Attendances

godtabh

Is it just me or are attendances down this year alot in the premiership?


I was watching the Premiership last weekend and alot of the stadiums seemed empty

If you exclude matches involving the top four were any of the grounds full last weekend? Or is it just me?

_blank_

Attendances in the PL have been on the wane for a couple of seasons.

leninbenjamin

yup, clubs have been pricing their fans out of it for the past few years now, the big clubs can get away with it due to the day tripper contingent, but the smaller clubs who just follow the big ones have just driven their fans away. then of course they site falling revenue and increase the prices further :rolleyes:

the ever increasing TV coverage isn't helping either in this regard.

I think if the Premier League want to rescue the falling attendances they'll have to introduce some sort league wide cap on ticket prices, although given the power of the big 4 this will never happen.

eagle eye

I'll tell you whats going on, the guy with kids between 8 and 15 used to bring the kids to the local club game every saturday. The said kid now is much more educated that he was say 10 years ago and he knows that he can watch a game with the Ronaldos and Robinhos and Lampards at home now rather than go down the local game and miss all the action. He also knows that Dad will have more money to give him for the other things he wants to do, and that as they don't go to the local games every week, that he is guaranteed that Dad will bust his bollix to get him to a game when he wants to go, such as when said Ronnies or Lamps are in town.

godtabh

Maybe its only noticeable now when you can see it on tv?

I know in the likes of Italy were say Juve have are the most supported team not many stadiums fell up but I think thats nothing to do with ticket prices (they are dirt cheap).

LuckyLloyd

This thread needs to be stopped immediately until someone posts some statistics on the subject.

PauloMN

The credit crunch is affecting the attendances also. Looking at Liverpool tonight, I was surprised at how many empty seats there was in the stadium. Also I think I heard them saying that only around 600 - 700 Liverpool fans were present. For a game in France, that's a brutal away contingent for the CL.

CL tickets were always difficult to get for the Celtic games also for example. The 'fishal website was still selling 3 match CL tickets yesterday. Numbers are definitely down.

godtabh

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

This thread needs to be stopped immediately until someone posts some statistics on the subject.

Why?

But just to keep you happy

Stats

They actually show the average attendance increasing

kippy

Good article from a few years ago:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2005/sep/20/newsstory.sport2
and something from last year:
http://www.epltalk.com/average-attendances-in-premier-league/1072
which is a good barometer to measure against the link in the last post.

Some observarions 1 which is extremely important and has been highlighted in one of two of the links. Most clubs appear to measure attendance in "Tickets sold" as opposed to "bums on seats" (both figures linked to in this thread appears to be in the tickets sold category.
So while they may have sold the tickets for the fixture (season etc) the actual number of people at the game may be different.
From a financial perspective clubs should prefer the bums on seats as they are potentially going to spend money while they are there.

There's also a large amount of these articles pointing out that may clubs are looking to increase stadium sizes-these would be the more successful clubs.
I do think that some clubs are losing fans who used to attend week in week out for many reasons-price being the main one at this juncture in time I reckon-even the bigger clubs may begin to notice this soon (there were only 600 Liverpool fans in Marseille this evening, allegedly)

SantryRed

eagle eye wrote: »

I'll tell you whats going on, the guy with kids between 8 and 15 used to bring the kids to the local club game every saturday. The said kid now is much more educated that he was say 10 years ago and he knows that he can watch a game with the Ronaldos and Robinhos and Lampards at home now rather than go down the local game and miss all the action. He also knows that Dad will have more money to give him for the other things he wants to do, and that as they don't go to the local games every week, that he is guaranteed that Dad will bust his bollix to get him to a game when he wants to go, such as when said Ronnies or Lamps are in town.

IRONY!!

leninbenjamin

kearnsr wrote: »

Why?

But just to keep you happy

Stats

They actually show the average attendance increasing

actually so far this year is down on last years going by that. I know they aren't there, but i seem to recall figures from somewhere that attendances were much higher at the 1st half of this decade, peaking around 2003 or something?

stovelid

Imagine, by 2025, Sky may have to hire contract supporters in order to preserve the atmosphere for the ultimate-super-duper-mega-showdown clashes.

That said, perhaps they could do something with CGI.

bohsman

stovelid wrote: »

Imagine, by 2025, Sky may have to hire contract supporters in order to preserve the atmosphere for the ultimate-super-duper-mega-showdown clashes.

That said, perhaps they could do something with CGI.

They did that in that tournament Brian Kerrs young team did well in in Malaysia.

stovelid

bohsman wrote: »

They did that in that tournament Brian Kerrs young team did well in in Malaysia.

Computer generated a load of fat, sunburned lads with inflatable hammers in the stand?


Seriously though, what's the story there?

bohsman

They paid groups of 20-30 people to stand there trying to create an atmosphere.

LuckyLloyd

kearnsr wrote: »

Why?

Because saying: "it looks like there are less people in the background on the tele" is a bad start to any possible discussion we may have on the topic.

