Will the fans turn up at Falmer?

[West Hoathly Seagull]

One thing I hope if we are successful in filling Falmer is that our away attendances will not suffer, with those who only go to away games thinking that having a decent ground means they do not need to go away any more. I remember playing Wigan in the season Lloyd got us promoted back to the old Division Two (I think both teams were going after promotion) and Wigan brought down a fairly decent following; certainly the North East corner wasn't empty. This season they struggled to fill Burnley's away end, which only holds 2000 and is a derby match for them. Fulham used to have a decent away following, and when they beat us in the FA Cup under Micky Adams, they filled the away terrace and made a fair old racket. Recently they have had some pathetic away followings (247 at Southampton a couple of years ago, and 289 against Wigan this season). Both sides are as high up as they have been for a long time, Fulham for many years and Wigan as high as they have ever been.

 

[trueblue]

And how long it takes to get away from Falmer after the match. Eventually got a train from Whitton on Saturday a couple of minutes before 6pm, if Falmer is the same, I think a few won't bother.

Blimey. I went to Whitton too and was on the 1730 out of New Street. That was delayed but the journey from Villa Park was a breeze.

 

[sir albion]

Historically we are a fair bit bigger than the readings etc etc yet people blab on as if we seriously struggle to get 12-13k etc:US:

Christ you lot are in for a big big shock as i predict bloody good crowds of 18-20k to start

season tickets 8-10k
randoms 5-7k
away fans galore due to a super stadium and city

People are so negative because our current position and stadium but that doesn't tell you anything.Im 99% sure we will have an amazing demand for tickets that most on here will be gobsmacked.

Mark my words

 

[dolphin123]

Historically we are a fair bit bigger than the readings etc etc yet people blab on as if we seriously struggle to get 12-13k etc:US:

Christ you lot are in for a big big shock as i predict bloody good crowds of 18-20k to start

season tickets 8-10k
randoms 5-7k
away fans galore due to a super stadium and city

People are so negative because our current position and stadium but that doesn't tell you anything.Im 99% sure we will have an amazing demand for tickets that most on here will be gobsmacked.

Mark my words

Spot on.

 

[algie]

Historically we are a fair bit bigger than the readings etc etc yet people blab on as if we seriously struggle to get 12-13k etc:US:

Christ you lot are in for a big big shock as i predict bloody good crowds of 18-20k to start

season tickets 8-10k
randoms 5-7k
away fans galore due to a super stadium and city

People are so negative because our current position and stadium but that doesn't tell you anything.Im 99% sure we will have an amazing demand for tickets that most on here will be gobsmacked.

Mark my words

First decent post on this thread.

 

[Notters]

Loving the confidence of the above posters

 

[Whitterz]

If the ticket prices are reasobable, we are playing good football, and in the Championship. Then I would expect 15-18k average. 20+ big games. No reason why not.

 

[sir albion]

How many people wanted tickets when we move to withdean for the first few years?Yeah way above 15k and over 20k at times

Yet many presume we will get less of a demand at falmer

It won't be long before we get a binfest of people demanding tickets for falmer

 

[Hunting 784561]

Historically we are a fair bit bigger than the readings etc etc yet people blab on as if we seriously struggle to get 12-13k etc:US:

Christ you lot are in for a big big shock as i predict bloody good crowds of 18-20k to start

season tickets 8-10k
randoms 5-7k
away fans galore due to a super stadium and city

People are so negative because our current position and stadium but that doesn't tell you anything.Im 99% sure we will have an amazing demand for tickets that most on here will be gobsmacked.

Mark my words

Spot on.

We will be starting from a much higher historical fan base than Reading ever could, so should be getting 15k if playing averagly, and into the 20s if all going well.

we are potentially a MUCH bigger club

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Historically we are a fair bit bigger than the readings etc etc yet people blab on as if we seriously struggle to get 12-13k etc:US:

Christ you lot are in for a big big shock as i predict bloody good crowds of 18-20k to start

season tickets 8-10k
randoms 5-7k
away fans galore due to a super stadium and city

People are so negative because our current position and stadium but that doesn't tell you anything.Im 99% sure we will have an amazing demand for tickets that most on here will be gobsmacked.

Mark my words

Of course i hope you are right, but i seem to remember our attendances struggling to make 10k in the 90's at the goldstone i have no stats - has my memory let me down?

 

[SI 4 BHA]

If the ticket prices are reasobable, we are playing good football, and in the Championship. Then I would expect 15-18k average. 20+ big games. No reason why not.

That's a lot of things to get right, but not impossible. However, history doesn't really support crowds of that size. Our best average attendance in the last 25 years was 1983/84, 12,286 and that was the first year after the FA cup final and our return to the old 2nd division. After promotion from the 3rd division in in 1988, the average home attendance back in the 2nd division was just 9,039 for 1988/89! For the play off final year of 90/91, the average was just 8,386!

 

[BlueLloyd]

I am a Cardiff fans as some people now know on here! Since moving from Ninian Park (shithole) where we was averaging crowds of 17-18,000 we are now getting crowds of 24,000 since the move to our new stadium. SO me thinking the move from your ground (shithole) will bring all the old fans out of the closet! You will also find that more away fans will come because it is a new stadium. One thing you will have to put up with is having cards which you have to swipe in to get inside the ground ( for st holders and members) and also a raise in ticket prices!!

 

[BlueLloyd]

Spot on.

