Attendances

[Burger]

Being a new fan I was pleased to see the above average crowd that the Wycombe match attracted and I got to wondering what kind of average crowd do folks think the Bees could pull in if we start getting a few better performances and maybe mount a promotion challenge next season maybe ?

I've had a look on the OS and seen the crowds from previous seasons but i'm guessing that some of those fans seem to have given up or maybe got out of the habit of going so would they necessarily return if things get better ? Are the days of 6000-7000 crowds from the past long gone ?

Also , its nice to see that even in these difficult times the Bees aren't anywhere near the worse supported club in our league. I really hope some of the folks who attended the Boxing Day match return tomorrow also

Finally am I correct in my thinking that we need a minimum figure of 4250 just to keep our heads above water ?

Thanks everyone in advance ,

 

[Ubee]

Well, we dropped into league 2, and have been playing mostly rubbish football. Its a given that attendances drop.
Obviously attendance rose on Boxing day, and perhaps tomorrow as well, but that would be more due to the Christmas period as opposed to the upturn in form we experienced in the two matches prior.
If we were playing good football in league 1, we would see those crowds again. And if we were playing good football in the championship, we would see even bigger crowds.
Crowds are proportionate, to an extent, to success (no brainer), but somewhere like Wigan will always have a saturation point. Being in London, there are no shortage of people prepared to come to a football match - but we need to be an attractive alternative to the other clubs (or indeed to having twenty quid in your pocket).

Incidentally, what inspired you do become a bees fan?

 

[nocoat]

The cold and overpriced burgers served up by the children in the Braemar perchance.

 

[rebus]

Finally am I correct in my thinking that we need a minimum figure of 4250 just to keep our heads above water ?

I think our "break even" figure would need to be around double that. That figure is just to keep to the budgeted loss for the season.

 

[Nurse Betty]

Being a new fan I was pleased to see the above average crowd that the Wycombe match attracted and I got to wondering what kind of average crowd do folks think the Bees could pull in if we start getting a few better performances and maybe mount a promotion challenge next season maybe ?

I've had a look on the OS and seen the crowds from previous seasons but i'm guessing that some of those fans seem to have given up or maybe got out of the habit of going so would they necessarily return if things get better ? Are the days of 6000-7000 crowds from the past long gone ?

Also , its nice to see that even in these difficult times the Bees aren't anywhere near the worse supported club in our league. I really hope some of the folks who attended the Boxing Day match return tomorrow also

Finally am I correct in my thinking that we need a minimum figure of 4250 just to keep our heads above water ?

Thanks everyone in advance ,

I think markbfc is right in his guesstimate that we need double the size of the crowd we get at the moment to make any difference to our finances. Also, don't forget that an attendance of 4250 on a matchday includes season ticket holders who may or may not be there and we've already had and spent the season ticket money. In order for the cashflow to improve, we need more people through the turnstile.

 

[walkerbee]

on boxing day there were over 1000 wycombe there... which surely helped to boost the figures. while there certainly were many more bees fans than usual the figure was no doubt helped by the away following...

 

[rosie]

I am a recent convert to the Bees because they have so much going for them. The ground is friendly and accessable without the Cynicism of higher league football. You can walk up to the ground 10 minutes before the match, pay your cash and sit virtually anywhere. You don't get the heavy security at other grounds or the searches by police on the way in. Parking round about has never been a problem. There is a pub on ever corner, the steam and music museums nearby. Road links to the ground could not be better. What more can you ask for?
We are just about to start walking to the match today. We looked at walkit.com and TFL for guidance and neither site recognises Brentford Football Club. walkit is still showing harlequins RL at the ground! Tiny little things won't make that much difference but do not help.

 

[Nurse Betty]

I am a recent convert to the Bees because they have so much going for them. The ground is friendly and accessable without the Cynicism of higher league football. You can walk up to the ground 10 minutes before the match, pay your cash and sit virtually anywhere. You don't get the heavy security at other grounds or the searches by police on the way in. Parking round about has never been a problem. There is a pub on ever corner, the steam and music museums nearby. Road links to the ground could not be better. What more can you ask for?
We are just about to start walking to the match today. We looked at walkit.com and TFL for guidance and neither site recognises Brentford Football Club. walkit is still showing harlequins RL at the ground! Tiny little things won't make that much difference but do not help.

I hope you enjoyed the game today, rosie. You're right, there's a lot going for BFC and it's accessiblity is something we all value.

I have emailed walkit.co.uk to ask them to amend their site. To add insult to injury, not only do they not have Brentford Football Club in their listings, but they offer Premiership grounds as alternative destinations!

