If they had more people supporting them they'd pack the stadium more often. "More fans in Manchester" is a lie they tell themselves to cope with the fact they have no support outside Manchester at all!
"City have more fans in Manchester than United"
- Thread starter Andycoleno9
- Start date
Born and bred in Manchester, lived here my entire life from Salford to Stockport and can honestly say that United fans have outnumbered city fans in every school and workplace by a ratio of about 2:1. And that includes a year spent living next to Maine Rd as a student.
It's the last desperate lie that persists since they won the lottery.
It's the last desperate lie that persists since they won the lottery.
Some myths just won't die.
Why is it then that even with the most "celebrated" manager in world football and playing expansive football, they still don't always fill their stadium?
We'd have to suck for 20 plus years for them to have more fans in Manchester. Even then, it's not a sure thing.
Why is it then that even with the most "celebrated" manager in world football and playing expansive football, they still don't always fill their stadium?
We'd have to suck for 20 plus years for them to have more fans in Manchester. Even then, it's not a sure thing.
Same.
Manchester born and bred. Worked across the City. There is some regional (within Manchester) differences but United fans outnumber 2 to 1 generally.
Well this myth doesnt explain also why so many foreign players and fans refer to United just by the City name without ever knowing that there is actually another team called manchester city. See robinho for a good example.
Right. But you are asking bitter City fans to be logical, reasonable, and accurate?
Nobody outside Manchester even had heard of them, until the oil money poured in and they could afford to buy "Txiki" Begiristain, and eventually Pep, so they had to invent the "but we are bigger in Manchester" and keep repeating "Old Trafford is not even in Manchester".
The MEN paper used to do polls years ago and I recall United outnumbering them numerous times. Not sure if they've done anything in recent years as I don't get the paper anymore and the website is almost unusable, like most newspaper sites.
Another Myth is Stockport, I still see more United fans walking about despite the recent City success and very much so years ago, most people I knew were United. I think the myth stems from City fans claiming to be mancs and saying welcome to Manchester trying to mock United's country and global following. United fans turn it back on them as we know many United and City fans come from Stockport and other surrounding areas and those who can afford to go are often based on the outskirts of Manchester, like Stockport, Oldham, Ashton, Bury. To be a true manc you have to born or live in a Manchester post code and a lot of City or United fans are born or live in the surrounding towns in Greater Manchester that don't carry the Manchester post code so it's a bit rich of City fans talking about welcome to Manchester.
To anyone outside it might seem silly but it's a real thing here, Manchester boundaries are really small and just have a population of around 500k while Greater Manchester is 2.8 million.
It also goes the other way, people within the City boundary like to use Greater Manchester when they try to big up the area as a large City of nearly 3 million when actually it's a small provincial City surrounded by small towns, suburban areas which grew separately during the industrial revolution that add up to a large amount.
Another Myth is Stockport, I still see more United fans walking about despite the recent City success and very much so years ago, most people I knew were United. I think the myth stems from City fans claiming to be mancs and saying welcome to Manchester trying to mock United's country and global following. United fans turn it back on them as we know many United and City fans come from Stockport and other surrounding areas and those who can afford to go are often based on the outskirts of Manchester, like Stockport, Oldham, Ashton, Bury. To be a true manc you have to born or live in a Manchester post code and a lot of City or United fans are born or live in the surrounding towns in Greater Manchester that don't carry the Manchester post code so it's a bit rich of City fans talking about welcome to Manchester.
To anyone outside it might seem silly but it's a real thing here, Manchester boundaries are really small and just have a population of around 500k while Greater Manchester is 2.8 million.
It also goes the other way, people within the City boundary like to use Greater Manchester when they try to big up the area as a large City of nearly 3 million when actually it's a small provincial City surrounded by small towns, suburban areas which grew separately during the industrial revolution that add up to a large amount.
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I grew up in the 90s in Manchester, and I'd say it was about 97% United, 2% City, 1% other in my school.
In the late 70's it was the same in my school in Sale.
And yet it’s always bigger news when Man Utd come to town, am
I right?
there was a waiting list of like 300,000 fans for our game in Kazakhstan. City just don’t have that sort of pull (yet), maybe they never will by virtue of what they represent as opposed to anything else
There was a thread few years back about this, I think there was police report or something like that pretty much showed that there are far more United fans than City's, it was pretty much argument they couldn't say antyhing against. Will try to search it tonight.
They have that many local fans desperate to go that you could get tickets for free if you went MMU a few years ago.
you are missing some words from the end of the title: ... inside the Eitihad
I remember Brian Horton casually mentioning it when he was city manager. and around that time surveys shown you would see 3 united shirts to 1 city shirt walking around town or something like that.
anyway, when did City suddenly get 40k season ticket holders
anyway, when did City suddenly get 40k season ticket holders
Born and bred in Manchester through the 60s to date and it's 2-1 in favour of United - this will be maintained through family lines despite the lottery win success !
