MICHAEL YARWOOD’s Boundary Park review

AS the Chronicle revealed last week, Athletic’s average league gate tumbled by 16 per cent – costing the club around £345,000 in lost revenue.

The fall was just over 1,000 fans per match, from 6,334 to 5,327, and led to the lowest average since 2000/01 when the figure dropped below 5,000.

The highest of recent seasons (6,926) came in 2002/03 when Iain Dowie’s team reached the play-offs.

In the campaign just ended, the biggest league crowd (10,054) was against Leeds United, although the FA Cup tie with Huddersfield (12,749) came top overall.

Athletic’s midweek game against Bournemouth – at the end of a spell featuring four home matches in 15 days – attracted only 3,663 fans, the lowest league attendance for over seven years.

Away from Boundary Park, it’s worth noting that, as always, Athletic were well supported.

Travelling armies included 2,589 at Huddersfield, 2,062 at Leeds and an amazing 5,551 for the FA Cup giant-killing of Everton.


     

ONLY four clubs in Coca-Cola League One received fewer red cards than Athletic.

Discipline has been an issue in recent years, but a modest three players were given their marching orders – Neal Trotman in the FA Cup at Doncaster (for two bookings), Neal Eardley at Millwall (two bookings) and Reuben Hazell at Luton (professional foul).

The talented Trotman actually had a poor record when Athletic sold him to Preston as, in 22 appearances, he collected one red card and nine yellows.

BOOKINGS (65): 9 – Neal Trotman; 6 – Chris Taylor, Craig Davies; 5 – Sean Gregan, Michael Ricketts, Lee Hughes, Reuben Hazell; 4 – Neil Kilkenny, Ryan Bertrand; 3 – JP Kalala, Stefan Stam; 2 – Neal Eardley, Mark Allott, Gary McDonald; 1 – Kelvin Lomax, Ashley Kelly, Jason Jarrett, David Livermore.     

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