Believe this Richard, I have had a season ticket since 1987 and did not renew last season and shan't be going back until Kenwright goes, and he is the and one only reason I am not going.
The man is ruining the club and only the miracle worker we have in charge of the team is disguising that.

Doddy, stop being so negative! :)

Never thought I`d read that,Sean!
I`m not negative about EFC-more so about those who claim to follow its fortunes.

A couple of mates chose not to renew at the start of this season. Both are now regretting it and say that watching at home/pub is nowhere near as good.
Says it all .

Doddy
Now and again, by good luck, design or the Donovan effect, outwith the games where the team have played their bollocks off against a "rich" club, we have played some good, attacking football
These spells of "look what you could've won" have only emphasised how dire the team has performed up til recently
May of my old match-going mates tell me it's, in general, become a chore and a duty, no longer a pleasure
Add to this the feeling that, whatever good Moyesy does he can't take us further without regular squad strengthening; we don't need a billionaire, but a Board who will find the finance to provide this regular, year-on-year help, without selling off our better players
A lot of us have been left without hope, Doddy - I think not winning the FA Cup will see a large drop in takeup of season-tickets; the gaps in the Lower Gwladys already point that way
BTW - loved the mad Belgian lads in front of us on Sat, wigs and flag flying, they got great choruses of the Felliani song in response

This is a huge problem for the club, already struggling with last year's gates income. Only Blackburn have shown a bigger percentage year-on-year decrease on attendances. In fact, half the teams in the PL have shown increases ? including amazingly Liverpool. In fact the greatest increase in percentage terms are Wigan.

Now what's important is actually revenue as opposed to bums on seats but it is a pretty basic principle that footfall drives revenue, so the big question for this administration is: What are they doing to drive income? We have a manager who deserves it!!!

Doddy, we have had plenty of games these last 3 weeks or so, that must in itself have an impact on whether people can afford to go. And, incidentally, I watched a Big Match re-run the other week from 1983. LFC were top of the League and reigning Champions yet their gate was only (I think) 33000 as they beat Stoke at home. We sometimes think things were a lot rosier than they were...

Basically we are grinding out results but we are not good to watch. Football is still supposed to be entertaining and I for one am yearning for the day when we actually put out a team that can control the damn football and pass accurately and quickly.

If all that matters is results then we are doing well considering our finances... but we are starved of quality!!!

I missed my first home game in a decade when I stayed away from the Sunderland cup-tie in protest at the manager`s approach to the derby.
I have also decided not to renew my season tickets as I cannot continue to support the love-in between Moyes and Kenwright. If I had any doubts about my decision they were swept away by the sight of the pair virtually holding hands on this morning`s Football Focus, Uhh....

`Holding hands`? That`s a bit strong,Wally!
Their knees may have touched a time or two but Davey soon pulled away!

I think the main reason for the low attendances can only be down to one thing: the dross that was served up to us pre-January... I mean QPR, Norwich, Swansea, Bolton, Blackburn, Stoke etc were a fuckin disgrace.

And let's face it, what right-minded person would want to watch that rubbish getting served up week after week? It's only been the last couple of months that we've started to resemble a side at all. I mean we couldn't keep a clean sheet for love nor money... now look at us! Unbreachable, wouldn't you say?

On a different note, I said to a lad yesterday who sits next to us, "I bet we get 1 or 2 key players injured for the semi..." Lo and behold, I got a txt early this morning saying Jelavic is out for 4 weeks with a hamstring injury. It was a classic April Fool whopper... and guess what! This dickhead bought it.

Maybe for the first time ever people feel really hopeless about the club.

We all know that we can never win the league or even qualify for the Champions League as things stand. How many times in the history of our club has that been the case? For some clubs that wouldn't matter but we see ourselves as a big club that should compete. Our history demands it.

Another thing is clearly the ownership issue and how the owners have behaved. Whether you choose to believe it or not the owners have played a long game of divide and conquer and have turned fans off in a big way.

There's even anti-bill stuff finding it's way onto Kipper these days. If your looking for the most representative fan site that's it. I'm not saying it's the best BTW.

The bond between fans and the club has been eroded by constant self serving lying and bad decision making(in the clubs so called interests). 9 interested parties being the latest.

The other thing in my view is the manner of our performances in the first half of the season. Why would you buy a season ticket knowing you'll be watching abject, lethargic shit for 3-4 months.

Moyes told us we were going to be shit before a ball was kicked... I don't think Nike will be asking him for any marketing tips for the new kit somehow.

There is a tipping point in everyone's income when a decision has to be made on where your disposable income will be spent... why would you spend it on something that you know is going to be shit, because the man responsible for providing the "entertainment" has told you,"It's going to be shit"?

