EFL Attendances – Final blog 2017-18

Well the season is all but an end barring the play offs and they don’t count for the attendances blog so here’s the final numbers.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Congratulations to Wolves and Cardiff on their promotion to the Premier League, the NFWFs have done their bit in relation to this blog with an increase of 1,060 on their away average from last season, whilst an extra 499 on average followed the Bluebirds on their travels.

Overall Leeds United are the best supported club on the road, they averaged 2,966 this season, 191 more than 2nd place Villa with the NFWFs taking third spot with an impressive 2,729, Wednesday were fourth with 2,470 despite an ambivalent season. Six clubs have averaged over 2k away from home in the second tier

Down at the other end of the table Burton Albion were the lowest travellers with 502. Reading finished 2nd bottom on 729 with the Allams ownership at Hull affecting their figures as they finished 3rd bottom and were one of just 3 Championship clubs averaging under four figures with their 921.

Onto the home averages well Aston Villa were 1st with a cracking 32,101, Leeds finished 2nd on 31,525 and Wolves in 3rd on 28,302. 13 of the 24 clubs averaged above 20k including away fans and only one club ended under five figures.

Burton obviously were the club averaging under five figures with a 4,645 average, they were joined in the bottom 3 by Brentford and Millwall.

Craven Cottage proved the most popular ground for away fans with 2,379 on average visiting West London, the newly departed Oakwell finished in 2nd place and Bolton’s Macron Stadium made up the top 3,

No ground in the Championship averaged under 1k visiting fans but it was the clubs out of the way that did attract the fewest with Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Norwich and Cardiff being your least popular trips.

Aston Villa top the net home averages but only just ahead of Leeds by 165, those two sit ahead of Wolves, 7 other clubs have a home average above 20k, Bristol City, Birmingham and Cardiff City drop out of 20k club once you remove the away numbers.

Burton obviously hold bottom spot with a home average of just over 3k which shows their efforts have been fantastic in their two years at this level, Brentford finish second bottom with the only other sub 10k home fan average, Barnsley make up the bottom three.

I’ve added the away percentage table, mileage factored and the full table below, the highlighted numbers remain estimates and would appreciate your help in clearing these.

LEAGUE ONE

Blackburn Rovers may not have won the league but they were the divisions best travellers, their return to the Championship at the first attempt boosted their away followings, ending with an impressive average of 1,937, Portsmouth were nearly 400 further back and Bradford ended 3rd, six League One clubs averaged above 1k.

At the opposite end of the table it came as no surprise that Fleetwood had the fewest travelling fans with MK Dons second bottom and Bury 3rd.

Bradford City’s pricing has proven to be a success once again as the Bantams have the best home support in the 3rd tier with jut under 20k, Portsmouth again in 2nd with Blackburn in 3rd, two other clubs had five figure averages, Charlton and Plymouth.

Lancashire quartet Fleetwood, Bury, Rochdale and Blackpool were the lowest supported clubs in League One.

League One waves goodbye to it’s most popular stadium as MK Dons got relegated, Stadium:MK attracted 1,245 visiting supporters on average, The Valley was second most popular and with nearly 8k away fans attending the Keepmoat in the final two games Doncaster was third.

Kingsmeadow was the least visited with just over 500 attendees per game, with outliers plymouth, Bristol Rovers and Gillingham making up the proverbial relegation zone.

Onto net home fans well it’s as you were in the top three with Charlton Athletic being the only other club to have over 10k home fans on average. The other end of the table once again remains the same as the total home averages.

The away percentage table and full table sit below and as with the Championship table any help clearing the highlighted numbers would be gratefully received.

LEAGUE TWO

In the lowest tier of the EFL it’s Luton Town who take the plaudits for away numbers, their 4.5k following at Notts County on the final day saw them leap frog Coventry and Lincoln as the best travellers with an impressive 1,391 average, The Imps averaged 1,278 to Coventry’s 1,267.

Crawley Town were the lowest travellers in the EFL with 122, Morecambe’s 748 at the Ricoh on the Survival Saturday bumped their average up by 29 and to second bottom, Forest Green finished 3rd bottom.

Coventry’s first top six finish in over 40 years helped the club rise to the top of the home averages in the division with 9,255, Lincoln take 2nd spot on their return to league football with Luton 3rd.

Morecambe were the lowest supported club in the EFL with an average 1,500, Accrington Stanley defied their gates of 1,979 to secure the division title with Barnet 3rd on 2,113.

Meadow Lane proved most popular for away fans in the 4th tier, on four occasions the club accommodated over 4k visiting fans, the Ricoh Arena of Coventry was 2nd most visited with Chesterfield 3rd, the latter no doubt helped by knowing you’d come home with the points.

If you’re a fan of Exeter, Carlisle or Newport well far play cos it seems no bugger wanted to visit your grounds, to be fair all three are long trips for most clubs in the league.

Net home averages remain as you were for total home average with Coventry top followed by Lincoln and Luton.  The bottom 3 also remain the same though Accrington jump above Barnet into 3rd lowest.

