| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... 10:48 - Jan 24 with 6305 views | thehat |
Just watched Clive's pick from the Sheff Wed game back in 1988 - I was one of the hardy souls in a crowd of just over 8K - I also remember days in the early Premier League when we still struggled to get over 13k.
Isn't it great despite our recent troubles on the pitch to see Loftus Road packed to the rafters and a whole new generation of fans coming through the ranks.
Our fanbase certainly seems to have grown in recent seasons and it looks like giving the lower school end to home fans with cheaper tickets will help this trend continue.
The future is bright........ |  | | |  |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 14:52 - Jan 24 with 1662 views | stevec |
The fall in crowds across the leagues was largely due to hooliganism, culminating in the 5 year ban from Europe after the excursions of that scum from the North West.
What seemed like an initial bit of fun in the early 70’s, getting in and out without taking a right hander, had worn thin by the mid 80’s. Hillsborough was the turning point and the cleaning up of football led to our Sky overlords.
In fairness to them, they’ve changed the game from a spectating view, crowds massively up across all football so despite the ludicrous kick off times, we should acknowledge that particular achievement. |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 14:53 - Jan 24 with 1671 views | Northernr |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 11:57 - Jan 24 by thehat |
What I like Dave is the profile of our fans - Whilst Chelsea is rammed with corporate and tourists when I look around Loftus Road whilst there are still plenty like me 55+ there is also a great young section (18 -25 year olds) coming through - I think the safe standing has also helped here.
Clive mentioned in one of his articles about the increase of Mums & Dads with Sons and Daughters which also seems to be on the rise.
Great to see and long may it continue.... |
There's five dads with teenage daughters among the home and awayers which is lovely to see. I sat and listened to the girls bury their dads for tactical knowledge at the back of the Coach and Horses in Norwich when predicting what the team would be. |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:07 - Jan 24 with 1601 views | GaryBannister86 |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 14:53 - Jan 24 by Northernr |
There's five dads with teenage daughters among the home and awayers which is lovely to see. I sat and listened to the girls bury their dads for tactical knowledge at the back of the Coach and Horses in Norwich when predicting what the team would be. |
Brilliant. Just one of the many reasons the words to West London is Wonderful need to be changed, and fast. |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:25 - Jan 24 with 1529 views | dmm |
Have I just walked into a Monthy Python sketch? |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:26 - Jan 24 with 1529 views | FredManRave |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 11:34 - Jan 24 by GaryBannister86 |
Yes - exactly. You just can't compare. I've been to home games in the PL watching Les, Ray, Wegs and barely 10,000 there. Or away ends at Chelsea that weren't sold out.
If I remember right, Loftus Road wasn't even anywhere near sold out for our SF against Liverpool in 86. Imagine that now, you would need evidence of a QPR tattoo on your genitalia to even be allowed to apply for tickets. |
That would make my "Queens Park Rangers Football Club" tattoo all the more worthwhile. |  |
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| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:32 - Jan 24 with 1495 views | ed_83 |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 14:32 - Jan 24 by stainrods_elbow |
https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/nav/attnengleague.htm
This site gives an excellent overview down the years. Extrapolating, it seems that the-1950s period was the boon time for the game as far as attendances went, when, I guess, it was relatively cheap, working-class, post-war fare, grounds were spacious, and violence wasn't really a thing. The 1980s was indeed the nadir, for whatever reason or combination of reasons - hooliganism probably being the main factor. The current highs in the Prem are basically back to the 1950s in terms of crowd numbers.
Although I think many of us might agree the on-field product has, in some ways at least, considerably improved, it's also a hell of a lot more expensive and separated from the fan (and, connectedly, fun), so one would have to argue that fans/consumers have basically internalised their own economic oppression by the modern game (to get a bit Marxo-Lacanian about it). The days of polite announcements about fans getting off the pitch and three row-deep kids sitting behind the goals, as (I think) our game at Newcastle in 1973/74 depicts feel like another dimension now. Now we have 'safe standing', designated 'singing areas', and verboten/amusing songs about Arsene Wenger (not) being a paedophile have fallen foul of social engineering! It's hardly a surpise that maverick players just don't exist anymore.
