Question. Why did our attendances start to rise?

[Swiss Tony]

Because, for the vast majority of fans, the attractiveness of Premiership and European football is fast dying out. It costs a fortune to watch. It’s turning into an American style bore fest, VAR is simply amd singly the worst thing that I can remember happening from a rule perspective. The concept was fine but clear and obvious is not being followed and minutes to make a decision is just ludicrous. 5 English teams in the ‘Champions’ league. More and more European games and competitions. Managers complaints about the number of games and yet, here in HK, 3 or 4 big teams will be here before next season starts.

Football is being strangled at the top level. I predict many more starting to vote with their wallets. Good for us and good also for many lower league teams.

Stop feeding the cable companies with your subscriptions, advertisers will soon pull the plug and the prize money at the top lebel will shrink. Then let the Americans franchise it and those that want a European super league have it. Regulate football for crying out loud and make clubs accountable for their balance sheets. FPS? the fact that the Man C situation is taking so long stinks to high heaven of behind closed doors negotiations.

Top notch post ORM.

 

[WickfordShrimper]

I reckon a big hit of reality of non league football can be a good thing for any league club that drops out of the football league.

Lincoln city went down on 3000 crowds, and the city backed them in support and they returned as champions selling over 9000 season tickets.

And still today they kept that support.

Let's hope we can bounce back soon hey .

 

[CanveyCastle]

I reckon a big hit of reality of non league football can be a good thing for any league club that drops out of the football league.

Lincoln city went down on 3000 crowds, and the city backed them in support and they returned as champions selling over 9000 season tickets.

And still today they kept that support.

Let's hope we can bounce back soon hey .

Needs to be soon --- some of us old buggers might not have too long left.

 

[Strykr]

Tilson era for sure, going in the 80s and 90s to see sufc play seemed pretty niche, nowone cared apart from the die hards. Then all those finals, promotions and cup ties had everyone in the town talking.

Was the first time in 20 years me and my dad couldnt get our normal tickets in the east so migrated to the west.

I think a lot of those gloryhunters were converted to real fans.

 

[Medway Blue]

In my opinion the Tilson era had an effect too. Incredible run and exciting attack minded football. A lot of people got hooked and now have kids from that period who are going now too.

The football was good, but I don't recall it being as consistently slick and attacking as some seem to remember.

What pulled people in then was the success.

Let's not beat around the bush. Nobody really cares that much what the football looks like it it results in promotions and cup finals. They say they do, but really....

 

[Strykr]

The football was good, but I don't recall it being as consistently slick and attacking as some seem to remember.

What pulled people in then was the success.

Let's not beat around the bush. Nobody really cares that much what the football looks like it it results in promotions and cup finals. They say they do, but really....

Im not sure i agree with that, we didnt grind our way to the top with dour 1-0s it was genuinely exciting, wasnt always silky, but with Freddy on the pitch we were always in the game till the 90th minute. Definition of an "off the seat" player.


Add players like gray, barrett, maher, gower and we had a bloody good team full of proper players, and winners.

I also never had that horrible sinking feeling you get when maher releases his teamsheet sometimes...

 

[PIERS]

Tilsonball was a world away from Maherball.. no doubt the game has changed but there is no comparison on entertainment value

 

[Kris]

The football was good, but I don't recall it being as consistently slick and attacking as some seem to remember.

What pulled people in then was the success.

Let's not beat around the bush. Nobody really cares that much what the football looks like it it results in promotions and cup finals. They say they do, but really....

I’m still fecked off by Brown’s tactics in the play-off final. The team was set out not to lose rather than win and it nearly backfired.

Nothing will ever top the feeling at the end - I was absolutely buzzing and singing out of control at Liverpool Street - but the drama in the penalty shoot-out was about the players and not Brown.

 

[fbm]

The football was good, but I don't recall it being as consistently slick and attacking as some seem to remember.

What pulled people in then was the success.

Let's not beat around the bush. Nobody really cares that much what the football looks like it it results in promotions and cup finals. They say they do, but really....

So people say, "It's all about the results." It mainly is, but sometimes it isn't, and Paul Sturrock proved that.

