In the realm of football, the Vanarama National League stands as a battleground where passion, talent, and community converge.
While the focus often gravitates towards the electrifying on-field performances, a closer inspection of the spectator stands reveals a tale of contrasting attendance dynamics between the proud clubs of Yorkshire and their counterparts in the North West.
Despite having the biggest stadium in the National League at 14,601, Halifax Town sit dead last in terms of attendance with a mere 1,400 fans at each game on average. That being said, Halifax boast the second highest season ticket price at £350 for the campaign.
Head of media and PR at FC Halifax Town said, “it’s a shame really because having one of the biggest stadiums in the league we obviously want to fill it and get the place behind the team, but we have to be realistic, we’re a non league side and filling out 14,000 capacity stadium every week just isn’t attainable at this level. I think our ticket prices are fine I believe it’s just a matter of getting higher up through the leagues so we can attract a wider fan base.”
These clubs in the lower leagues rely heavily on gate receipts to keep them afloat so charging lower prices just isn’t an option especially in the long run. Its an evident struggle trying to balance the ticket prices so that the clubs make profit but also the appeal of attending a match-day is there.
The only team to charge more is high-fliers Chesterfield at £390. Currently sitting 8 points clear and with promotion on the cards, the price seems justified. The Spireites also boast the best attendance out of the 6 highlighted teams and average 7,400 fans per game in a 10,600 seater stadium. That is a 70% capacity filled compared to 15% for FC Halifax Town.
Over the M62 in Oldham, footfall is also prosperous. While their stadium is only 50% full on match days, their attendance sits at around 6,600 on average. Charging slightly less than Chesterfield at £350, it is clear that the fanbase is passionate about their side.
For a lot of these teams fortune has not favoured them over the last few years. Oldham Athletic were a ever-present in the football league before financial woes and transfer embargoes took their toll.
Rochdale, like Oldham, are objectively huge clubs, with the fans becoming accustomed to EFL football, not non-league. The drop in tier will have had a significant effect on the interest in the club and only the most dedicated fans will support week in week out.
Unlike the other highlighted clubs Altrincham have been consistently in non-league. Altrincham have a history of giant-killing in the FA Cup, holding the record of knocking out more Football League sides than any other club that has spent its entire history playing in non-league.
Altricham only average 1,900 attendees a game (33% full). As mentioned, an ever-present non-league side, Altrincham are a less successful club than those mentioned, leading to lower attendances with a smaller fanbase.
That being said, maintaining attendances in the National League is challenging due to several factors, from financial constraints, limited media exposure, facility standards, weather conditions and much more. With limited financial support from external sources it’s not a surprise lots of clubs are struggling to survive. The appeal of spending £20 or so on a ticket alongside everything that comes with a match-day in terms of food/drink, travel etc puts people off when they could find an illegal stream from the comfort of their living room.
Addressing these challenges requires strategic efforts in marketing, community engagement, infrastructure, and financial stability for sustained attendance in the National League.
