woeful attendance

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Do you think it was down to McLeish that there were a couple of thousand empty seats in the Wolves end?

If, for example, we's appointed Martinez instead do you think the crowd would have been significantly higher?

Probably yes.

Look how many fans wanted Houllier out and we still got 37,000 against Wolves.

[Ryu]

Did wolves sell a couple of thousand tickets short of their allocation last season as well?

[pauliewalnuts]

Do you think it was down to McLeish that there were a couple of thousand empty seats in the Wolves end?

If, for example, we's appointed Martinez instead do you think the crowd would have been significantly higher?

I don't think it would have been much different.

The same summer of grimness except with a different, yet still underwhelming, managerial appointment would have resulted in pretty much the same thing.

[Chris Smith]

Do you think it was down to McLeish that there were a couple of thousand empty seats in the Wolves end?

If, for example, we's appointed Martinez instead do you think the crowd would have been significantly higher?

Probably yes.

Look how many fans wanted Houllier out and we still got 37,000 against Wolves.

It was a 12.00 kick off on Bank Holiday weekend, was the ypthird home game in a week and live on TV at a time of year when our crowds are traditionally down. There's also the small matter of the recession.

Given all the mitigating circumstances and the general apathy around the club I think to attribute it as being down to McLeish displays a serious lack of understanding.

[dave.woodhall]

When the best Wolves team in thirty years can't sell 2,800 (approx) tickets for a game ten miles away the problem is a lot deeper than prices, kick-off times and our manager.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Do you think it was down to McLeish that there were a couple of thousand empty seats in the Wolves end?

If, for example, we's appointed Martinez instead do you think the crowd would have been significantly higher?

Probably yes.

Look how many fans wanted Houllier out and we still got 37,000 against Wolves.

It was a 12.00 kick off on Bank Holiday weekend, was the ypthird home game in a week and live on TV at a time of year when our crowds are traditionally down. There's also the small matter of the recession.

Given all the mitigating circumstances and the general apathy around the club I think to attribute it as being down to McLeish displays a serious lack of understanding.

So we can expect a big increase in the crowd on Saturday then?

[john e]

Do you think it was down to McLeish that there were a couple of thousand empty seats in the Wolves end?

If, for example, we's appointed Martinez instead do you think the crowd would have been significantly higher?

Probably yes.

Look how many fans wanted Houllier out and we still got 37,000 against Wolves.

It was a 12.00 kick off on Bank Holiday weekend, was the ypthird home game in a week and live on TV at a time of year when our crowds are traditionally down. There's also the small matter of the recession.

Given all the mitigating circumstances and the general apathy around the club I think to attribute it as being down to McLeish displays a serious lack of understanding.

but put the other way, do you think the appoitment of Mcliesh has added any supporters to the attendance ?
 appart from  obviously his own family members and friends, who probably dont pay anyway.

i mean do you think anyone has said any words to this effect -
 ' tell you what i think i'l nip down the Villa on saturday now they have that Mcliesh, i'm looking forward to watching the sort of football he has to offer'

i know thats not answering the question re crowd attendance, but lets face it the appoitment of AM did not help.

its up to Mcliesh now to dispell the doubters, play a few youngsters, give us a bit of entertainment, its in his hands now, i feel he will get support from most people, but some [including me]  need a bit of convincing still

[Ad@m]

Do you think it was down to McLeish that there were a couple of thousand empty seats in the Wolves end?

If, for example, we's appointed Martinez instead do you think the crowd would have been significantly higher?

Probably yes.

Look how many fans wanted Houllier out and we still got 37,000 against Wolves.

It was a 12.00 kick off on Bank Holiday weekend, was the ypthird home game in a week and live on TV at a time of year when our crowds are traditionally down. There's also the small matter of the recession.

