Our official average attendance for the season completed was 3,558.

Approx 11% down on last season and our lowest ever 'top flight' figure (and broadly similar to the average in our 1st Division promotion year).

 

In real terms, it means 480 less fans, on average, turning up for each home league fixture. It has nothing to do with 'the Rangers' factor as last season actually saw us marginally increase our home average gate. It's probably a blessing that County are still in the top-league.

 

480 fans disappeared every game, this season.

Over 19 home ties equates to around 9,120 fewer spectators coming to the games.

 

How much does a punter spend at the ground? Programmes, raffle-tickets, food/drink etc.

Lets say, conservatively £25 per head? It might not sound a lot but equates to a loss of close to a quarter of a million pounds.

 

That's the real cost to the club of those empty seats next to us that used to have bums on them.

Don't wish to scaremonger, but long-term, crowds of 3,500 won't be able to sustain us, long-term, as a Premiership club.

Wonder if away crowd numbers are being affected by County being in a Premiership also and lack of Sevco? Derby crowds not as big as Sevco games!?

Remember we played County three times last seasons, only once at home on New Years Day when many fans of both sides couldn't get there.  We also only played Celtic once at home this season as well, which must affect the figures.

Next season could well be worse, especially if all those suggesting they wont be renewing their season tickets, because of Yogi, follow thro on their threats. Also, no Hearts and maybe no hibs. Ideally, as much as it pains me, Best case scenrio, for ALL sorts of reasons....is an SPL, with Rangers, Hearts and Hibs in it

I would rather pickle my own eyeballs than admit we miss sevco - but as Rene suggests, the luck of the SPFL 'computer' can have an impact on our average - although derby games with County aren't the full house they used to be. The reasons for this have been discussed ad nauseum and I'm almost regretting starting a thread on it after what has been an historical season, but I'm genuinely stunned to see us with just 3,500 in arguably our most successful campaign ever! Where are all the cup final fans? Apathy...and taking it all a bit for granted!!!

Edited May 12, 201411 yr by Sneckboy

I would rather pickle my own eyeballs than admit we miss sevco - but as Rene suggests, the luck of the SPFL 'computer' can have an impact on our average - although derby games with County aren't the full house they used to be. The reasons for this have been discussed ad nauseum and I'm almost regretting starting a thread on it after what has been an historical season, but I'm genuinely stunned to see us with just 3,500 in arguably our most successful campaign ever! Where are all the cup final fans? Apathy...and taking it all a bit for granted!!!

Thats your answer!!

Sadly this season is out first season where the average attendance in the SPL / Premier League fell below 4,000. I think my numbers for two seasons may be slightly out from the ones that Hibee Jibee has on P & B but there isn't too much difference: 

 

EDIT: Couple of errors with the positions which I've amended.

 

Edited May 12, 201411 yr by RiG

That's an amazing graphic, RiG! Pictures speak louder than words! Brilliant work!

When we announce the attendance is it like the Celtic way of taking season ticket sales and adding on pay at the gate or do we count actual clicks through the turnstile?

That's an amazing graphic, RiG! Pictures speak louder than words! Brilliant work!

 

Cheers.

 

Just in case it's not clear the colours represent the different divisions. Red (Div 3), Yellow (Div 2), Green (Div 1) and Blue (PL). There's also the position we finished in each season at the bottom as well.

Edited May 12, 201411 yr by RiG

Are away end numbers at the TCS recored anywhere and searchable!

Your figures may be spot on regarding lack of revenue for the club but  numbers wise, no Rangers, one home game v Celtic, County,  games squashed together mid week, league games avoided as money was being spent on a cup semi and a Cup final,  high united turnout for a cup but fickle amount of fans for a league game, hardly any St Jonnys either due to cup game.  The league figures wont lie but  the same fans may have just spread their cash across to the cup games aswell.

What attendance would we normally get on average for a County game at home and the same for Celtic?

Reckon if you swapped even just those 2 games to home encounters it would make a difference.

Despite it being morally correct or not to have removed the team, All the SPL teams miss the Rangers fans head count.

What I worry is that Rangers fans will boycott away games to the teams that voted against them. It's not like they need the away fans at their games as they can more or less fill Ibrox every week.

Having next to no away fans at a game like that would seriously hurt us in the pocket.

What attendance would we normally get on average for a County game at home and the same for Celtic?

Reckon if you swapped even just those 2 games to home encounters it would make a difference.

Despite it being morally correct or not to have removed the team, All the SPL teams miss the Rangers fans head count.

What I worry is that Rangers fans will boycott away games to the teams that voted against them. It's not like they need the away fans at their games as they can more or less fill Ibrox every week.

Having next to no away fans at a game like that would seriously hurt us in the pocket.

Possible but improbable,  their points are too precious to encourage their fans to stay away.

Here not sure if this should be in the rumour mill or not. But I know a bloke, who knows a taxi driver who gave Craig Brewster a lift once who said we don't get big attendances at the TCS. Could be nothing but that's what I heard.

I blame Terry Butcher.. its all gone downhill since he started.

I genuinely think part of the reason is down to cost. A family of 4 going to the football is £46 alone for tickets before they even get there. I know kids go free if they buy season tickets but not everyone can afford to buy season tickets. Attending a football game is a luxury for many. I really don't know why they don't just make it kids go free with a paying adult for pay as you go supporters as well or even a nominal fee of say £2. Many on here disagree with the cost being the reason for low attendances and it may not be the case for everyone but I bet a lot of families out there cannot afford this.

