Prem clubs lying about match attendance figures, City by 10k a match

HTG

Full Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
6,184
Supports
Bayern
This is what the Colombian clubs did when they were owned by kingpin drug dealers, to launder money :D
Well, that would explain a lot. Wouldn't surprise me one bit. We can't prove anything, obviously.
 

Grylte

"nothing wrong with some friendly incest, bro"
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
14,440
How do the police get their figures?
By counting people who actually enters the stadium?
Bit surprised by the ones they do not count, to be fair. It has to do with security aswell, if something bad happens, let's say a new Hillsborough, they need to know how many were in there, don't they?
 

United_We_Stand

Full Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2017
Messages
4,624
Location
Syria
In all fairness, all clubs do this. In 2013 The Guardian published a similar story about the disparity between club and police figures of attendances at OT.

"Greater Manchester police's figures claim the average crowd for league matches, excluding City, is 10,000 below what the club say. The police records state it is 65,601 rather than the official figure of 75,527. In all competitions it is 61,739 rather than the club's 73,653."
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/apr/12/manchester-united-attendances-police-figures
 

BRRRRAP

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Messages
57
Suit yourself mate. I've no reason to lie.
Ha ha ha! Replied so many times already blatantly lying about the figures yet has the brass to say "I've no reason to lie".
The camera doesnt lie mate. There are over ten thousand empty seats every time. Everything about the UAE's artificially manufactured project is inflated. Might as well admit it as you're hardly going to fool us United fans on our own forum.
 

BobbyManc

Full Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2012
Messages
7,750
Location
The Wall
Supports
Man City
Article lost all credibility the second it claimed the Barcelona attendance was 44,757. That's 100% not true. Clearly there is a discrepancy between the actual attendance and the reported attendance, and I'm not going to deny that City struggle to fill the stadium sometimes, but the attendance figures given in that Sun article seem to be equally plucked out of nowhere. The Barcelona game had few noticeable empty seats, whereas some of the games it's listed as having more than that game blatantly had thousands more empty seats.
 

whatwha

Sniffs Erricksson’s diarrhea
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
7,612
Location
Norway
By counting people who actually enters the stadium?
Bit surprised by the ones they do not count, to be fair. It has to do with security aswell, if something bad happens, let's say a new Hillsborough, they need to know how many were in there, don't they?
Counting them how? :p
 

Joeace2020

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 20, 2017
Messages
439
Location
Nigeria
Dunno. I'm giving you my opinion based on my being there.
Take it or leave it.
When someone says "i don't know", "i can't prove it" it's best to not believe them. You are just hating on the realities which is available from police data. Now would you accept if a united fan told you "i swear from what i see in games our empty seats aren't anywhere near what the police figures claim?" You'd be the first to say he can't have better figures based on looking around to people who actually count.
 

JohnnyKills

Full Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2016
Messages
7,100
Thing is, City were getting 25,000 in league Two. How have they gained so few match-going fans in the decade since they won the lottery?
 

Fish in kettles

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Nov 25, 2017
Messages
182
Supports
Man City
Tax returns are based on ticket sales not bums on seats, in the 80s I rememer squeezing into a packed kippax only to read the next day there were 30k at the game, reason being our somewhat dubious chairman was avoiding tax, now we report the ticket sales and get accused of over reporting. Guess you can never win.

Fortunately I no longer feel the need to live vicariously through the size of my teams crowd.

How many threads do you need to emphasise that United have a bigger world fan base. You know it I know it, but no one cares.
 

GeorgieBoy

Full Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
2,074
Thing is, City were getting 25,000 in league Two. How have they gained so few match-going fans in the decade since they won the lottery?
I guess success out of nowhere may get you fans from around the world; but I doubt winning the lottery would really impact the 'local' support. City winning the league a few times in recent years won't to anything to turn the tide in support in Manchester itself I imagine.
 

JohnnyKills

Full Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2016
Messages
7,100
City fans often quote the same source to challenge your constant 74k reports when there are patently 1000's of no shows (mostly away from the TV cameras) so as others have said it's the same for all clubs but don't let the truth get in the way of your umpteenth bitter swipe at us.

City may be "tinpot" but they're currently sticking in your craw, aren't they?
Damn right they're sticking in our craw mate! The outrageous good fortune you've enjoyed over the last 10 years is annoying for even the most sanguine of United fans. The fact that you can't even fill your ground - built with public money - only rubs salt in the wound.
 

Grylte

"nothing wrong with some friendly incest, bro"
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
14,440
Counting them how? :p
When someone enters, they press a thingie... no idea what it's called, but i have seen it on Brann Stadion atleast ;)
Like this little handheld thing with a counter on. One by each entrance, then they add them up.
 

