Biggest club

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

I'm not debating Rotherham are a bigger club than us these days, new stadium, bigger fanbase etc. But as for the comments about us, we haven't had a good season in this league for about 20 years (when we won it, funnily enough). We averaged 3,870 last season after losing 12 in a row and finishing 19th. Have a decent season and I think we could comfortably average over 4K.

Also our away support compared to home gates is one the best. We will probably average 550-600 away fans, will Rotherham be doubling that? I can't see it myself.

Everyone always says about our history being 100 years old etc, but it still happened and we still have one of the richest histories in this league based on the early years alone. If it was so easy back then, why can only a few clubs in this league claim to have a better history in that period?

A world record that still stands today for an FA cup winning score and the first team to score 1,000 goals in each of the top 4 tiers (2005) must count for something?

We could easily average a 1,000 away fans over the season, probably more.

Daft comment given how northern this division is.

We averaged 797 last season in the worst season of our history, regardless of what division we were in that's an impressive figure seen as how we were effectively down from a November onwards.

 

[UTS]

We could easily average a 1,000 away fans over the season, probably more.

Daft comment given how northern this division is.

We averaged 797 last season in the worst season of our history, regardless of what division we were in that's an impressive figure seen as how we were effectively down from a November onwards.

Didn't you take 700 to Sheffield and 200 to Leeds?

 

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

Didn't you take 700 to Sheffield and 200 to Leeds?

Think it was more like 900+ and 3/400+.

But yeah we did, one the week before Christmas and one the week after.

I went to both but I wouldn't slag anybody off for not going and deciding to get their kids presents or feed themselves at Christmas instead of watching us get beat at £40 a ticket. I presume you don't have issue with people prioritising that over football?

 

[UTS]

Think it was more like 900+ and 3/400+.

But yeah we did, one the week before Christmas and one the week after.

I went to both but I wouldn't slag anybody off for not going and deciding to get their kids presents or feed themselves at Christmas instead of watching us get beat at £40 a ticket. I presume you don't have issue with people prioritising that over football?

So you took 300 to Leeds and 800 to Sheffield yet averaged 797.. something doesn't add up here. Did you take 2,000 to Fulham or something?

 

[FiRTHYY]

It really is boring this bigger club thing is it not? For what it's worth, I think Oxford nudge us purely based on their time in the top flight compared to us only going close on a few occasions and of course the Milk Cup. Rotherham's began in the 70s at a time when football got big and we got left behind by clubs that were on a par. Other than a few brief stints in the second tier, we've never achieved much since as it's harder for us to compete now we've been left behind.

For what it's worth, I think Charlton probably edge it for me of the current league 1 crop, followed by Blackburn due to their Jack Walker stint and Pompey due to their crowds. I suppose Bradford have to come next due to their brief top flight appearances, but their crowds don't stand up to the bigger clubs when they actually have to pay proper money to get in. Next I'd say Bristol Rovers and Plymouth based on catchment area and potential alone, thought neither have achieved much. Oxford then us and then there are mainly small clubs thereafter.

I actually agree with your post, but I'm intrigued to know what you are basing our average attendance theory on? Is it factual (which is more than fair), or opinion based?

As before the ST incentive, I don't believe our attendances were too shabby given our downward spiral. Before then, there were frequent sell-outs in the Championship 97-99.

Yes, our attendances were poor pre-1996, but the Richmond era, of which effectively resulted in Prem football, increased our support no-end. Our average these days at full price will be much higher than the last time we had full price ST. We averaged 9,000 the last time they were £400+.....after being relegated 3 times in 6 seasons, with two administrations along the way and owing in excess of £36m.

Even a decent cup tie generally means a packed house of 24,300+.

Just interested to know, that's all.

 

[Lance Stoe]

Those away numbers are pathetic for such a big club. Even Scunny would have taken more in a comparable position.

 

[Strawberry_Jam]

My dad is bigger than your dzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Hurrikeen]

797 as an average in the Championship isn't worthy of praise IMO, whether you were shit or not.

 

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

So you took 300 to Leeds and 800 to Sheffield yet averaged 797.. something doesn't add up here. Did you take 2,000 to Fulham or something?

I'll kindly point you towards the Championship away support thread to look at Walkley_Owl 's comprehensive figures.

 

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

Those away numbers are pathetic for such a big club. Even Scunny would have taken more in a comparable position.

No you wouldn't.

You see a trip to Hillsbrough and Elland road became the norm and a week a side of Christmas at £40 a ticket doesn't appeal to anybody.

 

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

797 as an average in the Championship isn't worthy of praise IMO, whether you were shit or not.

Given the same circumstances, there's not a hope in hell you would.

 

[Shrimpurh]

No you wouldn't.

