CCFC ATTENDANCE - Myth and Reality (1 Viewer)

SkyBlueScottie · Oct 7, 2011

Ultimately our attendance is only a big issue cos its only the form of revenue stream available to us, why were the catering rights sold off completly? For Instance if things were so desperate why on earth did we not mortgage against the catering income for a couple of years ala Sisu and the training ground, surely it was much easier to obtain finance during the Robinson era than it is at this moment in time.

I just dont get why you give away a main stream of permanent income for a few million..... unless it meant somebody on the board got some cash back.

wingy · Oct 7, 2011

who are shareholders in compass ,or the whole fudge up was set up politically

TheParsonsHose · Oct 7, 2011

oldskyblue58 said:
I think you have a very valid point johnniericoh. We have never had a big support. Ok for the odd match here and there but on average no. That has a big effect on the finances of the club - bums on seats means money in the bank means a decent budget without breaking the bank.

Most of the details for the championship period for the club are on the Football League website
the averages are -
current 14699
2011 16309
2010 17305
2009 17407
2008 19123
2007 20342
2006 21301
2005 16047
2004 14816
2003 14812

We have a catchment area of what ? 400,000 people ? Thats less than 5% of those folk attending the games each and every year. I know results have not been good in the Championship era but the averages in the Premiership were not good either even with the boost of the big boy teams coming to town. For whatever reason the Local public do not support the team enough to part with their hard earnt cash

this is a useful site also for attendance info http://european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/covc.htm

Just goes to show our time was the 1st season at the Ricoh where we should have kicked on, we sadly dropped off and have continued since.

The demise in attendance figures shows people slowly losing faith bringing us where we find ourselves today. Sad but true eh guys?

Macca · Oct 7, 2011

We haven't had decent crowds in all the 30 years I have been watching them. In the 80's we sold out once a season against Liverpool and that was only because we sold half the tickets to Scousers.

We did have 35K against West Ham in 81 mind

johnniericoh · Oct 7, 2011

TPH and the rest,

I started the thread seeking thoughts on why our close neighbours continue with sustained support (in whatever league) and us with one or two blips in form just fall apart in attendance figures as though the fans have a death wish against CCFC.

OSB58 is absolutely right comparing our catchment area with what we get as a percentage (5%) of fans supporting CCFC - Jack Griffin quotes the proximity of the Ricoh not being available to the average fan - others suggest lack of achievement over many years compared to some YOYO teams (W.Brom/Birmingham) etc.

As indicated above plus other causal factors continue to contribute to our demise as to bums on seats.

I genuinely wish success was the answer and fans would flock back but look at the history and look at the av gate folllowing the 1987 cup win went up by only 1,400 - it's not good enough

I wish I knew the answer - my personal support is undiminished but for a fair few habitual supporters that are left I bet time is running out and that is worrying.

PUSB

Grendel · Oct 8, 2011

johnniericoh said:
TPH and the rest,

I started the thread seeking thoughts on why our close neighbours continue with sustained support (in whatever league) and us with one or two blips in form just fall apart in attendance figures as though the fans have a death wish against CCFC.

OSB58 is absolutely right comparing our catchment area with what we get as a percentage (5%) of fans supporting CCFC - Jack Griffin quotes the proximity of the Ricoh not being available to the average fan - others suggest lack of achievement over many years compared to some YOYO teams (W.Brom/Birmingham) etc.

As indicated above plus other causal factors continue to contribute to our demise as to bums on seats.

I genuinely wish success was the answer and fans would flock back but look at the history and look at the av gate folllowing the 1987 cup win went up by only 1,400 - it's not good enough

I wish I knew the answer - my personal support is undiminished but for a fair few habitual supporters that are left I bet time is running out and that is worrying.

PUSB

Your comments are spot on. It is an enigma but the fact is the club has always been under-supported given the size of the city and the immediate area. I have spent some time in the Hampshire area and they had over 30,000 for a couple of games in Division 1. I do not care what people say we would never get that in our wildest expectations. Clubs like Norwich and Forest (a two team city) get 20,000 plus every game. I remember terrible times in the early eighties when we used to struggle to get 10,000. The new ground picked attendences up for a short time but the momentum was soon lost. I find it sad. I have on occassions had spare tickets and could not even give them away. It seems very few care - Coventry is the 11th biggest City but a football City it is not.

wingy · Oct 8, 2011

If it were a franchise system it would get moved .maybe someone could do a wimbledon ,remember when ,was it SAM Hamman was talking of taking them to Dublin ,what a weekend that would have been.WHeres he now ,he must be loaded ,did he ever get his loans back from Cardiff

coundonskyblue · Oct 8, 2011

Comparing the size of cities though always throws up inconsistancies. Using the logic of big cities get big crowds then Leeds must be the worst supported club in the country.

