Members of the popular Manchester City fan group have had their accreditation removed for tonight’s home Premier League match against Aston Villa.
The 1894 Group protested against the rise in season ticket prices on Sunday with a banner accusing the club of exploiting loyalty.
1894 Group see accreditations removed
Sam Lee, who works as the Manchester City correspondent for The Athletic, provided the following update on X.com (formerly Twitter): “There won't be an 1894 Group display at the Etihad tonight after members had accreditations removed following Sunday's ‘Record profits, record prices' protest banner. Accreditations not yet returned and without them the group cannot set up the displays pre-match.”
There won't be an 1894 Group display at the Etihad tonight after members had accreditations removed following Sunday's ‘Record profits, record prices' protest banner. Accreditations not yet returned and without them the group cannot set up the displays pre-match
— Sam Lee (@SamLee) April 3, 2024
However, Lee provided the following update at 7:29pm , “An update: City say that 1894 did not apply for accreditation for Villa and that, had they done so, they would have been granted it.” The 1894 Group have yet to comment.
An update: City say that 1894 did not apply for accreditation for Villa and that, had they done so, they would have been granted it. https://t.co/4li9ojzv4t
— Sam Lee (@SamLee) April 3, 2024
Before the Premier League clash with title-rivals Arsenal on Sunday, the 1894 Group unveiled a banner that said, “Record profits but record prices: Stop exploiting fan loyalty.” The banner was removed by City stewards amid calls from the wider fanbase to freeze season ticket prices.
Manchester City fans like Nick are angry at the club for increasing season ticket prices by an average of 5% despite making record profits… is he right? ⚽️🎟️@MCFCfoodbank pic.twitter.com/TskUv5fuTo
— Chris Chambers (@Chris_Chambo_) April 3, 2024
1894 Group spokesperson responds to banner removal
Following the removal of the banner by stewards on Sunday, a spokesperson for the 1894 Group said: “The club have got their own fan advisory board, City Matters, and some of their members are extremely frustrated about the club treating them like a box-ticking exercise.
“We would like an emergency meeting with fans to talk about all the issues around season cards, ticket levels, the way that a lot of match tickets seem to be siphoned off into packages for whoever has the most money. There are a number of things that the club should address.
“We want the club to speak to the fans to say how many tickets go to corporate sponsors for home and away, how many go to third party sites and just come clean about the plans. If they want to generate revenue, talk to the fans and maybe it can be done in a different way that doesn't alienate so many fans.”