M113FF

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 11, 2017
Messages
60
Supports
City
In all fairness, all clubs do this. In 2013 The Guardian published a similar story about the disparity between club and police figures of attendances at OT.

"Greater Manchester police's figures claim the average crowd for league matches, excluding City, is 10,000 below what the club say. The police records state it is 65,601 rather than the official figure of 75,527. In all competitions it is 61,739 rather than the club's 73,653."
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/apr/12/manchester-united-attendances-police-figures
I was about to post the same thing.

United do it, City do it, everyone does it....

As far as I'm concerned the information beggars belief in both the articles for United and City. Sure there must be lots of ST holders who don't attend at both clubs but not at the levels they are publicising.
 

Gentleman Jim

It's absolutely amazing! Perfect even.
Joined
Jun 14, 2015
Messages
3,164
Location
Salford
Supports
city
Ha ha ha! Replied so many times already blatantly lying about the figures yet has the brass to say "I've no reason to lie".
The camera doesnt lie mate. There are over ten thousand empty seats every time. Everything about the UAE's artificially manufactured project is inflated. Might as well admit it as you're hardly going to fool us United fans on our own forum.
Your recent ban obviously had no effect on you, did it?
You're a truly awful poster.
 

Gentleman Jim

It's absolutely amazing! Perfect even.
Joined
Jun 14, 2015
Messages
3,164
Location
Salford
Supports
city
Damn right they're sticking in our craw mate! The outrageous good fortune you've enjoyed over the last 10 years is annoying for even the most sanguine of United fans. The fact that you can't even fill your ground - built with public money - only rubs salt in the wound.
But the stadium was built for another purpose, wasn't it? What would you have had Manchester City Council do with it otherwise?
They receive a rent and percentage of ticket revenue from City for use of the ground plus the spin-off benefits of more jobs, contracts awarded to local firms, new educational facilities built in a deprived part of the city and countless other revenue streams which having a second successful team brings to Manchester.
 

BRRRRAP

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Messages
57
Your recent ban obviously had no effect on you, did it?
You're a truly awful poster.
Lol. Just because you don't like to hear the truth about the UAE project . Grow up pal.

You pathetically fabricate stories like a hurt child. Recent ban? You are the one who was recently banned. I most certainly was not.
Anyroad, if you are going to get so upset over a mild bit of fun-poking from us United fans, about your club's inflated attendance figures, then quite frankly you miggt be better off considering whether this is the best place for you to spend your valuable time :)
 
Last edited:

Offside

Euro 2016 sweepstake winner
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Messages
26,902
Location
London
City were obviously lying. Their figures had them at near full attendance most weeks when the sky blue seats were just so obvious. The ground is too big for a club of that size.
 

RedTillI'mDead

A Key Tool
Joined
Apr 16, 2010
Messages
5,475
Location
London
This is odd- the Sun has gotten the police's figures of crowds at matches and compared them to the official ones. City inflate their official ones by 10,000 a game on average and the police say the Barca match only got 44,757, not 53,340 as club stated.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/5858...m-premier-league-southampton-watford-arsenal/


I wonder if this is to do with season tickets. E.g. assume a set percentage or entire inclusion. In theory they have attended financially.
 

Green_Red

New Member
Joined
May 29, 2013
Messages
10,296
Don't all clubs do this? It's on tickets sold and not bums on seats. United have declared attendances to be above 70,000 despite there being visible patches of empty seats.

How do the Police count every person around a football ground?
But there are the corporate boxes too arent there?
 

Bergman

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
405
Supports
Liverpool
I don't understand, how can Bournemouth have 40k attendances when Dean Court is only 11k?
 

noodlehair

"It's like..."
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Messages
16,596
Location
Flagg
I'm sure we've done this in the past, more so for cup games.

It's the "attendance" in terms of season tickets/match day tickets sold, compared to the number who actually turn up for the game (i.e. the actual attendance).

Weird that they're still lagging so much for league games against the likes of Spurs and Liverpool though...these games weren't even midweek.
 

Fridge chutney

Do your best.
Joined
Sep 11, 2016
Messages
9,020
This is amongst the most obvious "news" I've heard. Cameras don't lie. Emptyhad is a well-earned nickname.

Still... :lol:
 

sebsheep

Correctly predicted Italy to win Euro 2020
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
11,518
Location
Here
I was about to post the same thing.

United do it, City do it, everyone does it....

As far as I'm concerned the information beggars belief in both the articles for United and City. Sure there must be lots of ST holders who don't attend at both clubs but not at the levels they are publicising.
The police distanced themselves from those figures though, it was based on facial recognition technology that wasn't accurate. At the time we had a 360 degree camera for games and it made it clear those figures were way off.

