Premiership Bubble Bursting

**Macy** · 15/09/2005, 8:20 AM

From thetimes.co.uk

September 15, 2005

Crowds drift away in their thousands
By Bill Edgar

FOOTBALL fans have long complained that they are taken for granted and large numbers seem to have had enough. Analysis of this season�s attendances by The Times suggests that supporters are deserting the Barclays Premiership in their droves and the situation is worse in the Coca-Cola Championship.

High ticket prices, kick-off times changed for television, increasing numbers of live televised matches and less competition for the top three places in the Premiership have been blamed as attendances drop significantly for the first time in nearly 20 years. With the value of media rights having declined in recent times, a reduction of income at the gate would constitute a second considerable blow.

Top-flight attendances have been rising consistently since the late 1980s, the average having grown about 60 per cent in that period, but there has been a levelling off over the past two seasons. There was a drop in the average Premiership crowd figure from 35,008 in 2003-04 to 33,892 last term, but that can be attributed almost entirely to three well-supported clubs being relegated and replaced by three smaller clubs.

To avoid such considerations, it is worth comparing the attendances at those fixtures played so far this season in the Premiership and Championship that also took place last term, thus ignoring games involving Sunderland, Wigan Athletic and West Ham United in the Premiership and those of the six sides newly promoted or relegated into the Championship. The comparison is therefore direct and fair, and the results make grim reading.

The 34 relevant Premiership matches played this season have attracted an average attendance of 33,415, more than 1,500 down on the corresponding fixtures last term, a drop of 4.5 per cent. Matters are worse in the Championship, where the underlying increase, unlike with the Premiership, had yet to level off last season. Taking the fixtures played in the Championship that also took place last season � 54 � the average attendance was 15,839 last term but only 14,477 in this campaign, a fall of 7 per cent.

Manchester City have suffered the biggest fall in attendances in the Premiership, with an average of 4,800 fewer people having watched their meetings with West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth compared with last season. That is a surprise given the team is resurgent under Stuart Pearce, as is the fact that Middlesbrough have experienced the second largest drop of 3,500.

Given that Bolton Wanderers have endured the sixth greatest drop, one of about 2,000 per match, despite having just qualified for European competition for the first time, it seems that a desire to watch a winning team is far from the only factor in determining how many spectators will turn up. It should be said, though, that Everton, after their recent success, have recorded the greatest increases, with 1,450 extra people watching their home match with Manchester United compared with last season and 1,350 more attending the meeting with Portsmouth.

Leeds United have seen the most dramatic falls in attendance in the Championship after protests from fans about the cost of entering Elland Road. Their matches against Brighton & Hove Albion and Millwall have each attracted about 6,000 fewer people than last term, while their meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers was watched by 21,229, compared with 29,773 last season.

Millwall have also seen huge drops in attendances at the New Den, where more than 6,000 fewer people watched them face Ipswich Town. The Wolves-Millwall fixture suffered a drop of 3,000 people. Bean counters across the country will be worried

As for the liars, what a waste of council tax, they don't even go...

**Dublin12** · 15/09/2005, 9:40 AM

But still there were more at the Sheffield Wednesday/Leeds game on Tuesday night than there were at the Chelsea/Anderlecht game.

**Peadar** · 15/09/2005, 9:47 AM

Originally Posted by Dublin12

But still there were more at the Sheffield Wednesday/Leeds game on Tuesday night than there were at the Chelsea/Anderlecht game.

Chelsea are a joke!
They had thousands of unsold tickets for the Community Shield and everyone said it was because "it's a nothing game." Then they have thousands of empty seats for their opening Champions League game, even after an extensive advertising campaign in the local media.

Arsenal didn't sell out last night either.
Overheard the guy behind me talking about having been down in the new stadium doing some work. He went on to say, "Don't know how we expect to fill that place when we can't even get 35,000 in here for the Champions League."

Dark days for Englands top league indeed.

**anto1208** · 15/09/2005, 9:58 AM

yea but teams like chelsea , spurs and utd charge so much for there tickets it hard to go to all the games , i think spurs start at about 40 quid , chelsea dont sell kids tickets so if you wanted to go and bring your 2 sons you would need 3 full price tickets . this is why people are staying away .

hope fully they get it sorted out if the prem goes were screwed what do we watch then , the pansies in europe falling about the place or dare i say it the ****e the EL produces

**wws** · 15/09/2005, 10:20 AM

I dismiss your post out of hand - national leagues are history merely prelimary rounds of the champions league nowdays, ironically the irish one is one of the few of genuine interest anymore as its in an embryonic and as recent events shows anarchic state - anything can and DOES happen in the el - the prem is just another predictable sideshow which offers a little minor distraction to the CL

**eirebhoy** · 15/09/2005, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Chelsea are a joke!
They had thousands of unsold tickets for the Community Shield and everyone said it was because "it's a nothing game." Then they have thousands of empty seats for their opening Champions League game, even after an extensive advertising campaign in the local media.

I wouldn't pay �70 to see an average football match.

**drinkfeckarse** · 15/09/2005, 10:48 AM

Very interesting article. I noticed myself especially with Middlesboro and Chelsea that the crowds were down.

**Dodge** · 15/09/2005, 10:56 AM

Yeah but chelsea get 48,000 for a game v Birmingham and only 28,000 for a Cl game so your point is automatically shot down...

**eirebhoy** · 15/09/2005, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Yeah but chelsea get 48,000 for a game v Birmingham and only 28,000 for a Cl game so your point is automatically shot down...

Season tickets...

**Dodge** · 15/09/2005, 11:11 AM

My last comment was aimed at wws...

**wws** · 15/09/2005, 11:13 AM

oh and you of course know the season ticket arrangements for chelsea

**Dodge** · 15/09/2005, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by wws

I dismiss your post out of hand - national leagues are history merely prelimary rounds of the champions league nowdays, ironically the irish one is one of the few of genuine interest anymore as its in an embryonic and as recent events shows anarchic state - anything can and DOES happen in the el - the prem is just another predictable sideshow which offers a little minor distraction to the CL

The minor distraction being 20% more popular thatn the main event?! Crowds are down due to saturation TV coverage and after the boom of the early to mid 90s they were bound to settle/stabalise. Nothing got to do with CL football