Falling attendances in Premiership..?

Question

A few years ago, stadiums were practically full for every match. Now, at places such as (to name a few) Middlesbrough,Blackburn,Wigan,Bolton... huge areas of empty seats are appearing. Are fans of teams becoming bored of league? If not, what are the reasons for this?

Answer 1

Because games in England have no atmosphere anymore. The hardcore fans have all but died out. People would rather sit on their couch and call themselves a "fan". All-seater stadia has ruined everything that was good about football. It's about time the "Bring Back the Terraces" campaign was heard. Look at France, they keep stands reserved fully for standing and they have the best atmosphere of any league, including South America. With terraces, more people can fit in, with cheaper prices, allowing the working man to go to every game, instead of paying hundreds of £'s to sit next to a load of tourists and spoiled new-age fans taking photos of players and munching on the prawn sandwiches.

Answer 2

Yes, you are right! I may not be living in the UK but from the live telecasts shown I've often wondered why too? I remember the times I visited London in goneby years and getting a ticket to almost any match including ones like lower rated teams e.g. Watford was out of question unless arranged 2-3 months ahead!
Maybe prices have soared and affordability becomes a question. Needless to say most matches are live telecasted so why bother to experience the 'body crush' when actually watching over TV is more revealing....but of course still cannot beat the electrical atmosphere if one is physically in a stadium.
Older people of course also do not want to risk the danger of mob tension.....so bottom line stay at home and selectively choose games you like to attend personally. Makes a lot of sense too.....Right??

Answer 3

I am not surprised, as football is becoming a dirty game, completely lacking in sportsmanship and fair play. The players appeal for "our ball " when they know darned well it is not. They put the whole onus for fair play on the referee and abuse the officials when they make mistakes and my do they make them! The linesmen are watching the match in the manner of spectators instead of doing their job. The players are grossly overpaid, badly behaved and cheats. The fans are taken to the cleaners with extortionate admission prices and, when there is a special match to be seen, you can't get a ticket because they are taken by people who go only once in a blue moon. Added to that the national team is scared stiff of any worthwhile opposition and play without any idea of creativity. In short it is a whole bad con game. When Moscow Dynamo came to England after the war and some defender pulled Stanley Mathews's shirt it was unheard of. Now there is more wrestling than in a Sumo match. Fans wake up - agents and corrupt managers are becoming millionaires off your backs.

Answer 4

Average attendances rarely vary that much in the Prem, more to do with what clubs go up and down, smaller promoted clubs will if replacing larger clubs have an affect.

Imagine Colchester United at Layer Road, 6,000 capacity, that would knock average attendances. Equally, a larger club replacing a smaller club, Leeds returning at the expense of Blackburn will increase the average attendances.

there are a number of clubs with bigger stadia that are not currenly playing, these clubs traditionally attract higher attendances than say Blackburn or Wigan.

It also depends on who they are playing, the old Wimbledon club was a case in point, they had extremes of attendances at both Plough Lane and Selhurst Park, when playing Man U, Liverpool or Arsenal, the ground was often almost filled with away fans.

Arsenal and Man U have captive audiences, no matter who they play, they will fill their grounds, no matter how expensive they become, everyone will still want to go, so basing any theory on them is pointless.

My club Dagenham, were getting just under two thousand average, very few games last season dropped below 1,500 as we stormed to the title, okay not doing so well in our first season in the League, but I know many people that are not going because the prices went up by a fiver, and the smoking ban came in, so our gates are now still around the same, when, looking at passed promotions shows that many clubs saw their gates go up, often doubling, and in the case of Macclesfield I believe they trebled.

The smoking ban in Football Grounds is probably illegal anyway, challengable in court, many grounds have unroofed terrace and seated areas, most have areas inside the trunstiles that are open to the elements, and as many do not sell out the possibility is their for people to move, either the smoker or the objector, there is not a passive smoking issue, as in the scheme of things footy grounds are vast open air arenas, and therefore it is as futile as banning smoking in the park.

I for one would not have paid out for a season ticket at Dagenham to stand on an open terrace without being able to smoke, and therefore believe the club has sold me a ticket under false pretences.

What concerns me here is the fact that everbody seems to have obeyed it, amazing when the majority of fans cannot sit when given seats.

Answer 5

Teams are pricing out the regular working class fan from the game and there's too much live football on TV.

Answer 6

I noticed that when I saw the Blackburm match loads of empty seats but a few years ago it was full, naybe ticket prices.

Answer 7

its the biggest protest an individual can make so if several people aren't happy it shows.
other factors depends on who is playing and also amount of travelling fans and kick off times.
live TV coverage.
weather.
prices

Answer 8

I believe it is because of the increased coverage of live games on TV

Answer 9

It is far too expensive to go to games regularly these days

Another reason is the smoking ban

Answer 10

the teams are pricing them selves away from the ordinary fan