 

[sonofabee]

Table topping, exciting football and even in this division I could see us getting between 5500 and 6000 average home gates.

Get promoted playing attractive football, keep the nucleus of a good side team together and strengthen, don't up the prices and IMHO 6000 + average is very realistic.

 

[Perivale Bee]

Since my time of going to GP (1974 debut as a 7 year old), people have talked of the "Faithful Five Thousand". This has been quite an accurate benchmark over the years; not surprising that this year, crowds have been below that figure because we've been poor and won so rarely. As others have said, improved home performances will see gates increase.

 

[Lee at the Bees]

Since my time of going to GP (1974 debut as a 7 year old), people have talked of the "Faithful Five Thousand". This has been quite an accurate benchmark over the years; not surprising that this year, crowds have been below that figure because we've been poor and won so rarely. As others have said, improved home performances will see gates increase.

Was going to post the same thing. Also started coming to Griffin Park in 1974 and even then people used to refer to the 'faithful five thousand'. Which, for the next 3 decades, it has generally been. I suspect we would need a sustained period in the Championship to begin to build a broader fanbase and I don't believe, were we to be playing at that level this season, that the ground would be full for every game. We have had several seasons recently where promotion has been a distinct possibility right up to the final game, but our average in those years remained around the 6,000-6,500 mark.

Reading showed that a move to a new stadium can be a catalyst for improved attendances, as theirs increased significantly even before they started moving up the league. Maybe if Lionel Road becomes reality our potential might increase. However, currently any attendance increase we realise through promotion tends principally to result from increased numbers of away supporters. That said, we're obviously in a fairly prolonged slump at the moment and at least 1500 who have been regulars in recent seasons seem to be staying away. Unfortunately, when the faithful 5000 suddenly loses 1500, it's a big loss.

 

[Brain-dead Bee]

Even with a sustained decent run for the rest of the season, I would be very surprised if we reached 5,000 for a home game (without free entry or other promotional gestures), but we could keep our gates in the 4,500 - 5,000 range. Peterborough might be the exception, I suppose, as they will doubtless bring a good few, so if we're playing well that one might go over 5k

If challenging for promotion in this division, we might average just over 5,000. I don't think a promotion challenge is realistic this season - though would love to be proved wrong - which is why I don't think we'll reach 5,000 this season, esp with the more local teams (Barnet, Dagenham, Wycombe, MK) having already been to GP.

In terms of breaking even, I think around 4,200 was the budgeted gate, on which we'd lose around 500k. To break even, we'd need about 2,000 more every game [2,000 paying £10 average, incl kids, for 23 games plus a bit more from cups]. Average gates of over 6,000 probably aren't realistic for us in this division.

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

I hope you enjoyed the game today, rosie. You're right, there's a lot going for BFC and it's accessiblity is something we all value.

I have emailed walkit.co.uk to ask them to amend their site. To add insult to injury, not only do they not have Brentford Football Club in their listings, but they offer Premiership grounds as alternative destinations!

good work guv

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

I am a recent convert to the Bees because they have so much going for them.

gloryhunter!!!
:sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad:

 

[Edmundo]

If challenging for promotion in this division, we might average just over 5,000. I don't think a promotion challenge is realistic this season - though would love to be proved wrong - which is why I don't think we'll reach 5,000 this season, esp with the more local teams (Barnet, Dagenham, Wycombe, MK) having already been to GP.

I think Chester brought more with them than Dagenham did.

 

[south coast bees]

gloryhunter!!!
:sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad:

lol lol lol

 

[rosie]

gloryhunter!!!
:sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad:

Is that anyway to treat converts from two much higher league clubs and who walked past not one but two premier clubs and a championship club to get to the Chester Game and who may well be heading to Dagenham tomorrow -)

Happy and Prosperous new year to all.

 

[wibs]

rosie, just to save you a lot of frustration and anger in the future, be aware that the GPG is riddled with irony.

 

[SmiffyBee]

rosie, just to save you a lot of frustration and anger in the future, be aware that the GPG is riddled with syphilis.

 

[MetalBee]

I would think we'd not get over 7,000 in this league regardless of if we were challenging for promotion or not. Just the way some people are. But I'd like to see our average crowds go up to 5 and a half thousand at least then increase again in League 1

 

[louzer]

Reading showed that a move to a new stadium can be a catalyst for improved attendances, as theirs increased significantly even before they started moving up the league. Maybe if Lionel Road becomes reality our potential might increase.

