The correlation between average attendance and fan expectation

[Pavilionaire]

My question is in two parts: After how long of topping the average match day attendance table for this division would it be reasonable for an Albion fan to expect to:

a) Finish in a play-off place? and
b) Finish in a promotion place?

The table currently is as follows, and this bearing in mind the club are installing even more seats as we speak:

1 Brighton & Hove Albion 25,495
2 Sheffield Wednesday 24,545
3 Derby County 22,194
4 Nottingham Forest 22,164
5 Leeds United 22,057
6 Leicester City 21,959
7 Wolverhampton Wanderers 21,793
8 Cardiff City 21,392
9 Charlton Athletic 18,378
10 Bolton Wanderers 17,539
11 Ipswich Town 16,953
12 Birmingham City 16,359
13 Crystal Palace 15,788
14 Hull City 15,300
15 Middlesbrough 15,046
16 Huddersfield Town 14,967
17 Blackburn Rovers 13,960
18 Blackpool 13,708
19 Bristol City 13,305
20 Burnley 12,975
21 Watford 12,428
22 Millwall 10,358
23 Barnsley 9,956
24 Peterborough United 8,082

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

My question is in two parts: After how long of topping the average match day attendance table for this division would it be reasonable for an Albion fan to expect to:

a) Finish in a play-off place? and
b) Finish in a promotion place?

The table currently is as follows, and this bearing in mind the club are installing even more seats as we speak:

1 Brighton & Hove Albion 25,495
2 Sheffield Wednesday 24,545
3 Derby County 22,194
4 Nottingham Forest 22,164
5 Leeds United 22,057
6 Leicester City 21,959
7 Wolverhampton Wanderers 21,793
8 Cardiff City 21,392
9 Charlton Athletic 18,378
10 Bolton Wanderers 17,539
11 Ipswich Town 16,953
12 Birmingham City 16,359
13 Crystal Palace 15,788
14 Hull City 15,300
15 Middlesbrough 15,046
16 Huddersfield Town 14,967
17 Blackburn Rovers 13,960
18 Blackpool 13,708
19 Bristol City 13,305
20 Burnley 12,975
21 Watford 12,428
22 Millwall 10,358
23 Barnsley 9,956
24 Peterborough United 8,082

The problem is that a 16 million pound parachute payment is roughly the equivalent of 28,000 people paying around 25 quid on the gate each match.

 

[Icy Gull]

I think it would depend on how long you've been following the Albion. As a new fan I guess you'd expect to be there or thereabouts pretty quickly. A few thousand are still adjusting to actually being contenders and are probably not quite so demanding


That table does make excellent reading whatever.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The problem is that a 16 million pound parachute payment is roughly the equivalent of 28,000 people paying around 25 quid on the gate each match.

Yes but the parachute payments are there ostensibly to finance the contract wages of those players still on big Premiership money. If this was such a decisive factor it would be exactly the same 6 teams going up and down every season.

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Yes but the parachute payments are there ostensibly to finance the contract wages of those players still on big Premiership money. If this was such a decisive factor it would be exactly the same 6 teams going up and down every season.

Thats not how it is used though is it,clubs use the money to sign more players to try and return to the premier league.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It is in most cases. I don't see Blackpool spending big with their parachute payments, or Hull before them, or Birmingham City, or Bolton Wanderers. The exception seems to be Blackburn Rovers who gambled on Jordan Rhodes, and Blackburn are a VERY badly run football club.

 

[The Large One]

Thats not how it is used though is it,clubs use the money to sign more players to try and return to the premier league.

Getting royally bollocksed if it doesn't work out that way first time.

 

[Questions]

If gate receipts are about 650,000 to 700,00 on a 24/25k attendance then it would take 70 matches to raise the 48 million you get in parachute payments over the 4 year qualification period. Level playing field ?
The problem was that the Premier League wanted the top players in the world to come here so as to make their product the best. Those foreigners were only ever going to sign on decent length contracts and so the whole initiative is aimed at the Premier League and keeping it at its exulted position.
f*** the others basically.

 

[element]

The new improved Sky deal kicks in next season, with chairmen having half an eye on that I should imagine. Don't know if TB suffers with nerves, but probably not looking at the way he plays poker, and must be a bit keen to be knocking on the Premiership door sooner rather than later

 

[Questions]

If we don't make at least the play offs NEXT season then I reckon Tony will ask Gus a couple of difficult questions. It will depend on how much we spend next season though surely as to whether Bloom would get a tad impatient. I suppose as long as we keep improving on a modest budget then it would be hard to sack the guy.

 

[Pavilionaire]

In most cases parachute payments are swallowed up by debt which has been created, in the first place, by the awarding of hefty Prem contracts for mediocre players. Bolton Wanderers will receive £12 million in parachute payments and it won't touch the sides as it cover their massive debt. Therefore, parachute payment are largely a neutral issue; they weren't agreed so the likes of Blackburn could buy Jordan Rhodes and Rovers should, arguably, be the most despised team in this division for what they've done.

 

[Garage_Doors]

In most cases parachute payments are swallowed up by debt which has been created, in the first place, by the awarding of hefty Prem contracts for mediocre players. Bolton Wanderers will receive £12 million in parachute payments and it won't touch the sides as it cover their massive debt. Therefore, parachute payment are largely a neutral issue; they weren't agreed so the likes of Blackburn could buy Jordan Rhodes and Rovers should, arguably, be the most despised team in this division for what they've done.

What exactly have Blackburn done to make them the most despised team in this division?

 

[Hamilton]

Ask Derby supporters.

 

[element]

I reckon Blackburn might be perceived to have splashed out on Rhodes in an effort to buy their way back into the Prem., thus going against the ethos of fair play. The fact that the running of the club is a complete fowl-up is of secondary importance in the grand scheme of things