Who Turned Up To See Ipswich?

Football attendances have slowly decreased across the country following the aftermath of an international recession that has seen people cut back on their spending.

This is certainly the case at Ipswich Town. When Ipswich hosted Derby County three days ago in a crucial Championship encounter that pitted two of the division’s in-form teams against one another, only 17,572 people bothered to turn up.

Granted the game was an evening kick-off on a cold Tuesday night, but declining attendances has become a sad reality at Portman Road of late. The fact we lost the game 2-0 obviously did not make the effort and cost worthwhile.

Our bitter rivals up in Norfolk are constantly harping on about their attendances. The fact of the matter is, they have something to shout about. Norwich City are almost guaranteed a full house every time the team plays at Carrow Road. Their stadium capacity is 26,034 and they boast an average of 24,721, giving them the third highest average in the division.

So what is the reason for Ipswich’s declining attendances? This question could be answered several ways:

Firstly, our ticket prices are set very high. In fact, our most expensive tickets are the fourth highest in professional English football, higher than the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool.

This obviously has an adverse effect on our attendance, which averages at 19,957 people. This is disappointing because our stadium capacity is 30,300, one of the biggest grounds in the division.

Another reason could be our style of football. Ipswich Town have traditionally been seen as an attacking, fluid footballing side that entertains its fans. Under Roy Keane we have sacrificed this approach for a more direct style of football which includes time-wasting to retain leads. It could be argued that this tactical approach is utilised across contemporary football. However a majority of fans have been concerned about this drastic change.

Has it been getting results? Whilst Ipswich sit an impressive seventh in the table, Portman Road is not exactly become a fortress. In the league, we have played seven home games, winning four of them, drawing one and losing three. Whilst the Championship is a very unpredictable league, we have once again lacked consistency necessary to achieve promotion.

So how can we reverse this slump in attendances?  The answer certainly comes down to one major factor, the ticket prices. What the club charges to watch Ipswich is nothing short of criminal. The lowest ticket price for an adult to match an Ipswich game is £25, and that’s with pre-booking. The most expensive is £53.

As fans we have to ask whether it is worth that money watching our club. Personally I think it is ridiculous. To finish, here are Derby fans celebrating their goals, just have a game of spot the empty seats.