Fans make moments special and Manchester City need to remember that | OneFootball

When Matheus Nunes scored in the 94th minute last to give Manchester City a 2-1 lead over Aston Villa, a special moment occurred. It was a scene of delirium amongst the City players, staff and fans as Nunes’ late goal earned Pep Guardiola’s side a precious three points.

But the moment wasn’t as special as it should have been. In the background of last night’s match the issue of ticketing prices, the lack of new season tickets being made available for Manchester City fans rumbled away. It’s an issue that must be solved before City, and English football itself loses what makes the club and the game so special.

Empty seats were seen at the Etihad last night. There was a perfectly valid reason for this. Tickets for last night’s match started at £71 for an adult and £43 for a child. That’s a bridge too far for the average family to pay for a ticket to see their favourite team play in today’s economic climate. As Sam Lee and Greg O’Keeffe reported for the Athletic, issues over ticket pricing, a lack of new season tickets being issued and the recently announced deal Viagogo led us here. Manchester City fans peacefully protested during the opening stages of City’s win over Leicester City at the beginning of April due to these issues. For now, their concerns aren’t being listened to.

The ticket pricing issues needs to be resolved before the point of no return is reached.

This isn’t an issue that solely affects Manchester City. We are seeing this happen all over the Premier League. Local fans are being priced out. Generations of fans have lost the ability to buy a season ticket for their children and grandchildren in the case of City. The next generation of fans doesn’t have a chance to begin their journey as a fan. The atmosphere at games suffers, and moments like Matheus Nunes’ late winner don’t hit as hard as they should.

Local and ‘working class’ fans cannot be priced out from seeing their club play. It simply shouldn’t be happening. Manchester City need to observe and act upon the concerns of their match going fans. They can’t be ignored as the chase for revenue exceeds everything else. There is room for the ‘tourist fans’ and local fans. There is a common ground to be found. It simply must be found. If it isn’t what makes Manchester City, and English football so special risks being lost. That’s not hyperbole that’s the facts of the situation.