A number of Manchester City fan groups have come together to appeal to the club and Pep Guardiola in particular ahead of a planned protest at the Etihad Stadium over season tickets and matchday prices this week.
Man City are set to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League this Friday, but with the title now wrapped up and just European football left to secure (not a certainty but still expected), plenty of Blues’ attention has turned to the pressing issue of further impending ticket changes.
Not only are prices going up once again, and season tickets still somehow increasingly scarce/difficult to secure, even despite plans to increase the stadium’s capacity already underway, four different supporters organisations have come together to pen an open letter to Pep personally.
Quoting Pep’s own comments on wanting the stands to be more “alive” on matchday, they begin by writing: “With that in mind, we ask you for one more favour.”
Open letter from 4 groups to Pep Guardiola. The final line is a play on words of our banner earlier this season. In Catalan it says "Pep Guardiola you want US to stay" pic.twitter.com/amatwXkawB
The direct address urges the Catalan coach to implore club CEO, Ferran Soriano, to “do one more good thing” and reconsider their current stance on ticket policies and pricing, with the ‘Flexi-Gold Season Tickets’ advent alone causing considerable controversy.
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Leading supporters organisation, The 1894 Group, goes on to add: “The stadium is growing by 8,000 next season and the fans want the club to bring back some real season tickets so that the generational links can be protected.
“The amount of season ticket-holders in the stadium has been shrinking. When fans cannot attend games the club then cannot resell those tickets because they are priced too high. We think the club has time to rethink two issues: season ticket availability and matchday pricing.
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“We want the same things as you. A powerful club, with a loud atmosphere in the stadium. Surely the most important thing is to ensure there are no empty seats inside the Etihad?”
Insisting that the Etihad buzz will never reach the heights that Pep has cried out for in recent times, if they do not create better avenues for younger ‘Cityzens’ to attend games and ensure that “generational links can be protected.”
1894 Group are also spearheading a campaign to give a proper send-off to club legend Kevin De Bruyne, who revealed that he wasn’t offered a new contract before deciding to leave at the end of this season.
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The day that Blues hoped would never come has arrived…
Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed he will be leaving #ManCity. 🥺
Warning that those at the club will not “get the atmosphere you crave if you do not think again” and take their suggestions on board, the overarching goal was put in the simplest terms: “no empty seats inside the Etihad Stadium.”
As for the planned peaceful demonstration itself, a boycott of seats is scheduled to take place before the Wolves fixture at 8pm on Friday, 2 May.
It’s unclear how many in attendance will participate in the protest, but with adults facing £88 and kids up to £58, those inside the ground will no doubt echo their stance.
With Lionness and former Man City Women player Esme Morgan even coming out to criticise the new restrictions regarding season tickets, the profile of this protest is definitely increasing.
Featured Images — Dunk (via Flickr)/ football.ua (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Patrice Evra issues passionate plea to Manchester United as he must miss the Europa League final
Danny Jones
Ex-Manchester United star Patrice Evra has issued a passionate appeal to his old club ahead of the Europa League final, as he reluctantly prepares to miss the game.
Evra, 44, has remained an avid Man United fan even since he left the club back in 2014 and doesn’t miss a game if he can, often lending his punditry services to the likes of Sky Sports of TNT Sports.
However, despite the biggest game of their season coming up this Wednesday, 20 May, the Frenchman has been forced to skip the match due to a recent bereavement.
Nevertheless, Evra has taken time to issue a rallying cry to Ruben Amorim and his Red Devils, urging them to “be United” and “fight” just like his loved one.
As explained in the short video, the retired left-back’s sister recently passed away at just 56 after a long battle with cancer.
Visibly emotional but determined in the clip, Evra starts by sharing his “positive energy” before trying to inject some defiance.
Noting that his sibling fought for her life for more than two decades, he goes on to add, “That’s what I want from you [United players and fans] tomorrow: just fight — bleed for this shirt, for the fans, the staff, for the people of Manchester.”
Stating that there is “no excuse” for failure and that winning their first European trophy in seven years is their “duty”, he called on the team to channel the commitment and dedication of those travelling from all over the world to see them take on Spurs in Bilbao.
As for the former French international himself, he will be making his return to sport only in an entirely different arena, with a combat sports debut coming very soon.
Wait until you see who he called out… To be fair, I think we’d prefer to watch the Evra fight even more than the Europa League final.
While the comments underneath the post are obviously filled with lots of condolences for his loss, lots of supporters are also taking further faith and motivation from his competitive spirit.
It’s a big game for the club and so many across Greater Manchester; you only have to glance at social media to sense the palpable tension. For instance, if you’re a Red, you don’t want to scroll past the video down below.
Go on then – do you think United are going to do it?
Travel warning issued as Manchester prepares for big night of music and football
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is preparing for one of its busiest nights of the year, as two huge music legends take to the stage and the football season draws to a close.
There’s no denying that Manchester‘s social calendar has been getting busier and the summer starts to arrive, and we all know we’ve got a huge weekend of festivals coming up to celebrate the late May bank holiday, but it actually seems like tonight (20 May) may be one of the busiest nights the city has seen all year so far.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is encouraging people to make the most of public transport and active travel options, as nearly 100,000 people are expected into the city for two huge concerts and a footballing finale tonight.
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen is set to play to a sold-out Co-op Live, pop icon Kylie Minogue brings her ‘Tension Tour’ to the AO Arena, and Manchester City play their final home game of the season at the Etihad Stadium with an 8pm kick-off.
Manchester is preparing for one of its busiest nights of the year / Credit: TfGM
Not only is it a big deal that two of music‘s biggest names are performing in the city tonight, but over at the Etihad, it will also be legendary midfielder Kevin De Bruyne’s final home game for Manchester City.
At the Etihad Campus, it’s expected that there will be a crossover with City and Springsteen fans arriving at the same time for their respective events, and then with City planning a ‘lap of appreciation’ following the final whistle for De Bruyne’s departure, it’s thought that both the football and music fans could be leaving at a similar time too.
This is why a travel warning has been issued, and as always, it’s advised to ‘plan ahead’.
If possible, TfGM is recommending that it’s best to travel to and from your respective events outside peak times, as this is when the roads and tram network will be at their busiest, so instead, Springsteen fans may wish to take advantage of the 4:30pm early entry at Co-op Live.
Alternatively, there will also be express and shuttle bus services to and from Co-op Live and the Etihad Campus for both Springsteen and City fans, as well as trams – many with ‘double trams’ – operating every six-minutes from the city centre, and several ‘Park & Ride’ options for those wishing to drive.
Those who choose to travel by car, though, it should be noted that there will be a closure on Chapel Street heading towards Salford (westbound), between Blackfriars Road and New Bailey Street, and although a diversion is in place, you may want to plan an alternative route.
For Kylie fans, the AO Arena is served by multiple tram and train lines, and bus networks, all of which will be running throughout the day, as well as being just a 15-minute walk from the heart of Manchester too.
Danny Jones -
30th April 2025 
