Thursday 21 September 2017

UK League One Attendances : 2016-17 (By Club)

Getting figures for the third division is quite challenging so I went back just two years, realising that to go further would perhaps be a bridge too far when trying to find all the statistics. Even with the ones below one match did not have the clubs release an attendance figure for it. In those cases a calculated estimate was made. As it was for just one game, it has no real effect on the data.*

For 2017, Toulouse and Rochdale left to go up to the Championship. Incoming were Whitehaven and Workington from the Championship and a new team in Toronto. That took the total of teams up to 16 in 2017 from 15 in 2016.

It's interesting to note how moving up and down affected those club's crowd numbers. Going up, Toulouse attendances were +40% and Rochdale and +66%. The relegation for Whitehaven dropped their attendance average a mere -5% and Workington just -7%.

Without doubt the big talking point for 2017 was the introduction of a newly formed club from Canada. At home they were playing before an audience that largely didn't even know the game existed until the Toronto Wolf Pack turned up. Would the locals embrace this new sport?

An average in excess of 6,600 says yes. The fact that curious onlookers returned for more and got behind their team with vigour was fantastic. The team also played before larger than average crowds in the UK, often the best attendance for the season for the club they visited.

The Wolf Pack helped mightily in taking the League 1 attendance average figure up 56%! However, when they go in 2018, what will be the likely outcome for the average attendance figure? Oldham and Bradford are coming down, the latter will help to compensate for the loss of Toronto, as they bid adieu and head to the Championship above. One other - yet to be decided - will also leave with them, possibly Barrow.

Summary: The League 1 was barely noticed and I must say until 2017, I knew next to nothing about it. Having Toronto in the competition got me and thousands of others aware, and interested in it. I even got to see some games from League 1 and there are some fine clubs and players in that division.

Hopefully the departure of Toronto won't see this part of the game slip back into obscurity. It is mooted that there are more teams to be added from North America in due course and if they take the same route, then more excitement and travel awaits the players and fans from League 1.



LEAGUE 1


2017 2016


Toronto 6,639 Toulouse 1,540


Newcastle 979 Newcastle 1,017


York 887 Barrow 918


Barrow 853 Keighley 655


Keighley 742 Doncaster 623


Whitehaven 664 York 594


Workington 654 Rochdale 528


Doncaster 577 Coventry 486


London Skol 473 North Wales 484


Hunslet 421 Hunslet 454


Coventry 401 London Skol 389


North Wales 377 South Wales 315


South Wales 229 Oxford 184


Gloucester 205 Hemel 176


Oxford 152 Gloucester 150


Hemel 117


Total 105,862 Total 59,579


Avg 882 Avg 567

Please note the data above is for regular round matches only and excludes playoff competitions and finals.

PS. To see the Super League (div 1) or the Championship (div 2), simply click on them.

* If anyone knows the attendance for Oxford v Newcastle 18/06/17, please let me know. Thank you.

No comments: