Re: attendances
 

forged stanley membership cards:D

Re: attendances
 

We hve to get into the realms of where Burnley & Blackburn are when it comes to Season Tickets we do not have the T.V. Money of our Bigger neighbours, but if we pitch in at the correct price and undercut them then we might just have a chance. I think the 2000 figure that Davo suggested is achievable but it needs to be supported by a clever marketing campaign which does not neccesarily have to cost a fortune. It is something that the Club are looking very closely at and hopefully will lead the way with:)

Re: attendances
 

wrong cmon. The system where i work has membership cards - just like osc membership cards. Thing is there is a webcam which takes your picture which is taken when we give you the membership card when we swipe the membership card the photo comes up. If your photo dont match with the person handing the card over - refused entry.

Re: attendances
 

Realistically any price cut will only increase the attendance by a few. The most important thing that makes people go to football matches in bigger numbers is success on the field. Special offers a couple of times a season will attract a few more for those games. Low prices all season will only take the club in one direction UNLESS funds come from another source.

Re: attendances
 

Dont agree totally on the success on the field comment.At Norwich you pay for your season ticket over 8 months,kids tickets are cheaper than at Stanley and the ground is really comfy,and apart from the last 10 games or so we have played dreadful football for the last 2-3 years.And somehow it is still difficult to get a ticket as 25000 still turn up every week.

Re: attendances
 

I'd love somebody like Mr Khan to stump up a 1/4 of a mill to replace gate money for one season - offer free entry all year to anyobdy who has purchased a shirt!!

that'd me out this season though :o

Re: attendances
 

I'm sure if Stanley was in the back of beyond and had nobody within 500 miles to compete with they would probably get full houses as well :D

Re: attendances
 

not quite correct,ipswich, just down the road,n colchester aint a million miles away. though the pull of colchester aint much to shout about.:D;)

Re: attendances
 

The apathy argument isn’t completely valid. I put together a few stats when there was the debate about crowds last season.

<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:p
<TABLE class=MsoTableGrid style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 480; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid #999999; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid #999999" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=1><TBODY><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #999999 1pt solid; WIDTH: 132.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=177>Team</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>Borough</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 67.65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=90>Population</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>Ave. gate</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 32.45pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=43>%</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 1"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #999999 1pt solid; WIDTH: 132.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=177>Brentford</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>Hounslow</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 67.65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=90>218,600</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>4,477</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 32.45pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=43>2.1</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 2"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #999999 1pt solid; WIDTH: 132.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=177>Barnet</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>Barnet</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 67.65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=90>328,600</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>2,076</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 32.45pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=43>0.6</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 3"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #999999 1pt solid; WIDTH: 132.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=177>Dagenham & Redbridge</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>Barking</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 67.65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=90>165,700</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>1,915</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 32.45pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=43>1.2</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 4"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #999999 1pt solid; WIDTH: 132.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=177>Hayes & Yeading</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>Hillingdon</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 67.65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=90>250,000</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>241</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 32.45pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=43>0.1</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #999999 1pt solid; WIDTH: 132.8pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=177>Stanley</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>Hyndburn</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 67.65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=90>71,224</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 65pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=87>1,631</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #999999 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 32.45pt; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #999999 1pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; mso-border-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #999999 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #999999 .5pt" vAlign=top width=43>2.3</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<O:p</O:pLiving in a metropolis offers a different perspective. Here are the London clubs in League 2 and below, with their borough populations, average attendance so far this season both numerically and as a percentage of the area population. In all these cases, including Hayes & Yeading, the teams are the most senior in their borough. The most senior team in the borough I live, Ealing, is Hanwell Town, a tiny semi-pro club that attract a couple of hundred in a borough of over 300,000 people that has no Football League representation.

