http://www.inthemadcrowd.co.uk/cgi-bin/ ... asp?oid=74

and then look at yesterday's..... ADG is right - the club is declining badly.
We were comfortably a competitive L1 side, even when we got relegated we shouldn't have done with the squad we had - but we were still getting the crowds that season. Crowds were tremendous in our prmotion year by the end of the season
They have declined badly since halfway through our first season back up here, and are even worse now that Turner is in charge.
Facts are facts people, and IOR need to have a radical rethink of what is required to attract people back.
Something has got to be done.

IOR need to end the recession first and foremost.

why didn't they think of doing this earlier?

IOR out!

How about IOR lend the government some money, then we can kick start the economy and attract another 2000 fans to Victoria Park.

Perhaps IOR should absorb the 2.5% VAT increase, that would be a start.

surely it's got more to do with it than that? Other clubs of our comparable status haven't seen attendances plummet so drastically

Maybe if they let less fat bastads ((c)ADG) in with right big heads, there'd be more room for other people??

Got any evidence to back that statement up?

Darlo's crowds look to have dropped similarly.

as do Boro's i think

Darlo have gone from being regular play off contenders to the worst team England. Boro have gone from the UEFA Cup Final to a midtable Championship side. Pools have hardly dropped any league places but interest levels have plummeted.

Hi everyone, my first post on this site.

Could our falling attendances in some part be due to the significant number of the town/district fans who have to work away to find employment, you notice people at away games and think I have'nt seen your mug for years. But in the main just general apathy.
Not a quality post but hey just sticking my toe in the door.

I can see where your coming from Parmo....... BUT........ And I will only use Home games where away attendance is given.

02-Jan-2010 attendance 2634 (176)
20-Sep-2008 attendance 4507 (709)
01-Sep-2007 attendance 5015 (536)

The Oldham attendance has decreased from 709 to 176 ( a loss of almost 600 away fan's also say's Oldham fan's have reason's for not attending) also the games were away attendance is available on the other 2 occasions were played in September, reasonable weather, and earlier in the season. Not between Christmas and New year with poor weather affecting not only the away support but most likely home support from the surrounding area's. I agree attendances are down but there are many reason's for that.

As Disraeli said (and later popularized by Mark Twain) "Lies, damned lies, and statistics". Meaning where statistics are used to bolster a weak argument.

Yes we have still lost 1200 fans (approx) since we last played them at home, but other factors need to be taken in to consideration. How many of them 1200 have lost their jobs ? How many have moved away to get employment and can't travel to home games ?
How many simply have more important things in their lives, like new family etc.

And that graph shows your Number 1 statto MJ

nice graph Mr MJ

so is this an inherent thing in lower league football as a whole?

I could name at least 20 people of who I know don't go to Pools anymore (or if they do, they pick and choose games).

Reasons given are as follows...

Too expensive.
Not value for money.
Hassle getting tickets for big games.
Won't go under current management.
Not entertaining enough.

I don't think theres much more to it. I know very few people who have moved away from town and in fairness, the ones who have will go to Pools much more regularly than the ones who have just stopped going.

One thing I think may not have been touched upon, at the turn of the century, there was a property boom where prices went up. Many made a killing on their houses. This seemed to coincide with our higher attendences (not the sole reason though). Property is worth nowt now. People haven't got a pot to piss in. It's free to watch live footy on the dodgy box; and we all know that the majority of fans in this town don't give a flying one about Pools. Maybe tenuous but there you go!

Too expensive, possibly

Not value for money, Poor excuse as any live entertainment you go to watch can fall in to that category

Hassle getting tickets for big games... Not a fan in my opinion as they say it hassle to get ticket for big games, How many really big games have we had over last few years,Stoke WBA, West Ham, still places available for those games so quick phone call pay on debit/credit card, where's the hassle. As a season ticket holder for years, I've never had any hassle

Won't go under current management = if Jose Mourinho appointed next week wouldn't go for same reason as he'd have to work with same player's and under same budget. There's many manager's who I have wanted out but I have still gone to support the team.

Not entertaining enough = Not value for money, so see reply to that.

For a town with a population of 90k, guessing here there's 1k Mags,1k Mackems,1k ManU, 0.5k Smogs,0.5k L/Pool,0.5k Chelsea,0.5k Arsenal, etc.etc. and the majority Hartlepool born and bred, some will make your back teeth ache babbling on about "their" team all day, even though they've never been to see them play.

IMO it's a culture thing nowadays, parents only want their kids to be associated with success, and because weve never won nowt we personify failure to them. There's no pride/loyalty these days, if Cheryl Cole decided to start wearing a turnip on her head they'd all want one by Monday.

pah! I've been wearing a turnip for a head for years

I'll address my own post...

Too expensive.
Definitely in comparison to other teams in higher divisions. Can't be argued with.

Not value for money.
It hasn't been this season.

Hassle getting tickets for big games.
Ticket office has been woeful for some time. I could see why it would nark people.

Won't go under current management.
Peoples personal opinion. I can't argue with that.

Not entertaining enough
We get 1 half of satisfactory football in almost every home game this season. Can't really be argued with.

Just to clarify my post. I have been a regular attender at games since 1986. These reasons are from people who had the same length of service (so to speak) and have stopped going.

Oh, and £20 is poor value for money. Can't think of much else that costs £20 per person that isn't entertaining

Cant agree i'm afraid. For £20 you'd expect some entertainment.

Back in the 4th Division days, we were woeful but the cost to get in was minimal so it wasn't really an issue.

People will pay £20 for 2 people to go to the pictures as they will (more often than not) be entertained and get a bit of value for their money.

People will not pay £20 to watch a combination of lack of effort, tactical naivity and to freeze their conkers off.

Its about supporting your football club through the good and the bad times no matter what the cost.
Unfortunately we dont have enough die hards to help sustain a successful team.
I think I said at the start of the season we had 3000 die hards who will be there no matter how bad the team is doing.
I think I may have to revise that figure by 1000

But you've stated all the reasons why people need to believe in the manager and feel they are getting value for money. The match day experience at Pools could be better than it is, when it comes to atmosphere it's down to us die hards to do something about it....

Absolute tosh I'm afraid.

But if you want to believe that then good on you.

The club relies on having a certain number of folk that they can take for granted, they're currently worried that it's less than they thought it was though.

Give us a team to support through good and bad times, one that tries to win, a manager that wants to win, players who will try and win and maybe then, regardless of results, we'll have a team that is worthy of supporting through good and bad times.