Albion's fanbase

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

In the last few years at the Goldstone we were a truely shit team playing shit football in a crumbling (although much beloved) ground. Not exactly an enticing product.

Since then football has had a renaissance - which we have missed out on by not having a proper home and by spending so much time trying to find a ground. The market for football is far greater now than it was in the late 80s and 90s - those data for this has been previously reviewed on NSC. So not really comparing like with like.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

True, but look at why.

During the 1980s, there was a slump in attendances EVERYWHERE. Chelsea were famously getting 8,000 for their home matches at the time. During the 1990s, the rot was so deep, and the club so badly run, it drove people away.

Agreed

 

[Simster]

Tooting, those seasons spent at the 10,000 mark are simply proof that there is more to high crowds than a decent team. Sensible marketing and roots in the community are critical. A high profile in Brighton for the club will mean massive crowds.

Reading are a good example to follow, but historically we've been a bigger club than them. Not many seasons for us with gates hovering around the 4,000 mark.

 

[Hillian1]

Crowds were always down at the Goldstone in the last 5 years being there, partly to blame was the East Stand being almost all closed.
Partly to blame also was the clubs rapid decline, it was soul destroying watching a club that i started watching in 1980 when we moved here become a complete footballing non-entity.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Some people on here have got short memories. Forget Withdean, go and check the crowds at the Goldstone the last few seasons. They weren't 25,000. Try 8,000.

It's been posted 17k times before on here, but Arsenal had 17k for home matches at Highbury. That was then, this is now. Football is a different animal and so will be our magnificent support - the 8k crowds are irrelevant.

 

[Simster]

It's been posted 17k times before on here, but Arsenal had 17k for home matches at Highbury. That was then, this is now. Football is a different animal and so will be our magnificent support - the 8k crowds are irrelevant.

I think you'll find Tooting might be referring to our support in 1991 when we got to the playoffs on gates of 10,000, with some crowds as low as 7,000.

Not exactly a shit team, and not exactly magnificient support either.

 

[Notters]

My point was that while the Reading story has become something to aspire to, I don't think there will be as many people sneering at 20,000 watching Brighton over the next few years as there were when 20,000 people suddenly started watching Reading.

I think you're right here. Though i know some of my friends will sneer as we're of an age where such attendances are unheard of... though I've told them tales of the good old days on many an occassion. I have a number of friends, by the way, who love football but don't really support a team as such. I'm really hoping they will do at the Amex.

On a side note, does anyone have the attendance figures for the Manchester United FA Cup game in '92(ish) and the Leicester City Coca-Cola Cup game in '93(ish)? One of these was the highest crowd I've seen at an Albion home match (I think it was the Leicester one at ~18,000), I look forward to seeing this beaten next season.

 

[Tooting Gull]

My point was that while the Reading story has become something to aspire to, I don't think there will be as many people sneering at 20,000 watching Brighton over the next few years as there were when 20,000 people suddenly started watching Reading.

Certainly not from Brighton fans on here, anyway...

 

[Notters]

Crowds were always down at the Goldstone in the last 5 years being there, partly to blame was the East Stand being almost all closed.
Partly to blame also was the clubs rapid decline, it was soul destroying watching a club that i started watching in 1980 when we moved here become a complete footballing non-entity.

Not to mention fiddling of numbers for tax reasons.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I think you'll find Tooting might be referring to our support in 1991 when we got to the playoffs on gates of 10,000, with some crowds as low as 7,000.

Not exactly a shit team, and not exactly magnificient support either.

Indeed, but that was 20 years ago. Football has changed - is far more popular as a live spectacle than it was then. So not comparable.

Reuters recently reported that crowds in the League outside the Prem have more than doubled in the last 25 years (article - http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE64K3Z820100521). So a 10,000 crowd in 1990 would expect to be 20,000 or more now. Crowds in old Div 2, 3 and 4 are higher than at any time since 1959.

 

[livingston seagull]

The below link gives useful insight on ave. crowd figures, but doesn't give detail on particular matches ...

England historical attendance and performance

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

The below link gives useful insight on ave. crowd figures, but doesn't give detail on particular matches ...

England historical attendance and performance

Good stats but they only show Brighton crowds, so there is no context for assessing how good those crowds really are compared to the rest of football.

 

[Notters]

The below link gives useful insight on ave. crowd figures, but doesn't give detail on particular matches ...

England historical attendance and performance

Thanks. What does the Attn figure for the FA cup mean?

 

[8ace]

Thanks. What does the Attn figure for the FA cup mean?

It's the sum of all the FA Cup attendances that season divided by two.

 

[willingdon_seagull]

I agree with what most people have said on here. To begin with, there will be all the closet "fans" who will think its the new "in thing" to go to Falmer and watch the Albion. Then the attendance will drop I believe but surely it is all to do with how the team are performing?

If they perform well, it will remain high with all the champagne charlies continuing to attend but if the performances are poor I guess it will be the regular supporters plus a few here and there each week.

Exciting times nevertheless!

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Very cheap back then. That is why I think that price has never been an issue and won't be an issue at Falmer. 25 quid + to get in at Withdean and we're still getting over 6000 through the gates. I think it's more about whether or not the people of Sussex care that much when we're going through a mediocre/bad spell. Time will tell!

I seem to remember us being one of the most expensive teams to watch when we first made it into the First Division, pricier than Liverpool et al. Sure one of John Vinicombe's books mentioned it.

 

[les dynam]

great to see the place packed every week of course. one small caveat though, especially for the first few games i think the club should make every possible effort to ensure tickets go to existing fans, those who have forked out and kept the club going throughout the withdean years. those are the people who deserve seats (working on the basis that the first few matches will be oversubscribed) not people who have a passing interest in the club only.

will be wrong if loads of tickets for the first game at least get into the hands of people who aren't genuine proper match going fans.

 

[Skintagain 1983]

And that avatar's none too shabby either! Top notch.

Be seeing you.

Be seeing you.