The figure of 9,196 also happens to be City's worst home crowd for a league match since returning to second-flight football for the 2003/04 campaign. The previous worst was the crowd of 9,256 that turned out to see Watford just last month - August 12 to be exact. That crowd marked the end of City's string of 47 consecutive league matches drawing at least 10,000 fans. (Those 47 games covered the entire 23-game home card for both the 2003/04 and 2004/05 seasons and the home opener this season against Leeds. The closest City came to going under 10,000 in either of the last two years was this past March 19 when the Crewe game drew 10,007.)
City have drawn 45,185 for their first four at home, an average of 11,296. Last year the club drew 50,263 for their first four, an average of 12,566.
We're looking at a drop of 10.1% at the gate, then, compared to this point in the season last year. You could argue, too, that this season's offered a marginally more attractive slate. Last year you had Coventry, Plymouth, Stoke, and Watford while this season Leeds, Watford, Wolves, and Leicester have been first into Ninian Park. Also, only one of the first four were played on a Saturday afternoon last year whereas this season we've had two.
Last season saw a 16.7% drop in attendance at league matches, from a 2003/04 average of 15,569 to a 2004/05 figure of 12,976. In the division, only Leeds and Leicester had bigger declines last year.
Are we headed for further declines or might last night's crowd of 9,196 represent a bottoming out with better turnouts now to come?
John Heyda