Not sure about that.
The conventional wisdom was always (when I lived in Manchester, at least) that Stockport was City and Salford was United - and beyond that, you had specific, smaller areas being one or the other.
And I do believe there is some actual evidence for this being true: MEN did a survey not too long ago, which confirmed the above, i.e. they asked people living in certain areas (postcodes, I suppose) who they supported - and the results showed that Stockport is indeed a City stronghold, and Salford a United one.
Still more for United if you actually work out those equations.
This is a good point. My office in Manchester is 100% United, although there’s not many people in it.
Another factor which has - no doubt - some bearing on this thing is that City, in the pre-oil era, undoubtedly had a very impressive support locally - as such, that is compared to your average team: The average attendance at the old Maine Road was very respectable even when City were slumming it down the divisions.
I lived near Maine Road at one point, around the mid-90s, and I will admit to catching the odd match there - for kicks: it was cheap (enough), easy to get tickets, and you'd get the experience of a second tier football match with a crowd of thirty thousand - which in general you won't get anywhere outside England.
Before anyone jumps on me, I says in general - it was common for City home matches back then.
I lived near Maine Road at one point, around the mid-90s, and I will admit to catching the odd match there - for kicks: it was cheap (enough), easy to get tickets, and you'd get the experience of a second tier football match with a crowd of thirty thousand - which in general you won't get anywhere outside England.
Before anyone jumps on me, I says in general - it was common for City home matches back then.
Growing up in Manchester most people I went to school with were United fans (70s-80s). Then after United started with a bit of success there was a myth peddled out that United fans weren’t from Manchester. This was used as a dig constantly at United fans. Not just from City fans either. City fans though were proud that because they didn’t have any success but all their fans were from Manchester/ Stockport. Hardly any from outside because, really, why would anyone support them unless they were fromManchester? Now the boot is on the other foot and they now have all the glory hunters. And still can’t fill their stadium.
If the power balance stays this way for another 25 years they might achieve it actually..
Fair enough i grew up to the United heavy South West of Manchester but i only knew two kids who supported City. Both were scallies.
I was born in Altrincham and I lived all over south Manchester at various times. One side of my family (Cheadle, Gatley, Stockport area) were City fans but not match-goers, the other side (Altrincham, Sale, Stretford, Urmston, Davyhulme) were and still are fanatical Reds with season tickets even back in the day.
At one point in the early eighties, I was a student and lived in Rusholme and I could literally see Maine Road stadium from my house, and I used to take the bus to Old Trafford, usually with my girlfriend. The route took us through Moss Side (supposed City area at the time and with a rough reputation) and I never hid my red, white, and black scarf. We were sitting ducks, you'd think. But not a soul ever bothered us. In the early eighties. To me, that says it all.
Oh, I knew a couple from Rochdale who were City fans. And that's about it. Obviously, things will have changed, but judging by many of the comments here, Manchester's still red.
At one point in the early eighties, I was a student and lived in Rusholme and I could literally see Maine Road stadium from my house, and I used to take the bus to Old Trafford, usually with my girlfriend. The route took us through Moss Side (supposed City area at the time and with a rough reputation) and I never hid my red, white, and black scarf. We were sitting ducks, you'd think. But not a soul ever bothered us. In the early eighties. To me, that says it all.
Oh, I knew a couple from Rochdale who were City fans. And that's about it. Obviously, things will have changed, but judging by many of the comments here, Manchester's still red.
Always thought this was about the technical Manchester boundaries which are just the council boundaries and made up of the centre a chunk of East Manchester where the Etihad is and a lot of South Manchester where Maine Road used to be. There may be more city fans in this area but overall way more United. Salford and Trafford going out to Irlam must be 90% Red.
Precisely.
The myth in question can be traced back to two rather obvious factors: a) United under Fergie (becoming a powerhouse on the pitch at just the right time, i.e. when media coverage of football hit a new height and our historical status as a legendary football club could be milked like never before) and b) City's status, back then, as the "authentic" club in Manchester, the one not tainted by money, superstars, day-trippin' "supporters" from all over the world - but still able to attract huge crowds (relatively speaking - but as said above, genuinely impressive numbers).
It's a simple enough, and predictable enough, story: big moneybags brother versus little "authentic" brother. And both City fans, locally, and outsiders (including the media and ignorant neutrals) embraced it as a good story. It never was a very good story, of course - because it completely ignored the origins of United's world wide appeal (the Babes, '68, decades of attracting the biggest crowds in England before Fergie, in the shadow of Liverpool and lesser teams in terms of actually winning anything of note) - but it was easy enough to sell.
Went to school in Bury, Greater Manchester.
