Why Are Fans Staying Away?

Attendances at our three home games so far have been appalling. For both the Brighton and Bolton games the ground was barely 40% full, with the crowd at both of those games being smaller than our average attendance in our 2003/2004 League Two promotion season (a healthy 16,811, the 11th highest outside of the Premier League and greater than Fulham got in the top-flight). Then there was Rotherham: Less than 5,000 turned up for a Yorkshire Derby in the first competitive game of the season - a 3pm Saturday kick-off - and that's including a healthy away following to boot.

Why is this? Is it:

A - Boring Football:

We're very good at retaining the ball, and have been for some time, but during the tenures of Messrs Pearson and Barmby we were 'treated' to game-after-game of sideways and backwards passing. We essentially had a team of Tom Cairneys. Are fans staying away because they simply - and wrongly (?) - expect more of the same? Do they have about as much faith in Bruce to change things as I do in the same man to win next year's Miss World competition?

B - Lack Of Goals:

Now, I actually don't agree that our playing style is boring because it's not easy on the eye. At times it has been very good to watch this season. However, we have struggled for several years now to put the ball in the back of the net, despite many desperate attempts under different managers, with different players, playing in different formations. The facts really do speak for themselves on this one though:

- Since beating Tranmere Rovers 6-1 on the 18th of December 2004, we have played 171 competitive matches at home. We have managed to score more than three goals just four times in that period, the last being the play-off semi-final against Watford on the 14th May of 2008, when we defeated the Southern bastards 4-1

- Since promotion to the Premier League in 2008, we have played 172 league matches. We have won just 16 of those by two goals or more (home and away - 14 out of 96 played in the Championship, and 2 out of 76 played in the Premiership)

- In the 2010/2011 season, we were the lowest goalscorers in the top-half (ten fewer than the next lowest scorers, Millwall); the 4th lowest goalscorers in the division; the joint lowest goalscorers at home in the division (with bottom-placed Scunthorpe); and relegated Preston North End outscored us by two goals

- In the 2011/2012 season, we were once again the lowest goalscorers in the top-half, the 4th lowest goalscorers in the division, and bizarrely we were also outscored once more by a relegated team whose name begins with 'P' (on this occasion, Portsmouth, by 3 goals)

C - Austerity In A Time Of Recession:

Is it really as simple as this? Have the increases in ticket prices made by the Allams really made that much difference?

D - Other

I might have neglected to mention a possible reason!

 

I'm off to Uni, but I don't think there are 5000 people with the same excuse.

I honestly have no idea why others are dropping out - I don't know anyone who's stopped going for anything other than Uni.

 

I went for recession/ticket prices as I think that's the main reason, although the lack of goals last year are bound to have effected it too. I reckon we'll get back up to the 18,000'ish mark if we keep doing well and scoring a few more.

 

1 - Cool story bro

2 - Who the hell needs an education in this day and age?

3 - I know one person who can't afford to go anymore (bit of a pikey anyway, TBH) and two who were almost bored to death under Pearson and who have gone only sporadically since the end of the 2011 season. Barmby didn't improve their opinion of Boring, Boring City either

 

I think that the main cause is the lack of any real driving narrative behind the team at the moment.

Sure, money may have an impact - but if we got promoted, are you saying that we would have the same attendance? No, people would pay for tickets.

What I mean by a "driving narrative" is that, since we have moved to the KC, there has usually been a clear sense of direction and aims. At the start of the season, we have been clearly looking at promotion - or failing that, there has been a novelty value to the league. For example, even when we had been in the Championship a couple of seasons (pre-prem), there was still a bit of novelty in what we viewed as "big teams" coming to the KC.

After the Premier League, Blackburn, Bolton, Middlesbrough etc... doesn't seem to have any novelty value at all. So, for an entertaining narrative for the fans to enjoy, we are going to have to start looking at a promotion race. As it stands, two years in the league outside of the play-offs, people are perhaps starting to think that the promotion race isn't really on, and therefore, there isn't really that much entertainment on offer over the season.

 

Boredom

In response to your poll, it's all of the above.

 

I managed to cope when I was at Uni! As for the drop in crowds I think its three years of paying to watch ****e, boring, goalless football. Probably even more than three years to be honest, more from the first christmas in the prem onwards.

 

1. I'm delighted to see after controlling yourself in your campaign for moderator you've returned to your arsehole-like self
2. It's either working as a journalist or picking up litter. It was a tough call but I went with journalist.
3. Just because we were playing ****ter football it shouldn't mean you drop out. Line the three of bastards up and shoot them.

Which Uni did you go to?

 

I think you're spot on with that assessment, Gawge. I still maintain though that if fans felt they might see us bang in a few goals every now and again, they'd turn up in greater numbers. It may only be a marginally bigger crowd (say, 1,000 more people coming each week) - but the facts I posted above show that big City wins rarely happen. Look at last season as an example. We were beaten-to-nil TWICE by League Two teams in the Cup competitions, and one of them finished the season 7 points adrift at the bottom of the entire Football league. We should be thumping 5 goals past them, even with a weakened side! (And that's not even me being arrogant!)

 

Have you registered your vote then, babe? I provided the option to vote for more than one answer for a reason

 

Done.

 

Good boy.

Now, I appear to have spilt Nutella over my chest and genitals. Lick it off. Lick it slowly. Lick it GOOD.

 

I think it's obviously to do with "that" high profile sacking.

Bear in mind most people had already renewed when it happened, this season has been their first chance to protest it.

 

Why don't the Allams raffle off a few prostitutes at half time, That might pull a few more in!

 

I just don't think they are interested in championship football. Which is fair enough.

 

Live too far away as with petrol £100 per game is too much now. Back in the days of league 2 it was about £60. Also, used to bring the little one to spend the day at his grans, but he doesn't want to sit in the car for 6 hours on a Saturday anymore.

 

Is that fair enough? As a fan/supporter you should follow your team into the blue square ****ty league if you had owt about you.

 

Good point! The cost of fuel has got ****ing silly and our piss poor ****ers in government are looking into it! ????? WTF I think we all know where the problem lye's.

For me personally I work a lot of Saturdays so loss of earnings is my excuse. I go as often as I can though.

 

Live in Berkshire too far so just away days for me. Been to Charlton so far this season.