Have we delusions of grandeur

[Simster]

they have lost 10,000 in 1 season!

Their stadium holds 24,000 and that was full for the Premiership. The season before their two in the Premiership they averaged 20,207. Last season they averaged 19,936 and this season they are averaging 17,800 (after 3 home games in the midst of a recession). So can you explain what the f*** you're talking about?

Reading were always badly supported until the rise of madjeski

This isn't true either. They were getting average gates of 10,000 in the 3 seasons prior to moving, although one season they finished 2nd in the 2nd division (but didn't get promotion lol). Even in those days, that's much more than Swindon were getting, and indeed Albion (that was the start of our slide almost into oblivion)[/QUOTE]

Swindon are slightly better we average anywhere between 6-10,000, but im not making claims of grandeur. We are in our natural division. occasionally getting in championship.

No, you're not "slightly better" by any yardstick - you need to go back to the early 90s to chuckle at Reading's comedy gates. They really were getting 4-5000 back then, while you were getting about 7,000.

 

[BLOCK F]

If you look at Reading, they were a D4 side attracting crowds of 5000, for most of their history.

A new comfortable and attractive stadium, and plenty of investment from Madjetski along the way has elevated them into a solid championship / premiership club.

That'll be us...

Agreed.We have a huge catchment area and a history of attracting large crowds.....we can do so again.Like Gwylan,about the time I saw my first Albion matches,we won the 4th division championship and the average crowds for the season were circa 18,000 and years later we had 33,000 against Rochdale to clinch promotion from the old 3rd division....great goal by John Templeman!!Yes,I know times have changed,but there is no reason why we cannot at least emulate Reading's achievements.
The crucial point being that we must match our ambitions with success on the field.If we truly want to have a go at the big time,we have to have a programme of sensible investment in class players.For obvious reasons this has been impossible for years,but with Falmer on the horizon that will surely become easier......provided the funds are there.
I am yet to be convinced that R.S.is the man to lead us out of the wilderness.Time will tell, as it will over the signings that he has so far made.How many players in our team are truly Championship class at present...I personally think that a far greater amount of 'poker winnings'than we have already seen, will have to be splashed out if we are to get to the Championship by the time we get Falmer.
IMHO,free transfers from other clubs with the odd cheap signing ain't going to do the trick!!

 

[shoreham moonraker]

They were getting 4-5000 for their entire history until a few years ago is what i was getting at.

Their first 2 home fixtures this season were against forest and sheffield united, both of whom have impressive away followings. Donny on saturday, i imagine the attendance will be down to 11-12,000 thats a plummet, but we shall see.

 

[BLOCK F]

Division 3 League Game
1976

BHAFC V Rochdale
33,400

I think we have had in relation to catchment area the higgest crowds in the country many times. We got 20000 - 30000 for most matches we played at home between 1976 and 1983.

Think this game was 1972,wasn't it?or does the passage of time deceive me?

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

My mate's a reading fan. By fan I mean he's from reading, played for their youth teams up tp the age of 18 and looks out for their scores. He also 'follows' man utd. He says a lot of reading fans are like him(bar being ex-youth teamers..) in that they would support a prem team and look out for readings results. Then once they became good more and more people started watching them because for the first time the town had a decent side so they didn't have to 'support' prem teams. He reckons that a lot of people who bought season tickets in the premier league kept theirs last year in case they went back up so that they could guarantee a seat back in the premier league. He predicts that over this season and the next if they don't look like getting promoted crowds will drop quite drastically.

 

[Simster]

My mate's a reading fan. By fan I mean he's from reading, played for their youth teams up tp the age of 18 and looks out for their scores. He also 'follows' man utd. He says a lot of reading fans are like him(bar being ex-youth teamers..) in that they would support a prem team and look out for readings results. Then once they became good more and more people started watching them because for the first time the town had a decent side so they didn't have to 'support' prem teams. He reckons that a lot of people who bought season tickets in the premier league kept theirs last year in case they went back up so that they could guarantee a seat back in the premier league. He predicts that over this season and the next if they don't look like getting promoted crowds will drop quite drastically.

Yes, and not dissimilar to us in the 70s and 80s really. And look at the number of people on NSC who support big clubs but also go to Albion games.