I'm willing to bet a quid that Gareth Humphries {255} will be at Wembley a week on Saturday.

Times are hard, that's for sure. But look at the dross we were served up before the turn of the year. Surely that's a contributing factor. Oh by the way, do you know the mature dating site link? I'll take the one standing by the fence with the big jugs... now she would definitely get a portion... Well I can dream, can't I?

It takes time to become disillusioned.

Richard you say..

"Disillusion with Kenwright is widespread but I refuse to believe many stay away on his account. And, whilst the quality of football is percieved by some to be sub-standard, I cannot recall it being substantially better during any of our 20 years in the Premier League".

You"re probably right, it probably hasn't been substantially better.

But for many it will have TAKEN 20 years of it to have become disillusioned.

Fact is, many of 1992's optimistic, easy-to-dupe 20 year olds will have become 2012's cynical, see-it-for-what-it-is, 40 year olds.

And remember, in the first year of the PL, we hadn't just had 20 years of watching our club being turned into also-rans.

We have now.

From 2002 to 2010 I worked in Dublin and had a season ticket for 7 of those years which meant flying to every home game (I think I missed 5 home games in 7 years)

However a combination of BK, DK and Moyes Presbyterian football and in my last year I said "Enough - Fuck it" (and I was approaching 50!).

They say even a worm will turn and our drop in attendance suggests so (eventually) will supporters who feel they've been duped.

However I don"t JUST blame Everton for the drop in figures.

As each PL season passes and it occurs to supporters (of most teams) that playing in a league you can"t win is basically pointless, support has to eventually diminish across the board.

Like Gareth Humphreys 255, I've been a season ticket since the early 1980's, and therefore watched my fair share of dross, but I decided not to renew my season ticket, and for the first time ever I have not seen a game this season, apart from when I was working abroad.

Like Gareth I just got sick of being lied to, usually around the time the season ticker renewals dropped through the door. It was however a failure to build on the team of 2 seasons ago that done it for me, and I'm not acting like a teenager wanting something the folks can't afford; I wasn't expecting £20 mill here, £15 million there, just to do for a deal with Donovan for example for relatively modest outlay.

But it is, what appears is the dead arse attitude of the entire board, that makes me think- if they can't be arsed why should I be.

BTW I have been offered a semi final ticket, but I told my mate to give it to someone that's been to all or most of the games rather than me.

Eugene, spot on mate. Its the overall picture of football in general that is turning people off. As you get a bit older and more cynical, why would you want to pump money into the pockets of lazy players and slimey agents.
The reason Everton's support is so amazing is because we are the best social club in the world. We are a travelling bevviefest and its all about the camaraderie. Nobody sane could watch the shite we have served up for the last 20 years without the love, togetherness and humour that marks our magnificent following.

I was under the impression that Donavon wasnt interested in signing full time, and that his club doesnt want to sell him?

IMHO, I find it hard to believe that it is related to the standard of our football etc. We are a higher quality team and doing better than we were in the pre-Moyes era. Although we may be frustrated, we've had European football and a couple of Wembley visits at least to shout about.

Maybe the demographic has something to do with it? My understanding is that, in general, our support is largely male and average age in 40s & 50s. If you are not attracting younger supporters (or women) then there will be natural attrition as some supporters drop out each year for various reasons stated above.
I notice that the club has recently made a big effort to attract the next generation of supporters with cheap FA cup tickets, very reasonable season ticket prices for juniors. Just wondering if that is in reaction to this issue.

I was like many this season who gave up their season tickets. While I accept we're doing very well now I'm still pretty pissed off that we started off so poor and still managed to lose to Liverpool twice. Evertons support now largely consists on men in their 40s and 50s which is why the atmosphere is often so poor at Everton games now. Yes we do still have a few young fans who get to the occasional away game, but for most fans football is just too expensive. It's not just us many fans around the country are giving up going to football matches now.

I feel like others have said, it's a lot of money to get to the game now for a team that will (most probably) never Dine at the top table again. Goodison is also a dated joke. As Kenwright has been on the board and then Chairman for the last 20 years of our decline, I well and truely blame him. The man is a parasite on this once great club!

Obviously is more than one reason why the gates are down. In my opinion it could be down to

1. Crap, negative, entertainment free, safety first football - until we get near the magic 40 points threshold and then suddenly we start playing attacking football.

2. No squad strengthening for years (until this January).

3. The BK factor.

4. Lazy millionaire players strolling around like they are having a kick about in the garden.

5. ?Superstar? Referees thinking they are bigger than the players.

