Most of us had been expecting 25% more. Makes me feel guilty that I can no longer get there !
Be nice to think that, when summer holidays are over (including cost-of-living enhanced levels of holiday expenditure, of course) and we’ve won a couple of Saturday games, gates should creep back towards 5,000 plus.
Sincerely hope so.
Depends very much on who we’re playing of course and whether my argument that we will be more successful against more cultured and perhaps slightly less “in yer faces, bite yer ankles” opponents proves valid.
I seem to recall that there were times last season when we exceeded expectations against the higher placed clubs and were disappointed not to be able to beat clubs flirting with relegation.
That's a huge disparity. Saying you "got to about 130" shows a real lack of effort, my friend.
Having partaking in this sad activity many a time, I've often wondered what is the size of the away following that marks the threshold where we decide it doesn't pique our interest?!
I wonder if we're seeing people cancelling their season ticket subscriptions, which I believe they can do after a year and with one month's notice.
Perhaps they took out subscriptions in summer 2022 after the (admittedly unsuccessful) playoff campaign, and are now getting a bit disillusioned with how things are going.
A poor attendance but not quite the nadir of 3,259 (250 away approx) for the 2-0 reverse at home to Bury in 2011/12 (also a League One game). Must've been some great last-minute getaways booked around Saturday 20 August 2011...
I think it will be a combination of school holidays, two opening defeats, the cost of living and perhaps the recent comments about fans being idiots.
When we're playing well and winning, I'm certain non STHs find ways to justify the expense to come to matches. When we are not playing so well and losing, then no justification is required and people will not shell out.
I suspect attendances across the board this season to be quite low, especially given the current base rate and knock on to mortgages etc.
The results for the predictions but first my own thoughts on why it was so low. Our away attendance predictions were over optimistic to an even greater extent percentage wise than they were for the home attendance - the 14th best prediction of the away crowd was 100% bigger than the actual away crowd, which would seem to me to indicate that the surprisingly low attendance was associated with the attractiveness of the fixture as a whole. A sort of 'nothing to excite anybody' feeling. I reckon @NewburyWanderer makes a good point about the possibility of cancelled subscriptions - I think a decision to cancel a subscription is done in a dfferent context to the decision not to renew a season ticket. Even if the team has had a poor season, there is optimism about the next before the season starts. If you are reviewing your finances after a summer holiday, then a subscription looks fair game if the start to the season has been disappointing. I guess this links the points that @NewburyWanderer and @Commoner make.
Anyway things will get better - we don't play Burton every week.
Apologies for the late posting of this - we were away at the beginning of the week.
Top Twenty for the Total Crowd:
Many congratulations to @LDF - Forecaster of the Week and top of the table for pessimistic predictions. One of only three who were within 10% of the actual crowd - the others being @NewburyWanderer and @bookertease.
The attractive prediction of three swans in a row - 222 - produced a triple tie at the top. Congratulations to @thecatwwfc, @ryan_w_kirkby2 and to @bookertease who were all closest to the 141. A mention for @a40, who was also within a hundred.
Home Crowd:
I think the least said the better. The actual home attendance was 3883, nobody's calculated home crowd prediction was under 4000. @LDF was again the closest and the top ten were in the same order as for the total crowd.
Looking forwards:
Good luck for the Bristol Rovers again for all those who have yet to predict, their crowd numbers appear to be more consistent than ours have recently.
Comments
4,605 with 261 Brewers
4800 with 350 Brewers
5,118 (245 away)
4,983 with 298 Brewers.
Breweries seem to be in most people’s thoughts and rightly so. Everyone needs a rebellion now and again.
5100 with 300
4530 with 250 Burton
4024 given.
Absolutely shocking attendance
Very poor
I guess that's what happens when you don't win on Saturdays.
Also only 141 from Burton.
Well done to those who were there, but really that's a shocking away turnout for a League One game.
Not sure I believe that 141. Looked less than 100 to me.
I did a very basic head count during the first half and got to about 130, so 141 could we’ll be right
Most of us had been expecting 25% more. Makes me feel guilty that I can no longer get there !
Be nice to think that, when summer holidays are over (including cost-of-living enhanced levels of holiday expenditure, of course) and we’ve won a couple of Saturday games, gates should creep back towards 5,000 plus.
