Why is SUFC the best supported in the league?

[CrippsCorner]

Coming from a mild supporting history until the recent few years, I'm often not truly aware of the clubs past, apart from the defining moments of course. It's obvious in terms of support at least, we're the biggest in the NL - Why is this?

Because we've spent most of the time in the EFL (then again, don't we have more support than many clubs in League 2?)
Because of those defining moments (how many other clubs have beaten Man Utd in a cup game)
Because of certain big players (obviously Stan springs to mind)
Because of geographic reasons (for instance no Premier League clubs in Essex)
Because Roots Hall allows 10k ish fans! (have we got the biggest stadium in the league bar Oldham?)

Would love to hear an expansion on these reasons, and any others what actually makes Southend different?

 

[Rob Noxious]

Strength in adversity.

 

[rigsby]

Coming from a mild supporting history until the recent few years, I'm often not truly aware of the clubs past, apart from the defining moments of course. It's obvious in terms of support at least, we're the biggest in the NL - Why is this?

Because we've spent most of the time in the EFL (then again, don't we have more support than many clubs in League 2?)
Because of those defining moments (how many other clubs have beaten Man Utd in a cup game)
Because of certain big players (obviously Stan springs to mind)
Because of geographic reasons (for instance no Premier League clubs in Essex)
Because Roots Hall allows 10k ish fans! (have we got the biggest stadium in the league bar Oldham?)

Would love to hear an expansion on these reasons, and any others what actually makes Southend different?

The likes of Wrexham, Notts County and Chesterfield have all been promoted. That leaves us the biggest fish in a small pond. With a catchment area of 300,000 people it really is no mystery

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

History.
Success (relative) in previous years keeps the supporter base coming. Winning at Wembley is still easily within first generation memories.
Whether controversy or more success, people will come along to see what its like, new heroes are made for young ones and the cycle continues.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Being the biggest club in Essex helps. There's also quite a few Premiership clubs, that are losing paying customers to the much more affordable lower leagues. I know a few that can't afford to take their kids regularly to a Premiership club anymore, and have switched back to the club they started following when they were young, when they had two clubs to support. They still count the London club as their main team, and us as their second team, but chose to watch us live for affordability. One of my mate's said if he takes his two boys to Chelsea, with travel, food, and tickets, it costs him over half his whole weeks wages, which is ridiculous. So they've been watching Southend the last two seasons instead, and the boys are well into Southend now.

 

[Rob1920]

I always thought our average gates wouldn't neccesarily drop when we got releagted to the NL, but I also didn't expect them to increase which is whats happened. Hard to say why, maybe in part because its a whole new experience down here which increases curiosity, maybe the price difference and ease of getting tickets between our level and the usual Premier league teams a lot of people around south east Essex support (West Ham, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea) has helped. Obviously the take over has generated positivity which will also have helped, but crowds were still decent in our awful first season, or at least the first half of it, so its hard to know really.

 

[SUFCGoals]

Since Covid we have seen massive spikes in football attendances, especially non league. Not quite sure why the spike but it's great to see.

Another reason why could be that the Premier League and broadcasters are so greedy, teams seem to be playing at unusual times or different days allowing fans of those teams to come and support their local team.

 

[Bearded Shrimper]

big catchment area helps. I'm from Thurrock, so not local really. and there's a bit of a deadzone east of London. we were the only league team for miles and miles around, no decent non-league teams since Grays and Canvey finished their glory days 25-off years ago. there's no rugby of any great standard anywhere near. so what else is there to do?

 

[PIERS]

A lot of premiership games are rescheduled to midweek late kickoffs, plus Sunday games .. getting home from a club as close as West ham is a pain in the arse after an 8 pm kick off.

 

[tsbl2000]

We've always had reasonable support during my time watching the Blues (I first went in August 1966). In my favourite season of 1968/69 we would often top the 10,000 attendance figures. A few seasons later, when we got promoted, we'd see crowds of 15,000+. Some atmosphere in those days, especially in the North Bank. Let's hope if the good times return, so will a sell out Roots Hall.

 

[TrevorFitzpatrickHattrick]

- Our crowds at Cardiff and Wembley (bar Lincoln) show we have a huge passive support, some of which has become particularly active over the last few years.
- We have a very large catchment area.
- The cost of living crisis, coupled with a bang-average matchday experience for the legacy supporters of the London-based Premier League clubs, has seen a lot of fans shift their focus to local clubs further down the pyramid. This has led to an exponential attendance increase for pretty much all teams in the lower leagues over the past few years, whilst Premier League clubs are happy to cater for day-trippers that will pay £20 for a half and half scarf.
- Ron has gone, so many stay-away fans have returned.
- Perhaps the reality of the club nearly ceasing to exist has tempted fans, both new and old, back through the turnstiles.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

A lot of premiership games are rescheduled to midweek late kickoffs, plus Sunday games .. getting home from a club as close as West ham is a pain in the arse after an 8 pm kick off.

