"And Tonight's Official Pretendance is... "

[severnside gull]

How far out do you think the figure given is to the actual number on average?

The actual attendance is irrelevent anyway isn't it? The number of tickets sold hold far more importance for us as a club, and fans. FFP, financial obligation etc, all have more effect on the club and the fans than how many people bought a ticket and didn't bother turning up.

absolutely right - the only reason to not quote tickets sold would be to try to defraud the tax man and who among us would want to do that

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

absolutely right - the only reason to not quote tickets sold would be to try to defraud the tax man and who among us would want to do that

I can imagine the scenario happening at a lower league club though. HMRC investigator : "Can you explain why the turnstile clickers on gates 1-5 were stuck on zero ?"

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I can imagine the scenario happening at a lower league club though. HMRC investigator : "Can you explain why the turnstile clickers on gates 1-5 were stuck on zero ?"

This reminds me of the story a friend who managed a supermarket - Tesco I think - told me about a major fraud case involving one of their other branches. They were certain that the manager was creaming off money but couldn't work out how. Half the shoppers were actually head office spies at one stage and they still couldn't work it out. Eventually they discovered what had happened. The manager, entirely at his own expense, had had an additional check-out installed in a space at the end of the row. It cost him thousands but the returns were awesome.

 

[Bozza]

This reminds me of the story a friend who managed a supermarket - Tesco I think - told me about a major fraud case involving one of their other branches. They were certain that the manager was creaming off money but couldn't work out how. Half the shoppers were actually head office spies at one stage and they still couldn't work it out. Eventually they discovered what had happened. The manager, entirely at his own expense, had had an additional check-out installed in a space at the end of the row. It cost him thousands but the returns were awesome.

That has to be urban myth unless it was a very, very long time ago. The checkout would have to be networked up for...

- pricing from bar code scanning
- Clubcard processing
- credit card processing

 

[Eagle Slayer]

Attendances who cares?

looking at your signature it seems you do

 

[whitelion]

Attendances who cares?

Btw your Home League Attendances (as per your signature) are short by 23,703 which is the attendance for the Peterborough game.

 

[*Gullsworth*]

looking at your signature it seems you do

Woooossshhh.....

 

[Bullshit Man]

This reminds me of the story a friend who managed a supermarket - Tesco I think - told me about a major fraud case involving one of their other branches. They were certain that the manager was creaming off money but couldn't work out how. Half the shoppers were actually head office spies at one stage and they still couldn't work it out. Eventually they discovered what had happened. The manager, entirely at his own expense, had had an additional check-out installed in a space at the end of the row. It cost him thousands but the returns were awesome.

 

[el punal]

Was'nt the reverse true at the Goldstone - when your feet could barely touch the ground so packed was the ground, that you find out that the attendance was 10,000 less than you thought. I exaggerate of course, but you get my meaning!

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

looking at your signature it seems you do

Woooossshhh.....

That 'whoosh' is worth repeating.

Double whoosh!

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Is a Pretendance when somebody pretends an attendance?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Attendances who cares?

I make the home league attendances so far as ALBION 434,070 and PALARSE 265,933.

 

[AZ Gull]

About 1k really.

Only 2 games have we actually got a real attendance figure - Newcastle and Arsenal.

Are you saying that the announced figure for those cup games was the actual attendance, rather than tickets sold? What makes you think that? (I'm not calling you a liar, but it's the first I've heard of it).

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Are you saying that the announced figure for those cup games was the actual attendance, rather than tickets sold? What makes you think that? (I'm not calling you a liar, but it's the first I've heard of it).

Cup tickets are bought separately and not included in the season ticket. 1901 fans may not have turned up or there could have been some who bought tickets and were then ill, but that wouldn't have made a huge difference.

 

[TheMajor]

Thank you for all your kind concern - signature has now been corrected. It would seem I fell asleep through the Peterborough home game and Palace vs Ipswich.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

It's an absolute shit thing to do, and "well everyone else does it" is the most pathetic excuse of the lot.

So what? What possible gain is there to just bullshit the figures? It's embarrasing.

 

[TheMajor]

I make the home league attendances so far as ALBION 434,070 and PALARSE 265,933.

Looks like you're missing Palace vs Millwall 16,124 I know - and it's their big local derby.

 

[AZ Gull]

The actual attendance is irrelevent anyway isn't it?

Well, if you're not interested in knowing the actual attendance, it's fairly irrelevant. However, if you ARE interested in knowing that, it's pretty important.

The number of tickets sold hold far more importance for us as a club, and fans. FFP, financial obligation etc, all have more effect on the club and the fans than how many people bought a ticket and didn't bother turning up.

I think you are missing the point. I'm not sure anyone is suggesting that the number of tickets sold is not a matter of great import; however, for a century or more clubs have reported the number of people who actually showed up to view the match. That's why the term is called the "attendance". Suddenly the club has chosen to use that same term to report something quite different: the number of tickets sold. They have also decided NOT to release the actual attendance figure.

Some people are interested in comparing attendances (across different seasons; different clubs; different stadiums etc). Or knowing what a club's record attendance is. Or any number of other things related to the actual attendance figure. And now those people can't do that, because the figures being reported by the Albion (and numerous other clubs) are NOT the actual attendances.

In the grand scheme of things, it's a fairly trivial issue, but it is mildly irritating for anyone who might be at all interested in attendance figures.

 

[AZ Gull]

Cup tickets are bought separately and not included in the season ticket. 1901 fans may not have turned up or there could have been some who bought tickets and were then ill, but that wouldn't have made a huge difference.

I know; but that doesn't answer my question. HawkTheSeagull was suggesting that the actual attendance was reported for the Cup games, rather than tickets sold.

 

[Superphil]

Well, if you're not interested in knowing the actual attendance, it's fairly irrelevant. However, if you ARE interested in knowing that, it's pretty important.



I think you are missing the point. I'm not sure anyone is suggesting that the number of tickets sold is not a matter of great import; however, for a century or more clubs have reported the number of people who actually showed up to view the match. That's why the term is called the "attendance". Suddenly the club has chosen to use that same term to report something quite different:.

I think you'll find it's been going on for quite a number of years at top flight clubs, in the UK and abroad, it's really not a new thing.

Think about Arsenal, ever since they moved to the Emirates the attendance given has been 60K or there abouts for every match, Newcastle have been doing it for years, pretty much every team in the top 2 divisions do it. Charlton were doing it in League One last season, and clubs even in the bottom division do it.

The fact that we have 'suddenly' started doing it really isn't a surprise, it was always going to happen, suprised they didnt do it last year, Anyway, we (the Albion) were fiddling attendances years ago at the Goldstone, plenty of clubs have 'manipulated' their attendance figures, been going on for donkeys years. I'm sure the players don't give a toss if there are 24,000 or 26,000 there, it's really not relevant, unless you are involved with finance for the Club.

If you are that interested in attendance figures, then you should be delighted that the way the club announces them means we always look as though we have a bigger crowd than we do, and always bigger than Palace ( not that we'll ever beat their all time attendance record). Whether there are 23k, 25k or 27k there, meh, I'm just delighted we have a great ground, that never looks half empty like so many stadiums do in this league, because we have got so many fans turning up week in week out supporting the Albion.