One of the largest towns in League 2. In an automatic promotion place. And the lowest attendance of all League 2 clubs last Saturday.

Remarkable indeed.

I applaud any initiative to improve our gates but, I've said it before on other threads, there never has been much of an appetite for league football in Newport. Plenty of appetite for cup games (eg Spurs, Leeds and historically CZJ) but for run of the mill league football,sadly not.

allontheamber wrote:I applaud any initiative to improve our gates but, I've said it before on other threads, there never has been much of an appetite for league football in Newport. Plenty of appetite for cup games (eg Spurs, Leeds and historically CZJ) but for run of the mill league football,sadly not.

Is that because,

a) we are not doing the work to attract a larger crowd properly, or......

b) the people of Newport are genetically different from everyone else?

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

allontheamber wrote:I applaud any initiative to improve our gates but, I've said it before on other threads, there never has been much of an appetite for league football in Newport. Plenty of appetite for cup games (eg Spurs, Leeds and historically CZJ) but for run of the mill league football,sadly not.

Is that because,

a) we are not doing the work to attract a larger crowd properly, or......

b) the people of Newport are genetically different from everyone else?

The club has done loads to attract new fans. Loads of community work, cheap ticket offers, free club and schools tickets etc.
The problem with the people of Newport is we always seem to be one bad home performance away from people not wanting to come ever again.............unless of course we have 'glamour' games.
There are 6 League 2 sides with a lower average attendance than us so far this season.
Interesting there are 3 League 1 clubs with lower attendances than us too.

Exile 1976 wrote:

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

allontheamber wrote:I applaud any initiative to improve our gates but, I've said it before on other threads, there never has been much of an appetite for league football in Newport. Plenty of appetite for cup games (eg Spurs, Leeds and historically CZJ) but for run of the mill league football,sadly not.

Is that because,

a) we are not doing the work to attract a larger crowd properly, or......

b) the people of Newport are genetically different from everyone else?

The club has done loads to attract new fans. Loads of community work, cheap ticket offers, free club and schools tickets etc.
The problem with the people of Newport is we always seem to be one bad home performance away from people not wanting to come ever again.............unless of course we have 'glamour' games.

Why?

The problem I have is that I simply don't believe that Newport people are different from everyone else. So if our gates are low, and they are, there must be a reason or reasons.

I was once told that if you consistently under achieve, it is easy and wrong to find excuses. It is equally wrong to blame bad luck. And finally no matter how hard you work, if you're doing it wrong endeavor alone is worthless.

My view is we are doing something wrong. I don't pretend to know what. However it is my view we need to investigate, find the problem (s) and fix them.

That is why you pay a competent CEO. Sadly too many of our directors over 30 years have failed to distinguish between cost and value.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:Somerton Park had a capacity of 20,000. I remember a Boxing Day fixture against Chester with a 7,000 gate. If the ground was only a third full I'm the monkey's uncle.

Cash only in those days. Go figure.

Agree with the figures fiddle you suggest, everybody thought attendance figures were “doctored “ for the taxman.

Re the capacity I thought we had higher crowds than that for FA cup games with Danny Blanchflower’s Spurs side and the visit of Arsenal though I may be mistaken.

Another thing I’m willing to be corrected on, but as a kid in the 50’s I seem to remember a really large crowd for the opening game ( say 8-12k ) followed quickly after a few bad results to around 4k from then on. As I say, I was a kid then so I really wasn’t that interested in attendances but that was my impression.

The bottom line in terms of attendances is results. I recognise there are other factors such as marketing, "lost years", etc. However County have to overcome a long legacy of flattering to deceive i.e. failure and under performance on the pitch which is instilled in the mindset of people of Newport and surrounding area as low expectation. They also have to overcome a long legacy of playing unglamorous opponents with just the occasional game against a "name" side. The answer includes such as already suggested but it will take a few (many?) years of consistent success to overcome the legacy.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

allontheamber wrote:I applaud any initiative to improve our gates but, I've said it before on other threads, there never has been much of an appetite for league football in Newport. Plenty of appetite for cup games (eg Spurs, Leeds and historically CZJ) but for run of the mill league football,sadly not.

Is that because,

a) we are not doing the work to attract a larger crowd properly, or......

b) the people of Newport are genetically different from everyone else?

I honestly don't know the answer to that Stan. I've been watching the Port now for 55+ years and first went with my late father. He was on some committee with Newport and I remember him saying that they were always trying to increase attendances back in the 60's but nothing seemed to work. Perhaps in 50 years nobody has come up with the answer or perhaps there is no answer. No, I don't think that people from Newport are genetically different but areas can differ. I live in Gloucestershire and there is little interest here. People just seem to have more interest in Rugby and I don't begin to know how to change peoples preferences.

[quote="Stan A. Einstein"
Why?

The problem I have is that I simply don't believe that Newport people are different from everyone else. So if our gates are low, and they are, there must be a reason or reasons.

I was once told that if you consistently under achieve, it is easy and wrong to find excuses. It is equally wrong to blame bad luck. And finally no matter how hard you work, if you're doing it wrong endeavor alone is worthless.

