Gates of wrath
A constant cry of recent years has been 'why aren't the crowds bigger down St Andrew's?'
Usually it's David Sullivan who has done the complaining.
When Albion won the Championship last season, their average Hawthorns gate was 22,311. When they reached the play-off final the previous year it was 20,472.
Blues average gate presently is 19,815.
Over the corresponding 10-game period in 2006-07, when Blues finished Championship runners-up, the average attendance was 20,506, and that was from five games against more attractive opposition than Barnsley, Blackpool and Doncaster Rovers.
By the end of that season, the average mark stood at 22,274, and in the four play-off seasons it hovered just under 22,000.
So should we really be expecting sell-outs every other week to watch Championship football, at relatively high prices, against a backdrop of disillusionment and in an economic climate that is, and has been, particularly tough on West Midlanders?
Blues attendances are really no better or no worse to what they have been at this level for several years now.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that there are thousands missing primarily because they are fed up and need to be reawakened and inspired, to be convinced that there is an exciting, not yo-yoing, future ahead.
Over the four years of Blues Premier League stay, the average attendance was 28,527.
In 2002-03, when Blues finished in their highest position, of 10th, for 31 years the gate was 29,076 - the best average since 1974-75.
Interesting to note, maybe, that 16 years ago Villa's average attendance was only 24,814. Blues back then finished runners-up in the old Division Three and were watched by an average of 12,433-a-game at home.
Last season Villa topped the 40,000 average for the first time since 1949-50.
I've never bought into this 'loyal supporters' argument. It doesn't wash now in modern society.
Going down the match is not longer as affordable as it was to most people, nor is it a tradition. There are so many other things to do, and if a supporter is discontent or apathetic, he or she is not going to turn up. Simple.
It's not rocket science to suggest that by looking after your fans, pegging admission at reasonable levels and having a successful team at the highest level will generate bigger crowds.
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Colin Tattum - Mail man Colin Tattum's view of what's going on at Birmingham City FC.
I can't understand the problem David Sullivan has with the low crowds. I'm a season ticket holder and was stunned when before the Blackpool game, on the official website was a article offering a family of 4 the chance to watch blues for ã40 and then reeled off a number of other activities you could do with a family of 4 that would cost more money. Not to mention these activities were mainly all day events, then Blues go and put in a very poor performance and lose. So all these people must now be thinking, i know i'll do what the club suggested and go and spend my money elsewhere. Season ticket holders are not rewarded either. Im paying more for my season ticket to watch championship football this season then premier league football last season and how am i rewarded. I get to bring some friends to a game for ã5 when its costing me on average ã19 a macth, cheers!!!
What angers Sullivan the most is that he was for years promised by Blues fans that if he got the club into the Premier League they'd be 40,000 Bluenoses trying to get into St Andrews'. It never happened, and never will. Also, take away all the gimmicks Sullivan and co have thought up over the years (I.E 'kids for a quid, buy one get one free etc etc..) then Blues gates would be even lower. I think that's the real reason why Sullivan hates Blues fans - he probably thinks he was lied to.
Who said Blues fans 'promised' anything of the sort? I am sure Villa fans never promised anything to Lerner but lo and behold they get gates of 40,000 - I wonder why? It's not Blues fans who have done any lying, we have just had enough of the present regime and being treated as cash machines
Treated like cash machines?? Al I ever see in the Birmingham Mail is cheap ticket deals for the Blues. This "expensive ticket at the Blues" chestnut is getting tiresome now. Blues fans always have an excuse for low attendances. It's about time we just held our hands up and admitted we're simply not as well supported as we think we are.
ã5 per ticket last Saturday, and barely 18,000 bothered to turn up. Embarrassing.
rip out the seats,who wants to go to the match and sit down,usualy next to someone you have never met,maybee a season ticket holder who slags our left winger from the kick off.
what about when you could go and choose where you stood with your mates and have a good sing song.
its just not for the working class anymore,the owners go on about how much of a dump st andrews was but it was much better for the fans,unless you were a posh fan in the seats,now everyone is now posh fan in the seats.
we have lost so many young future fans because of all seaters stadiums,[all because some south yorkshire bobby would not open a gate]
rip all the seats out in the tilton and give us a choice and see the gates go up,
close all car parks within a 3 mile radius of st andrews and make the 4 by brigade catch a bus to the match,lets get the true fans back.
i rest my case.
Jim completely misses the point. We want new owners new direction ambition. They do ticket deals in a desperate attempt to get any money. The board have ripped fans off for so long now and made so many empty promises. They are making a profit every year and paying themselves 500k and since Jan 06 the transfer policy has been cheap, cheap, free and cheap. Then we have a chairman who says its great to get relegated because it's more interesting! If we had a passionate board who cared about the club and we could see were desperate to put a winning team out there fans would return. End of.
Colin, A superb item, 100% bang on. I live in hope that our board will one day see they might talk the talk but it just does not wash anymore. Unless they walk the walk they will never get back the partnership they originally had with the hard core Bluenoses
Actually Blues have got their marketing all wrong....
In the world of entertainment (sic) the higher the quality the higher the price....
Michael Bublé does not reduce the price of his tickets if they are not selling and neither does anyone else who values the level of entertainment they offer....
Try getting cheap tickets for the Royal Ballet at the Birmingham Hippodrome!
If DS offers a product at ã5.00 then that will be the perceived value by the purchaser....
Who wants to watch anything that's priced at ã5.00 for it's value delivery?
They appear to be confusing the marketing of BCFC with that of Lads Mags which are bought just because they are there!
Despite vast sums of money coming into the club via transfer income and the 'Parachute Payment' as per usual we have brought in the usual collection of frees, loans and cut price journeymen. Amazingly however, through the football acumen of Alex Mcleish, Blues do have a chance of achieving promotion. The sad part about it is that the fans are not exactly exuberant about the prospect, many asking âÂÂwhatâÂÂs the point?â They believe that inevitable lack of investment on the playing side, despite the massive financial prize, will again result in relegation. (Unlike a Middlesbrough for example who would probably finish around midway therefore winning as many as they lose and also probably having a good cup run â but thatâÂÂs boring isnâÂÂt it?!!!!)
The net result of the way the club is run is that we have lost thousands of fans but the owners are laughing all the way to their bank accounts.
I and lots of others are sick of BCFC being used as a perennial cash cow for a clique of businessmen who demonstrably have no respect for the supporters and no sporting ambition for the club they have a stranglehold on.
How to get the fans back? GET THIS LOT OUT!