<O:p</O:p
I guess the main thing to get across when we’re beating ourselves up about gates is to realise just how small Accrington is compared to some of these places. At our level of football, the vast majority of our support is going to come from the locality, yet if Barnet attracted the same proportion of their local population as us, then their average gate would be over 9,000. The proportion of Hyndburn’s population who come to Stanley regularly is actually more akin to League 1 levels, such as Leyton Orient, whose average of 5,300 works out at 2.4% of Waltham Forest’s population. And we have just the same problems as these London clubs in that there is Premiership and Championship football available close by.
<O:p</O:p
I’m not arguing that we should be happy with our current gates, for we are clearly on the edges of Football League sustainability, but this does offer some perspective and suggests that Accrington is not exactly apathy-central. I agree with much of what Rob says, especially about establishing a more visual presence in the town, but the club is in an impossible situation trying to undercut Blackburn Rovers’ admission prices. They are being vastly subsidised by Sky. Even Burnley will be in receipt of around £1.2 million of Sky money this season. In the face of this quite unlevel playing field, it’s quite a risk to drop your prices when we are barely subsisting as we are. One potential downside with a £10 admission offer is that the club would have no choice but to revert to the full prices if the initiative fails to attract the numbers to make it pay, and this would undoubtedly cause more discontent. Perhaps one way round this is to try the initiative for the final few games, or to have a donation facility, so that £10 gets you on the ground, but you can then donate a few quid more if you want to. There have been some excellent ideas put forward on this thread; let’s hope that the club, or the OSC, can see some of through to fruition.

<O:p</O:p
Phil

Re: attendances
 

People know my opinion on the gate figures and I happen to believe we are nearer to this 2000 figure that keeps being mentioned. Pendle you want it supported by a clever marketing campaign but we already have a clever counting system. Lancsdave has the answer, people will come if we are winning, that's it bottom line.

Re: attendances
 

ya can do owt with figures, but nevertheless its a very interesting perspective phil.;) agree more will come if yer winning, but thats applicable to any club,the real trick has to be to increase the base.

Re: attendances
 

that'll do for me Phil, perhaps this is what Eric and Rob Heys ment when they said we were aiming for league 1? :rolleyes:


agreed, the proposed kid for a quid has to be a regular thing and we should advertise that as fixed for the next five years or so - which would see next years Year 7 kids through to leaving school as fully fledged Reds, but the adult tickets would have to be with a view to re-raising if it doesn't increase crowds by 300 or so


agreed, lets keep the ideas coming. If you think of something else that could be done then resurrect this thread at any time and add to it - please keep it sensible! The OSC will look to do what it can with regards to any realistic targets that we can shoot at.

Re: attendances
 

The one area we miss on and need to capatilise on is Season Tickets if the offer was announced early enough it could give people a chance to save without perhaps having to look at offering payments over a period as you know exactly what you need to pay & when and do it for very limited period and was pitched at the correct price e.g a decent saving on walk on prices then it should work. Like for like in terms of percentages we probably have bigger walk ons than Burnley & Blackburn do and there in lies part of the problem, if Season Ticket sales broke for example 1500 there would potentially be an influx of £200000+ at the right time of the Season when you want to be building a squad from there in you know you have got a minimum potential audience every week for sales of beer, food, programmes and merchandise.:cool:

Re: attendances
 

if stanley were in herefords or morecambes league position the gates would be quite a bit higher. I dont think playing at home on the same weekend help as rovers helps, fans that attended have been alienated, but vice versa if switched around burnley fans would be. It would be interesting to try and alternate stanleys home games to access if there is a difference possibly? Doubt that will ever happen and I doubt fans of either club are going to ditch x amount of years following them. Whereas the people who follow Arsenal and Chelsea? who live in accrington and who have never been and never will could possibly be recruited, and of course the arm chair mancs and scousers. But the fact is these people are fickle and are glory hunters who have probably supported 2 or more teams in there life time, and these are the people that would emerge if stanley was to climb to the highest point of the pyramid. Stanleys fans were stolen in 1962 by burnley and blackburn and generations have spawned. The way stanley were trying to get these fans to adopt there home town club as a 'second team' was a good concept and i believe these make up the numbers when stanley are doing well. I dont think stanley will ever have a mass season ticket sales unless they give them away. Its a hard mind boggeling situation for the club and marketing team. When we played forest and leciester city in the carling cup i expected full houses and i was bitterley dissapointed with the home turnout. And i am of the same belief as bagpuss with regards to true attendances i think they maybe tampered with slightly and if this is what is keeping the club afloat so be it.

Re: attendances
 

Bradford sold about 10,000 season tickets at cut price and average between 12,000 to 15,000 each home game, yet in their two home FA Cup games (where fans had to pay) they had 4,069 against Chester and 6,379 against Tranmere.