Let's talk attendances

Another season over for most of us.  Over of course, except for those teams engaged in the world's worst and most poorly run play-offs (no clues, but up until last week, we played in this league...)

Another opportunity to engage with the mostly brilliant "Turnstile League" on the KIng's Lynn FC unofficial Linnets site: -

Click here for Statto-sadness!

As ever, there's lot of interesting attendance stuff on this site, particularly when it comes to average non-league crowds and the difference between this season and the last one.

We, for instance enjoyed an almost 30% increase in attendances at Latimer Park this season, up from 645 to 838.  This average figure was boosted by a 2000+ gate from the Scum-lite game and a couple of 1000+ end of season disappointments, when the club did all it could to dissuade the casual Poppy fan from ever returning (no strikers AT ALL against Barwell FFS Marcus...!)

A number of the teams that have played the us in the FA Cup in recent seasons experienced a  bit of a "Post-Poppies-bounce" where their stay-away supporters were once again enthused into watching their clubs after seeing the mighty Kettering.  AFC Mansfield's gates swelled by a massive 131% this season.  Basford enjoyed a huge 150% increase from 192 to 481.  And Nantwich Town's turnstile operators won't have known what hit them with their average gate ballooning from under 300 to over 1000 - a ridiculous 270% Poppies-inspired boom!

Other teams we've played in recent years showed some interesting stats.  Most curiously, Nuneaton, who are preparing to replace us as former Conference big-boys in the Central League, saw a 35% increase in attendances despite being nailed on for relegation from about September.

Hereford saw their average gate dip slightly from 2553 to 2353, partly because of a season-long struggle, but mostly because the locals had no Poppies fixture to turn up for.

Leiston, despite a season of ups and downs in a new division, registered a 0% change in their crowds, 296 last season and this.  Kings Langley's average crowds were boosted to the tune of 2.  I'm sure that had nothing to do with Rene's arrival....Slough's attendances went up by over 100, which was no bad thing given their 2017-8 average gate was a highly suspect 666.

Football League chasing vanity project Salford City saw a 54% rise in crowds to 2489, which means that there will be even more disappointed Mancs when the United old-boys find another hobby.

Other facts to catch the eye: -

Enfield Town were rewarded for  turning around an escape from relegation last season to an unsuccessful tilt at the play-offs this season by attracting one extra fan, up from 405 to 406.

It was all kicking off in Dunstable, where Dunstable Town saw a 30% dip in crowds, as AFC Dunstable experienced a 30% rise.  Their average gates are now separated by a meagre 2 people.  If these two people argue and one goes to AFC from Town, their average gates will be the same.  Who gets the bragging rights then?

During these tangled Brexit times FC Romania have expertly managed to back both pro & anti campaigners cases, as their attendances rose from 36 to 133 - a whopping 270% rise.  This proves the success of integration AND the fact there's too many foreigners here!!!

Lastly, and seemingly for the nth season running, our lowest home gate was against Redditch.  Seemingly every season our smallest crowd watches the most incredibly bonkers match!

Toot toot!

Who can't look at this photograph of Rhys without
seeing him as a five year old, pretending
to be a train driver, and pulling on the
horn as his train races through another station. 

Ah, bless!


Photo (c) probably Shorty. 
Most of the in-focus ones are.... 

Memories Are Made Of This

Coming soon… Poppies v Diamonds, the complete highlights DVD.  Newly extended version.

Sit back, relax and enjoy top action from 20 years of local rivalry! 

You’ll GASP at the memory of the one good thing that Leroy May ever did in a Kettering shirt.

You’ll LAUGH as the Nene Park lights fail, and all the Poppies fans stay behind to sing sh*tty ground.

You’ll SHUDDER as Duane Darby nuts Brett McNamara and cops a lengthy ban.

You’ll WONDER where the next goal is coming from at times.

You’ll CHEER as Vowden & McNamara fire us to our first league victory.

You’ll EVEN make a big deal of Robert Codner scraping us a point.