The difference is Reading's nearest rivals for fans are Swindon, Oxford, Aldershot, Woking and Wycombe.
Our's are the London clubs in the premiership, easily accessible by tube and the two bit championship outfits and even Reading now they're doing their bit for Sky in the premiership.
Would we fill or even half fill Lionel road against the likes of Carlisle, Walsall, Crewe and Yeovil?

I think our potential was shown most recently with the excellent turn out at Charlton and the last time we played at Wembley versus Crewe, i think we brought about 25,000. The trouble is half our potential fans would rather support teams at the top potentially winning trophies.

Plymouth have slagged off the lack of interest from their catchement area and it's about an hour to the nearest proper clubs, the have a shiny all seater and are playing self titled fallen giants (Wolves, QPR, Sheffs, WBA) week in week out.

I've actually been suprised attendences have stayed fairly static all season, given what was offered in the first half of it.

 

[Nada Bee]

We'll only get break even attendences in the Championship.

As someone else said, even if we're top of LEague One, we'll still only get 6,500/7,000 at best for games, but obviously a bit more for the bigger games.

 

[rosie]

rosie, just to save you a lot of frustration and anger in the future, be aware that the GPG is riddled with irony.

Well I'd be dammed! who would have thought it!

 

[Idaho Bee]

Well I'd be dammed! who would have thought it!

We think you'll fit right on in at both the GPG and Griffin Park Rosie.

Welcome aboard, it will be a bumpy ride.

 

[DavidgRushden]

Oh gone are the good old days. Last home match of the season vs Brighton in 1957/8. We had to beat them to go above them to go top of the old 3rd Division South. We won 1 - 0 and went top, until Brighton beat Watford by 5 goals at home and took the promotion spot which was the only position that went up at that time, and to add insult to injury the ref in that match reported some of the Watford players for appearing "not to try" in that much which was in later years apparently proved to be true. I WAS THERE WITH MY LATE FATHER AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE THERE WERE 25000, YES 25000 AT THAT MATCH. What a fantastic atmosphere there was. Can you imagine our ground full to capacity now, although I realise they wouldn't be allowed to have that many there nowadays due to safety regulations. That match was probably equalled by our win at Peterborough a good few years later. And now we talk of 5000?

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

Is that anyway to treat converts from two much higher league clubs and who walked past not one but two premier clubs and a championship club to get to the Chester Game and who may well be heading to Dagenham tomorrow -)

Happy and Prosperous new year to all.

sorry love, now get back to your ironying. x x

 

[rebus]

Erm, ironic post number 2 Rosie.

 

[rebus]

The difference is Reading's nearest rivals for fans are Swindon, Oxford, Aldershot, Woking and Wycombe.

They are picking up fans now from Camberley, Bracknell, Slough, Windsor etc when at one time those areas would look to the Bees for their football fix.

I wish we had the cash to run a similar scheme to what Charlton do and subsidise coach travel into Griffin Park for home games in order to tap into this support.

 

[WarrenBee]

I wish we had the cash run a similar scheme to what Charlton do and subsidise coach travel into Griffin Park for home games in order to tap into this support.

Don't worry Mark the Mono-Rail will sort that out.

 

[ladbroke]

I think you will find that there isn't many 'new' Reading fans in Bracknell. Brentford still have a lot of fans in this town. Since Reading went up, the numbers wearing their shirts, however, have steadily grown.

 

[WisBee]

I wish we had the cash to run a similar scheme to what Charlton do and subsidise coach travel into Griffin Park for home games in order to tap into this support.

....................perhaps if BFC get the right manager sorted this time, we'll be able to find sufficient funds in the 'pay-off the manager Account' in time for next season...........

 

[PrincessBee]

Reading showed that a move to a new stadium can be a catalyst for improved attendances, as theirs increased significantly even before they started moving up the league. Maybe if Lionel Road becomes reality our potential might increase.

Of course it would, I love GP dearly, but to someone who doesn't love it, it's a dive. A new stadium would undoubtably increase interest from people who are currently non-fans. I know there's the idea that we're currently unspoiled by money etc (aren't we lucky), but most non-fans LIKE the spoiled by money bit, which is why it all happened in the first place....

We'll only get break even attendences in the Championship.

As someone else said, even if we're top of LEague One, we'll still only get 6,500/7,000 at best for games, but obviously a bit more for the bigger games.

:yes: Obviously good play and atmosphere are what keeps fans, but for most people the thing that drags them in is quality of the opposition.

The difference is Reading's nearest rivals for fans are Swindon, Oxford, Aldershot, Woking and Wycombe.

Exactly it's not just the Premiership thing either, Swindon, Oxford et al are much much further from Reading than our local rivals are from us....