For what it's worth, I think he's wrong. Those people who started going to Reading a decade ago were taking their kids. Those kids are growing up and will have money of their own to spend soon. I bet Doncaster at home pulls in 16,000 - still 2.5 times what Albion and Swindon manage.

 

[Simon Morgan]

I think almost EVERY football club has delusions of grandeur

 

[coventrygull]

When US talks of Crowds of 30,000. We are talking of a different age. Where the only way you got your footie fix was to go to a game. Now with football on the TV. People are now supporting clubs in the premiership especially the big 4. I have noticed an increase in the number of people supporting the big 4 rather than their local side. Their have been complaints from the Coventry players that when they play at the Ricoh they are playing in a half empty stadium.

The Albion over the years have lost a generation of fans. Even before the end of the Goldstone crowds had dropped. Will they come back?

We do have the potential to be a big club once Falmer is built but I am concerned that a lot of people on here think that is all we need. Many clubs have had new grounds and nothing has changed for them.

 

[Simster]

Their have been complaints from the Coventry players that when they play at the Ricoh they are playing in a half empty stadium.

Coventry are mediocre and still getting 17,000 or so.

They would do well to remember that the season Coventry finished 7th and got to the cup final (1986/7) they opened their season at home to Arsenal - only 10,200 turned up...

 

[coventrygull]

Coventry are mediocre and still getting 17,000 or so.

They would do well to remember that the season Coventry finished 7th and got to the cup final (1986/7) they opened their season at home to Arsenal - only 10,200 turned up...

But with the new stadium. They hoped to bring in larger crowds. This hasn't happened. I think all clubs were getting small crowds in 86/87

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Yes, and not dissimilar to us in the 70s and 80s really. And look at the number of people on NSC who support big clubs but also go to Albion games.

For what it's worth, I think he's wrong. Those people who started going to Reading a decade ago were taking their kids. Those kids are growing up and will have money of their own to spend soon. I bet Doncaster at home pulls in 16,000 - still 2.5 times what Albion and Swindon manage.

I can't comment on our 70's and 80's crowds as I didn't go to my first game until 88 and then I was only 8. I think without doubt it's what will happen when we get falmer and if we start playing well. There are loads of people who either support Brighton and a.n.other or vice versa, and the vast majority of them don't bother going to withdean. Once we get Falmer and so long as the quality of football isn't dire I reckon we'll be able to double our current gates fairly easily. Then, if we can emulate reading and be in with a shout of promotion we'll have exactly the same scenario of 20,000 gates where ten years previously we would have been lucky to get a third of that.

My post wasn't really designed to praise or denigrate Reading, more to offer a Reading fans view and to suggest to those who wonder/worry about such things where all the extra Albion fans will come from.

We'll have to wait and see whether his prediction regarding crowd figures will come true or not.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Sorry cheeky Monkey, I shall post no more

 

[Notters]

Division 3 League Game
1976

BHAFC V Rochdale
33,400

I think we have had in relation to catchment area the higgest crowds in the country many times. We got 20000 - 30000 for most matches we played at home between 1976 and 1983.

Surely as our catchment areas is so larger, probably larger than any other team, we actually have VERY small crowds in relation to the catchment area?

 

[Uter]

Thinking about our expectations and looking at other clubs in this division ie Southampton, Norwich, Charlton, Leeds Utd surley we have delusions of grandeur. We have no god given right to be challenging for promotion or let alone signing top quality players. If we sit back and take stock and look at what we have there is nothing that stands out and says LOOK AT US, WE ARE PROMOTION MATERIAL.
No disrespect to Slade, but he is hardly a statement of intent. If we look back at our history we are basically a third division team with reasonable support, Yes we did reach the first division, but through over spending which cost us in the mid/late 80s and some say into the 90s.
Yes we have had big crowds at the Goldstone (RIP) but they were brief, and as soon as they came they in truth vanished again. Dont belive me look at the records. Yes we have had quality players again these have been short lived with no consistency beyond a few seasons.
We do have a new stadium on the way, But will we fill it week in week out. Yes i feel we may attract new supporters,but an extra 10+ thousand im not so sure !
I am a loyal Brighton fan, I have seen the dark days the protests,went to pissfield, and love this club with a passion,before people question loyalty.
What im trying to ask or find out is Where do you think we are heading realistically and can we break our history of being a third division club. Without the Bloom or Bust scenario of many other clubs.

