Poor crowds

[oafcprozac]

"...I remain puzzled by the numbers who follow us away from home compared to the lack of turnstile activity at Boundary Park. But the stark fact remains...our attendances have never been too far away from the relegation berths in the attendance league. It is a statistic that continues to stunt our progress and ambition as a club"

 

So who said that?

 

Simon Corney?

Simon Blitz?

Alan Hardy?

Sean Gregan in his captain's notes?

Barry owen perhaps?

 

 

Nope, having a sort out and came across some old programmes - the quote above is actually from Joe Royle in his programme notes prior to game against Grimsby around Easter time 1987!!!!

 

So despite not being out of the top 3 of which was effectively the Championship crowds were crap at home but we were still taking very good numbers away. It's a problem that seems to have forever blighted our club.

 

However, Joe's comments from 23 1/2 years ago are commenting on the wider town, I think the problem now is not the wider town (that horse bolted when Sky arrived on the scene), but our actual match-day fanbase that has deserted for their plethora of reasons...

Edited November 15, 2010 by oafcprozac

[ah_oafc]

I said this in another thread.

We have a brilliant manager who's honest and not afraid to change things if somethings not happening.

Ok, accrington was a blip but we've gone unbeaten at home so far. We've gone to places like Brighton and give them a really good game.

 

I can't stress enough how much it does my head in that many people don't choose to come to Boundary Park. Ok it has 3 stands and could be considered 'embarrasing' but how 'embarrasing' would it look if we went into Administration? I suggest the stayways think twice about staying at home in their armchairs doing bollocks all and instead get behind there team and then realise that this football we play is worth the money.

 

 

I just wish people would get to BP and support their team.

[Zorrro]

They may well come back if results keep going our way. The problem with what you've posted (and this isn't a dig) is that they can't possibly know that the football is entertaining if they're not going to the games. If we carry on picking up points, their curiosity will be piqued and they may come along to see if things are going as well as results suggest. Hopefully at that point the team will continue to perform well and these attendees will be retained.

[Dave_Og]

What are Bradford doing right? - averaging 10,832 and not even doing particularly well

[steveoafc]

What are Bradford doing right? - averaging 10,832 and not even doing particularly well

I think they offer cut price season tickets, but it's still a good turnout considering they've done nothing for years.

[ah_oafc]

Good turnout for Bradford considered they've seen their club fall down the leagues.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Nope, having a sort out and came across some old programmes - the quote above is actually from Joe Royle in his programme notes prior to game against Grimsby around Easter time 1987!!!!

 

I think comparing football attendances in 1987 to now is like comparing chalk and cheese mate. Whilst we traditionally had pretty low attendances back then, even so called 'big' clubs mustered poor attendances in those days. Sunderland used to trawl in around 9,000. Middlesborough and Wolves saw attendances of 4,000-5,000 for low quality games against far flung opposition. Even in the top flight the likes of Chelsea, West Ham, Norwich and Coventry only ever saw crowds of over 12,000 when they played the so called big sides.

 

Many call them the dark days of football, with the high chances of sporadic violence in rapidly decaying stadiums. I loved that sort of environment, the edge that going to football used to carry and that smell of bovril mixed with stale fag smoke, it's what gave me 'the bug' I guess. Whilst those words by Big Joe carry an element of truth, I think the crowds we used to pull in those days were about par for the course all things considered. It definitely goes to show what difference a bunch of giant killings in the cup competitions by playing some free flowing attacking football makes anyhoo...

[oafcprozac]

Any chance you could resize that monster sig? I have to use the scroll wheel five times to get past it.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Sorted

[oafc0000]

You can turn off signatures in your control panel... I would highly recommend it

[LaticsLee]

we have never been well supported though, well not in my time of watching latics. I have come to live with the fact that most people in the oldham area are glory hunters. They support man u because they win things and think of lets support them, but when we are doing well people say oh im a oldham fan everton for example ! 5,600 latics fans there but there was only 5,400 or something for our home game against brighton the game after !

 

 

[Tommy_Fent]

what sort of away followings would we take in those days?