How much did City season tickets cost in different eras?
More than you'd think.
Here are the prices of City season tickets from four different eras. The figures in brackets are what that money would be worth today (the so-called “income value”).
1908-09
Standing season ticket: 8s 6d (£292)
Covered standing season ticket: 12s (£413)
Reserved seating: 18s (£619)
1949-50 (season tickets only available for Main Stand)
Chairs (men): £5 5s (£731)
Chairs (ladies and boys): £4 4s (£585)
Reserved seats (men): £3 15s (£522)
Reserved seats (ladies and boys): £2 15s (£382)
1972-73
North Stand: £13 (£348)
Platt Lane: £11 (£294)
Kippax: £8 (£214)
1990-91
Main Stand dearest: £175 (£503)
Main Stand cheapest: £110 (£316)
Main Stand Juniors & OAPs: £100 (£287)
Kippax £75: (£216)
North Stand £100: (£287)
Junior Blues Platt Lane: £50 (£144)
Junior Blues parents: £75 (£216)
Surprisingly then, the best season ticket in 1949 was 45% more expensive than in 1990. And the North Stand was 21% cheaper, in real terms, in 1990 than in 1972.
The historic cost of a FA Cup final ticket is even more surprising. In 1934 the 93,258 Wembley crowd that watched City lift the Cup produced gate receipts of £24,950. That makes the average cost of a ticket 5s 4d, or £94 in today's money.
The FA hasn't revealed the gate receipts, or average ticket price, for City's 2023 Cup final win. But tickets were available for £45 and £70, rising to £115, £145 and £250/£225.
And let's face it, even the cheaper seats at the modern Wembley offer a better view than its 1930s counterpart. And a proper roof.
This is an extract from my new book, which will be published on Amazon on Saturday 28 October.
Here are the chapter headings:
1. Why did St Mark's create a football team?
2. When was the club formed?
3. Where did St Mark's play?
4. Did St Mark's play anywhere else?
5. Where Did Gorton AFC play?
6. Why did Gorton AFC wear a Maltese Cross on their shirts?
7. Why did they change their name to Ardwick?
8. How did Ardwick become a Football League club?
9. Why did Ardwick become Manchester City?
10. So were Manchester City a new club?
11. Are City a Protestant club?
12. Well, are they a Masonic club then?
13. How much did season tickets cost in previous eras?
14. Why were City's directors and players banned in 1906?
15. What was the first song at City?
16. What is the oldest recording about City?
17. Have there been any City recordings since then?
18. What was Hyde Road like?
19. Did the IRA burn down Hyde Road's main stand?
20. Why did City leave Hyde Road?
21. Were City once captained by an amateur?
22. How did Maine Road get its name?
23. Did a million people turn out for City's 1934 FA Cup homecoming?
24. Did City really take on the Nazis, or was that something I saw in a movie?
25. What was the Scoreboard End at Maine Road called before there was a scoreboard?
26. Who benefitted most from United sharing Maine Road with City?
27. What was the 'Revie Plan' and who invented it?
28. Who was the first overseas player at City?
29. Is is true that City won the title in 1968 with an all-English team?
30. How did Peter Swales become chairman?
31. How big were City when Swales became chairman in 1973?
32. What shade of blue is City blue?
33. Has blue always been City's home colour?
34. Why do City fans sing 'Blue Moon'?
35. Why did Steve Coppell resign?
36. Who started the “banana craze”?
37. How did Niall Quinn’s disco pants become famous?
38. Why did City end up in the third tier of English football?
39. Did City have a “Fifth Column”?
40. How important was the 1999 play-off victory?
41. Why was Joe Royle sacked?
42. Were City gifted the Ethiad Stadium?
43. Why did Kevin Keegan resign?
44. Did Stuart Pearce really play a goalkeeper at centre forward?
45. No seriously, did Stuart Pearce really play a goalkeeper at centre forward? And more importantly, why?
46. Did Thaksin Shinawatra plant crystals under the Ethiad pitch for good luck?
47. What do the symbols on City's badge mean?
48. Why did Sheikh Mansour buy City?
49. Are City a 'state club'?
50. Will the Sheikh get bored?
On Monday my piece for paid subscribers will be the first part of a serialization called, The City Slickers.
Two other stories each month will now only be available to paid subscribers. You can subscribe for free, or upgrade to a paid subscription, by clicking the button below.
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