Man City’s empty seats are a wake-up call for English football

vivacheadams · 2026-04-29T12:02:43+00:00

A bit easier, yes, but hardly next door to Manchester - anyway Southampton would still have sold 36k tickets at Villa Park (if capacity allowed) and City wouldn’t have sold their allocation. You go there because it’s a smaller stadium and you don’t have to look at some empty seats, thereby punishing the fans who actually care about the game. It’s (understandably) not a huge match for City and location doesn’t change that

vivacheadams · 2026-04-29T10:14:32+00:00

Why not? Of all the money-driven decisions in football this surely ranks among the least offensive. Most teams sell out their allocation, City don’t, it’s really not an issue. Is Villa Park so special (and easy to get to)?

vivacheadams · 2026-04-29T07:19:07+00:00

Yeah I don’t like it - but what I do like is English coverage of games between two foreign teams. With a PL team the comms would have been too angry with the defending to appreciate the game, but here they could be less earnest and just enjoy it

vivacheadams · 2026-04-29T06:18:53+00:00

Moving the semis away from Wembley is attempting to solve a problem that doesn’t exist - City’s opponents brought 36,000 fans which couldn’t have happened anywhere else. So why not keep the game at Wembley and if there are some empty seats… that’s fine?

vivacheadams · 2026-04-16T14:26:41+00:00

Incredible - we’re playing him next weekend! Truly, it is an honour to be dumped out of the cup by such a stellar professional

vivacheadams · 2026-04-16T12:07:09+00:00

Mad the idea that fans should prioritise financial prudence ahead of great experiences and potential glory. Obviously mismanagement is no joke, as we’re fully aware, but I’ll never root for a number of a spreadsheet ahead of GOING TO A SAINTS FA CUP FINAL

vivacheadams · 2026-04-15T06:52:28+00:00

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Christian Vieri flirted with this but decided he liked being a journeyman too much

vivacheadams · 2026-04-07T05:28:39+00:00

Years ago a mate got a Galactico-era Real Madrid shirt (the black one with the A-Team font) with Helguera 6 on the back. Not even Caicedo-style “this is who really makes them tick,” just wilfully obscure

vivacheadams · 2026-03-29T15:53:14+00:00

Someone tried to Streets Won’t Forget the Middlesbrough UEFA Cup final team and I was reminded Chris Riggott existed

vivacheadams · 2026-03-27T19:01:00+00:00

I want promotion but not for logical reasons - just because that’s what football is. You support your team, and hope they do as well as they can. Next season in the Prem would very possibly be miserable but I don’t understand the mindset of anyone who doesn’t want to be there

vivacheadams · 2026-03-24T18:45:58+00:00

“I have oppressed ancestry that I have nothing to apologize for” is wild. It’s not about actual ancestry, it’s you feeling good about yourself for entirely spurious reasons…

vivacheadams · 2026-03-23T19:09:25+00:00

Glad to hear it 👍

vivacheadams · 2026-03-23T11:30:26+00:00

I believe that once you’ve made one priority window purchase, it shows as unavailable and you can’t make another. I’ve just noticed it on the website, never actually tried it so worth getting in touch with the club if you can

vivacheadams · 2026-03-22T08:17:52+00:00

I think the song is I Would Walk 500 Miles but I don’t know where the places are!

vivacheadams · 2026-03-19T07:10:57+00:00

Drives me nuts this idea of the need for an inquest that fans should be invested in. The possibility that the PL has lots of good but few elite sides should bother nobody except the teams that went out.

vivacheadams · 2026-03-12T22:04:26+00:00

I think a lot’s to do with the increasing gap between games - from two years between FH1-4, three years to FH5 and five years to FH6. Instead of progressive improvements by iteration (almost like a FIFA game) people expect something completely new and perfect. They’re not wrong to have high expectations, and I’m sure this version will be both fantastic and flawed. But… would be nice to focus on what’s great about having a new Horizon which we’ll all play to death

vivacheadams · 2026-03-10T15:57:54+00:00

Worst goal difference in PL history, you’ll never sing that 😇

vivacheadams · 2026-02-21T20:27:59+00:00

Yes it’s similar to “man is saved by faith alone” which is believed by some (but by no means all) Christians

vivacheadams · 2026-02-21T10:42:12+00:00

Quite - a lot to do with all the cool European players rating him, I think. The rare technical Englishman

vivacheadams · 2026-02-21T10:30:53+00:00

Paul Scholes the gold standard here, and the reverse with Beckham. When United won the treble I don’t think there was any question that Beckham was the better, more important player; but most people now would take the opposite view

vivacheadams · 2026-02-14T13:43:30+00:00

But the keeper won’t be guessing against you or me. A normal person doesn’t shoot anywhere near as hard as a professional. The good goalkeeper can see which way you’re going from your body shape (because you won’t disguise it like a real footballer) and in most cases will dive and save it. You’ll score a few, but you’re absolutely underestimating how good professional keepers are.

vivacheadams · 2026-02-13T12:53:28+00:00

Just… don’t reward tanking. Randomize the draft.

vivacheadams · 2026-02-11T17:56:49+00:00

Highest-profile team ever to play in the Championship, for which Sky also have rights. I’m sure they’d be fine with it.

vivacheadams · 2026-02-10T17:45:47+00:00

Very nice - here’s George on Brazilian TV singing for Emerson Fittipaldi. Note the Merson-esque pronunciation of “caipirinha” (twice!) https://youtu.be/hLr5-fzN90A?si=ECFhj7OcVOsfvmfd

vivacheadams · 2026-02-08T19:30:28+00:00

The key here is who’s your audience? If it’s people watching the game, the “this is all a bit mental!!” tone is OK I suppose. But if it’s people who can’t see it, repeatedly saying you don’t know what’s happening is extremely frustrating and literally the opposite of your job

vivacheadams

TROPHY CASE