Season tickets and attendances for 16/17

As Villa's ST sales approach the 20k mark, Dr X is quoted as saying he wants to emulate the 33k sold by Newcastle to their fans. Whilst I'm sure that this won't happen, it looks to me like 33k against NUFC's 49k average attendances last season equals a 67% ST to 33% non ST rate at the Victorian slavers' house, whereas our 20k ST sales aginst a 33k average attendance at VP last season equals a 60% ST to 40% non ST rate. At best I think we should try to emulate the 67% geordie sales, which would mean needing to sell another 2-3k STs. This in itself is a pretty amazing return for a club that was abject in every department last year, and despite a root and branch recondition of Aston Villa, no proof of improvement on the pitch is really available until we start to play competitive matches.

So all in all a very positive response from the Villa faithful.

My second point is regarding attendances.

What do people feel will be our average gate come season's end? Although we've dropped a division, we do have some interesting and local(ish) fixtures that may swell the gates. I realise that so much will hinge on how we do, so I guess that how folks respond to this question will be partly grounded in how optimistic/pessimistic people are feeling about our season.

I think that we'll end up around the same average attendance as for last season, as whilst we'll have dropped down and some visiting teams may not bring as many fans as Prem clubs, I do think we'll have a good season which will offset this.

So that's my prediction - 33k average gate for 16/17 (and no, I'm not doing another competition!)

Gates will be circa 28000 at the start of the campaign and rise if/when we sit atop the league

avg 33k after 5 years of crap though

I'm very optimistic for this season, more then most I admit, but I think we will start well and be filling the bloody place by xmas.

20 k is piss poor IMO. Any big club in Brum should be having packed 50 k  stadiums without any problems. In my opinion. My local club in Norway has 50% of the town population present on match days. I just can't understand the lack of interest in AVFC.

Edit: I'll add however that football has become very expensive so if most people in Brum can't afford to go, then that's another thing entirely.

I don't think you grasp the logistics of Brum at all Joppe. It isn't just the cost.

Blues, Villa, Albion Wolves all occupy roughly the same geographical distance as Newcastle and Sunderland.

If you include Middlesborough then that radius for Brum includes Stoke, Coventry, Burton, Leicester, and Derby amongst others. The geography of the north East lends itself well to Newcastle's ticket sales. Because it's fucking desolate up there.

Bought a season ticket this season, I always said I would if Lerner left, so I have kept my word except we are now in the championship!

The north east is a 4 major club region (if you include Hartlepool)

The Midlands by comparison has 13 major clubs in the football league.

On the subject of crowds, should we run a Guess The Crowd competition? I'm happy to run the table on this.

Trotters wrote:On the subject of crowds, should we run a Guess The Crowd competition? I'm happy to run the table on this.

As in guessing each match, or each home match only, or the crowd average at season''s end?
See, you've tempted me with your talk of competition again, you foul and evil creature you.....I'll have to go on the hunt for another Villa souvenir as a prize......

Ha!

I'm thinking home only or home & away but I'm open to suggestion.

34,457

that's for the first home game...

I think 32,796 (and I'll be one of 'em)

Let's do home only as it's a lot to track other wise - would you do separate post just for attendance guesses or have it as part of the match day thread? Anyway, come on then folks, get guessing. If we track the winners each time maybe I'll sort a prize for the most successful guesser at the end of the season. Bloody hell,  here we go again lol

De Kuip wrote:I think 32,796 (and I'll be one of 'em)

31000

I'll be there as well

36,022 and yep I cant wait to try the new half time chinese menu so Ill be there too.

How about we start a new thread for GTC. Any suggestions for rules?
If I can get people to say they're in prior to the start of the season, we can then nominate a points system as well as an outright attendance difference. Maybe give people two jokers they can play throughout the season which will double their points for that particular round

???

Ok trotters. I'm in

Yep sounds good. Would you simply award 1 point for closest each VP match then at the end of the season most points wins. That way if people join late or miss weeks out, they simply lose the chance of getting a point. 1 guess per person per match. Have a leader board to show who is doing well as the season progresses.

Or 1 point for every 1 attendee out you are (higher or lower) and lowest score at the end of the season wins?

Or would that be a pain in the arse to work out?

Or closest gets 10 points, second gets 5 and third gets 3.
All without going over, if you go over you bust ( like the price is right for us old gits )

Villa_Dan wrote:I don't think you grasp the logistics of Brum at all Joppe. It isn't just  the cost.

Blues, Villa, Albion Wolves all occupy roughly the same geographical distance as Newcastle and Sunderland.

If you include Middlesborough then that radius for Brum includes Stoke, Coventry, Burton, Leicester, and Derby amongst others. The geography of the north East lends itself well to Newcastle's ticket sales. Because it's fucking desolate up there.

You know, I probably don't. But I understand maths. And Brum are one of Europes big cities. AFAIK you are talking of 2-5 million people depending on what line you draw. I'll just ignore the northern clubs, cause I just don't find it relevant, but even with Blues, Villa, Albion and Wolves you are looking at 100-150 k people at games? The interest is absolutely shockingly bad.

Prices for games are unbelievably high. If I lived there and could get in for a tenner, the kids for 5 each, I'd probably be there more often than not.

But there's no way I could stretch to 40-50 quid for myself and (I'm guessing) half that for each kid.

Add in food, drinks, all the other shit kids want (I'm guessing it's a case that your ticket price includes public transport there and back) and it's a silly day. Christ last season! Paying all that money for what??? Nightmare.