The away percentage table and full table sit below and as with the Championship table any help clearing the highlighted numbers would be gratefully received.

Finally I include the full 72 home averages and away averages to show where your team ranked in the Football League.

 

Thank you for reading and all your comments.

Until the next time, enjoy, have a great summer.

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EFL Attendances – Part 5

Evening folks, well we’ve an International break coming up in The Championship so this seems the ideal point to drag the blog up to date, every Championship side bar Cardiff have played 19 away games, the Bluebirds recent game at Derby was called off due to inclement weather and the 2,700 or so following expected will be much lower for the re-arranged fixture.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Leeds still lead the away averages with an impressive 2,963 with Aston Villa closely behind on 2,934, NFWF* move ahead of Wednesday into 3rd on 2,662. Down at the bottom of the table Burton Albion average 478 with Reading on 699 and QPR in the ‘relegation zone’ on 901.

Aston Villa lead the way in the home attendances stakes, they have overtaken Leeds with Wolves making up the top 3. Burton again prop up the table but shows how well they’ve managed to do given they average nearly 5,500 fewer than the team 2nd bottom in this table, Brentford, Milwall are the other club in the bottom three of home attendances.

Craven Cottage has overtaken Oakwell as the divisions most popular away day, seems that a trip to the smoke is more popular than a sesh with the Dingles.  The three least visited are the ones you’d expect, travelling to Norwich, Ipswich and Middlesbrough are as appealing as a dose of the clap.

Whilst Villa Park is the most populated stadium overall in the EFL it is actually Elland Road which attracts the most home supporters with an average of 30,364 Leeds scum attending each game, Villa are second and the NFWF* take 3rd place.  Unsuprisingly Burton sit bottom of this table with an average of just 3,182, that is just 217 more than Leeds average AWAY, Brentford and Milwall complete the bottom 3. Ten clubs in this league average over 23k home fans per game which is superb for the 2nd tier, a gap of 4k seperates Forest in 10th to Bristol City in 11th mind.

I’ve added the away percentage table, mileage factored and the full table below, the highlighted numbers remain estimates and would appreciate your help in clearing these.

 

*NFWF = Newly Found Wolves Fans

LEAGUE ONE

Blackburn Rovers top the league table and the away fans one with an impressive 1,828, Pompey are second with 1,625 with the Millers of Rotherham 3rd on an average of 1,122, Bradford City make up the top four, these are the only club with a four figure away average. Down at the other end unsurprisingly is Fleetwood with Walsall, Franchise FC and Rochdalle the other three inside the bottom 4.

Bradford City average just under 20,000, yes their pricing is a factor but that is stil good going for the 3rd tier, Pompey sit 2nd on 17,843 a good way ahead of Blackburn Rovers who make up the top 3. It’s an all Lancashire affair at the opposite end with Fleetwood, Rochdale, Bury and Blackpool in the ‘relegation spots’.

Stadium:MK remains most popular for away fans in League One, The Valley takes second spot with Ewood Park and the raft of local derbies in 3rd, the local factor is evident even more so when you see that places 4-8 are all Lancashire clubs.  Trips to the Scilly Isles and Calais seem off put putting for the folks of League One with Plymouth, Bristol Rovers, Gillingham and Sarfend the least visited.

The away percentage table and full table sit below and as with the Championship table any help clearing the highlighted numbers would be gratefully received.

LEAGUE TWO

Luton Town may have squandered their place at the top of the real table but the Hatters have taken over the away fans table, they leapfrogged Lincoln City and Coventry who drop to 2nd and 3rd respectively.  Morecambe, and their sub 100 away average anchor the division with Crawley and Forest Green Rovers in the bottom 3, Accrington have moved 2 places up to the heady heights of 5th bottom.

The Ricoh Arena, home of London Wasps and their tenants Coventry City boasts the highest average in the 3rd tier, the 28k community day shifted the Sky Blues from 4th best, Lincoln drop to 2nd with Luton in 3rd. North west duo Morecambe and Accrington are joined by Barnet in the bottom 3.

The second 4k+ following of the season at Meadow Lane has seen the average number of visitors to County increase to 885, next comes the Ricoh with an average of 750 and Barnets the Hive sits 3rd most visited. The ‘long old pokes’ to Exeter, Carlisle and Newport are the least visited.

Kenilworth Road lays claim to the most home fans in the division with an average of 8,083, Lincoln sit in 2nd, the only other 4th tier team with a home fan average above 8k whilst the aforementioned Coventry community day has seen the Sky Blues move to 3rd in this particular table. Down at the bottom it’s the usual suspects of Morecambe, Barnet and Accrington, this table shows what a great job John Coleman and Stanley are doing to succeed on such gates.

As with the other leagues I have attached the away percentage table and the full table any help clearing the highlighted numbers would be gratefully received.

Finally I have prepared the full tables for the EFL showing where your club sits in both terms of home support and away support.

 

 

Well this is the penultimate blog of the season, i’ll be back once we complete the 46 games.

Until the next time, enjoy.

