Premier League attendances suffer decrease
Reuters - Friday 28 November 2008, 09:24
LONDON - Attendances at English Premier
League games are down by an average of 920 fans per game this
season, according to an investigation by Britain's Daily
Telegraph.
The biggest losers are Newcastle United, with a drop-off of
4,631 fans per game with Sunderland also badly hit at 3,010
down.
Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Wigan Athletic all suffered
drops of more than 1,000.
The league average is almost 1,000-a-week down from last
season's 50-year record of 36,076 -- though this season's
figure is slightly distorted after Manchester United's home
game with Fulham in August was postponed due to UEFA Super Cup
commitments.
Nevertheless, even the English and European champions are
feeling the pinch of the global economic crisis having failed
to sell out Old Trafford's 76,180 seats for any game this
season.
The investigation revealed that as of Wednesday none of the
weekend's fixtures were sold out, even Sunday's high-profile
clashes when Chelsea play Arsenal and Manchester City take on
Manchester United.
Attendances are also down in Leagues One and Two, with the Championship bucking the trend with a slight increase, the Telegraph said on
Friday.
Liverpool and Everton have announced slight cuts in ticket
prices as a result of the government's decision to cut VAT and
the rest of the Premier League clubs have pledged to follow
suit.
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