I was talking to the chairman of a non-league club the other day and he reckoned that attendances were down by about 20 per cent this season even where clubs were doing well on the pitch. He thought that even the time of the month when people got paid had an effect on attendance, so squeezed were family budgets.
I was talking to the chairman of a non-league club the other day and he reckoned that attendances were down by about 20 per cent this season even where clubs were doing well on the pitch. He thought that even the time of the month when people got paid had an effect on attendance, so squeezed were family budgets.
Last week for the mid-week game against Forest Green in the Conference Rushden & Diamonds have a crowd of just 759. This was the lowest gain since 1993-94 when the club was formed from the merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds. it was the third time in five games that Diamonds had recorded their lowest home attendance at Conference level.
Against Forest Green they did have to compete against Barcelona v. Arsenal live on television. Tickets – even to stand – have gone up from £13 last season to £17 this season. They will be reduced next season.
The average attendance this season so far has been 1,396, down 17 per cent on the last campaign. Their lowest attendance en route to winning the Conference in 2000-01 was 2,568. That was in an area of small towns and villages, although admittedly the club was then backed by the money of Dr Martens owner Max Griggs. When his businesses went, a lot of local factories closed.
Rushden have had a transfer embargo imposed after problems with tax bills and last month’s salaries were paid late. Gates would need to go up by 300 to 400 for the club to break even. But, although there are special factors at Nene Park, it’s not a story that is special to Rushden.