Home Park attendance after Phase 1

[Mark Pedlar]

Could someone list the number of games where we've had crowds of more than 16,000 over the last 10 seasons.

You mean in 10 seasons of utter free fall most of which has been spent in the bottom division?
A moronic question loaded to give an answer that you want that legitimises a backward thinking club (no other word for reducing capacity)
OK by your reckoning let's reduce the capacity to the average attendance over the last 10 years... 8000 should cover it?
Or how about another question, how many crowds if over 16,000 have Argyle had over their history?

Almost as moronic as arguing the difference between 17,500 and 17,902.

Do it over the last 20 or 30 if you like.

 

[Argy1e]

Could someone list the number of games where we've had crowds of more than 16,000 over the last 10 seasons.

I think it’s more important to focus on the future than the past. This club is year on year progressing, at this rate we will be in the championship within 2 seasons. I believe our attendance averaged around 16,500 last time, I imagine it will be higher now. The concern is surely the lack of capacity going forward in the higher leagues, rather than what we’ve done for the last ten years.

IF that happens the plans for phase two are in place to extend it further.

 

[Ham Green]

Could someone list the number of games where we've had crowds of more than 16,000 over the last 10 seasons.

The answer is two, and on both of those occasions (Newcastle and Liverpool in the FA Cup) we had those extra seats, so it's not a very useful measure. A better question might be "on how many occasions in the last 10 years have we been above 90% capacity?"

But this opening is more common than the Sicilian Defence so we can already see the next few moves.

"We don't need a large capacity because we seldom ever use it."

"That's not the point! We might not be using it now but shouldn't we be ambitious? Build it and they will come?"

"We've had large capacities in the past, it didn't make a difference, the Plymouth public is notably fickle and a small number of fans in a large stadium is embarrassing."

"But that's the past! If we aim low then aren't we just giving weight to the opinion that we're small fish and not worth supporting? How are we supposed to attract investment with such a small hemmed-in stadium?"

"Why do we want investment? Brent's doing a great job on a tight budget. We don't need a large capacity because we seldom ever use it."

There, I've laid out the usual circular nature of the debate. The challenge (should y'all choose to accept it) is to break the cycle and say something new.

 

[DartPilgrim]

Could someone list the number of games where we've had crowds of more than 16,000 over the last 10 seasons.

I think it’s more important to focus on the future than the past. This club is year on year progressing, at this rate we will be in the championship within 2 seasons. I believe our attendance averaged around 16,500 last time, I imagine it will be higher now. The concern is surely the lack of capacity going forward in the higher leagues, rather than what we’ve done for the last ten years.

We had six seasons in the championship , our average attendances during those seasons and finishing positions according to GoS , were 2004/05 16,419 , 17th ;2005/06 13,776 , 14th ; 2006/07 13,011 , 11th ; 2007/08 13,000 , 10th ; 2008/09 , 11,533 , 21st ; 2009/10 10314 , 23rd . So we had 1 season of over 16,000 average attendance , our first in the division , then despite 3 years of improved positions our average dropped by 3,419 . It would appear that our ground at the time had a bigger capacity than was needed for most of our 138 home games during that period , and to be fair if our capacity after phase 1 is completed stands at 17,500 , that too would have been enough for most of those games .

 

[Keepitgreen]

Could someone list the number of games where we've had crowds of more than 16,000 over the last 10 seasons.

I think it’s more important to focus on the future than the past. This club is year on year progressing, at this rate we will be in the championship within 2 seasons. I believe our attendance averaged around 16,500 last time, I imagine it will be higher now. The concern is surely the lack of capacity going forward in the higher leagues, rather than what we’ve done for the last ten years.

We had 6 years in the Championship; 2004 - 2010.

The first season we averaged 16,419. After that it was downhill all the way;

13,776
13,011
13,000
11,533
10,314

So the novelty soon wore off.

On what basis do you think it'll be higher? I wish I had your confidence. I would love to see the ground packed out week in week out.

 

[Neilz]

Could someone list the number of games where we've had crowds of more than 16,000 over the last 10 seasons.

I think it’s more important to focus on the future than the past. This club is year on year progressing, at this rate we will be in the championship within 2 seasons. I believe our attendance averaged around 16,500 last time, I imagine it will be higher now. The concern is surely the lack of capacity going forward in the higher leagues, rather than what we’ve done for the last ten years.

We had 6 years in the Championship; 2004 - 2010.