Helix

leninbenjamin wrote: »

yup, clubs have been pricing their fans out of it for the past few years now, the big clubs can get away with it due to the day tripper contingent, but the smaller clubs who just follow the big ones have just driven their fans away

€330 for my villa season ticket this year

€10 cheaper than my drogheda united one

elshambo

Helix wrote: »

€330 for my villa season ticket this year

€10 cheaper than my drogheda united one

340 euro for Drogheda season ticket? thats about twice any other club i think

OPENROAD

Helix wrote: »

€330 for my villa season ticket this year

Wow!! that is cheap compared to Arsenal

leninbenjamin

Helix wrote: »

€330 for my villa season ticket this year

€10 cheaper than my drogheda united one

when i was referring to smaller clubs i was primarily talking about the likes of Wigan or Bolton, clubs that i know were suffering from falling attendances. but if you want to include Villa in that list be my guest. :pac:

Helix

id imagine wigan and bolton are cheaper than us

leninbenjamin

Helix wrote: »

id imagine wigan and bolton are cheaper than us

yeah, but if i remember my sh*t correctly they've increased prices in line with the rest of the PL despite falling attendences... maybe i'm wrong though as i can't find the info.

Xavi6

COMS was sold out last weekend and no doubt it will be pretty much like that in light of recent events. That's a marked improvement on last year.

Charlie

St. James, despite the events of the last two weeks, will still fill 52000+ when this stuff blows over. However, I do know that it has been alot easier to get season tickets this year and last year, whereas 4 or 5 years ago, they had waiting lists of something mad like 6 or 7 years.

I think the reduced numbers you see on telly is partially down to the fact that the Prem now has a fair few teams from places that we're never big footballing towns, or were in saturated markets, e.g. Wigan and Bolton. Whilst on the same accord, clubs from big footballing cities like Notts Forest, Leeds United, and Sheffield Wednesday, are now longer present.

However, it is plain to see that (and I hate this cliche) the working man who filled the terraces years ago, is being marginalized in favour of those who will spend £40 a pop on a ticket, £10 for the glossy magazine (programme), and the guts of another £30 on food and drink at the ground for the little ones. The problem is, the man on the terrace would be there week in week out, whereas this new brigade (not necessarily referring to the corporate prawn sandwich type) don't really fancy Hull at home, or are tied up on certain weekends heading to Ikea with the missus.

therecklessone

Helix wrote: »

€330 for my villa season ticket this year

€10 cheaper than my drogheda united one

Fcuk sake, £750stg for mine at Spurs (2nd cheapest) and another £700 for the away season ticket.

£100 increase in total on lastt season, but €125 cheaper because of the rate of exchange...;)

therecklessone

Ticket prices increasing + too many early/late kick offs + too much televised football + too sanitised at grounds (no smoking, no swearing, no pissing in deep end) + credit crunch = less bums on seats.

CountryWise

Since the season kicked off Man Utd have advertised available tickets on their website for the 3 home games, Newcastle,Boro and Villa Real tonight.
Im sure they are the high up ones but still.

Thats not normal!believe me I was always on the look out for tickets last year and didnt spot any bar maybe a Carling cup game!

Xavi6

Ah yes but that's because the price of petrol is making it dearer for fans to commute from London

Davidth88

charlie mchugh has it spot on.

Wigan for example is a rugby league town , always has been always will be .

I went to Blackburn recently , 17 pounds for a really good tkt, it was the first home game of the season and the ground was only 3/4 full.

The prices at some of the grounds makes me wince , I am a Chelsea fan , they were always the most expensive ground ( they were charging 5 quid and we would go away to Manu and pay 3 ) , I used to go to 20 odd games a season when I lived in London , Ill ge honest I couldn't afford that now .

Saying that I was quite shocked my wife went to Croke Park recently to a All Ireland semi , and that was 45 euro ( plus the rip off service charge if you purchase from tickettout ), that seemed expensive to me , after all the GAA don't have the players wage bill

Blackburn/Bolton/Wigan are all within spitting distance of each other and Manchester/Liverpool , I think this could have something to do with it.

Ill be honest the FAI , must look at the thousands of people crossing the Irish sea every weekend and wish they could capture even some of that market, but thats another thread I think

gixerfixer

Football is going to the dogs anyhow. People dont have the same attachment to the players they once felt and the day tripper crowd at all the big clubs make me sick. Noticed at the Liverpool Man U game the other day a Liverpool fan on the sideline taking a picture of Ryan Giggs..I mean FFS

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

stovelid

Xavi6 wrote: »

COMS was sold out last weekend and no doubt it will be pretty much like that in light of recent events. That's a marked improvement on last year.

Xavi6 wrote: »

Ah yes but that's because the price of petrol is making it dearer for fans to commute from London

Be careful though. If City start winning stuff, all the Manchester based, indie/Oasis, student types will have to find another underachieving/long suffering team in the greater Manchester area to support as an antidote to 'corporate' United for 4 years.

