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View Full Version : Are Sell Out Crowds A Thing Of The Past?



Bobo
07-10-2013, 04:19 PM
Billed as the 1973-74 Championship decider Hibs faced Celtic in a league encounter in front of a crowd of 48,554 sadly losing the match 2-4. Seven days later 23,149 spectators watched as Hibs took their frustration out on Rangers by beating them 3-1 in the league. Then the following weekend Dundee shared a 3-3 Scottish Cup draw before a crowd of 28,236 so, within 14 days, Easter Road had hosted a little short of 100,000 spectators for just 3 games!

Sadly, now-a-days, these crowd sizes can never be repeated but it goes to show what having an entertaining & successful team on the park can do for attendances.

Today's team may be a long way short of ever emulating the flair of the Tornadoes but if they could capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the support, by consistently producing decent performances and results, does anyone think our attendances could ever threaten the current stadium capacity on a regular basis, given present ticket prices and TV coverage, or are sold out matches gone forever and a thing of the past?

The Falcon
07-10-2013, 04:23 PM
Avg attendance for the season was just over 14k

(away to firhill where the attendance will be nowhere near that)


Billed as the 1973-74 Championship decider Hibs faced Celtic in a league encounter in front of a crowd of 48,554 sadly losing the match 2-4. Seven days later 23,149 spectators watched as Hibs took their frustration out on Rangers by beating them 3-1 in the league. Then the following weekend Dundee shared a 3-3 Scottish Cup draw before a crowd of 28,236 so, within 14 days, Easter Road had hosted a little short of 100,000 spectators for just 3 games!

Sadly, now-a-days, these crowd sizes can never be repeated but it goes to show what having an entertaining & successful team on the park can do for attendances.

Today's team may be a long way short of ever emulating the flair of the Tornadoes but if they could capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the support, by consistently producing decent performances and results, does anyone think our attendances could ever threaten the current stadium capacity on a regular basis, given present ticket prices and TV coverage, or are sold out matches gone forever and a thing of the past?

cwilliamson85
07-10-2013, 04:26 PM
Billed as the 1973-74 Championship decider Hibs faced Celtic in a league encounter in front of a crowd of 48,554 sadly losing the match 2-4. Seven days later 23,149 spectators watched as Hibs took their frustration out on Rangers by beating them 3-1 in the league. Then the following weekend Dundee shared a 3-3 Scottish Cup draw before a crowd of 28,236 so, within 14 days, Easter Road had hosted a little short of 100,000 spectators for just 3 games!

Sadly, now-a-days, these crowd sizes can never be repeated but it goes to show what having an entertaining & successful team on the park can do for attendances.

Today's team may be a long way short of ever emulating the flair of the Tornadoes but if they could capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the support, by consistently producing decent performances and results, does anyone think our attendances could ever threaten the current stadium capacity on a regular basis, given present ticket prices and TV coverage, or are sold out matches gone forever and a thing of the past?

How many of these or any other games where on TV?

The mutual fan that would go along to ER (any other ground) to see a live game does not have to leave their armchair nowadays to see the best players in the world from around Europe / the world.

JeMeSouviens
07-10-2013, 04:40 PM
Billed as the 1973-74 Championship decider Hibs faced Celtic in a league encounter in front of a crowd of 48,554 sadly losing the match 2-4. Seven days later 23,149 spectators watched as Hibs took their frustration out on Rangers by beating them 3-1 in the league. Then the following weekend Dundee shared a 3-3 Scottish Cup draw before a crowd of 28,236 so, within 14 days, Easter Road had hosted a little short of 100,000 spectators for just 3 games!

Sadly, now-a-days, these crowd sizes can never be repeated but it goes to show what having an entertaining & successful team on the park can do for attendances.