My view is we are doing something wrong. I don't pretend to know what. However it is my view we need to investigate, find the problem (s) and fix them.

That is why you pay a competent CEO. Sadly too many of our directors over 30 years have failed to distinguish between cost and value.[/quote]

I would posit that the thing County have been doing wrong is playing a type of football that few want to see on a regular basis. Thankfully this season the style has improved as indeed have the results. I would like to think that the two things are linked but the reality is they possibly are not. But I do think people are more likely to attend matches if they are "entertained" which I think they are this season.

The only other thing that I feel affects the attendance is playing in a facility which, although being the best "home" facility County have played in, is still not worthy of use in the 21st century. People nowadays don't want to sit on cold seats in a drafty stadium where they have to queue forever for poor food or poor toileting facilities. While the demand for change from it's loyal fan base remains low a different stadium remains a low priority. It is incumbent on us all to communicate our displeasure with whatever aspects of RP doesn't fit our standards in order to effect change...

Allontheamber is of course correct when he says people have more interest in rugby and have done for over a century. That's not going to change in my lifetime. The same is obviously the case in Gloucester as well. Have they ever had a Football league team? Therefore we are not unique. The only thing I can see will significantly increase attendances is on the field success.

frostyjohn wrote:The bottom line in terms of attendances is results. I recognise there are other factors such as marketing, "lost years", etc. However County have to overcome a long legacy of flattering to deceive i.e. failure and under performance on the pitch which is instilled in the mindset of people of Newport and surrounding area as low expectation. They also have to overcome a long legacy of playing unglamorous opponents with just the occasional game against a "name" side. The answer includes such as already suggested but it will take a few (many?) years of consistent success to overcome the legacy.

But when it comes to unglamorous opposition Newport County are right up there. Why do more people attend Exeter v Newport than attend Newport v Exeter?

I am not trying to score points. My concern is that finding excuses is easy, finding the cause and rectifying is difficult.

Edit.

I have just read Wattsville boy's post. Notwithstanding we could both be wrong, I tend to agree with his analysis.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

frostyjohn wrote:The bottom line in terms of attendances is results. I recognise there are other factors such as marketing, "lost years", etc. However County have to overcome a long legacy of flattering to deceive i.e. failure and under performance on the pitch which is instilled in the mindset of people of Newport and surrounding area as low expectation. They also have to overcome a long legacy of playing unglamorous opponents with just the occasional game against a "name" side. The answer includes such as already suggested but it will take a few (many?) years of consistent success to overcome the legacy.

But when it comes to unglamorous opposition Newport County are right up there. Why do more people attend Exeter v Newport than attend Newport v Exeter?

I am not trying to score points. My concern is that finding excuses is easy, finding the cause and rectifying is difficult.

Edit.

I have just read Wattsville boy's post. Notwithstanding we could both be wrong, I tend to agree with his analysis.

Can we stop agreeing Stan. I don't like it!!

OLDCROMWELLIAN wrote:Allontheamber is of course correct when he says people have more interest in rugby and have done for over a century. That's not going to change in my lifetime. The same is obviously the case in Gloucester as well. Have they ever had a Football league team? Therefore we are not unique. The only thing I can see will significantly increase attendances is on the field success.

I am going to watch Gloucester RFC next month in the English Premiership. Surprised how expensive it is. We are in seats behind the goal and its £40. Best seat on halfway in £52 and to stand on the Shed terrace is £35. They still regularly get 13,000 - 14,000 crowds though.

faerun exile wrote:

OLDCROMWELLIAN wrote:Allontheamber is of course correct when he says people have more interest in rugby and have done for over a century. That's not going to change in my lifetime. The same is obviously the case in Gloucester as well. Have they ever had a Football league team? Therefore we are not unique. The only thing I can see will significantly increase attendances is on the field success.

I am going to watch Gloucester RFC next month in the English Premiership. Surprised how expensive it is. We are in seats behind the goal and its £40. Best seat on halfway in £52 and to stand on the Shed terrace is £35. They still regularly get 13,000 - 14,000 crowds though.

Indeed most english professional premiership sides play regularly to full or almost full houses. Of course their prices tend to be roughly twice the price of EFL teams, but yet again thay only play approx. half the amount of games.

I have to agree with Wattsville_boy. County have never had a sustained period of success in order to build a sustainable fan base. Apart from the odd season here and there we have watched substandard league football in substandard grounds, and I include RP in that. As soon as our performances dwindle, so too do our gates. As a result we have never had a product that people will invest in.
The one thing we have never had, and I commend Stan for pushing for it, is a decent stadium. It is the one possible solution that had not been tried but it would be a gamble. Nobody will know if it would be the saviour of our club or the death of it.
County fans will fall into one of two camps. Those that will want to go for it with the inherent risks or those who will be happy to continue watching League 2 in archaic surrounds. I would be in the former but understand those would remain in the latter.
But we come back to the age old problem,where does that ground come from. Nobody will invest in the club because we have nothing to invest in.
Do we wait for a rich benefactor, the Council to come up with a solution, somehow own a slice of RP.
Our only hope is to talk to all parties, and if we get knocked back, pick ourselves up and talk some more.
We can only hope that our board are doing that.