Manchester United supporters, often of the internet variety, love to join in the vitriol. It would never happen to them, of course, who could fill the whole of Wembley 10 times over, whatever the occasion.
The reality is that it is remarkable City sold as many tickets as they did, for what was their 23rd appearance at the home of football in less than 10 seasons. Next month’s FA Cup final will be their third trip to Wembley in seven weeks.
Think about that for a second. A return train. Often a hotel as matches kick off too late to make any public transport home. Even without touching a drop of alcohol, you are talking towards £500 for accommodation, transport and a match ticket.
Semi-finals should not be played at the national stadium. You and I both know that. Dragging thousands of fans from Manchester or Leeds down to London, on the same weekend of the marathon, is way beyond the illogical.
Nico Gonzalez scores a stunning goal, and it could be a huge moment at Wembley
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So when seasoned City followers choose to skip one mammoth journey, against a Championship side, ridiculing a largely working-class Mancunian fanbase for not being able to afford to travel down south again is sickening.
What people forget is that City’s match-going fanbase is not anything like the size of their behemoth northern rivals Manchester United or Liverpool.
It was not so long ago Maine Road hosted League One football, before the Abu Dhabi takeover of the club, and Pep Guardiola’s era of total dominance.
Their global audience is growing all the time – that’s what endless success does. The demographic of those visiting the Etihad on a weekly basis is noticeably different than it was a decade ago. Trophies put you in a position to drive revenues like never before.
Those who follow the team to Wembley, in the regular seats are, largely, the traditional Mancunian matchgoers. Finals will get those flying in from overseas for the day trip, but not a last-four tussle with Southampton.
Therefore, numbers were always going to be a struggle on Saturday. What we should be doing is commending the 25,000-plus who made the arduous journey down to London, again, using whatever disposable income they had left.
Leeds United supporters travelled down in their droves for Sunday’s semi-final against Chelsea, as they looked to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in 53 years. Yet, as of last week, the only train fares home left were in first class and would set another mainly working-class fanbase back upwards of £250, one way. When will it stop?
No true football fan should ever ridicule others for not attending matches. If those angry keyboard warriors, who more often than not have no idea the costs involved in following teams week after week, really want to target their ire at someone, there is the easiest of alternatives.
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Empty Wembley seats have to be a wake-up call to the authorities. If Saturday’s victory was at Villa Park, or fairer for Saints supporters too, it would have been packed to the rafters, making for a vibrant atmosphere a soulless, half-full Wembley could only dream of.
Guardiola even acknowledged that the numbers in the stands had dwindled in a light-hearted exchange with journalists after another Wembley win.
“They will be here for the final, don’t worry about that.” He is not wrong there. But let’s not make fun of those who cannot do it every other week.