In his second season we got one of the highest points total in our history - 83 - and were just outside the promotion places before getting knocked out in the play offs.

For a fairly large part of the second half of the season I seem to remember us being right up there, were strongly tipped to go up automatically. Yet a lot of the football was dull, and a home game v Port Vale where we won 3-0 resulted in the worst atmosphere after a win that I've experienced... everyone left the ground in silence.

The style was called "Hoofball" and there were just as many moans on here then as there are about Maherball now.

 

[Southend Elvis]

How do we explain the high numbers now, that's not because of the results.
I put the increase in numbers down to DIY programs on the telly, wife watches them, and suggests to husband to do some handy work at the weekends, and husband buys a season ticket....
So COSU should launch a new series on yesterday , Mahers Home Improvements, surely that would put more bums on seats?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I was asking this yesterday, and none of my wise old heads knew the answer.
Back in the 90s when I started regularly attending RH, we enjoyed crowds of 2 or 3,000 and were flitting between the 2 lower divisions. We had some great players, enjoyed excitement nearly every game, yet our attendances stayed low.
Yesterday we had 8600+ to watch quite dull, uninteresting football, poor quality players, and in the lowest division in our history.
What caused the up tik in fans, cause we can't remember...maybe people like being punished!

1997/98 24th in L1. Goals for 47
1998/99 18th in L2. Goals for 52
1999/00 16th in L2. Goals for 53

Compared to then we are now higher in our division, actually competing for something at the end of the season and playing meaningful games (although I suppose we were playing to avoid relegation in 98/99) and scoring more goals than then.

Do you really miss the days of watching Ben Lewis, Sada N’Diaye, Simon Livett, Neville Roach and Gordon Connelly?

The football today is so much better in every way even if Saturday was a disappointment.

This week 25 years ago we drew 0-0 at Rotherham.

Mel Capelton in goal
A back five of Mark Beard, Nathan Jones, Simon Coleman, Leo Roget, Dave Morley.
A midfield of Carl Pepper, Mark Tinkler and Gordon Connelly. Up front Steve Jones (sent off in the 88th minute for a second booking) and Martin Carruthers.

No wonder crowds have tripled. It is three times better than that.

 

[lreed567]

I think alot is to do with the price plus I've also noticed, however I could be wrong, but when West ham/ Tottenham/london clubs for example aren't playing at home on a Saturday our attendances seem to be bigger

 

[geoffmundo]

I think the Cardiff and Wembley visits may have gained us extra fans who ordinarily wouldn't had come to watch, but I think ultimately it will be down to a number of factors the most significant probably being population growth.

I recall playing in the old Division 2 (present Championship) playing some really big teams and getting some really poor crowds and this was with decent away support. I've looked at 1992/3 season just as an example. this was the Collymore season and our average home league attendance was 5.3k. This included some big gates - 12.8 against West Ham, 11k against Luton for the last game (a 'must win') of the season. However those games apart only Newcastle (8.2k) looks decent as we really struggled to attract 6k for the most part. Actually 6 matches attracted between 3k and 4k and this included the game against Millwall. Apart from the teams already mentioned that season, the fixture list also included:

Leicester City
Derby County
Sunderland
Charlton Athletic
Birmingham City
Brentford
Bristol City
Watford

 

[Medway Blue]

1997/98 24th in L1. Goals for 47
1998/99 18th in L2. Goals for 52
1999/00 16th in L2. Goals for 53

Compared to then we are now higher in our division, actually competing for something at the end of the season and playing meaningful games (although I suppose we were playing to avoid relegation in 98/99) and scoring more goals than then.

Do you really miss the days of watching Ben Lewis, Sada N’Diaye, Simon Livett, Neville Roach and Gordon Connelly?

The football today is so much better in every way even if Saturday was a disappointment.

This week 25 years ago we drew 0-0 at Rotherham.

Mel Capelton in goal
A back five of Mark Beard, Nathan Jones, Simon Coleman, Leo Roget, Dave Morley.
A midfield of Carl Pepper, Mark Tinkler and Gordon Connelly. Up front Steve Jones (sent off in the 88th minute for a second booking) and Martin Carruthers.