The first season we averaged 16,419. After that it was downhill all the way;

13,776
13,011
13,000
11,533
10,314

So the novelty soon wore off.

On what basis do you think it'll be higher? I wish I had your confidence. I would love to see the ground packed out week in week out.

The year on year progress is what makes me feel it will be higher. Momentum and the feel good factor is contagious, I also believe football as whole has become more popular since our first visit, the championship itself is now full of ex premiership clubs, the away followings alone could boost the averages higher.
It’s about what is possible not what we have done before, reach for the stars and you might just land on the moon!

 

[up the line]

Could someone list the number of games where we've had crowds of more than 16,000 over the last 10 seasons.

You mean in 10 seasons of utter free fall most of which has been spent in the bottom division?
A moronic question loaded to give an answer that you want that legitimises a backward thinking club (no other word for reducing capacity)
OK by your reckoning let's reduce the capacity to the average attendance over the last 10 years... 8000 should cover it?
Or how about another question, how many crowds if over 16,000 have Argyle had over their history?

Almost as moronic as arguing the difference between 17,500 and 17,902.

Do it over the last 20 or 30 if you like.

The average over the last 10 years is just over 8000. Why not reduce capacity even more? Maybe demolish the Devonport End and whack up a lazer quest or a pasty museum?

 

[JannerinCardiff]

Could someone list the numbeI’d like to know what plans we have to fill in the corners ?

In the current plans we have changing rooms and a control room in the corners. This appears short sighted and I’m starting to doubt whether the corners were ever planned to be filled in. r of games where we've had crowds of more than 16,000 over the last 10 seasons.

I think it’s more important to focus on the future than the past. This club is year on year progressing, at this rate we will be in the championship within 2 seasons. I believe our attendance averaged around 16,500 last time, I imagine it will be higher now. The concern is surely the lack of capacity going forward in the higher leagues, rather than what we’ve done for the last ten years.

Spot on. Totally agree.

 

[Gary Wills]

The fickle comment comes up. The region being permanently less interested than other regions in sitting watching pro football, that could kind of make sense based on the level of pro football ever frequently available and the alternative entertainment options that exist long term. But just being a less predictable crowd than other regions have, that's difficult to fathom.

And if crowd size is a pretty crisp reflection of an entertainment business's success, the inability of the club in memory to convincingly predict crowd size is a strong indicator of poor attention to detail isn't it. The fact the club puts a data analyst in a team photo, all 21st century-like, yet that resource doesn't seem pushed onto manipulating or sourcing the 'remote' customer data needed for trying to understand its most basic business requirement of what gets folk in the door, some irony there. To tell what's the difference, some measurable variables, between a 8,000 match and a 15,000 match. Because there would be political and financial data analysts who might perform that task in a cinch.

 

[northroadwest1]

Also take on to consideration the standard of football under Pulis and then Sturtock. It drove people away!

 

[Neilz]

There is no doubt some of the attacking play last season was some of the best I’ve seen at home park in a long time, not only that but the teams ability to change shape and formation to suit through varies stages of the game is something to behold. People would pay to see that, the word spreads, it will not be long if we carry on like we are to have 20,000 plus in the championship.

 

[PL2 3DQ]

Towards the end of last season in April Home Park was filled to 52% of capacity, which was ranked 11th in League One.

Link

 

[JannerinCardiff]

I think if we were playing in the championship on Sat and had a decent season we could beat the average we had in our 1st season last time we were in the championship. We have a bigger fan base and play more attractive football now compared to when we were in L1 just before we made it to the championship.

The thing is there would be some big games in the championship (should we make it) where I’m sure we could get OVER our predicted capacity (after the grandstand refurb), which would bring the average up.

I’d be interested in finding out what our best attendance was in our first season in the championship.

 

[SWTT]

Towards the end of last season in April Home Park was filled to 52% of capacity, which was ranked 11th in League One.

Link

Our capacity was over 20,000 last season?

 

[up the line]

I think if we were playing in the championship on Sat and had a decent season we could beat the average we had in our 1st season last time we were in the championship. We have a bigger fan base and play more attractive football now compared to when we were in L1 just before we made it to the championship.

The thing is there would be some big games in the championship (should we make it) where I’m sure we could get OVER our predicted capacity (after the grandstand refurb), which would bring the average up.

I’d be interested in finding out what our best attendance was in our first season in the championship.

20,555 v Leeds.
In fact there were 10 home crowds above 16000 that season
After segregation is accounted for, even if we do go up I doubt we'll ever see 16000 inside Home Park again