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Thanks for the comments
I'd forgotten how low the attendances were in the late 80's and early 90's. I was a regular then and I do remember that it was a breeze getting into NP - no queues even with 5 minutes to KO. Also it was quite possible to stand in the enclosure in front of the grandstand and not be within 10 yards of another supporter! Looking at the figures, what happened between 1977 and 1978 - why was there such a huge fall in percentage terms? 12790 down to 8365 - approx 35% drop. City were in Divn 2 in both those seasons weren't they?
City...two cheapest walk ups £36...
Merthyr Vue (see Wonder Woman ❤️) £10
It’s cash... but it’s more the ‘what we want to do with it’ has changed. We prefer to go to the cinema or Nando’s (I’ve never been). Football just isn’t as an attractive thing to do with the little spare cash we have when there are alternatives.
Let’s put this to bed once and for all.
Wales is not a hotbed for football.
Even this message board has fewer members than most.
Last edited by William Treseder; 22-11-17 at 07:16. Reason: Spelling
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.
Its quite simple.
Not as many people as you think want to watch Cardiff these days.
We need a cup run, that usually gets the natives out, or a season in the Prem, the customers love that one.
The Prem FFS.
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.
The trouble is , when the club gets a big gate , like against Leeds , they try and get them interested by offering cheap deals , such as the kids for a quid deal on Halloween............and those very same fans just don't bother
They are not fans of Cardiff city , they are typical south Wales sports fans ......they turn up for the big games ......as they do for international rugby .......and then vanish
They will sing as long as we beat the English at the rugby on a Saturday then go home and cheer on English football teams on sky TV , from their front room or the local pub
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.
Our next Saturday 3pm home game is January 13th.
That’ll almost be 2 months after last Saturdays game against Brentford.
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?
Sadly, I think you're right Sludge. Thanks to a cheap ticket deal, we get over 27,000 on a Tuesday night for a match against the league leaders and give them a bit of a hiding. We then face a team that is currently in the top six four days later with normal prices and nearly nine thousand less are there. Now I reckon there were some who turned up for the Leeds match and were so impressed that they bought a ticket for the Derby game and, who knows, they may have been to every match since, but, far, far more of those who don't go to matches often who were tempted into coming to the Leeds game have not bothered since despite the fact that they must, surely, have enjoyed themselves that night. I daresay a few who were at the Leeds match also made it along to the Villa game in August where we laid on another excellent display, but it seems that with some people in this area, what the team does when they go to a game makes no difference to them - that's got nothing to do with the rebrand and everything to do with being a "typical south Wales fan".
Ding ding ding...we have a winner.
If you had all this spare time in between games, would you find something else to do? Don't get me wrong they could come to midweek games and That, but many have other commitments, well done to those that manage to do all home games, what with work and family etc to contend for time as well.
I know "plastic" United fans who have been to European games, cup games, all home games and still managed plenty of always, if not all...if people want to go they will go.
Leeds match - Cheap tickets - Large crowd
Other games - More expensive tickets - Small crowd
Q. Why are attendances so poor?
A. Tickets are too expensive.
Hope this helps.