On Wednesday, 5 April, Manchester City fans conducted their first-ever widespread protest against the current owners of the club.
Around 2,000 fans took part in a march outside the Etihad Stadium prior to kick-off before they boycotted the first nine minutes of the match, missing Jack Grealish's opening goal in the process.
Why are Man City fans protesting? Here is the lowdown.
Man City fan protests: Why supporters are taking action
The banner unfurled by the protesting Man City fans outside the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night tells its own story. It read: “MCFC – For the love not the money.”
As far as Man City's hardcore support are concerned, the club's owners have become more interested in making as much money as possible from supporters than ensuring loyal fans get a fair price for attending matches at the Etihad Stadium.
Three supporters groups – Trade Union Blues, 1894 and MCFC Fans Foodbank – all backed and took part in the protest with the key issue revolving around the club's new agreement with Viagogo over hospitality tickets.
The deal with the ticket reselling platform is the latest in similar deals that City have agreed with other reselling platforms and fans are concerned that these deals are just a way for the club to effectively conduct legalised ticket touting.
Additional issues that the fans were protesting against include fears of a season ticket price increase and the increased presence of away fans in the home sections at the Etihad Stadium.
This was the concourse immediately after the goal, thousands of Blues staying on the concourse to protest @Mancity‘s ticketing policy.
You don't see this many people here at halftime! That's what we call solidarity, nobody can deny the strength of feeling. The club got it wrong. pic.twitter.com/QVy8AZTPRV
— MCFC Fans Foodbank Support (@MCFCfoodbank) April 2, 2025
FGG Says: Now isn't the time to be tribal
Pep Guardiola has spoken out about the protests, saying that he has ‘sympathy' for the club's supporters and, to be frank, so should all match-going football fans.
While it would be easy to point the finger and say that City fans aren't seen protesting when the club are winning trophies or when the owners are spending hundreds of millions of pounds each summer, that kind of tribalism won't help football fans across the country.
If fans are to put a halt to the ever-growing greed in football, then they need to unite as one to tackle the problem.