"The League 1 Club With Premiership Attendances"

Cockney White · "The League 1 Club With Premiership Attendances"

Leeds United - The fifth most searched football club on MSN this season

Garp

We were also the 5th or 6th biggest crowd last weekend, and that is no mean achievement when a lot of clubs had do or die fixtures, and we did not.

HarryofOz

Not sure if anyone has posted it elsewhere but there were a couple of articles on the Net the other day

1) Of the 10 highest crowds in league 1, 9 took place at Elland Road. The only exception being Forest v Carlise which came 9th

2) 20 of the 23 teams in the league had their biggest home crowd of the season against Leeds.

NE1

Garp

Is it any wonder that clubs have an interest in Leeds United being in the league? The gate stats show huge increases when we were in town.

Tommo

Benlufc

ArmleyWhite

Trouble is, Those figures are only relevant when the club is going somewhere, ie, up the league. Remember the year after Cardiff. Gates at ER of 12-14000. What I want to know is, where were those fickle fuckers then???? My lads gutted we can't go to this game on Mon!! All because certain people who "don't want to line Bates pocket" when were shit actually going to this game.

wewantourdarbyback

ArmleyWhite

Then again, funny how me and my lad used to go CHEAPER when Bates took over than the Ridsdale era eh? I haven't had a ST for years now, cos of work etc. YES I will continue to call a lot of em fickle. Tell me, who was it paying for a family ticket yet taking 4 adults and NEVER getting checked? Yup, those fans that stayed away in droves once their little ruse was found out!!

The ones that whinged about Bates prices were the ones RIPPING off the club for years!! Funny how ST sales for the gelderd never went down. Same thing happend as it did in the 80's. YUP glory supporting fickle twats. Remind me how much the prices went up by in the 80's..... Mmm, funny, they DIDN'T. Sick and tired of hearing about Bates prices!! So on average 15 - 20 Thousand people walked away from ER cos of prices. BOLOX!!!

wewantourdarbyback

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one as I'm never going to relent to calling myself Fickle and your set in your argument

ArmleyWhite

Lets get one thing straight!!!!

1. I have NEVER called you fickle!!!!!!

My argument towards "fickle" are those that openly decry the present regime at ER and claim not a penny will pass to said regime so long as Bates is in charge!!!! However, funny aint it that they have tickets to the game. See my point??

I have NEVE had a problem with people that don't go for reasons of low income, distance to ER, incapacity work etc. MY argument has alway been with those that constanly claim Leeds are shit, Bates is shit, I'll not go while we play like that, etc etc etc.

Tommo

Even when prices have been cut, i.e. carling tin pot cup (or what ever they call it now) we would only get in the region of 14.000 so ticket prices argument is a non starter for me!! I know people have work, money , travel expenses issues and I accept that, but there are a lot of "Leeds fans" who could go to a game but never til we are in cup finals, playoff. Are they thinking if we go to the playoff games we will get tickets for the final!!!!!!

ArmleyWhite

If I remember rightly Pat, those that bought either home or away tickets for the PNE PO's did get priority for final tickets!!

Tommo

Garp

Seems to me that a side on the up will get decent gates, and that these will drop as a club becomes less successful. Prices will impact on some peoples ability to go to games, and I can see the argument that if prices are high, some of us would need to pick and choose the games we go to.

You will always get more people in for the big games. Can't say I blame anybody for choosing to go one week and not another, because the competition or opposition is more or less appealing. A day at ER costs me in the region of £100. I pick and choose without a conscience, and I will not spend 1p on pies, beer, shirts etc. Perhaps I am a fickle fan, but no more fickle than the band of disloyal employees at ALL professional football clubs, who, at the drop of a hat, will disregard their contract in search of a few more pounds.

Ken Bates and Leeds United do not need my money. Football at the higher level is a discustingly wealthy business. Perhaps the greedy owners, Sky, players, managers and agents should earn less, and the money more fairly ditributed throughout lower levels of the game.

Season ticket holders and club members get priority treatment, and rightly so. There are other loyaly systems that could be introduced. I used to go to all of the England games at Wembley (back in the late 70's). When a big game came up, such as Brazil or Germany, the fans that had attended most games got priority for the tickets. The system always worked for me at the time.

ArmleyWhite

Seems my explantion of my use of the word Fickle has upset some??? I've already said what I meant!!!!!

Garp

It has not upset me at all.... Smile

I am happy to be fickle.....I pick and choose.... Laughing

cardboardbox?Youwerelucky

I have to agree with Garp on this subject -

When a team is doing well they usually always get more fans through the door (because they have a reeasonable chance of seeing their team play well and win). If they are playing a high profile match again they will get a large crowd due to the prestige of the event. It happens in whatever sport (not just football) - different categories of "match" for the opposition / demand for tickets.

Its no different to going on holiday - prices are higher in school holidays because there is a higher demand for them.

