An estimated 350,000 Man City supporters were present yesterday at the Etihad stadium to watch Manchester City lift the Premier League title. The crowd figure is based on the number office workers reporting 'I was there, what a day, what a finish' conversations with their co-workers. The figure dwarfs the estimated 200,000 present when Man City last won the title in 1968.
However, the crowd figure has a long way to go to feature in the top three biggest imaginary crowds. Some 400,000 are reported to have been present when Manchester United defeated Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League Final, with a similar number allegedly at the 'unforgettable' night when Liverpool came from 3-0 down to defeat Milan on penalities in the 2005 Final. The biggest made-up crowd is still the nigh on 1 million people who were apparently present at the Sex Pistols first ever gig.
Such crowd figures are subject to upward revision over time though. Preliminary estimates are that the final crowd figure may grow to approach at least half a million once 'pub bore' conversations are included.
