Attendance Stats – by Pajustka

Thanks to Pajustka for another breakdown of attendances in League Two

Its’ approaching half way stage of the 2017/18 EFL Division 2 season and with the Imps having a ten day break, I have taken the opportunity to review attendances in the league so far this season.

Every team has now played 20 games, with all except Crewe Alexandra and Newport County playing an equal number home and away. The discrepancy coming following The Exiles request to play their first three games away whilst the Rodney Parade pitch was re-laid.

In total, 240 games have now been played in the league, drawing a total aggregate attendance of 1,030,166, equating to an average gate of 4,292 per game. The biggest gate being on Saturday 7th October at Meadow Lane when 13,672 saw Rob Milsoms’ 96th minute equaliser for Notts County against Forest Green Rovers.

There are two further fixtures attracting an attendance of over 10,000 fans, both of these also involving Notts County, away at Coventry on the opening day of the season (10,350) and at home to the Imps on 23rd September (11,672).

Six games attracted gates over 9,000 fans, four of these at Sincil Bank (Chesterfield 9485, Coventry 9581, Luton 9332 and Mansfield 9563) with the other two at Kenilworth Road (Coventry 9670 and Stevenage 9208). So the Imps best gate against Coventry is only the fifth largest so far this season.

The poorest gate of the games played this season was on Tuesday 21st November when on a cold night only 927 people we at The Globe Arena to see Perry Ng score the only goal for Crewe in their away win at Morecambe. Second worst attendance is also at the same stadium where only 1,189 fans saw The Shrimps 2-1 victory over Newport County on a wet Tuesday night (16th September). Additionally there were a total of 13 games attracting less than 1500 spectators, six of these played at Morecambe, five at Accrington Stanley and one each at Barnet and Crawley.

The Imps remain top of the overall attendance table with 137,254 fans having watched their 20 matches, an average of 6863 per game. I doubt few will be surprised the see the names of the teams close behind, but it is interesting to note that both Mansfield and Grimsby are mid-table. Of course at this point of the season many teams have yet to play either local derbies or the better supported clubs at home, games that should improve their average gate.

For home games the Imps again, unsurprisingly, come out top of the table for aggregate gate with 86,089 fans attending Sincil Bank, equating to an average attendance of 8,609 per game, reflecting the solid Season Ticket sales achieved. Again the ‘big teams’ Notts County, Coventry and Luton follow in the table with Notts County, Coventry and Luton also achieving average gates in excess of 7,000, with only Swindon and Chesterfield also surpassing a 5,000 average home gate.

I suspect that it will be Coventry who pose the greatest threat to the Imps raining at the top of the home supporters table as they still have some very well supported clubs to visit the Ricoh Arena, including the Imps, and Luton.

At the bottom of the table for home games are Morecambe and Accrington Stanley, with the Shrimpers’ generating an aggregate of 14,094 fans for their ten matches (average gate only 1,409). As already mentioned they currently hold the record for the lowest gate (927) with eight of the other nine games attracting below 2,000 spectators. The other match being a local derby against Accrington Stanley when 2,059 watched on Saturday 2nd September. There is hope for improvement as four of the top six better-supported teams have still to visit the Globe Arena. Having said that only 1,354 watched their goalless draw with Luton on Tuesday 26th September.

Stanley, themselves are not doing much better with an aggregate of 16,995 (average 1699), with five games attracting gates below 2,000 and their highest was 2,828 for the visit of Coventry City on 14th October.

It will also be noted at the bottom of the table there are three teams from just outside London – Crawley, Barnet & Stevenage. Whilst Barnet have had two games with gates above 3,000 the other two have only had one, Stevenage’ being their 9th September visit of the Imps.
I suspect the draw of clubs from higher divisions in London and Lancashire, especially the Premiership ones, being the reason these five teams are at the bottom of the table. For the three ‘London’ teams there are also a further ten ‘local’ clubs in a very competitive National League around the Capital.

Away from home a total of 51,165 fans have watched the Imps on their travels with the biggest gate being 11,627 for their 23rd September visit to Meadow Lane. The smallest was 1,187 at the New Lawn. However they only sit third in the table behind Coventry City and Chesterfield.
Coventry Have however already visited four of the other five best-supported home clubs with only Meadow Lane to go to. 55,831 people have watched their matches, with their highest away gate was on 28th October when 9,670 watched their 3-0 victory at Kenilworth Road.

Likewise Chesterfield have also visited four out of the five best home supported teams, a visit to the Ricoh Arena scheduled for News Years Day being the exception. Their best away gate was at Sincil Bank on 7th October when 9,485 saw the Imps beat then 2-1.

Looking at the away attendances, it is surprising to see that Cambridge United are at the top, with an aggregate of 34,478 watching, 5,746 per game. However the six games include visits to Lincoln City, Luton Town and Notts County, so no doubt they will slip down the table as the season progresses.

Surprisingly Forest Green Rovers sit seventh in the table with an aggregate of 46,184 watching their ten games. However three of these matches account for 23,939 (51.84%) of these spectators – Chesterfield (4,302), Coventry (6,366) and Notts County 13,627. Consequently I expect them to drop down the table as the season progresses.

At the bottom of the table is Accrington Stanley, with only 34,687 fans watching their ten away games. They have however only visited two of the top six best-supported clubs, Chesterfield and Notts County, their best 6,067 against the latter on Friday 25th August.

Surprisingly second from bottom are Grimsby Town! Only 35,717 have watched their away games, however examining their fixture list reveals that of the top six best home supported clubs they have so far only travelled to Chesterfield on the opening day of the season when 7,925 fans saw them win.

Looking at best away attendances, the Imps have, so far, recorded the best gate at four grounds they have visited (Crewe, Grimsby Stevenage and Wycombe) compared to three by Swindon, and two each by Chesterfield Coventry and Notts County. Luton have not yet set a best visiting gate despite only travelling to Sincil Bank out of the better supported home teams.

Although the above provides good and interesting reading, everything will change as big matches and local derbies are played. Some teams will improve and others decline either increasing or decreasing the clubs attendances. So will the smallest gate be uncut on a cold winter night? Or will the biggest gate be bettered, potential by the Imps on the last day of the season as it comes to a climax? Now there‘s a challenge for the travelling Imps fans!

Pajustka