‘I want to enjoy final home game in safety’

This week was supposed to be the week when the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed, as it were, but sadly due to Derby’s impressive comeback and Sheffield Wednesday’s inability to score past MK Dons last Tuesday City’s Championship future is not yet guaranteed.

OK, I know we are basically safe, but, to emulate Johnson’s analogy, the lady is yet to break into full verse, so we will have to wait until who knows when to celebrate what was I think most people’s minimum expectation given last season’s wonderful season. 

Having said this, survival is survival and given where we were at the turn of the year we will happily take it and get our heads down for next season. It would have been pretty miserable – could still be miserable, I guess – to welcome our new completed ground with a League One opener. But I am 99 per cent sure that we won’t be facing that situation.

So, non-football mini-rant coming.

Season ticket renewals are going well, which is encouraging. I was also pleased to hear of the great deal City are offering for kids, especially in the family enclosure. One friend has been able to get his season ticket plus his two kids’ ones, both under 11s, for around four hundred quid, which is excellent value and a great way to get the youngsters hooked at a young age.

My beef, as it were, is with the Atyeo unreserved singing section, where I have watched all but one of our home games this season. Firstly, they decided to keep the section where it is, which irked me, but more about that to come.

They then decided to shrink the section by a third, citing Championship rules about the minimum size for away ends promoting a Glastonbury-style ticket buying morning for me and my friends. Surely this was the case prior to the original statement regarding ticket purchases? 

So, to the singing section. Why has it stayed where it is and why does it even matter? Sadly, the Atyeo is often the only area of the ground which makes noise during games, often continuously throughout the whole match, regardless of how well it is going.

By limiting this area to the already pretty small section, in the smallest stand in the stadium, you prevent others from sitting near the band of slightly deluded, inebriated fans who wish to create that all important atmosphere.

I am aware that the club did survey fans, so maybe this is what they wanted, but I can’t help thinking they have missed a trick. Perhaps they could have moved the away fans elsewhere or indeed moved the singing area to another stand, but, alas not.

We are away to Blackburn this weekend knowing a point will avoid that all to soon re-acquaintance with League One, so, as ever, fingers will be crossed. I want to enjoy the final home game of the season knowing all is well.