No idea if it's a similar case here, City do seem to have a lot of empty seats in most home games though.
 

Sly

Hang Ten
Scout
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
12,315
Location
Lisbon
Supports
Sporting Clube Portugal
Maybe they can buy sets of supporters. Pay them like in certain TV shows and their audiences. Sign up today and go watch City vs Barcelona and win a £20 Argos voucher.
 

Jack - City Fan

Full Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2014
Messages
204
Location
Manchester
Supports
Man City
Meh, probably accurate figures, We definitely do give lots of tickets out to schools and Unis and stuff, It's not something I particularly care about, if anything I think its good to give back to the community (although it'd be better if they turned up). I don't think the numbers are inflated by "fake sales" as some seem to be suggesting though, the shitstorm something like that would cause would be insane if it came out and the upside pretty limited. More likely just people not turning up, be it season ticket holders or tickets given away.

IIRC the MEN did a similar article a few years back about United v Newcastle where the recorded numbers had a disparity of 20k or so, I think because united used to make cup tickets compulsory buys for season holders?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Akshay

Gentleman Jim

It's absolutely amazing! Perfect even.
Joined
Jun 14, 2015
Messages
3,164
Location
Salford
Supports
city
Lol. Just because you don't like to hear the truth about the UAE project . Grow up pal.

You pathetically fabricate stories like a hurt child. Recent ban? You are the one who was recently banned. I most certainly was not.
Anyroad, if you are going to get so upset over a mild bit of fun-poking from us United fans, about your club's inflated attendance figures, then quite frankly you miggt be better off considering whether this is the best place for you to spend your valuable time :)
Forgive me. I accept that you were not recently banned , just given a mod warning but it patently did not work as you steam in calling a poster who's been around awhile a liar and a fabricator for stating an opinion about a matter that cannot be proven one way or another.
The UAE project? I could start on many skeletons in United's cupboard but that's been done to death and this is not the place for that discussion.
You take the cowards way out of your folly by calling it mild fun poking? I get plenty of that on here and give it back in good heart but you cross the line when you call me a liar.
To keep the peace I'm going to block you and thread ban myself from this one before I tell you what I really think of your arrogant, obnoxious self.
 

Emptihead

Full Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2017
Messages
189
Supports
Manchester City
Seemingly Inflated figures happens at every club. First think the police count is just the count of those going through the turnatiles so the corporate areas and other similar seats are counted into the police figure. Also by FA rules must relorr the attendance as that of all tickets sold not actual match going fans so ktit not like clubs purposefully do this. For reference here is an article about United. Personally think this is a nothing topic.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/apr/12/manchester-united-attendances-police-figures.
 

Mart1974

harbours delusions of insignificance
Joined
Nov 13, 2013
Messages
3,605
Take it from one who attends every home game. The empty seats vary from 1-5k per home League game.
Problem is, I know a load of City fans and worked with quite a few a I used to work in Stockport.

They all go to every home game and they all tell me that there are only 1000 or so empty seats every home game.

Even when I show them pictures of half empty stands they claim otherwise .

It is a peculiar blind spot. City want to be the best supported club in the city but they are not, why it matters is beyond me.
 

KirkDuyt

Full Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2015
Messages
24,923
Location
Dutchland
Supports
Feyenoord
Can't wait for next season when the caf can hopefully laugh at City for being below them in the league instead of searching for other ways to feel superior :)
 

Mr Anderson

Eats, shoots, leaves
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
24,306
Location
Ireland
As mentioned, It's tickets sold. All clubs base attendance off that fact. Widely know for years. So article calling it "lying" is OTT.
 

Sarni

nice guy, unassuming, objective United fan.
Joined
Jan 21, 2004
Messages
58,219
Location
Krakow
In all fairness, all clubs do this. In 2013 The Guardian published a similar story about the disparity between club and police figures of attendances at OT.

"Greater Manchester police's figures claim the average crowd for league matches, excluding City, is 10,000 below what the club say. The police records state it is 65,601 rather than the official figure of 75,527. In all competitions it is 61,739 rather than the club's 73,653."
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/apr/12/manchester-united-attendances-police-figures
This can’t possibly be true. I don’t believe that 1 in 6 or even 1 in 10 seats are empty on average.

Or then again maybe they are.
 

Cristiano Lell

BANNED LOLZ
Joined
Nov 20, 2014
Messages
2,201
Location
Berlin
Supports
Bayern München
I don't understand, how can Bournemouth have 40k attendances when Dean Court is only 11k?
It's alleged home game attendances of City vs various opponent teams, including Bournemouth. Not a Bournemouth home game.
 

TheReligion

Abusive
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
51,653
Location
Manchester
United are one of the best supported clubs in the world. City aren't.

Everyone knows that though. Nothing to see here.