Average Attendances

[Cerberus Blade]

Been saying it for a while now.

United have caught and overtaken Wednesday’s fanbase. They’ve been stagnant for years, doing nothing to develop and grow what they had. As a result their fanbase has over time actually shrunk a little as supporters lose their affinity to the club and find other things to do.

(Saying that IMO their support has always be exaggerated. I’ve never seen anything crowd wise to justify this myth about them being potentially a huge club)

While this was happening McCabe had incentives such as cheaper tickets and looked after the younger future supporters of the club. Add to that the undoubted extra support from students who get hooked and then settle in the city (again thanks to McCabe targeting the Universities)

The year in the Prem did us no harm either.

But the biggest unfathomable thing for me is the incredible hardcore loyalty of the fans that’s kept the club going over the years.

There is not another club in the country with our record of having shit kicked in our faces and under achievement on a epic scale who can match our numbers.

It’s a bit perverse but the more shit we go through, the bigger our fanbase gets.

Maybe it acts like a fertiliser?

 

[Fanny magnet]

Do you disagree?

Fucking right I do
The season before they had just finished in the play offs had one of the highest budgets in the division and their average was just above ours

So our season was pretty crap in comparison

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Fucking right I do
The season before they had just finished in the play offs had one of the highest budgets in the division and their average was just above ours

So our season was pretty crap in comparison

You've also got to take into account that this was our first season back in the Championship for six years.

 

[Dkc]

Most impressive on that list is Sunderland. Wonder how many they will get next season.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Most impressive on that list is Sunderland. Wonder how many they will get next season.

I think the official Sunderland average is totally different to the numbers that actually turned up. Common knowledge in football and Wearside in particular that the actual average is a lot, lot less.

As for the pigs average this season, they've had two years of a relative success, with season ticket sales and increased attendances built up on the back of it, and still averaged less than us (by about 1k, if it would have been the other way around ours would have been rounded down to 25k, whilst there's would be rounded up to 30k, it's what is known as pigonomics).

 

[grafikhaus]

Haven't the pigs 3-year season tickets just run out? Having listened to those cunts for donkey's years, comparable attendances do matter - the people who don't want to talk about it are the piggies.

No room for complacency, but we got away with it a couple of years ago when they fucked up in the PO Final v Hull. Whichever team gets in the PL first will establish a gap that will take a hell of a lot of closing. Let's hope it's us but, even if it isn't, our fans have proved they'll remain loyal to the cause.

 

[metalblade]

You disagree then?

Just wondering why you have such a soft spot for the pigs ? Why so quick to defend them all the time ?

 

[CarlMcBlade]

For Wendy to get the “massive club” crowds again, they’ll really have to drag all those Grannies out of their collective rocking chairs.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

You've also got to take into account that this was our first season back in the Championship for six years.

Have you taken in to account some teams (Leeds, Villa) took twice as many fans to their ground?
The large number of season ticket holders who didn't bother turning up at theirs?
What did they average in their first season back?

 

[Fanny magnet]

You've also got to take into account that this was our first season back in the Championship for six years.

I think historically the attendances are less than 500 in their favour

Do you think this justify their 2/3rds of the city are pigs
Massive club
40 thousand average boasts ?

Even when they had the great teams of waddle Sheridan Hurst etc they only averaged 27-28000 including bumper away compliments

The fact we've averaged more than them this season and over 30 thousand (twice )Really hurts them and their misguided notions they are a big club

I've never once heard a unitedite talk about how we belong amongst the elite and how everyone misses us .we are both top twenty clubs
Bottom prem /top championship

We know it they don't

 

[Blade56]

Love to know what % those figures are in relation to ground capacity.

And as a ratio to the city population factoring in the city's that have 2 clubs.

 

[Tony]

Hate to put a damper on this but the Pigs home average attendance since 1900-1901 is 1963 more than ours. Maybe not surprising though as they have most of the time been the better side.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Forget about the pros and cons affecting marginal differences in attendances. The fact is both clubs are about equal and the pigs assertion of bigger fan base and massiveness just make them look like the imbeciles they are. That ours were higher this season has left them stunned and destroyed their beliefs. For me I see it for what it is and don't really give much of a shit.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Daft to compare really.