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EFL away attendances part 4

After a two month sabbatical it’s time for another update on this blog

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Well all bar Bolton have played 15 away games so far this season so the figures are now showing even more consistency.

Leeds still lead the way at the top of the away charts, 2,964 is their away average so far over 200 per game more than Villa at this point, Wednesday sit in 3rd but high flying Wolves who’s fans have escaped the woodwork look to close the gap and should finish above the Owls given their respective seasons. Down at the bottom of the table there’s no surprise to see Burton propping up the table but seeing Reading and QPR just below Hull City is a bit odd.

Leeds, obviously, lead the top of the home figures with Villa again being the bridesmaids but it’s those glory hunters from WV3 who are now in third, all clubs gain support with a bit of success but the Molineux ‘faithful’ have come out in droves. Burton once again prop up the table, not surprising given they had 2,750 or so there for a recent game with Reading, seeing Preston in the bottom 4 is a shock given the season they’ve had.

Oakwell is the most popular destination for away fans with over 2,400 on average making the trip to watch their team take on the Reds, Fulhams Craven Cottage is also a popular choice however trips to the Riverside and Carrow Road don’t hold the sway.

In terms of net home fans well you can guess the top 2, but sitting in third, and rather commendably given their season is Sunderland followed by Wolves, Sheffield Utd and Derby.

I’ve added the away percentage table, mileage factored and the full table below, the highlighted numbers remain estimates and would appreciate your help in clearing these.

 

LEAGUE ONE

Blackburn Rovers, who had just gone 18 games unbeaten in the division, sit top of the away averages with an impressive 1,898, yes they do have plenty of local games to boost their numbers but they took a healthy 1,226 to Plymouth at the weekend. Portsmouth are second and their 1,417 average will soar after the weekend with over 5k making the trip to MK, Bradford make up the top three with Rotherham the only other member of the 1k club. Down at the bottom it’s no surprise to see Fleetwood holding the table up though seeing Walsall and Gillingham below MK is a little nauseating.

Bradford lead the way in home attendances with a near 20k average, Pompey are the only other club coming close then it’s the best of the rest, strangely the Blackburn public don’t seem to have been galvanised by their team so much as yet with a 11,661 average. The usual suspects of Fleetwood and Rochdale are the lowest supported clubs in the division.

Bloomfield Road, a trip to the seaside, seems to be most popular with the League One away mobs with Stadium:MK sitting in 2nd place whilst a trip to the smoke to visit the Valley is third most popular. Travelling to Malvinas (Plymouth) is least popular with trips to Wimbledon and Southend the other unpopular trips.

Onto net home fans and Bradford City once again lead the way with over 19k home fans in on average per game, Pompey in second with Blackburn and Charlton 3rd/4th respectively. Rochdales Spotland stadium is the ground which attracts the fewest home fans with just over 2,500 on average, Fleetwood sit just above them and Blackpool fans protest at the Oystons sees the 3rd bottom.

The away percentage table and full table sit below and as with the Championship table any help clearing the highlighted numbers would be gratefully received.

LEAGUE TWO

Lincoln City lead the way in the away fans table in League Two with a 1,110 average, the Imps are just above Coventry City with Luton Town sitting in third. Down at the bottom of the table it’s Morecambe with 93 on average, Crawley on 109 then Accrington Stanley on 164.

Lincolns return to the Football League has had an impressive impact on the City and the fans are still filling out Sincil Bank, they top the home averages from Luton, Notts County moved into 3rd after their 17k gate v Crewe at the weekend. Coventry have decided to not be outdone so when they play Accrington Stanley in a few weeks they have given away thousands of free tickets in the hope of getting a “record League 2 crowd”.  The North West provides the two lowest supported clubs in Morecambe and Accrington.

Hooters in Nottingham is always a popular spot for away fans and it seems to have tipped the “most popular away trip in the division” in County’s favour ahead of the Ricoh, Barnets Hive must be buzzing to be sit 3rd in this table. Trips to deep Devon and South Wales are the most unpopular ahead of a trip to south Scotland.

Luton Town top the net home fans table, the Hatters average 2 more per game than Lincoln City with Notts County in 3rd and Coventry City in 4th. The two North West clubs of Accrington and Morecambe remain the lowest supported with Barnet 3rd bottom.

The away percentage table and full table sit below and as with the Championship table any help clearing the highlighted numbers would be gratefully received.

I’ve also done the full tables for the EFL showing where your club sits in both terms of home support and away support.

 

Well that completes the figures and hopefully for some fellow geeks quenches their thirst for knowledge.

Until the next time, enjoy.

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Terms and Conditions : Permission is granted to you to view the Site Materials on a single personal computer or other device and to print a single hard copy of such Site Materials solely for personal, non-commercial use. Access to some Site Materials may be subject to payment and acceptance of further terms and conditions by you. Any other use of materials on this Site, including (amongst others) download, reproduction, modification, transmission, distribution, extraction, commercial exploitation or republication, without the prior written permission of the author, is strictly prohibited and You agree not to, nor assist any person to, carry out such acts.