Jumpers for goalposts, Tony Gubba, mum making the tea, ah . . . [Post edited 24 Jan 14:33]
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Agree with much of this, except the bit about Wenger. The increasing professionalisation / corporatisation of football has brought negatives and benefits, as you rightly say. But for me one of the biggest positives has been a reduction in - or at least increased focus on - abusive, bigoted or antisocial behaviour from the terraces.
Shouting, swearing, getting worked up, having a go at the other team - that's all fine, nobody goes to the football to be polite (unless you're a Fulham fan, sorry Konk). But it's not like the rules of society stop applying when we get there. Making cheap jokes about child abuse would be unacceptable anywhere else, just as racism or homophobia would (or at least should) be, so why should we put up with them on the terraces?
If anything, I'd argue that football catching up with the rest of society is partly why we're seeing these increasing attendances. The only "social engineering" would be to try and deny that things have changed. | | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:37 - Jan 24 with 1446 views | stowmarketrange |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 11:47 - Jan 24 by BrianMcCarthy |
As a teenager in the 80's the big chat about upcoming away games was whether we'd bring enough to be safe if we got attacked. |
It was just as bad at some home games against London teams.Many times the loft got taken by Arsenal,spurs and West Ham fans.
I remember a night game against Arsenal in the season after we almost won the league and an Arsenal fan brought a baseball bat out of his jeans and told us in no uncertain terms to “f@ck off.”
They only make themselves known at ko time so that the police couldn’t move them out. |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:45 - Jan 24 with 1408 views | charmr |
Always fascinated me this topic.
19th Aug 1978 opening game of the season away at Liverpool. A hundred odd hardy soles, give or take, with a few carriages on a regular train and the allocation being on the back row of the main stand where the teams come out. Got smacked in the face as well for what it’s worth. Lime street station coppers wise words were you shouldn’t have come up here then.
8th May 1982 Barnsley away. Lost 3-0, fun day out singing you can watch us on the box. A few weeks later thousands at Wembley.
Back then you knew most of the away crowd. Doug for example quite regularly being escorted around the pitch from the home end into the away end.
I think it turned around in the first Holloway era. A bit of us and them mentality and rallying around.
Selling out away ends now has become a lot more common and harder to get tickets. [Post edited 24 Jan 15:48]
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| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:53 - Jan 24 with 1367 views | charmr |
Bristol City away 1978 at half time. Anyone else remember that police horse. I can also still picture Stan’s leg dangling to this day. Horrible site.
Our escorts back then we’re something out of scenes of captured soldiers being marched through previously occupied streets. Everything stopped, pubs emptied. To be fair police were very good at keeping the peace and sorting out the locals. Marches from the station at Leicester and Derby away for example. [Post edited 24 Jan 16:00]
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| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:59 - Jan 24 with 1340 views | kensalriser |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:25 - Jan 24 by dmm |
Have I just walked into a Monthy Python sketch? |
Kids today don't know they're born.
When I were a lad I used to have to walk ten miles to go to a game and hope I could pick up a few loose coins on the terrace for the bus fare back.
Every game I was beaten to a pulp and had to walk back barefoot because thugs had nicked my bus fare and boots. One time I was dismembered and the body parts scattered around the White City estate, no one called an ambulance because they wouldn't come out for the football, I had to pull myself together and get myself home in time for the kids' tea.
I never complained, I felt I was one of the lucky ones. Etc etc. |  |
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| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:05 - Jan 24 with 1318 views | derbyhoop |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 15:59 - Jan 24 by kensalriser |
Kids today don't know they're born.
When I were a lad I used to have to walk ten miles to go to a game and hope I could pick up a few loose coins on the terrace for the bus fare back.
