Just How Big is our Support

[brightonbc]

I was a wee bit pissed on weds, when my passion started coming out for the albion. I was in the pub talking with my mates about the albion and falmer, as the only die hard there, i believe i know a great deal about the clubs potential. I honestly believe falmer is not big enough(but im not moaning), to which i was asked on weds why, my response is if we were to play a top 4 club we could get 40,000(including away fans remember). All of mates thought it was hilarious, i also stated that i think we are a bigger club than some of the premiership teams, eg WIGAN. They were saying that we couldnt sustain 30,000 in the premiership week in week out.............do i wear blue and white tinted glasses, or are they just a naive bunch of lads who only experienced the last few days at the goldstone, when football as a whole was in a slump. PLEASE COMMENT.....it could save me future ridicule

 

[pasty]

I think 40K would be pushing it to be honest even with as you say away fans included. If we ever made it to the Prem I think maybe around 30K would be tops.

 

[bhaexpress]

Frankly 30,000 week in week out is very unlikely, even for a winning team. 20,000 for a winning team is a little more realistic but a losing side would drop below 10,000.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Premiership - 25000 - Falmer would sell out every week
Championship - 15000
League One - 10000
League Two - 6000

 

[Robdinho]

The teams that get 30k-40k every week do so cos they've built that support up over many years.

If you just picked us up and dropped us in the Premiership right now I don't think we'd get that many. But if we worked our way up and got promoted, then stuck around in the top league for a sustained period, I don't think 30k would be unrealistic for a city of Brighton's size/catchment area.

 

[brightonbc]

Im not saying 40,000 every week only for the likes of arsenal, man u, liverpool

 

[clippedgull]

Im not saying 40,000 every week only for the likes of arsenal, man u, liverpool

Whoever we play in a League or Premiership game the attendance from the away fans won't top 2,500 currently. Possible increase to 3,000 if and when we get to the Premiership.

 

[Hotchilidog]

If we were in the Premiership I don't think it's outrageous to suggest we would have a better support than Wigan. We'd be more like Hull regular mid-twenties. If we were doing well and had the capacity then 30,000 would be possible.

 

[Harry H]

During the mid-late 70's when the Albion were top of the old division one crowds were regularly around and over the 25,000 mark.As they were to start with in the old first division,until things started to go pear shaped and they dropped into the mid teens.
25,000 is probably about right,and I expect there has been a lot of research done.
Isn't the stadium being built with the capability of adding bits on if the capacity needs to be increased?
Or did I dream it?

 

[stu7878]

i'd say 30,000 is our ceiling. The same kind of people who came to Cardiff as a one off ,would come to see the likes of Arsenal and Man U IF we were in the prem.

 

[Steve Foster]

During the mid-late 70's when the Albion were top of the old division one crowds were regularly around and over the 25,000 mark.As they were to start with in the old first division,until things started to go pear shaped and they dropped into the mid teens.
25,000 is probably about right,and I expect there has been a lot of research done.
Isn't the stadium being built with the capability of adding bits on if the capacity needs to be increased?
Or did I dream it?

You are quite correct. At the recent presentation that I went to at Falmer, the club stated that Falmer could increase to 35,000 if the Albion were in the Premiership. Would be about right as a capacity for the big games.

 

[ExmouthExile]

Imagine if you'd asked a Middlesbrough fan the same question in the late 80's - eary 90's? Playing in the lower divisions in front of crowds of 4 or 5 thousand, they probably would have laughed in your face too if you suggested that given a new stadium and a few years, they could be playing in the top tier in front of 25-30,000 every week. Needless to say anymore

 

[Mr Everyone]

If you look at teams outside the Premier League who attract crowds in or around the 30,000 mark, they tend to be 'Football' towns.

Teams like, Derby, Leeds, West Brom and Nottingham Forest.

Last season, Derby's average home attendance was in the top 8 of England's overall league. The city lives for football, there is very little else on offer up here.

Brighton on the other hand is completely different. It is a city that has a lot more going on; football is not the central focus. The issues we appear to be having with Pride over next season's opening fixture is one example of this.

During the Withdean years, Brighton's hardcore fan-base has been around the 3-4K mark. I'm not sure about the figures for The Goldstone, but I think achieving numbers of 22k should Brighton be in the Championship after the first season at Falmer, is a tad generous.

 

[The Grockle]

Premiership - 25000 - Falmer would sell out every week
Championship - 15000
League One - 10000
League Two - 6000

I'd say this is spot on, although if we had a sustained spell in the prem I feel we could push 30k.

 

[Sheebo]

In answer to are we bigger than some Prem Teams - f*** YES! We are a bigger and better club than your Wigans and Blackpools IMO...

 

[sir albion]

40k is certainly achievable im certain about that,if we can get 30k with an ambitious chairman 30 years ago with smaller populations then we can certainly get 40k now.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I'd say this is spot on, although if we had a sustained spell in the prem I feel we could push 30k.

Falmer can be extended to 34000 I believe.

 

[sir albion]

I was a wee bit pissed on weds, when my passion started coming out for the albion. I was in the pub talking with my mates about the albion and falmer, as the only die hard there, i believe i know a great deal about the clubs potential. I honestly believe falmer is not big enough(but im not moaning), to which i was asked on weds why, my response is if we were to play a top 4 club we could get 40,000(including away fans remember). All of mates thought it was hilarious, i also stated that i think we are a bigger club than some of the premiership teams, eg WIGAN. They were saying that we couldnt sustain 30,000 in the premiership week in week out.............do i wear blue and white tinted glasses, or are they just a naive bunch of lads who only experienced the last few days at the goldstone, when football as a whole was in a slump. PLEASE COMMENT.....it could save me future ridicule

I've always said falmer is no way big enough and i will be proved right in the near future

People on here go on about attracting fans,well my opinion is we will be turning fans away in the near future.

 

[sir albion]

Premiership - 25000 - Falmer would sell out every week
Championship - 15000
League One - 10000
League Two - 6000

Thats way out
Problem is we have many youngsters on here who only remember the dire days etc.We will sell out every game in the championship or most,league 1 will be around 14-16k and so on.

Get to the prem and 10,000+ will not get tickets

 

[El Presidente]

40k is certainly achievable im certain about that,if we can get 30k with an ambitious chairman 30 years ago with smaller populations then we can certainly get 40k now.

Ha ha ha ha ha. Even in our first season ever in the top division, with capacity of 33,500 at the Goldstone, we NEVER even made it to 30k, and that was when it cost £1.30 to watch in the North Stand.