[Archived] Poll - Falling Attendances.

[thenodrog]

I'd even trade an early goal against to generate the sort of spirit we showed against Chelsea last season 

341057[/snapback]

Which game do you mean Philip? The one at Stamford Bridge or the one at Ewood?

[thenodrog]

Quote thenodrog:

"Jack Walker allegedly had a sign over his desk with "Think Big" written on it. We should honour his memory by doing so."

Agreed tnr, unfortunately the trustees don't seem to be falling over themselves to bring Michael Owen to Ewood Park!

341024[/snapback]

Wouldn't that be more a case of thinking small?

Edited August 23, 2005 by thenodrog

[philipl]

Which game do you mean Philip?  The one at Stamford Bridge or the one at Ewood? 

341068[/snapback]

You're a daft ha'peth.

[trawdenblue]

Sorry to correct you TB but these are the correct figures .................

Nationwide League Division One 2000-2001

  Club    Average vs '00 Highest

1 Birmingham City  21.283 - 2,8% 29.150

2 Blackburn Rovers  20.740  7,7% 29.426

3 Nottingham Forest  20.615  19,8% 28.372

4 Sheffield Wednesday  19.268 -22,5% 38.433

5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 19.258 -10,3% 26.627

6 West Bromwich Albion  17.655  21,1% 22.301

7 Sheffield United  17.211  25,6% 25.673

8 Crystal Palace  17.061  8,9% 21.133

9 Norwich City  16.525  6,3% 21.241

10 Burnley  16.442  27,1% 21.406

11 Bolton Wanderers  16.106  12,0% 24.249

12 Fulham  14.985  14,6% 19.373

13 Preston North End  14.530  13,3% 17.355

14 Barnsley  14.465 - 6,1% 19.989

15 Watford  13.941 -24,8% 18.333

16 Portsmouth  13.533 - 2,7% 19.013

17 Huddersfield Town  12.808 - 8,7% 19.290

18 Queens Park Rangers  12.013 - 4,6% 17.608

19 Gillingham    9.293  31,1% 10.518

20 Tranmere Rovers  9.049  24,4% 12.362

21 Wimbledon    7.897 -54,0% 14.071

22 Stockport County  7.031 - 5,1%  9.782

23 Crewe Alexandra  6.742  7,9%  9.415

24 Grimsby Town    5.646 - 8,3%  8.706

  Total  14.337  1,3% 38.433

Great crowds for us without doubt but note that BW came up with us and note their crowd figures now!  Credit to Big Sam and Gartside eh?

As for Gordon Lee's years you've overegged the pudding again but all the same this is good BRFC info...........click here (then click on Blackburn Rovers)

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/england.htm

Even more interesting if not depressingly sad is the damage done to clubs like BRFC by the abolition of the maximum wage in 1961.  I know that we upset a lot of supporters by spewing the Cup final chance in 1960 but the damage done by George Eastham and the PFA is there for all to see.

341028[/snapback]

Excellent site TNR.

The figures I quoted were off the top of my head and will always be in Rovers' favour, but it goes to prove that if fans aren't happy with what's being served up, they'll stay at home.

[kingalan]

Excellent site TNR.

The figures I quoted were off the top of my head and will always be in Rovers' favour, but it goes to prove that if fans aren't happy with what's being served up, they'll stay at home.

341096[/snapback]

It's not just a problem at Rovers - Chelsea are struggling to sell out their forthcoming midweek game according to the Independent:

clickety click

Chelsea can hardly point to the excuse that they don't provide entertainment - fans have simply woken up to the fact that no matter how good your team is, £40 to go and watch a game of football is simply not worth it.

[BRFC4EVA]

Well i was on holiday, so that explains my non-appearance at fulham

[Uddersfelt Blue]

(n) too much negative comment by fans.

Lets be positive. We have team that could be challenging for a Champions League spot if we build on last season. There is no need for us to be afraid of most teams in this league.

Hughes has stabilised things and will seek to improve the team within his constraints.

I've watched two games this season, Espanyol and Fulham. Both won relatively easily with a positive style and commitment which illustrates that the players and management are united in a common cause

The West Ham game? S**t happens! We can learn from it.

The crowds will be back but in the meantime we have to make up for the empty seats by being more vocal than ever.

[trueblue]

The crowds will be back but in the meantime we have to make up for the empty seats by being more vocal than ever.

