the argument about real fans/plastics/premier league fans and so on is pointless. I saw my first ever City match 48 years ago, in the FA Cup v Everton. Would my dad have took me if we had of been playing port vale or Hartlepool ? Possibly not, so I might have never have been smitten and could have so easily have joined other family members and supported HKR.
As it is city have had nearly half a century of unbroken support from me. I hope my grandson who saw his first City match in the Premier League supports City as long as I have. Everyone has to start somewhere.
I question the poster who said he was at Boothferry Park with 2,000 others, he may have been making a flippant point, but I cannot remember any league matches with only 2,000 inside the ground. Our history might not be all it could be but let's not devalue it even further.
I was disappointed with the crowd yesterday and people have to chose how they spend their cash in this recession.
But the club and media must shoulder some of the blame for devaluing the match before a ball had been kicked. As it was Citys gate was on par with every other game yesterday in terms of percentage of a normal league match so lets not dwell on it too much.
My biggest grouse about the Premership days was the way the club threw loyalty out of the window when allocating away tickets for the 'big' games. Loyalty suddenly meant nothing. When it should be valued even treasured.
If I were in charge of City now I would contact all of those fans who bought season tickets for the premier league seasons and ask them to fill out a feedback form as to why they don't attend today, pointing out that if City get there again the away tickets will be allocated to fans who have bought tickets/season passes for the championship and also include a price list of the half price season passes for the remainder of this season, which I have been told have been selling well.
Also I would like to add that supporting a club sometimes means turning out for games like yesterday just to give the message to the owners who are pouring millions of pounds into the club that the club do have a hardcore of support who will always do just that..........support. IT MEANS SOMETHING.