- Man United and Man City fans have joined forces against rising ticket prices
- Their fan groups are both part of the FSA’s Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign
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Derby week in Manchester and there’s something different in the air. Animosity? Yes. Bitterness? Definitely. But not just between the fans of United and City.
The build-up to today’s clash of red and blue at Old Trafford has seen supporters on both sides turn against their own clubs.
On Wednesday night, thousands of City fans boycotted the first nine minutes of the 2-0 win against Leicester over the club’s ticketing policy.
After today’s 196th Manchester derby, United fans plan to protest against ticket price rises, the end of 50 per cent concessions for OAPs and the decision to relocate supporters in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand to make room for a lucrative new VIP dug-out club.
The old rivals have found some common ground, like other Premier League fan groups uniting under the Football Supporters Association’s Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign.
Don’t expect it to signal an end to the enmity between United and City, though. ‘We need to protect the game so that we are still able to hate each others’ clubs in future,’ says Steve Crompton, spokesman for United protest group The 1958.
Man United and Man City fans formed an unlikely alliance ahead of the Manchester derby
Their fan groups have united under the Football Supporters Association’s Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign to combat rising ticket prices, an issue that has impacted them both recently
‘I’d love nothing more than tomorrow’s news being all about City being found guilty of the 115 Premier League charges.
‘Over at City, the fans are being priced out. Same at Chelsea and Tottenham. The clubs are trying to squeeze out the low-revenue match-going fans, and the atmosphere in every stadium is suffering. The fan culture is dying before our eyes.’
The first contact with City was made in November. The following month, United and Liverpool fans staged a joint protest at Anfield. ‘We were sat in the closest pub to Anfield with the Spirit of Shankly,’ adds Crompton.
The 1958 rallied thousands of fans to march before last month’s game against Arsenal to protest against the Glazers and how Sir Jim Ratcliffe is running the club.
‘Nothing good has come out of the club since Ratcliffe got involved. There’s nothing to cling on to, not a glimmer of hope,’ said a spokesman for The 1958. The 1894 group led Wednesday’s City boycott after the announcement of a deal with Viagogo raised more fears over ticket price increases. ‘If it takes a few more weeks to get the right outcome for fans, that’s what our reps should be doing,’ said a spokesman for The 1894.
‘We’re being replaced. It’s manufacture the fan-base at the expense of identity, loyalty and our generational links to the club.
‘Clubs are working together against the fans, so this season fans have started working together against the clubs. The only thing that separates us is the teams we support.’