Given all the mitigating circumstances and the general apathy around the club I think to attribute it as being down to McLeish displays a serious lack of understanding.

but put the other way, do you think the appoitment of Mcliesh has added any supporters to the attendance ?
 appart from  obviously his own family members and friends, who probably dont pay anyway.

i mean do you think anyone has said any words to this effect -
 ' tell you what i think i'l nip down the Villa on saturday now they have that Mcliesh, i'm looking forward to watching the sort of football he has to offer'

i know thats not answering the question re crowd attendance, but lets face it the appoitment of AM did not help.

its up to Mcliesh now to dispell the doubters, play a few youngsters, give us a bit of entertainment, its in his hands now, i feel he will get support from most people, but some [including me]  need a bit of convincing still

You've hit the nail on the head john e.  It's just not exciting to watch the Villa at the moment and a big chunk of that is due to AM and the person who appointed him.  It's completely the opposite effect of what happened when MON was appointed - at that time there was a buzz about the club and the crowds reflected that.

Historically, and for whatever reason, we don't have a lot of diehard fans.  Given the population of Birmingham we punch below our weight when it comes to attendances.  Man U and Man City both get significantly higher crowds than us despite Manchester having a smaller population - that's down to success (Man U) and potential/excitement (Man C).  Newcastle get a much higher proportion of the local population in attendance but that's a cultural thing.  Liverpool and Everton have a bigger combined attendance than us and Blues - again that's partly culture and partly past success.

The Villa need to work relatively harder than other clubs to attract fans - like it or not, it's not fashionable to support the Villa, both locally and nationally.  Appointing a manager like AM was always going to make that job harder.

[ozzjim]

I am fairly certain that had we spent Chelsea or city money on players and were fighting to genuinely win something, the place would be over subscribed. Attendances are apathetic across football beyond certain clubs, and those are either the ones who get massive gates for whatever local reason or due to their side being exciting to watch and ambitious. We had our chance to create an exciting side that captured the imagination and we simply did not do it. There were not genuine star flair signings to go with the solid dependable ones when the money was there. If we had spent differently things may be different now, but they are not.

I think Eck has probably had a negative effect somewhat, BUT, if he does get us playing I reckon the crowds would very much be back and more, as there would be nothing more fun than a bloke who walked on Blues getting Villa to play really well.

[Blackcountry Villa]

I couldn't give a toss that he managed Blues, if he'd done an amazing job at Blues and we'd stole him i'd have loved it. I don't like him because he's a shit manager who plays shit football and he got them relegated twice in three years.

McLeish isn't the only factor for the attendances, but he is definitely a factor. As soon as he was appointed hundreds if not thousands of fans said they wouldn't attend, everyone i know refused to renew once we appointed him. The other factors are: the entertainment value is pretty much nil most games. Theres zero atmosphere (watched the Wolves game on tv and you could hear a pin drop). Knowing almost certainly before the game even starts that it will be shit and we'll play poor football (the Wolves game again, most people said before the game it would be a bore draw with poor football). The prices; nobody in their right mind is going to pay £43 to watch two crap teams like Villa v Wolves, and having the cheapest tickets at £25 is a joke (if we had a good manager and good players £43 would just about be a bit more reasonable, but £43 to watch the likes of Heskey, Petrov and Agbonlahor under McLeish? No ta).

[dazzyg]

"Did you hate us signing Peter Withe as well" we didn't sign him from Small Heath. If your going to put statements like that on here at least get the facts correct !!!

Villa Forever

[Chris Smith]

"Did you hate us signing Peter Withe as well" we didn't sign him from Small Heath. If your going to put statements like that on here at least get the facts correct !!!

Villa Forever

You are displaying your ignorance. He was an ex nose and when we signed him your equivalents were making just the same sort of fuss. How stupid they looked a couple of years later.

By the way, where do you sit?

[TimTheVillain]

Be interesting to see what gate we get on Saturday.

I'm going 32k as the barcodes do have decent away support.

[Ger Regan]

"Did you hate us signing Peter Withe as well" we didn't sign him from Small Heath. If your going to put statements like that on here at least get the facts correct !!!

Villa Forever

Do you hate Ron Saunders?

[willywombat]

I hate small heath as a football club. It's part of my identity, everyone who knows me well knows this. That being established I find this silly attitude to former employees of theirs embarassing and small minded. McLeish worked for them for a couple or three years.  He's not a nose and far from most people being opposed to him, I think the vast majority are happy to give him a fair go. If you cant do that then maybe you should move on?