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by Caleyjag157

What attendance would we normally get on average for a County game at home and the same for Celtic?

Reckon if you swapped even just those 2 games to home encounters it would make a difference.

Despite it being morally correct or not to have removed the team, All the SPL teams miss the Rangers fans head count.

What I worry is that Rangers fans will boycott away games to the teams that voted against them. It's not like they need the away fans at their games as they can more or less fill Ibrox every week.

Having next to no away fans at a game like that would seriously hurt us in the pocket.

There'd always be some who'd still go, which would still be more than Killie or St Johnstone for example.

Interesting statistics. I don't think this has much to do with cost: when the club tried to attract crowds with cost incentives for midweek games late in the season, it had little apparent effect.

 

As others have noted above, I think we have not been well served by the SPFL "computer" and by postponements this year. First, only one home game against County at New Year - the away support was pitiful for that. Second only one home (3 away) game against Celtic (on a Sunday with TV coverage IIRC). Third, no Sevco. Then came the postponements which meant a series of games in March/April midweek and competing with Champions League QF/SF. That, added to the drop in form was catastrophic for our average crowds: I think less than 3k were at Hibs, DUFC and Motherwell midweek games, for example. We are particularly badly hit by midweek games because the away support is understandably decimated.

 

Sadly. all of this means we were the worst supported club in the Premiership behind St J and County. I think next year will be better because we should have 2 games at home against both County and Celtic: ~5k at all of those will have a significant impact.

 

I wish the SPFL would recognise the competition from televised Champions League + travel issues for midweek games and do everything in their power to avoid them.

I genuinely think part of the reason is down to cost. A family of 4 going to the football is £46 alone for tickets before they even get there. I know kids go free if they buy season tickets but not everyone can afford to buy season tickets. Attending a football game is a luxury for many. I really don't know why they don't just make it kids go free with a paying adult for pay as you go supporters as well or even a nominal fee of say £2. Many on here disagree with the cost being the reason for low attendances and it may not be the case for everyone but I bet a lot of families out there cannot afford this.

I think cost may be an issue for some but I'm not convinced it's as big as that. I think prices compare with a trip to the cinema etc when everything is added in. The football is our leisure activity in our family so we tend to do the cinema, bowling etc rarely. I think the family section is a great deal for those with young children and there are finance packages available to spread the cost. It is a big jump in cost when they reach 12 or 16 I know but at least there are still concessions available. The club do on the day deals on a regular basis but I do know the take up is generally poor!

I really feel these numbers are down to away crowds and fixture manipulation. I will concede there probably is a drop in home fans attending as well. IMO attending football is a habit. It's easy to get out of the habit and go and do other things at the weekend unfortunately for the club. I do worry about the sustainability for the future however.

Would love to know how many of our home games actually started at 3.00 on a Saturday. Then how many of the home games were televised - either live or screened later on Alba. That would decrease the likelihood of punters travelling any great distance to a game. Then there is the feckin roads that you need to travel up to get to Sneck. And then the novelty of playing Inverness and the jolly involved has died a death. Even the Highland Derby has lost a bit of its novelty.

A lot of the peeple stating that they are not going to renew their season tickets is becos you can never tell when the games are going to be. Plus there has not been one game that I have gone to this season where I never had the choice of somebody else,s ticket to use.

There are a number of fans who live in the Central Belt and Englandshire who are not travelling as much as they used to - me included. The cost is evidently one factor but playing the games all over the shop is the other.

Out of interest has there been a difference in attendances pre and post Butcher ?

Yes the club have tried cost incentives for midweek games - when the children have school the next day, people working etc so I don't think that is a true reflection.

The cost of tickets need to be dropped over a period of time not just one or two midweek games at the end of the season.

I think the split at the end of the season also does not help. If I knew at the beginning of the season when games were going to be played then I would arrange my life around these games but unfortunately because we only get a few weeks notice for these remaining games I quite often have other commitments and miss some of the remaining fixtures.

Yes the club have tried cost incentives for midweek games - when the children have school the next day, people working etc so I don't think that is a true reflection.

The cost of tickets need to be dropped over a period of time not just one or two midweek games at the end of the season.

Think that's slightly inaccurate. They've tried all sorts over the years go and ask them. Obviously a lot of the deals will be when the club feels crowds will defo be lower like midweek unfortunately. I really don't think there is evidence that cost is keeping many away sorry!

It is not just midweek that cheaper tickets have been made available for. In all occasions there has been an insignificant increase in attendances and on the evidence it is a convenient excuse.

 

All clubs are broadly suffering from a reduction in crowds and apathy seems to be part of the problem.

 

The main issue I would suggest however is the preceived lack of entertainment and from speaking with people who used to attend this related to the wider experience and not just what is happening on the park. I suppose it is easier for many to get a higher quality offering via TV.

We played 19 home games this season.  Just over 50% of the games kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday.

 

Here is how the KO times break down:

 

Saturday 15:00 - 10 games

Saturday 17:30 - 1 game

Sunday 12:15 - 1 game

Sunday 12:30 - 1 game

Sunday 12:45 - 2 games

Tuesday 19:45 - 1 game

Wednesday 15:00 - 1 game

Wednesday 19:45 - 1 game

Friday 19:45 - 1 game

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by RiG