Attendances.

[Copps is Magic]

Just done some analysis on attendances. I know the season isn't over but I thought it would be interesting to take a look.

• Our average total attendance this season is 6,797. The average home fans only is 5,819
• Our average attendance is 442 (or 6.1%) down on the last time we were in league one
• Our average home fans only is 783 (or 11.9%) down on the last time we were in league one
• This season saw some particularly low away fans numbers inclduing Crawley 81 and Yeovil 140.
  
• Our average attendance is down 2,244 (24.8%) on last season and home fans only is down 1,313 (18.4%) on last seaon
• The average no. of away fans at the Keepmoat this season is 1,003 (compared to 1,910 last season). Rovers took on average 708 away fans this season (compared to 853 last season).
• Our average home attendance on matches played on Saturday this season is 7,321, while our average for mid-week games 6,099. In previous seasons, we typically lose around 500 fans for a mid-week game so this season is particularly high
• There is a long-term decline in attendances over the last 10 years - although when 'exceptional' games are excluded the number of home fans has remained fairly similar over the last 3 seasons (i.e. we are losing home fans but at a very slow rate)

[Underwood]

Interesting. I think the 07/08 figure you have of 6978 is incorrect. I've also got this seasons average away at 744 after Tuesday night.

Our average away support is also half what it was ten years ago, and when compared to other clubs our size is quite poor.

I guess the only real way to buck the downward trend is performances on the pitch.

[Bristol Red Rover]

I think you got the 2007/8 figure wrong by 1000 http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/donr.htm

Always interesting where you take the start finish points from in stats. Not saying you did this intentionally, but when looking beyond the 10 years we have increased. I think it's safe to say that the first Championship promo boost in support is now exhausted.

Level 3 attendances, in reverse order, including this season so far, have been:
6797
7239
7978
7746
6139
6886
1913
2408
2804
4103
5234
4265
8561
7906
6665
Previous to this it was 3North and well into the realms of very high attendances over all football.

[Copps is Magic]

Yeah, you're both correct. I copied the number wrongly somewhere along the line have now changed it.

[Copps is Magic]

I think you got the 2007/8 figure wrong by 1000 http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/donr.htm

Always interesting where you take the start finish points from in stats. Not saying you did this intentionally, but when looking beyond the 10 years we have increased. I think it's safe to say that the first Championship promo boost in support is now exhausted.

Level 3 attendances, in reverse order, including this season so far, have been:
6797
7239
7978
7746
6139
6886
1913
2408
2804
4103
5234
4265
8561
7906
6665
Previous to this it was 3North and well into the realms of very high attendances over all football.

Interesting perspective. I will try to do some historical graphs when I find abit more time. The stats I've got cover the Keepmoat period.

[bobjimwilly]

Interesting stuff. The question for 10 points is... how do we stop the decline? 

[Askern_reds]

I went yeovil honestly thought there was more than 140 of us?

[dickos1]

I think the notts county at home game 2 years ago, massively inflates the average for that year.
Without all the glory fans coming to see us get promoted that day I don't think it'd be much difference at all to now

[mrfrostsdad]

I think the only way to stop the decline BJW is to stop serving up the drivel we've been served this season.
I know a lot of people who are not renewing their season tickets next season, some because they can no longer have their seat in the South stand they've had since the stadium was built, but many more who are totally fed up with the absolute garbage we've had to endure at home again this year.
I suspect attendances will dip by at least another 10% next season. I may be wrong, only time will tell.

[Bristol Red Rover]

I went yeovil honestly thought there was more than 140 of us?

There were 388 of us, but CIM was referring to away fans at the KM

Interesting to see we are 9th in the league for our average away fans, I suspect we may be higher on average away fans at the KM?

http://oi58.tinypic.com/3096bkn.jpg

[Bristol Red Rover]

I think the only way to stop the decline BJW is to stop serving up the drivel we've been served this season.
I know a lot of people who are not renewing their season tickets next season, some because they can no longer have their seat in the South stand they've had since the stadium was built, but many more who are totally fed up with the absolute garbage we've had to endure at home again this year.
I suspect attendances will dip by at least another 10% next season. I may be wrong, only time will tell.