Today's team may be a long way short of ever emulating the flair of the Tornadoes but if they could capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the support, by consistently producing decent performances and results, does anyone think our attendances could ever threaten the current stadium capacity on a regular basis, given present ticket prices and TV coverage, or are sold out matches gone forever and a thing of the past?

Sadly, Hibs last chance to market to a large number of the sort of people we'd need to attract was Malmo! :boo hoo:

Gub the Yams in the cup tie and we could get a big crowd for the Ne'erday match, possibly even threaten the rebuilt ER's attendance record, especially if it doesn't make it onto the telly. (Assuming they're still around.)

HUTCHYHIBBY
07-10-2013, 04:45 PM
ER is too big for what people are expected to put up with on the pitch. A few sell outs in a row at the old ER mightve justified making the stadium bigger, unfortunately the board made the ground bigger before the product on the park justified such a move.

Bobo
07-10-2013, 04:45 PM
How many of these or any other games where on TV?

The mutual fan that would go along to ER (any other ground) to see a live game does not have to leave their armchair nowadays to see the best players in the world from around Europe / the world.

As far as I remember none of the games we're live on TV.

I agree, TV coverage has definitely had a big effect on attendances now-a-days.

Keith_M
07-10-2013, 04:52 PM
I'd imagine that out of that 48,000, there were a majority of Celtic fans. That was definitely the case when Rangers clinched the league win at ER in 1975 in front of over 38,000 (You can see the end of the match on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdH1kpX2bOU&list=FLgDfYGLpQDZ8UeavuU8asKg&index=10)).

The Dundee crowd is really impressive though. To get so many against a non OF team that wasn't a title decider or anything was really good. If only we could get anything near that today.

Kaiser1962
07-10-2013, 04:52 PM
Outwith the games against the OF and Hearts (att 35393 that season), who brought big supports through, our average league attendance was 9760 in a ground that had held 48k that season. We finished second in the league, 4 points behind Celtic, having finished third the previous season.

We won the Dryborough Cup at the start of the season having won the League Cup for the first time a year earlier.

Kaiser1962
07-10-2013, 04:59 PM
I'd imagine that out of that 48,000, there were a majority of Celtic fans. That was definitely the case when Rangers clinched the league win at ER in 1975 in front of over 38,000 (You can see the end of the match on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdH1kpX2bOU&list=FLgDfYGLpQDZ8UeavuU8asKg&index=10)).

The Dundee crowd is really impressive though. To get so many against a non OF team that wasn't a title decider or anything was really good. If only we could get anything near that today.

Dundee were a big draw back then. The replay (on a Monday night) at Dens had an attendance of 30888.

Ringothedog
07-10-2013, 05:09 PM
Dundee were a big draw back then. The replay (on a Monday night) at Dens had an attendance of 30888.
There were about 15k hibs fans at the replay with a few thousand locked out and before you ask I was at the game

eastterrace
07-10-2013, 05:10 PM
Dundee were a big draw back then. The replay (on a Monday night) at Dens had an attendance of 30888.

yeh i was there and we got gubbed 3-0 , some things never change.

Waxy
07-10-2013, 05:15 PM
Perhaps when the country gets it's prices sorted out crowds will improve.
However how can energy companies keep putting prices up over 5% EVERY winter yet our employers moan about giving us a 1% rise.
Something has to give very soon.

PeeJay
07-10-2013, 05:16 PM
THEN: A brilliant football team, a great manager, a TEAM challenging for the title against other great teams - and no television - big crowds
NOW: A crap football team, a useless manager, a team hoping it might, maybe make it to top 6 in a poor, poor SPFL - and television - small crowds

The answer's yes...

Kaiser1962
07-10-2013, 05:23 PM
There were about 15k hibs fans at the replay with a few thousand locked out and before you ask I was at the game

Why would I ask if you were at the game?

weonlywon6-2
07-10-2013, 05:24 PM
I think tv and cost has a lot to do with it.when i started going to easter road it was 60p to get in and by 1992 it was 7 or 8 pound.
for me it just seems to have jumped up to over twenty now which i feel is excessive,especially for the product!!

