The Mail Bag
50,000? You're having a laugh
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It was a lovely day yesterday and I left work early for a few beers in town awaiting our big European nigh... well, sadly not enough felt the same way.
I text a few of my mates about this too; I had spent the day arguing for tickets for them for the away leg and yet some of them could not be arsed with the home leg so the excuse of being skint was a load of shit in my book. It was £25 in and £15 for kids which was quite a fair price but yet the attendance was in my book pathetic. The red shite take the piss and who can blame them?
It brought me on to the thought of our new stadium in Kirkby ? how on earth does anyone think we can generate an extra 20,000 blues in an area which is likely to encourage more blues to take the casual stance, similar to what was taken last night, especially people from the Wirral and North Wales, whose transport problems will increase dramatically.
And as for the corporate shout, well take a look at our local papers and see the desperate advertisements for the cheap offers and yet we still cannot sell them.
Paul Gladwell, Posted 19/09/2008 at 08:13:29
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I would agree that the attendance was a little dissapointing but no less than I expected.
It was a Uefa Cup 1st round qualifier after all and was also televised live on Channel 5. Some people are no doubt struggling for money at present and this was the first of 7 games in 17 days.
I?m sure that over the course of a full season we would be able to fill a 50,000 stadium to capacity on enough occasions to make it worthwhile.
On what recent, historical, statistical or factual basis do you derive your surety?
She is telling porkies.
I?m assuming that if we manage to sell out capacity a few times per season with restricted views as we are now, then we will no doubt sell out a 50,000 capacity on occasion if such stadia is built.
Our record attendance is of course just shy of 80,000 but this was in 1946! No recent historial basis for my assertions but then there would not be given that we have a capacity just shy of 40,000.
I cannot accept that just because we failed to sell out a Uefa Cup qualifier, then this means we should abandon any plans to build a bigger stadium.
Cheers!
It may be of help to note that EFC have achieved an average attendance of 50,000 on one occasion ... 1969 /70.
In good "School of Science" days, the attendance was near mid forties, but for most seasons in our history the average have been mid to high thirites.
The current team would be unlikely to attract higher crowds, the derby and Man Utd apart, given their primitive notions of entertaining play: not stuff for the uncommitted to spend their hard earned readies on.
The company I work for advertises at Tottenham, and instead of paying say £200,000 a year to have adverts around the pitch, all advertising space is sold with a box attached, for say £500,000 per year. There are boxes all the way around the stadium, on every stand, so this brings in a fair amount of people, and a fair amount of cash, and some of these people spend the evening in the ground?s bars and restaurants after the game, which again brings in more money.
The figure for 1969-70 was 49,531, I am not trying to be a "Smart Alec" it?s just that I am a stickler for accuracy. It?s intreresting also to note, that in 1963-64 Liverpool, (while winning the League Championship) attracted an average of 45,032 spectators compared to the 49,401 of Everton, who incidentally finished in third place.
To complete the figures for the top five clubs, Manchester United, (in second place) were watched by an average crowd of 44,125; Spurs (in fourth position) averaged 43,800; while Chelsea (fifth placed) attracted 31,305, a far cry from todays attendances.
To repeat myself, I am not trying to score points, I am merely attempting to put the record straight. I trust that I have not offended you.
In answer to your question "has there been a more marked fall from grace?"
I would venture to suggest that in the sixties we had regular fixtures against, Burnley, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest, Blackpool, Ipswich Town, Birmingham City, Leeds United, Sunderland, Southamoton, and Coventry City.
With the exception of Nottingham Forest and Leeds United,[ who had domestic and European success] our fall from grace doesn?t appear too bad.
At 70 years of age, and having given active support for 60 of those years [support that I continue to give], I appreciate and share your disappointment, I am merely attempting to put our situation into perspective.
I thoroughly agree that a combination of Liverpools depopulation, our neighbours success, and the formation of the Premier League, have been detrimental to our position as a leading light in the Football fraternity.
As you well know, Everton, as one of the so called "Big Five" were instrumental in the formation of the Premier League [in my opinion an organisation based on greed], only Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United of the infamous quintet have prospered, while Everton and Tottenham have faltered.
To end on a brighter note, we came away from Humberside with a point when all seemed lost [although I?ve no doubt that the team and Manager, will be criticised in some quarters]. It seems to me that some who claim that Liverpool FC have no divine right to win matches, demand that Everton FC do exactly that.
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1 Posted 19/09/2008 at 12:51:32
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