Time to Stop These Absurd Pretendances – Now!

[Freddie Goodwin.]

There was a match last season, I think it was Leicester v Hull, which was shown live on Sky and there was some appalling weather as well as a dip in the home teams form. The crowd was embarrassingly low, maybe 8-11k.

It wouldn't be that far fetched for a similar scenario to affect us so how stupid would it seem to have a 25+k crowd annonced when it would be obvious to all watching that the ground would be half empty.

 

[somerset]

So what figure would you put on it then Mr Sensible?

Exactly what they do,... the number of tickets sold.

 

[Titanic]

So, supposing we are bottom in April, and the Amex is half full. How is reading out an "official attendance" of 25,000 going to sound then?

Neither of those is going to happen, is it? But if they did, it would be no more or less meaningful than it is now. It would still mean that 25,000 had paid for a ticket.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Simple. Historically, crowds at football matches have always been reported, as one of the game's essential statistics. If these are now to be lost in a web of distortion and manipulation, this will be yet another indication of how money, rather than people, is all that matters in the modern game.

How do you know any of the historical figures are accurate. An extremely unreliable stat at best I would have thought. Rough guide only.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

So, supposing we are bottom in April, and the Amex is half full. How is reading out an "official attendance" of 25,000 going to sound then?

No different to Birmingham announcing a 14k crowd last week when there was only about 9-10k in the ground.

 

[Justice]

Exactly what they do,... the number of tickets sold.

Look again at my original post as you clearly did not understand it the first time.

 

[The Andy Naylor Fan Club]

It is a little misleading though. Fair enough if the club want to give out figures then perhaps they should say
" Today's match tickets sold" instead of " Today's attendance" as attendance by definition is being present at a place or event.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Which is of far greater importance to the club than the actual number using those tickets.

My brother and I felt a little like 'Billy no Mates' yesterday - empty seats either side of us and empty in front and behind us!! Not seen that many empty seats around us since the Amex opened!

I was looking around the Amex yesterday and trying to ' guestimate ' the actual crowd. I reckon it was about 75% full and so on that basis we are looking at approx 23,000.
Our total of ST holders and 1901 is about 23k, so if the club announced 26k yesterday, then that means 600 from Burnley and approx 2500 matchday sales.
About 15% of ST holders failed to show yesterday.

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

Neither of those is going to happen, is it? But if they did, it would be no more or less meaningful than it is now. It would still mean that 25,000 had paid for a ticket.

Okay, let's have another go at this. Surely most fans see football essentially as a shared, community experience, built entirely on the number of people actually present. That single figure is absolutely central to the atmosphere created. The number of people who may have paid but decided not to turn up is nothing but a sideshow.

Quote both figures if you want, but the one that matters most at the game – especially in terms of motivating the team and affecting the result – is the size of the crowd.

 

[Frutos]

What are 'pretendances'?

Is it like a non-existent discotheque?

 

[glasfryn]

When the 26,000 "official attendance" figure was announced yesterday, any of the usual polite clapping in the East stand was drowned out immediately by loud, raucous laughter.

What's wrong with the truth? Has the Amex been transported to North Korea? I half expected to see a giant picture of the Dear Leader, Kim Il Bloom, made up of a card display from the West Stand Upper. Followed by PA assurances that there had in fact been no rain, the Amex sky was blue and the Albion had won the Champions League.

This has got beyond a joke. Doesn't matter whether other clubs do it. Leave the accountants to worry about ticket revenue. The fans are only going to be interested in one figure: how big is today's crowd?

Oi you pinching my words
I said this about the clackers
and it does matter what the truth of how many are actually there
its a matter of that old word TRUST

 

[dougdeep]

I doubt he did really you boring *******, it's more a play on the words pretend and attendance.

but that would take a bit of intelligence to work out.

It was just a question, calm down Gladys.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

About 15% of ST holders failed to show yesterday.

Maybe.

It's the school holidays. It's holiday time for families. It's not a mass boycott of games, in protest at failing to win at Leeds. And it's nigh on impossible to sell a spare ticket through any sort of ticket exchange scheme.

 

[Official Old Man]

The gate is number of tickets sold including STH's who stay at home or, god forbid, organise a holiday in the footy season.
How many times in the 'old' days did we go to the Goldstone, squeeze in to a packed stand only to be given a 25,000 gate.

 

[brightn'ove]

26.000 seemed about right to me south stand holds around 5000(?) and was pretty empty but had probably around 1,000 in it scattered.

 

[bennibenj]

I really think some sad people need to get a bloody life.

Who cares? Tickets have been sold, some go some don't, worry about yourself!!! Aslong as we are making progress on the pitch - WHO GIVES A FLYING?

 

[knocky1]

What are 'pretendances'?

Is it like a non-existent discotheque?

No. It's a tweenies disco.
I wish I had made up pretendances, it's gone down rather well.

 

[knocky1]

....and this is one of the bitterest threads since Easter. It's great when you are not involved.

 

[Grassman]

I remember how concerned my old man was about historical accuracy of the gate at The Goldstone, every time he lifted me over the turnstiles in the mid to late 70s. "We're cheating history, Son" he said, with a tear in his eye. "25,275 my arse" he would utter later, as he read the write-up in the Argus, "how little they know, how little they know...", I used to go to bed with a heavy heart and swore that one day the truth would be revealed. Anyone got Simon Schama's number? Or should I just give Tim Carder a bell?

 

[glasfryn]

I was looking around the Amex yesterday and trying to ' guestimate ' the actual crowd. I reckon it was about 75% full and so on that basis we are looking at approx 23,000.
Our total of ST holders and 1901 is about 23k, so if the club announced 26k yesterday, then that means 600 from Burnley and approx 2500 matchday sales.
About 15% of ST holders failed to show yesterday.

strange the commentary team mentioned 23k............then shut up