Attendances

[petersaxton]

Joking aside it’s just weird.
You can miss the first couple of minutes of a match knowing even if you miss 2 goals the game itself isn’t over.
Miss the last couple of minutes and you could miss two goals that turn the game on its head and decide the result.
Presumably the same people leave cinema or theatre before the end to get a head start on other people as soon as they think they know how it will end?
You could see someone whose shift started early so they had to leave before the end rather than not go at all, but that must be a tiny minority. The rest are odd and don’t help the team at all at a time when matches are decided.

I remember we were having too much fun in pub and missed the first 15 minutes of a game at Crystal Palace
When we got to the ground City were 2-0 up. Final score 2-2.
I wish the game had been over after 15 minutes!

 

[Drew]

For what it's worth this is an interesting tweet as are a lot of the replies, clearly not just a soft lad from Aus who has this opinion.

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But this tweet misses the key point that the blackout isn’t in place to protect PL crowds, it’s in place to protect the lower and non league clubs.

Theres nothing in the world as deeply supported as the English football league pyramid and that brings tremendous benefits to the game in the country. If that means games can’t be televised for 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon it feels like a fair trade off.

 

[The B&S Fanclub]

They should lock the gates and refuse to open them until 5 minutes after the end

Yepp. I've never seen anyone leaving a cinema ten minutes before the end of the film, or on my rare visits to the theatre. Not sure what it is with some people. I knew a few who would always leave early, but it's common practice so that's up to them, l suppose.

 

[SydneyTiger14]

But this tweet misses the key point that the blackout isn’t in place to protect PL crowds, it’s in place to protect the lower and non league clubs.

Theres nothing in the world as deeply supported as the English football league pyramid and that brings tremendous benefits to the game in the country. If that means games can’t be televised for 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon it feels like a fair trade off.

I knew that would be the response because he clarifies that in his own responses. He's not talking about protecting the pl crowds he's pointing out they still go despite all games being available to stream.

If it's so deeply supported with such passionate fans why are people so afraid to embrace modernity and think the fans would turn up their toes and stay home instead?

 

[balkan tiger]

I knew that would be the response because he clarifies that in his own responses. He's not talking about protecting the pl crowds he's pointing out they still go despite all games being available to stream.

If it's so deeply supported with such passionate fans why are people so afraid to embrace modernity and think the fans would turn up their toes and stay home instead?

But the PL teams have loads of supporters so if because the game was being shown live on TV 25% of stadium capacity stayed home to watch there would be others supporters waiting to take their seat.
In the lower leagues when your only getting 3 or 4 thousand in a 10,000 seater ground if 25% of the usual support stay home to watch on TV there will be no others to take their place and the club is 25% down on numbers.

I think that is the theory of why the TV rules are as they are.

 

[Drew]

I knew that would be the response because he clarifies that in his own responses. He's not talking about protecting the pl crowds he's pointing out they still go despite all games being available to stream.

If it's so deeply supported with such passionate fans why are people so afraid to embrace modernity and think the fans would turn up their toes and stay home instead?

It’s more to do with attracting future generations of fans.

If PL games are on TV at the same time as a lower league game, chances are younger fans would rather watch the big game at home, that starts a huge slow drip feed towards lower and non league clubs going out of business. Football tourism is a much lower deal the lower down the pyramid you get.

I certainly wouldn’t want to see City in League 2 these days up against PL games on TV.

I appreciate illegal streams are already doing that - which is why it probably does need looking at but I think some sort of black out needs to remain.

 

[Cityzen]

But the PL teams have loads of supporters so if because the game was being shown live on TV 25% of stadium capacity stayed home to watch there would be others supporters waiting to take their seat.
In the lower leagues when your only getting 3 or 4 thousand in a 10,000 seater ground if 25% of the usual support stay home to watch on TV there will be no others to take their place and the club is 25% down on numbers.

I think that is the theory of why the TV rules are as they are.

Syd can’t think in non linear ways.

 

[SydneyTiger14]

It’s more to do with attracting future generations of fans.

If PL games are on TV at the same time as a lower league game, chances are younger fans would rather watch the big game at home, that starts a huge slow drip feed towards lower and non league clubs going out of business. Football tourism is a much lower deal the lower down the pyramid you get.