My money is on Oldham, Stockport or Bolton.

Fratton Fred

Its our first ever european match on Thursday and we still have something like 1800 tickets unsold. The reason?

The club contactteed the supportes club and asked what they thought about a 6pm kick off. the SC said it was stupid to kick off at a time that part of the city is gridlocked anyway.

The club then contacted the London Supporters club, the second biggest branch. They said it was stupid, people from London who can normally make a nevening kick off easily would have to leave Waterloo at 4pm at the latest, so it was a stupid idea.

They then asked the Gosport SC and the Isle of Wight SC. They both said the same.

So, there you have it, a unanimous answer from the supporters that a 6pm kick off is a bad idea.

So the game kicks off at 6 and a lot of poeple who have been Pompey fans all their lives will miss what is to the club a historic night.

And they wonder why fans get pissed off.

monkey9

eagle eye wrote: »

I'll tell you whats going on, the guy with kids between 8 and 15 used to bring the kids to the local club game every saturday. The said kid now is much more educated that he was say 10 years ago and he knows that he can watch a game with the Ronaldos and Robinhos and Lampards at home now rather than go down the local game and miss all the action. He also knows that Dad will have more money to give him for the other things he wants to do, and that as they don't go to the local games every week, that he is guaranteed that Dad will bust his bollix to get him to a game when he wants to go, such as when said Ronnies or Lamps are in town.

The 'Question for non LOI fans' thread is that way

---

>

Pepe LeFrits

stovelid wrote: »

Computer generated a load of fat, sunburned lads with inflatable hammers in the stand?

They just need to load up Doom 3.

Benedict XVI

charlie mchugh wrote: »

However, it is plain to see that (and I hate this cliche) the working man who filled the terraces years ago, is being marginalized in favour of those who will spend £40 a pop on a ticket, £10 for the glossy magazine (programme), and the guts of another £30 on food and drink at the ground for the little ones. The problem is, the man on the terrace would be there week in week out, whereas this new brigade (not necessarily referring to the corporate prawn sandwich type) don't really fancy Hull at home, or are tied up on certain weekends heading to Ikea with the missus.

The working man who filled the terraces years ago no longer exists, he is now the other guy you described, he cannot afford to go week in week out with the kids so he only goes to select games each year, and he does not really fancy Hull at home cos it is far too expensive.

aidan24326

Fratton Fred wrote: »

So the game kicks off at 6 and a lot of poeple who have been Pompey fans all their lives will miss what is to the club a historic night.

And they wonder why fans get pissed off.

Why on earth would they want to kick off at 6? That makes no sense at all! Is it for tv purposes or something?

aidan24326

The Scientist wrote: »

Middelsborough always struck me as the worst for attendance. I don't think i've ever seen the Riverside anywhere near full...

Middlesboro would be the worst alright. There's often large sections of the ground empty.

Overall though the crowds in English football are pretty good. I saw the attendances for the Italian Serie A games last Sunday and they were very very poor in comparison. Several games only had crowds of around 10-15,000 and the bigger grounds like Milan and Roma are often way below capacity. Juventus only had 20,000 at Sunday's game against Udinese, and that's in a stadium that holds 70,000. I can't imagine there being only 20K at a United, Arsenal or Liverpool prem league game.

leninbenjamin

aidan24326 wrote: »

Juventus only had 20,000 at Sunday's game against Udinese, and that's in a stadium that holds 70,000. I can't imagine there being only 20K at a United, Arsenal or Liverpool prem league game.

you're wrong there. Juventus left Delle Alpi two years ago. They are now in the little Stadio Olimpico di Torino (capacity 25,442). i think the original idea was to redevelop Delle Alpi (with a much smaller capacity, around 42,000) although as far as i'm aware all plans have fallen through.

Fratton Fred

aidan24326 wrote: »

Why on earth would they want to kick off at 6? That makes no sense at all! Is it for tv purposes or something?

Channel 5 have got both the Everton and Pompey games, so they are showing both.

CiaranC

Benedict XVI wrote: »

The working man who filled the terraces years ago no longer exists, he is now the other guy you described, he cannot afford to go week in week out with the kids so he only goes to select games each year, and he does not really fancy Hull at home cos it is far too expensive.

Of course he still exists, hes just jaded at having to go along to these "family friendly" soulless bowls packed with corporates, day trippers from Tipperary and japanese tourists, so he doesnt.

SantryRed

I can't get over how funny this thread is.

CiaranC

Its gas alright, cant get past the picture of them all pointing at the TV and saying 'Look, theres no-one at the match!, lol

_blank_

Hilarious, even the day trippers are getting pissed off with the other day trippers, as if they are somewhat more of a fan.

Guys, what makes one person who makes a day trip to see a team any more of a fan than someone else who makes a day trip and happens to have a camera with them?

It's probably their first time over, you know? Remember the camera you had the first couple of times you went?