Sad to hear about the dinosaurs in the South Stand :-/ It's at the very least something of a positive attempt for improvement at the club and we'll see how it works out. It's not like there are no seats spare.

It is a 6% drop from the last season in tier 3 to this one, so far. I think the drop next season will be more like 5% assuming a similar average league position.

I heard a lot of talk about people not buying ST again from previous seasons. Maybe they haven't, but there will always be new people too. But jeeeeez, some folks revel in moaning and have their feet stuck in intransient concrete boots.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Interesting stuff. The question for 10 points is... how do we stop the decline? 

Better marketing for one.  There is far too much reliance on social media.  The real world does still exist.  There's no balance between social media and real life...

The second is more exciting football, it's just boring to watch.

[dickos1]

I don't think there has been a decline maybe over 10 years but over the last 3 years I don't think there has.
We've more season ticket holders and our average has dropped 730 from 2 years ago, which like I said earlier will be almost entirely down to the notts county game

[Bristol Red Rover]

Interesting stuff. The question for 10 points is... how do we stop the decline? 

Better marketing for one.  There is far too much reliance on social media.  The real world does still exist.  There's no balance between social media and real life...

Totally agree. Having small posters in windows and shops is all good, but the bigger splash is always more effective at bigging up the club in the community.

I heard the club say how billboard poster advertising is not financially worthwhile. The cost of printing say 10 huge posters every month can't be that much - each with a catchy image and a list of a few games. How about using billboards placed within the property of Rovers fans, and for free or maybe ticket upgrades and access to facilities with a free meal every so often at most? I'm thinking business properties and land rather than back gardens! There must be many out there who would like to make the effort in something like this, and some where it would work out.

[bobjimwilly]

Interesting stuff. The question for 10 points is... how do we stop the decline? 

Better marketing for one.  There is far too much reliance on social media.  The real world does still exist.  There's no balance between social media and real life...

Totally agree. Having small posters in windows and shops is all good, but the bigger splash is always more effective at bigging up the club in the community.

I heard the club say how billboard poster advertising is not financially worthwhile. The cost of printing say 10 huge posters every month can't be that much - each with a catchy image and a list of a few games. How about using billboards placed within the property of Rovers fans, and for free or maybe ticket upgrades and access to facilities with a free meal every so often at most? I'm thinking business properties and land rather than back gardens! There must be many out there who would like to make the effort in something like this, and some where it would work out.

Considering the minimal cost of printing and handing out a few thousand flyers, I think it could be considered in future. There's nowt beats actually making sure people read the information you're trying to give to them and the added benefit of talking face-to-face

[Bristol Red Rover]

Considering the minimal cost of printing and handing out a few thousand flyers, I should be considered in future. There's nowt beats actually making sure people read the information you're trying to give to them and the added benefit of talking face-to-face

That is good too, the two things go hand in hand. But billboards, bigging up the image of the club add to the whole thing in that weird mindbending way adverts do. It clearly works or there wouldn't be billboards all over the place. The club are missing a very simple, and potentially very cheap, opportunity on this.

[Copps is Magic]

I don't think there has been a decline maybe over 10 years but over the last 3 years I don't think there has.
We've more season ticket holders and our average has dropped 730 from 2 years ago, which like I said earlier will be almost entirely down to the notts county game

If you take the Notts County game out of the equation, and then in the interest of fairness take the Peterborough game out this season, then the average home fans only in league one last time was 6,361 compared to 5,651 this year (710 fewer or 11.1% lower). So the figure remains almost exactly the same, so it's incorrect to say that it is down to the Notts County game alone.