6. The recession where people are thinking more with their head than their hearts over how to spend hard earned money.

The situation is an ever downward spiral. With lower gate receipts then there?s less money for transfers / new contracts. With less transfers / new contracts, then good players leave and the crowds dwindle even further.

I worry that there are supporters out there who will not go to the match even if we do start playing good football from the first match of the season, solely because BK is still in charge. I understand why, but how long is BK going to keep hold of his baby? There is no pressure form the media ? who still think he?s doing a great job ? so there?s no likelihood that this will change in the immediate future.

Crap. losing football....that's why the crowds are down.

Dull and negative we can put up with so long as we are winning.

Losing football we can put up with so long as the team are committed and the football is exciting.

Dull + Losing = Diminishing crowds.

They keep telling us it is an "entertainment business".

t entertaining the punters they will vote with their feet.Well, it it ain't.

We are in a semi-final against the old enemy, just let's see how we shape up, before talking progress.
We are the team inform, but it what happens 14th April that counts.
We have had too many false dawns, over the seasons, but in the words of a Tony Bennett song,
"Maybe this Time"

This is the first season I have not bought a season ticket in 16 years and ? as much as I hate not going to the matches ? I just had to be realistic and tell myself I just could not afford to spend what little money I have at my disposal watching 22 millionaires kick a ball around for 90 minutes anymore (not that I begrudge footballers earning that amount of money).

As Gary Mortimer said in post #400 "People are thinking more with their heads than their hearts over how to spend hard earned money" and I know a few people who feel the same. My next door neighbour is originally from Stoke and he can't afford to fork out £45 for a ticket for himself, £24 for his son and then pay the petrol to drive to the Britannia every other week.

I will not go the game again till our club starts moving forward, and bill stops bullshitting, or leaves.

Richard, you refuse to believe it's this, or that, so why would you listen to what people think?

Actually, I'm being harsh. We can only go on colloquial tales, but plenty have posted on this organ to say they weren't renewing, "there used to be 20 of us and now it's 2" etc.

Whilst the economy may play a role, look at attendances around the other teams. And before you mention the likes of Notlob and Wigan, they've always had poor attendances - the former only got a 6k increase at their last home match as homage to the poor lad who almost died.

But look at Villa. Yes, and the fans are fed up with the footy and the manager.

Luckily with your idol in charge, the overall impact of the drop in matchday revenue is not so bad, as a percentage of overall income it's another "area for improvement".

Jim(342)

The Donovan deal was supposed to be do-able first time round, apparently £8mil would have boxed it. Donovan wanted the move and was even talking it up after netting 3(?) goals in the world cup.

When asked if he actually wanted to bring Donovan in Moyes response was, "Don't you think I've asked my chairman to make it happen?!"

We had already started standing still and Donovan gave us the adrenaline shot we required. He was exactly what the team needed, and in fact still does: pace, cutting edge, verve and goal threat. Failure to get him in re-sealed the stagnation.

In that summer we signed a league 2 player on a free. Stagnation became decline.

The mass exodus predicted earlier in the season was never going to happen. Too many Evertonians have been going for too long. We are in decline, but it's not rapid, it's slow and painful. ("Leeds in slow motion" as Derek Thomas describes us.)

A couple of thousand fall every season will soon see us amongst the smaller clubs. Too many alehouses are showing the game live now and if the games shit, the £35 saved on entrance fee will buy enough alcohol to numb the pain.

As Richard rightly points out, its not the same. but it's the obstructed seats that are never sold. Having made the break, many of the stay aways believe an uninterupted view and a few wallops with their mates in a warm alehouse is a much better alternative to forking out to sit behind a post freezing.

The football on show isn't helping but, if we don't solve the stadium issue and start signing some genuine crowd pullers soon, I fear the habbit will be forever kicked and the stay-aways will never come back.

Richard,
The 5 home games I attended this season up to and
including the Bolton game were collectively amongst the worst performances I've witnessed in over 50 years. Moyes always seems to pull something out of the hat and I'm delighted with the revival since then, but I've no plans to return until Kenwright sells out. I'm simply disgusted with the continual lies of this charlatan and can't see any future for our once great Club until he and his wretched Board get out.

Attendances have gone down a little this season but they have been pretty good the last few years; they maybe have started to go down now because our football up until recently has been very poor ? even the matches we did win wern't convincing as our goals for is very bad.

And don't forget youth unemployment has risen alarmingly the last few years; when I was that age, if you never went to the 42 games in the league, you was classed as a part-time blue and if you missed a cup match, you where sent to Coventry for a week.

"Is there really any hope that continued success will see the return of near 40,000 crowds or [...] is that literally just a pipe dream?"

