Matches Home Support Attendance.

[Morris Oxford]

Considering the previous matches against Lincoln & West Ham and in particular the results and performances, I thought yesterday’s home support attendance was disappointing.

So I thought I’d quickly look up to see this season’s home support (not including away fans) for League matches only.

Peterborough, 6215.
Burton, 5950 (evening)
Coventry, 6270.
Tranmere, 5655.
Gillingham, 6070.

Matches against Tranmere & Gillingham May not have the pulling power of Coventry, but to scrape just over 6000 home fans after recent performances is disappointing. I wonder how the board and management feel about it?

 

[Jon-ioualways]

Even with money being tight, and Gillingham not exactly up there in the "wow" factor, it's really hard to know why approximately 4000 people who witnessed the demolition of the Hammers couldn't be bothered to come to the next game. Quite disappointing.

 

[uptheus]

Continue the results & performances and they will come.

There’s been a lot of fans who have been disillusioned with what has happened at the club over the last couple of years/seasons, but there are signs that things are changing so those not so die hard supporters might now start to think about returning. Just think, less than a couple of weeks ago things seemed pretty low again, so don’t think one or two swallows make a summer.

 

[uptheus]

Even with money being tight, and Gillingham not exactly up there in the "wow" factor, it's really hard to know why approximately 4000 people who witnessed the demolition of the Hammers couldn't be bothered to come to the next game. Quite disappointing.

Or you could say 400 of them did decide to return based on the Tranmere game! God I’m sounding like Scotchegg!!

I know what you mean though, but the good thing is, at least it’s easier to park, get a drink and get home afterwards without the 4000, so sod em!

 

[Scotchegg]

I would imagine that attendance figures are fairly comparable with similar fixtures last year. Early games are always difficult with families away and school holidays being expensive. We've then had some fairly ordinary games with the exception of Coventry.

I guess the board can look at an increase of 400 from the Tranmere game and hope that we can push up towards 6500 and beyond as the season progresses. The cup will see us bring in around 25,000+ including the Sunderland game so we'll be far in excess of anticipated attendance in all but it would be good to see that kind of support every week.

(Thanks to @uptheus for making my point on yesterday's attendance!!)

 

[Morris Oxford]

I would imagine that attendance figures are fairly comparable with similar fixtures last year. Early games are always difficult with families away and school holidays being expensive. We've then had some fairly ordinary games with the exception of Coventry.

I guess the board can look at an increase of 400 from the Tranmere game and hope that we can push up towards 6500 and beyond as the season progresses. The cup will see us bring in around 25,000+ including the Sunderland game so we'll be far in excess of anticipated attendance in all but it would be good to see that kind of support every week.

(Thanks to @uptheus for making my point on yesterday's attendance!!)

I like your positivity Scotchers.

However it’s also true to say we’re 145 down on Peterborough and 200 on Coventry despite the 2 previous fantastic results and performances. Also we are at the end of September now, holidays are less of a factor on attendances than August and early September.

I really hope that the support increases, but still maintain that yesterday’s attendance was disappointing.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Club shot themselves in the foot with the treatment of the ultras. Never could anyone have dreamt of a cheaper easier marketing to reprieve a pretty soulless stadium and matchday experience and give it a real bump.

However where the club have achieved is the current squad and quality of football and for that they deserve support. Keep it up and the crowds will grow. It’s easy to get out of the habit of going, harder to get back into it.

Probably could do more marketing beyond the current social media and “known fans” route across oxfordshire?

 

[beyondthefourth]

I heard on the Preview Show that there is a deal on some sort of match pack - something like a bundle of 6 tickets at a reduced price?

Flexi-Ticket Available

It has been a great week for Oxford United with a record away win at Lincoln followed by an outstanding Carabao Cup victory over West Ham United on Wednesday

www.oufc.co.uk

Just found it on the club site, however this has not been indicated to me in an official club email. It may have been part of the 'Newsletter', but it really needs to be sent out as it's own thing, in all caps.

Having said that, it's £115 for a 6 match bundle as an adult, compared to £120 for getting 6 x £20 tickets individually. Is a 5% saving really worth getting the flexi-pass? Season Ticket holders save 35%, so you really could bump the flexi pass up to a 15% saving to make it an actual deal.

It's been a while since we've had a commercial update in regards to how we aim to bring in the casual fan to more games.

 

[Foley]

I like your positivity Scotchers.

However it’s also true to say we’re 145 down on Peterborough and 200 on Coventry despite the 2 previous fantastic results and performances. Also we are at the end of September now, holidays are less of a factor on attendances than August and early September.

I really hope that the support increases, but still maintain that yesterday’s attendance was disappointing.

I would imagine that there were quite a few Coventry supporters in the Oxford parts (there were 5 near me).
If we continue this form, fans will start coming in more numbers.
We are still just half way in the table. If we were to beat Accrington then the Doncaster game will suddenly be a quite big game.
We need to get near the Top 7 and crowds will increase.