Not sure if we will ever fill easter road,will need a good run of results to get there

Alfred E Newman
07-10-2013, 05:30 PM
I'd imagine that out of that 48,000, there were a majority of Celtic fans. That was definitely the case when Rangers clinched the league win at ER in 1975 in front of over 38,000 (You can see the end of the match on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdH1kpX2bOU&list=FLgDfYGLpQDZ8UeavuU8asKg&index=10)).

The Dundee crowd is really impressive though. To get so many against a non OF team that wasn't a title decider or anything was really good. If only we could get anything near that today.

That game kicked off 3pm on a Sat., pay at the gate and no segregation. I'd imagine if we were to play Celtic in the league now under similar conditions there is a good chance the ground would be full.

eastterrace
07-10-2013, 05:41 PM
it wasnt always big crowds i mind we were playing partick thistle through there and the game got postponed as we were on our way so we turned back and went to the hearts game against airdrie , we were in beside the airdrie supporters and the crowd was 5000 and this was back in the 70 s. also mind playing falkirk at easterroad and there was about 7000 there and that was when peter cormack and colin stein were playing.

Keith_M
07-10-2013, 05:50 PM
ER is too big for what people are expected to put up with on the pitch. A few sell outs in a row at the old ER mightve justified making the stadium bigger, unfortunately the board made the ground bigger before the product on the park justified such a move.

This gets brought up quite a lot but I don't agree.

The stand needed to be rebuilt at some time and the talk at the time was that the stand was built for a much lower cost than it otherwise would have been, with companies desperate for work during the recession. If they'd waited, it would have cost a lot more.

The alternative would have been to give the money to managers that have since been sacked for being useless. Then we would have spent the money and been in the same position as Hearts, still requiring a new Stand to complete the Stadium.

In this instance, I'm glad the club took the long term view.

Kaiser1962
07-10-2013, 05:55 PM
it wasnt always big crowds i mind we were playing partick thistle through there and the game got postponed as we were on our way so we turned back and went to the hearts game against airdrie , we were in beside the airdrie supporters and the crowd was 5000 and this was back in the 70 s. also mind playing falkirk at easterroad and there was about 7000 there and that was when peter cormack and colin stein were playing.

Correct. But because there was a big ground we could accomodate big crowds for the big games. 36K that season V Leeds as well.

As I said outwith the OF and Hearts we averaged 9760 for league games at ER in 1973-74 and last season, outside the games against Celtic and the Yams, we averaged 9662. Not a massive difference.

mjhibby
07-10-2013, 06:27 PM
THEN: A brilliant football team, a great manager, a TEAM challenging for the title against other great teams - and no television - big crowds
NOW: A crap football team, a useless manager, a team hoping it might, maybe make it to top 6 in a poor, poor SPFL - and television - small crowds

The answer's yes...

I find it sad and so predictable that fans think that getting rid of pat fenlon suddenly solves everything.Stuart mccall is the only manager in recent times who has produced decent teams who get results.If we win tonight we will be level with aberdeen who are having a great season according to the pundits yet that twat stewart is still prattling on about sacking fenlon. People should start living in the real world.Our beloved neighbours only achieved their modicum of success by sending the club to the brink of oblivion and all other clubs outside the oldfirm have been going downhill standards wise for years now.
Mccall has shown that you can get decent teams out on the park but the problem is that unless we unearth another mowbray(who remember was lucky enough to have 5 or 6 future internationals on the books) then we are always going to struggle to attract top managers as scottish football is seen as way down the pecking order.Aside celtics efforts in europe we have shown by our results how poor scottish football is.Fenlon is gradually improving things and has said he will leave if he thinks he cant achieve better.Leave him to get on with it and hopefully once the likes of harris and cairney are fit and zooby gets up to speed we will see an entertaning hibs who gets results.If not im sure the fans will get their wish.Just remeber we got rid of mixu who went on to create a cracking side elsewhere so be careful what you wish for.

