Inside football with Rob Tanner: Where have all the fans gone?

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Friday, August 27, 2010
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This is Leicestershire

"The first home games of a new season generate massive excitement among football fans as hopes are renewed and spirits refreshed. The regenerative qualities of football normally mean that the opening home games in any club's season are watched by big crowds, as expectations are high.

"However, there has been a different trend this season.

Gates throughout the Football League were noticeably down over the first two weekends of the new campaign and the 21,587 that turned out to watch City take on Middlesbrough was the third lowest on the opening day for City since they moved to the Walkers Stadium.''

Why do you think attendances are down this season? Post your comment here or e-mail sportsdesk@leicestermercury.co.uk

For full story, see Leicester Mercury.

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  • Profile image for This is Leicestershire

    by LCFC1976, Derby

    Saturday, August 28 2010, 8:11AM

    “Not sure what all the fuss is about, I'm not happy with the ticket prices but did you complain when we pain Matty and Muzzy triple the current wages.
    Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea don't struggle with support, untl FIFA put a cap on wages we will continue with the silly prices.

    As for Milan we've not been happy for years, we can't trust him and never have/will.

    Paulo wants to play football and after watching the borough game I thought it showed good promise, Rome wasn't built in day or 3 weeks in this case.

    Seats are down because of the summer break, it's the same every August.

    Come on you blues”

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    by kiwikeith, Wanganui New Zealand.

    Saturday, August 28 2010, 4:12AM

    “The Club is running a business and has to balance the books. To of set wages.

    I would hate to think what it is at Leicester City. Right down from the Chairman to the ladies that wash the Shirts and the Birch.

    To run that business Leicester City have to play attractive footy and win there fare share of games to stay up.

    The owners want a return on their investment.

    So ticket prices have to be set to meet that criteria.

    So unless you have woken up early, and got yourself a season ticket. Then I'm afraid you will be paying top dollar.

    I don't really know why the village idiot keeps banging away at ticket prices because he is to lazy to get of his big fat lard arce and go to watch a game.

    Up the City and down the prices.”

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    by Nav Sandhu, Leicester, UK

    Friday, August 27 2010, 9:48PM

    “i am against foreign ownership in english football so wont be giving a penny to the new owners. Also, Englands failure at the world cup, due to a lack of a talent pool, highlights the failure of football in this country.”

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    by nick, birstall

    Friday, August 27 2010, 6:34PM

    “its not just a problem with leicester its starting to affect all clubs at the higher levels. Football is a victim of its own success and this has just rolled up and up with sky tv and the premier league allowing the top players to demand obscene wages. how can any player be worth £200k per week!!! this scales down the further you go but still has a big effect at our level and the running costs of the club are huge and if we want to sign better players will be even higher and so to balance the books the club has to try and get as much out of al of us as possible.
    Hopefully the bubble will soon burst and sky ,en masse foreign players etc move on and we will get our game back because long gone are the days when you paid £1.50 to get into pen 2!!!!”

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    by Peter, Cambridge. Massachusetts

    Friday, August 27 2010, 6:11PM

    “Could be:
    Expense.
    Football fatigue after World Cup.
    It is still Summer and time to be with the family.”

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    by patrick, Germany

    Friday, August 27 2010, 4:51PM

    “Life is expensive today and all types of entertainment too. Not been to the Cinema lately Mr Leicester ? Having a season ticket guarantees the same seat and access to tickets for Cup Ties etc etc. To call it a rip-off when the club tries to fill the stadium with special offers is a bit rich. What should we do, keep people out who want to take advantage of offers ? Never buy bargains do you ? Everything has increased over the years and given that the gate alone cannot finance this or any other club these offers are legitimate.”

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    by Ken, Wigston

    Friday, August 27 2010, 4:34PM

    “I hear people saying it's to expensive these days to go to football matches. If you've got a couple of children who are football mad it can be a real strain on the pocket. People also compare wages of a pro footballer, modest pay like City players earn more in three weeks than an working man can make in a year, and lets face it sometimes you see some players out there that are not worth that sort of pay, if the ordinary working man put in many shifts not doing his job to his best, he would be looking for another job, some players not just in City colors but all teams seem to be in the team week in week out, and when you've spent a lot of money going to the match, you do feel a little robbed. Lets hope here at Leicester we can see a team that has quality, and produce some good performances, we won't mind then, not so much anyway. Good luck to all”

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    by Fred, Leicester

    Friday, August 27 2010, 4:11PM

    “Why are fans now compaining about ticket prices were sky high last year.
    Only when fans vote with their feet will anything happen.
    Sub 16,000 tomorrow anyone?”

  • Profile image for This is Leicestershire

    by Jordi, Leicester

    Friday, August 27 2010, 3:51PM

    “The club don't care about the fans.

    I have sent several emails over the last year about different issues and never got a reply. The previous 2 were about this issue.

    33 quid for adults and 18 quid for under 18s for a match against MIDDLESBROUGH is ludicrous. Those prices would be ridiculous for a game against Man Utd, let alone MIDDLESBROUGH.

    Nigel Pearson brought new found belief among Leicester fans. Then he left, and NO ONE explained why. We deserve to know.

    Your changing the stadium name to the 'King Power Stadium'. How can Leicester fans relate to that? King Power has been related to Leicester CIty for about a week! Now they're naming the stadium after them?

    And to some it up - now the club is trying to destroy the Fosse Boys - some young lads who are just trying to show their support for their team. Then they listen to 22 numpties who clearly don't care about the success of the club.

    Overall it's very clear that the fans are the ABSOLUTE LAST priority from the clubs point of view.”

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    by Dave, Kettering

    Friday, August 27 2010, 3:50PM

    “Prices and a club which is alienating its supporters. This is combined with the vanishing Pearson, a misfiring start to the season and some pretty insipid signings.

    The takeover is a joke and leaves no sense of confidence, from fans or the League. Mandaric wants away to Portsmouth, Campbell to Blackpool and my kids would prefer the cinema.

    If I didn't have a season ticket I'd not be going either.

    The fans who attend aren't valued unless they are big spenders - heaven forbid you try to support the team in a traditional style!”

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