Lundan Cabbie":9c80r8gu said:
So what we're really saying is, it would be nice to know how many were actually there. Do clubs actually know though? What figure should they announce? The number of tickets actuated? Well that wouldn't be totally accurate. There are still many ways that you can enter a stadium by just showing your ticket. Maybe the count through the turnstiles? Is that accurate? Not every access point has a turnstile.
Who should they count? If a match attracts greater media attention, should those attending on business be included? How about the directors box guests from the opposition? The youth team watching from the stand?
There are so many variables from club to club to produce a figure that is pretty meaningless to the clubs themselves. Total ticket sales is an across the board, easy to compile and for the clubs, a meaningful total.
The word "attendance" is the real problem because it is a traditional term that comes from a time when logistics were different.
All those scenarios you've posed would surely result in the official attendance being lower than how many people were actually there.
So how do you think they've got a figure of 7500 when there were barely 5000 there?
Ade the Green's suggestion seems the most plausible to me.