Attendance 2016/2017 SELL OUT

[nathredwood]

The club will market games as sold out with an empty upper tier of the west stand...

They won't open it for an additional 200/300 fans due to costs so would need to be an FA cup quarter final against Man United before we get a sell out next year.

Although I hope I'm wrong and they sell the section from the get go for bigger leage games. (Villa, Newcastle etc)

[View from the Dolman]

24 minutes ago, Thatch35 said:

Could be right there mate.

Could be wrong there mate.

[JoeAman08]

Yea I reckon it could be a bit higher than most think. We were at 11.5k renewals and memberships I think. Just went on general sale. That is just early bird as well. With the summer I could see 14-14.5k ST sold. That'll always be counted. 1.5k average away is a good bet. Now you're at 15.5-16k with just that. POTD should add a few more thousand I would imagine. I think at least we will be getting 17k. More likely an 18-19k with the big teams at anywhere from 23-25k. 

[cityloyal473]

16 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Yea I reckon it could be a bit higher than most think. We were at 11.5k renewals and memberships I think. Just went on general sale. That is just early bird as well. With the summer I could see 14-14.5k ST sold. That'll always be counted. 1.5k average away is a good bet. Now you're at 15.5-16k with just that. POTD should add a few more thousand I would imagine. I think at least we will be getting 17k. More likely an 18-19k with the big teams at anywhere from 23-25k. 

Not sure ST sales will be that good.  People can pick and choose games now we have an expanded capacity.  I reckon we'll sell around 12,500 STs. Crowds will be in the same ball park figure as this season; 15-16,000.  Odd game it may go 17/17,500.

Not sure we'll get a huge new stadium bounce that others get as this has been phased in and is not quite the draw that a brand new one would be.  Would love to be proved wrong though.

[havanatopia]

18 minutes ago, cityloyal473 said:

Not sure ST sales will be that good.  People can pick and choose games now we have an expanded capacity.  I reckon we'll sell around 12,500 STs. Crowds will be in the same ball park figure as this season; 15-16,000.  Odd game it may go 17/17,500.

Not sure we'll get a huge new stadium bounce that others get as this has been phased in and is not quite the draw that a brand new one would be.  Would love to be proved wrong though.

Mao says we have already sold 13.5k season tickets. Maybe the Chinese are coming to the Gate next season.

Meanwhile Cynic says we have sold over 12k.

I too think most people are underestimating the pulling power of the new Stadium, the Rugger boys, the bigger away allocation, the bigger teams coming down, the vastly improved and completed facilities.

The thing that might put a lid on it is parking and of course those acid reflex churning red shorts.

[JoeAman08]

19 minutes ago, cityloyal473 said:

Not sure ST sales will be that good.  People can pick and choose games now we have an expanded capacity.  I reckon we'll sell around 12,500 STs. Crowds will be in the same ball park figure as this season; 15-16,000.  Odd game it may go 17/17,500.

Not sure we'll get a huge new stadium bounce that others get as this has been phased in and is not quite the draw that a brand new one would be.  Would love to be proved wrong though.

I basing it off an article I saw in BP. Was talking about how we could set our record for most ST sales for a season, as we had sold 11.5k in just renews I think. I don't know how accurate their numbers are though. We could've comfortably averaged 16k this season of we had full capacity and I reckon many wanted to buy tickets but were sold out for POTD at least. I think we could easily average at least 17k but just my opinion. 

[chowie]

There are currently 4,250 season tickets available, there can't be more than 1,700 reserved for corporate and kids, which means at least 13k sold so far.

I think we are vey close to the 13.3k record (if not over it) and the club will announce that soon.

[1960maaan]

I love the optimism but I can't see us averaging much more than this year. ST's this year were limited and forced peoples hand , if they wanted to make sure of seeing games it had to be a ST. Next year the options are open, Post says over 11,500 so far which is more at this stage last year. The thing is we had 12,500 who could renew, why would they not have done so by now? I think if we get alittle more than this year it would be good with more paying on the day. 

I must admit to smiling at the posts suggesting 20k average. If away teams sell out that only gives around a 1k extra so I can see us getting around 16k maybe a little more on average. As for sell outs, without a BIG game in the league, and I don't see a promotion push in our near future then it would take a cup run and a very good draw. Man U or Liverpool would bring out all the local "fans" of the Prem to boost numbers.  

I hope I'm being over cautious , but if we were going to get significantly higher sales than last years we would be closer by now. As I say , hope I'm wrong. 

