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1. Why you were looking
forward to going to the ground (or not as the case
may be):
I was really looking forward to visiting as it was
our first game since The Saints got relegated back
in 2005. It was one of the grounds I wanted to go
to as I have had great review from friends that
have been before and said the atmosphere is
amazing.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the
ground/car parking?
I travelled up by coach. We left St Mary's Stadium
at 7.30am and arrived just after 1pm. It was a
very quick journey and also there was not a lot of
traffic on the motorway so it was much quicker
than everyone thought we would. When we got into
Manchester it was easy as the signage was perfect
and as we were there early so we didn't have any
problems.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy....
home fans friendly?
I went into the City store and bought a souvenir
keyring to add to my collection of away grounds
that I have visited. I also got a programme which
I have to say is a brilliant matchday programme.
Probably one of the best I have read and it was in
a sealed bag which helped as it was raining
heavily. It cost £3. It is real value for money as
I have never seen a 100 page programme on sale at
that price and with not many advert pages in it so
was a great programme to read. I went behind
the Main stand where I fans from both Southampton
and Manchester City fans were mingling. The home
fasns were really friendly; they were
congratulating us on promotion and we were
congratulating them on winning the Premier League.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first
impressions of away end then other sides of the
ground?
When I saw the ground it was now a reality that we
were back in the top flight of English Football
and the excitement was beginning to build. But I
was also feeling concerned that we would be
battered 5 or 6-0 before the game. First
impressions of the away end were fantastic. I was
in the upper tier and I was guaranteed a good view
of the game. I have a fear of heights and it
wasn't as high as I'd expected. I was glad I
wasn't in the top tier of the East or West Stand
as I would of been suffering vertigo being very
high up and looking down. It was a lot bigger
inside then it looked outside the ground thats the
other thing that made me think I'm glad to be
there. The stadium on the whole is very impressive
and I would recommend fans to visit.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere,
stewards, pies, facilities etc..
It was a game that I went home not disappointed
despite losing 3-2 to the reigning champions. Our
performance was exceptional and more than held our
own against the likes of David Silva, Sergio
Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Vincent
Kompany. Southampton to be honest got battered in
the first half and the game should of
been well gone before half time but we defended
really well. Second half was the most entertaining
half football I have experienced it was end to end
and when we equalised it was party time because no
one expected us to score and then take the lead
was amazing and something I will never forget.
But City woke up after conceding the 2 goals and
scored twice in the last 20 minutes to win and was
not disappointed. The performance from the lads
was top class and I think it showed our clubs that
you can cause City big problems at the back if you
keep the ball. Stewards were very good with us,
they were fair to the fans that couldn't see
anything because of fans standing, they kindly
asked people to sit down so everyone can enjoy the
game. They were very helpful helping us to find
our seats and always approachable if you had a
question. The atmosphere was amazing both set of
supporters were singing there hearts out and that
is what I was expecting when we arrived so it was
no real surprise that it was very buzzing
atmosphere, Facilities were very good for an away
end , nice bar and catering concourse. Chips were
really nice even if expensive and they had hot
dogs, burgers etc .
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after
the game:
Getting out of the ground was easy as we all got
back on the coaches and started the trip back
home. The police stopped traffic so we could get
out of the area and that doesn't happen at many
grounds so was easy to get away from the Etihad.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
It was an amazing day, it was worth the £51 I paid
for my ticket and I would come back to the Etihad
anytime as fans and staff at Manchester City
Football Club were very approachable and very
friendly. It was a day where I left with a big
smile even if we lost because we played very well
against a very good Manchester City team that I
think will retain there title come May.
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