Sincerely hope so.
Depends very much on who we’re playing of course and whether my argument that we will be more successful against more cultured and perhaps slightly less “in yer faces, bite yer ankles” opponents proves valid.
I seem to recall that there were times last season when we exceeded expectations against the higher placed clubs and were disappointed not to be able to beat clubs flirting with relegation.
That's a huge disparity. Saying you "got to about 130" shows a real lack of effort, my friend.
Having partaking in this sad activity many a time, I've often wondered what is the size of the away following that marks the threshold where we decide it doesn't pique our interest?!
What surprised me was the big variation in crowd size when compared to the Exeter game.
Any ideas why? 🤷♂️
The two bad defeats in the first two games, and our current lowly league position may have a lot to do with it.
If (when) we are climbing the table and challenging for promotion, some of those fair weather fans will return.
Less home fans on a Saturday than on the Orient midweek game. Very odd indeed.
I wonder if we're seeing people cancelling their season ticket subscriptions, which I believe they can do after a year and with one month's notice.
Perhaps they took out subscriptions in summer 2022 after the (admittedly unsuccessful) playoff campaign, and are now getting a bit disillusioned with how things are going.
Saturday was the joint second lowest afternoon attendance at AP since promotion back to the 3rd tier in 2018.
Excluding the two matches in the COVID Championship season of course.
Sat 6 Oct 2018 vs (surprise) Burton - 4,022 (221 away) - W 2-1
Sat 20 Oct 2018 vs Scunthorpe - 4,024 (230 away) - W 3-2
Sat 19 Aug 2023 vs Burton - 4,024 (141 away) - D 0-0
Other coincidental fact is that after all three of those games, we sat 17th in League One.
A poor attendance but not quite the nadir of 3,259 (250 away approx) for the 2-0 reverse at home to Bury in 2011/12 (also a League One game). Must've been some great last-minute getaways booked around Saturday 20 August 2011...
I think it will be a combination of school holidays, two opening defeats, the cost of living and perhaps the recent comments about fans being idiots.
When we're playing well and winning, I'm certain non STHs find ways to justify the expense to come to matches. When we are not playing so well and losing, then no justification is required and people will not shell out.
I suspect attendances across the board this season to be quite low, especially given the current base rate and knock on to mortgages etc.
The results for the predictions but first my own thoughts on why it was so low. Our away attendance predictions were over optimistic to an even greater extent percentage wise than they were for the home attendance - the 14th best prediction of the away crowd was 100% bigger than the actual away crowd, which would seem to me to indicate that the surprisingly low attendance was associated with the attractiveness of the fixture as a whole. A sort of 'nothing to excite anybody' feeling. I reckon @NewburyWanderer makes a good point about the possibility of cancelled subscriptions - I think a decision to cancel a subscription is done in a dfferent context to the decision not to renew a season ticket. Even if the team has had a poor season, there is optimism about the next before the season starts. If you are reviewing your finances after a summer holiday, then a subscription looks fair game if the start to the season has been disappointing. I guess this links the points that @NewburyWanderer and @Commoner make.
Anyway things will get better - we don't play Burton every week.
Apologies for the late posting of this - we were away at the beginning of the week.
Top Twenty for the Total Crowd:
Many congratulations to @LDF - Forecaster of the Week and top of the table for pessimistic predictions. One of only three who were within 10% of the actual crowd - the others being @NewburyWanderer and @bookertease.
There is a mention for the quartet who tied for 17th equal place - @Will_i_ams, @micra, @Mandown and @Forest_Blue.@Forest_Blue
Top Twenty for the Away Crowd:
The attractive prediction of three swans in a row - 222 - produced a triple tie at the top. Congratulations to @thecatwwfc, @ryan_w_kirkby2 and to @bookertease who were all closest to the 141. A mention for @a40, who was also within a hundred.
Home Crowd:
I think the least said the better. The actual home attendance was 3883, nobody's calculated home crowd prediction was under 4000. @LDF was again the closest and the top ten were in the same order as for the total crowd.
Looking forwards:
Good luck for the Bristol Rovers again for all those who have yet to predict, their crowd numbers appear to be more consistent than ours have recently.