If Wednesday had had our season and we'd had theirs then their attendances would have been higher than ours.

Think you could be wrong.

Remember Wednesday were big promotion favourites, just been in a playoff final
And are currently showing the most ambition they’ve ever showed.
Big signings, big salaries and not selling any of their best players.

So Wednesday gates were boosted by record season ticket sales, in expectation of a great season.
Those season tickets are auto included in the gate, even if they don’t attend.

Uniteds pre season ambition was just to stay up
And all our signings were from the lower divisions.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Most impressive on that list is Sunderland. Wonder how many they will get next season.

Sunderland’s average was 20,000 this season, not 27,000.
1000’s of season ticket holders gave up and stopped going.

20K regular attendees in the Championship isn’t that special.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Well said.

I honestly don't know why people get so tetchy about it.

Wednesday have a bigger stadium than us and slightly more fans.

So what? Why does it matter? Get over it.

Wednesday have a much bigger away end.

Even though they rip off away fans
They still had more away fans at S6 compared to what we had at S2.

It’s a historical fact that usually the only time Wednesday can get over 30K
is when there are 5K away fans at the ground to boost the figure.

 

[Sheffsteel]

In an effort to offer some balance

Must admit Wednesday gates are impressive based on their rip-off pricing strategy.
I don’t think we charge cheap tickets, my belief is that our prices are average/ reasonable.
I don’t think anyone should be paying £30 for 2nd tier football.

Unless they were instantly promoted I seriously doubt “high pricing” is sustainable in the Sheffield area.
I predicted a while back that Wedesdays pricing structure will all end in tears.

 

[Isar]

Hate to put a damper on this but the Pigs home average attendance since 1900-1901 is 1963 more than ours. Maybe not surprising though as they have most of the time been the better side.

The huge crowds of the past are just that, there was a time when attending a game was relatively cheap and grounds would get rammed. Many English football clubs used to get some really large gates, however with the modern stadiums and ticketing this is now an all new era.
Also families have other options on how to use their spare time and cash.
Overall Wednesday may have the highest aggregate, I think their support in terms of numbers in the ground is really good, also is ours. Two really well supported clubs who's on the field success has been abysmal for years. The only thing the fans have had over the years is doing better than their neighbours, as important as that is ( in Sheffield), it is also a poor state of affairs for Sheffield football.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

What did they average in their first season back?

24,078.

Which is pretty good considering they had a shit season (18th) and had only spent two years in League One.

 

[secretchief]

# Team sum Matches average
1 Aston Villa 738.226 23 32.097
2 Leeds United 724.975 23 31.521
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 650.851 23 28.298
4 Sunderland AFC 635.605 23 27.635
5 Derby County 625.034 23 27.175
6 Sheffield United 617.633 23 26.854
7 Sheffield Wednesday 597.893 23 25.995
8 Norwich City 593.059 23 25.785
9 Middlesbrough FC 587.502 23 25.544
10 Nottingham Forest 567.638 23 24.680
11 Birmingham City 483.960 23 21.042
12 Bristol City 481.916 23 20.953
13 Cardiff City 463.772 23 20.164
14 Fulham FC 457.616 23 19.896
15 Reading FC 383.099 23 16.656
16 Ipswich Town 374.241 23 16.271
17 Bolton Wanderers 365.408 23 15.887
18 Hull City 359.312 23 15.622
19 Queens Park Rangers 320.337 23 13.928
20 Preston North End 316.791 23 13.774
21 Barnsley FC 315.187 23 13.704
22 Millwall FC 307.458 23 13.368
23 Brentford FC 235.376 23 10.234
24 Burton Albion 106.837 23 4.645

Based on who is going up, who is coming down and Sunderland's exit from the league, there's a decent possibility of us being in the top three of this table next year. It would depend on us having another successful year though, you would think.

 

[Dkc]

Based on who is going up, who is coming down and Sunderland's exit from the league, there's a decent possibility of us being in the top three of this table next year. It would depend on us having another successful year though, you would think.

