26 replies to this topic

[audois]

According to RFL in this weeks SL Stobart press release. This aggregate is expected to be realised this season and would cross a barrier last reached nearly 50 years ago.

- 5 M in 1950
- 4 M in 1953
- 3 M in 1960
- 2 M in 1965
- 800,000 in 1975

What would it take to get us back to say 3 million. Wigan had a record league average I understand of around 20,000 in the early 1950s. Although averages in SL may have dropped a bit the total attendances with two extra clubs has gone up I think. If we eventually arrived at a European SL of say 18 clubs would that be the catalyst.

If the comp had 20 sides with average crowds of 12,000 playing 25 matches I think that comes to 3 million. Take some doing.

*figs taken from T Collins 'RL in 20th Century Britain'
* Simon Kelners ' To Jerusalem & Back'

My interpretation is they are just for league competitions.

Edited by audois, 02 August 2012 - 11:08 AM.

[GeordieSaint]

Where did you get those figures from? Amazed by the stats pre-1965. Are they top division only or include all matches incl internationals and lower divisions?

[sheddings69]

Oldham had 28,000 at a game in the 50's - 196 watched them play last week!!

[EdinburghExile]

Crowds in football and RL were huge in the fifties, quite possibly the sports were pretty much the only show in town.

[sheddings69]

Crowds in football and RL were huge in the fifties, quite possibly the sports were pretty much the only show in town.

And it was affordable to go and watch the games.

[nadera78]

And it was affordable to go and watch the games.

And it's not affordable now? RL must be the cheapest spectator sport around.

[Padge]

And it was affordable to go and watch the games.

It wasn't that, there was f'all else to do.

[Fax1978]

Totally different times your taking about past populations who had little or no tv, no computer games, far fewer competing sports, a static population that could not travel as far for entertainment. I dont think you will ever see those sorts of attendences at some of those clubs ever again.

Was,nt it Hx vs Wire in a CC Final rematch at Odsal in the 50's that got an official attendence of over 100,000. My Grandad and his brothers always used to say that it was more like 150,000 as so many people just climbed over the railings and pushed through to get in. Unbelievable in this day and age.

[Stan Doffarf]

As Fax says, a very different world. No telly, no phones, no cars, nothing in the shops beyond the very basics, no supermarkets or retail parks.

Bradford met Huddersfield in a 3rd round CC match at Odsal in 1953 before 69000 people. Today we struggle to improve on that for finals at Wembley and OT. Live sport was pretty much all the affordable entertainment there was back then.

[Jonty]

It's worth looking at the number of teams involved in the league. Let's look at 1954-5 for instance (random pick), where we have a single 31-team league. The bottom third of this league includes clubs that historically have a big following; Widnes, the Hulls, Cas, as well as Liverpool City, Blackpool Borough etc.

Each team played 18 home games, which if we assume a 5 million aggregate, gives us an average per game of 8,960.

I'm sure that if you just counted the top 14 you'd get a different picture though.

[sheddings69]

Does anybody have attendances over the last 20 years for all professional leagues in the UK? I would be interested to know whether more or less people are watching the game now than in 1982.

[audois]

Does anybody have attendances over the last 20 years for all professional leagues in the UK? I would be interested to know whether more or less people are watching the game now than in 1982.

1.5 M aggregate was reached in all but 6 seasons between 1980-1995.

[Padge]

Does anybody have attendances over the last 20 years for all professional leagues in the UK? I would be interested to know whether more or less people are watching the game now than in 1982.

Yes I do, the aggregate is about 300k up.

Edited by Padge, 02 August 2012 - 08:16 PM.

[Keith T]

I have a scrapbook from the 1951 season and the match report for Workington Town versus Swinton begins, "Torrential rain kept the crowd down to 12,000!!!!

[Padge]

I have a scrapbook from the 1951 season and the match report for Workington Town versus Swinton begins, "Torrential rain kept the crowd down to 12,000!!!!

But in 1955 Workington were involved in a CC Final that only managed 66k, a feat repeated by them in 1958. Seems like were Workington are concerned rain may keep their crowds down but their presence, just like rain can keep the Wembley crowd down. (90k + crowds either side).

Time, place and circumstances make a big difference.

[Keith T]

Yes, the 1958 final was even less at 66,109, but of course we were only playing Wigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Padge]

Yes, the 1958 final was even less at 66,109, but of course we were only playing Wigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

do you honestly know I didn't know that.

[Johnoco]

Oldham had 28,000 at a game in the 50's - 196 watched them play last week!!

That's sad to hear. Was there a reason for such a low crowd?

[Old Frightful]

Yes, the 1958 final was even less at 66,109, but of course we were only playing Wigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was probably at full time...If they'd have counted the crowd at threequarter time I bet there'd have been over 80k in there.

[audois]

It's worth looking at the number of teams involved in the league. Let's look at 1954-5 for instance (random pick), where we have a single 31-team league. The bottom third of this league includes clubs that historically have a big following; Widnes, the Hulls, Cas, as well as Liverpool City, Blackpool Borough etc.

Each team played 18 home games, which if we assume a 5 million aggregate, gives us an average per game of 8,960.

I'm sure that if you just counted the top 14 you'd get a different picture though.

In 1953-54 season Warrington's top/lowest league crowds at Wilderspool:

St Helens 29,107
Leigh 22,658
Wigan 18,046
Oldham 17,271

Barrow 10,023
Bramley 9,556
Castleford 9,479
Liverpool City 7,424

Away from home:

Wigan 22,048
Leeds 19,240
St Helens 18,000
Workington 16,115

Hull KR 5,597
Liverpool City 2,748
Bramley 2,953
Belle Vue 1,082

That year Halifax was their main challenger but they only met in the last month of the season for the first time culminating in that famous Odsal match of 102,569. Wire undefeated in all three matches against the Yorkshire side finishing with the Championship Final success at Maine Road played incredibly just three days after the CC replay.