EFL Attendances – Part 3

Well it has been a few weeks since our last update and once again we have to rely on estimates as clubs at all levels seem reticent to release numbers but are happy to use this site for their own self promotion.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Wednesday have relinquished their position of top spot in the EFL away fan averages despite impressive recent followings at both Ipswich and Reading, the Owls now average 2,998 and sit in 2nd, averaging 43 more than Villa, Leeds lead the way, unsurprisingly, with an average of 3.154.

There is a big gap between 3rd and the rest but Wolves look likely to bridge it given their imperious form in the league and the woodshavings appearing around the WV postcode.

Burton Albion prop up the table with an average under 500, not that surprising given the clubs position and size, its neighbours however being QPR is a shock, being below Reading should frighten anyone.

Leeds United top the home averages with 32,200, the only club above the 30k, nine other clubs are above 25k and Birmingham the other club above 20k, which given their league record this season remains very good. Bristol City and Cardiff’s league success has seen their attendances rise towards the coveted 20k.

The city of Sheffield shows that its claim of being the birthplace of football holds weight with the city averaging nearly 53k across its two clubs, Birmingham is just below with 50.5k across their two clubs.

Barnsley’s Oakwell is the most popular ground for away fans ahead of Craven Cottage, Readings pricing policy has reaped dividends as they sit in 3rd most popular, most clubs taking advantage of the £20 ticket pricing. Norwich City’s Carrow Road is the least visited, not helped by its location, this could apply to the rest of the bottom three in this table as it is Boro and Ipswich.

Elland Road has the most home supporters in the EFL with an average of just over 31k per game, hugely impressive.  Down at the bottom end of the table Burton are surviving on an average of just over 3.1k per week, slightly more than Leeds average away.

The rest of the tables for this division are included below if any of you could find out actuals as opposed to estimates, the ones marked yellow on the full table I’d be grateful.

 

 

LEAGUE ONE

Blackburn Rovers set the pace in the division, the former Premier League champions have benefited from local trips to Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Blackpool and Wigan already so they sit with an average 2,180. Rovers closest ‘rivals’ to the largest average crown are Bradford City who have 1,262 average and Pompey with 1,224. Three other League One clubs surpass the 1k, Rotherham, Wigan and Oxford, the former also hold the highest away following so far this season with 3,879 taken to their trip to Doncaster Rovers.

No surprises that Fleetwood prop up the table with 2nd bottom being Franchise FC, you can move a club and steal a league place but you cannot create a big away following.

Bradford City are the best supported home club in League One, Portsmouth sit in second position with 17,711 with only Charlton and Blackburn the other clubs surpassing 10k.

Fleetwood once again prop up the table with Rochdale just above them, surprisingly Walsall sit 3rd bottom.

It’s North West duo Blackpool and Wigan who are proving most popular for League One travellers this season with Oldham and Bury featuring highly as well, the local derby factor certainly showing its head here. Doncaster Rovers and Stadium MK also remain popular with over 1k averages at both.

Plymouth’s proximity to France and South America seems to be putting a lot of people off with an average of 364 visiting Home Park.

Bradford City’s Valley Parade is getting the most net home fans in, just over 19k on average, Fratton Park sits in second with an average of just under 17k, Blackburn and Charlton are the only clubs averaging over 10k home fans.

Rochdale are the lowest supported club in the league, their proximity to Manchester no doubt a factor, one that affects several clubs across the levels, they sit below Fleetwood.

The rest of the tables are included below and as above any help to fill in the estimates would be gratefully received.

LEAGUE TWO

Coventry City replace Lincoln City at the top of the League Two averages but the gap is just 8, the Sky Blues on 1,194 and the Imps on 1,186, Luton Town are the only other club with a 4 figure average in the 4th tier.

Morecambe are the country’s lowest travellers with an average of 110.

The same trio that top the away averages are the top three for home attendances albeit in a slightly different order, the Imps lead the way with an average of just over 9k, Luton Town in second and Coventry in 3rd.

Morecambe and Accrington have the two lowest home averages in the EFL.

Sincil Bank and The Ricoh are the most visited stadiums in the division, they both average 737 but actually 6 more people have visited Lincolnshire over the 10 games than have made the trip to the home of London Wasps. Nottingham remains popular for away fans, no doubt Hooters having a bit of an influence.

Rodney Parade in deepest South Wales is the least visited stadium in League Two with just 218 on average, Cumbria isn’t much more popular with an average of 234 away fans at Brunton Park.

Lincoln, Luton and Coventry, that magical trio that top most of the tables in this section of the blog are here again in the net home section, Lincoln City lead the way with 8,266 home fans average.

Down at the bottom it is Morecambe and Accrington but both keep their averages in the figure bracket.

The other accompanying tables are included below, any help with the estimates on this would be gratefully received.

I have added the Full EFL standings so whether you are flying high in the Championship or in League Two you can see how your team ranks across the 72 in terms of away support or your clubs home attendances.

 

 

 

 

Until the next time, enjoy.

