Attendances

[Guest]

Regarding the concern about the low attendances. It should be noted that this seems to be a problem across the footballing spectrum at the moment. Many Premier League clubs are far from selling out for games. I for one was amazed to see how many empty seats there were at Roker Park (or whatever it's called these days!) for their opening game of the season. Sunderland has always enjoyed tremendous support and yet they couldn't sell out for a high profile gae such as their return to the P.L!!

I know for a fact that Chelsea are struggling to sell all the tickets for some games for the first time in years.

Where as two years ago you couldn't get a ticket to any game at the Bridge for love nor money, they are currently offering up to 4 tickets per person to all comers for this Saturdays game (Ironically against Sunderland). Even their first Champions League game v Anderlecht is in danger of only being half full. Obviously costs come into the equation at The Bridge...but why the problems at more reasonably priced grounds? Maybe it has a lot to do with it still being the holiday season, and we should reserve judgement on the overall trend until late Sept early October? Or perhaps, worryingly for Chairman up and down the country, and in direct contrast to my claim in last nights programme that football is at its most popular since the late 60s,that the publics love affair with the Beautiful Game is on a long slippery slope downwards?

[Tom]

For once you have a good point, I did mention this in a thread a while back. At Premiership level it is understandable why people would want to miss out on some of the less glamorous matches, simply due to the cost of watching a game. Why pay upwards of £30 for a single ticket and not get your moneys worth?

 

Unfortunately if it is the cost of the ticket prices in the main leagues that are driving people away it is having a downward effect on teams in the lower leagues too.

 

There is also the case for other sports being more popular at the moment - the reasent success of the England cricket team being one of them, and kids being on school holiday. But then again, cricket has been around for a long time and kids being on holiday this time of year is always guarenteed and in the past this has not had a noticeable effect on attendances.

[Guest]

!!!!! "for once" I am right????

[Reading Rebel]

Are the empty seats home or away support?

 

When teams are playing midweek, are a long way apart and not such a glamorous game, say Middlesborough v Charlton there will always be empty seats. Maybe more so at the moment because of things like the hike in petrol costs.

 

They will probably decide to watch it on Sky.

[Guest]

Unfortunately it is predominantly home seats. Away allocation at the Bridge for league games amounts to less than a few thousand.

 

As for mid-week games it never ceases to amaze me how the leagues manage to get two teams to play each other on a wednesday that cannot be further apart geogrphically. Surely mid-week games should be on the basis of locality. Its a "hobby" of mine (and I really should get out more) to look at mid-week fixtures and see how they could have been arranged to the fans benefit. Of course, thats where the plan falls down, because when have the fans ever been considered by the powers that be at the leagues!?

[Barry Scott]

The Stadium of Light was far from full on the opening day of the season, away fans included

[Guest]

Can't help thinking there is an over-supply of football these days. Live games pre-lunch, post-lunch and evening on TV. Highlights of all games in the evening and through the night. You can see all your teams games if you have the right subscriptions. Why should we be surprised if supporters become selective of the games they actually attend?

 

At non-league level the dynamics are different, but for many people 7 or 8 pounds per game is also expensive, and possibly a barrier for young adults to start attending regularly. (At Stag Meadow of course, you can watch the first half for free over the fence from the Great Park and walk in the ground for nothing after the start of the second half).