 

[werthersoriginal]

It is disappointing, we should be matching Peterborough and Rovers. The home end is quite thin, it really misses the ultras

 

[Paul Cannell]

Considering the way we've been playing (and winning) the whole atmosphere is strangely flat.

 

[Scotchegg]

Do we really miss the ultras that much? I appreciate the time and effort they put into the displays but 90% of the atmosphere is generated by what we see on the pitch. I thought that the atmosphere against Peterboro, Cov and yesterday was all excellent. Burton and Tranmere were both ok but reflected the games - flat at times, great at others.

But when it comes to the attendance, we can all play a part. Drag along a friend, colleague, family member. Don't just talk up our results but show how easy it is to register and get tickets. We've got a winnable game against Sunderland at the end of October and then we're in the quarter finals! Get to games now and share in the glory!! The club can of course do more, but so can we.

 

[Foley]

Do we really miss the ultras that much?

I reckon we are missing them a lot

 

[Paul Cannell]

If the atmosphere in the second half yesterday was excellent I'm a banana.

 

[Scotchegg]

If the atmosphere in the second half yesterday was excellent I'm a banana.

Ok, maybe the second half did go a little flat, but we were 3 nil up! The first half was certainly excellent in my view.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Continue the results & performances and they will come.

There’s been a lot of fans who have been disillusioned with what has happened at the club over the last couple of years/seasons, but there are signs that things are changing so those not so die hard supporters might now start to think about returning. Just think, less than a couple of weeks ago things seemed pretty low again, so don’t think one or two swallows make a summer.

Spot on!
Irregular fans need a bit of convincing after the start we had, not just a few remarkable results. People need to get back into the 'habit' of going to football matches on a Saturday afternoon. If we continue like we have been over the last couple of weeks they will gradually come back but it will take a while. I was questioning my own sanity after seeing a completely lacklustre performance at Fleetwood. But now a few weeks on with a few adjustments and with virtually the same players we have hit the kind of form that makes people take notice. I was talking to an ex ST holder last night who said he is coming to the next home game, so there's one!!

 

[Discoland]

Do we really miss the ultras that much? I appreciate the time and effort they put into the displays but 90% of the atmosphere is generated by what we see on the pitch. I thought that the atmosphere against Peterboro, Cov and yesterday was all excellent. Burton and Tranmere were both ok but reflected the games - flat at times, great at others.

But when it comes to the attendance, we can all play a part. Drag along a friend, colleague, family member. Don't just talk up our results but show how easy it is to register and get tickets. We've got a winnable game against Sunderland at the end of October and then we're in the quarter finals! Get to games now and share in the glory!! The club can of course do more, but so can we.

Thought I'd C + P my response from the West Ham FV re: Ultras.

It makes all the difference I find, yes there is still a section of the East Stand where the chants start and spread to the rest of the stadium, but the ultras werent just about the singing. It was the flags, the colour, the displays, they were the ones who really got behind the team when we were down and sang louder than anyone else at the big games like Man City last year. The club shot themselves in the foot by messing them around so much and really didnt show them the respect they deserved for what they were doing on match days.

I thought the only problem was that they didnt appear to be the most inviting and it wasnt really until them getting moved to Block 21 did it look like they ever actively tried to attract more people via social media. Having said that, a return a la the Green Brigade at Celtic, making a point to the club and inviting more people to stand and sing with them through chants, social media and word of mouth would be nice to see although I think its past that point.

 

[Marked Ox]

Club shot themselves in the foot with the treatment of the ultras. Never could anyone have dreamt of a cheaper easier marketing to reprieve a pretty soulless stadium and matchday experience and give it a real bump.

However where the club have achieved is the current squad and quality of football and for that they deserve support. Keep it up and the crowds will grow. It’s easy to get out of the habit of going, harder to get back into it.

Probably could do more marketing beyond the current social media and “known fans” route across oxfordshire?

I know they were winning, getting promoted but Lincoln must have been doing far more off the pitch to attract such an increase in the crowd (allowing their Ultras some latitude seems to be a start). We should be asking them what they did and I'm sure most (if not all) clubs would happily pass on their ideas.

 

[UTM]

I think , if you look at the crowds over the years we have a 6-6,500 fan base what goes to games , yes at times the numbers have been greater
but that is level we are on and I do not think the numbers will go up much unless we have a good play-off spot ,tbh.

 

[Discoland]

I know they were winning, getting promoted but Lincoln must have been doing far more off the pitch to attract such an increase in the crowd (allowing their Ultras some latitude seems to be a start). We should be asking them what they did and I'm sure most (if not all) clubs would happily pass on their ideas.

IIRC Lincoln's Ultras (617 Squadron?) went through similar problems with the club until they gave them that section towards the top of that main stand. They were brilliant last Saturday from start to finish bar a 15 min spell after we ramped it up after half time. No doubt a contributing factor in the vast majority of their fans staying till the end.

