?

 

Im pretty sure its the latter John. Keith Hackett, you know the footie finance man (bit more knowledgable than Tom Cannon i think ;) )who they have got on board for their newton heath campaign made a comment yesterday about fans needing to vote with their feet, rip up their STs and stay away from the club shop etc, pretty much what we've said all along.

 

Look slike the message is getting across. Of course for them, 7k missing for them, is 10%, we'd be missing a itd be a far higher percentage for them.

 

They also seem to play the press well, wether they use the media better than LFC or they have more 'friends' who dont want to see United being done, I dont know.

[milky]

A United fan I know reckons that the attendance figures at O.T. are total bullshit. He says they count all tickets sold, inc season tickets, and announce that, never the actual amount in. He says he's been to loads of games where it's been given close to a total sell out, but he said it must be at least 10,000 empty seats in the ground, Champs Lg group games being the worst.

 

So I don't know if I'd read too much into the empty seats.

[RedKnight]

Err... we do that too. It's standard practice.

[RedBrian84]

I'm not too sure what to make of the thought of actually boycotting a match due to the owners. Surely a better policy would be to actually go to the games and makes some sort of protest whilst inside the ground?

 

The mancs' yellow and green scarf idea seemed to be doing alright from what I could see.

 

In the cold light of day, showing support to the team, regardless of the situation behind closed doors, is vital. You'd get far more publicity actually protesting inside the ground due to the television cameras etc.

[Bogman]

Im pretty sure its the latter John. Keith Hackett, you know the footie finance man (bit more knowledgable than Tom Cannon i think ;) )who they have got on board for their newton heath campaign made a comment yesterday about fans needing to vote with their feet, rip up their STs and stay away from the club shop etc, pretty much what we've said all along.

 

Look slike the message is getting across. Of course for them, 7k missing for them, is 10%, we'd be missing a itd be a far higher percentage for them.

 

They also seem to play the press well, wether they use the media better than LFC or they have more 'friends' who dont want to see United being done, I dont know.

 

It was all over 5 Live last night and that they did a bit on them wearing their green and gold scarves, or whatever.

More coverage than anything we've ever done.

I was driving home mulling over another BBC/Manc conspirancy theory:whoops:

[milky]

Err... we do that too. It's standard practice.

 

I didn't know that. The point I was trying to make (very badly) is that if say, 6% don't turn up for our home game, that's roughly 2700, and with the Wancs, it's around 4600. Add that onto tickets not sold for a midweek game before a cup final, terrible weather, it's bound to lead to loads of empty seats. I don't think their protest had that big an effect.

[Tom R]

thousands of tickets go to what is essentially legalised touting - corporate packages.

 

When a match is re-arranged to mid-week from a weekend, many people who may have originally bought the tickets as grossly inflated prices then can't make the game cos they live too far away or even abroad, then struggle to sell them on again because they're too expensive in the first place. or they get returned and remain unsold for the same reason.

 

There are whole blocks of the kemlyn at Anfield that are often empty for the very same reason.

It's fucking disgusting.

[navbasi]

It's still 20,000-25,000 more than we'd get for a Tuesday game against West Ham, even if we could had a 65,000+ capacity ground, I reckon.

 

I don't believe that's true. If we'd won the league 3 years on the trot and aiming for a 4th I think we would easily fill a 75,000 seater stadium. We just got 40,000 for a Thursday Europa League game against the mighty Unira Urziceni and that with the game being shown on terrestrial tv and with the our current form being the way it/has been all season.

[TheBitch]

Our next protest should be to be really quiet at the next home league game, if some loony tries to start a song off, tell him shush and to sit down. . . . . . .

[Little Sammy]

It was all over 5 Live last night and that they did a bit on them wearing their green and gold scarves, or whatever.

More coverage than anything we've ever done.

I was driving home mulling over another BBC/Manc conspirancy theory:whoops:

 

I think SoS have been doing an admirable job to be honest,e specially with all the apathy among some "supporters" on here. But much more needs to be done if we are to reach the levels of publicity that Utd fans are getting. The green and gold colours was, admittedly, a brilliant idea. However, I don't think resorting to our original colours would go down very well with our supporters, considering they were blue and white.

[Bogman]

I think SoS have been doing an admirable job to be honest,e specially with all the apathy among some "supporters" on here. But much more needs to be done if we are to reach the levels of publicity that Utd fans are getting. The green and gold colours was, admittedly, a brilliant idea. However, I don't think resorting to our original colours would go down very well with our supporters, considering they were blue and white.

 

Not a pop at SOS at all, was more along the lines of that the Beeb/other media outlets would highlight the mancs more than us anyway.