Why are attendances so poor?

[the other bob wilson]

Thanks TH63 for putting all of that work in. I'll add one thing to what you say - 1960/61 is remembered as the season Spurs won the double and for City the big occasion that season was when we beat them 3-2 at Ninian Park in front of a crowd of 45,463. It was our first season back in the top flight after relegation in 1958 and yet, despite the boost that crowd against Spurs would have given the figure, our average attendance was only 22,310. The Spurs game was played in March and our crowds after that were 19,754, 16,339, 16,192 and 9,549 - Cardiff City's support, always has been fickle, always will be fickle.

Regarding the drop in average attendance between 1977 ans 1978, I'm pretty sure that was mostly down to a combination of some parts of the ground not being used and early kick offs because the Council ordered the capacity had to be reduced to under five figures for a while and the floodlights could not be used after they insisted that Health and Safety work be carried out before they would allow the capacity to be increased again.

[Gofer Blue]

Thanks TH63 for putting all of that work in. I'll add one thing to what you say - 1960/61 is remembered as the season Spurs won the double and for City the big occasion that season was when we beat them 3-2 at Ninian Park in front of a crowd of 45,463. It was our first season back in the top flight after relegation in 1958 and yet, despite the boost that crowd against Spurs would have given the figure, our average attendance was only 22,310. The Spurs game was played in March and our crowds after that were 19,754, 16,339, 16,192 and 9,549 - Cardiff City's support, always has been fickle, always will be fickle.

Regarding the drop in average attendance between 1977 ans 1978, I'm pretty sure that was mostly down to a combination of some parts of the ground not being used and early kick offs because the Council ordered the capacity had to be reduced to under five figures for a while and the floodlights could not be used after they insisted that Health and Safety work be carried out before they would allow the capacity to be increased again.

I started attending NP regularly from March 1978 having moved back to the area from Essex. I don't remember the floodlight episode that you mention but it sounds reasonable. If we had been relegated I could understand such a drop but we weren't.

[the other bob wilson]

I started attending NP regularly from March 1978 having moved back to the area from Essex. I don't remember the floodlight episode that you mention but it sounds reasonable. If we had been relegated I could understand such a drop but we weren't.

I think the problems had been sorted by March, but in the first half of the season we only played midweek matches until about September and even then they kicked off at 5.30/6, while Saturday afternoon matches were starting at half one and two during the autumn.

[Don Corleone]

I think the problems had been sorted by March, but in the first half of the season we only played midweek matches until about September and even then they kicked off at 5.30/6, while Saturday afternoon matches were starting at half one and two during the autumn.

That's right, I remember leaving school and rushing to catch the train down to Cardiff for 5.30pm kick offs

From TH63 post above attendances would naturally have gone up under the rebrand as we were top of the league and then had the season in the premier league. However I don't think the attendances would have dropped so dramatically afterwards without the rebrand though

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

That's right, I remember leaving school and rushing to catch the train down to Cardiff for 5.30pm kick offs

From TH63 post above attendances would naturally have gone up under the rebrand as we were top of the league and then had the season in the premier league. However I don't think the attendances would have dropped so dramatically afterwards without the rebrand though

Exactly. 16400 for a Saturday game when in the top 3 is not down to "fickleness". Cardiff have never struggled for numbers when doing so well at this stage in a season.

Most of those giving reasons for low attendances are people who are still attending, so it's little more than speculation.

I stopped going after the promotion season - I could no longer identify with the club, it's fanbase (we won't miss you, you'll be replaced). If Tan hadn't tarnished the club's history (something I was always proud of, despite its lack of glamour) for reasons of superstition then I would still be attending along with 4 family members. People here seem to think we stopped going because we're fickle.

Until Tan, it always felt that the club needed my support. Tan then said he would be happy with 25% of the fan base leaving. That statement alone had an impact because now the club were saying to its fans/customers - "you're not really that important". For a club like Cardiff where loyalty is worn as a badge of honour, it was a pretty stupid thing to say from someone who had little respect for the fabric of the club. He said that when crowds were 26000. He's lost a lot of those and some were people who would not have been anywhere else than at Cardiff v Brentford on Saturday. There are lots of reasons that the crowds can't touch the 20000 mark - but it isn't down to apathy and fickleness alone.

[J R Hartley]

Exactly. 16400 for a Saturday game when in the top 3 is not down to "fickleness". Cardiff have never struggled for numbers when doing so well at this stage in a season.

Most of those giving reasons for low attendances are people who are still attending, so it's little more than speculation.

I stopped going after the promotion season - I could no longer identify with the club, it's fanbase (we won't miss you, you'll be replaced). If Tan hadn't tarnished the club's history (something I was always proud of, despite its lack of glamour) for reasons of superstition then I would still be attending along with 4 family members. People here seem to think we stopped going because we're fickle.

Until Tan, it always felt that the club needed my support. Tan then said he would be happy with 25% of the fan base leaving. That statement alone had an impact because now the club were saying to its fans/customers - "you're not really that important". For a club like Cardiff where loyalty is worn as a badge of honour, it was a pretty stupid thing to say from someone who had little respect for the fabric of the club. He said that when crowds were 26000. He's lost a lot of those and some were people who would not have been anywhere else than at Cardiff v Brentford on Saturday. There are lots of reasons that the crowds can't touch the 20000 mark - but it isn't down to apathy and fickleness alone.

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[TDA]

Exactly. 16400 for a Saturday game when in the top 3 is not down to "fickleness". Cardiff have never struggled for numbers when doing so well at this stage in a season.

Most of those giving reasons for low attendances are people who are still attending, so it's little more than speculation.

I stopped going after the promotion season - I could no longer identify with the club, it's fanbase (we won't miss you, you'll be replaced). If Tan hadn't tarnished the club's history (something I was always proud of, despite its lack of glamour) for reasons of superstition then I would still be attending along with 4 family members. People here seem to think we stopped going because we're fickle.

Until Tan, it always felt that the club needed my support. Tan then said he would be happy with 25% of the fan base leaving. That statement alone had an impact because now the club were saying to its fans/customers - "you're not really that important". For a club like Cardiff where loyalty is worn as a badge of honour, it was a pretty stupid thing to say from someone who had little respect for the fabric of the club. He said that when crowds were 26000. He's lost a lot of those and some were people who would not have been anywhere else than at Cardiff v Brentford on Saturday. There are lots of reasons that the crowds can't touch the 20000 mark - but it isn't down to apathy and fickleness alone.

Sorry, can't agree with that. TH63's list only goes back to 1970, but the seasons immediately preceding that also saw buoyant attendances, following decent league seasons and the European runs.

For the past 52 years I have witnessed regular wild fluctuation in attendances, depending on how well City are doing. Vincent Tan was still a youth selling newspapers in Malaysia or whatever he was doing when this trend was already in evidence. I dare say a few remain offended by the circumstances regarding the change to red, but not nearly in the numbers that would affect attendances that much.

No, you just have to face up to the fact that Cardiff City supporters are historically fickle.

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

Nothing to do with the rebrand nor Tan's wild proclamations. It's all because of some spurious reasons regurgitated by people who still attend.

Alfie Sherwood, TLG, Jordi Cule - off the top of my head these were people who attended religiously who have stopped attending. What were their reasons for not going?