2nd Tier of english football in 1986.

[Foster House]

European leagues averaging over 10,000 as follows.


42,665 Germany
35,294 EPL
28,221 Spain
24,306 Italy
19,742 France
19,296 Holland
17,386 England II
14,796 Germany II
13,670 Scotland
12,250 Russia
11,574 Belgium
11,365 Switzerland
10,080 Portugal

See here for all leagues: http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn.htm

Will be interesting to see if we beat the average La Liga attendance in a year or two.

It's a pleasant stat that one. Perhaps it shows that in England and Germany people are more inclined to watch their local team.

 

[Triggaaar]

isn't the Championship now the fifth most watched division in Europe?

I don't think so. I think Germany's second is above ours, and as well as the top 4 (Germany, England, Spain, Italy) I think there may be another just above the Championship. You can google it.

 

[worthingseagull123]

Even Division one that year would have had small gates.

Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle, Wednesday all would have averages under 20,000.

Even Arsenal often got gates in the mid 20s.

Dark days of football. But preferable to what Sky has turned it into.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

They were great days. BUT, now I go with my wife and kids I prefer the seats and the 'sanitised exerience' as some people see it.

there's no other option is there

 

[sully]

It's a pleasant stat that one. Perhaps it shows that in England and Germany people are more inclined to watch their local team.

These two countries also have a greater tradition of following your team away from home that I think only The Netherlands also has.

Interesting, too that it suggests that the Scottish teams have less of an excuse than they like to think for under performing in Europe.

 

[Questions]

there's no other option is there

No Das there isn't.

Apart from the odd away day

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

No Das there isn't.

Apart from the odd away day

 

[Weststander]

There was a slump in attendances across all divisions in the 80's, not just the second tier. Even so, isn't the Championship now the fifth most watched division in Europe?

Was a steady downwards trend in all 4 divisions until a nadir in the mid-1980's, but they have almost doubled since.

 

[fataddick]

Surprised how small the Palace lead over Charlton is in that table given that was the first season we played our home games at Selhurst and huge numbers of our fans boycotted our games there. I guess Palace have just never had much support.

 

[Mackenzie]

how can anybody complain , an era when you didn't have to queue much ,plenty of room to stand , realistic ticket prices, sensible stewards if any, i thought it was everything football was meant to be, off down the boozer on the saturday with your mates if you were at home or down your local rail station persil vouchers in hand for that away trip !
great times, anybody who says different must have been wrapped up in cotton wool.

I agree. 87 was my first year following Brighton home and away, and it was probably my favourite ever season.

 

[Simster]

Surprised how small the Palace lead over Charlton is in that table given that was the first season we played our home games at Selhurst and huge numbers of our fans boycotted our games there. I guess Palace have just never had much support.

To be fair, you got promoted that year, whilst they were gash.

 

[Monkey Man]

Football is just a difference experience now, for better or worse, and some of us are lucky enough to have had some fun on the terraces in the "leave your car somewhere near Hove Park" days, and now enjoy middle age on padded seats, with our families, pies in hand, in a superb stadium with big screens replaying any incident we happen to have missed.

Today's kids won't ever have the times that we did, and they might not care about that. But I think it's a shame that they can't do what many of us used to do - just turn up at games on a whim, with a bunch of mates, away from the watchful eye of parents. It was a rite of passage, but in the era of season tickets, all seater stadia and no pay on the gate, it's gone. For better or worse.

 

[Jam The Man]

Don't underestimate the effects of TV coverage of the 1990 World Cup and the 1996 Euros. Both of these tournaments seem to have had a big impact on the willingness and enthusiasm of English fans to resume watching live league football.

Absolutely...football had a boon after these tournaments.
Female fans attending matches increased by something like 3000% (yes three thousand) after Italia 90, all supposedly down to Gazza crying.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Even Division one that year would have had small gates.

Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle, Wednesday all would have averages under 20,000.

Even Arsenal often got gates in the mid 20s.

Arsenal v Brighton 26/1/82 17,992
Arsenal v Brighton 5/2/83 17,972

The early eighties might have been relative glory years for the Albion, but they were a low point for English football. It was not a priority for all but the die-hards, and remember, very little live TV football either.

PG

 

[Peter Grummit]

2011/12 for comparison

1 West Ham United 30923
2 Southampton 26419
3 Derby County 26020
4 Leeds United 23283
5 Leicester City 23037
6 Cardiff City 22100
7 Nottingham Forest 21970
8 Brighton & Hove Albion 20029
9 Reading 19219
10 Birmingham City 19127
11 Hull City 18790
12 Ipswich Town 18267
13 Middlesbrough 17558
14 Crystal Palace 15219
15 Portsmouth 15016
16 Coventry City 14684
17 Burnley 14048
18 Bristol City 13836
19 Blackpool 12764
20 Watford 12704
21 Millwall 11484
22 Barnsley 9897
23 Doncaster Rovers 9309
24 Peterborough United 9111


Thirteen teams had higher gates than the highest in 86. Of course, not strictly comparable as some teams count tickets sold rather than bums-on-seats now.

PG

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

I loved the late 60's and even moreso the 70's, but | was a young lad and footie was made for us.

The 80's were a low time, as the crowds show and, for me, it was struggling with a young family and unemployment.

I love footie again now, mostly due to Gus & the Amex, but, even at Withers, I loved that it was a family sport and somewhere I could safely take my g'kids.

 

[TheFatBallBoy]

Record home attendances of English football clubs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Interesting figures,oh how we loved the cup! ALDERSHOT before reforming had 11,666 for an albion game