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Terms and Conditions : Permission is granted to you to view the Site Materials on a single personal computer or other device and to print a single hard copy of such Site Materials solely for personal, non-commercial use. Access to some Site Materials may be subject to payment and acceptance of further terms and conditions by you. Any other use of materials on this Site, including (amongst others) download, reproduction, modification, transmission, distribution, extraction, commercial exploitation or republication, without the prior written permission of the author, is strictly prohibited and You agree not to, nor assist any person to, carry out such acts.

Football League attendances blog – Part two

 

Afternoon folks,

Had a few requests to update the figures I add to this blog so here we go.

Championship

Wednesday’s near 4,800 following at Bolton saw them leapfrog Aston Villa to top the away fan averages in the Football League, Leeds sit in third but no doubt they will rise to the top given their nation wide fanbase. Three clubs average over 3k with another five clubs surpassing 2k. The smallest club in the division, Burton, are bottom of the averages with QPR a surprising 2nd bottom.

Leeds top the home averages and the net home averages, the former all the more impressive given Elland Road is the least visited stadium by away supporters with an average of 564 fans in the West Stand visitors section. The Macron remains the most popular with away fans with Barnsley’s Oakwell Stadium in second place, surprisingly the inanely dull Madejski Stadium in third place.

The table unfortunately contains estimates and I would appreciate your help filling in the blank or rather the estimates highlighted in yellow in the table below.

Here is what the away table would look like if you factored in Mileage travelled.

League One

In the division below Blackburn Rovers top the away averages, the former Premier League Champions average an impressive 2,118, boosted no doubt by the little trips to Oldham and Rochdale but still very good, they rank 8th in the Football League. Portsmouth, Oxford and Bradford all average above 1k, down towards the bottom it’s Fleetwood propping up the table with MK Dons showing why they aren’t a proper club with a lowly away average compared to their home followings.

Bradford City are top of the home averages with an impressive 20,206 with only Pompey and Blackburn above 5 figures, former PL clubs Charlton and Wigan cut sorry figures with sub 10k averages, the former no doubt partly down to their ongoing dispute with their owners.

Stadium:MK remains the most popular ground with away fans, god knows why, Plymouth on the other hand is the least visited, given it’s location the 347 average is pretty decent and hats off to all that have made that trip.

As with the division above I have a few estimates and once again would appreciate your help with this.

League Two

The Imps of Lincoln are top of the pile at this point in time, their impressive following of 4,140 at Notts County being a major factor as well as the feel good factor surrounding Sincil Bank at present, their current average would see them ranked 17 out of 72. Coventry and Luton also break the 1k barrier. Morecambe are the smallest travellers in the Football League with an average of 72.

Impressively Lincoln also top the home averages, The Cowley brothers have really captured the imagination of the Lincoln faithful, Luton Town are second in the table. The The Ricoh Arena, home to Coventry City is beginning to look sparse, the average of 7,795 is just under 25% of the capacity of the stadium and shows what poor ownership can do to a proud club.

Meadow Lane is the most popular ground for away fans in League Two with Barnet a surprising second, Carlisle United is the least visited with an average following of 218 in Cumbria.

There are a few estimates on the table so any help filling in would be appreciated.

Until the next time, enjoy.

Terms and Conditions : Permission is granted to you to view the Site Materials on a single personal computer or other device and to print a single hard copy of such Site Materials solely for personal, non-commercial use. Access to some Site Materials may be subject to payment and acceptance of further terms and conditions by you. Any other use of materials on this Site, including (amongst others) download, reproduction, modification, transmission, distribution, extraction, commercial exploitation or republication, without the prior written permission of the author, is strictly prohibited and You agree not to, nor assist any person to, carry out such acts.

The attendances – 17/18

Well I’ve been banned from the website where I’d usually post these so I’m resurrecting my WordPress account so all you stat geeks can remain ITK, I would appreciate the link being used rather than actual tables being posted as the work is my own and remains so, thanks.

Interestingly this year has been a little more difficult in getting the figures off clubs including Wednesday but we persevere.

In the Championship Aston Villa lead the away attendances with an average of just under 4k, Wednesday lay in second place boosted by the 5.5k opening day following at Preston.

Leeds impressive start to season sees them top the home attendances charts whilst Villa sit second, Wolves and Forest have seen a big upsurge in their numbers so far too. A full breakdown is available below.

The above figures include the following estimates, any help getting actual figures would be gratefully received.

 

Onto League One where it’s Blackburn, Wigan and Portsmouth leading the way in the away chart, Rovers following of 3,200+ to Spotland at the weekend moved them to an average of 2,253 which is 700 higher than their nearest rivals,

Bradford City top the home averages with an impressive 20k+ in the Engligh third tier, Portsmouth are in second place.

The tables are below.

These include the following estimates.

And League Two….

Grimsby top the away averages, their impressive opening away day following at Chesterfield sees them above former top flight clubs Luton and Coventry City, Lincoln City sit in fourth with an average of 973 following their return to the Football League.

Coventry top the home averages though the sub 7k crowd in their last home game must be pretty worrying for the loyal Sky Blue fans, impressively Lincoln City are in second place with a near 8,600 average, the Cowley brothers have certainly grabbed the attention of the Sincil Bank faithful and brought a feel good factor back.