What actually happened was that the average number of home fans in the first half of the last season in league one was pretty similar to what it is now - but the home crowds slowly increased in the second half of the season. So success had an effect - but a very slow and incremental one.

[Copps is Magic]

Just to add a further point. The last time I did the analysis, It showed that results on a game by game basis basically had very little affect on subsequent attendances. In fact, if we have a good win one week, the crowd is usually lower the next week.

The only affect that success has on attendances is the long-term but it is usually very slow. In fact, I think people judge whether to go to a game based on our overall chance of success in a particular season or period.

Our failure to maintain long periods of success at the Keepmoat has undoubtedly impacted attendance. Winning one or two games is not enough.

[grayx]

Interesting stuff. The question for 10 points is... how do we stop the decline? 

It's a no brainer..

[dickos1]

I don't think there has been a decline maybe over 10 years but over the last 3 years I don't think there has.
We've more season ticket holders and our average has dropped 730 from 2 years ago, which like I said earlier will be almost entirely down to the notts county game

If you take the Notts County game out of the equation, and then in the interest of fairness take the Peterborough game out this season, then the average home fans only in league one last time was 6,361 compared to 5,651 this year (710 fewer or 11.1% lower). So the figure remains almost exactly the same, so it's incorrect to say that it is down to the Notts County game alone.

What actually happened was that the average number of home fans in the first half of the last season in league one was pretty similar to what it is now - but the home crowds slowly increased in the second half of the season. So success had an effect - but a very slow and incremental one.

Out of interest what were the home attendances for the notts county and peterbrough games? Surely must have been at least 3000 more at the notts county game?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Results, league tables, match reports and word of mouth will always surpass anything else.

[Copps is Magic]

Out of interest what were the home attendances for the notts county and peterbrough games? Surely must have been at least 3000 more at the notts county game?

Notts County: Total 12,624 Home 11,929
Peterborough: Total 11,520 Home 9,191

Even if you left the Peterborough crowd in, the average this season would still be 541 lower.

[Copps is Magic]

Results, league tables, match reports and word of mouth will always surpass anything else.

As I wrote above Baz, i'm not sure results on a game by game basis matter that much. I think we have to look at a more psychological level. People seems to judge whether to go or not based on their overall perceptions of the chances of success.

I think, perversely, if we are going to invest more money next season and push for promotion then we should actually shout it from the roof tops that that is the intention. It puts more pressure on the manager no doubt but could perhaps improve attendances.

I think this is one of the things John Ryan undoubtedly was good at doing in the media and public - manipulating people's views on the chances of success. We don't seem to have a figure doing that now.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

You're right. A good pre-season and a few good signings will keep people interested however there is a degree of scepticism set in on PDs tenure and it will take a few strong home performances, to make people re-evaluate their opinions.

[grayx]

You're right. A good pre-season and a few good signings will keep people interested however there is a degree of scepticism set in on PDs tenure and it will take a few strong home performances, to make people re-evaluate their opinions.

I genuinely think it will take a change of manager now.  And not a cheap option, one that will excite people.

[Copps is Magic]

Just had a look at the historic attendances in relation to contemporary attendances.

• The 11,964 average att. in 2009 was the highest since 1957.
• The period from 2004 to the present is the 2nd most successful period in terms of attendances. 1935-1958 is the most successful
• The average attendance of 7,978 in 2008 was the highest at level 3 since 1970.
• In 2004, the average crowd of 6,939 was our 5th highest ever at level 4.
• The period from 1972 to 2003 really represented a terrible slump in terms of attendances from which are probably still recovering.

Average attendances at each level since 1902.

[Underwood]

On the subject of attendances, I believe tonight's following to Orient is the lowest away league following since we got promoted from the Conference.

[Copps is Magic]

No it's not. 249 Rovers fans there tonight. There were only 217 at Crawley a few weeks ago and I believe there have been a few others lower than that.

[Underwood]

I mis heard,I thought it said 149.