Question Are We a More Committed Fanbase Now Than Ever Before?

[BEERMONSTER]

I’ve been pondering recently, is our fanbase actually more committed now, down in the National League, than it was when we were in the Championship? Or even compared to the days of the 50s and 60s when football crowds were massive across the board?
Now, I realise most on here are the die-hards. If you're on ShrimperZone, you’re already in the committed camp (or need your head checked, one of the two). But what do you reckon about the wider fanbase?
Back in circa 2006 yes we had decent gates, but how much of that was people turning up for Leeds and alike and the novelty of second-tier football? As soon as things got a bit ropey, a lot of faces vanished.
Compare that to now, we’ve had Ron, relegations, unpaid staff, a transfer embargo every other week… and we’re still pulling 6,000+ at home, selling out away ends, and making a proper racket. Arguably that’s not glory hunting is it ? Is it Love ? (or madness, again, hard to tell sometimes).
And as for the 50s and 60s I wasn’t around (born 1961), but crowds were generally bigger everywhere. Was it pure loyalty, or just less to do on a Saturday?
So, what do people reckon? Yes there have been historically higher attendances but is our fanbase actually more loyal and connected to the Club these days? Or is it just a different kind of support?
Genuinely curious what others think, especially the long-time fans who’ve seen it all.

 

[Firestorm]

Being one of the 1068 at home to Halifax back in the day, I would say yes

 

[thenobster]

Maybe, until we start losing more than we win…

 

[weststander]

Our crowds used to be pretty poor in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, even in our first stint in the 'Championship' we would only pull a crowd of 6/7000 if the big boys (Wolves, Palace etc) were in town and often got only 4000ish foe the visits of Plymouth, Grimsby and Tranmere. It was when we reached our first LDV final at the Mill stad that i feel our crowds really began to grow. From then on our crowds seem to have improved greatly.

 

[Liam AAS]

I think a lot of it is connection. The town has gotten bigger and people that have left still feel connected with the place, especially if they were born & grew up there.

Cost of higher-division football has made that less accessible so it makes sense that people come to RH to get their fix. Just need to sort out the Saturday 3pm results.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

IMO it’s a more enthused fanbase rather than a more committed fanbase. People can sense that we’re on the cusp of a magical season and want in.

When things tail off the crowds will drop off but for now people are expecting good things.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

IMO it’s a more enthused fanbase rather than a more committed fanbase. People can sense that we’re on the cusp of a magical season and want in.

When things tail off the crowds will drop off but for now people are expecting good things.

Yes I think you are right to describe it as enthused and their not shy in expressing it.
It certainly for me has manifested itself in to a very passionate vibe which I think tops what we have had in the past, even in the successes of my younger supporting days.
Maybe it’s somewhat reflective of a less reserved approach to how society expresses itself these days but I find it to be very much a positive welcome development.
Although there is always the omnipresent of impatience to be had too.

 

[undercovershrimper]

There are certain members of our fanbase who should definitely be committed....to a padded cell

 

[CrippsCorner]

For me it's my son getting into football so much. I used to be a casual fan, but he has made me committed!

I do feel there's also an element of the only way is up now too... being in the EFL is obviously great (and the dream, again) but then you can fall, as we have. Over the next few years we'll get a promotion, maybe eventually two, and that'll be thrilling to watch.

 

[Hooly]

Tough one @BEERMONSTER.

In tems of away support you & I travelled the country for years by whatever means we had car, coach & train so you had to be committed in those days as there was no interweb to arrange these things on just personal contact. There were definitely a lot less of us for the majority of those games, at higher levels of the game than we take away regularly now but there is more publicity & numerous ways to sort out travel that we didn't have.

I do believe the commitment of home support is better than we had over several seasons in Div 2/3 (old money) probably because we are turning up to see a standard of football well below what we were used to. It was easy to get up for a game against Newcastle, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Sunderland etc. whereas we are now expected to turn up to see Maidenhead, Weladstone, Woking, Solihull which are places I never knew had a football club & don't even start me on Forest Green.

It's also been so long since we had decent ownership that there has to be an enthusiasm uplift after decades of Vic & Ratty.

There are always going to be critics whatever we do, I mean I remember a bloke who hated Graeme Jones from the day he first saw him & was told to go support somone else by Steve Mildenhall. You can't account for idiots like that. But we are no worse than most fans, look at Spurs & the Wet Hamsters who relentlessly get on the back of management & playesrs. My Cull Ewe supporting mate, care in the community, wanted changes there for much of the last 2 seasons.

I think overall we are more commtted probably because of where we are in the pyramid but there are reasons that make that committment a litte easier.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

are always going to be critics whatever we do, I mean I remember a bloke who hated Graeme Jones from the day he first saw him & was told to go support somone else by Steve Mildenhall. You can't account for idiots like that.

Yes but his heart was in the right place if nothing else

 

[Harry Bullocks]

I've never stopped going, home , away, thick and thin............................dedication or foolishness...........your call

 

[leeblue]

Been doing this since 1982.
Not sure I have known such support.
2006 in the championship was big numbers.
I think back to Bury away when we got promoted to the 2nd tier for the 1st time ever. We took a thousand.
If we played that game next week we'd take 3k plus. It's phenomenal.

 

[Ozzer]

I’ve been pondering recently, is our fanbase actually more committed now, down in the National League, than it was when we were in the Championship? Or even compared to the days of the 50s and 60s when football crowds were massive across the board?
Now, I realise most on here are the die-hards. If you're on ShrimperZone, you’re already in the committed camp (or need your head checked, one of the two). But what do you reckon about the wider fanbase?
Back in circa 2006 yes we had decent gates, but how much of that was people turning up for Leeds and alike and the novelty of second-tier football? As soon as things got a bit ropey, a lot of faces vanished.
Compare that to now, we’ve had Ron, relegations, unpaid staff, a transfer embargo every other week… and we’re still pulling 6,000+ at home, selling out away ends, and making a proper racket. Arguably that’s not glory hunting is it ? Is it Love ? (or madness, again, hard to tell sometimes).
And as for the 50s and 60s I wasn’t around (born 1961), but crowds were generally bigger everywhere. Was it pure loyalty, or just less to do on a Saturday?
So, what do people reckon? Yes there have been historically higher attendances but is our fanbase actually more loyal and connected to the Club these days? Or is it just a different kind of support?
Genuinely curious what others think, especially the long-time fans who’ve seen it all.

Back in the 60's we had big crowds. Many home games were on a Friday night, so we picked up 'fans' of London First Division clubs who played the following day and also many people who played locally in our strong amateur leagues (Borough Com', District League etc). There was much less football on tv in those days, so there was a demand to see live football, which boosted attendances.

We have only dropped down one division from our previous frequent position in lge 2/division 4 but in terms of being 'non-league', the fall is immense. In that sense, the support we are now receiving, given that there is so much football to watch on our screens, is amazing and long may it continue and increase.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

I've never stopped going, home , away, thick and thin............................dedication or foolishness...........your call

I'd call it as 'You F'****** Love this Club'

 

[Kenny]

It’s been striking how our supporter numbers have improved, even while playing lower down the football pyramid than ever. I think there are a few key reasons behind it:

1. Core Fanbase Unity
Through all the turmoil of recent years, one thing never wavered — the loyalty of our core support. Even during Ron’s final year, when the club was on its knees, that main group continued to show up week in, week out, home and away. That togetherness (ie: the stadium spruce up day, the protests) built a solid foundation for where we are now.

2. Fans Returning Post-Ron
Another factor (perhaps smaller) is the return of fans who made a stand and refused to spend another penny while Ron was in charge. Some maybe walked away as far back as Vic’s time, and others bailed when it quickly became clear how the grass wasn't going to be greener under Martin Dawn. The change in ownership to COSU gave these supporters a reason come back into the fold.

3. New Faces in the Crowd
There’s also a wave of new supporters lower down the football league and non-league football, more fans are turning their backs on the Premier League, priced out of taking themselves, let alone their families. A few mates of mine, lifelong EPL fans, now bring their kids to Roots Hall quite often.

On top of that, Southend’s population has grown by around 22,000 since the year 2000, expanding our potential reach. Couple that with better fan engagement and improved communication from the club, it's no wonder we’re seeing fuller stands than ever.

Did we take more fans to Wembley for the National League Playoff Final than we did against Wycombe in the League Two Final back in 2015? If so, that says it all.

 

[GNH]

There are always going to be critics whatever we do, I mean I remember a bloke who hated Graeme Jones from the day he first saw him

Yes but his heart was in the right place if nothing else

His heart may have been in the right place, but one of his feet weren't!

Must have been a quality medical to not notice he had one leg longer than the other

 

[BEERMONSTER]

His heart may have been in the right place, but one of his feet weren't!

Must have been a quality medical to not notice he had one leg longer than the other

Agree G about the medical but the reference was to Hooly the self proclaimed idiot

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

Our crowds used to be pretty poor in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, even in our first stint in the 'Championship' we would only pull a crowd of 6/7000 if the big boys (Wolves, Palace etc) were in town and often got only 4000ish foe the visits of Plymouth, Grimsby and Tranmere. It was when we reached our first LDV final at the Mill stad that i feel our crowds really began to grow. From then on our crowds seem to have improved greatly.

I think that although, as you quite rightly said, our first spell in the old DIV 2, Championship, weren't the biggest crowds, this did help grow our crowds and influence the size of crowds we now get.

During that time those of us that had followed the team through thick and thin in the lower two divisions and had children at that time, found it easier to persuade them to come to football with Dad, when the likes of Southampton, Wolves, Derby and Notts Forest were in town, than the likes of Halifax, Rochdale, Southport and Darlington of the past.

When they started travelling it was to the likes of St Marys, Moulineux, Carrow Rd. That generation of Shrimper now have children of their own and the 5-10 year olds that are now going and becoming part of this great family, can probably in alot of cases, have Grandparents that were in their late twenties early thirties that were part of the crowds that witnessed that first spell in the old Div 2.

 

[Crowstone Crevette]

Our crowds used to be pretty poor in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, even in our first stint in the 'Championship' we would only pull a crowd of 6/7000 if the big boys (Wolves, Palace etc) were in town and often got only 4000ish foe the visits of Plymouth, Grimsby and Tranmere. It was when we reached our first LDV final at the Mill stad that i feel our crowds really began to grow. From then on our crowds seem to have improved greatly.

Some stats for you @weststander

"...our first stint in the Championship..." (1991/92 season)

Wolves 8,368 attendance
Palace* (didn't play)
but also:
Newcastle 9,458

Then:
Plymouth 4,585
Grimsby 4,591
Tranmere 4,761

*Played Palace 1993 / 94 season - 9,776