If we're competing for promotion I'd expect 27-28k average at least

 

[FATTYFOULKE]

Our ground ain’t big enough for us.

Theirs is too big for them.

Think that just about says it all.

 

[LS16Blade]

24,078.

Which is pretty good considering they had a shit season (18th) and had only spent two years in League One.

Although they did have a relatively poor season playing anti-football under Dave Jones, it must also be remembered that it was a season coming straight after a promotion in circumstances that must have been amongst the most exhilarating possible (i.e. pipping your biggest rivals at the death and then seeing them fail in the play-off). At the time, many (particularly SWFC fans) felt that it had been one of those pivotal power-shift moments in Sheffield football (such as 26/12/79) that was capable of defining the next decade or more. They were on a huge high.

Also worth noting that in that season, SAG had yet to get their claws into limiting away followings at the Sheffield grounds meaning that the whole Leppings Lane was available, and the crowds were, therefore, boosted significantly by unusually large away followings that season from Leeds (c.6000), Derby, Forest, Boro, and Barnsley (Bank holiday six-pointer) amongst others. Outside of those games, however, many gates were 20 -22,000, with the midweek Watford match dipping to 18,000.

Pretty ordinary, really, and probably at least one of the factors in Mandaric realising that, contrary to what he had been sold, the club wasn't quite the giant that he had been led to believe it was.

 

[3-GBlade]

Our ground ain’t big enough for us.

Theirs is too big for them.

Think that just about says it all.

I really hope you are not suggesting we do a swap there :O

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Forget about the pros and cons affecting marginal differences in attendances. The fact is both clubs are about equal and the pigs assertion of bigger fan base and massiveness just make them look like the imbeciles they are. That ours were higher this season has left them stunned and destroyed their beliefs. For me I see it for what it is and don't really give much of a shit.

But they charge almost twice as much as we do for some seats. So which is the best business model?

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Based on who is going up, who is coming down and Sunderland's exit from the league, there's a decent possibility of us being in the top three of this table next year. It would depend on us having another successful year though, you would think.

We’re at a similar level to Wolves. Villa are one of two main clubs in the UKs 2nd largest city of Birmingham. Leeds are a one club city, similar size to us.

Sunderland’s crowds are boosted in their first season back in the Championship by fans who thought they may just be too good for this place, but weren’t!

 

[metalblade]

What we have to consider too is that when Tuna man he poured millions into the club getting the pigs all giddy. Yes he raised prices to eye watering levels but at the same time the idiots could buy a 3year season ticket at the old prices....... great value if they got promotion. Of course the pig fans lapped it up spending millions on player they were going to piss the league they thought the same the year after just missing out in the play offs. The first time there was any doubt in their tiny minds that promotion wasn't a formality surfaced on the day Duffy killed the bouncing. I will be interested to see how their crowds hold up next season.

 

[EddieColquhoun]

What we have to consider too is that when Tuna man he poured millions into the club getting the pigs all giddy. Yes he raised prices to eye watering levels but at the same time the idiots could buy a 3year season ticket at the old prices....... great value if they got promotion. Of course the pig fans lapped it up spending millions on player they were going to piss the league they thought the same the year after just missing out in the play offs. The first time there was any doubt in their tiny minds that promotion wasn't a formality surfaced on the day Duffy killed the bouncing. I will be interested to see how their crowds hold up next season.

Didn't they pile in for the 3 year tickets after their Wembley day out? If so, they've another year left when their crowds should hold up.

 

[dublin 10 blade]

We'd have finished in the top six (with the pigs missing out) if placings were based on attendances

Sounds like a “ pigs “ excuse that one mate
I mean last 10 games of the season they where second in league ,
In the form table
Hence the reason they’ll piss it next season
( not inferring your a pig btw )

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

But they charge almost twice as much as we do for some seats. So which is the best business model?

Their business plan predicates promotion (sooner rather than later). If promotion had occurred in either of the seasons they reached the play offs it would be argued that their business plan was a good one.
As they have not achieved promotion they are now up shit creek without a paddle, so their business plan is a bad one. Shame.