[Tinmans Love Child]

I think to start with we should average around 16/17k which fits with our figures at this level and also taking account of the new stadium factor and increased away support. As I said earlier, if we have a successful season then I think a 20k average COULD be achieved but that will be as a result of sell out games later in the season (when we are flying high) outweighing the lower attendances to start with.  However this will be a result of increased POTD and not selling loads of season tickets.  I think season ticket sales will achieve the record but not more than 14k I wouldn't have thought.

[Up The City!]

People are forgetting we are talking about an average here. A few complete sell outs which is highly likely for a couple of games and that makes a 20k average achievable. Most games I think it will be around 18/19k but the sell outs will bump the average up over the course of the season.

[...]

I'll pick a number if there is a prize for getting it right.

Oh. And if I guess right, I want to be remembered for getting in right in May 2017.

Currently, I am not sufficiently reassured this will happen.

 

Uncle TFR

[Andy082005]

9 hours ago, Kim_il_sung said:

Unlikely perhaps but why laughable? We have no idea how we will do on the pitch and a competitive city team could see averages hit 20k. Your estimation is probably right though. About 18k.

Because Bristol football just doesn't drag the attendances through the gates for standard league matches. As someone else pointed out...we averaged 16-17k in our play off season.

Unless we have some kind of incredible turn around ala Leicester....we won't suddenly have 20k coming through the Gates. Even then...I  think 20k will be tops.

This club needs Premiership football if it wants to get more fans through the door 

[View from the Dolman]

5 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

Because Bristol football just doesn't drag the attendances through the gates for standard league matches. As someone else pointed out...we averaged 16-17k in our play off season.

Surely limited by lack of availability of desirable seats/groups of seats together?

Sitting on a Williams wooden seat with your legs tucked behind your ears was reason enough to not return for some POTD types.

[Jack Dawe]

In our league, a number of clubs have significantly increased their average support through two things. 1. Success on the pitch (by which I mean reaching the PL) and 2. Moving to a modern, new ground. Clubs like Reading, Hull, Cardiff, Mboro, Derby, Bolton.

Burnley have had the first, success on the pitch, but have redeveloped their ground and their crowds have not significantly increased when not in the PL, not to the extent seen at those mentioned above.

Brighton seem to be the exception. They haven't reached the PL but have completely transformed their level of support. I think though that they moved into the Amex after a promotion season from L1 to the Cship.

Birmingham have had PL football, won a major honour and played in Europe, whilst redeveloping their crummy old ground. In the UK's second largest city, with a population of more than 1m, they average the same as Reading (pop. 155,000).

Wolves support is pretty much what it has always been. Likewise Blackburn.

Preston have had neither 1 or 2 and following an excellent season back in the Cship, they have averaged fewer than MK Dons. They appear to have failed to "grow" their "fanbase." Indeed, MK have gone from 0 to 13k in how long? 12 years is it? That shiny new ground must have helped.

Huddersfield have struggled for support in their new ground and have now resorted to flogging s.tickets for £179 and £69 for kids. They will need the PL to transform their support.

Nottm Forest have broadly speaking maintained their historic level of support. Nothing transformative happening there. Ipswich and Weds pretty much the same.

 

Other than Brighton, no club in this league appear to have transformed their average crowd to the degree that Reading or even Cardiff have, without both at least one season of PL football and moving to a new stadium. We will be bucking a bit of a trend, as far as I can make out, if we manage to average anywhere around 19 to 20k next season.

I think we are unlikely to see the sort of transformative increase in support noted above going because we don't have top class football on offer and because we are redeveloping, not moving. I'd love to be wrong about that, we'll have to wait and see.

But one thing we have in common with the notable successes in all this, Brighton and Reading, is that we are in the south of the country, where there are more people with money to spend than there are in Burnley, Blackburn, Huddersfield etc. This is where Bristol Sport need to earn their corn and start attracting new fans/support, previously indifferent or at best vaguely interested, in Bristol City. I don't only mean the people amongst the 42,000 at Wembley not going this season. I mean people in this area interested in football but not interested in us (or Rovers). Some of those TV watching PL "fans" who can be pedsuaded to get off their backsides and go out in the fresh air/freezing cold/driving rain and try watching football in the flesh on a regular basis.

That may seem a long shot but that must be how Brighton and Reading have significantly increased their support, and it is surely one major reason why we have so many marketing #bristol sport types about the place now. 

[Jack Dawe]

3 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

I think to start with we should average around 16/17k which fits with our figures at this level and also taking account of the new stadium factor and increased away support. As I said earlier, if we have a successful season then I think a 20k average COULD be achieved but that will be as a result of sell out games later in the season (when we are flying high) outweighing the lower attendances to start with.  However this will be a result of increased POTD and not selling loads of season tickets.  I think season ticket sales will achieve the record but not more than 14k I wouldn't have thought.

