In a Premier League where watching a match costs more than $60 and a derby against United can exceed $100, the club decided to do exactly the opposite of what everyone else does.
It decided to lower the price for its own people. Between 100 and 500 tickets per match, spread throughout the stadium, for just $10 for adults living in the neighborhoods surrounding the Etihad.
There is no fine print. It applies to every match, with no exceptions: the derby, Liverpool, Arsenal, the Champions League. Tickets will be allocated by lottery so that all neighbors have the same chance.
The idea came from a simple demand from the community, which could no longer afford to watch the team that was born in its own neighborhood grow.