Reading pretendance

[Gilliver's Travels]

I never really get the fuss that this causes. So the club announce number of tickets sold rather than bums on seats. Whoppy-do

Fine. If the club can't bear to reveal how few have actually bothered to turn up, why announce any figure at all?

But if some kind of attendance announcement is demanded, which of those two options do you imagine might be most relevant and of greatest interest to the people who are actually in the stadium? [Hint: "attendance" means people who are there, or "attending"]

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Boxing Day crowds are traditionally bigger than those for an average game - for example the 5,000 who showed up today to watch Newport County play Plymouth (with the alternative local attraction being the traditional Boxing Day rugby match at Cardiff Arms Park, only 12 miles away, between Cardiff Blues and Newport Gwent Dragons - which was a sell-out).

Seeing the vast array of empty seats this afternoon confirms to me that the Albion have something to worry about.

 

[Eeyore]

I reckoned about 60% of seats taken. Whatever that works out to be.

 

[HantsSeagull]

between 17and 18k

 

[Bombadier Botty]

Boxing Day crowds are traditionally bigger than those for an average game

Seeing the vast array of empty seats this afternoon confirms to me that the Albion have something to worry about.

I thought quite the opposite (and I'm usually a pessimist). For me it was a healthy crowd on a shit weather day for a rudderless team in free fall against not exactly high profile opposition when it was easier to stay in the warm, eat turkey sarnies and watch the Wizard of Oz.

 

[Giraffe]

19,500 or something close to that as a steward told me.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

About 19K.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Boxing Day crowds are traditionally bigger than those for an average game - for example the 5,000 who showed up today to watch Newport County play Plymouth (with the alternative local attraction being the traditional Boxing Day rugby match at Cardiff Arms Park, only 12 miles away, between Cardiff Blues and Newport Gwent Dragons - which was a sell-out).

Seeing the vast array of empty seats this afternoon confirms to me that the Albion have something to worry about.

Boxing Day traditionally sees increased crowds at grounds where there is no perceived transport problem. Albion cancelling the game 2 years back, and well publicised expectations on NSC of transport chaos will have done much to limit today's attendance.

Most of the ground looked 60/70% full, now take out the closed areas (NW middle shelf, no mans land away end, south end of east stand etc etc), my best guess is 17k, crap really.

 

[wigman]

26,173.

What did you think it was?

I am more concerned about our league position than guessing the size of the crowd.

 

[Hillian1]

Me plus some others.

 

[sir albion]

Boxing Day crowds are traditionally bigger than those for an average game - for example the 5,000 who showed up today to watch Newport County play Plymouth (with the alternative local attraction being the traditional Boxing Day rugby match at Cardiff Arms Park, only 12 miles away, between Cardiff Blues and Newport Gwent Dragons - which was a sell-out).

Seeing the vast array of empty seats this afternoon confirms to me that the Albion have something to worry about.

What you expecting 25/30k for a side 2nd from bottom with 1 win in 19 games?

 

[catfish]

I've noticed that against Milwall and today when the real crowd was somewhere between 5-10000 below the official number they didn't announce it during the game
but waited until almost everbody had dispersed before giving it.

 

[Lower West Stander]

I never really get the fuss that this causes. So the club announce number of tickets sold rather than bums on seats. Whoppy-do

If you managed to get through to about the 100th paragraph of one of Barber's diatribes in his programme notes, apparently all clubs do it. He alsp chose to give a potted history of Albion attendances over the years.

Totally misleading in my view. The club must know how many come through the turnstiles cos the cards are swiped through. As another on here said, why bother telling anyone if its the wrong number? Its not an attendance, its the number of people who have bought a seat for the game.

Anyone know how the count the numbers in hospitality boxes? This could make a difference too.

 

[Taybha]

Whatever it was when it gets going the noise is terrific and Reading looked very shakey when the crowd urged the team on , this is not rocket science , the team respond to the crowd and vice versa ,the trick is to get the 2 working together for 90 minutes , for what its worth i reckon just over 20k

 

[clippedgull]

Anyone know how the count the numbers in hospitality boxes? This could make a difference too.

Exactly the same as the rest of the ground. They have to 'touch' in with their cards/tickets.

 

[mothy]

20k easy

 

[Pinkie Brown]

21k ish

 

[Surf's Up]

20k - no more

 

[Bombadier Botty]

Whatever it was when it gets going the noise is terrific and Reading looked very shakey when the crowd urged the team on , this is not rocket science , the team respond to the crowd and vice versa ,the trick is to get the 2 working together for 90 minutes , for what its worth i reckon just over 20k

Moving from near the police box down to the front of the North late in the second half you could really appreciate the 'roar' of the stand as we pressed for a winner. Electrifying it almost was.

 

[Superphil]

Anyone know how the count the numbers in hospitality boxes? This could make a difference too.

14 boxes, 12 to a box, not really going to make that much difference, but, as already said, those in hostility boxes have their cards scanned just the same as everyone else who comes into to the ground. They use the same entrances as the 1901 Club members.

Oops, sorry, there are 18 boxes, forgot the new ones above the south stand, so 216 people in total if they are filled.