MANCHESTER: “My wife is a Manchester United fan, which explains why I don’t have any hair on my head,” says Dav. He is an elderly tour guide at the other famous football club in this city divided in red and blue. They make no bones about it. Ask anyone which way the Etihad is and you can judge from the response which side he or she belongs. “Up the road on the left,” said the lady at a cafe near the home of Manchester City in a grumpy voice, giving the newcomer a mock nasty look.
The reigning Premier League champions are the poor cousins when it comes to footfalls at their stadium. They do get attention though and on a Monday afternoon there were visitors from South Africa, Australia and Ireland in a group of 10 taking the guided tour of the club conducted by Dave. They get hundreds every day but the numbers can’t be compared with what happens at Manchester United, which is always crowded.
Perhaps aware of this, authorities at Etihad make it a point to make the trip to City enjoyable. Each visitor is handed a pre-recorded android device with different segments of the stadium tour stored in them. They start playing on the touch screen as and when visitors enter the section concerned. The tour starts with what they call a ‘blue carpet’ welcome from the place where players enter the stadium on match days. “Isn’t it obvious,” says Dav.
Once in, they take you to the corporate hospitality area where entry on match days costs 7500 pounds. Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne and others walk though this place when they play here and as soon as Dave announces this, the device around one’s neck starts showing the reception they get. From the headphones, one gets an idea of the noise that fills up the place when Etihad hosts games.
Unlike United, which is unquestionably richer in history, there is no museum at City although one can see some of the silverware won by them. The Premier League trophy is on display, with a group of people clicking selfies in front of it. There are boots and jerseys worn by the club’s famous players, other than the ball used in the 1956 FA Cup final won by City.
Then come the dressing rooms. The visiting team’s first, which Dav informs is certified by UEFA as a five-star dressing room. “The only thing missing is a floor to ceiling mirror which will be needed when Ronaldo visits us.”
One crosses Pep Guardiola’s match day office where entry is not allowed before entering the indoor warm-up area and dressing room used by Vincent Kompany & Co. Each seat has the name of the occupant written above, with the corresponding blue jersey kept on it. One can take selfies with them and the one written Aguero on it is usually in high demand.
The tour ends with a visit to the pitch through the tunnel used by players. If they know one has also visited Old Trafford, they say: “Oh, you’ve been to the darker side of the city.”