Jdawg
07-10-2013, 07:02 PM
Billed as the 1973-74 Championship decider Hibs faced Celtic in a league encounter in front of a crowd of 48,554 sadly losing the match 2-4. Seven days later 23,149 spectators watched as Hibs took their frustration out on Rangers by beating them 3-1 in the league. Then the following weekend Dundee shared a 3-3 Scottish Cup draw before a crowd of 28,236 so, within 14 days, Easter Road had hosted a little short of 100,000 spectators for just 3 games!

Sadly, now-a-days, these crowd sizes can never be repeated but it goes to show what having an entertaining & successful team on the park can do for attendances.

Today's team may be a long way short of ever emulating the flair of the Tornadoes but if they could capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the support, by consistently producing decent performances and results, does anyone think our attendances could ever threaten the current stadium capacity on a regular basis, given present ticket prices and TV coverage, or are sold out matches gone forever and a thing of the past? In Scotland pretty much. The game isn't of enough quality to attract a sell out. It doesn't help when for example Motherwell come to ER when they are 2nd or 3rd in the league and only bring a couple of hundred fans through. That's always why the atmosphere is usually fairly poor. When they away end is packed the atmosphere can be really good.

whiskyhibby
07-10-2013, 08:00 PM
Billed as the 1973-74 Championship decider Hibs faced Celtic in a league encounter in front of a crowd of 48,554 sadly losing the match 2-4. Seven days later 23,149 spectators watched as Hibs took their frustration out on Rangers by beating them 3-1 in the league. Then the following weekend Dundee shared a 3-3 Scottish Cup draw before a crowd of 28,236 so, within 14 days, Easter Road had hosted a little short of 100,000 spectators for just 3 games!

Sadly, now-a-days, these crowd sizes can never be repeated but it goes to show what having an entertaining & successful team on the park can do for attendances.

Today's team may be a long way short of ever emulating the flair of the Tornadoes but if they could capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the support, by consistently producing decent performances and results, does anyone think our attendances could ever threaten the current stadium capacity on a regular basis, given present ticket prices and TV coverage, or are sold out matches gone forever and a thing of the past?

I thought the ground limit was about 60,000 in the early 70's...........

PeeJay
07-10-2013, 08:37 PM
I find it sad and so predictable that fans think that getting rid of pat fenlon suddenly solves everything.Stuart mccall is the only manager in recent times who has produced decent teams who get results.If we win tonight we will be level with aberdeen who are having a great season according to the pundits yet that twat stewart is still prattling on about sacking fenlon. People should start living in the real world.Our beloved neighbours only achieved their modicum of success by sending the club to the brink of oblivion and all other clubs outside the oldfirm have been going downhill standards wise for years now.
Mccall has shown that you can get decent teams out on the park but the problem is that unless we unearth another mowbray(who remember was lucky enough to have 5 or 6 future internationals on the books) then we are always going to struggle to attract top managers as scottish football is seen as way down the pecking order.Aside celtics efforts in europe we have shown by our results how poor scottish football is.Fenlon is gradually improving things and has said he will leave if he thinks he cant achieve better.Leave him to get on with it and hopefully once the likes of harris and cairney are fit and zooby gets up to speed we will see an entertaning hibs who gets results.If not im sure the fans will get their wish.Just remeber we got rid of mixu who went on to create a cracking side elsewhere so be careful what you wish for.
Fenlon is not improving things at all - and the quicker he goes the better ... this evening's performance is all the evidence anyone needs ...

HUTCHYHIBBY
07-10-2013, 09:05 PM
This gets brought up quite a lot but I don't agree.

The stand needed to be rebuilt at some time and the talk at the time was that the stand was built for a much lower cost than it otherwise would have been, with companies desperate for work during the recession. If they'd waited, it would have cost a lot more.

