Attendances

[Danny Hoekman]

We're home in less than 10 minutes from midweek games ;-)

 

[goater1978]

I think the traffic for midweek games is becoming break point for many. My own journey time has increased over the last 15 years from just under 2 hours to around 2 hours 45 minutes. All this is down to around a 20% increase in the number of cars on the road and countless average speed zones.

Worse still is the return journey normally encounters overnight road closures and hideously long detours. Even if I brave the journey myself, I often leave the young lad at home as the tiredness knock on into the next day is unforgiving.

We certainly need to reduce the amount of non weekend football and that could only be done be a reduction in Premier League size, ditching the League Cup for non Football League teams, and finally have all European competitions as straight knock out played at weekends.

By my reckoning a Premier League of 18 teams would give 34 weekend games. The FA Cup would be 6 weekend games (maximum for finalists) and the European Cup based on 32 teams would be played over the 5 Weekends (straight knockout 1 leg) This would allow a 7 week as a minimum.

Hopefully meaningless games would disappear (trailing heavily from 1st leg or already qualified from group stages etc) and every game would have a consequence and be a worthy spectacle.

Fans might feel they are getting less football, but costs would drop and most games would be well attended due to being at weekends.

Dropping none football league teams from the league cup would make no difference as only league teams can take part (the clue is in the name).

They would never reduce either the size of the premier league or the size of the champions league as more games, means more revenue from things like TV and sponsorship.

 

[CatMan]

Dropping none football league teams from the league cup would make no difference as only league teams can take part (the clue is in the name).

They would never reduce either the size of the premier league or the size of the champions league as more games, means more revenue from things like TV and sponsorship.

I don't think you quite grasp that teams in the Premier League aren't actually in the Football League and only play in that competition as an invite! (The clue being that it helps if you understand Football Structure)

I wish people like you would read a post and digest its content properly rather than just post replies without thinking.

Just to make it clearer for you, Premier League teams would not play in the League Cup.

 

[cibaman]

I think the traffic for midweek games is becoming break point for many. My own journey time has increased over the last 15 years from just under 2 hours to around 2 hours 45 minutes. All this is down to around a 20% increase in the number of cars on the road and countless average speed zones.

Worse still is the return journey normally encounters overnight road closures and hideously long detours. Even if I brave the journey myself, I often leave the young lad at home as the tiredness knock on into the next day is unforgiving.

We certainly need to reduce the amount of non weekend football and that could only be done be a reduction in Premier League size, ditching the League Cup for non Football League teams, and finally have all European competitions as straight knock out played at weekends.

By my reckoning a Premier League of 18 teams would give 34 weekend games. The FA Cup would be 6 weekend games (maximum for finalists) and the European Cup based on 32 teams would be played over the 5 Weekends (straight knockout 1 leg) This would allow a 7 week as a minimum.

Hopefully meaningless games would disappear (trailing heavily from 1st leg or already qualified from group stages etc) and every game would have a consequence and be a worthy spectacle.

Fans might feel they are getting less football, but costs would drop and most games would be well attended due to being at weekends.

I have similar midweek traffic problems but would hate to see midweek games disappear, or curtailed to the extent you're suggesting. I like midweek games. They're different to weekend games. I like both, I like the difference between them.

I can also remember when I used to work at weekends and missed almost entire seasons. And then when I stopped working weekends I was under greater marital pressure to spend weekends with the family, to make up for lost time. Midweek games are inconvenient for many, particularly those of us who travel long distances and fans who take their kids. But there will be significant numbers of fans who will find them more convenient or no different.

There's no possibility of European games being switched to weekends. Firstly the clubs are just not going to agree to such a huge reduction in games. Secondly the majority of clubs do not play in Europe and would not want to have blank weekends. or be competing with CL fixtures.

 

[CatMan]

I have similar midweek traffic problems but would hate to see midweek games disappear, or curtailed to the extent you're suggesting. I like midweek games. They're different to weekend games. I like both, I like the difference between them.

I can also remember when I used to work at weekends and missed almost entire seasons. And then when I stopped working weekends I was under greater marital pressure to spend weekends with the family, to make up for lost time. Midweek games are inconvenient for many, particularly those of us who travel long distances and fans who take their kids. But there will be significant numbers of fans who will find them more convenient or no different.

There's no possibility of European games being switched to weekends. Firstly the clubs are just not going to agree to such a huge reduction in games. Secondly the majority of clubs do not play in Europe and would not want to have blank weekends. or be competing with CL fixtures.

Yep, I know. All a little idealistic I admit but if we continue playing up to 60 games each season with a midweek game almost every week then we will always have a number of games that just don't appeal enough to ensure they sell out or are fully attended by some seasoncard holders.

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

I think the traffic for midweek games is becoming break point for many. My own journey time has increased over the last 15 years from just under 2 hours to around 2 hours 45 minutes. All this is down to around a 20% increase in the number of cars on the road and countless average speed zones.

Worse still is the return journey normally encounters overnight road closures and hideously long detours. Even if I brave the journey myself, I often leave the young lad at home as the tiredness knock on into the next day is unforgiving.

We certainly need to reduce the amount of non weekend football and that could only be done be a reduction in Premier League size, ditching the League Cup for non Football League teams, and finally have all European competitions as straight knock out played at weekends.

By my reckoning a Premier League of 18 teams would give 34 weekend games. The FA Cup would be 6 weekend games (maximum for finalists) and the European Cup based on 32 teams would be played over the 5 Weekends (straight knockout 1 leg) This would allow a 7 week as a minimum.

Hopefully meaningless games would disappear (trailing heavily from 1st leg or already qualified from group stages etc) and every game would have a consequence and be a worthy spectacle.

Fans might feel they are getting less football, but costs would drop and most games would be well attended due to being at weekends.

The thing that irks me most when it comes to fixture planning is the blank weekends when everything stops for international games. I have no problem when these blank weekends arrive because of Euro or World Cup qualifiers, but I detest those weekends that are devoted to friendlies, games where players appear for no more than 45 minutes and where their appearances are completed at a leisurely pace. What a waste.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Wouldnt waste my time, what people choose to do with their season ticket is up to them. Can't quite understand how or why someone would come to that conclusion though.

There's a large number of specific seats and indeed blocks of seats that week on week that remain empty, even for "sold out" games. QED.

 

[john@staustell]

The attendance for the semi against West Ham 2 years ago was 30,381.

So lets get ready for it now. The way it falls and everything we will be lucky indeed to make 40,000 for the home leg

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

The attendance for the semi against West Ham 2 years ago was 30,381.

So lets get ready for it now. The way it falls and everything we will be lucky indeed to make 40,000 for the home leg

wasn't that the first leg though ? we will get a lot more for a second leg at home, even everton are struggling to sell out their home leg apparently.

 

[baildon blue]

I'm not surprised some City fans don't bother with mid week games .
It takes me ages to get out of Manchester after a mid week game .
Last Tuesday it was easy getting out of Leicester after the game .