Sunderland Fans

[swaledale]

It seems that there are more than a few "fair weather" Sunderland fans as their attendances have dropped from 40,000 when struggling in the prem to 26,000 or less when struggling in the championship.

Someone who went to the last home game reckoned there were less than 16,000 actually in the ground, the 26,000 being the "official" figure including ST holders.

I know our attendances dropped, from 30,000 to 26,000 or so as we struggled in the championship, but thats a lot of fickle fans for an area where they are supposedly "die hard" fans!!

[Romanis]

But if the football is dreadful and matches the results, that's surely a given.

[swaledale]

But if the football is dreadful and matches the results, that's surely a given.

Well if they are forest fans yes, but even under the dire (IMO) football played under Clough Jnr, we rarely sank below 25,000, if your a die hard football fan and support your club through thick and thin why would you desert them and not attend matches just because they are ****e?

[Romanis]

I don't think we went so bad in the dire days. But swale you must understand, the average fan goes to matches to get entertained and derive some pleasure, not to get dire play coupled with even 'direr' results.
Ticket prices are also not cheap, I can fully understand the question of loyalty, but what I can more sympathise is the average fan with none to deep a pocket, having to put up with footballing hari-kiri

[swaledale]

I don't think we went so bad in the dire days. But swale you must understand, the average fan goes to matches to get entertained and derive some pleasure, not to get dire play coupled with even 'direr' results.
Ticket prices are also not cheap, I can fully understand the question of loyalty, but what I can more sympathise is the average fan with none to deep a pocket, having to put up with footballing hari-kiri

Oh I agree with the average fan, but the mackems are always made out to be the last bastion of die hard football fans. I was living in newcastle in the 80's when the Toon were a piss poor side in div 2 and still 50,000 turned out every week and like Derby thats a sign of a big true fan base, rather than a football consumer!

[Romanis]

Oh I agree with the average fan, but the mackems are always made out to be the last bastion of die hard football fans. I was living in newcastle in the 80's when the Toon were a piss poor side in div 2 and still 50,000 turned out every week and like Derby thats a sign of a big true fan base, rather than a football consumer!

A bit funny those North East fans. Newcastle by far the biggest followed by the Mackems (few call them that now) then Boro.
I think the true size of the Mackem fan base is about 25000 with Boro around 18000. But perhaps the football has been so dire than the average Mackem fan doesn't see the point at the moment in parting further money.