A closer look at our attendance figuresUpdated: January 23rd, 2007
I thought I’d take a look at our attendances for this season compared to previous years, and see how they stack up against other clubs.
Here are the results (promoted clubs are excluded from table):
(figures in italics denote seasons not in Premiership)
Source: ESPNsoccernet
While United and Arsenal are merely benefitting from higher capacities this season, the attendances at seven clubs - Fulham, West Ham, Chelsea, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Spurs and Charlton - are very close to capacity. But the story at the bottom is the most telling.
The six clubs suffering the biggest decline in attendances are all northern, and performances this season do not appear to be a crucial factor. Although the north-eastern clubs have both seen a decline in form compared to last season, Wigan’s results pretty much match last year’s while Bolton are having their best Premiership season ever.
It’s possible a major reason for the decline is economic, and an indicator of a North / South divide. Price increases for away fans might also be a significant factor, as seen by City fans boycotting the game at Wigan.
A closer look at City’s figures makes the picture just as unclear. Below is a comparison of this season’s attendances with the corresponding fixtures from last season. Again, I’ve omitted the promoted clubs as an exact comparison is not possible.
The three biggest drops in attendance - against Fulham, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough - were all games played at more inconvenient times than last season. Two of the games were televised while the third, against Pompey, was a mid-week fixture that deterred a lot of away fans.
Taking all these factors into account, the true rate of decline is probably around the 4% mark. Considering the lack of entertainment on show at Eastlands this season, and the lack of optimism about the direction the club is heading, that is something of a testament to the loyalty of City fans.