They are picking up fans now from Camberley, Bracknell, Slough, Windsor etc when at one time those areas would look to the Bees for their football fix.

I wish we had the cash to run a similar scheme to what Charlton do and subsidise coach travel into Griffin Park for home games in order to tap into this support.

Me to! I think the next quickest way to get from Slough to GP if you're not driving is to walk! But if i'm honest, and i'm sure i'll get a slating for this, I'd rather Slough Town get their act together and take some of that support as it's own. (And no I wouldn't stop coming to Brentford before someone starts)

I think you will find that there isn't many 'new' Reading fans in Bracknell. Brentford still have a lot of fans in this town. Since Reading went up, the numbers wearing their shirts, however, have steadily grown.

I bet. Show offs.

 

[Isleworth bee]

If u was to ask the old boys they would tell u before the war bees were in the top div & were getting gates of 40,000 at gp
:thetruth:

 

[SmiffyBee]

If u was to ask the old boys they would tell u before the war bees were in the top div & were getting gates of 40,000 at gp
:thetruth:

are you blaming the Germans, for our low crowds ?

 

[Stanley]

are you blaming the Germans, for our low crowds ?

More than once has a little Austrian been said to be the root cause of our downfall since the war....

 

[Suntan of the Oak]

I come to GP from camberley if I run back to the car after the game I can get home in 35 minuates

 

[Bee4ever]

Oh gone are the good old days. Last home match of the season vs Brighton in 1957/8. We had to beat them to go above them to go top of the old 3rd Division South. We won 1 - 0 and went top, until Brighton beat Watford by 5 goals at home and took the promotion spot which was the only position that went up at that time, and to add insult to injury the ref in that match reported some of the Watford players for appearing "not to try" in that much which was in later years apparently proved to be true. I WAS THERE WITH MY LATE FATHER AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE THERE WERE 25000, YES 25000 AT THAT MATCH. What a fantastic atmosphere there was. Can you imagine our ground full to capacity now, although I realise they wouldn't be allowed to have that many there nowadays due to safety regulations. That match was probably equalled by our win at Peterborough a good few years later. And now we talk of 5000?

I was at that Brighton game too,I think the crowd was 27,000(and it was a midweek evening game ) six years before that I had been in a Good Friday crowd of 36.000 V Sheffield Wednesday and in 1965 a 30,000 crowd for an evening FA Cup replay against Burnley.
You're correct David Rushden . The "good old days" are long gone

 

[jlove]

Did no-one notice that the attendance at the Aldershot-Woking game on New Year's Day was 4,728? ... and Ricky Newman scored!

 

[SmiffyBee]

I didn't notice....:brow:

 

[NorthamptonBee]

Did no-one notice that the attendance at the Aldershot-Woking game on New Year's Day was 4,728? ... and Ricky Newman scored!

I noticed and that Lewes v Eastbourne was 3.500ish?? in a division lower. I also noticed that Exeter v Torquay was on Boxing Day and Torquay v Exeter was on New Years Day, clever planning methinks and something that the Football League would never have done.

 

[Bigbee]

Aldershot had a bigger crowd than us on NYD,ok they are top of the league against a fairly local Woking team.

 

[Lee at the Bees]

Aldershot had a bigger crowd than us on NYD,ok they are top of the league against a fairly local Woking team.

Who knows, Brentford v Aldershot might end up as our biggest crowd of 2008/09!

 

[Bigbee]

Who knows, Brentford v Aldershot might end up as our biggest crowd of 2008/09!

I hope they come up.

 

[Lee at the Bees]

I hope they come up.

It is looking good for them at the moment

 

[YorkBee]

I noticed and that Lewes v Eastbourne was 3.500ish?? in a division lower. I also noticed that Exeter v Torquay was on Boxing Day and Torquay v Exeter was on New Years Day, clever planning methinks and something that the Football League would never have done.

the football league always used to put attractive local games on like that over the holiday period as I seem to remember and yes they used to be almost back to back too

 

[SmiffyBee]

I noticed and that Lewes v Eastbourne was 3.500ish?? in a division lower. I also noticed that Exeter v Torquay was on Boxing Day and Torquay v Exeter was on New Years Day, clever planning methinks and something that the Football League would never have done.

Sutton - Hampton and Hampton - Sutton too

 

[Gee Bee]

the football league always used to put attractive local games on like that over the holiday period as I seem to remember and yes they used to be almost back to back too

Long before my time. They played consecutive days on xmas day & boxing day. Hayes v Southall was one that always had massive crowds on those 2 days.