No they don't. If they did, their grounds would be full for every home game. A significant number of football fans in towns like Burnley, Blackpool, Blackburn, Bolton, Wigan, etc, don't actually support their home town teams, but when they get to Wembley, they'll turn out with friends and relatives who do.Skashion said:Burnley, small-town team, sold out its allocation at Wembley? Yes.
Blackpool, small-town team, sold out its allocation at Wembley? Yes, or nearly so anyway.
Why? Because these clubs are historical league clubs. They have fanbases which enable them to do it.
By your logic, why does Wigan have fewer people who do this than Burnley - the slightly smaller town?SpiritofBurnden said:No they don't. If they did, their grounds would be full for every home game. A significant number of football fans in towns like Burnley, Blackpool, Blackburn, Bolton, Wigan, etc, don't actually support their home town teams, but when they get to Wembley, they'll turn out with friends and relatives who do.
Skashion said:By your logic, why does Wigan have fewer people who do this than Burnley - the slightly smaller town?SpiritofBurnden said:No they don't. If they did, their grounds would be full for every home game. A significant number of football fans in towns like Burnley, Blackpool, Blackburn, Bolton, Wigan, etc, don't actually support their home town teams, but when they get to Wembley, they'll turn out with friends and relatives who do.
Precisely my point, which is why Burnley have the better fanbase and can sell their Wembley allocation when a Premier League club from a slightly larger town can't.johnmc said:Wiganers prefer rugby.
Wiganers who like football are more likely to support a manchester club.
Wigan have only been a credible team for a short period of time
Skashion said:By your logic, why does Wigan have fewer people who do this than Burnley - the slightly smaller town?SpiritofBurnden said:No they don't. If they did, their grounds would be full for every home game. A significant number of football fans in towns like Burnley, Blackpool, Blackburn, Bolton, Wigan, etc, don't actually support their home town teams, but when they get to Wembley, they'll turn out with friends and relatives who do.
Seosa said:The winner of this game is in Europe next season.
How the fuck would Wigan's support go on in Europe?
SpiritofBurnden said:This is only the semi-final. If they win, they'll be back at Wembley again. Perhaps some of their season ticket holders aren't going because they can't afford two trips, i know that a lot of ours didn't go to the semi-final for that reason when we played Stoke.
It's certainly nothing to do with 'fanbase'. Blackpool sold their entire allocation when they first got to Wembley for play-off final against Cardiff. Two years later when they were in the final again against West Ham, they sold almost 10,000 fewer tickets. If the people who attended the first game were genuine Blackpool fans, why wouldn't they want to attend the second one?
You seem to think I'm denying that hangers-on go to Wembley. We know they do. Gillingham magicked up about 20,000 extra fans for the 1999 Playoff Final. It was absurd. However, I'm not of the view that this is anymore true of people from Wigan than from Burnley. Burnley will have their hangers-on and sold out their allocation. Wigan will have theirs, and haven't come close. That's the difference. Burnley have a historical fanbase and were getting 20k+ 50 years ago when they won the league. Wigan do not have that in their locker. They don't have the lapsed fans. They do not have the people who've moved to different parts of the country a long time ago but who'll re-emerge for a one-off special occasion. They don't have, at least to my knowledge, a London supporters branch that has been continuously in existence since the 70s like Burnley have.SpiritofBurnden said:This is only the semi-final. If they win, they'll be back at Wembley again. Perhaps some of their season ticket holders aren't going because they can't afford two trips, i know that a lot of ours didn't go to the semi-final for that reason when we played Stoke.
It's certainly nothing to do with 'fanbase'. Blackpool sold their entire allocation when they first got to Wembley for play-off final against Cardiff. Two years later when they were in the final again against West Ham, they sold almost 10,000 fewer tickets. If the people who attended the first game were genuine Blackpool fans, why wouldn't they want to attend the second one?
Skashion said:Burnley will have their hangers-on and sold out their allocation. Wigan will have theirs, and haven't come close. That's the difference.