Interesting Piece on Withdean Crowds in the Argus..

[Fungus]

Me too. We did average 9,000 that season though - third highest in the division (after Sunderland 17k & Bristol City 11k).

However, only 3 years later we were getting shit gates in 1991 for a potential promotion winning season to the Premiership. I think we barely averaged 10,000. How did that happen?

Barry Lloyd?

No-one thought promotion/play-offs possible until the last few games.

 

[Mrs Coach]

I still maintain they could generate a lot more of their own crowds if they tapped into the local junior football clubs - I got 110 of my junior club going just by putting on a couple of coaches and getting a discount price on the tickets - and because I invited the chairman of our nearest rivals to join us, he put on a similar trip for his club last week, taking 120 to the family stand! - considering there are HUNDREDS of junior clubs over Sussex, just getting someone to organise it within their club could hike numbers massively.
Sorry to all the adults who have to sit behind kids munching endless chips and swilling coke though! Most of them are alright!

Mrs Coach.

 

[Lander]

I\'m thinking an even lower attendance sunday, o well i shall be there

EAST STAND MASSIV\'

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I love Albion with all my heart, have done for 32 years but I HATE WITHDEAN, I have brought 2 season tickets for 8 seasons at Withdean but I hate every home game and I am afraid to say I almost dread the date in the diary when I am obliged to go and watch Brighton at Withdean.

The fact we were meant to be challenging and be one of the major forces in the 3rd division and we made an almighty managerial feck up by sacking McGhee and then compounded that ricket by installing a guy who only managed 15 year old boys with the obviously result of defeat after defeat does not help.

Also I am SICK AND TIRED of Falmer, even if Kelly says yes you can bet your last penny LDC will want a judicial appeal and string it out for another couple of years. The fans can see no end in sight to the misery and any other club without 4000 fans who would do anything for the club and a superb Chairman in Dick Knight ( McGhee ricket aside ) would have folded years ago.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I still maintain they could generate a lot more of their own crowds if they tapped into the local junior football clubs - I got 110 of my junior club going just by putting on a couple of coaches and getting a discount price on the tickets - and because I invited the chairman of our nearest rivals to join us, he put on a similar trip for his club last week, taking 120 to the family stand! - considering there are HUNDREDS of junior clubs over Sussex, just getting someone to organise it within their club could hike numbers massively.
Sorry to all the adults who have to sit behind kids munching endless chips and swilling coke though! Most of them are alright!

Mrs Coach.

That is fantastic Mrs C. Have you been in direct contact with the club about attacking this market head on?

 

[British Bulldog]

I still maintain they could generate a lot more of their own crowds if they tapped into the local junior football clubs - I got 110 of my junior club going just by putting on a couple of coaches and getting a discount price on the tickets - and because I invited the chairman of our nearest rivals to join us, he put on a similar trip for his club last week, taking 120 to the family stand! - considering there are HUNDREDS of junior clubs over Sussex, just getting someone to organise it within their club could hike numbers massively.
Sorry to all the adults who have to sit behind kids munching endless chips and swilling coke though! Most of them are alright!

Mrs Coach.

Thats the sort of iniative thats needed!

You'd think that as the club rely so much on youth for the first team they would be able to identify more with local youth football clubs. I know it sounds daft but to pay £24.50 to go to the Withdean on my own seems expensive, But £28 for me and little Bulldog to watch the same match suddenly represents good value.

 

[Brovion]

Experience says differently though. When we were in the old First division and not winni ng every game we struggled to get 20-25,000 in a ground that held around 36,000. We had bigger crowds in the old 2nd division when we were chasing promotion and winning games. Most fairweather fans only care about results, if we're winning games they will come, lose a few and they stay at home. If we manage to get a good run going and look like promotion even the Withdean will be full. Basicly Albion fans are just a bunch of glory hunters, as shown by the 30,000 that went to Cardiff.

That is SO true. Back in the early 1980s after a few years in the top division the novelty had worn off and crowds dwindled to about HALF what they had been when we were in the second divison! The reason? Albion were no longer steamrollering sides, we were struggling to avoid relegation each year and so the football became more pragmatic, i.e. 'boring'. The Sussex public decided it would rather watch us thumping the likes of Mansfield or Walsall as opposed to struggling against Everton or Wolves - or Middlesborough.

Naylor's 'Middlesborough' analysis is consequently 100% accurate. High in League One = High crowds. Struggling in Championship = Low crowds. Unfortunately struggling in League One = VERY low crowds!

 

[Guinness Boy]

I love Albion with all my heart, have done for 32 years but I HATE WITHDEAN, I have brought 2 season tickets for 8 seasons at Withdean but I hate every home game and I am afraid to say I almost dread the date in the diary when I am obliged to go and watch Brighton at Withdean.

The fact we were meant to be challenging and be one of the major forces in the 3rd division and we made an almighty managerial feck up by sacking McGhee and then compounded that ricket by installing a guy who only managed 15 year old boys with the obviously result of defeat after defeat does not help.