Every game I was beaten to a pulp and had to walk back barefoot because thugs had nicked my bus fare and boots. One time I was dismembered and the body parts scattered around the White City estate, no one called an ambulance because they wouldn't come out for the football, I had to pull myself together and get myself home in time for the kids' tea.
I never complained, I felt I was one of the lucky ones. Etc etc. |
I had to get up before i went to bed. Work 25 hours a day down't pit. And pay for the privilege.
Yes. But try telling the kids today and they won't believe you. |  |
| "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky |
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| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:06 - Jan 24 with 1321 views | CroydonCaptJack |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 12:48 - Jan 24 by superstan |
I was at the game against Leeds around 1974, from memory last game of the season and we had our highest ever crowd that day around 35k, but Leeds had all the School End. |
I think that was 1976. We played Leeds last game of the season at home and it was a big crowd. I was in the Loft and there was quite a few Leeds in there but I don't recall it kicking off. |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:12 - Jan 24 with 1285 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 12:31 - Jan 24 by Paddyhoops |
I remember been at home game against Sunderland game back in 89 . Saturday game but barely 9,000 at it .
On a non home game Saturday. I would go to Highbury with my Arsenal mate. They rarely went above 20,000 apart from London derbies and Liverpool and Man Utd.
In fairness they weren’t the saftest of places back in the day but that was half the thrill for me. |
Yeah, me and my mates went to Highbury a lot in the 80s. Mad that we could just rock up and pay a few pounds at the turnstile for a Championship-winning side. Without being too 'jumpers for goalposts', I think watching top-flight football was better then in terms of actually being able to get into the ground, particularly if you were a kid. God knows what you have to do to get tickets for big matches these days.
Our 'old school' ground, safe standing and Championship status are a big part of why we are attracting lots of teenagers. | | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:20 - Jan 24 with 1252 views | fournil |
The bit that always grated on me the most was games against Manchester Utd & Liverpool in the late 80's through to mid 90's. Loftus Road would be full to capacity and then Barnes or Giggs score and the whole of the School End and basically 75% of Ellerslie would explode in celebration. We were nearly outnumbered in our own stadium - used to drive me round the bend.
On the flip side it was nice sticking it to them when we won the odd game. | | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:29 - Jan 24 with 1211 views | KensalT |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 14:52 - Jan 24 by stevec |
The fall in crowds across the leagues was largely due to hooliganism, culminating in the 5 year ban from Europe after the excursions of that scum from the North West.
What seemed like an initial bit of fun in the early 70’s, getting in and out without taking a right hander, had worn thin by the mid 80’s. Hillsborough was the turning point and the cleaning up of football led to our Sky overlords.
In fairness to them, they’ve changed the game from a spectating view, crowds massively up across all football so despite the ludicrous kick off times, we should acknowledge that particular achievement. |
Hooliganism was definitely a big factor in declining attendances in the seventies.
But when you look at the data football attendances had been falling steadily since 1945, with a brief increase in attendances following the World Cup win in 1966
https://winningwithanalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/f1.png?w=1024 | | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:34 - Jan 24 with 1192 views | GaryBannister86 |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:20 - Jan 24 by fournil |
The bit that always grated on me the most was games against Manchester Utd & Liverpool in the late 80's through to mid 90's. Loftus Road would be full to capacity and then Barnes or Giggs score and the whole of the School End and basically 75% of Ellerslie would explode in celebration. We were nearly outnumbered in our own stadium - used to drive me round the bend.