No wonder crowds have tripled. It is three times better than that.

Lots of "recency bias" specs on, as if some have forgotten how bad it was then.

It was before the Tilly era, though, and therefore before expectations got inflated.

 

[Southend Elvis]

1997/98 24th in L1. Goals for 47
1998/99 18th in L2. Goals for 52
1999/00 16th in L2. Goals for 53

Compared to then we are now higher in our division, actually competing for something at the end of the season and playing meaningful games (although I suppose we were playing to avoid relegation in 98/99) and scoring more goals than then.

Do you really miss the days of watching Ben Lewis, Sada N’Diaye, Simon Livett, Neville Roach and Gordon Connelly?

The football today is so much better in every way even if Saturday was a disappointment.

This week 25 years ago we drew 0-0 at Rotherham.

Mel Capelton in goal
A back five of Mark Beard, Nathan Jones, Simon Coleman, Leo Roget, Dave Morley.
A midfield of Carl Pepper, Mark Tinkler and Gordon Connelly. Up front Steve Jones (sent off in the 88th minute for a second booking) and Martin Carruthers.

No wonder crowds have tripled. It is three times better than that.

That line up from 25 years ago had some good players, Roget, Jones, Beard and Carruthers.
I remember all those players, I'm not sure I'll remember our current crop for long, mind you I am getting old!

 

[Southend Elvis]

I think the Cardiff and Wembley visits may have gained us extra fans who ordinarily wouldn't had come to watch, but I think ultimately it will be down to a number of factors the most significant probably being population growth.

I recall playing in the old Division 2 (present Championship) playing some really big teams and getting some really poor crowds and this was with decent away support. I've looked at 1992/3 season just as an example. this was the Collymore season and our average home league attendance was 5.3k. This included some big gates - 12.8 against West Ham, 11k against Luton for the last game (a 'must win') of the season. However those games apart only Newcastle (8.2k) looks decent as we really struggled to attract 6k for the most part. Actually 6 matches attracted between 3k and 4k and this included the game against Millwall. Apart from the teams already mentioned that season, the fixture list also included:

Leicester City
Derby County
Sunderland
Charlton Athletic
Birmingham City
Brentford
Bristol City
Watford

Those numbers are really strange, playing such big teams and numbers stayed quite low.

 

[Strykr]

Those numbers are really strange, playing such big teams and numbers stayed quite low.

Sufc was incredibly unfashionable back then. Not at all on the towns radar.

I didnt give a toss but i was mocked for supporting them and not liverpool or arsenal. I knew of maybe 1 other kid at my school who went.

 

[geoffmundo]

Those numbers are really strange, playing such big teams and numbers stayed quite low.

Yeah, I think it was the start of the Premier League and 'Sky' and my memory is a bit hazy but it really took off and was pretty much the be all and end all.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I've looked at 1992/3 season just as an example. this was the Collymore season and our average home league attendance was 5.3k. This included some big gates - 12.8 against West Ham, 11k against Luton for the last game (a 'must win') of the season. However those games apart only Newcastle (8.2k) looks decent as we really struggled to attract 6k for the most part. Actually 6 matches attracted between 3k and 4k and this included the game against Millwall.

The Millwall game was played on a Sunday & i think televised ?. Plus it was only a few weeks after we beat them in the F.A. Cup 3rd rd, when there were a few 'antics' by their fans in the ground.
But overall our attendances were poor, probably due to us struggling with Colin Murphy in charge?.
Then 'Judas' Fry was appointed & became our saviour, results improved as did the interest & we stayed up.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

The Millwall game was played on a Sunday & i think televised ?. Plus it was only a few weeks after we beat them in the F.A. Cup 3rd rd, when there were a few 'antics' by their fans in the ground.
But overall our attendances were poor, probably due to us struggling with Colin Murphy in charge?.
Then 'Judas' Fry was appointed & became our saviour, results improved as did the interest & we stayed up.

Things looked great under Fry, didn’t they? Judas ****. Where would we have been if he’d stayed.