Or just call me a Knob if ya like

For this season I'm certainly not expecting a promotion challenge and I think most supporters are probably equally realistic, especially now given our terrible start.

Once Falmer is built I think we'll certainly have a large rise in crowds, but won't fill it every week unless we somehow achieve Premiership status.

When I first started going regularly in 83/84 we were in the second division and the average crowd for that division was under 10,000. Now the average crowd in the Championship is around 18,000 so moving to Falmer will mean we could at best be an also-ran in that division in terms of attendances.

So long term, I think our natural place will be in the Championship, with occasional forays into the Premiership and League One. I hope this is not having delusions of grandeur...

 

[Uter]

Surely as our catchment areas is so larger, probably larger than any other team, we actually have VERY small crowds in relation to the catchment area?

I agree with this. The population of Sussex is about 1.5 million of whom at least 750,000 probably live with 30-45 minutes of Brighton. Taking this into consideration our support is pretty low. Still, being an optimist, that means there are tens of thousands of potential fans out there.

 

[The Grockle]

I agree with this. The population of Sussex is about 1.5 million of whom at least 750,000 probably live with 30-45 minutes of Brighton. Taking this into consideration our support is pretty low. Still, being an optimist, that means there are tens of thousands of potential fans out there.

Is our support bad though? I mean we rarely get below 5000 in the league and this has been the case for 10 years. How many third division clubs would still get gates like ours in our circumstance, the club have made the most of Withdean but it is an absolute hole that despite it's limitations still has a decent core base of fans.

Not meaning to pick on Swindon but how many Swindon fans would turn up to watch their team at a Withdean style 'Stadium'? I suspect not bloody many, the fact that we still have average support in this division shows our potential imo.

 

[Notters]

Is our support bad though? I mean we rarely get below 5000 in the league and this has been the case for 10 years. How many third division clubs would still get gates like ours in our circumstance, the club have made the most of Withdean but it is an absolute hole that despite it's limitations still has a decent core base of fans.

Not meaning to pick on Swindon but how many Swindon fans would turn up to watch their team at a Withdean style 'Stadium'? I suspect not bloody many, the fact that we still have average support in this division shows our potential imo.

That's a very difficult concept to deal with. I'd go to watch the Albion wherever they played and can't really see what difference the stadium makes (though Falmer will obviously make the whole experience somewhat more enjoyable). It's hard to quantify, though, how many people do avoid the Withdean because it's the Withdean.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I think before this season started we definitely had delusions of grandeur, or at least a lot of misplaced optimism, raised because we had signed 10 new players and a new chairman. A bad start and thats come back to bite many on the arse, hence the general ranting against the manager and players that has typified this board over the last couple of weeks.

 

[Gwylan]

When US talks of Crowds of 30,000. We are talking of a different age. Where the only way you got your footie fix was to go to a game. Now with football on the TV. People are now supporting clubs in the premiership especially the big 4. I have noticed an increase in the number of people supporting the big 4 rather than their local side. Their have been complaints from the Coventry players that when they play at the Ricoh they are playing in a half empty stadium.
.

That's not true though, Football league attendances were up for the fifth season running last year reaching a 50-year high. And that's not the Prem, that's talking football league only.

Football League attendances boom 5th year running

 

[Dave the OAP]

To be fair, I dont really hold truck with this catchment area stuff. Our catchment area is around 250k, however even when we were doing Ok in the first division we didnt sell out many games and since we have been back home, again, we have struggled to fill the stadium at 9k capacity.

Having a spanking new stadium will certainly attract fans( I was talking to a couple of arsenal fans at our cricket who cannot justify the cost of going to London anymore and will probably come along to Falmer). If its easy to get to the stadium, park, buy tickets at a reasonable price( and is easy to do so), easy to get away, then people will come, however if its a hassle people will not.

Brighton folk have fallen out of love with the club and hopefully Falmer will rekindle some of that lost enthusiasm...

I would have thought 12k to 15k is about right for us, depending on the division we are in ( and therefore the visiting fans coming down).

We have never been a "big club" and if you are honest with yourself, the Premiership and the top teams in the Championship are light years away from us floundering at the bottom of the third division. there will be momentum when falmer opens, the trick will be to keep it going