Where are our fans?

[loobygrecian]

25% Russ? Didn't think it would be as much as that, wow!

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

25% Russ? Didn't think it would be as much as that, wow!

A alarming statistic,but given the generally poor home performances in the previous couple of seasons not surprising.

 

[geoffwp]

Chiefs and finances. Many people have had to choose one or t'other and have chosen Chiefs over City.

I think you are right about the chiefs element. I seem to remember reading that, when ECFC was formed, a lot of folk didn't think it would last as the area was more about rugby than the new football thing! Well they got one bit wrong at least, though there is no denying that the chiefs success over the last few years has had an impact on our numbers. They more than us are the sporting success story of the moment. Perhaps that's why our numbers held up so well in the conference? I can't be arsed to reseach the facts, but I'm certain angelic is right when he says we won a lot more games at that time than we tend to do now, particularly at home. People like to follow success. They like to watch a winning side because it makes them feel good. Our home form is a stone around our necks.

 

[memoman]

Those bloody eggchasers!

It's not just that, though. The club have brought this on themselves with the lack any offers to entice new fans and boost the crowd. What happened to the 'kid for a quid thing'? In my view the umpteen marketing managers we've got should look at themselves and ask why they have overseen this worrying drop in attendances without doing anything to entice new fans in. They only seem to care about flogging a couple of tickets for the Flybe suite.

 

[Jam Doughnut]

Not bad compared to others...7th best support in our league.


Average Attendance Rank

p total high ave capacity

1 Portsmouth (16) 6 95168 18181 15861 20688 76.6%
2 Plymouth Argyle (18) 7 50202 8742 7172 19500 36.7%
3 Oxford United (1) 7 42159 7187 6023 12573 47.9%
4 Chesterfield (4) 7 40803 10015 5829 10600 54.9%
5 Bristol Rovers (21) 7 39855 6259 5694 11976 47.5%
6 Southend United (13) 7 38629 7055 5518 12392 44.5%
7 Exeter City (5) 7 30112 5700 4302 9036 47.6%
8 AFC Wimbledon (15) 7 29341 4685 4192 4700 89.1%
9 York City (20) 6 24570 4848 4095 9034 45.3%
10 Northampton Town (23) 7 28495 4319 4071 7653 53.1%
11 Scunthorpe United (9) 7 25444 5241 3635 9183 39.5%
12 Hartlepool United (14) 7 25184 3929 3598 7229 49.7%
13 Mansfield Town (11) 7 24453 4574 3493 10000 34.9%
14 Newport (7) 7 23924 5387 3418 0.0%
15 Cheltenham Town (17) 7 23290 4776 3327 7407 44.9%
16 Bury (19) 7 21915 4337 3131 11669 26.8%
17 Wycombe Wanderers (12) 7 21168 4015 3024 10000 30.2%
18 Rochdale (2) 7 21025 5616 3004 10249 29.3%
19 Fleetwood Town (3) 7 20638 4521 2948 0.0%
20 Torquay United (22) 7 20545 3843 2935 6283 46.7%
21 Burton (6) 7 19268 3577 2753 5000 55.0%
22 Dagenham & Redbridge (8) 7 11550 2003 1650 6000 27.5%
23 Accrington Stanley (24) 7 11519 2531 1646 5057 32.5%
24 Morecambe (10) 7 10982 2204 1569 6400 24.5%

 

[Bed Taker]

All football related involvement is going down. From supporters going to games to local league grassroots participation to a national shortage of referees, coaches and club members.

It all comes down to... is giving up your free time worth it when you could be doing something better. For more and more it's not. Unfortunately.

 

[Alistair20000]

I would add one final overriding problem is the ludicrous wages paid to League Two players...and in our case the ludicrous amount of money squandered on non-playing squad members. I'd love to know how close to the 55% limit we are. If we spent less behind the scenes we could afford to charge less to get in.

Based on some rough workings I have made using the figures disclosed by Mr Chorlton yesterday, I would conclude nowhere close. When the detailed figures are put up on the website it may be possible to get a clearer picture.

Very broadly, total wages are 75% of all costs so with an approximate break even position on trading non fair play rule wages would need to be only 20% of that 75% to be testing the threshold. Cannot see that being right.

 

[flakey pasty]

It's money innit?
At the time of that Grays match a few years ago, people had money in their pockets.
Over the last three or four years, wages have remained static and prices in the shops have rocketed.
Unless you're a fat-cat banker or lottery winner, you're much worse off and have less dosh to watch live footy.
Sadly.

 

[elginCity]

Not bad compared to others...7th best support in our league.

Before we get too complacent with those stats at this stage of the season, as an example, although the Gulls have already played Pompey at home, they still have City, Argyle, Bristol Rovers and Newport to visit.

Agree with those who say it's a combination of factors..economy/price/Chiefs/results/performance.

 

[loobygrecian]

Marketing strategies could do with looking at, to try and entice people in, you think of how many new houses are getting built in and around Exeter now surely the club should perhaps think that this would be the ideal opportunity to get people to attend games, buy one get one free (or half price) considering where a lot of these houses are being built they may opt to go to Sandy Park and not St James' Park. The price of hospitality has been lowered by a fiver why not do this for all entrance fees?