On a few occasions I've not realised the day/time and have arrived at Stratford just when West Ham are kicking out. Enduring a train journey with that lot (and occasionally, Arsenal or Spurs fans) is a real eye opener. The conversations are unbelievable if they lose but look where they are, look at their stadiums.

Can't say it seems that enjoyable - being ripped off, miles from the pitch (in West Ham's case) and most of the time a ****, diluted atmosphere. To me, I'm a bit of an old fashioned soul, I like being able to chat with mates, have a burger and a moan/sing song, watch players you can relate to in your usual seat and best of all, you have change from £50. Plus it's my local team, it's walking distance and it's bonding time with my son.

I'd imagine for the reasons above a lot of local Prem fans would prefer a day at the Hall and would make it a regular thing. Mind you if anyone chose Barnet or Sittingbourne as a first game I doubt they'll be back. Anyway just imagine the Hall had a proper lick of paint, nicer toilets and a fan zone. Potential is massive and goes beyond this season and whether we make play offs.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

We have probably the biggest population in the NL.

But what has also changed is that population is now more established here. Families who moved here post-war are now multiple generations Southend born and bred and no doubt feel a closer connection to the area than to the London clubs of their grandparents and great grandparents.

This then combined with both the threat of extinction and lockdown produced a greater appreciation of the joys of live football and what we stood to lose.

It’s crazy to me that I watched a team in the old second division with gates half of what we get now in the Conference. Footymad13 was right.

 

[tallboyblue]

We have probably the biggest population in the NL.

But what has also changed is that population is now more established here. Families who moved here post-war are now multiple generations Southend born and bred and no doubt feel a closer connection to the area than to the London clubs of their grandparents and great grandparents.

This then combined with both the threat of extinction and lockdown produced a greater appreciation of the joys of live football and what we stood to lose.

It’s crazy to me that I watched a team in the old second division with gates half of what we get now in the Conference. Footymad13 was right.

We are all barmy.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

I half answered this on a YouTube entry by a Halifax fan who asked why do they have such low gates, lol!
The catchment area here is one thing; history and a decent back story that includes a spell in the second tier is another.
I think even when we were getting 12,000 plus on a Friday night in the old Div Four it was the biggest average in that league.

 

[Smiffy]

We have probably the biggest population in the NL.

But what has also changed is that population is now more established here. Families who moved here post-war are now multiple generations Southend born and bred and no doubt feel a closer connection to the area than to the London clubs of their grandparents and great grandparents.

This then combined with both the threat of extinction and lockdown produced a greater appreciation of the joys of live football and what we stood to lose.

It’s crazy to me that I watched a team in the old second division with gates half of what we get now in the Conference. Footymad13 was right.

You’d be surprised at the amount of other towns and cities in the NL that have bigger populations than Southend Borough.

Oldham, Dagenham, Gateshead, Rochdale for starters.

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

You’d be surprised at the amount of other towns and cities in the NL that have bigger populations than Southend Borough.

Oldham, Dagenham, Gateshead, Rochdale for starters.

I think the only other three are Barnet, Solihull and York, so we rank fairly highly, and Oldham and York are our closest challengers in terms of average attendances.

However, I think being that little bit further away from London than Barnet or Dagenham, or than Oldham and Rochdale are from Manchester, or Solihull is from Birmingham and Gateshead is from
Newcastle, probably helps the town, and football club, have its own identity (with the exception of the airport!), so York would be the best comparison.

As usual there will be loads of factors; I do think generally there has been an upturn in attendances across the game since the COVID-19 pandemic, and when you combine that with the fact we nearly lost our particular football club, that has really helped bolster our crowds. Add in that we’ve had a couple of spells (one more lengthy than the other) in the second tier in the past 30 years and five finals (either EFL Trophy or play-offs) in the last 25 and there’s a lot of residual support as a consequence.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

But what has also changed is that population is now more established here. Families who moved here post-war are now multiple generations Southend born and bred and no doubt feel a closer connection to the area than to the London clubs of their grandparents and great grandparents.

Absolutely concur YB I was one year old when we moved to Southend from North London grew up in a family of Arsenal & Spurs fans. Despite the influences Southend became my team as it did with my Son. Many 3rd generations of support in our fanbase now.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

You’d be surprised at the amount of other towns and cities in the NL that have bigger populations than Southend Borough.

Oldham, Dagenham, Gateshead, Rochdale for starters.

I’m looking at metro area rather than Borough.

The Southend metro area has a population of over 300,000. That’s bigger than Oldham, Rochdale, Gateshead. I suppose Dagenham & Redbridge technically has a bigger population but the local team there is W*** H**.

 

[PIERS]

The real answer is that we are in the ****test lowest league we have ever been in