I'd say amongst football fans the split was roughly 75% United, 15% Liverpool, 5% City and 5% other.
I'd say amongst football fans the split was roughly 75% United, 15% Liverpool, 5% City and 5% other.
It's a myth, that along with having the tallest/highest floodlights in the country kept City fans spirits up whilst they were yo-yoing between the top and third division not so long ago.
I'll let @P-Ro be the judge of that!
I think this is what did happen.
Never have had and never will have.
Started with the Fleet St layabouts (after national print media became largely centralised in London) peddling the idea that United fans all come from the Surrey stockbroker belt to suit their bitter agenda. Was never an issue when our print media was regionalised and United often filled 60% of away grounds before football was re-invented post-Heysel, post-Sky. If we played in London or Southampton there would be a higher percentage of “cockney reds” but you wouldn’t come across them at Bellend Rd or Newcastle for example. Partially, a consequence of ABU-ism that really took off in the 90s. Ciddy have taller floodlights too.
Started with the Fleet St layabouts (after national print media became largely centralised in London) peddling the idea that United fans all come from the Surrey stockbroker belt to suit their bitter agenda. Was never an issue when our print media was regionalised and United often filled 60% of away grounds before football was re-invented post-Heysel, post-Sky. If we played in London or Southampton there would be a higher percentage of “cockney reds” but you wouldn’t come across them at Bellend Rd or Newcastle for example. Partially, a consequence of ABU-ism that really took off in the 90s. Ciddy have taller floodlights too.
I managed a city centre sports Bar. It's not even close.
When I was there a few years ago, I asked the same question to a tourist guide. She said that in Manchester we are City fans, the rest of the world are United fans. She was probably a City fan who wanted to give the team a better image.
Lived in Manchester all my life and I can honestly say it's a myth.
Certain parts of the city have more reds than blues and vise versa, but on the whole there are more reds.
I always used to say a good indicator is go in local pubs when city /United are playing see how many are watching either team, in my experience pubs tended to be busier when utd were on although admittedly I don't go out that much anymore.
Definitely more younger city fans than there was, but I suppose that's what success does.
I was a taxi driver for 7 year's and one of the most common things said to me when on the subject of football was " wow, an actual utd fan who lives in Manchester" it used to drive me mad, cue the rest of the journey me explaining the myth.
Certain parts of the city have more reds than blues and vise versa, but on the whole there are more reds.
I always used to say a good indicator is go in local pubs when city /United are playing see how many are watching either team, in my experience pubs tended to be busier when utd were on although admittedly I don't go out that much anymore.
Definitely more younger city fans than there was, but I suppose that's what success does.
I was a taxi driver for 7 year's and one of the most common things said to me when on the subject of football was " wow, an actual utd fan who lives in Manchester" it used to drive me mad, cue the rest of the journey me explaining the myth.
It’s based on false reasoning by people who don’t know Manchester very well. If you meet a City fan, he’s probably from Manchester. A United fan could be from anywhere. So 2+2=5 and more Mancs are blues. The truth is Manchester has way more United fans than City fans.
Same people wh think the moon landing was a hoax
Usually oots
Usually oots
At times they had more fans on RedCafe, let alone Manchester.
Facht!
Facht!
Not realy, I suppose it's about level, UTD are global, City have bigger fan base now, through there benefactor, both clubs rely on supporters from outside of the city, as do loads of other clubs. Its modern day footie, City use it as a stick to bash UTD, when they were shit, now they roll it out when we've beaten them, sad realy , even there emptyhad, shows lack of followers, it's a shame the football they play, that some are missing out by not going!!
I was born in Manchester and have lived in Gt Manchester for nearly all my 65 years, went to school in Manchester and worked across Gt. Manchester. In all that time United fans in Gt Manchester have considerably outnumbered City fans. There are pockets of real strongholds, e.g Salford is 99% Red, City have plenty of fans in Stockport. At the end of the 6-1 debacle in 2011, the Stretford End's response to City fans celebrating by doing the Poznan, was to chant "F*ck off back to Stockport"
So, it's a myth pedalled by City fans, when they obviously couldn't live with us on the pitch, and endorsed by lazy journalists who couldn't be bothered to carry out proper research. United have more fans than City, both in Gt Manchester and from far and wide outside the county.
So, it's a myth pedalled by City fans, when they obviously couldn't live with us on the pitch, and endorsed by lazy journalists who couldn't be bothered to carry out proper research. United have more fans than City, both in Gt Manchester and from far and wide outside the county.
when i was in school(im 31) their was more oldham fans than city fans at my school.
Lived in Manchester for 3 years. It's a myth, United have more fans but City do have a very sizeable fanbase in Manchester. I'd say 65-35 in United's favour, You should have seen the parade after we won the league in 2013 
They were claiming it's all students.
They were claiming it's all students.