341116[/snapback]

You pay for the throat-lubricant (beer !!) and I'll be as vocal as you like

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Sorry. Can't afford beer and a season ticket

[pleasure]

well said uddersfelt.

(lineker ###### me off on saturday night, with his snidey comments)

it's not the number that turn up it's how loud they are! (OLD TRAFFORD AND HIGHBURY ARENT EXACTLY CULDRONS!)

the support on saturday was great, lets have more of it.

[andy82]

Ive said it before and i'll say it again -

I would rather spend my money on away games. Half the fun of football is the atmosphere.

To make me buy a season ticket in the BBE i'm afraid the club would have to:

1. Bring back beer

2. Bring back terraces (or at least let you stand)

3. Ban under 16s from a specific area (or at least make no child tickets available in that area)

and these things arent going to happen in England. The sport is now a 'family' affair, aimed at people like Drummer Boy and his three kids. The PL have realised people like me arent rich enough (drummer boy spends about my monthly income on one match) to bother with and have cast us off.

[trawdenblue]

It's not just a problem at Rovers - Chelsea are struggling to sell out their forthcoming midweek game according to the Independent:

clickety click

Chelsea can hardly point to the excuse that they don't provide entertainment - fans have simply woken up to the fact that no matter how good your team is, £40 to go and watch a game of football is simply not worth it.

341105[/snapback]

The difference being that Chelsea have already sold over 90% of tickets for this game, not 55% like Rovers.

If Rovers' were top of the league would you pay £48 or £60 to watch them play West Brom on a Wednesday night?

[leffe186]

The difference being that Chelsea have already sold over 90% of tickets for this game, not 55% like Rovers.

If Rovers' were top of the league would you pay £48 or £60 to watch them play West Brom on a Wednesday night?

341145[/snapback]

Spurs have been essentially overcharging their fans for years based on the entertainment they've been getting but we've been blindly paying - the difference over the last couple of years has been (a) we feel the club is going in the right direction and ( we recognise that we cannot increase our ground capacity without local transport improvements and to compete at the top level with our stadium's size we need to raise individual prices. Fans have, grudgingly, accepted this. The difference is that we've been filling the place for years - I would have thought that if your gates are really only 55% of capacity (is this right??) then you'd be trying loads of incentives for kids, OAPs etc. Is this the case?

[BRFC4EVA]

The difference being that Chelsea have already sold over 90% of tickets for this game, not 55% like Rovers.

If Rovers' were top of the league would you pay £48 or £60 to watch them play West Brom on a Wednesday night?

341145[/snapback]

The comparison is so chalk and cheese, the statement isnt really relevant. Blackburn population is 135k, compared to London 9million (believe me, you are as likely to see a chels shirt in se london than west london these days) and the club is based in wealthy area with the majority of fans being middl class and upwards!

To the spurs fan above, you do have the added benifit of being a old establised London club and able to appeal to the huge population of all over the city. You should bring a fair few tommrow, spurs always have a good away support, esp as you are gonna be top of the league coming into the game!

Edited August 23, 2005 by BRFC4EVA

[bob fleming]

I would have thought that if your gates are really only 55% of capacity (is this right??) then you'd be trying loads of incentives for kids, OAPs etc. Is this the case?

341161[/snapback]

Certainly is mate. With my season ticket this year in The Blackburn End (that's the end opposite to your lot) I was offered a free OAP as an incentive. I'm just not interested thank you very much. I've enough on my plate with two kids and Mrs F without one of them cluttering up the house.

The other thing here is that we still have Season Tickets available for some parts of the ground at £250!! What do you make of that?

It's grim up north mate.

[leffe186]

To the spurs fan above, you do have the added benifit of being a old establised London club and able to appeal to the huge population of all over the city.

341164[/snapback]

Agreed, but it wasn't not me trying to big us up, I'm just curious as to plans you guys have had for getting people into the ground.

[doowe]

Been down to the club shop today 11 ish, their seemed a steady flow of people buying tickets for tomorrow nights game,we could be in for pleasent surprise?

[Paul]

If Rovers' were top of the league would you pay £48 or £60 to watch them play West Brom on a Wednesday night?

341145[/snapback]

No.

[leffe186]

Certainly is mate. With my season ticket this year in The Blackburn End (that's the end opposite to your lot) I was offered a free OAP as an incentive. I'm just not interested thank you very much. I've enough on my plate with two kids and Mrs F without one of them cluttering up the house.

