Average home crowd 1977/78

[warsaw]

Following the thread about Falmer funding and references to possible crowds to pay for it, I was bored so had a look back at the attendance records, the best was 1977/78 when the average was 25,264
I remember all parts of the ground were heaving every week, fantastic atmosphere, great banter with the North Stand from us standing behind the south goal.

If we could get those attendances in the hoolie 70's we can do it again in a shiny new stadium.

Anyone disagree?

 

[Hiney]

Crest of a wave after a promotion, plus the gradual realisation as the season went on that it could be 2 in a row.

Like the fans of all clubs, we are fickle - look how the average attendances plummeted in the 80s

Falmer will be full if we are doing well and will be half empty if the team are struggling.

FACT

 

[warsaw]

Falmer will be full if we are doing well and will be half empty if the team are struggling.

FACT

Exactly

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I remember all parts of the ground were heaving every week, fantastic atmosphere, great banter with the North Stand from us standing behind the south goal.

Sing up South Stand !!! , Sing up South Stand !!!.
after 10 seconds.
Can you hear the South Stand sing ? oo oo, oo oo Can you hear the South Stand sing ? oo oo, oo oo Can you hear the South Stand sing , I cant hear a f***ing thing oo oo, oo oo, oo oo.

 

[Ernest]

Seeing as it was about 25p to get in might have had something to do with it

 

[warsaw]

Sing up South Stand !!! , Sing up South Stand !!!.
after 10 seconds.
Can you hear the South Stand sing ? oo oo, oo oo Can you hear the South Stand sing ? oo oo, oo oo Can you hear the South Stand sing , I cant hear a f***ing thing oo oo, oo oo, oo oo.

Perhaps our chanting was trapped by the South Stand roof

 

[Dandyman]

Following the thread about Falmer funding and references to possible crowds to pay for it, I was bored so had a look back at the attendance records, the best was 1977/78 when the average was 25,264
I remember all parts of the ground were heaving every week, fantastic atmosphere, great banter with the North Stand from us standing behind the south goal.

If we could get those attendances in the hoolie 70's we can do it again in a shiny new stadium.

Anyone disagree?

I disagree, if the proposition is that we will sell out Falmer on a regular basis.

The post-war baby boom produced a very large number of under 40's by the late 70's for whom football was cheap, easily accessed and far less controlled than now.

If we manage to maintain a Championship side and play decentish football, I can see crowds of around 10,000 or so. To push them above them above that IMO the "product" be it terms of price, quality or experience will need to become more attractive.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Great season. No advance tickets-i remember being at the ground at 130 to get a place on the bar half way up the East Terrace age 14. That was when watching the Albion started feeling like a religion for me. And we won every week! (At least in my memory).

 

[warsaw]

I disagree, if the proposition is that we will sell out Falmer on a regular basis.

The post-war baby boom produced a very large number of under 40's by the late 70's for whom football was cheap, easily accessed and far less controlled than now.

If we manage to maintain a Championship side and play decentish football, I can see crowds of around 10,000 or so. To push them above them above that IMO the "product" be it terms of price, quality or experience will need to become more attractive.

Can't agree. Those fans are still out there and need to be enticed back. After all, they went to Cardiff. Reading are a classic example of how a new stadium can boost attendances. They used to get 3000 when we played them 20 years ago

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Football was a game aimed at the working class masses back then and was relatively affordable for everyone.

Now it is aimed at the more affluent middle class who, lets be honest, in the main are attracted to the more consumer friendly Premiership. Hence the big boys enjoying a boom time while small clubs struggle to make ends meet.

If we get Falmer I would be very surprised to see it filled regularly for a long time - until we have effectively won back the generations of supporters which have passed us by.

Even then, anything but a top eight place in the Championship won't fill Falmer - especially with a likely increase in cost.

 

[Slough Seagull]

Can't agree. Those fans are still out there and need to be enticed back. After all, they went to Cardiff. Reading are a classic example of how a new stadium can boost attendances. They used to get 3000 when we played them 20 years ago

15,000 glory hunters who will soon f*** off if Reading tumble down the leagues again.

 

[warsaw]

Promotion this season or next is vital so that we can start to pull in kids who currently follow the Premiership teams, and those lapsed fans. It's all about momentum and the Board should be congratulated for the new season ticket incentives.

 

[warsaw]

15,000 glory hunters who will soon f*** off if Reading tumble down the leagues again.

That's true

 

[Skint Gull]

15,000 glory hunters who will soon f*** off if Reading tumble down the leagues again.

But lets be fair about this, there's probably only 4 or 5 clubs in the whole country who would still fill their stadiums in the Championship!

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

There are more distractions now. back in those days it was football on a Saturday and even my Mrs wouldn't dare to suggest anything else.

I hope, with falmer, the club fully explore a wide range of ticket prices. sure there will be nice areas (most of the ground) where prices will no doubt be high, but there'll also be places where they can be 'affordable'.

Mind you, i'd be more confident of such a policy if the club would have taken up the oft muted suggestion of charging £15.00 for the East Stand at Withdean.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Football was a game aimed at the working class masses back the

Was it bollox.

There was virtually no live footie on the telly, we were about to be promoted to the top tier for the first time, little else to do.

Will never be the same as long as everyone can get (good) quality football on TV virtually every night of the week and now that society have changed.

It's not down to the working man deserting the game.

 

[Jamon Jamon]

Was it bollox.

There was virtually no live footie on the telly, we were about to be promoted to the top tier for the first time, little else to do.

we didn't get promoted that year though, the following year when we did attendances were slightly down, I remember one week in 1978 on the tuesday we got 31,500 (v Charlton I think) and on the saturday we got 33,500 v Blackpool, oh happy days

'

 

[Brovion]

1977/78 was the only season in our history where the average attendance exceeded the proposed Falmer capacity. I too believe we will struggle to fill it except for the odd season when we're doing well.

Warsaw makes a good point when he says that these new or revamped stadiums attract a lot of new fans: Newcastle's attendance is about three times bigger than it was in the 70s/80s. However Richie also makes a good point when he says this interest is mainly concentrated in the Premiership - and really only at the top end. If you watch the league round-up on Sky then at ground after ground all you can see are acres of empty seats. That includes places like Wigan.






PS - They were GREAT days and the only advantage in being an old bastard now is that I was in my early 20s during the greatest era in the club's history.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Was it bollox.

There was virtually no live footie on the telly, we were about to be promoted to the top tier for the first time, little else to do.

Will never be the same as long as everyone can get (good) quality football on TV virtually every night of the week and now that society have changed.

It's not down to the working man deserting the game.

everyone can get good quality football on TV ,is that guaranteed ? er i don't think so , TO MANY PLASTIC, COUCH POTATOE "FOOTBALL FANS" AROUND FOR MY LIKING

 

[Uter]

1977/78 was the only season in our history where the average attendance exceeded the proposed Falmer capacity. I too believe we will struggle to fill it except for the odd season when we're doing well.

Warsaw makes a good point when he says that these new or revamped stadiums attract a lot of new fans: Newcastle's attendance is about three times bigger than it was in the 70s/80s. However Richie also makes a good point when he says this interest is mainly concentrated in the Premiership - and really only at the top end. If you watch the league round-up on Sky then at ground after ground all you can see are acres of empty seats. That includes places like Wigan.

I don't think you are quite correct. From memory I'm pretty sure we averaged over 24,000 in 79/80. I think we also averaged over 20,000 in 58/59, 76/77 and 78/79. Happy days!