[Albion] New Record 'Attendence' At The Amex Don't Even Warrant Comment Anymore

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

30,682 apparently. Proudly announced over the tannoy.

Time was, that would be considered quite a big deal.

What gives?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I think it's because the word "attendance" doesn't mean how many people attended the game. So nobody gives a shit.

 

[Beanstalk]

It's because every game is a sell out, so it doesn't actually depend on the importance of the game for how high the attendance is. The police risk decides it as they decide on segregation.

 

[father_and_son]

I think it's because the word "attendance" doesn't mean how many people attended the game. So nobody gives a shit.

While we have for a while been announcing our "pretendence", with the ticket exchange working so well I'm not sure that we actually have that large a disparity at the moment.

I listed 2 tickets on friday evening (last minute change of plans) and at the time there were only 5 available around the ground. In seasons past I probably would have spoken to a couple of friends about using our tickets had I known well in advance we couldn't go, but if it got to the night before like this weekend I probably would have just left the seats empty.

I don't think the pretendence is the reason ... its the fact that we sell out Home games so easily and consistently now, nobody expects anything but a sell out.


(I also think that now we have stopped announcing the number of travelling fans, the attendence has a MUCH lower profile as an in-game announcement and/or talking point - gone are the days of endless threads deciding if this was tinpot!)

 

[rippleman]

It's a shame that the design of the Amex doesn't allow for further expansion. If we got to the PL, 30K was always going to be too small. We have got around 7K on the ST waiting list I believe.

In a way I find it frustrating that we could probably sell another 5K - 10K tickets for most matches but as we know, income from ST sales doesn't mean anything to a PL club now. It's all about the telly.

 

[RandyWanger]

I don't like it when they announce the pretendance during the match. Always queue's the away fans 'you only came to see the....' songs.

 

[Normal Rob]

It's a shame that the design of the Amex doesn't allow for further expansion. If we got to the PL, 30K was always going to be too small. We have got around 7K on the ST waiting list I believe.

In a way I find it frustrating that we could probably sell another 5K - 10K tickets for most matches but as we know, income from ST sales doesn't mean anything to a PL club now. It's all about the telly.

Yeah. We need a new ground

 

[Nixonator]

(I also think that now we have stopped announcing the number of travelling fans, the attendence has a MUCH lower profile as an in-game announcement and/or talking point - gone are the days of endless threads deciding if this was tinpot!)

I'd almost forgotten about this. There'd always be one or two tragedies who would rise joyously off their seats, turn towards the south and do their most animated otter impressions so that the 300 pissed up fat blokes from Blackpool felt welcomed whilst they flipped V's at us.

Thank god those times have passed. Could you just imagine that on Saturday after announcing the record attendance? Unbearable.

 

[Hamilton]

I cringe when they announce 'record attendances' now. We've filled the Amex many times before. Why bother saying it at all. It's a bit mickey mouse.

I don't mind them saying the attendance, but I agree - say it after the final whistle and then thank everyone for coming.

 

[studio150]

It just another figure a few hundred over 30,000, I can't really get excited about an increase of 5 (or whatever it was) over the old record and also very much in line with our season average anyway

 

[father_and_son]

It's a shame that the design of the Amex doesn't allow for further expansion. If we got to the PL, 30K was always going to be too small. We have got around 7K on the ST waiting list I believe.

In a way I find it frustrating that we could probably sell another 5K - 10K tickets for most matches but as we know, income from ST sales doesn't mean anything to a PL club now. It's all about the telly.

I think we're better with a ground 5-10k too small, then spunking another £100m (guess) expanding seating, facilities, travel, etc etc and then being 10k short of capacity on a regular basis because we dropped out the PL.

My understanding is that the ground CAN be expanded and it is relatively easy to add extra seats (just a case of adding tiers N/S and raising the roof), but the increase demand in exits/toilets/transportation is the real barrier to further growth.

I also suspect that the 7k on the waiting list wouldn't translate to 7k tickets as there will a number of bronze members on there whose personal circumstances mean they won't buy now but might want the option in the future.

I think 35,000 is realistic at the moment... 25,000 if back in the Championship (but doing well). Not sure the costs stacks up to allow for 35,000, especially, as you say, the real cash comes from TV rather than match day attendence at this level.

 

[Reagulls]

It's a shame that the design of the Amex doesn't allow for further expansion. If we got to the PL, 30K was always going to be too small. We have got around 7K on the ST waiting list I believe.

In a way I find it frustrating that we could probably sell another 5K - 10K tickets for most matches but as we know, income from ST sales doesn't mean anything to a PL club now. It's all about the telly.

We put 6 month old baby Reagull on the waiting list the other day, he's no. 7511 and they reckon they turn over at about 1000 a year so the timing should be good - obviously depending on us staying in the PL...

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

They did actually announce it as the "official attendance" which I think is a change. So not pretending it was the attendance any more.

 

[Notters]

I think it's because the word "attendance" doesn't mean how many people attended the game. So nobody gives a shit.

Indeed. It's a bit like someone saying "I've grown the world's longest marrow.....


...by longest, I mean I have a long garden and that's where I grew it".

 

[Official Old Man]

Where do these extra seats keep coming from. Each game seams to be 30 seats more than the last. Anyone suddenly found a few seats shoved on to the end of their row?
Also, ST's listed for sale, are they counted twice?

 

[Surport Local Team]

I would love to know the total number of tickets sold for the Liverpool match. Wonder if the total was anywhere near 32k

 

[Whitechapel]

The fact we’ve sold out every Prem home game but keep breaking our record attendances just makes me think we were doing a f*cking terrible job with segregation last year.

 

[Perkino]

It's a shame that the design of the Amex doesn't allow for further expansion. If we got to the PL, 30K was always going to be too small. We have got around 7K on the ST waiting list I believe.

In a way I find it frustrating that we could probably sell another 5K - 10K tickets for most matches but as we know, income from ST sales doesn't mean anything to a PL club now. It's all about the telly.

Ticket sales probably only generate less than £20m a year. Any large expansion or additional tiers will cost £10m's and we would have to sell them all for 20+years to even make back the investment.


I'm glad that we are at a stage when Liverpool come to the Amex and when they score only a handful of away fans have weaseled their way into the home areas. The harder it is to get tickets the less this will happen

 

[BNthree]

Where do these extra seats keep coming from. Each game seams to be 30 seats more than the last. Anyone suddenly found a few seats shoved on to the end of their row?
Also, ST's listed for sale, are they counted twice?

There was just 1 column of seats, with stewards sat in, as segregation in the south stand which freed up a few more than usual.

Noticed this morning someone had already edited the Wikipedia page for the Amex to mention this record attendance (I was looking to see what the capacity is).

 

[Surport Local Team]

Would love us to find the room for another 500 seats, just would really love to see our attendance as 31 thou and something!