The other thing here is that we still have Season Tickets available for some parts of the ground at £250!! What do you make of that?

It's grim up north mate.

341166[/snapback]

You're telling me mate, I'm exiled in Falkirk. Since they moved to the other side of town my local club is East Stirling FFS.

It's tough because there's so much money in London that clubs can get away with charging fortunes plus while there's a huge local rivalry it's more diffuse. I'm guessing that if you're from Darwen you're Blackburn, Nelson - Burnley and Leyland - Preston? Chorley - Bolton? Althought clubs in London are rooted in their local community they can draw support from all over, plus the commuter belt. Arsenal are less rooted in their local support, being a South London club in truth

[John]

Article on attendances - not sure if anyone has posted this article yet! Edited August 23, 2005 by John

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The cheapest seats on sale at Chelsea were £48, with others available at £60.

While crackpots continue to roll up and pay these crazy prices the FA etc think all is well.

Edited August 23, 2005 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[ihtd]

Some people just cannot afford to go to games and with the south seeming to have most of the money i can understand that since we are a Northern club. Personally i try to get to as many games as i can which sometimes is very hard considering i live in Hull and i'm a student and cannot drive. The non-driving bit is the most awkward bit, some people just cannot get to the games. people would just say, "well learn how to drive" to me, well i am, but try balancing a student lifestyle with learning to drive and then try and find some money left for football and train tickets every other weekend and there's your answer. Its not possible. I'm quite lucky, i get to about 20 games a season, but i know a fair few others who just wish that they could get to see us play.

Even if we were playing Champions League football, we still wouldn't get big crowds, lets just face it were a small club in a small Lancashire town, we've not got the population of London to get fans from and we have to contend with Man Utd for fans in some places which is a battle we aren't very likely to win.

This will seem like a rant, but its only like that becasue a lot of people look down on fans who don't turn up to most games which in some circumstances is understandable. e.g. got a well paid job and saturdays off, well that rules us students out of that.

[thenodrog]

No.

341169[/snapback]

Probably........ and quite justifiably too if the club were buying and paying the likes of Duff/Robben/ Lampard / Cech / Terry etc for our benefit.

Might have left the family at home though!

[Drummer Boy]

Ive said it before and i'll say it again -

I would rather spend my money on away games. Half the fun of football is the atmosphere.

To make me buy a season ticket in the BBE i'm afraid the club would have to:

1. Bring back beer

2. Bring back terraces (or at least let you stand)

3. Ban under 16s from a specific area (or at least make no child tickets available in that area)

and these things arent going to happen in England. The sport is now a 'family' affair, aimed at people like Drummer Boy and his three kids. The PL have realised people like me arent rich enough (drummer boy spends about my monthly income on one match) to bother with and have cast us off.

341143[/snapback]

About ten years ago BC (before children) I could do a match on the cheap and, to an extent I still can - forget the pie, clubshop, half-time Coke and bring a butty box and cartons of juice. However, the point remains that even with all these peripherals gone, it costs me the best part of £100 to watch the Rovers if I bring the children. If I don't where are next decade's supporters coming from?

The reasons I quote Andy are:

1. I happen to agree with what he says about beer, terraces and children - some people go to get away from their family for a while. The same should apply to pubs (not for children unless in specified areas).

2. The prices have also cast off the "family affair" - as Andy points out, I have to fork out half his income to go to a match and it is a pure affordability issue. Should the fruit of his loins follow in his father's footsteps, how can Andy afford to go - especially as he will still be paying his student debt off?

3. As a percentage of average income, what is the cost of a ticket for a bloke to take his children to see the Rovers compared to, say, 1991 - the last season before the Premiership began the systematic exploitation of the fanbase?

I have been a hardcore fan since 1975 so if I am struggling to get to every game, what chance the more casual supporter or the more impoverished supporter?

Believe me, ladies & gents, the bubble if not yet burst, is looking very taut indeed and I won't be surprised to see many disembark the gravy train. A final thought, how often does the city invest in a turkey more than once - and before you answer, count how many poor city traders you know. When was the last successful flotation of a football club? Which club, if any, has achieved sustained shareholder earnings growth? There you go, even in the terms with which the modern game is run, the current operating model makes no sense and, therefore will not last.

[Ben-2000]

3. Ban under 16s from a specific area (or at least make no child tickets available in that area)

Jack Walker Upper Central - can't see there being many kids up there as there are no discounts for under 16's !

1 out of 3....!!