All those saying we should have more fans can you say why? Why should a team with 40 years of struggle get good crowds?

Also since moving to the ricoh which games should we have sold out? They've all been nothing games since we moved there.

Disorganised1 · Oct 8, 2011

Things have also gone down hill in other ways, televising of the game, sale of brands instead of club, atmosphere destroyed by restrictions on alcohol and standing, fewer men employed in industry.

Otis · Oct 8, 2011

coundonskyblue said:
Comparing the size of cities though always throws up inconsistancies. Using the logic of big cities get big crowds then Leeds must be the worst supported club in the country.

All those saying we should have more fans can you say why? Why should a team with 40 years of struggle get good crowds?

Also since moving to the ricoh which games should we have sold out? They've all been nothing games since we moved there.

Exactly. :claping hands::claping hands:

Mr T - Sukka! · Oct 8, 2011

Also its about supply and demand, simple business. £24 a ticket is terrible value for money. So for the 2 games i have been to this year its cost me £48.

I feel ripped off. Lost one game and drew one game. For £48 i expect alot more, the football is shite, im bored and i end up thinking why am i bothering?

I just want to see my team win, thats all. I used to have a season ticket at Highfeild Road and i used to get excited as i knew on our day we could beat Man Utd.

Now i worry we wont beat a crap teams like Leeds, Doncaster, Bristol City. My god times have changed.

Grendel · Oct 8, 2011

The £24 is a joke. I suppose the club is caught between a rock and hard place as reducing cost doesn't proportionately increase the crowds but it equates to about 11/12 games before you may as well have a season ticket.
If you guy with a teenager it's £40 plus parking, refreshments etc. to watch some pretty average fare.

sky_blue_up_north · Oct 8, 2011

I'm sure I remember us getting 28k in 66/67 on average. I think we need to look at Stoke as an example of what could happen. They were getting gates of 12/13K now they aget 27/28K. If only we had some sort of success I'm convinced we would be getting at 22k at least.

NINOOVCOV · Oct 8, 2011

sky_blue_up_north said:
I'm sure I remember us getting 28k in 66/67 on average. I think we need to look at Stoke as an example of what could happen. They were getting gates of 12/13K now they aget 27/28K. If only we had some sort of success I'm convinced we would be getting at 22k at least.

I think your right mate, winning often and a bit of excitment like getting in the playoffs for a few seasons, will bring the entertainment we need, so people will think its worth going again.

johnniericoh · Oct 8, 2011

S B U N

Yes we did indeed get 28,269 average for the 1966/1967 season which was our promotion year to the then 1st Division.

The promotion had an immediate feel good effect on gates for a number of years:

67/68 - 34,705
68/69 - 33,223
69/70 - 32,043
70/71 - 26,039
71/72 - 23,724

Then progressively/gradually down hill to the 1980's where astonishingly in 1983 we averaged just 10,552 which is absolutely unbelievable UNTIL 1987 when miraculously we suddenly developed a gate of some 40,000 "avid/keen/regular" fans coming out of the woodwork and making the trip to Wembley - happy days but even with the cup success gates continued to deteriorate:

87/88 - 17,509
88/89 - 16,061
89/90 - 14,348
90/91 - 13,882

Depressing isn't it

PUSB

sky_blue_up_north · Oct 8, 2011

But what it does show is the fact that with success the fans will return

Otis · Oct 8, 2011

And therefore gates will forever tumble as we have still another 100 years to go until we next have any success.