The tables are below.

 

They include 3 estimates, Exeter at Swindon (850), Cheltenham at Morecambe (200) and Luton at Barnet (2,200) so any help getting this correct would be fantastic.

Until the next update, enjoy

 

My Hirst footballing hero

Wednesday fans of certain age will call David Eric Hirst their favourite player of all time and I’d be one of em.

I’m mid thirties and Hirsty signed for us around the time I was first taken to Hillsborough so his career and my formative years as a Wednesday fan were intertwined.

I’ll be honest I don’t recall too much from games prior to 1988 so the goal v Manchester United in 87 which is still raved about isn’t in my memory bank.

The first goal the boy wonder netted that stood out for me was the winner v Villa in September 88, he swiveled home from three yards to net a 1-0 win, the 1 armed salute to his family or friends in the old south stand was his sort of trademark celebration back then, one I copied on the school playground time and again.

That awful season, saved only by the appointment of Ron Atkinson, saw Hirsty net some vital goals including belters like the third up at St James’ when he cut in and arrowed home into the stanchion which even the Geordie faithful applauded despite it all but condemning them to the drop (see video below), not to mention the outrageous volley down at Luton when a cross hit him and landed perfectly to smash home from around 25 yards out, on their old plastic pitch. However my personal favourite came in front of the Kop as he intercepted a back pass and toe poked it home before sliding on his knees to his adoring public.

The 89/90 was one of despair for the club as we endured a heartbreaking final day relegation, many Wednesdayites will wax lyrical about the performances of Dalian Atkinson that season but it was Hirsty who ended up top scorer and flourished under the management of Big Ron, he even had a short spell on the other side of the fence as he replaced Kevin Pressman in goal, he kept a clean sheet as we won 2-0, not to mention scoring our first. I’ve mentioned before on here about games I attended as a kid and one was away to Blackburn in the FA Cup, a belated 8th birthday present, the away end at Ewood back then made the Kop look like paradise and i remember another Hirsty special as he beat several players with a jinking run before lashing home, sadly I cannot find the video for it.

The drop seemed to inspire the 22 year old striker as he smashed in four goals in our opening home game v Hull and perhaps scored his best Wednesday goal when he turned David Mail on the halfway line before sprinting full flight towards the Kop and lashing home, that goal completed his hat-trick. Hirsty would go on to accrue 30-odd goals in all competitions as he helped fire Wednesday back into the top division at the first attempt and secure the League Cup. Some of the goals that stand out for me were his second at Leicester, when he beat Mike Hooper from around 35 yards, the team goal v Portsmouth and the curling effort to open the scoring at home to Bristol City as we secured promotion.

Hirsty and the top flight seemed to fit like a hand in a glove as he scored 20 in 37 despite Big Ron leaving us for Villa, Trevor Francis took over as manager and Hirst continued to flourish. Atkinson’s return to Hillsborough saw Hirst score one of the best goals I’ve seen, he cut in from the right wing before rifling the ball over Nigel Spink from around 30 yards into the top left corner.

Over the course of the campaign he and Paul Williams continued to impress as a partnership. In a home victory over Man City he scored a similar goal to the aforementioned Hull one as he turned Michel Vonk on the halfway line before beating Tony Coton off the post. Other stand outs in the goal laden season were a bullet header v Manchester United, a stunning volley v Palace, a free kick at Old Trafford and a composed finish at Spurs in a 2-0 win. His goals helped the Owls into 3rd place in the country and a return to European football not to mention an England cap or three for Hirsty.

It’s safe to say the 92/93 was the final decent one for both the Owls and Hirsty as following this he was struck down by injuries, Hirst would net 16 in 33 appearances which included a goal away in Germany in the UEFA Cup and the equaliser in the FA Cup final, arguably the career highlight of the Cudworth lad. That goal at Wembley was memorable but his give and go with Chris Waddle which ended with a left foot finish past Alan Kelly at Bramall Lane was my personal highlight. The season promised so much for the club with two cup finals and for Hirsty but a cynical ploy to stop him by opposing defenders which included booting him from pillar to post, Steve Bould (C**t), was the perfect example as he broke his ankle at Highbury, did I mention he was a C**t?, these type of actions coupled with Hirst seemingly rushed back took its toll.

The comedown from the loss of both domestic Cup finals was evident the following season and for Hirsty it was a nightmare as he was restricted to just 10 appearances and two goals. 94/95 wasn’t any better for both club and player as The Owls finished 13th and Hirst made just 17 appearances scoring three times, the club also dispensed of manager Trevor Francis.

David Pleat was the man brought into replace Francis , it seemed like we had the old Hirsty back as he managed 13 goals in 29 games, 11 of those were at his beloved Hillsborough, his final goal of a topsy turvy season was his 100th League goal for the club in a 5-2 home defeat to Everton.