My personal belief is that the ticket price reduction that Bates made at the end of last season and the start of this season PROVED that fans were there (and always have been) at a certain price (and Si I accept that you were paying less for your tickets previously) but on average around the ground they were cheaper - again it is no different to a "bargain" happening at ASDA - people go along and buy the product because of the price not necessarily because of the product - last season Bates dropped the price and the crowds increased dramatically (even though there was a strong chance we would get beat) - but the support did exactly that - it came and supported the team.

The injustice at the start of this season (and again the expectation level) meant a bumper crowd at the start and a great winning run meant that ER was getting good crowds again (but the price was right - to coin a phrase) - the crowds still have fluctuated wildy this season and this has usually coincided with a run of poor results (rather than price).

My personal belief is that if KEN had KEPT the prices at the same level as the start of last season - the crowds would have been 15,000 again.

I'm sure most fans are FICKLE - many support the team when they are doing well and have less of an interest when they are doing average (they also tend to come back when the team are in dire straits - i.e. end of last season) - and the prices exacerbate this problem because those that borderline this "fan" profile will NOT turn up if the price is too high.

I followed the team week in week out from Bremner as manager to Wilko's departure and I did so without a second thought - the final demise (and price) in the premiership put me off / ruled me out of renewing my season ticket for the first time in (10?) years.

I find it surprising that you ARE surprised that fans suddenly want to go support their team when they have a chance of major success -surely that is just commin nature - I haven't been all season but given the chance of going to wembley (should we get there - touch wood) I would absolutely have no hesitation in going. I don't see that as a glory hunter I just see that as a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the team I love get out of this league and celebrate with other like minded people. I don't support Leeds United "less" just because I don't go to the games - I am still as pissed off on a saturday night (and sunday) when we have lost a game as everyone else. And I am sure our Aussie friends feel no different. The only difference is I haven't shouted myself hoarse and paid top dollar for a pie and pint and physically seen the game.

(I might have lost track of what I was sayign towards the end

)

wewantourdarbyback

Garp

cardboardbox?Youwerelucky

30 Mill

Its a combination of all the points both Armley Boxy and Garp make

Garp

eddiesleftfoot

Really good discussion this one. Like many posters on here I had a ST for many years. My reasons for not renewing were personal and work related. I have to say that financial issues never occured because no matter what you found the money to go even if it meant other sacrifices had to be made. But as already said if I get a ticket for Wembley I will not feel guily at all

With regards to how players are I no longer expect to see them staying at one club all their career. They will move on just as most of us would if a potential new employer offered us a much better deal. Rememeber, the only loyal people at a club are the fans not the players, the board or the menagement. In 10 years time we will still be supporting the club whilst I imagine most if not all of the current staff will have moved on.

As for being a fan, I agree with Boxy, my whole week is determined on how we perform - I know that's wrong but that's how it is. It really does have that affect on me, and being 43, I have to say my biggest fear is never seeing us win a major honour again.

30 Mill

Jailhouse John

The ticket price argument is not an easy one to solve however the Survey that LUST did 18 months or so ago has proven to be accurate - when the club dropped its prices to the levels suggested by the fans in the Survey the crowds rose dramatically.

It was just a pity that the Trust did not get the recognition it deserved from the club for that piece of work - they (the club) are reaping the dividends now with continued higher attendances.

halfaperson

Can confer about the consequences of a Leeds result. A loss at home is absolutely devastating and completely FU the next few days. Losing away just messes up a day or so. Its completely different watching the Giants (RL). I can brush a loss off before ive left the ground. Tragically, England’s results still affect me even though I’ve tried not to let em. Those penalty shoot out losses (when we were a decent team) were gut wrenching.

There’s the other side of the story regarding players loyalty. In the days before the Bosman-Sky cataclysm players were treated like slaves by their clubs. The clubs held their registration and had complete control over their livelihood. They could dismiss them at the drop of a hat, reduce their salaries or they could simply drop them and refuse to sell them to another club. The clubs very rarely showed any loyalty to the players who were generally treated like racing dogs. The pendulum was way too far in that direction but it has swung way too far the other way now.

I think a lot of fans appreciate the motives and work done by LUST JJ even if the club doesn’t acknowledge it.

We can see the massive increase in crowds when the price goes down but you’ve got to ask yourselves, can this be sustained?. Would these 10 thousand extra people come every week at those prices or are they the people who cant/wont come every week and simply take advantage of the periodic price reductions to coincide with their periodic attendances. This floating body of fans is very difficult to predict. Couple that with the balance between how much regular fans are willing to pay and revenue generation required it is a very difficult decision. I think Batesy Boy has got it spot on this year as opposed to last years fiasco and yes LUST showed him the way last year.

You have to be in a very fortunate position geographically and economically to watch your team week in week out. I’ve never been comfortable with this concept of part time supporter. To me anyone who lives and breathes Leeds Utd and commits time, money, energy, comment, organization and care is a proper fan. If they get to the games as much as circumstances permit then that’s a bonus. There are lads at work who love the club just as much as me and are just as excited about the play offs as I am. If they didn’t have family, mortgage priorities etc they’d go just as much as me and I don’t see why they should be looked down at just because they go to the odd big game.