Not sure how accurate those figures are for the 70s and most of the 80s! (Cough). Different story when it went all-seater of course. All above board by then

[Kid in the Riot]

5 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

I hope I'm being over cautious , but if we were going to get significantly higher sales than last years we would be closer by now. As I say , hope I'm wrong. 

You will be. We'll average over 17k no problem.

[NOTBLUE]

1 hour ago, Jack Dawe said:

Not sure how accurate those figures are for the 70s and most of the 80s! (Cough). Different story when it went all-seater of course. All above board by then

Exactly,a lot of people I went with would pay half and jump over the turnstile.

[beaverface]

I'm sure we'll get over 20K for a few select games, however the likelihood of those fans returning will probably be dictated by all the roads and surrounding area not having any parking!

[Jack Dawe]

6 minutes ago, beaverface said:

I'm sure we'll get over 20K for a few select games, however the likelihood of those fans returning will probably be dictated by all the roads and surrounding area not having any parking!

And our ability to defend competently (and thus avoid a hammering/humiliation).

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

58 minutes ago, View from the Dolman said:

Surely limited by lack of availability of desirable seats/groups of seats together?

Sitting on a Williams wooden seat with your legs tucked behind your ears was reason enough to not return for some POTD types.

Exactly, for many recent seasons the tickets left are of a "poor" quality and not that attractive to a casual fan. 

[NOTBLUE]

Why oh why do the club sell season tickets,and leave a single seat between ST holders.They should butt the ST's up against each other,so by doing away with single seats which are hard to sale.

[Tinmans Love Child]

25 minutes ago, NOTBLUE said:

Why oh why do the club sell season tickets,and leave a single seat between ST holders.They should butt the ST's up against each other,so by doing away with single seats which are hard to sale.

I've bought tickets for comedy gigs at the Colston Hall and Hippodrome before and they do exactly this, you cannot buy tickets if it leaves single seats in the middle of rows which are hard to sell, good suggestion to put to the club!

[NOTBLUE]

2 minutes ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

I've bought tickets for comedy gigs at the Colston Hall and Hippodrome before and they do exactly this, you cannot buy tickets if it leaves single seats in the middle of rows which are hard to sell, good suggestion to put to the club!

You would of thought it was common sense,it ain't rocket science is it.

[Jack Dawe]

In addition to my lengthy post above, if I am right about new grounds having a greater positive effect on increasing crowds than redeveloped ones, then if or when Rovers get a new ground, brace yourselves for their crowds "growing" more dramatically than ours next season (as a percentage of their average now; theirs could double, we don't have a capacity for ours to do likewise), and jokes about Rovers low crowds becoming old hat. But then, coming from such a low base/starting point, it won't be hard for their crowds to increase dramatically.

[CotswoldRed]

We might sell out a game or two (nearly), but when everyone turns up in their cars they'll have bugger all chance of parking. So, a thousand fans will probably turn around and go home. Seriously. 

[BCFC Jordan]

17 hours ago, Andy082005 said:

We will average about 17-18k next season

Talk of 20k+ is pretty laughable 

 

 

Unless we have a good summer, I'm expecting 14-16k.

[Barrs Court Red]

3 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:

We might sell out a game or two (nearly), but when everyone turns up in their cars they'll have bugger all chance of parking. So, a thousand fans will probably turn around and go home. Seriously. 

I'll be honest, while Bristols anti car transport policy annoys the hell out of me, I'll have little sympathy for those that rock up and find parking difficult. It's not exactly a sudden situation.

Going by the reply to my transport question, it doesn't seem like the council want to help either.

[gordie]

7 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

I'll be honest, while Bristols anti car transport policy annoys the hell out of me, I'll have little sympathy for those that rock up and find parking difficult. It's not exactly a sudden situation.

Going by the reply to my transport question, it doesn't seem like the council want to help either.

I have to rock up in my car as I have to get there from Trowbridge and often have to get back quickly as am often on night shifts and am sure many others are in a similar situation, it is getting harder and harder to get parked and with crowds hopefully increasing will be a nightmare. The club/ council really need to get something sorted to alleviate the problem and sooner rather than later.

[screech]

Just think it was a daft decision to give away some of the Atyeo. There are a few teams that would bring 4000 plus followings to the gate next year and we have shot ourselves in both feet by splitting the stand.

[Phileas Fogg]

14 hours ago, screech said:

Just think it was a daft decision to give away some of the Atyeo. There are a few teams that would bring 4000 plus followings to the gate next year and we have shot ourselves in both feet by splitting the stand.

Yep. Club should have kept to their original proposal and put the Atyeo group back in the south stand. Would have been good for atmosphere around the entire ground, boosted attendances and cut down on stewarding costs.