I certainly wouldn’t want to see City in League 2 these days up against PL games on TV.

I appreciate illegal streams are already doing that - which is why it probably does need looking at but I think some sort of black out needs to remain.

The younger fans can do that though. All games are on firesticks, streaming, etc. It isn't 2001 anymore. The only difference to legalising it would be putting more money in the game, giving more value to sky subscriptions (though I'm sure they'd go up in price but at least you'd get all games) and likely putting downward pressure on ticket prices.

Anyway, guess we'll see when it finally happens but here in Aus it has happened so it's not strictly hypothetical. I appreciate there's different cultures so not precisely 1:1.

 

[Drew]

The younger fans can do that though. All games are on firesticks, streaming, etc. It isn't 2001 anymore. The only difference to legalising it would be putting more money in the game, giving more value to sky subscriptions (though I'm sure they'd go up in price but at least you'd get all games) and likely putting downward pressure on ticket prices.

Anyway, guess we'll see when it finally happens but here in Aus it has happened so it's not strictly hypothetical. I appreciate there's different cultures so not precisely 1:1.

I do think there’s a huge difference to making it completely accessible to it still being a bit of a faff though.

Like how music downloading was rife when it was illegal but gained even more in popularity as soon as iTunes came along. As soon as something is simple even more people do it.

I agree with you, we can’t ignore it forever otherwise football will actually miss the boat and the future of clubs could get even worse but I also don’t think it’s as simple as just opening everything up either.

 

[The B&S Fanclub]

More useless stats re: Attendances
13 games in thus far. 7 at home..6 away . Total aggregate = 280,080. Average = 21,544...
Top to bottom....
1. 09/08/2025 A Coventry............ 29052
2. 18/10/2025 A Birmingham City..27215
3. 01/11/2025 A Norwich........... 25724
4. 20/09/2025 H Southampton. 22085
5. 30/08/2025 A Bristol City....... 21385
6. 04/10/2025 H Sheff Utd... 21030
7. 25/10/2025 H Charlton.... 20804
8. 17/08/2025 H Oxford.... 20667
9. 23/08/2025 H Blackburn.. 20518
10. 21/10/2025 H Leicester City. 20211
11. 30/09/2025 H Preston NE... 18264
12. 27/09/2025 A Watford.......... 17973
13. 13/09/2025 A Swansea ......15152

 

[Trumpton Tiger.]

The televising of games will clearly have zero impact on the game attendance of someone who lives 10,700 miles from the stadium.

And if you read all the thread that is exactly the point I was making. Anyone living abroad can watch every City game home and away anyhow by subscribing to Tigers plus. If every game was televised live in this country it would certainly effect the numbers going through the turnstiles. Its simple economics, and going down the football ladder, even Beverley Town's attendances are effected if City are at home on the same day, as they are if a live game is being shown on the telly when they are home midweek.
Its not difficult to work out and not personal to anyone it's just the way it is.

 

[TwoWrights]

And if you read all the thread that is exactly the point I was making. Anyone living abroad can watch every City game home and away anyhow by subscribing to Tigers plus. If every game was televised live in this country it would certainly effect the numbers going through the turnstiles. Its simple economics, and going down the football ladder, even Beverley Town's attendances are effected if City are at home on the same day, as they are if a live game is being shown on the telly when they are home midweek.
Its not difficult to work out and not personal to anyone it's just the way it is.

Some users have read a post milliseconds after reading the posters name.

 

[Kempton tiger]

I remember we were having too much fun in pub and missed the first 15 minutes of a game at Crystal Palace
When we got to the ground City were 2-0 up. Final score 2-2.
I wish the game had been over after 15 minutes!

Same happened to my mate for the Preston game. Decided to get another pint in the pub and was 10 minutes late. As he came in he heard an away cheer. Sat down and asked what the goal was like? I replied "which one"?

 

[petersaxton]

Next Sunday Aston Villa v Bournemouth is being shown on Sky Sports Cricket
They must not have enough football channels

 

[Plum]

Next Sunday Aston Villa v Bournemouth is being shown on Sky Sports Cricket
They must not have enough football channels

Well, upcoming cricket won't be worth watching...