The perfect recipe for increased crowds? Not when the team in question
is Coventry City.
A summer of off-field arguments (which I don't intend to go back over
here) saw the club hierarchy make the decision to play home games at
Northampton's Sixfields ground, 35 miles away from Coventry.
At a stroke, last season's average attendance of 10,949 has been reduced
to 2,026 as a significant number of supporters stay away, either because they
are boycotting games officially or are unable or unwilling to make the journey.
Season ticket prices were reduced to take into account the inconvenience
involved but in effect the prices could have been set high or low and the
numbers sold would not have altered much as only a hardcore of people had
decided to buy.
Full disclosure from the author as a season ticket holder (on and off)
over the past 30 years and continuously since the 1993/94 season. I'm not
boycotting Sixfields completely and have been a couple of times but a season
ticket was never on the agenda even if it had been £100.
Sunday's game against Sheffield United was accompanied by a ticket offer
for season ticket holders which allowed them to bring a friend to the game for
the equivalent matchday cost of their season ticket (as little as £8 for
adults). An exciting 3-2 win, however, was watched by 2,078 of which 966 were
visiting supporters. Ok this particular game was live on television but even if
the Sky Blues continue their unlikely climb up the League One table after being
deducted 10 points, those figures are unlikely to rise by much.
As an aside, the Blades are offering their season ticket holders the
chance to bring a friend for free to this Saturday's game against Port Vale.
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