The obvious springboard for opinion on the matter of course is that the increased attendances and the increased atmosphere that couples it will give players a boost when things are looking gloomy in the greater side of Manchester. Simple. However it is not all so black and white.
Now I’m no fool, a bigger, better, more baneful atmosphere bellowing from the family stand to the newly refurbished south stand will have no end of benefits to not only the squad out there on the grass, but to the club in general. But the increased capacity Etihad along with the whole campus neighbouring it let’s not forget) will play a big part in attracting those big names; enticing them to pull on that ever so glorious sky blue shirt of ours.
Think about it, as a kid the nights spent dreaming, the days spent re-enacting, all had one huge thing in common… A huge crowd cheering your name. Maybe some footballers lose sight of that with the big wages in today’s game, but i know if you offered me a chance to play in front of the yellow wall of Dortmund, or behold a chant so spine tingling as the now famous Hi-gua-in! Bellowed by Napoli fans; I would absolutely bite your hand off! This attraction might be just what city have been missing in recent years, missing out on the likes of Isco to Real Madrid; of course Real, are a great team themselves, but maybe the Bernabéu also had a role to play in that decision. In terms of stadiums, size does matter, and the footballers, who have a passion for the game, over the money, will undoubtedly follow the cry of emotions of fans who truly share said passion, rather than chasing the poignant smell of Great British Sterling.
Food for thought! Maybe with bigger stadia we will start to see even bigger names! Bigger names means even greater things and a few top drawer signings could be just what we’re missing in our chase for European glory. It works both ways as well, big signings want big crowds and big crowds want big signings so it will be interesting to see if this expansion will get the pendulum swinging on some pretty rapid growth! But of course those seats won’t make that attractive atmosphere themselves, so us blues will have a part to play just as big as the new expansion.
Do you think the Stadium expansion will have a positive effect on City as a club? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @TheMaineBlues.