You see a trip to Hillsbrough and Elland road became the norm and a week a side of Christmas at £40 a ticket doesn't appeal to anybody.

When you getting rid of your barnet?

 

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

When you getting rid of your barnet?

Whenever I want. Come make yourself known on twitter , so we can pick fault at you or are you a football badge like the rest of the geeks on here?

 

[Shrimpurh]

Whenever I want. Come make yourself known on twitter , so we can pick fault at you or are you a football badge like the rest of the geeks on here?

Needs to go IMO
@thomaschase_

 

[GEORGE]

I actually agree with your post, but I'm intrigued to know what you are basing our average attendance theory on? Is it factual (which is more than fair), or opinion based?

As before the ST incentive, I don't believe our attendances were too shabby given our downward spiral. Before then, there were frequent sell-outs in the Championship 97-99.

Yes, our attendances were poor pre-1996, but the Richmond era, of which effectively resulted in Prem football, increased our support no-end. Our average these days at full price will be much higher than the last time we had full price ST. We averaged 9,000 the last time they were £400+.....after being relegated 3 times in 6 seasons, with two administrations along the way and owing in excess of £36m.

Even a decent cup tie generally means a packed house of 24,300+.

Just interested to know, that's all.

Out of interest there is a bloke from Bradford who drinks in our local and him and all his mates follow ( Man United ) don't go though. Some do go to City occasionally. But he said in their younger days all followed PA.
Question is how will it affect City's gates when PA finally restore their league status ? He again stated that most of his mates would go back to watching PA when and if this happens.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Out of interest there is a bloke from Bradford who drinks in our local and him and all his mates follow ( Man United ) don't go though. Some do go to City occasionally. But he said in their younger days all followed PA.
Question is how will it affect City's gates when PA finally restore their league status ? He again stated that most of his mates would go back to watching PA when and if this happens.

Not as much as people think, we don't have many ex Avenue fans. Most hated us and many followed Leeds after they fell out of the league, I think that's why we have so many Leeds fans here. A lot around the BPA(Bradford South) area also follow Rugby league over Football.

So I'm told anyway, but it was well before my time. I'd happily see them back as I think it would only up interest in the sport, we used to be more of a rugby city(Bulls at their peak got around 20k) but that is changing with the rising attendances.

 

[RobboPOSH]

No you wouldn't.

You see a trip to Hillsbrough and Elland road became the norm and a week a side of Christmas at £40 a ticket doesn't appeal to anybody.

3 seasons and suddenly it's the norm?

 

[Bobbin']

My dad is bigger than your dzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Nope, can't be. My Dad won an amateur boxing tournament in the army in 1968 in front of 92 people, how many has your dad got to his name?

 

[FiRTHYY]

Out of interest there is a bloke from Bradford who drinks in our local and him and all his mates follow ( Man United ) don't go though. Some do go to City occasionally. But he said in their younger days all followed PA.
Question is how will it affect City's gates when PA finally restore their league status ? He again stated that most of his mates would go back to watching PA when and if this happens.

As Wilsden has already touched on, it wouldn't effect us at all. If Bradford Bulls start to do well again, our floating support may look towards rugby league, but I think even Bulls will struggle to pull the crowds they used to.

Park Ave literally have about 500 supporters left - with an average age of 60.... no word of a lie.

We played them in a friendly last week, of which is a big game for 'em - think they made up less than a fifth of the 2k crowd.

With Leeds and Huddersfield both within 7 miles, this can sometimes have a baring on our support - especially now with Hudders in the Prem, and Leeds just have fans everywhere.

 

[SF_]

Pompey for me, averaging over 16k in the 4th tier and a recent FA cup victory to their name.

No brainer when you put it like that really.

 

[SF_]

Of course Wigan have recently won the FA Cup as well but... it's Wigan...

 

[Hurrikeen]

Given the same circumstances, there's not a hope in hell you would.

We have been averaging 650-750 in League One, after spending 20 consecutive years here. We'd piss 800 in the league above.

 

[Reaper]

So you took 300 to Leeds and 800 to Sheffield yet averaged 797.. something doesn't add up here. Did you take 2,000 to Fulham or something?

No we took respectable followings everywhere else apart from Wednesday, Leeds and Ipswich who are rip off merchants.

 

[Reaper]

We have been averaging 650-750 in League One, after spending 20 consecutive years here. We'd piss 800 in the league above.

Everyone would piss over 800 in the first season of the championship but that was in our 3rd season without winning an away game all season and our 2 biggest games Wednesday and Leeds charging around 40 pound a ticket which is ridiculous. Oldham wouldn't have averaged over 800 in those circumstances imo.

