Attendance-a worrying trend

[olaftab]

We have had 3 home matches  in the PL this season and the best we  have done is 36K v West Ham. 34K for the other two games. Now the Club has had to resort to a 5 match deal to achieve maximum sell.
Whilst all marketting initiatives should be applauded it is worrying that we  are not able to sell out Chelsea, Blues, Man u and Arsenal without resorting to some discount.
Now there are two reasons that usually impact on attendance. The success on the pitch and local economics.  Both of these reasons apply at the moment.
In view of that do we need to be more realistic with our ambition especially  with the desire to expand capacity of the stadium?

[lovejoy]

Aren't they bundling the attractive fixtures (Chelsea, MU, Arse) with the less so ones to up the attendance of the lesser ones rather than because they're struggling on the attractive ones?

[PeterWithesShin]

Just about every club is noticing a drop in attendances this season. I'm sure I read that even man ure struggled to sell all their season tickets this year.

Regarding increasing capacity, it's something that needs to be done so hopefully the board look at things in the long run, rather than short term.

As for ambition, my ambition for Villa is the same every season (expectations are a different matter) so why should I ever change it? And I would hope that the board never lowers its ambitions.

[placeforparks]

Regarding increasing capacity, it's something that needs to be done so hopefully the board look at things in the long run, rather than short term.

i imagine the urgency will rest with the 2018 world cup announcement in december.

[villa `cross the mersey]

The economy is definitely a factor - for example i have been out of work for 10 months out of the last 18 and have settled for a job on a 25% pay cut - some things have to give - more recently i chose not to come to the Bolton game (despite being a season ticket holder) to save on travel costs etc - I could not even give my two tickets away for the game!
Fortunately for me I am now earning again but I doubt if I will be paying out for away games and cup games in the foreseeable future as important as Villa are in my life they ain`t above family etc.
It is however galling to see all these special offers when I committed to my ticket before the end of the preceding season.
I am sure the club will recognise this if we get to Wembley twice again this season (or maybe 3 times)

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Just over 23k at the Sty yesterday and that's with Everton selling their lot.

[Pete3206]

Watching MOTD last night, I noticed an alarming amount of empty seats at most of the games shown. It simply costs too much money. I went to Spurs yesterday, but I only go to a handful of away games now as I cannot justify the amount that needs to be forked out on tickets, travel, food, etc.

As for 'special offers', they are necessary and have been around for a few years now. I wouldn't begrudge anyone getting a good deal on tickets, even though I'm a ST holder and probably always will be as long as I have a steady income.

 

[Matt C]

As Pete says above you only have to watch MOTD last night to see the trend of declining attendances is by no means exclusive to Villa. Times are tough, people are cutting back on luxuries and non-essentials.

[David_Nab]

You think it's bad in the Premier League check out the some of the games in the Championship !

Times are tough but also the increase in player's wages has pushed up prices and they have reached their breaking point IMO.Success on the pitch I don't think will change thing's people simply can not afford to go to games these day's.The amount of games on TV and the ability to get streams on most games hasn't helped.

Something need's to be done as seeing games with row's and row's of empty seat's doesn't reflect well on anyone.

[olaftab]

Aren't they bundling the attractive fixtures (Chelsea, MU, Arse) with the less so ones to up the attendance of the lesser ones rather than because they're struggling on the attractive ones?

The problem is this 5 match offer is Chelsea, Blues, Blackpool, Manu and Arsenal.  So we are bundling 4 games that  in previous seasons were  gauranteed sell outs with 1 , Blackpool, weak  attendance game.

Just about every club is noticing a drop in attendances this season. I'm sure I read that even man ure struggled to sell all their season tickets this year.

As for ambition, my ambition for Villa is the same every season (expectations are a different matter) so why should I ever change it? And I would hope that the board never lowers its ambitions.

I agree  that most teams are suffering and as others pointed out  I also noted  an almost empty  upper tier  in the main stand at WH Lane.
My ambition comment was about  capacity not  aims for the team on the pitch.

[Rich6by7]

It costs too much money- simple as that. It's not in the clubs' interests to reduce wages as they'll lose out to nouveau riche clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City in the transfer market, so we have a situation where the ordinary supporter is priced out of the game.

I'm presently studying at university in Brum for the second time- the first time didn't work out- and looking back at match tickets I bought from the first time around (1996-9) you can see the disproportionate rise in prices that mean the club has to come up with discounts to get bums on seats. I've been twice on special offers this season (Bolton on a £5 local resident deal, Blackburn on a £10 student deal), but I wouldn't have gone paying full price. The last time I paid the going rate was Wolves last season, costing £36 for a seat in the corner of the lower Holte End. Rewind to January 1997, I attended a Cup replay against Notts County for £13 in the same section. A threefold price increase in thirteen years? Have other entertainment products gone up that much? Gig or theatre tickets? Cinemas? Other sports? You can point to the fact that one of those matches was a league fixture and a local derby to boot versus a cup replay against lower league opposition, but in 1995 my Holte upper ticket v Coventry (the Savo hat trick game), the most local team we faced in the league at the time, also cost £13.

The fact remains that football investment has overtaken the ability of many of its investors (ie you and me, the ticket-buying fans) to make that investment, and unless we want to see increasingly empty stadia up and down the country, we'll keep seeing reduced ticket deals.  Good for supporters like me who can't afford the financial investment for a season ticket (nor can I afford the time to go to each match), but a sure sign that football is a cash rich, integrity low business at the moment.

[CT]

You think it's bad in the Premier League check out the some of the games in the Championship !

I notice Middlesbrough seem to get picked on quite a lot on TV about their poor attendances. These clever commentators and pundits don't seem to be able to grasp that people are losing jobs and in that poor economic area,  people have more urgent things to spend money on than football.

Football is just too expensive now so credit to all those at the Villa for trying anything they can with these offers to bump up the crowds.

[KRS]

Walsall are struggling to get much more than 3000 at home. Bad times for the Saddlers ahead if this continues I fear. 

[Karlos96]

Football is far to expensive throughout the leagues in this country.  My nephew got his ticket for the blues game yesterday £37 i'm sorry but that is far too expensive.  I only go to the home games I couldn't afford paying what it would cost to go to away games as well.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

As a season ticket holder that tried to support the club before the season kicked off i'm also thinking of my own financial position. At present I would have been better off buying cheap seats per match rather than fork out the lump sum at the start.
If it continues I won't invest in the summer next year.