Gaps & Spaces = the sign of apathy

[Gaztonniller]

Very noticeable the spaces are at the home matches generally, and especially in the local derby matches.  31000 V Wolves, and 34000 V WBA. Arent these no longer regarded as fierce rivals any more.                           

                            Average home attendance & rankings
                         Pld  Total     Highest   Average  Capacity  Pct
10 Aston Villa (9) 5  162239 34248   32448     42551  76.2% 
Only Blackburn and Wigan percentage wise rank lower!! and shudder to think what the home attendance for these matches will be when Wigan/Blackburn turn-up.
Be lucky to 27000 imo
http://itv.stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/PR/attend.html

[Walmley_Villa]

We've already paid Wigan and Blackburn. The choice of manager and lack of investment in the team were always going to impact crowds. No amount of cheap tickets will change that. I have trouble giving away a free ticket these days.

[Tony]

Wolves didn't sell their allocation, Albion are the first team to come to Villa park this season who have, the drop in attendances isn't just at Villa Park, football is expensive and times are hard.

[MarkM]

I hope the link below works.

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/astv.htm

Although I agree that apathy is playing a part and that the cost of football is really making it's presence felt, it may be that the more fair-weather fans are staying at home and our attendance is simply reverting to a more historical level

[Vanilla]

Passionate fans may stay away out of frustration, but their passion will bring them back eventually. What we are seeing is this apathetic feeling, where people who used to avidly follow games, aren't even aware of how Villa got on when speaking to them days after the game.

These fans seem lost for good.

I'm sure the attendance average will pick up with the games against stronger teams. But to attract floating fans, you need to show potential.

[luke25]

I've been a season ticket holder for the past 13 years but was made redundant from my previous job last year were I got sat/sun off, in my new job I get sun/mon off so regretably had to give up the season ticket, although while I miss the match day experience I'd also got to the point were apart from one or two games per season I was bored shitless at most the others, anyway I think its a combination of work, the cost and shit football that is keeping people away from Villa and football in general.

[Vanilla]

I've been a season ticket holder for the past 13 years but was made redundant from my previous job last year were I got sat/sun off, in my new job I get sun/mon off so regretably had to give up the season ticket, although while I miss the match day experience I'd also got to the point were apart from one or two games per season I was bored shitless at most the others, anyway I think its a combination of work, the cost and shit football that is keeping people away from Villa and football in general.

Modern football tries to sell itself as a cross between passion and entertainment to attract as many fans as possible. And as I agree with you, and have been bored senseless at many games over the past few years, the fans striving entertainment ain't going to be queuing up in a hurry.

[UK Redsox]

What shall we use
To fill the empty spaces
Where we used to talk?
How shall I fill
The final places?

[PeterWithesShin]

I want to know how according to that itv.stats site both Chelsea and Norwich are managing to average over 100% of their capacity, especially as it reckons Chelsea had 49K for a game. They've either added 7K seats and not told anyone, are packing them in like sardines and bollocks to safety, or like many stat sites it's let down by human error which makes it inaccurate.

[nigel]

I also think a lot has to do with games being shown live on tv in pubs etc.
In times gone by if you couldn't afford every game you'd make sure you got there for the derby games.
Footballs not cheap to watch these days so in many ways I can't blame people, if they're a touch short, to catch the game at the pub.
I'm a big fan of Randy and I think AMcL could be the right choice, but, a bit of investment is a must these days.

[Gaztonniller]

We've already paid Wigan and Blackburn. The choice of manager and lack of investment in the team were always going to impact crowds. No amount of cheap tickets will change that. I have trouble giving away a free ticket these days.

You missed the irony there. Anyhow, Point is the attendance when they turned-up BB 32000 & Wigan 30000 Matching the Wolves attendance, and albion bringing only a few thousand more for a BIG local derby!! 
As said earlier fans due to current finances may miss the odd game here and there, but will turn-out for the big matches. Its either apathy amonst home fans or (hate to say this) but maybe this Wolves/ WBA big midland rivalry is now a myth and now dead.

[dave.woodhall]

As MarkM said above - the post-Euro 96 boom is over and we're now getting the sort of crowds we've traditionally got.

[Tony]

We've already paid Wigan and Blackburn. The choice of manager and lack of investment in the team were always going to impact crowds. No amount of cheap tickets will change that. I have trouble giving away a free ticket these days.

You missed the irony there. Anyhow, Point is the attendance when they turned-up BB 32000 & Wigan 30000 Matching the Wolves attendance, and albion bringing only a few thousand more for a BIG local derby!! 
As said earlier fans due to current finances may miss the odd game here and there, but will turn-out for the big matches. Its either apathy amonst home fans or (hate to say this) but maybe this Wolves/ WBA big midland rivalry is now a myth and now dead.

We had more Villa fans at the Blackburn and Wigan games than the Wolves game and possibly yesterday's game, the big glaring difference being price of tickets.

[Apyadg]

The trouble with football clubs turning the game in to a product is that when it's a bit shit and over-priced, consumers stay away.

[villan1975]

Don't like to use the phrase about myself but am I suppose what you would
call a fairweather fan who has gone to 50% to 75% of games over the last ten years although I did have a season ticket two years ago.
Have been to one game so far this season against Hereford.
Have thought long and hard for why I am so apathetic this year and agree with most
points raised on here ie the manager,the poor running and handling of our club,football in general,cost,etc etc etc.
I think personally for me though it is the style of football that is served up week in and week out
as as much as I disliked Houllier I could see an ethos at the club of trying to play football at
the very least.Look at Norwich and Swansea yesterday and all season.
Can we not do this?Personally I do not believe so under the current regime.
As an aside I look at the team sheet and like very few players as footballers or people
especially in our back four.