Manchester City Fans Blast Ferdinand and Scholes for Empty-Seat Comments

Manchester City fans have hit back at Manchester United legends Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes for criticising the crowd at Tuesday night's Champions League clash against AS Roma. 

Just 37,509 attended the match at the Etihad Stadium, which was over 8,000 less than their average in the Premier League so far this season. 

Ferdinand took to Twitter to question City's support and ask why they were planning to increase the capacity of their ground to 55,000. 

"

How many empty seats are there at the city vs Roma game by the way....big CL game & fans would rather Ramsays Kitchen or something at home🙈

— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) September 30, 2014"

Paul Scholes made similar criticisms in his role as an ITV pundit but the comments annoyed Andy Savage, the editor of the website MCFCForum.com.

As per the Irish Independent: 

"

He (Rio) is living in his own bubble there. Some people are living hand to mouth and don't know where the next penny is coming from, and he's criticising them for not filling the stadium when the tickets are £35-plus.

He was an absolute disgrace on Twitter, as was Scholes on ITV. They are multi-millionaires. They don't give the man on the street a second thought, how much it is costing people.

The cost of living is going up, so many people are out of work. Football is not everyone's priority, like it used to be. People just can't afford, over the course of the month, to pay for tickets three, four or five times.

"

Savage's comments were echoed by another high-profile City fan—David Mooney—who produces the popular Blue Moon Manchester City podcast.

"

This debate is coming from the wrong side of the fence. We have got multi-millionaires talking about empty seats in stands when ticket prices are £40 and £50.

You can understand people who have paid for their season ticket saying this is one of the games they are going to miss to make it affordable for the year.

It strikes me as a crass thing for people who have got plenty of millions in the bank to be able to do whatever they like to be dictating to other people what they should be doing.

"

Manchester City's next home game in the Champions League is against CSKA Moscow on November 5.

(H/T Irish Independent)