You’ll PREFER to forget the next ten years or so (NB. Not included in the director’s cut).

You’ll MARVEL at Iyseden Christie’s cool finish, earning him an extra stuffed hog as a win bonus.

You’ll DANCE on Diamonds’ grave… until Ladak had other ideas.

You’ll FREAK OUT as Rhys scores late.

You’ll IDLY CHAT AND RUB ON SUN SCREEN as Poppies stroll to another routine derby success against our local bunnies.

Estimated running time 60 minutes. Or for Rushden viewers, that’s between two marks on the parish sundial.   

Halesowen remembered

Option One - This is a downside of the "Panorama" option on a camera phone when people move (with apologies!)

Option Two - Yet another Diamonds fan wants to jump on the Poppies bandwagon.



You choose....

Selfless Selfies

You can't have glimpsed the various KTFC social media outlets in the past few months without stumbling across dozens of images of a somewhat sternly-confused looking Poppies fan taking random selfies in front of football grounds, turnstiles, or almost entirely blank brick walls.

Richard looking stern at Basford

Unless you've been living under a rock you will know that the angry-looking fellow is Trust Vice-Chair Richard Atkinson.  He is attempting to collect selfie-images from the grounds of every team we have ever played in the FA Cup.  Not for his health, or as part of an especially sad hobby - no, he's doing this for YOU!  Yes, YOU.

Richard scowling at Derby

He is seeking sponsorship to help fund additional terracing and cover so the rest of us can stay dry whilst watching our Championship heroes / relegation haunted losers (delete as appropriate, depending when you read this).  Richard is one of those annoyingly positive people who gets off his arse and does the sort of things we bitch about people not getting off their arses and doing.  Frankly he shows up the rest of us for the lazy, whining, tight-arse moaners we all know we are, but don't like being reminded of.

Richard grizzles at Yaxley

To, in some small way deflect our torporous guilt, we can sponsor Richard so he can continue to scowl into his camera-phone for many more weeks and months as he hunts down the balance of the 100+ stadiums of the 184 in total he seems to have pledged his life to track down and record.

Richard looking pugnacious at St Neots

If for no other reason than to stop the internet filling up with photographs of Richard and his thousand yard stare, you can donate towards the Tin Hat fund through various avenues here: -

Poppies Trust

Selfie Competition

Richard looking justifiably
smug in Irthlingborough

Fruits of success

With the title now sealed we can look forward to three pressure-free games to round things off.  Three games to take a victory lap, see how near we can get to 100 points and how close Marcus can get to beaning someone’s hat off as he does his fruit tossing thing.

First it was bananas then as the season went on and he hit his stride, satsumas were added. The volume of fruit has increased too. It’s now at the stage where the Tin Hat goes home healthier than it arrived.  The question is, though, will small orange citruses be enough at a higher level? Should we bulk up and bring in some tangerines?  Do they even sell tangerines in Blyth?

Add this to the uncertainties we face in 2019/20.

A personal wish list for the remainder of this season:

1. Force the Diamonds to give us a guard of honour next week (best imagined in slow motion, 300-style, with a thumping rock soundtrack.  Poppies!  Hurrggg!!)

2. Put on at least one more performance that shows why we’re champions.

3. Reunite Holman with his mojo, or at the very least let him scuff one in off his arse: whatever it takes.

4. Aaron’s “sore throat” gets a little better so he can give us a song.

5. Stockport go up, sparing us the indignity of hosting them, and all the cruel and distressing things their fans will sing about Latimer Park.

6. Salford City don’t.

If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs...

Joyous scenes at Halesowen as Rhys gets the promotion party under way. But wait… one fan doesn’t appear that impressed. He’s wearing a Poppies scarf but that frown of disapproval at such unseemly happiness can only mean one thing.

Barry Frost.
 

There’s a time and a place for these things, he appears to be saying.  And it certainly isn’t before I’ve finished this tray of chips.