We didn’t know it but the 1996/97 season would be the last full season Hirsty would spend at the club, he was used more as a substitute by Pleat and made 28 appearances as the workman like side finished 7th in the table. Fittingly he scored his final goal for the club with a bullet header at Hillsborough at home to Leeds United in March 1997, 10 years and 8 months after his first. His most telling contribution of the season however was a brace in a 3-2 win at the Dell as we recovered from a 2-0 defecit at the break.

October 1997 saw the end of a love affair between the club and player as Southampton paid £2m for the lad we’d paid 90% of that for and who’d repaid it 128 times.

Hirst would score one more goal in a game involving Wednesday, barely seven weeks after leaving, he and another ex Owl Carlton Palmer fired the Saints into a 2-1 lead down at the Dell before Ron Atkinson’s men turned things around to earn a 3-2 win.

The following summer David suffered an injury in pre-season and missed all but 2 games of the 1998/99 season and finally called time on a career that could have been so much more but delivered a lot to so many.

Over the years there’s been many interesting anecdotes flying around about our hero, he’s a great host at Hirstys nights and has you in tears of laughter at times.

When speaking to him you can tell there’s some regrets, the £4m move to Manchester United that never materialised, the different lifestyles of then and now, that’s not to suggest Hirsty was owt but professional but he like many other players of era enjoyed a pint. Was he overused by the club when injured and rushed back? Only Hirsty could get 10k inside the ground for us for a reserve game on his comeback trail.

You only have to read a couple of the Ex-Pros autobiographies, they cite Hirsty as one of their most difficult opponents and Stuart Pearce himself recalls a game where he and Hirsty kick the living shite out of each other for 90 minutes, nowadays both would have been sent off but back then they just got on with it then had a pint after. He had  it all, pace, power, left foot, headers and even goals with the wrong peg.

Almost 19 years after leaving the club there’s a new Hirst in town, today George Hirst signed a 2 year professional contract with the Owls, so a whole new generation could be treated to the ‘Number 9 Hirst’ on the scoreboard, though there’s no pressure young un.

Thanks for the memories David!

If you get a bit of time, enjoy this https://youtu.be/wZAlqTJx5tM

Dare to dream

16 years ago in May I wandered round the pitch at Hillsborough wondering where my club would be going next, barring the 2nd tier of English football for the first time in 9 years, we had overpaid players underperforming and an interim manager.

Despite beating Leicester 4-0 on that day we had been relegated five days previously after surrendering a 3-1 lead at Highbury in the final 15 minutes of the game, wandering around Hillsborough I never for one minute thought we’d spend 16 year long outside the top division, it’s 16 years and counting at present and is our longest spell away from the elite in our history.

The trials and tribulations of following this club, my club, our club are what makes us stronger, since that day in May we’ve had some tough tough times, trips to the high court, two bottom half finishes in the third tier and some of the most pathetic players to ever grace those famous blue and whit stripes. We have had fans being sued to former Chairmen, former shareholders pratting about in France whilst winding up petitions are on the agenda, we had fans groups split apart, we’ve had chancers look to buy our club and we’ve seen our cross city neighbours go up to the top flight, it makes grim reading when put like that doesn’t it?

However that isn’t to say there’s not been any bright spots in the last 16 years, that 2004/05 season gave us one of the best days of being a Wednesday fans when over 42k of us headed to Cardiff for a League One play-off final which saw us back into the 2nd tier thanks to a controversial penalty and a couple of extra time goals.

Fast forward 7 years and after a return to the 3rd tier we got back out of it again in our second season down there, however this was just a little bit more special, our neighbours across the city had managed to turn themselves from a Premier League club to a 3rd division club inside 4 years and were in there with us. What you cannot script is how the season unfolded, a 1-0 home win for us February over the Blades gave us belief that automatic promotion was still in reach but the Blades still sat 2 points in front with 2 games in hand, not to mention us sacking Gary Megson in the week that followed the derby.

Milan Mandaric, the man who had ‘saved’ the club in 2010 from the high court vultures, made that decision and brought in Dave Jones, that move proved inspired as we picked up an incredible 33 points from 39 on offer, it was that run of form that not only saw us claw the Blades back but actually overhaul on the penultimate weekend of the season which set up a final day ‘shootout’.

Wycombe were the visitors to S6 on the final day and the Blades travelled to Exeter, we only had to match their results as we had moved 1 point clear, the visitors had already been relegated back to the 3rd division and had nothing to play for but pride. Over 37,500 Wednesday fans packed inside Hillsborough and the grand old stadium was rocking, none more so than when “Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh T” flashed up on the score board, that was a cue that Exeter were winning, Alan Gow scoring on 24 minutes, within 60 seconds the celebrations were cranked up as Michail Antonio broke through and lifted the ball into the Wycombe goal, the roof was taken off every stand. In the second half Nile Ranger headed home a Chris Lines cross to make the game safe and promotion was just a final whistle away. As the seconds ticked down on the season fans headed towards the front ready to run on the pitch and the pitch was enveloped by Wednesdayites when referee Webster called time on our stint in League One leading to some of the most iconic Wednesday pictures that inhabit the web to this day.

Just to add, the Berties bottled the play-offs as usual and remain in the 3rd tier.