We will be starting from a much higher historical fan base than Reading ever could, so should be getting 15k if playing averagly, and into the 20s if all going well.

we are potentially a MUCH bigger club

You a much bigger club than Reading and because you are a seaside resort this will bring more away fans also!! People will go for the weekend! Same at Cardiff more and more going for the weekend because Cardiff is such a nice city.

 

[BlueLloyd]

One thing I hope if we are successful in filling Falmer is that our away attendances will not suffer, with those who only go to away games thinking that having a decent ground means they do not need to go away any more. I remember playing Wigan in the season Lloyd got us promoted back to the old Division Two (I think both teams were going after promotion) and Wigan brought down a fairly decent following; certainly the North East corner wasn't empty. This season they struggled to fill Burnley's away end, which only holds 2000 and is a derby match for them. Fulham used to have a decent away following, and when they beat us in the FA Cup under Micky Adams, they filled the away terrace and made a fair old racket. Recently they have had some pathetic away followings (247 at Southampton a couple of years ago, and 289 against Wigan this season). Both sides are as high up as they have been for a long time, Fulham for many years and Wigan as high as they have ever been.

Wigan are a tiny club! They cant even sell out at places like Man u and Arsenal. They punching way above their weight in the premier league!

 

[BensGrandad]

I think that initially we will get crowds of about 15k. If we are doing well that will stay as a steady crowd changed according to the opposition and the fans they bring but if the team is not peforming to expectations we will be getting about 10k. Obviously glory games against Prem sides in the cup etc will bring out the true fans and fill the ground.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I think people underestimate how a decade at Withdean has affected many previously hardcore supporters... it's cold (and often wet), has no atmosphere & is generally a shit matchday experience. For example, when I come back I never go to Withdean as I want to enjoy my annual game. That will change with Falmer. Many people who used to love the Goldstone have stopped going to Withdean as it's awful.

I also think more parents will bring their kids as the experience will be much better. I think we'll average between 12k & 15k once the initial excitement wears off. The first few games will bring between 18k & a sell-out.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Viewing attendance trends back to the 60's shows, our best times, are not surprisingly, the period 76 to 83. Since then we slowly declined until we exited the Goldstone. Now its obvious why this happened, crap football as well as the obvious.

The Gillingham years proved one thing, we had and still have a strong following (albeit small) that will continue to follow through a period which the vast majority of clubs would have disappeared.

Then to Withdean, and what. Again though having to sit in shit conditions, at times dismal football we have been supported by above average gates for the divisions we've competed in apart from the Championship.

Nationally the 80's show a decline in average trends over this period for all divisions. But since then has increased by as much as 50% since the early 90's. . Factors for this include the recession in the 80's, football violence, ban from Europe Comp.s, England crap etc. However come the 90's, all seaters, collapse of Italian money and Sky's involvement meant the best foreign players suddenly coming here as opposed to ours going there. Violence declined. Even better pitch technology helped in making the football better. Football has re-generated. To be honest if this re-generation had not have happened I fear we would not have had a club to follow anymore, it has kept us going.

This gets me onto my main point. Since our decline in the 80’s many people have stopped coming (I myself can think of many who used be season ticket holders). My reasoning suggests these people are now nearing if not reached retirement and are unlikely to begin coming regularly again. However to counter this I believe these people have left some sort of legacy and that is me and my ilk. Forty somethinks who now have kids of their own. I have 2 kids and 3 step-kids and my eldest has been coming since she was 5 and is now 18. My step son also 18 has started coming and my youngest (8 years old) has been coming for the last 2 years. We have 3 st’s between us. Now many parents my age still find it hard to bring their kids due to current facilities. I myself have left early a couple of times due to my lad being cold, wet and the football awful.

Falmer changes this so dramatically. From Saturday it was plain to see, families going to support us. Many of them would have never or hardly ever visited Withdean. A day like that captures the imagination and soon we too will have a ground that will generate and captivate such an imagination and expectation. My lad, who’s been to about 6 away grounds was still agog at Aston Villa. That is why we will fill Falmer and that is why the futures bright-on.

Vote for the blue’n’white corner (sorry listening to Argumental!)

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

For the play off final year of 90/91, the average was just 8,386!

I find that very hard to believe. I thought we always got over 10k at the Goldstone at that time

 

[Brovion]

This is the umpteenth thread we've had on the subject and I'm sure there will be umpteen more. I must admit I've given up worrying and speculating. Even with all the best planning I'm sure there will be pinch points and teething troubles over ticketing and transport but we (us and the club) will have to cross those bridges when we come to them.

I'm just really really looking forward to it - problems and all.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

That's a lot of things to get right, but not impossible. However, history doesn't really support crowds of that size. Our best average attendance in the last 25 years was 1983/84, 12,286 and that was the first year after the FA cup final and our return to the old 2nd division. After promotion from the 3rd division in in 1988, the average home attendance back in the 2nd division was just 9,039 for 1988/89! For the play off final year of 90/91, the average was just 8,386!

These are the sort of figures i remember, so if we want to fill it on a regular basis we must get it affordable to the masses firstly to bring back our fanbase on a regular matches not just for the Play off's/West Ham / Spurs/ Villa Part timers.

Like i have said before i believe the full houses will soon fizzle out if we over price the div we are in, i am very aware that we need to make maximium cash as poss but firstly we need the stadium as full as poss.

Let's get those season ticket holder prices right so we can have 15000 ish holders.