On the flip side it was nice sticking it to them when we won the odd game. |
Gosh, yes I hated that so much. So much. That West Ham cup tie and there was West Ham everywhere in SA Road. But when our third hit the net......loved it. | | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:55 - Jan 24 with 1119 views | stowmarketrange |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:06 - Jan 24 by CroydonCaptJack |
I think that was 1976. We played Leeds last game of the season at home and it was a big crowd. I was in the Loft and there was quite a few Leeds in there but I don't recall it kicking off. |
They won the the league in 74 and the place was full of their fans.1976 was our year and the crowd was only 31,002. | | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:59 - Jan 24 with 1105 views | qprxtc |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:55 - Jan 24 by stowmarketrange |
They won the the league in 74 and the place was full of their fans.1976 was our year and the crowd was only 31,002. |
SA Road paddocks was a terrace in 1974 when Leeds came down. It had been converted into seats by 1976, we lost 4,000 spaces. The ground was heaving in 1976 and we’ve never had a 30,000 plus crowd since. |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 17:06 - Jan 24 with 1086 views | Juzzie |
Although the decline of hooliganism, revamped stadiums, all-seater with tickets bought upfront, football being created in 1992 etc etc, I think another big turning point was Euro '96. Union Jacks were replaced with the St George's Cross and despite losing the semi-final and the stupid aftermath, football on the whole took an uplift after that tournament. |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 17:16 - Jan 24 with 1055 views | Ranger_Things |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 11:20 - Jan 24 by loftboy |
Our away following has definitely gone up, barely missed a away game through the late 80’s and we’d barely have a couple of hundred at some games, the lowest being under 80 at Anfield a few days after the milk cup semi final. |
I remember all the old bill and empty buses outside the station. |  | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 17:29 - Jan 24 with 1012 views | Juzzie |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 11:20 - Jan 24 by loftboy |
Our away following has definitely gone up, barely missed a away game through the late 80’s and we’d barely have a couple of hundred at some games, the lowest being under 80 at Anfield a few days after the milk cup semi final. |
After the supporters club train getting stoned on the way in (a couple of people in hospital with glass in their face/eyes) and out of Liverpool station, the coach transfer to the ground and back getting the same treatment, getting showered with coins etc... I don't think many fancied going back for a 'friendly' welcome after dumping them out of the semi final a few days earlier, I certainly didn't! | | | |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 17:37 - Jan 24 with 981 views | loftboy |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 17:16 - Jan 24 by Ranger_Things |
I remember all the old bill and empty buses outside the station. |
Was only me,my mate and wombat on one bus, then the driver dropped us off outside the Kop, me and my mate ended up buying a ticket in the main stand and sitting on our hands when Rosenior scored in the first minute, it was how I was able to count our fans! |  |
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| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 17:40 - Jan 24 with 965 views | loftboy |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 17:29 - Jan 24 by Juzzie |
After the supporters club train getting stoned on the way in (a couple of people in hospital with glass in their face/eyes) and out of Liverpool station, the coach transfer to the ground and back getting the same treatment, getting showered with coins etc... I don't think many fancied going back for a 'friendly' welcome after dumping them out of the semi final a few days earlier, I certainly didn't! |
On the train home Joe (RIP) who was a bit of a character to say the least decided to piss on a couple of Liverpool fans we were sat with on the way back. | |
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| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 23:00 - Jan 24 with 724 views | kensalriser |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 16:59 - Jan 24 by qprxtc |
SA Road paddocks was a terrace in 1974 when Leeds came down. It had been converted into seats by 1976, we lost 4,000 spaces. The ground was heaving in 1976 and we’ve never had a 30,000 plus crowd since. |
Pretty sure I can remember standing in the paddocks long after 1976! Stoke in 83/84 comes to mind. | |
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| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 23:35 - Jan 24 with 664 views | numptydumpty |
| Our crowds these days compared to years gone by.... on 11:34 - Jan 24 by GaryBannister86 |
Yes - exactly. You just can't compare. I've been to home games in the PL watching Les, Ray, Wegs and barely 10,000 there. Or away ends at Chelsea that weren't sold out.
If I remember right, Loftus Road wasn't even anywhere near sold out for our SF against Liverpool in 86. Imagine that now, you would need evidence of a QPR tattoo on your genitalia to even be allowed to apply for tickets. |
Genius - thank you.
Finally an opportunity to tell my often told gag.
I have aforesaid tattoo on my genitalia.
It simply says "QPR" but when I am excited it says "QUEENS PARK RANGERS"
For some strange reason my better half, thinks this has no comedy value as I retell it for the umpteenth time !!! |  |
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