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Wanderers Ways. Neil Thompson 1961-2021

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M G WHITES

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3 or 4 years ago we were getting an average of 24 to 25 thousand home fans every game but eventually

the prices forced them out as they were not getting value for money. They have since reduced the prices a little and have atleast tried with the free away travel , 15 pound matches, fanzone etc but watching football is a routine and people have now lost the habit and most would rather watch the game in the pub. The credit crunch doesnt help, i wouldnt mind going against Wigan but the prices really make you think twice.

I think what has driven the decrease has more to do with the fact that the novelty of being in the PL has worn off. When we started getting those crowds regularly I was impressed, but doubted it would be maintained. After all, when we last got relegated and were trying to get back up I reckoned we had 12-14k hardcore of fans. If that's now 17-19k then that's a 5k increase, or 40% or so, which aint bad. And the 40% hardcore increase over that 10 years is all the more impressive when you go back a further 10 years, we talking 4-5k hardcore. So that's a 400% increase!

the key for the club now is to:

(i) stop the slump and make sure we've bottomed out now attendance wise

(ii) keep new blood coming in through getting kids in or enticing some of the stay-aways back more often

(iii) keep away attendances as high as possible, and the free travel is working on that front.

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I've said this before but in my opinion the smoking ban has affected crowds all over the country, I can't sit through a game without a cig, I still love Bolton but I watch local football and smoke about 12 every game. I reckon there are a couple thousand people like me, missing from grounds everywhere.

 

I can't get into the atmosphere of a Wanderers home match since I had to leave the Burnden Paddock for the all-seater Reebok.

But I'm still at the games ......

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And I wasn't trying to say smoking is a good thing, but I and 14million other people in this country smoke (you can recognise us we're the ones standing outside empty pubs in the pouring rain and freezing cold) and surely there are many of these people who are football fans. I personally started supporting Bolton in 1960 when I was 10 and never missed a home game until the ban came in 2007. I think some provision for smokers should have been made.

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And I wasn't trying to say smoking is a good thing, but I and 14million other people in this country smoke (you can recognise us we're the ones standing outside empty pubs in the pouring rain and freezing cold) and surely there are many of these people who are football fans. I personally started supporting Bolton in 1960 when I was 10 and never missed a home game until the ban came in 2007. I think some provision for smokers should have been made.

Seriously, Ted, has the smoking ban stopped you attending matches?

 

It's only 90 minutes & you'll extend your life by a bit by not smoking.

 

smoking over football; strange world!

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