Also I am SICK AND TIRED of Falmer, even if Kelly says yes you can bet your last penny LDC will want a judicial appeal and string it out for another couple of years. The fans can see no end in sight to the misery and any other club without 4000 fans who would do anything for the club and a superb Chairman in Dick Knight ( McGhee ricket aside ) would have folded years ago.

Christ - you could crowbar a McGhee reference in to a thread about jam couldn't you

 

[n1 gull]

The fact we were meant to be challenging and be one of the major forces in the 3rd division and we made an almighty managerial feck up by sacking McGhee and then compounded that ricket by installing a guy who only managed 15 year old boys with the obviously result of defeat after defeat does not help.

ffs I thought we had moved on from the McGhee debate? Did you watch CKR play the other night for Sheffield Utd, what did you think? Too good for our division...?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Unfortunately struggling in League One = VERY low crowds!

What about struggling in div 4

If we go down I doubt we would get more than 2500 sth

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Thats the sort of iniative thats needed!

You'd think that as the club rely so much on youth for the first team they would be able to identify more with local youth football clubs. I know it sounds daft but to pay £24.50 to go to the Withdean on my own seems expensive, But £28 for me and little Bulldog to watch the same match suddenly represents good value.

I agree totally, and have taken the oldest along a few times, fro a couple of quid more than a single adult ticket. However, if I want to bring his younger brother too, it will cost me an extra £14.

I would like to take him too, but he's only 5 and won't really watch the game, so another £14 is too much at the moment. Next year maybe.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Naylor's 'Middlesborough' analysis is consequently 100% accurate. High in League One = High crowds. Struggling in Championship = Low crowds. Unfortunately struggling in League One = VERY low crowds!

Some sad fucks around tho, if it's just about winning ANY OLD THING. Why not go the whole hog, drop out the league completely and win the Conference at a canter? The happy-clappy crowds would come flocking back to see a winnig side. Or get to the Johnston's Piss Pot Final so 30,000 people can bang on for the next five years about the LOVELY day out at Wembley.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Unfortunately struggling in League One = VERY low crowds!

What about struggling in div 4

If we go down I doubt we would get more than 2500 sth

But if we started winning again, and were in a battle for promotion, not relegation, there would be lots more people willing to pay the money to see games each week, even if Season tickets were down.

That said, if there's another 'neccessary' rise in ticket prices, it's not very likely.

 

[Mrs Coach]

Just taking baby coach to the hospital for an appt. will be able to reply later! bye!!!!

Mrs C. xx

 

[Dave the OAP]

It will be interesting to see how many season ticket holders will hold off next year...if the club are selling seats at lower prices, one could argue that there is no point in buying a season ticket and paying over the odds if people are paying say £15 a game.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Naylor's 'Middlesborough' analysis is consequently 100% accurate.

There is obviously some truth in the statement that fans are attracted to a winning team but I don't think the "Middlesborough analysis" is 100% accurate...

Assuming 22,000 capacity we would get something around 12,000 to watch us play Mansfield on an imaginary Saturday January 19th while near the top of Div 1...

An imaginary Saturday January 19th with us in the lower reaches of the Premiership and Middlesborough coming to town would see a crowd of at least 17,000... the majority of teams in the Prem would sell out regardless of our league position

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It will be interesting to see how many season ticket holders will hold off next year...if the club are selling seats at lower prices, one could argue that there is no point in buying a season ticket and paying over the odds if people are paying say £15 a game.

Plus, a serious downside to having a season ticket nowadays is that the tickets have next to no sell-on value. I've missed three or four matches this season for various reasons and in most cases have just given the tickets away. Very little chance of getting cost price for them anymore

 

[British Bulldog]

I agree totally, and have taken the oldest along a few times, fro a couple of quid more than a single adult ticket. However, if I want to bring his younger brother too, it will cost me an extra £14.

I would like to take him too, but he's only 5 and won't really watch the game, so another £14 is too much at the moment. Next year maybe.

Out of a point of interest if the club charged £28 for an adult & child and £5 extra for each additional child you take would that make you more tempted to take the littl'un? It would tempt me to treat one of little Bulldog's mates every time we go for that price.

 

[Titanic]

The only reason for buying a season ticket in recent years has been to guarantee getting into games - as there has been little financial incentive to cough up early.

If there are consistently empty seats, and we remain in League 1 / Division 3 then I suspect more people will be tempted to pick and chose rather than commit to a season ticket next season.

As most clubs in the lower leagues, with big grounds, they have to discount the season ticket substantially to make it attractive. What a sad state of affairs if we find ourselves in that position with capacity at under 9000.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Plus, a serious downside to having a season ticket nowadays is that the tickets have next to no sell-on value. I've missed three or four matches this season for various reasons and in most cases have just given the tickets away. Very little chance of getting cost price for them anymore

yup I agree with that