BackRoomRummermill · Oct 8, 2011

Also take in consideration the economy

The Reverend Skyblue · Oct 8, 2011

In the good old days at Highfield Road that even if the ground was half full we could still get a cracking atmosphere going. I loved the football days there, with 4 sisters it was the only time i could get my Dad all to myself, even though he wanted to fight every opposing fan who came near him at the back of the main stand.We then had the hour drive home together though yet again he wanted to fight every other car user that got in his way.
How i'm a peace loving placid guy i don't know

The Rev

NINOOVCOV · Oct 8, 2011

The Reverend Skyblue said:
In the good old days at Highfield Road that even if the ground was half full we could still get a cracking atmosphere going. I loved the football days there, with 4 sisters it was the only time i could get my Dad all to myself, even though he wanted to fight every opposing fan who came near him at the back of the main stand.We then had the hour drive home together though yet again he wanted to fight every other car user that got in his way.
How i'm a peace loving placid guy i don't know

The Rev

Have to admit mate i loved Highfield road, all the memories i have from a kid climbing over the wall in the west end to an adult buying season tickets for the main stand, sky blue stand and the west stand.

johnniericoh · Oct 9, 2011

Sorry folks, being a harbinger of doom again.

Just looked at this season's average home gates to date (5 games) of our neighbours:

Derby - 24,415 - (73% of capacity)
Forest - 23,336 - (76%)
Fester - 22,925 - (71%)
Brum - 18,321 - (61%)

CCFC - 14,699 - (45%)

Says it all doesn't it !!!

PUSB

torchomatic · Oct 10, 2011

those teams always had big crowds, regardless of relegations/bad form, etc.

we have face up to the fact that CCFC fans desert the team at the slighest hint of bad form. To return only when we embark on a Cup run or play a big team.

TheSnoz · Oct 10, 2011

That's about right Torchy. They want a good team but they abandon them when things don't go our way.

Sub · Oct 10, 2011

been a bit more than the slightest 'hint of bad form' tho 10 years of shit seems to have been the straw that broke the camels back :facepalm::facepalm:

coundonskyblue · Oct 10, 2011

torchomatic said:
those teams always had big crowds, regardless of relegations/bad form, etc.

we have face up to the fact that CCFC fans desert the team at the slighest hint of bad form. To return only when we embark on a Cup run or play a big team.

Blues didnt. When they were in our position in the early '90s they got less than half of what they get now.

Mumford and Daughter · Oct 10, 2011

johnniericoh said:
Sorry folks, being a harbinger of doom again.

Just looked at this season's average home gates to date (5 games) of our neighbours:

Derby - 24,415 - (73% of capacity)
Forest - 23,336 - (76%)
Fester - 22,925 - (71%)
Brum - 18,321 - (61%)

CCFC - 14,699 - (45%)

Says it all doesn't it !!!

PUSB

Derby gave away Mobile Phones with there season tickets. Forest all have decent home support. Leicester jumping on the investment bandwagon.

Torch - Slighest hint of form? Thats a laugh, we've been poor for years.

torchomatic · Oct 10, 2011

Early nineties? So what? I might as well say we had great crowds in the early 70s. What has that got to do with anything? It's now that matters.

coundonskyblue said:
Blues didnt. When they were in our position in the early '90s they got less than half of what they get now.

torchomatic · Oct 10, 2011

True. But I bet my left bollock if we drew Man City/Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs or Liverpool at home in the third round in January then not only would we have a sell-out with people queueing round the Ricoh but we'd also have numb skulls on shouting at Bob Brolley that they bleed sky blue blood and are disgusted that they can't get a ticket.

Apart from the die-hards and those who can't get there due to work or distance or whatever then the majority of City fans just moan without even bothering to put their coat on to actually support their team.

I hope we do get a big team and most of the bastards can't get tickets. I'd rather give them to the away fans.

Mumford and Daughter said:
Torch - Slighest hint of form? Thats a laugh, we've been poor for years.

coundonskyblue · Oct 10, 2011

torchomatic said:
Early nineties? So what? I might as well say we had great crowds in the early 70s. What has that got to do with anything? It's now that matters.

Because this thread is suggesting that we city fans are more fickle than our midland rivals. I'm pointing out that when/if those teams suffer like ccfc then their crowds would match ours.

torchomatic · Oct 10, 2011

But thats not strictly true, is it? Did crowds at Leicester, Leeds, Soton, Norwich suffer when they went into league 1? No.

coundonskyblue said:
Because this thread is suggesting that we city fans are more fickle than our midland rivals. I'm pointing out that when/if those teams suffer like ccfc then their crowds would match ours.

coundonskyblue · Oct 10, 2011

But thats because they were top of the league. If we went down & had a season like they did our crowds would shoot up.

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