Man City fan ‘banned’ from attending game at the Etihad because of where he lives

Manchester City played against Plymouth in a football match. There is news about a Manchester City fan who has been banned from attending a game at the Etihad Stadium because of where he lives. The fan is a six-year-old boy named Jenson Shears. He will not be allowed to attend the FA Cup fifth round match against Plymouth Argyle.

This would have been his first time attending a game at the Etihad Stadium. His parents were told by Manchester City that their match tickets had been cancelled after a safety review. The family lives in Exeter Devon which is why they were banned. Safety concerns were raised about Plymouth fans buying tickets in the home end instead of the away section.

Some Plymouth Argyle fans allegedly tried to sign up for City memberships to get tickets. Jenson’s parents argue that Exeter is 50 miles away from Plymouth. They say they can prove their son is a genuine Manchester City supporter. Jenson’s mother Shelby Fenwick said her son is a huge Manchester City fan. She said this is the first game they have been able to afford to send him to. They booked the tickets by phone on Tuesday February 18 as soon as they went on sale. They also booked a hotel.

Late on Wednesday February 26 they received an email saying he was no longer able to attend. His tickets were cancelled due to people from Plymouth booking into the Manchester City zones. The cancellation was because he lives in a surrounding area. Jenson’s mother does not consider Exeter to be a surrounding area of Plymouth as they are different cities. Her son thought for eight days that he was going to his first big match. She says he is now absolutely heartbroken. They contacted Manchester City by email and telephone.

They sent pictures of their son in his Manchester City bedroom with all his Manchester City football kits. They have not had a reply and have still been refused entry. Manchester City sent a cancellation email that explained the situation. The email said it had become apparent that many tickets had been purchased in the home areas of the stadium. These tickets were bought by people based in Plymouth and surrounding areas. The buyers had not previously attended a Manchester City match at the Etihad Stadium. The email said Manchester City’s safety and security department had conducted a review. Anyone who had not previously purchased a ticket to a match at the Etihad Stadium and has a registered address in the Plymouth area will not be allowed to purchase tickets in any designated home area of the stadium.

A spokesperson for Manchester City Football Club said the boy and his family have been invited to attend a game in the future as guests of the club in hospitality. There are other football news stories mentioned in the article. One story is about Liverpool fans being convinced two players are leaving the club. This is based on damning footage from a Manchester City game. Another story mentions Sir Alex Ferguson naming the most annoying player he faced in his 26 years as Manchester United manager. There is news about Jean-Philippe Mateta issuing a statement after being taken to hospital. This followed what was described as a horror challenge from a Millwall goalkeeper.

An ex-Premier League referee believes he should have a statue outside Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. There are more recent news stories mentioned. One is about fans being left in disbelief by what Matheus Cunha posted on Instagram. This was after he was sent off for what was called the biggest headloss in football history. There is an article about what happened to eleven wonderkids that Marca tipped to dominate world football in 2016. Another story is about Arne Slot finding his perfect Virgil van Dijk alternative to solve Liverpool’s problem position.

An ex-Premier League referee revealed the punishment that the Millwall goalkeeper should receive for the Jean-Philippe Mateta challenge. The article was published on March 1 2025. The article was updated at 17:29 and originally published at 17:22 on that day. The article appears on a website that includes sections like Football News. The author of the article is Luke Alfred Davies. The article includes information about Plymouth playing against Manchester City on Saturday. There is an image credit to Getty for a photo showing Plymouth taking on Manchester City. The website has sections for comments but there are zero comments on this article. There are various navigation elements and advertisements on the webpage. The website appears to be part of the LADbible Group which includes other sites like LADbible Tyla GAMINGbible UNILAD and UNILAD Tech.

The website has sections for Topics A-Z Jobs Latest News and other standard website features. The website has links for Advertise Terms Privacy and Cookies License Our Content and About Us and Contact. This is a story about a young fan being disappointed about not being able to attend his first Manchester City match. The club has offered the family hospitality tickets for a future game instead. The cancellation was part of a broader security measure aimed at preventing opposing fans from sitting in home sections. Despite the family living 50 miles from Plymouth the club’s policy affected them because of their postal address being in the same region. The mother expressed frustration that they could prove her son is a genuine Manchester City fan but their appeals were unsuccessful.

Manchester City’s policy was applied to anyone with a Plymouth area address who had not previously purchased tickets to a match at the Etihad Stadium. The security measure appears to have been specifically implemented for this FA Cup match against Plymouth Argyle. The FA Cup fifth round is an important stage of the competition where lower league teams like Championship side Plymouth Argyle can play against Premier League teams like Manchester City. The story highlights how security concerns at football matches can sometimes affect innocent fans. The young boy had been excited about attending his first match at the Etihad Stadium for eight days before receiving the cancellation notice. The family had made arrangements including booking a hotel for their trip to Manchester. The mother mentioned that this was the first match they had been able to afford to send their son to suggesting financial considerations were involved in their planning.

