Bring back the fans

DEAN Furman makes a challenge against Yeovil in front of rows of empty seats.

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IF THERE is a discordant note among the symphony of delight at Athletic’s start to the season, it is the number of fans coming through the gates at Boundary Park.

Or not, as the case may be. For the Bristol Rovers game last week — admittedly, the third home fixture for Athletic inside eight days — there were only 4,039 supporters present to watch another encounter rich in entertainment.

It was a depressing statistic when placed in context of unbeaten Athletic’s well-publicised endeavours in 2010-11.

There was plenty of national media coverage aimed at Athletic in the build-up, as a result of there being no Premier League distractions on international weekend.

The backdrop was such that plenty more were expected to attend.

Comparing the figures below for the opening three home league matches of the last five seasons, it is clear that support is steadily dripping away, season-by-season.

Athletic officials don’t want to be seen to be pointing an accusing finger at those absent fans.

But at the same time as emphasising the strong brand of football new manager Paul Dickov and his staff have brought with them, chief executive Alan Hardy admits that the current crowd figures are a real cause for financial concern — especially for a club which is on the hunt for new investors, following the double resignation of money men Simon Blitz and Danny Gazal on the eve of the season.

“Last year, we put the drop in attendances down to poor team performances,” said Hardy, referring to a troubled campaign which ended with Athletic finishing 16th after flirting with the relegation zone for much of it.

“The fact is, we were struggling for long periods. By contrast, the football we have played so far this season had been far more entertaining.

“And if we continue to play in the same vein, we would expect attendances to rise.

“It is a concern when against Bristol Rovers we had less than 4,000 of our own fans at Boundary Park.

“And it will threaten the long-term viability of the club if we can only attract that number on a regular basis.”

Some supporters have suggested that a reduced admission price could spark a rise in numbers. Currently, matchday prices are £20 for adults, with £1 off for a seat in the lower section of the main stand.

Hardy, though, says that such a move could end up being counterproductive. When Exeter City came to visit in November last year, only 6,230 fans attended despite the cost on the gate being hacked down to £2 for adults and half that for concessions.

“Reducing admission prices may have an effect on the number of supporters coming through the turnstiles,” Hardy said.

“But it could very well end up that the extra fans don’t cover the loss of revenue.

“Everyone has their own reasons for not attending.”


Got your own ideas on boosting Latics attendances? Email them to sport@oldham-chronicle.co.uk