Taken from Telegraph article on website "press" "There was a time when Bristol City were the third best supported club in the country. In 1958-59, Bristol City, then in the old Second Division, boasted an average home attendance of 43,335 â bettered only by Manchester United and Arsenal, the latter only by virtue of a few hundred." Although I wasn't there at the time, I'm sure our best ever crowd was 43,000+ for a cup game and during the season mentioned our average attendance was in the 20,000's, pretty sure that we have never averaged crowds of 43,000+ for a season the best being around 29,000 but Hey but it's only a newspaper they can print virtually anything? If I'm incorrect I'm sure someone on here will tell me.
Our 43,000 is the all time high at AG against PNE in the cup I was there during the cup run of '74 when we played Leeds and then Liverpool. I believe both of those games drew around 38,000 When we were in the 1st division I think our average home attendance was about 28,000 in the first year
Hate to say it, but I was there for both those games, I was in the East End and not being the tallest, only saw the occasional snapshot of the game between shoulders, jumping up etc. Don't know where the Telegraph got it's figures from then???
'I was there during the cup run of '74 when we played Leeds and then Liverpool. I believe both of those games drew around 38,000.' And me, not sure of 38,000 but I thought we had more in '77 the Monday night against Liverpool before Coventry.
I was at both the Liverpool and Coventry games. I remember being let into the Open End for the Liverpool game without paying as there was such a crowd outside. I'm sure we had a lot more in the ground than the official gate showed. We were also a bit renowned for declaring crowds that were clearly well below what was actually in the ground. Wish we could have those days back now - it was so much more fun back then. I MUST be getting old having read that back!
I remember when we were in the play-off final, and on 606 there were numerous calls in from Bristol City fans from around the world. The BBC were very surprised at how far-reaching support for the club was, especially when it looked likely that we could pull off one of the greatest upsets in England at the time. The fan base is/was definitely there, but some success on the pitch is definitely needed to bring out some fans. It is why I've been so pissed off with how the owner and the board have run the club so far. After all this money, and reasonable success in the Championship given our stature, we still feel like a small-time club. Our website is a sack of ****, especially when you see how many leading digital agencies are in Bristol, and our marketing efforts seem almost non-existent.
we still feel like a small-time club. Our website is a sack of ****, especially when you see how many leading digital agencies are in Bristol, and our marketing efforts seem almost non-existent. Bang on. And something lads in the Eastend have banged on about for years, marketing efforts. If they can get their ideas into local pubs, galleries etc why can't Bristol City? It has to be a lack of effort from BCFC and disinterest. Getting in the public face, websites., being arsed is important when you are up against the Premier ship and every second kid buying a Barcelona kit. City have a small time attitude.
I do not think success is the only way to improve attendance. Dutch and German clubs also concentrate on the social aspects of FC, this emphasis engenders a feel of "this is our club". City have their "vision" and five pillars. Social aspects are marketing. City are improving, but is agonisingly slow. They could do so much better by engaging with support and the clubs community further, much further. This lack of face to face contact, this lack of attempting to enter Bristol's consciousness does give the club a small time feel.
This is because of the way we've been mismanaged as a club from top to bottom during Lansdown's time in charge. We are still shrinking from what initially started a few years ago after the Hull game at Wembley and we're getting smaller by the month. We have a smaller squad, smaller backroom staff, smaller attendances, smaller win ratio, and smaller points tallys too !!
Mismanagement of a type perhaps. I mentioned social aspects = social prescience. The club does not have to be solely successful [whatever that really is] to increase its contact with the public. City will, and we could be waiting for ever if you think about it rationally as the Derby's, Ipswich, Norwich's and above all Forests tearing up the top divisions, and further are gone. Lost count of the amount of games I have watched abroad. A difference I see is how clubs become, or attempt to become the epicentre of their communities, and feel Bigger/Important. City don't. Small changes can bring large improvements in how a club is perceived. My son has attended some of the community trust coaching, never met a senior player, speaking to the other parents some of whom's children have been going for over a year, never met a player. Many of those kids support other clubs, wouldn't it help if they occasionally met a J E Thomas etc? City need to get out and about creating positive memories. This is marketing itself. Support your local club - Lets see them.
