Attendances
- Thread starter jogills
- Start date
OneSirKeefy
Vital Football Hero
That really was an era when our fans were fair weather fans.
We basically averaged 3k or 4k for normal league games for the whole decade.
Then when a few "promotion 6 pointers" came around we'd get 7k to 10k. And the big cup games saw 12k to 16k.
And a few weeks later, back to 4k. And "nothing to play for" end of season games saw us dive down to 2000 hardy souls. Depressing when we had such a great series of teams that scored for fun.
markinkent
Vital Football Hero
Some really valid point above, it is the variety of football available online/TV that is pushing attendances down.
I don't even subscribe to Sky but with BT I can watch live games from around Europe on a Saturday afternoon. I can even watch live games on my mobile if I wanted.
So what does an afternoon at Gills offer in comparison ? the passion of a live atmosphere ? Don't make me laugh. Its a like a morgue most games, perhaps with 5 mins of excitement from the crowd IF we get a sequence of corners.
What would attract my football made mate to go this afternoon if I phoned him up ? 22 quid plus, the plus being extra because he had the audacity not book his ticket in advance. He'll stay down the pub thanks and I'll meet him afterwards.
We have to work much harder and make it much easier to attract the casual punter and sadly we aren't anywhere close to doing enough.
I am looking forward to the game today BUT will it be so good that I will say to my mate "you really should have come it was amazing". I hope so but deep down in side I doubt it.
We are down to the hardcore now and it will take some amazing from the team or the marketing department to change that.
I don't even subscribe to Sky but with BT I can watch live games from around Europe on a Saturday afternoon. I can even watch live games on my mobile if I wanted.
So what does an afternoon at Gills offer in comparison ? the passion of a live atmosphere ? Don't make me laugh. Its a like a morgue most games, perhaps with 5 mins of excitement from the crowd IF we get a sequence of corners.
What would attract my football made mate to go this afternoon if I phoned him up ? 22 quid plus, the plus being extra because he had the audacity not book his ticket in advance. He'll stay down the pub thanks and I'll meet him afterwards.
We have to work much harder and make it much easier to attract the casual punter and sadly we aren't anywhere close to doing enough.
I am looking forward to the game today BUT will it be so good that I will say to my mate "you really should have come it was amazing". I hope so but deep down in side I doubt it.
We are down to the hardcore now and it will take some amazing from the team or the marketing department to change that.
Jerryattrick
Vital Football Hero
Attendances in the sixties when I first went - nothing unusual to get 11,000 and 17,000 crowds. So what major events happened?
A major part of our support came from industrial workers especially the docks and dockyard. Just how many factories do we have left in Medway.
Thatcher period comes along and we lose around 20 factories plus the dockyard. The dockyard alone plus the associated services cost around 15,000 jobs. When the dockyard went we lost the large contingent from the naval barracks and Royal Marines, thousands of the ex dockyard workers moved to other dockyards.
We also used to have the largest port outside of london with all of the dockies and stevadores, now all gone to container ports.
I have always estimated it that we lost around 40,000 jobs over a long period and with that around 3,000 fairly regular supporters.
Just off of the top of my head some of the factories lost included - kent alloys, 2 holbourns, sisalkraft, luxrams, metal box, plastics in strood, wingets, ozanair, avely, robinson sacks and a large part of the avionics at the airport.
A major part of our support came from industrial workers especially the docks and dockyard. Just how many factories do we have left in Medway.
Thatcher period comes along and we lose around 20 factories plus the dockyard. The dockyard alone plus the associated services cost around 15,000 jobs. When the dockyard went we lost the large contingent from the naval barracks and Royal Marines, thousands of the ex dockyard workers moved to other dockyards.
We also used to have the largest port outside of london with all of the dockies and stevadores, now all gone to container ports.
I have always estimated it that we lost around 40,000 jobs over a long period and with that around 3,000 fairly regular supporters.
Just off of the top of my head some of the factories lost included - kent alloys, 2 holbourns, sisalkraft, luxrams, metal box, plastics in strood, wingets, ozanair, avely, robinson sacks and a large part of the avionics at the airport.
DurhamGills
Vital Squad Member
Agree with all of that BUT the population of Medway has grown year on year - its the 47th most populace place in the.
All manufacturing areas have also suffered - everywhere has had decline in factories etc
Jerryattrick
Vital Football Hero
Yes, these were the main reasons for a decline but as you say does not explain the lack of support now.
There are other clubs who we would have said were traditionally the same size as us in the past that have grown their attendences. Most of them with smaller catchment areas than us.
It was worrying that the period in the Championship gave lower averages than the early sixties. It looks as if we will only grow if we ever have a new ground plus a run in the top of the Championship.
There are other clubs who we would have said were traditionally the same size as us in the past that have grown their attendences. Most of them with smaller catchment areas than us.
It was worrying that the period in the Championship gave lower averages than the early sixties. It looks as if we will only grow if we ever have a new ground plus a run in the top of the Championship.
Razorpound
Vital Squad Member
I'm sure Freddie Cox was manager in the middle sixties and we got an average gate of over 9000, got 60 points to nick the title by a fraction of a decimal from Carlisle, but only scored 59 goals.
But we as fans had never witnessed such success.
But we as fans had never witnessed such success.
markinkent
Vital Football Hero
Think I will claim credit for today :-)
GoneFishing
Vital Newbie
I was a season ticket holder for over 30 years, from 1976. Lost my ok paid job in 2009 and 8 years later I'm still not on the money that I was. Therefore I just can't afford to spend money on watching The Gills regularly anymore 
Doubt I'm the only one that would like to go more but can't!
Doubt I'm the only one that would like to go more but can't!
Over the years I have supporting The Gills, I have noticed the attendances rise small amount with our league position. Though the biggest increases always seem to depend on the importance the particular game. I doubt our regular attendance at Priestfield would get much above 8 or 9,000 even if we did make it to the Championship again. Getting back to 6 or 7 thousand is the best we can hope for in this division, only if we keep winning.
Poor crowd again today, less than 4,000 Gills fans there, loads of empty seats in the blocks around where I sit in the Medway Stand including many regulars absent today.
As is often the way, we play better and knock in a few goals including a goal of the season contender when the crowd is low.
There?ll be a bigger crowd on Boxing Day, and no doubt that game will be shite!
As is often the way, we play better and knock in a few goals including a goal of the season contender when the crowd is low.
There?ll be a bigger crowd on Boxing Day, and no doubt that game will be shite!
OneSirKeefy
Vital Football Hero
Only used for pre-xmas games that excuse. And it's been that way for 50years +. I imagine most crowds were low yesterday except if there was a top 6 clash or derby game somewhere.
Boxing day, xmas week and new years day games are always bigger crowds.
Therealwaldo
Vital Squad Member
If you want a good example of how things weren't better in the past, the 8:1 win against Southend was watched by a crowd of 4154. The next home match, the 10:0 against Chesterfield was watched by 4099 !
markinkent
Vital Football Hero
I think the old Christmas shopping excuse is defunct now with out of town centers like bluewater open 7 days a week and late on certain nights.
Anyway surely everyone shops at amazon now.
A bit more skint because of the cost of Christmas may be more appropriate.
Anyway surely everyone shops at amazon now.
A bit more skint because of the cost of Christmas may be more appropriate.