 

[Ox4Eva]

Said it before and will say it again despite many not liking it, Oxfordshire is not a football county and the lack of passion says it all!

 

[Discoland]

Said it before and will say it again despite many not liking it, Oxfordshire is not a football county and the lack of passion says it all!

Coming from someone who shows more passion towards Rangers than they do to Oxford at times I find this slightly ironic.

We took 30k+ to Wembley for a JPT final when we were in a worst position in terms of the league and overall look of the squad. Day trippers or not, they are potential fans and the work the club is doing towards reaching out to these people is positive. I don't know where you sit but from where I am I'm seeing plenty of passion in the East Stand whether it ends in positive or negative comments about the club.

 

[Blox21]

Said it before and will say it again despite many not liking it, Oxfordshire is not a football county and the lack of passion says it all!

What is our ( oxon ) main sport then ?

 

[Big Ronaldo]

The difference with Lincoln City is that they have gathered a solid, passionate fanbase from 3 consecutive promotions.
Yes, they sung right to the end, hardly anyone left, despite it being 0-6.
Success puts bums on seats.

I would argue that they kept supporting, kept watching because they were unused to being thrashed.
It was alien to everything that they had experienced in the Cowley brothers tenure.
Success brings with it support, rich and vocal support, so we just have to keep going.
This team has the opportunity to roll back the years. Appleton’s achievement can and will be eclipsed by this group of players if they continue to work like they are now.

 

[Manorlounger]

Anyone who followed OUFC from back in the days at the Manor will recognise that atmosphere (or lack thereof) plays a role in attendance. Add on the less attractive clubs we play in League 1, the awful 3 sided wind tunnel of a stadium and the poor, in general, facilities of the ground and, sadly, we do not represent a very attractive option to potential attendees.
The recent results will give a lift but not to the extent of adding a thousand more to attendance figures.
It is disappointing that the promised banner decoration from OxVox has still not materialised. That would at least provide some colour to the east stand.

Championship football in a modern, comfortable stadium with up to date, clean and comfortable facilities, good transport connections and links to the community with a proper marketing department would move things forward.
All that needs finance, land, a team that wins and a willing board. I'm beginning to believe we are closing in on some of that!

 

[horseman]

it really does beggar belief who dreams up these schemes, at a time when money is tight and the leisure pound is getting less and less one thing i'm certain of is that trying to flog Bundled packages is not the answer..if a person is struggling to find or justify a £20+ extras outlay from their budget then how do you expect them to find/ justify £100 + ?????

if that's the best offer they can come up with then the seats will remain empty.

 

[Scotchegg]

it really does beggar belief who dreams up these schemes, at a time when money is tight and the leisure pound is getting less and less one thing i'm certain of is that trying to flog Bundled packages is not the answer..if a person is struggling to find or justify a £20+ extras outlay from their budget then how do you expect them to find/ justify £100 + ?????

if that's the best offer they can come up with then the seats will remain empty.

We're playing some beautiful football at the moment, and getting the results that have been on the cards for some time. That in itself should be enough to get people through the gates! But the club are also looking at some incentives to help, and the bundle package is one that might be attractive to a few fans. If not, we've lost nothing by it and we look at other options. Really not sure there is anything to complain about?!

 

[Shropshire U]

Attendance graphs for football grounds tend to undulate rather than zigzag.
The best way to increase attendance is to continue to play as we have done over the last few games and get into a play-off spot. That will raise an extra buzz.
The other factor that can't be ignored is the 3-sided stadium millstone. Those of us who are used to it tend to forget how poor an image it gives to potential new fans.

 

[Foley]

it really does beggar belief who dreams up these schemes, at a time when money is tight and the leisure pound is getting less and less one thing i'm certain of is that trying to flog Bundled packages is not the answer..if a person is struggling to find or justify a £20+ extras outlay from their budget then how do you expect them to find/ justify £100 + ?????

if that's the best offer they can come up with then the seats will remain empty.

Oh come on.
It is a a decent saving.
You wait until we get to the Championship and see the prices.
What do you expect the club to do?

 

[beyondthefourth]

We're playing some beautiful football at the moment, and getting the results that have been on the cards for some time. That in itself should be enough to get people through the gates! But the club are also looking at some incentives to help, and the bundle package is one that might be attractive to a few fans. If not, we've lost nothing by it and we look at other options. Really not sure there is anything to complain about?!

As I said earlier in the thread, the bundle package appears to represent less than a 5% saving, compared to buying 6 individual matchday tickets at £20 each.

The best case you can make for it is saying you can choose which matches to use them for, which means you are secured for the biggest matched (Sunderland, Ipswich, etc). Which I'd imagine aren't the attendances we necessarily need to be propping up!


EDIT: Turns out I was just basing the calculation on East Stand prices. Ignore me!