[HRK]

On a sort of similar thread, Everton gave Albion the option for the trip to Goodison:-

Do you want 1800 tickets, or 3000? (You make up the cost).

Albion plumped for 1800, because sales upto last week were quite slow, and we didn't want to pay for (say) 1000 unsold tkts at £30 = £30,000.

Apart from being surprised at the apparent lack of interest, I'd have expected a late rush for tickets, especially as we've only played 3 Away games this Year so far. And the extra interest is that we're playing the Club above us in the League, who we're hoping to catch.
I'm convinced we could have sold (say) 2300 in the end, and the extra 500 fans (+ 1200 less Toffees) could make all the difference in the Stadium, to possibly turn the game in our favour. As said earlier, each League position is worth £2m, which knocks that £30k into sawdust. And I bet there are (maybe) 500 fans who will be disappointed.

It's not an exact science, but I wonder why no Club has bothered to assess the effect a vociferous backing makes to the players. I bet the players would give an answer.

Subsidizing away support via tickets and travel is something we could as a club do much, much more than we currently do. The current £30 cap on prices across all teams is a massive step in the right direction and as such I've personally not missed an away this season. Couldn't realistically afford to attend them all before that point.


I have my ticket for Everton and the 1,800 allocation sold out quite quickly so I'd imagine we could have taken very close to the 3,000 total we could of had if we had the section in upper bullens as well as the lower.

The problem for the club is that while on the face of it, it appears to be penny pinching, but we haven't taken anything close to a full allocation on an away game for ages taking West Ham out of the equation as some only went that day because of the novelty of a new stadium imo. This has been consistent for about 4-5 years really which is sad because our away following used to be one of the best in the country.

What I think would improve our away attendances is free coach travel laid on by the club as the cost of the entire day on travel and food etc soon mounts up. You can bet that Burnley away this year where the club are  putting the free coaches on we'll take a full allocation to test the water about further games next season whether it would be wise to offer the free coaches for all games to boost attendance numbers.

For anyone on here who's making the trip Saturday and likes the odd beer or six you're obviously spoiled for choice in the city centre, but I'd imagine most Albion fans closer to 3pm will either be drinking in the Arkles that's on the corner of Anfield Road & Arkles Road that's about a 15 minute walk to Goodison Park or the Thomas Frost Wetherspoons on Walton Road about 10 mins from Goodison.

Obviously feel free to buy me a pint if that's helped you plan where to drink Saturday