Fast forward 4 years to now and we are pushing our way back towards the big time and in 8 games time we could be facing the biggest shootout in football, the Championship playoffs, the £100 million game that is the final.

When the season began in August I wanted top ten, we had a generally unknown manager in charge and a new squad but somehow, thanks to canny management, astute signings and down right hard work from the Chairman down to the tea lady we find ourselves in 6th place and ensconced in the play off shake up.

The next few weeks are going to be nervy and exciting, there will be disappointment along the way but if we stick together as a club, as a fanbase I believe we can do it, we can end 16 years of misery, sixteen years of being told we are not famous anymore and sixteen years of pottering around the likes of Hartlepool, Chesterfield and Grimsby!

In Carlos we trust!

 

 

 

 

 

The Wednesday way

I’ve recently turned 35 and when you are approaching the big 4 0 you tend to be far more philosophical over things although blind panic does sometimes set in.

I cast my mind back to the first time I can really remember watching Wednesday, I’d been to loads of games prior to this game but this one remains vivid, Liverpool at Hillsborough in January 1989, a few months before that fateful day and a few days before my 8th birthday.

Previously my great uncle, and I mean great in every sense of the word, or my grandad were the ones taking me to games but this one was different, my dad was the one in charge. The build up to the match began about 12:30 when I was picked up, had my ‘Celtic’ style away kit on which I’d got at Christmas. Pre match ritual for him was a quick pint or three so we stomped off to the Old Blue Ball, now that was a proper boozer and its current guise makes a mockery of the how good pubs were back then.

A couple of rounds of pop and crisps for yours truly and it was off to S6, it was 2:15 when we edged up to our spot on the left side of Kop, I’d been in plenty of times before but this one felt or even smelled different to previous trips to a place I go to religiously to this day.

The away end was as full as I’d seen and the home stands weren’t too far off overflowing or so it seemed, a quick look up says only 31k there, we were playing the Champions at home although the two clubs were miles apart on the pitch, Wednesday under Eustace facing relegation, Dalglish led Liverpool chasing the title once more.

Wednesday began playing the ‘wrong’ way, kicking towards our Kop in our awful pin striped kit but it seemed to throw the Scousers as we raced into a two goal lead thanks to goals from Imre Varadi and Mark Proctor, Mike Hooper in his pulled up shorts look all at sea, and a bit of a prat with his bright ginger hair.

Now I’ve titled this article, The Wednesday Way so you know what’s coming don’t you? We were 2-0 up at the break and we managed to chuck it away, not all of it but Steve Nicol grabbed on back with a thunderbolt before that great goalscorer John Aldridge climbed off the bench to restore parity, from then on it was one way traffic but roared on by a vociferous Kop and being defensively resolute we held out for a point.

That’s my first real memory of the Wednesday Way, finding adversity from the point of victory. Over the next 27 years I’d argue there’s been many more of these situations but those are the things that make us stronger aren’t they?

Now we fast forward to the present day, a run of five games without a win, three of those without a goal but last night we more than earned a point at The AMEX by all accounts and thanks to a late late goal by Stephen Dobbie for Bolton against Ipswich we retained our berth in the top six for now.

Build on that, kick on and come mid May we may see Hillsborough full to the rafters once more as we sit three games away from ending our exile from the country’s top table at football.

After posting this I was asked by a friend of mine from the Wycombe area what our record was like in the 90/91 promotion season for letting two goal leads slip, I seem to remember the following Millwall away (2-4), Notts County at home, in the away kit, (2-2), Wolves at home on Boxing Day (2-2) and Oldham away on the final day (2-3), Wolves away rings a bell too.

In the words of George Michael ‘you gotta have the faith’

Championship Attendances

So every team has played ten away games and here are the figures for the every club.

Leeds lead the way on the road with over 35k attending their fixtures to date, Derby and Middlesbrough occupy positions 2 and 3.

Unsurprisingly MK Dons prop up the table but rather surprisingly Cardiff City sit just above them.

When it comes to home attendances it’s high flying Derby County who lead the way with an impressive average of over 29k, Brighton are 2nd and Leeds 3rd, Middlesbrough average over 22k which given the size of the town is very good.

Craven Cottage is the ground most visited by away fans with nearly 29k making the trip to West London, Stadium:MK is 2nd in that table, it is a new ground for several clubs hence the popularity. Preston is a surprising 3rd. Down at the bottom end of the table it’s the 3 grounds at the arse ends of the Earth with Cardiff, Ipswich and Boro.

Derby have the best home support as already stated and their net home support is 28,083, nearly 8,500 more than Wednesday who sit 5th in this table.

Looking at the % of home fans taken away it’s again Leeds leading the way but in 2nd place is Brentford, boosted no doubt by their near 5k following at Fulham on Saturday.

One table that is often overlooked is the mileage factored away table, clubs like Boro, Brighton, Cardiff, Bristol City seem to have a lot further to travel so here’s a weighted average.

And finally here is the full table.

Please note that Forest at Wolves and Fulham at Forest remain estimated.

Enjoy

Reesh