FFS! If there's one thing that gets my goat more than an aimless hoof upfield from Jags, anyone but Baines taking free kicks around the penalty area, or another TV interview with Moyes in which he glares at the off-camera interviewer with an air of violent distrust and says absolutely nothing of interest, it's misuse of the word "literally"! It could only be "literally" a pipe dream if it was a delusory fantasy that was the result of smoking a pipe full of opium - and that is not the case.

I've wired the site so that small electric shocks will be administered to those who misuse the word in future.

Sorry, but standards is standards.
Oh yeah, and another thing: COYB!

"Hope springs eternal" ? not in the Premier League it doesn't.

Pricing out "walk up support" and having the richest club ? Manchester Utd ? plus "one other rich club" contest the title is garbage.

No disrespect to fans who do this but it appears driving 300 miles or "flying in" seems part and parcel these days which begs the question how many from our catchment will (are?) begin to do the same.

Why support a club showing little ambition and scant regard for it's heartland support when you can go elsewhere?

On another site, I read a quote from a lad's neighbour, 70+ years a blue, "There won't be another generation supporting Everton on blind faith again".

Swansea and Sunderland wins showed the difference between hope and hopelessness; anything less and more will walk away.

21st Century, record ticket prices, sitting behind pillars, piss weak economy. Its that simple.

I think the main reason is the love affair between Moyes and Kenwright, and if you look at Moyes and his rubbish comments about our great club it is no wonder people are staying away.

10 years with Moyes or any manager that wins you nothing will take a hard toll on any club.
New fresh attacking ideas are needed to go forward, a manager like Brendan Rodgers who likes to play football, and put the joy back for the fans to see.

I think the Swansea fans are very happy and proud of their team and manager, because he is an example every manager should follow.
Problem is Moyes is boring and negative, plus he no longer gives our youth a chance.

Local identity is important to fans, players like Barkley and Green are young and hungry and I think they are the key to getting the fans back to Goodison.

Looking back to pre-season and the Qpr game people were exited about Barkley , now he is almost forgotten.
Instead people have to watch players like Mcfadden and Neville occupy the bench.
I am not surprised people are voting with their feet, and as long as Moyes keeps this up it will go on.

From what I have read so far on this subject, I think there are many several reasons for the decline in attendances at Goodison over the last few seasons: the financial situation in the UK, with everyone having a lot less money in their pockets, is a real factor but I think a decline in interest generally in football ? especially the Premier League ? is another major reason.

At the start of every season, only a handful of clubs know they have any chance of winning the title (apart from the disillusioned club across the park). This has been the case for a number of years now and I think that this has finally sunk in with most supporters ? not only Everton but the rest of the clubs as well.

If you look at the Premier League table today, apart from the top five clubs, it?s a pretty tight affair from top to bottom and would make for a really exciting finish if the billionaire fat cats were not involved.

Instead of every club searching for a billionaire owner to throw endless money in to a bottom less pit, which to be honest is never going to happen for every club, why doesn?t the FA implement financial rules to bring the richer clubs in to line with the rest of the clubs? If every club was given a total amount that could be spent on players and wages per financial year, this would be a start.

Some people will no doubt say this cannot be implemented properly and monitored but if you look at the money players are earning a week (£40-100k+), you would think that there is enough money kicking around to appoint every club its own accountant paid for by the FA to monitor the clubs' spending on a weekly basis to see that the rules are not broken.

With at least some kind of equal start to the season and the fans' season not over by Christmas time, there may be a chance that attendances across the country may increase.

Kev Johnson (565) - Devastatingly ironic. You rail against the misuse of 'literally' (which irritates me too) before ending with 'standards is standards'. You need to be good to install yourself as Protector of Linguistic Standards on here!

The away fans are better anyway. The home support is like a morgue. Goodison only seems to get noisy under the lights. The home crowd are too quiet and sing the same nonsense.

Away matches are brilliant as we pump the Blues up and out sing the home crowd. We have excellent away support which is younger and more energetic.

"The football on show isn't helping"

Litotes v Understatement
Jesus wept!

Kane@731. "Standards is standards" was a deliberate mistake. I was making fun of myself for taking it all so seriously.

So, yes, ironic, but intentionally so.

Glad we've cleared that one up.

Alex @593 You can add to that the following

average players earning £50k plus a week

players regularly cheating and feigning injury

poor referees

The premiership model is slowly choking football. Football needs to go back to basics. and take a leaf out of the German Bundesliga model

For the Impulse Fan, bring back pay at the door on the day. A set charge (say) 35 quid correct money only. Or swipe and go on your debit card.