[ Sat 10th Dec ] v Lincoln Utd, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

[sussexdiamond]

"Dropping off of home attendances" ????

Of games played Saturday in Steps 3 and 4 ours was 7th highest.

Salisbury 574
Spennymoor 478
Merthyr 478
Tonbridge 461
Wantage 420 v Hereford
Scarborough 402

We even had a higher attendance than 12 FA trophy matches....including 2 National League sides

[corby diamond]

Another negative post but I'll say it anyways, yes what can we do to gain attendance?? Is there really much more we can do than offer a vast reduced entrance fee, offer a free diamond burger for everyone who enters? So then you get the odd few who come for a cheap day out and a free snack in the process....

The attendance is hovering around the same every week but there are clubs with an attendance of 80-90 and that's all they'll get. It would be interesting to know what the takings on a pay as you want day compared to a normal match day.. it may gain the odd 50 extra people but then you get some people throwing a few coppers in. I just think it's the time of the year, it's just too cold for the floater fans.

And obviously because the team ain't top of the table and clear by 20 points may be a factor...

Leaflets have been distributed, word of mouth, social media... is it case of accepting the 300 mark is simply our attendance?

[Curly]

Attendances have certainly dropped from our previous. We seem to have gone from 4-500 to more of a 3-400. I personally think that the fact that we are the most expensive club in our league probably doesn't help. Also our lack of home wins and performances isn't exactly going to get people rushing through the gates.

Facility wise having been to most away games I would say that only Belper and maybe stocksbridge could compete especially in the food department. The uncertainty over next season may also be putting people off but in fairness there's not really much the club can do about that at the minute

[Rushdenjim]

so what can we do as fans to help the attendances?, and there must be something otherwise when we do find our sustainable level and we are sitting 16th in a table and not winning even as much as we are now and that time will come at some stage, it could just continue to drop off.

We can't make people come to games. Inevitably when we do have a season as you describe, you have to expect attendances of 250 max, especially if we are playing 20 miles away from Rushden. Until we have a home in Rushden we will never get average attendances higher than 400ish

[Formic]

"Dropping off of home attendances" ????

Of games played Saturday in Steps 3 and 4 ours was 7th highest.

Salisbury 574
Spennymoor 478
Merthyr 478
Tonbridge 461
Wantage 420 v Hereford
Scarborough 402

We even had a higher attendance than 12 FA trophy matches....including 2 National League sides

I think the stats you need to look at are Diamonds home attendances in our five seasons. The Lincoln game was our worst Saturday / afternoon home league attendance I believe - with home games played at 3pm ranking as follows :-

Team / League / Att / Season
Cogenhoe United UCL Premier 438 2013-14
AFC Hornchurch Emirates FA Cup – 1st Round Qualifying 436 2016-17
Harrowby United UCL Premier 428 2014-15
Royston Town Southern Football League Division One Central 427 2015-16
Northwood FC Southern Football League Division One Central 425 2015-16
Ware FC Southern Football League Division One Central 422 2015-16
Boston Town UCL Premier 405 2014-15
Market Drayton Town Northern Premier League First Division South 404 2016-17
Gresley FC Northern Premier League First Division South 402 2016-17
Shaw Lane AFC Northern Premier League First Division South 397 2016-17
Basford United FA Trophy – Preliminary Round 391 2015-16
Lincoln United Northern Premier League First Division South 374 2016-17
Northampton Sileby Rangers Emirates FA Cup – Preliminary Round 347 2016-17
Histon FC Buildbase FA Trophy – Preliminary Round 333 2016-17

[mattparker]

Saturdays gate was really disappointing and our average league attendances are down on last season but maybe not as dramatic as this thread suggests.

For our first 9 league home games we have averaged 439 compared to last season first 9 of 449.

Saturdays games are most affected and our first 6 Saturday games we averaged 451 compared to last season first 6 of 491.

[Trek]

"Dropping off of home attendances" ????

Yes when we won the UCL Premier we averaged around 550 that season for league matches, last season it dropped to under 500 and now averages 439 this season.

One thing I've noticed last season and again this season is that there are few away fans whereas when we played Cogenhoe, Newport Pagnell, Yaxley, Wisbech et al they always brought a few fans.

[sandringhamdiamond]

I wasn't there Saturday (not through choice) and was concerned when I saw the attendance, there's no one reason why they falling but I can see them rising again in the new year.

I was thinking of starting a thread for the Stamford game for all fans to have a big push to get the attendance as high as possible for boxing day, make every effort to be there, bring a friend, family member etc. Sign off 2016 with a bumper crowd to give the club a boost for 2017 probably the clubs biggest year yet. I imagine Stamford may bring a few down aswell so no reason why we cant get 600-700 for this fixture!!

[Trek]

Until we have a home in Rushden we will never get average attendances higher than 400ish

That will be a major concern but we might pick up a few 'interested neutrals' from wherever we play next season if it's not going to be at the Dog & Duck. Perhaps a bit of car sharing between fans might be the answer to keep travelling costs down.

Scarborough Athletic, who this season have also seen their attendances drop off after 10 years ground sharing nearly 20 miles away at Bridlington will have a new ground in Scarborough next season so we must just hang in there and make the best of our situation.

I'm a bit disappointed that we do not see more community youngsters at our games, as they get free admission through their junior membership. It is just a case that their parents, who of course will have to pay, are not interested in coming to senior matches and just view the club as somewhere where their youngsters can play football? This is an area that needs investigation as these community youngsters could be the adult fans of the future.

[supersub]

What did you expect about the drop in gate numbers., Supersubs no longer in attendance