The situation shows how football clubs must balance security concerns with fan experience. Although the club cancelled the original tickets they did offer alternative arrangements by inviting the family to attend a future match in hospitality. The mother’s comment about not receiving a reply suggests there might have been communication issues between the family and the club. Manchester City is a Premier League club while Plymouth Argyle plays in the Championship which is the second tier of English football. The FA Cup allows teams from different divisions to play against each other which is why this match was happening. The boy has a Manchester City bedroom and owns multiple Manchester City kits showing his dedication to the team despite living far from Manchester. The cancellation email from Manchester City explained their rationale was based on preventing Plymouth fans from buying tickets in the home section.

This is a common security concern in football as mixing opposing fans can lead to conflicts. The fact that the story made it to the news suggests it resonated with people who felt sympathy for the young fan. The article is presented alongside other football news stories suggesting the website frequently covers football-related content. The article comes from what appears to be a sports news or general news website that is part of the LADbible Group media company. The article includes details about when it was published and updated showing it is a recent news story. The timing of the article is just before the match was scheduled to take place suggesting it was newsworthy because of its immediacy. The inclusion of quotes from the boy’s mother gives the story a personal angle highlighting the emotional impact on the young fan. There is no comment from Plymouth Argyle about the situation or about their fans allegedly trying to buy tickets in the home section. The story highlights how football clubs implement security measures that can sometimes have unintended consequences for genuine fans.

The fact that the family lives in Exeter which is 50 miles from Plymouth shows how broad the security measures were. The club’s invitation for the family to attend a future game in hospitality could be seen as an acknowledgment that the policy affected innocent fans. The article provides context about the FA Cup competition in which the match was taking place. The fact that the article mentions that the boy is a huge Manchester City fan emphasizes the emotional impact of the ticket cancellation. The article does not mention if other Manchester City fans from the Devon area were similarly affected by the policy. The story does not indicate whether the family accepted the club’s offer to attend a future game in hospitality. The situation shows how football clubs must make difficult decisions about security that balance safety concerns with fan experience.

The fact that the family booked tickets as soon as they went on sale indicates their enthusiasm and dedication to attending the match. The mention of the family booking a hotel suggests they had made significant arrangements for the trip to Manchester. The article does not mention the price of the tickets or what the hospitality package would include as an alternative. The story does not indicate whether this policy was implemented for other Manchester City matches against teams from different regions. The article presents this as an individual case but it is possible other families were similarly affected by the same policy.

The story shows how football fandom can cross geographical boundaries with devoted fans living far from their supported clubs. The article mentions that the family had not previously attended a match at the Etihad Stadium which was part of the criteria used in the club’s security review. The story does not indicate how many Plymouth fans may have attempted to purchase tickets in the home section leading to these security measures. The article does not mention what other security measures might have been in place for this match. The fact that the club offered hospitality tickets as compensation suggests they recognized the impact of their policy on innocent fans. The hospitality offer might be seen as a good will gesture from the club to maintain a positive relationship with fans.

The boy being six years old adds to the emotional aspect of the story as young fans often have strong emotional connections to their first live football experiences. The story shows how football clubs must consider various factors when implementing security policies including the impact on genuine fans living in certain geographical areas. The club’s security department conducted a review that led to this policy being implemented showing how seriously security is taken at football matches. The article describes Jenson as an avid Manchester City supporter highlighting his dedication to the team.

The boy’s mother uses the term heartbroken to describe her son’s reaction emphasizing the emotional impact. The family’s efforts to prove their son’s support for Manchester City by sending photos shows how important attending the match was to them. The article does not indicate whether other fans complained about similar cancellations. The story does not mention what would happen to the cancelled tickets or whether they would be resold. The fact that the family contacted Manchester City via multiple channels shows their determination to resolve the situation.

The use of the term banned in quotation marks in the headline suggests that while effectively prevented from attending it was not a personal ban but rather the application of a broader policy. The article appears on a website that covers various sports news stories not just Manchester City-related content. The fact that the article was published suggests that either the family or someone aware of their situation contacted the media about it. There is no mention of whether the family sought support from other Manchester City fans or fan groups in resolving their situation. The story does not indicate whether the club’s policy was effective in preventing Plymouth fans from sitting in home sections.

The article does not mention whether the family had considered purchasing tickets in the away section as an alternative though this would likely not be appropriate for a Manchester City supporter. The inclusion of the explanation from Manchester City shows an attempt to present both sides of the situation. The article does not indicate whether similar policies are common at other football clubs or for other matches. The story does not mention whether the FA Cup match between Manchester City and Plymouth Argyle was sold out which might have added to the family’s disappointment at not being able to attend. The article does not specify what time the match was scheduled for on Saturday. The fact that the cancellation email was sent late on February 26 just days before the match added to the disappointment as the family had limited time to make alternative arrangements. The article does not mention whether the family received a refund for their cancelled tickets though this would be standard practice. The story does not indicate whether the boy had attended matches at other stadiums previously. The article mentions that the family lives in Exeter which is a city in Devon while Plymouth is another city in the same county. The article does not mention the cost of the hotel booking or whether they were able to cancel it without penalty. The story does not indicate how the family would have traveled from Exeter to Manchester for the match.