Let’s talk attendances and while we’re at it ground capacity and the need or otherwise for more seats either at Sincil Bank or a new stadium.
Some recent exchanges on one of the Facebook groups, I forget which and frankly it doesn’t matter, comparing crowds last season and this, got me asking myself several questions.
The gist of the post on Facebook was simply are we getting more bums on seats this season than last. Actually there is little difference so far. Overall home attendances are ever so slightly down while the number of Imps supporters is up by a few hundred. There are obvious reasons for the former. Struggling Notts County brought well under a thousand in August compared with over 1,500 last January and we have yet to face Mansfield and Grimsby at home. Moreover we won’t be entertaining the likes of Chesterfield, Coventry and Luton this term. These five clubs brought an average of 1,364 fans to swell the numbers last season. Average away support at the Bank so far this season is a measly 403.
Now I’d be the first to admit that considering say Crawley who brought 137 bodies last term and 81 this time alongside local rivals like Mansfield and Grimsby is like comparing apples and bananas but the point I’m driving at here is that so far this season the lack of big visiting contingents has led to a reduction in our average gate of less than three dozen. Having said that the average number of home supporters is up by only 343. There reasons for that of course. For a start, decisions about seat availability in say the Stacey West have to be left relatively late in the day, once the club has an accurate picture of visiting supporter numbers and can make a judgement about where to accommodate them and whether to release more space for home fans. On top of that there are security, crowd separation and stewarding factors to take into account so there is not much time to advertise and sell tickets to fill the surplus capacity.
But I also wonder whether we have reached a peak in the level of home support. We have a ground with, according to Wikipedia (not always a reliable source I admit), a nominal crowd capacity of 10,120. The TV gantry takes out several dozen seats I suppose and crowd separation potentially rather more so we are going to struggle to exceed 10,000 most of the time and the facts seem to bear this out. In the whole of last season the 10,000 mark was breached just once, against Yeovil last May believe it or not. This time around we have exceeded 9,000 twice and come within 300 of that figure once at a time when we have not been out of the top two in the division since the second week of the season. This time last season we had only been above tenth for one week, that being after beating Forest Green away. So if only 350 or so more home supporters are interested in seeing a team at the top of the league, winning all but three of their games and seemingly scoring goals for fun than a side in mid table having won only five times at the corresponding juncture last year, it does rather lead me to conclude that we have indeed hit some sort of ceiling.
Now consider the atmosphere at a virtually packed Sincil Bank and what it’s like most weeks at say Vale Park, to pick a venue probably foremost in most readers’ minds right now, with 15,000 of its seats empty and imagine what that does for the morale of players and supporters alike. Actually there are those who would say one need look no farther than Sincil Bank 4 years ago to make this point and they’d be right.
We were at the top end of the average attendance table last season, kept off the summit by a ticket giveaway at the Ricoh as well as more than 3,000 Imps (myself included) taking a trip down the M69 to see a stunning victory there and it seems certain that whatever the shape of the league table proper come next May, Sincil Bank will be top of the average and individual attendance heaps for League Two.
Now I don’t want to get ahead of myself or tempt fate but should we be promoted in 2019 what are the prospects for crowd numbers in what would be our first season in English football’s third tier this century? To an extent it would depend on who we end up facing. Portsmouth, Sunderland, Peterborough, Doncaster and Scunthorpe are all capable of bringing a large contingent with them but some at least of these very probably won’t be in League one next season. We know Coventry and Luton will bring over 1,000 each but even if we had room would more home supporters be tempted through the turnstiles. I’m not so sure and I wonder whether that is something the board will have been mulling over as they consider the options available to them at Sincil Bank or elsewhere. They will of course have access to a great deal more data than my own spreadsheet provides me and they will be looking at trends and forecasts for population growth, access issues and whether greater use can be made of the current stadium on non-match days as well as whether such demand actually exists out there and what return can be expected on what would be a massive investment.
Beyond that rightly or wrongly, it is a common assumption among supporters on social media that the ambition of the board and management is to return the club to what I once heard Chris Ashton declare over the PA at Lincoln was its ‘rightful place’ in English football’s second tier. That is one hell of an ambition whatever our dreams and aspirations as fans. Yes I know Bournemouth and others have gone one better and there are those who argue if they can do it then why not Lincoln. To which I would reply, so did Northampton, so did Luton and remember also that football’s history is littered with fallen giants and not a few extinct minnows as well. So the Directors have much to ponder as they consider the future of the club and its ground. What I think it is safe to say is that there are some pretty shrewd business brains on the board and whatever decision they reach on this or indeed any other matter, it won’t be taken lightly.
I’ll finish with a look at average attendances again and consider where we would feature in the leagues above on our current performance. Yes we are clear leaders of the League Two average attendance table some 1,729 (25%) ahead of MK. Our current average gate of 8,650 would place us ninth in League One but bottom of the Championship.
Quite a gulf isn’t it?
You make some good points. But your final point isn’t particularly fair. If Lincoln were in the championship right now and had a bigger capacity they would not be bottom of the table for attendances… this season Lincoln’s home support is higher than Rotherhams Wigans and Brentfords. I think they are above uson overall attendances purely on (much)bigger away followings.
There is more to increasing attendances than playing well.
Free tickets to schools/employers, quid a kid, one-off offers etc. At the moment we have no potential to do any of these.
Every year there are thousands of new people born/moving into the area. Everyone a potential fan. We need the facilities to attract these people .
I think a better idea of stadium capacity requirement for the long term will be more easily identified in 2 season’s time. Provided we do not capitulate and therefore go on to achieve automatic promotion then interest will continue in terms of season tickets sales next season however A Div 1 budget required to make us competitive is substantial… and will require additional investment. Our rise from the ashes has been meteoric and the attendances unprecedented in recent times and in no way can be guaranteed going forward.. my guess is that we will take a pragmatic approach and remain at Sincil Bank for the foreseeable future with a view to increase capacity by several hundred. Support from the Authorities to improve access to the stadium given the rise in profile of the City would be welcome.
I can remember going to Rushden and Diamonds ground a few years ago and, while the team sank, the concept behind the ground design was really clever as it allowed for a layer cake addition of an extra tier above the bottom level. Obviously, this probably seems like a poor strategy, considering their demise. Do you think that this would be an option with future ground development either at Sincil Bank or elsewhere.
In practical terms, we probably ARE at capacity particularly as pay-on-the-day supporters may well REALLY want to be in the Sincil Bank side for history and atmosphere, but it’s full!
My suggestion, if it’s at all practical would simply be, to make this stand bigger. The ‘risk’ being that the extra seats would likely sell as season tickets leaving the same issue.
Finally tho. I’d rather see our stadium full with atmosphere it generates so, currently, I’d develop the south park access road and use what we have. After all the matchday experience really is the best!
When you speak to occasional supporters they always comment “No point in going, you can’t get in”. I myself have friends who would like to come but they can’t sit with me as I am a season ticket owner, this puts them off.
Danny apparently is having a house built in the local area… forgive me if this is incorrect but it is dare I say just rumour. Given that he was willing to commute to Lincoln from Essex for the best part of two years along with his brother… there are plenty of Clubs within that commutable distance to attract their abilities! To your occasional support I would say invest in a season ticket…. its all about supply and demand and right now the demand is outstripping supply!