Where were you when you were...historical attendance record

[KS55]

From memory.
In Tony Book's second season as manager, Ushited were the only club to average over 50k, the next two were Liverpool and City, the only other clubs to average over 40k.

 

[bluebarry]

Our average league attendances for years 1904; 1920, 1939, 1959, 1979, 1999 and 2018. Data taken from https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/englandcontent.htm

1904: 19,870 (2nd highest). Year of our first trophy.
1920: 25,160 (11th)
1939: 31,291 (6th)
1959: 32,568 (10th)
1979: 36,210 (4th)
1999: 28,271 (13th, in 3rd tier)
2018: 54,070 (5th).

Always consistently high!

Decades ago nobody ever really had an average attendance above 40000, yet would pack in upwards of 60-70-80000 for individual games depending on the size of their stadium.

City (and United at Maine Road too) and Chelsea have had individual attendances of over 80000, Everton Sunderland Villa and Charlton have had individual attendances over 75000. Yet everyone of these clubs had an average attendance in the 30000s in the years they got those huge attendances.

I have no idea where this obsession across the country with filling the ground came from or when it started.

Until United expanded their ground in the 90s their biggest average attendance - as the best supported club in the country for many decades - had never been any higher than about what our average attendance is now. Old Trafford held about 75000 though.

Look at Barcelona and Real Madrid. Probably the two biggest clubs in Europe. Their average attendances are within a few hundred of each other at [last season’s averages] 65732 and 65027, respectively. But their grounds hold 95354 and 81044, respectively. Nobody cares about the 16-30000 empty seats they both get on average and they are both looking to expand their stadiums to have even more empty seats on average but they both pack in huge individual attendances so think it’s worth it like English clubs did for many decades.

Juventus are one of Europe’s biggest clubs but went from averaging around 30000 in a 67000 stadium for years to building a new stadium that holds just 41507. In 2001 they got a Copa Italia attendance of 237 (no, I have not missed a zero off!)

For a good number of years recently both Milan clubs averaged under 40000 in their 80018 stadium. Both clubs dropped the price of seasoncards and matchday tickets now both average over 50000!

Liverpool have historically had a very steady average attendance of around 35000 until the last few decades when it grew. Their biggest ever crowd (61905) wouldn’t even rate in City’s top 25 biggest ever attendances. And while it’s down in 19th of each clubs’ biggest ever attendance, I’d bet it’s not even in the top 100 all-time attendances in this country.

Even if our quoted attendances are underestimated by the website used they prove that we have always been a club with one of the highest average attendances (our attendances position is in brackets).
Like P Casual I don't understand the new obsession with empty seats; surely it's more noteworthy to compare average attendances as nearly all clubs have empty seats.
I guess the seats obsession (and the other City bingo references) is driven by envy!

 

[JASR]

Even if our quoted attendances are underestimated by the website used they prove that we have always been a club with one of the highest average attendances (our attendances position is in brackets).
Like P Casual I don't understand the new obsession with empty seats; surely it's more noteworthy to compare average attendances as nearly all clubs have empty seats.
I guess the seats obsession (and the other City bingo references) is driven by envy!

It is better to compare average seats... until the average seats masks the highest/lowest attendance spread bollox from United.
You can’t be serious if the difference between the lowest and highest attendance for 19 matches in a season is only 180 for a 75k stadium.
That’s less than a 0.3% variance - impossible, or at best highly improbable (not being HHGTTG) - you’d get more the 0.3% in a mild flu outbreak

 

[Academica]

It is better to compare average seats... until the average seats masks the highest/lowest attendance spread bollox from United.
You can’t be serious if the difference between the lowest and highest attendance for 19 matches in a season is only 180 for a 75k stadium.
That’s less than a 0.3% variance - impossible, or at best highly improbable (not being HHGTTG) - you’d get more the 0.3% in a mild flu outbreak

Didn't the Manchester Evening News ask the police (under freedom of information) where they obtained the figures for the rags attendance and were told they came from Trafford council, approached Trafford council who said they got them from Manchester United, so must be accurate.

 

[94:10]

There was a great article in the Times last December which showed that City were the 5th best supported team in the era since the Premier League was formed. That's pretty good considering what happened to City in the Nineties.

What was also interesting was that the top 10 best supported clubs in the Premier League era were also the top 10 best supported clubs (in a different order) in the era from the end of the Second World War to 1992 and also in the 1920s-1930s.

Not bad for a club with no history.

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

I was at the Fenerbace game in 1968 and Maine Road was packed yet the official attendance was given out as 38000. More Swales jiggery-pokery, probably to keep revenues from the taxman.

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

I was at the Fenerbace game in 1968 and Maine Road was packed yet the official attendance was given out as 38000. More Swales jiggery-pokery, probably to keep revenues from the taxman.

Swales wasn't the chairman in 68.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

I was at the Fenerbace game in 1968 and Maine Road was packed yet the official attendance was given out as 38000. More Swales jiggery-pokery, probably to keep revenues from the taxman.

You know, I was at that too (waiting for us to terrify Europe…). And I don't actually remember the Kippax being very full. But it was a looong time ago.

 

[Ribchester]

Our average attendance in 1967/8 when we won the league at Maine Road in the Bell/Lee/Summerbee era was around 36,000 when the ground held 63,000.

Pretty shit really. (I went to nearly every home game)

Same here used to really piss me off how One week we would get 40k then next home game 10k went missing never understood why we didn’t get 60k plus for that midweek 2-0 win over Everton the night rags got stuffed at West Brom which was arguably the biggest game in our history without checking think we only got 45k that night

 

[JGL07]

There was a great article in the Times last December which showed that City were the 5th best supported team in the era since the Premier League was formed. That's pretty good considering what happened to City in the Nineties.

What was also interesting was that the top 10 best supported clubs in the Premier League era were also the top 10 best supported clubs (in a different order) in the era from the end of the Second World War to 1992 and also in the 1920s-1930s.

Not bad for a club with no history.

City have plenty of history but are lacking in 'istory. The problem with 'istory is that it varies from club to club.

We can't compare with United from 1992 to 2010, Liverpool between 1972 and 1989, and Arsenal from 1988 to 2004. Chelsea outperformed City from 2004 to 2010 and Spurs were far superior from 1960 to 1962.

City have been consistently winning trophies since 2011 including three or four PL titles, one or two FA Cups, four League Cups, not to mention a couple of Community Shields. City certainly have scored more points than any other team over the last ten years. Add a Champions League win and City will have plenty of 'istory.