This year in Serie A you've got tiny Cesena, Empoli and Sassualo on top of perennial village club Chievo (like North Ferriby to Verona). On top of this Milan fans have been protesting and not attending, I suspect this to be their lowest average attendance in 30 years and it should go up by 15k per match next season. Imagine if Man Utd fans opposing the Glazers really did stay away? Meanwhile Parma fans are staying away so they don't pay their crooked owner and 3 sides of Udinese's ground is closed as it is completely rebuilt therefore restricting away attendances. In Serie B meanwhile we have Bologna, one of the grandest clubs in Italy with a decent following. It really is a perfect storm of low attendances.
It's been a long storm, average attendances were only 23,011 last season, they've been steadily falling since a high of 31,000 in the 97/98 season. Only Inter creep into the top twenty attendances in Europe nowadays and Napoli squeeze into the top thirty.
A lot of excuses it would seem to me. The average has been around 22-23,000 for a long time, so I'm afraid I refuse to believe it's because half the teams are protesting or having ground repairs done this season. Hell, the average in 2006/07 was 18,282. The last time Serie A averaged over 26,000 was in the 2001/02 season. The last time the Premier League averaged lower than 26,000 was the 1994/95 season. It's been around 35,000 for the last 10 years here whilst the Serie A has been around 23,000 for the last 10 years, this isn't some anomaly of a season. Well-supported Bologna still averaging under 15,000 and Serie B averaging a frankly laughable 6,500.
"Half the teams"? I named 2 teams protesting and 1 with 3 sides of its ground shut. There aren't 6 teams in Serie A. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32525171 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31588196 http://udinese.it/portal/EN/handle/?hil&page=redazione_nuovostadiofriuli Juventus were relegated for their part in Calciopoli. Do you think if Man Utd were relegated it might impact on EPL attendances? Where did I say "well supported"?
"In Serie B meanwhile we have Bologna, one of the grandest clubs in Italy with a decent following." - Bum_Chinned_Crab (30/4/15) That is essentially saying they are a big, well supported club. Don't get all Castro on us. One may have 3 sides of it's ground shut, but the premier league has three clubs protesting. Real Manchester United fans are staying away because of the Glaziers, Hull City fans are staying away because of the Allams, Liverpool fans are boycotting games over ticket prices. It's six of one and half a dozen of the other.
I did not say well supported. Absolute stone cold FACT. And if 'get all Castro' means being correct, then I guess I am. And the point I was making anyway was if Bologna were in Serie A they'd average 20k, that over a season has a bit of an impact if Empoli were relegated instead.
You've managed to calculate that so quickly when nearly every single Man Utd away game sells out? Impressive. Did you see earlier when I mentioned Juve regularly having 20K away followings?
It is saying they are one of their grand club, in the sense it is a famous club from a historical place, with a decent following. Yes, Man Utd attendances, 99.9% of capacity are really feeling the effects of real fans staying away, Liverpool fans boycotts are hitting attendances with them being 99% of capacity at home and Hull City, who average about 95% capacity, getting 300 more for their visit than they did for the visit of Chelsea who aren't boycotting games. Not very good at making a case, are you?
Skip over the bit where I pointed out Serie A attendances have been at a pretty steady average of around 23,000 over the last 10 years, a good 12,000 lower than the Premier League average over the same period. I'm not sure what case you're arguing here. I was pointing out that attendances in Italy are very poor compared to in England. Are you seriously arguing that point?
Not at all, where did I suggest that? what I am saying is there's reasons. Like you skipping over every one of all the top flight club's games being available to watch on mainstream tv that they can buy season tickets for.
Liverpool fans boycotting has no effect on the attendance as they are buying tickets thus generating an attendance figure regardless of turning up or not
I'm quite happy to say when I'm wrong, I just can't be arsed to argue over **** all with a pedantic ****er like you. CSM
Considering that our crowds in the top flight at are at their highest for 60 years, in the other 3 divisions the highest for over 50 years and the FA Cup attendances the same, it is difficult for people who argue that football is in crisis and high prices are keeping fans away. Regularly on RH the likes of Gwillam witter on about football is going through a crisis, interest dropping and people staying away. I bet his favourite sport wishes it had the same problems.
Listen, seeing you seem to be lacking in comprehension, getting 7 average crowds out of 19 over 25,000 isn't regularly. Even when you then try and claim that around is the same as over, over being your original statement. To point it out isn't being pedantic, it is being accurate. The books for your business must make interesting reading if you apply the same logic to them. Good to see you throwing the abuse about. A sure sign you have lost the argument but aren't big enough to admit it.