 

[StevieEvansRedNWhiteArmy]

We have been averaging 650-750 in League One, after spending 20 consecutive years here. We'd piss 800 in the league above.

3rd year in Championship and didn't win one away game all season, think we only got 3 points.

Nah you wouldn't.

 

[Strawberry_Jam]

Nope, can't be. My Dad won an amateur boxing tournament in the army in 1968 in front of 92 people, how many has your dad got to his name?

My dad already wins by not having had his head punched at.

 

[Hurrikeen]

Everyone would piss over 800 in the first season of the championship but that was in our 3rd season without winning an away game all season and our 2 biggest games Wednesday and Leeds charging around 40 pound a ticket which is ridiculous. Oldham wouldn't have averaged over 800 in those circumstances imo.

We most definitely would.

20 seasons in this shit hole of a division has bored the tits off our support, yet despite playing the same bastard teams all the bloody time, we have still retained a 650-750 average.

Just a single promotion would boost our support massively (in terms of our numbers, not thousands more obviously), and I have no doubt that we'd be averaging 900-1000 for as long as we stayed in the Championship (unless we happened to frequent the top half on a regular basis).

Listen, when you're prepared to pay £20 to watch us at the Bescot every fucking year, you wouldn't be arsed paying £35-40 against a team as big as Wednesday, Leeds etc.

 

[MillerWhale]

Whilst I've always considered Oldham's away support to be decent, I think folk underestimate just how demoralising getting thumped every week is.

To remind everyone, we amassed 2 away points over the whole of last season and suffered mainly hammering along the way.

Our first away fixtures, we lost 3-0 at Villa, 3-0 at Brighton and then 4-0 at Barnsley. Brighton was a Tues night, but we took 2,800 to Villa and 3,200 to Barnsley. Yes, the daft prices of Leeds, Pigs and Ipswich meant more people didn't go, but it was the performances on the pitch that hurt us more. 800 at Wednesday is unfathomable when at
Times we've had 6,500 there.

 

[MillerWhale]

I actually agree with your post, but I'm intrigued to know what you are basing our average attendance theory on? Is it factual (which is more than fair), or opinion based?

As before the ST incentive, I don't believe our attendances were too shabby given our downward spiral. Before then, there were frequent sell-outs in the Championship 97-99.

Yes, our attendances were poor pre-1996, but the Richmond era, of which effectively resulted in Prem football, increased our support no-end. Our average these days at full price will be much higher than the last time we had full price ST. We averaged 9,000 the last time they were £400+.....after being relegated 3 times in 6 seasons, with two administrations along the way and owing in excess of £36m.

Even a decent cup tie generally means a packed house of 24,300+.

Just interested to know, that's all.

Unfortunately I'm long in the tooth enough to remember pre 1996, when your attendances were only marginally better than ours. Your rise, ground improvements and boasting the likes of Carbone and Collymore obviously put you higher in the ranks than us and Oxford, though I couldn't rank you in with Charlton.

We used to better Barnsley's attendances in the 70s but their rise in the 90s and ground and infrastructure improvements saw them overtake us. Watching live football isn't a growing leisure trend now, as the lame youth on the main would rather watch Sky in pubs and have selfies than go and watch their local side so doubt we'll ever claw the extra couple of thousand they've got over us.

You're right, though. Bradford is a city with a good population so when you do get a big draw you're well set to pull in a big crowd.
Which makes it more surprising you couldn't do so for the the playoff semi.

 

[Hurrikeen]

Whilst I've always considered Oldham's away support to be decent, I think folk underestimate just how demoralising getting thumped every week is.

To remind everyone, we amassed 2 away points over the whole of last season and suffered mainly hammering along the way.

Our first away fixtures, we lost 3-0 at Villa, 3-0 at Brighton and then 4-0 at Barnsley. Brighton was a Tues night, but we took 2,800 to Villa and 3,200 to Barnsley. Yes, the daft prices of Leeds, Pigs and Ipswich meant more people didn't go, but it was the performances on the pitch that hurt us more. 800 at Wednesday is unfathomable when at
Times we've had 6,500 there.

Tbf, that was Villa's first season down in the Championship and I'd expect most team to take 2500+ there. Especially when you've not played them in the league for donkeys years and that it's a quality ground.

As for Barnsley, it's a local derby, aided by the fact you're in the Championship, so again hardly surprising.

I don't doubt that taking a pounding all the time would be detrimental, but it's still the highest division you've ever been in, against plenty of teams you won't have played in the league before as long as you can remember, and with you just being 3 years in it's still relatively 'new'.

You should have seen the football us fans had to endure under Steve Robinson up until January - think we scored 12 goals in all comps in about 24 games and were adrift in the relegation zone - honestly, it was fucking shambolic - yet we still averaged 650ish over the season.