Phil Gartside and the Premier League 2

[jonny72]

I was wondering where we'd end up if they organised it based on the size of the club, ie attendances.

How many would we get on average if we were in the Premier League and our capacity was say 40k?

Bolton get 22k on average, I reckon we'd beat that - 25k easy.

[flammableBen]

Doing an epic attendance average over however many years would be an interesting league table, although not really a meaningful one.

I did work out fairly recently that our average league finish since the 4 tier football league was put in place is the equivalent of 4th in league one.

[Dazzza]

I smell some nest feathering here.  Interesting that this scheme has been announced (again) not long after Bolton’s benefactor Eddie Davies recently giving the club his very own “vote of confidence” by pledging to continue financially supporting the club for the foreseeable future.. 

Much like everyone else this year “Steady Eddie” and his company Strix are tightening their belts and I wonder just how much financial backing the club will get from him over the next 12 months prompting to start looking at life a bit further down the league.

I can’t see it happening but even so I’d like to know what they are proposing to do with the rest of the Championship clubs that don’t make the grade.  Surely there are far too many to re-distribute the displaced clubs down the existing league structure, which require the introduction of a new “Championship” or a new 3rd tier in the league pyramid, which would we be included in or would we be relegated to the 4th tier?

[Ardiles]

Bolton get 22k on average, I reckon we'd beat that - 25k easy.

I very much doubt that.  It would take years of sustained success to build a fan base of that size.

Our first ever home game in the top flight (admittedly a mid week game vs Oldham) attracted a crowd of 11,970...which is in the same region as the attendance being predicted by some for the game this weekend.

[Colin Todd]

I very much doubt that.  It would take years of sustained success to build a fan base of that size.

Our first ever home game in the top flight (admittedly a mid week game vs Oldham) attracted a crowd of 11,970...which is in the same region as the attendance being predicted by some for the game this weekend.

Exactly. Our capacity was bigger then as well - 18k.

[Arriba]

getting to the prem would = a few years of sustained success as we are in div 3.reading have shown what can be done.we could be a club very simliar to them in size and fan base

[Ardiles]

I'd agree with that too.  Reading have had 10 years of almost uninterrupted success.  It would be very interesting to see what would happen if the same were to happen in Swindon.  I hope we all get the chance to find out.

[suttonred]

Seems like this was a non story.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8006934.stm

[jonny72]

I very much doubt that.  It would take years of sustained success to build a fan base of that size.

Our first ever home game in the top flight (admittedly a mid week game vs Oldham) attracted a crowd of 11,970...which is in the same region as the attendance being predicted by some for the game this weekend.

But the Premier League is totally different to what it was 15 years ago, the quality of players and clubs has increased dramatically and attendances have improved across the board. Whilst the fan base might not increase, I reckon there'd be a lot more people buying season tickets to see the opponents rather than Swindon.

I reckon we'd average 12,000 in the Championship.

[Spencer_White]

But the Premier League is totally different to what it was 15 years ago, the quality of players and clubs has increased dramatically and attendances have improved across the board. Whilst the fan base might not increase, I reckon there'd be a lot more people buying season tickets to see the opponents rather than Swindon.

I reckon we'd average 12,000 in the Championship.

I dont. We were top of it after 3 months in 1997 and were getting about 8,000 home fans.

As for the influx of people comming to watch other clubs, Hallelujah. Cant wait.

[jonny72]

I dont. We were top of it after 3 months in 1997 and were getting about 8,000 home fans.

As for the influx of people comming to watch other clubs, Hallelujah. Cant wait.

Attendances have increased though and 12,000 would still leave us as one of the worst supported clubs, have a look a the lowest average attendances for The Championship this season:

Preston North End = 13206
Barnsley = 12958
Burnley = 12762
Doncaster Rovers = 11960
Plymouth Argyle = 11286
Blackpool = 7777

[Spencer_White]

We'd be one of the worst supported clubs then.

I have to do a double take at Doncaster getting 12,000. But it wont last.

[chalkies_shorts]

I very much doubt that.  It would take years of sustained success to build a fan base of that size.

Our first ever home game in the top flight (admittedly a mid week game vs Oldham) attracted a crowd of 11,970...which is in the same region as the attendance being predicted by some for the game this weekend.

Ardiles, if there were actually 11,970 in the ground that night then I'm Twiggy. We were under declaring crowds for years and were doling so in the Prem. We weren't even subtle about this - there was certainly a few seasons where the supporters were openly taking the piss when the crowds were announced.
We'll be lucky to get 10k v Rovers.
If we were in the Championship we would be one of the worst supported clubs.
As for Gartsides' idea, he's a greedy cunt advocating more money for a bunch of greedy cunts with zero thugoht for the fans - so its got a good chance of going ahead then.

[Bogus Dave]

Bolton are hoping to jump on the gravey train whilst they are at the station. It will more than likely happen at some point or other, or at least something very similar- i cannnot blame mister whippet botherer for causing a scene

[JOHNNY REEVES]

when we were in the premiership football wasn,t so fashionable no team was averaging the sort of numbers they do nowadays.