Attendance at English football: a tale of tragedy and recovery
9 months ago
- #attendance
- #football
- #history
- English football has a history marred by hooliganism, racism, antisemitism, and tragic stadium disasters.
- Significant tragedies include Burnden Park (1946, 33 deaths), Valley Parade (1985, 56 deaths), Heysel Stadium (1985, 39 deaths), and Hillsborough (1989, 97 deaths).
- Post-1980s, authorities cracked down on violence and racism, improving safety and fan culture, leading to a recovery in match attendance.
- Attendance data shows a decline post-WWII until 1989, followed by recovery due to stadium improvements and family-friendly initiatives.
- COVID-19 severely impacted attendance in the 2019-2021 seasons, with matches played behind closed doors.
- Home advantage in football has declined steadily post-WWII, but the relationship with attendance numbers is complex.
- Violin plots reveal changing attendance distributions, with the Premier League now showing a bimodal distribution due to stadium capacity constraints.
- Premier League stadiums are nearly sold out (98.9%), while lower leagues have lower sold-out fractions (56.5%-81.4%).
- Stadium size and revenue disparities highlight a 'league-within-a-league' dynamic in the Premier League.
- The future of English football looks hopeful with rising attendances, improved fan experiences, and growth in women's football.