The alternative would have been to give the money to managers that have since been sacked for being useless. Then we would have spent the money and been in the same position as Hearts, still requiring a new Stand to complete the Stadium.

In this instance, I'm glad the club took the long term view.

The way Scottish football is heading ER will never have to hold the number of people it does now, particularly if what I witnessed tonight is the norm. Good 3 pts though!

The long term view doesnae encourage the purchase of season tickets, or have I not got enough patience?

gringojoe
07-10-2013, 09:09 PM
Attending football was still a fairly cheap day out back then plus the pubs shut at 2.30 if you wanted a bevvy get a carry out go to the game.

IberianHibernian
07-10-2013, 09:13 PM
Billed as the 1973-74 Championship decider Hibs faced Celtic in a league encounter in front of a crowd of 48,554 sadly losing the match 2-4. Seven days later 23,149 spectators watched as Hibs took their frustration out on Rangers by beating them 3-1 in the league. Then the following weekend Dundee shared a 3-3 Scottish Cup draw before a crowd of 28,236 so, within 14 days, Easter Road had hosted a little short of 100,000 spectators for just 3 games!

Sadly, now-a-days, these crowd sizes can never be repeated but it goes to show what having an entertaining & successful team on the park can do for attendances.

Today's team may be a long way short of ever emulating the flair of the Tornadoes but if they could capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the support, by consistently producing decent performances and results, does anyone think our attendances could ever threaten the current stadium capacity on a regular basis, given present ticket prices and TV coverage, or are sold out matches gone forever and a thing of the past?I was at all 3 matches though I don`t remember the 3 matches being in successive weeks . The Celtic match had a huge crowd ( I remember struggling to see ) but wasn`t a sellout with at least two thirds of crowd supporting Celtic . Against Dundee , there were probably 8000 away fans at a time when Dundee had a big support for big matches like cup ties ( Dundee United were already a better team but would only have brought about 1000 fans at that time ) . In those days , crowds were bigger for bg matches like Derbies , cup ties and European matches but smaller for normal league matches ( assuming oficial attendances were correct of course - at that time we had a huge open terrace so on a rainy day it was quite easy to see that 5000 against Motherwell or Morton was not far off the mark ) . SPL with teams playing each other 4 times started in mid 70s and had an immediate negative affect on crowds for big games - 36000 to watch 7v0 in 1973 to Derby crowds of 25000 or less since then .

Miguel
07-10-2013, 10:20 PM
ER is too big for what people are expected to put up with on the pitch. A few sell outs in a row at the old ER mightve justified making the stadium bigger, unfortunately the board made the ground bigger before the product on the park justified such a move.

This.

Miguel
07-10-2013, 10:36 PM
Check out ihibs for attendances down the years and you will find that outwith the immediate pre and post-WW2 boom years, they have been remarkably stable, averages fluctuating by only a few thousand.
IMHO, Hibs would be doing well to attract a regular 12-15000, but that's reliant on decent product on the park and reasonable pricing.
The argument about the stadium rebuild is that there was no creativity: it was just a case of chuck an identikit stand here and another there.
The east stand should have been built to harness the energy of the people who went to the old one - what has effectively been done is to recreate the terracing before they sliced the top half off in the 80s.
They could still rescue the situation by making creative use of the space.

HUTCHYHIBBY
07-10-2013, 11:10 PM
The SFA have decided ER is too big for Scotland U-21 games which must've been another boot in the baws for Hibs powers that be!

The Falcon
08-10-2013, 05:06 PM
As I said outwith the OF and Hearts we averaged 9760 for league games at ER in 1973-74 and last season, outside the games against Celtic and the Yams, we averaged 9662. Not a massive difference.

Another Dot Net myth blown away.

Or perhaps there were thousands of supporters from the FF era that were refusing to go back until Hibs won Championships again...:wink: