Liverpool rivals Manchester City are often teased for their inability to fill the Etihad – despite their jaw-droppingly impressive team and the fact Pep Guardiola is in charge…
But it might be a little bit easier from now on, considering the fact they’re getting rid of seats to fit in bigger advertising boards!
This sounds like an April Fool’s, but it isn’t.
“The Premier League leaders will double the perimeter advertising space around the stadium with a second tier of LED screens, similar to a system already in use at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molinuex Stadium,” state fcbusiness.co.uk.
“The installation will be facilitated by the removal of up to the first three rows of seating in the North, East and South stands which will reduce the overall capacity of the stadium to 54,000.”
A statement released by the club said: “As part of Manchester City’s ongoing development works to enhance the Etihad Stadium a second row of digital signage will be installed in the lower stadium bowl. Regrettably, a small percentage of seats allocated to both seasoncard holders and supporters who purchase on match by match basis will be removed.”
Can you imagine the uproar if we made Anfield smaller, considering how hard it is for most to get tickets for even the most meaningless game?
Especially to add sponsorship boards?
Wow.
The waiting list for a season ticket is decades long – and as members it’s still like Glastonbury to get tickets!
.@ManCity are set to double the size of its LED perimeter boards which will see the removal of around 1100 seats from the Etihad Stadium: https://t.co/wKmAvGuu8Q #mcfc pic.twitter.com/pIo8Njl86q
— fcbusiness Magazine (@fcbusiness) March 18, 2021
What a good idea, more advertising money and those empty seats whisked away.Just think the old girl and her bell at Maine Road would have been removed City are beyond parody.
Wonder why there is no mention in this article that city also have plans in course to increase the stadium capacity to 60,000. Could it be because it wouldn’t suit the negative narrative of the piece.
Any football fan knows that the first 3 rows are crap for viewing the game. It makes sense to me. Next season we’re building a bigger stadium , enlarging behind both goals. You worry about your medical problems, sick note city.